The 1st Wyoming Territorial Legislature was a meeting of the Wyoming Legislature that lasted from October 12 to December 10, 1869. This was the first meeting of the territorial legislature following the creation of the Wyoming Territory by the United States Congress.
| 1st Wyoming Territorial Legislature | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 The Thomas McLeland Building where the Council met on the second floor | |||
| Overview | |||
| Legislative body | Wyoming Legislature | ||
| Jurisdiction | Wyoming Territory, United States | ||
| Meeting place | Thomas McLeland Building Arcade Building | ||
| Term | 1869–1871 | ||
| Wyoming Council | |||
| Members | 9 Senators | ||
| President of the Council | William H. Bright | ||
| Party control | Democratic | ||
| Wyoming House of Representatives | |||
| Members | 13 Representatives[a] | ||
| Speaker of the House | S. M. Curran | ||
| Party control | Democratic | ||
History
editCreation
editOn July 25, 1868, the United States Congress approved the Wyoming Organic Act which created the Wyoming Territory with land from the Dakota, Utah, and Idaho territories. At the time of the territory's formation there were four counties; Albany, Carbon, Carter, and Laramie counties.[3] On September 2, 1869, the first legislature elections were held where the Democratic Party won all of the seats in the Council and House of Representatives.[4][5]
Formation
edit
The first session of the Wyoming territorial legislature occurred from October 12, to December 10, 1869. The upper house Council met in the Thomas McLeland Building and the House of Representatives met in the Arcade Building in Cheyenne, Wyoming.[5] On October 12, John H. Howe, Chief Justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court, inaugurated the twenty-one members of the territorial legislature.[6]
William H. Bright was selected to serve as the President of the Council and S. M. Curran was selected to serve as the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Council convened with two members missing, W. S. Rockwell and George Wilson Jr., who would later arrive on October 15 and October 27. The House of Representatives convened with five members missing, with four of them arriving by November 23, but Representative J. M. Freeman never arrived.[1]
Legislation
editDuring the legislative session legislation giving women the right to vote was introduced by William Bright in the Council.[7] On December 6, 1869, Council voted seven to two in favor and the House of Representatives voted seven to four in favor. On December 10, Governor John Allen Campbell signed the legislation into law.[8][9] Amalia Post, a leader in the woman suffrage movement, was largely instrumental in having the franchise granted women in Wyoming Territory by the 1st Wyoming Territorial Legislature.[10]
The legislature passed legislation renaming Carter County to Sweetwater and created Uinta County.[11]
Membership
editCouncil
edit| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||
| Beginning of 1st Legislature | 9[5] | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Latest voting share | 100% | 0% | ||
Members of the Wyoming Council
edit| Senator[11] | Party | Counties represented |
|---|---|---|
| James W. Brady | Democratic | Albany |
| William H. Bright | Democratic | Carter |
| Frederick Laycock | Democratic | Albany |
| T. D. Murrin | Democratic | Laramie |
| T. W. Poole | Democratic | Laramie |
| W. S. Rockwell | Democratic | Carter |
| George Wardman | Democratic | Carter |
| J. R. Whitehead | Democratic | Laramie |
| George Wilson | Democratic | Carbon |
House of Representatives
edit| Affiliation | Party (Shading indicates majority caucus)
|
Total | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Republican | Vacant | ||
| Beginning of 1st Legislature | 12[5] | 0 | 13[b] | 1 |
| Latest voting share | 100% | 0% | ||
Members of the Wyoming House of Representatives
edit| Representative[11] | Party | Counties represented |
|---|---|---|
| J. C. Abney | Democratic | Laramie[12] |
| S. M. Curran | Democratic | Carbon[12] |
| J. N. Douglas | Democratic | Albany[12] |
| J. M. Freeman | Democratic | |
| Herman Haas | Democratic | |
| William Herrick | Democratic | Albany |
| John Holbrook | Democratic | |
| James Menafee | Democratic | Carter |
| Louis Miller | Democratic | Albany |
| Howard Sebree | Democratic | |
| Benjamin Sheeks | Democratic | Carter |
| J. C. Strong | Democratic | |
| Posey S. Wilson | Democratic | Laramie |
References
edit- ^ a b c History of Wyoming (Second ed.). University of Nebraska Press. 1990. p. 73. ISBN 0803279361 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b General Laws, Memorials and Resolutions of the Territory of Wyoming. Public Printer. 1874. p. 16 – via Google Books.
- ^ "Wyoming History". Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "Clean Democratic Sweep of the Territory of Wyoming - Democratic Member of Congress Elected". Northumberland County Democrat. September 3, 1869. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "1869 Legislature Membership". Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "From The West". Wisconsin State Journal. October 13, 1869. p. 1. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Right Choice, Wrong Reasons: Wyoming Women Win the Right to Vote". November 8, 2014. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
- ^ "Passage of the Female Suffrage Bill". The Philadelphia Inquirer. December 7, 1869. p. 4. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Wyoming Legislature". Harrisburg Telegraph. December 9, 1869. p. 2. Archived from the original on May 25, 2020. Retrieved May 25, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Prominent Woman Suffragist". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. 29 January 1897. p. 6. Retrieved 22 April 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming: Pages 351 to 352. Weston historical association. 1904. p. 351 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Wyoming Digital Suite, Wyoming State Library (1869). "House Journal of the Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Wyoming, 1869". Retrieved February 9, 2022.
Notes
edit- ^ The Territorial House of Representatives was given thirteen members and thirteen were elected in the 1869 elections, but Representative J. M. Freeman did not arrive in the legislature during the session.[1][2]
- ^ The Territorial House of Representatives was given thirteen members and thirteen were elected in the 1869 elections, but Representative J. M. Freeman did not arrive in the legislature during the session.[1][2]