John W. Dawson | |
|---|---|
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| 3rdGovernor of Utah Territory | |
| In office October 3, 1861 – December 31, 1861 | |
| Appointed by | Abraham Lincoln |
| Preceded by | Alfred Cumming |
| Succeeded by | Stephen S. Harding |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1820-10-21)October 21, 1820 Cambridge, Indiana, United States |
| Died | September 10, 1877(1877-09-10) (aged 56) |
| Resting place | Lindenwood Cemetery,Fort Wayne, Indiana |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Other political affiliations | OriginallyDemocrat |
John W. Dawson (October 21, 1820 – September 10, 1877) was Governor ofUtah Territory in 1861.
Born on October 21, 1820, in the pioneer settlement of Cambridge in Dearborn County, Indiana, he was a lawyer, a farmer and a newspaper editor before he entered politics. He was appointed governor of Utah Territory.
Dawson, along withT.N. Hood, leasedGeorge W. Wood's interest in theFort Wayne Times and People's Press for one year, starting on September 7, 1853.[1] They changed the name to theFort Wayne Times and continued to publish until Hood sold his interest to Dawson and Wood. Wood retired in 1854, leaving Dawson in charge of the paper. In 1854, the Times had a decidedlyAnti-Nebraska sentiment whileThomas Tigar'sFort Wayne Sentinel had the opposite attitude.[2] Dawson's political issues included beinganti-abolition,temperance,free public schools, and variousKnow-nothing/Fusion Party/People's Party issues.[3] The paper continued in various forms until 1865, when Dawson sold the paper toHenry Dills andIsaac W. Campbell. In 1866, the paper merged with theFort Wayne Sentinel.[4]
Dawson ran unsuccessfully for a seat in theIndiana House of Representatives in 1854,Secretary of State of Indiana in 1856, andUnited States Congress in 1858. He started as aDemocrat, but later became aRepublican.
Abraham Lincoln named him governor ofUtah Territory in 1861, but he left the territory and his post as governor after only three weeks due to tensions with theMormon residents. Dawson allegedly made "grossly improper proposals" to the Mormon widow Albina Merrill Williams, who responded by thrashing him with a fire shovel.
Taking amail coach eastward, he arrived atEphraim Hanks'Pony Express station at Mountain Dell, Utah. There, Hanks assured Dawson he was now safe. However a group of young Mormon vigilantes named Jason Luce, Martin "Matt" Luce, Wilford Luce, Wood Reynolds, Moroni Clawson, Lot Hungtington, and Isaac Neibaur followed the retreating governor, and during a night of drinking, they plundered the governor's baggage, and attacked him, beating and kicking Dawson about the head, chest, and groin (and allegedly castrating one of his testicles). The thugs later claimed they were acting under direct orders of the Salt Lake Police Chief. Four of the youths were captured but the other three were gunned down trying to escape from police and sheriffs.[5][6][7][8]
Dawson later became famous as the first biographer of John Chapman, the legendaryJohnny Appleseed. Dawson's 1871 article in theFort Wayne News Sentinel of October 21 and 23 about Dawson's childhood friend is still considered the main source for biographical information on Chapman.
He died on September 10, 1877, and was interred atLindenwood Cemetery inFort Wayne, Indiana.[9]
George W. Wood fort wayne whig.
Fort Wayne already had two viable newspapers in 1854, the antislavery Fort Wayne Times and the Democratic Fort Wayne Sentinel. The Times, published by John W. Dawson, was staunchly opposed to the Kansas-Nebraska Act, while the Sentinel, published by Thomas Tigar, endorsed it as the key to saving the union. Although the Times was antislavery, it was also strongly opposed to abolitionism and characterized abolitionists as "fanatical" and "impractical."
while conservative on the slavery issue and anti-abolitionist, Dawson was strongly for temperance, for free public schools, ... noticeable Know-Nothing overtone...candidate for the legislature on the PEople's party ticket...candidate for... People's Party or Fusion ticket
George W. Wood fort wayne whig.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Governor of Utah Territory 1861 | Succeeded by |
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