Horace Boies | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 14thGovernor of Iowa | |
| In office February 27, 1890 – January 11, 1894 | |
| Lieutenant | Alfred N. Poyneer Samuel L. Bestow |
| Preceded by | William Larrabee |
| Succeeded by | Frank D. Jackson |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 3rdErie district | |
| In office January 1, 1857 – December 31, 1857 | |
| Preceded by | John Clark |
| Succeeded by | John T. Wheelock |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 7, 1827 Aurora, New York, US |
| Died | April 4, 1923(1923-04-04) (aged 95) Long Beach, California, US |
| Political party | Republican (before 1880) Democratic (after 1880) |
| Spouse(s) | Adella King (died 1855) Versalia M. Barber (died 1877) |
| Children | 4 |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Horace Boies (December 7, 1827 – April 4, 1923) served as the14th Governor of Iowa from 1890 to 1894 as a member of theUnited States Democratic Party. Boies was the onlyDemocrat to serve in that position from 1855 to 1933, a period of 78 years.[1][2]
Horace was born inAurora, New York and started his education in the public school system. In his late teens, he worked for four years as a farm laborer in theWisconsin Territory. Moving back to New York, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1849, setting up practice inHamburg, nearBuffalo. He was elected to theNew York State Assembly (Erie Co., 3rd D.) as a Republican in1857.[3]
Horace moved toWaterloo, Iowa, in 1867 and opened a law office. His career was successful, and he purchased large amounts of farmland in the area.[3]
Boies left the Republican Party in 1880 due to their support ofprohibition. He was elected governor of Iowa as a Democrat in 1889, breaking longtime Republican dominance of state politics. Reelected in 1891, he was defeated in 1893, byFrank D. Jackson, a Republican. He was a prominentpopulist and advocate ofbimetallism, and during his term as governor proclaimed Iowa's firstLabor Day holiday.
A wide range of progressive reforms were also introduced during his term.[4][3][5][6][7][8]
As governor, Boies gained sufficient prominence to become involved in national Democratic Party politics, though his campaigns for the presidential nomination at the1892 and1896 Democratic National Conventions were unsuccessful. His last political campaign, in 1902, was an unsuccessful attempt at the Democratic nomination for a Congressional seat from Iowa.[3]
Following his retirement, Boies moved toLong Beach, California. This was a popular destination for Iowans at the time, and Boies was active in social events of his fellow Iowan transplants, participating in the Long Beach Iowa Reunion and serving as president of the Long Beach Iowa Association.[3]
| Party political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Democratic nominee forGovernor of Iowa 1889,1891,1893 | Succeeded by Washington I. Babb |
| New York State Assembly | ||
| Preceded by John Clark | New York State Assembly Erie County, 3rd District 1857 | Succeeded by Wheelock |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Governor of Iowa 1890 – 1894 | Succeeded by |
| Territorial(1838–1846) | ||
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| State(since 1846) | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
