John W. Geary
John White Geary (December 30, 1819 – February 8, 1873) was an American lawyer, politician, Freemason, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was the first mayor of San Francisco. He was the 3rd Governor of the Kansas Territory. He was also the 16th Governor of Pennsylvania.
John W. Geary | |
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| 16th Governor of Pennsylvania | |
| In office January 15, 1867 – January 21, 1873 | |
| Preceded by | Andrew Gregg Curtin |
| Succeeded by | John F. Hartranft |
| 1st Mayor of San Francisco | |
| In office May 1, 1850 – May 4, 1851 | |
| Preceded by | Postition established |
| Succeeded by | Charles James Brenham |
| 3rd Territorial Governor of Kansas | |
| In office September 9, 1856 – March 20, 1857 | |
| Preceded by | Wilson Shannon |
| Succeeded by | Robert J. Walker |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John White Geary December 30, 1819 Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania |
| Died | February 8, 1873 (aged 53) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |
| Political party | Democrat; Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Ann Logan (widowed); Mary Church Henderson |
| Profession | Teacher, Clerk, Land Speculator, Engineer, Soldier |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1846–1848, 1861–1865 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General Brevet Major General |
| Battles/wars | Mexican–American War American Civil War |
Life
Geary was born near Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania. Today, it is close to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
California
Geary became the first mayor of San Francisco. He is the youngest person to be mayor of San Francisco.[1] President Franklin Pierce asked Geary to be the governor of the Utah Territory, but Geary said no.
Kansas
President Franklin Pierce asked Geary to be Governor of the Kansas Territory, and Geary said yes. He became governor on July 31, 1856. Pro-slavery people did not like Geary. They wanted Daniel Woodson to be governor instead.
At first, he did not get along with anti-slavery people in Kansas. This changed. He became friends with Charles Robinson and Samuel Pomeroy. He believed pro-slavery people were the cause of the violence in Kansas.
Pennsylvania
Geary was a Republican Governor of Pennsylvania from 1867 to 1873. On February 8, 1873, he had a heart attack and died in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was 53 years old.
References
- ↑ Daily Alta California. 27 February 1850. p. 4. http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=DAC18500111.2.7&srpos=7&e=--1850---1851--en--20-DAC-1--txt-txIN-Geary------#. Retrieved 24 August 2014.