Governor John C. Fremont
(1878-1882)
"The Pathfinder" is one of the most well known figures in United States politics, exploration, and the settlement of the West. He even ran for President of the United States for the Republican Party in 1856. His deeds and accomplishments are much too numerous to go into here, however, in Arizona he is only known for what little he did while governor of Arizona and how little time he spent in the territory.
Born in Savannah Georgia to John C. Fremont and Mrs. Anne Pryo Fremont on January 21, 1813, he was educated at Charleston College. In 1835 he was Assistant Engineer in the U.S. Topography Corps. In 1838 he was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant. He married Jesse Benton Fremont (the daughter of Senator Thomas Hart Benton, a powerful Senator from Ohio) on October 19, 1841. He made three important explorations; he traveled the Great Basin, the Wind River Chain of the Rockies, and explored California in 1845. He was the governor of California in 1847 while it was under military occupation during the Mexican War. He resigned from service on March 15, 1848 after political problems with General Kearny. He was later a US Senator from California. He ran for President for the Republican Party in 1856 against James Buchanan. He was also a major-general in the Civil War in 1861, but did not find satisfaction there and resigned in 1864.
In 1878 he wrote to the President of the United States to ask for service in an office in the West. He was appointed to the Governorship of the territory of Arizona on June 5, 1878. The people of Arizona, however, were happy with their current governor John P. Hoyt, and did not want a new governor appointed. Five months passed before Fremont even entered the Arizona territory. He immediately went East after giving his annual report of the territory to dispute the boundary of the Salt River Indian Reservation, which he felt was too close to Phoenix and would use up water from the city. He was back East from 1879-1881, Jesse Benton Fremont remained in the East during Fremont's administration.
While Governor of Arizona he legalized gambling and tried to establish a lottery system that would pay for schools and public buildings (a plan which collapsed leaving Michel Goldwater, the grandfather of Barry Goldwater, left to provide refunds for ticket holders). Back East, the Governor promoted his mining interests and attempted to get investment in Arizona's mines. He promoted economic development in Arizona. He created Cochise, Gila, and Graham Counties during his administration. He issued bonds for the creation of buildings, courthouses, and jails. He produced The Resources of Arizona to help attract Eastern investors. It was an invaluable resource for foreign investors. He further helped foreign investors by repealing the Buillion tax, which allowed foreign investors to do business without being taxed.
The Governor was gone for so long back East that his Secretary of the Territory John Gosper was doing his job for him. He wanted the governors to be elected locally instead of by presidential appointment. He even attempted to get the job of Governor himself by writing to the President of the United States. He requested Fremont to return to his post of Governor or to resign his post. Fremont returned to the Arizona territory in October of 1881 and resigned his office. John Gosper's political aspirations were dashed when another was appointed governor for the territory. In 1887 Fremont moved to California. He died while visiting New York July 13, 1890, days before returning to his home in Los Angeles, California. He is buried in Rockland Cemetery, near Nyack, New York. Jesse Benton Fremont died December 27, 1902.
Information from two sources:
Wagoner, Jay J. Arizona Territory, 1863-1912; a political history. University of Arizona Press, Tucson, 1970
Goff, John S. Arizona
Territorial Officials Volume 2. Arizona Black Mountain
Press, Cave Creek, 1975
Chapter 5
Websites
Longchamp.com-- John Charles Fremont
http://www.longcamp.com/index.html
Biographical Directory of the United States
Congress- John Charles Fremont
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=F000374
Virtual War Museum, Civil War Hall, John Charles
Fremont
http://www.johnfremont.com/
Museum of Local History for Fremont, California
http://www.museumoflocalhistory.org/fremont/links.php
Political Graveyard
http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/fremont.html#R9M0IXE8K
Books/Manuscripts
John C. Fremont / by John S. Goff. Cave Creek,
Ariz. : Black Mountain Press, c1993.
F811
.G58x 1993
The letters of Jessie Benton Fremont / edited
by Pamela Herr and Mary Lee Spence. Urbana : University of Illinois Press,
c1993
E415.9.F79
F74 1993
Recollections of Elizabeth Benton Frémont,
daughter of the pathfinder General John C. Frémont and Jessie Benton
Frémont, his wife. Comp. by I. T. Martin. Publisher New York,
F. H. Hitchcock, 1912.
E415.9.F8
F6
Memoir of the Life and Public Services of John
Charles Frémont by Bigelow, John, 1817-1911. New York, Derby &
Jackson 1856
E415.9
.F8 B5
Biography of John C. Fremont.
FB SACKS 16/27
