James M. Harvey
Encyclopedia
James Madison Harvey (September 21, 1833 – April 15, 1894) was a United States Senator from Kansas
and fifth Governor of Kansas
.
(now West Virginia
), Harvey attended common schools in Indiana
, Illinois
, and Iowa
. He became a civil engineer
and headed west as a prospector to Pike's Peak in 1859 as a Fifty-Niner
. After meeting several discouraged miners along the way, Harvey decided to settle instead in Kansas Territory
, so he acquired a plot of land in Riley County
near Fort Riley
and engaged in agricultural pursuits. From 1861 to 1864, he served with the Union Army
during the Civil War
, advancing to the rank of captain in the 4th Kansas Infantry, which failed to complete organization and was consolidated with other recruits to form the 10th Kansas Infantry
.
Harvey was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives, 1865–1866, and then elected to the Kansas Senate in 1867–1868. He was Governor of Kansas
for two terms, serving from 1868 to 1872, and then elected as a Republican
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Alexander Caldwell
, where he served from February 2, 1874, to March 3, 1877.
After his Senate term, Harvey worked as a government surveyor
in New Mexico
, Utah
, Nevada
, and Oklahoma
, before returning to Kansas in 1890 to resume agricultural pursuits. He died near Junction City, Kansas
in 1894. Interment was in Highland Cemetery, Junction City.
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
and fifth Governor of Kansas
Governor of Kansas
The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
.
Biography
Born near Salt Sulphur Springs, VirginiaSalt Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
Salt Sulphur Springs is an unincorporated community in Monroe County, West Virginia, United States. Salt Sulphur Springs is located on U.S. Route 219 southwest of Union....
(now West Virginia
West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...
), Harvey attended common schools in Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
. He became a civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
and headed west as a prospector to Pike's Peak in 1859 as a Fifty-Niner
Fifty-Niner
The Fifty-Niners were the gold seekers who streamed into the Pike's Peak Country of western Kansas Territory and southwestern Nebraska Territory in 1859...
. After meeting several discouraged miners along the way, Harvey decided to settle instead in Kansas Territory
Kansas Territory
The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Kansas....
, so he acquired a plot of land in Riley County
Riley County, Kansas
Riley County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. The county's population was 71,115 for the 2010 census. The largest city and county seat is Manhattan. The county is part of the Manhattan, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area.Riley County is home to two of Kansas' largest...
near Fort Riley
Fort Riley
Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in Northeast Kansas, on the Kansas River, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 100,656 acres in Geary and Riley counties and includes two census-designated places: Fort Riley North and Fort...
and engaged in agricultural pursuits. From 1861 to 1864, he served with the Union Army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, advancing to the rank of captain in the 4th Kansas Infantry, which failed to complete organization and was consolidated with other recruits to form the 10th Kansas Infantry
10th Regiment Kansas Volunteer Infantry
The 10th Kansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War.-Service:The 10th Kansas Infantry was organized at Paola, Kansas by consolidating the 3rd Kansas Infantry and 4th Kansas Infantry, which had recruits, but were never...
.
Harvey was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives, 1865–1866, and then elected to the Kansas Senate in 1867–1868. He was Governor of Kansas
Governor of Kansas
The Governor of the State of Kansas is the head of state for the State of Kansas, United States. Under the Kansas Constitution, the Governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Kansas executive branch, of the government of Kansas. The Governor is the...
for two terms, serving from 1868 to 1872, and then elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
to the U.S. Senate to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Alexander Caldwell
Alexander Caldwell
Alexander Caldwell was a U.S. Senator from Kansas. Born at Drakes Ferry, Pennsylvania, he attended public schools, and enlisted in 1847 as a private in the Mexican-American War...
, where he served from February 2, 1874, to March 3, 1877.
After his Senate term, Harvey worked as a government surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
, before returning to Kansas in 1890 to resume agricultural pursuits. He died near Junction City, Kansas
Junction City, Kansas
Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 23,353. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby...
in 1894. Interment was in Highland Cemetery, Junction City.
External links
Retrieved on 2008-02-14- Governor's papers
- James Madison Harvey biography from "Kansas: a cyclopedia of state history, embracing events, institutions, industries, counties, cities, towns, prominent persons, etc.", 1912
- James Madison Harvey biography from "A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans", 1918