List of governors of Dakota Territory

Ten individuals served as governors of Dakota Territory during its existence as an organized incorporated territory of the United States between March 2, 1861, and November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota. Additionally, one person served as provisional governor prior to, and one served as acting governor during this period. The territorial governor was appointed by the President of the United States and served at the president's pleasure.

Provisional governor[]

Though Dakota Territory did not officially come into existence until March 2, 1861, a provisional legislature formed in January 1859 and elected Wilmot Brookings as territorial governor. However, the federal government refused to acknowledge either the provisional government or its territorial governor as official.

Territorial governors[]

Governor				In office	Party	Appointing president
1			William Jayne[1] (1826–1916)	May 27, 1861 – March 4, 1863 Resigned	Republican	Abraham Lincoln
2			Newton Edmunds[2] (1819–1908)	October 17, 1863 – September 3, 1866 Dismissed
3			Andrew J. Faulk[3] (1814–1898)	September 3, 1866 – May 10, 1869 Dismissed		Andrew Johnson
4			John A. Burbank[4] (1827–1905)	May 10, 1869 – April 1873 Dismissed		Ulysses S. Grant
–			Edwin S. McCook (1837–1873)	April 1873 – September 11, 1873 Died	Independent	Acting governor
(4)			John A. Burbank[4] (1827–1905)	October 1873 – January 1, 1874 Resigned	Republican	Ulysses S. Grant
5			John L. Pennington (1829–1900)	January 1, 1874 – April 12, 1878 Dismissed
6			William A. Howard (1813–1880)	April 12, 1878 – April 10, 1880 Died		Rutherford B. Hayes
7			Nehemiah G. Ordway (1828–1907)	June 1, 1880 – June 25, 1884 Dismissed
8			Gilbert A. Pierce (1839–1901)	June 25, 1884 – February 5, 1887 Resigned		Chester A. Arthur
9			Louis K. Church (1846–1898)	February 21, 1887 – March 9, 1889 Resigned	Democratic	Grover Cleveland
10			Arthur C. Mellette (1842–1896)	March 9, 1889 – November 2, 1889 Became 1st Governor of South Dakota	Republican	Popularly elected

Governors after statehood[]

References[]