Frank M. Ziebach facts for kids

Frank M. Ziebach, also known as Francis Marion Ziebach, was an important political figure in the Dakota Territory between 1861 and 1889. He was a pioneer newspaperman. He started several newspapers in Iowa and the Dakota Territories. One of his most famous papers was the Yankton "Weekly Dakotan" in 1861. This paper is still published today as the Yankton "Press and Dakotan." People often called him the "squatter governor" of the Dakota Territory. Ziebach County, South Dakota was named after him in 1911.

Frank M. Ziebach was born in 1830 in Pennsylvania. He passed away in 1929 in Yankton, South Dakota at 98 years old. His life covered the time from President Andrew Jackson to President Herbert Hoover.

Early Life and Family

Frank M. Ziebach was born on November 23, 1830, in Union County, Pennsylvania. When he was a boy, he started learning the printer's trade. This meant he learned how to set type and print newspapers. In 1853, he moved to Madison, Wisconsin. But in 1855, he returned home and started a newspaper called the "Lewisburg Argus."

He married Elizabeth Fisher. They had four sons and two daughters together.

Starting Newspapers in Iowa (1856-1862)

In August 1856, Frank M. Ziebach moved from Pennsylvania to Iowa. He began publishing a newspaper called the "Western Independent." He worked with a partner named J. N. Cummings. Their paper was in Sargeants Bluff, near Sioux City, Iowa.

In 1858, Frank bought out his partner. He moved the printing equipment to Sioux City. There, he started a new weekly newspaper called the "Sioux City Register." This paper said it was a "Democratic" newspaper. In 1859, Frank sold part of his business to William Freney. The "Register" then joined with another paper, the "Sioux City Eagle." Frank and William continued to publish the "Register" until 1862. But in 1861, Frank moved his focus to Yankton, South Dakota.

The Yankton Weekly Dakotian Newspaper

In 1861, Frank M. Ziebach moved his printing equipment from Sioux City, Iowa, to Yankton. He used a team and wagon to transport it. He and his partner, William Freney, started the Dakotian Printing Company in Yankton. They printed the first edition of the "Weekly Dakotian" on June 6, 1861. Frank Ziebach was the editor. He also did much of the hands-on printing work. He was a skilled printer and a good journalist.

His earlier newspapers in Iowa had been "Democrat" papers. The early "Weekly Dakotian" also said it was a "Douglas Democrat" newspaper. However, things changed after the elections in late 1861. The Republican party gained power in the territorial government. The newspaper then switched its political side.

The newspaper stopped printing for a short time. During this break, Ziebach sold the paper to J.C. Trask in March 1862. The "Dakotian" then started printing again. It now declared itself a "Republican" newspaper. Because of this, the Dakotian Printing Company became the first "Public Printer" in Dakota. This meant they did all the printing for the first government meetings.

After the first government meeting, the Dakotian was sold to George W. Kingsbury. Frank M. Ziebach later rejoined the newspaper as Kingsbury's partner. Since the "Dakotian" had been a Democrat paper when Ziebach first ran it, he became a "silent partner." Kingsbury, who was a Republican, was the official editor. This political move helped them. Ziebach and Kingsbury kept the job of "Public Printer" during the second government meeting.

After 1863, Kingsbury owned the paper by himself. Yankton was the capital of the Dakota Territory from 1861 to 1883. During this time, the Dakotian grew quickly. It reported on the early political struggles of the territory. Over the years, other newspapers joined with the Dakotian. Eventually, it became known as the Press and Dakotan. It is still published under that name in Yankton today.

There is some discussion about which was the "first newspaper" in the Dakota Territory. On March 2, 1861, Congress passed a law that created the Dakota Territory. Yankton became its capital. The Weekly Dakotian was the first newspaper published in the Dakota Territory after this law. However, it was the second newspaper in the area that is now South Dakota. The very first newspaper in what is now South Dakota was the Dakota Democrat. It was published in Sioux Falls starting in 1858.

Frank Ziebach and the 1862 Indian Uprising

In August 1862, some Sioux raiders killed Judge Amedon and his son near Sioux Falls. Soon after, Yankton heard news of a massacre in Minnesota. Settlers became very scared. They rushed into Yankton with their belongings and animals. People quickly built a sod wall around the Dakotian printing office. This protected newspaper building became known as "Fort Yankton."

The governor asked for volunteers to form a militia (a group of citizens who act as soldiers). Four hundred citizens joined. Frank M. Ziebach was chosen as Captain of Company A of the Dakota Militia. George W. Kingsbury, his co-editor at the Dakotian, became the company's orderly sergeant. Frank M. Ziebach was jokingly called the "Commander in Chief of the Army at Fort Yankton."

There was almost no fighting in Yankton itself. There was a small clash near Sioux Falls later that year. But people remembered the "exciting and dangerous weeks of the Indian outbreak of 1862, when Yankton was under attack."

Public Service and Political Life (1868-1889)

In 1863, Frank M. Ziebach went to Dubuque, Iowa. He bought a share in the Dubuque Herald newspaper. He returned to Sioux City, Iowa, in 1868. That fall, he was appointed to a government job there. He became the register of the United States land office in Sioux City. He also served as mayor of Sioux City for two terms, from 1868 to 1870.

He moved back to Yankton in 1870. There, he again worked in the newspaper business. In 1873, he was elected Superintendent of Schools. However, he did not take the job, and someone else was appointed. He was elected mayor of Yankton for three terms, from 1876 to 1880.

He also served in the territorial legislature (the government body that made laws for the territory). He was a member from 1877 to 1878 and again from 1883 to 1884. In 1877, he lived in Yankton and represented Yankton County. In 1883, he lived in Scotland and represented Bon Homme County.

He was also a delegate to the South Dakota state constitutional convention in 1883. He helped form Yankton's first Board of Education in 1875. He held other smaller jobs in city and territorial government too.

From 1861 to 1889, the Dakota Territory elected one person to represent them in the U.S. House of Representatives. This person could not vote. Political parties held meetings every two years to choose their candidate. Frank M. Ziebach attended the Democratic Party meetings in 1874 and 1882. He served on an important committee at both meetings. He was nominated for the position of territorial delegate and received many votes, but he was not chosen as the final candidate.

The "Squatter Governor"

Frank M. Ziebach is known in history as the "squatter governor" of Dakota Territory. During the first territorial government meeting, he led an informal group of territorial leaders. This group acted like a pretend legislature. They called themselves the "third house." This event led to Frank M. Ziebach being called the "squatter governor." A "squatter" was a term for someone who lived on land without officially owning it.

These pretend legislature meetings continued sometimes in later years. Frank M. Ziebach was often asked to lead them. These mock sessions provided a lot of fun during the formal government meetings. Because he became known as the "squatter governor," people often called Frank M. Ziebach "governor" for the rest of his life.

Seeking the Governor's Job

When Dakota wanted to become a state, there was a big debate. Should it become one large state, or two separate states? Politicians were called "one state" supporters or "two state" supporters (also called "divisionists").

In 1884, Grover Cleveland, a Democrat, became President of the United States. In 1886, it was his job to appoint a governor for the Dakota Territory. Frank M. Ziebach was the top choice for 90% of the Democrats in the territory. Many petitions (requests) were sent to the President. Frank M. Ziebach went to Washington and met important people. Democrats and Ziebach himself were sure he would be appointed governor.

However, Frank M. Ziebach supported the idea of "two states." President Cleveland preferred "one state." So, in 1886, President Cleveland gave Frank M. Ziebach a different job. He appointed him Commissioner of the U.S. Land Office. In 1887, the President appointed a "one state" supporter as governor.

Even so, Frank M. Ziebach kept arguing for two states. In 1889, the United States Congress solved the issue. They passed the Enabling Act of 1889. This law allowed North Dakota and South Dakota to become states. Montana and Washington also became states at this time.

Later Life and Legacy

After becoming Commissioner of the Land Office in 1886, Frank M. Ziebach held that job for a few years. He continued to hold appointed positions under the federal land office. He retired in 1924.

In 1911, Frank M. Ziebach was honored. Ziebach County in South Dakota was created and named after him. In 1919, he was made a "Life Member" of the South Dakota State Historical Society. They said it was because of his long time living in the state. They also recognized his efforts to help South Dakota grow and develop. He was seen as one of their most important citizens.

Death and Burial

Frank M. Ziebach passed away in Wessington Springs, South Dakota, on September 20, 1929. He was almost 99 years old. His wife had passed away before him, in 1917. Frank M. Ziebach is buried in the Yankton Cemetery in Yankton, South Dakota.