William Gilpin (governor) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids William Gilpin
1st Governor of the Territory of Colorado
In office March 25, 1861 – March 26, 1862
Preceded by	Robert Williamson Steele (as Governor of the Territory of Jefferson [extralegal])
Succeeded by	John Evans
Personal details
Born	October 4, 1813 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Died	January 20, 1894(1894-01-20) (aged 80) Denver, Colorado
Political party	Republican
Signature
Military service
Branch/service	US Army
Years of service	1836–1838 1846–1848
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Battles/wars	Second Seminole War Mexican–American War

William Gilpin (born October 4, 1813 – died January 20, 1894) was an important American figure in the 1800s. He was an explorer, a politician, and a writer who believed in the future of the American West. He served as an army officer in several wars.

Gilpin traveled with famous explorer John C. Frémont on an expedition through the West. He also helped set up the government for the Oregon Territory. As a politician, he strongly believed in Manifest Destiny, the idea that the United States was meant to expand across North America. He wrote about new settlements in the West. His ideas helped shape how people thought about the growth of civilizations.

William Gilpin became the first governor of the Colorado Territory. His time as governor was mostly spent defending the new territory during the early days of the American Civil War. He left office after only one year. Later, he became very wealthy by buying and selling land in New Mexico.

Early Life and Adventures

William Gilpin was born near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His family was wealthy and belonged to the Quakers. He had private teachers and studied in England for two years. He then went to the University of Pennsylvania, graduating in 1833. He also attended West Point for a short time.

In 1836, he became a second lieutenant in the army. He fought in the Seminole Wars. He also helped recruit soldiers in Missouri. While there, he became interested in the frontier and the idea of America expanding westward. He left the army in 1838.

Gilpin then moved to St. Louis to work as a newspaper editor and lawyer. After three years, he moved to Independence. This town was a starting point for many people traveling the Oregon Trail. He often talked with these travelers.

Exploring the Pacific Northwest

In 1843, Gilpin met John C. Frémont on the Santa Fe Trail. He joined Frémont's expedition to find a route over the continental divide. During this trip, he saw signs of gold in what is now Colorado. However, this information was not used for many years.

When the group reached Walla Walla in the Oregon Country, Gilpin continued his journey alone. At that time, the United States and the United Kingdom shared control of the Oregon Country. But the Hudson's Bay Company mostly controlled it.

Gilpin settled among American settlers in the Willamette Valley. He helped organize a temporary government there. At a meeting in Champoeg, he helped write a request for help from the United States Congress. Gilpin was chosen to carry this request back East. On his way through Missouri, he helped spread excitement about the Pacific Northwest. This led to "Oregon fever," where many people wanted to move there. He gave the request to Congress in 1845. Then, he wrote about his travels to show how good the Pacific Northwest was for trade and settlement.

Ideas for the West

In 1846, during the Mexican–American War, Gilpin became a Major. He led soldiers to Chihuahua City in a successful mission to capture New Mexico. He was praised for his service. Later, he led a group of soldiers to protect the Santa Fe Trail from attacks by Native Americans.

After the war ended in 1848, he went back to Missouri. He tried to start a political career there but was not successful. In 1859, Gilpin's earlier idea about gold in Colorado turned out to be right. Thousands of people rushed to the area during the Colorado Gold Rush.

That year, Gilpin published a book called The Central Gold Region. In this book, he wrote that Americans were meant to "subdue the continent." He believed the Mississippi River valley would become the center of Western civilization. He thought Denver would be its capital. This was partly because of its location near the 40th parallel north. Gilpin imagined that all major cities along that latitude would be connected by railroad lines. He even suggested a rail line over the Bering Strait to connect North America and Asia.

Throughout his career, Gilpin strongly believed that the American West would become very populated. He also supported a theory called "Rain follows the plow." This theory, which is now known to be incorrect, said that settling dry lands in the West would increase rainfall. He thought this would make the West as green as the Eastern United States.

Governor of Colorado Territory

In the early 1860s, problems in Kansas led Gilpin to join the Republican Party. This put him at odds with many people in Missouri. However, his support for U.S. President Abraham Lincoln paid off. In 1861, Lincoln appointed him governor of the new Territory of Colorado. This was a surprise to many, as local favorite William Larimer was expected to get the job. Lincoln wanted to keep Missouri, a slave state, on the side of the Union.

Official records from 1861 show Gilpin as both Governor of Colorado and as a superintendent for the Indian Office. He earned a salary for both roles.

Leading During the Civil War

Governor Gilpin arrived in Denver City on May 29, 1861. Crowds cheered for him. But his time as governor was difficult from the start. The territory was formed at the beginning of the Civil War. It faced many threats. These included people who supported the Confederates inside the territory. There was also a chance of a Confederate invasion. Tensions with Native Americans, especially the Arapaho and Cheyenne, were also growing. This was because U.S. Army troops had left the region for other duties.

The dangers facing the territory made Gilpin act quickly. He did not wait for permission from the federal government. He created a territorial military staff. Even though he had no money for military purposes, he started asking for volunteers to form a military regiment. Without funds, he took a big risk. He issued $375,000 in drafts (like checks) on the federal treasury. He expected the federal government to pay them later. He later said that Lincoln had given him verbal permission to issue these drafts.

At first, most merchants and citizens supported Gilpin's fundraising. But doubts grew when rumors from Washington, D.C., suggested the federal government would not honor the drafts. By the summer of 1861, many citizens were upset. People signed petitions asking for Gilpin to be removed from office. This movement was partly fueled by William N. Byers, the editor of the Rocky Mountain News. His newspaper had not received the territorial printing contract.

Under attack in Colorado, Gilpin went to Washington to argue for the drafts to be paid. Despite the problems, the money raised helped create the 1st Colorado Volunteers. This regiment was sometimes called "Gilpin's Pet Lambs." They trained in the summer and fall of 1861 near Denver.

The training of this regiment proved very useful. In the spring of 1862, the Confederates invaded northward through the New Mexico Territory. This invasion, known as the New Mexico Campaign, aimed to take control of Colorado's rich mineral resources and eventually California. The 1st Colorado Volunteers played a key role in stopping the Confederates. They defeated the Texans at the Battle of Glorieta Pass. This battle became known as the "Gettysburg of the West."

Even with the regiment's success, Colorado faced financial problems. Gilpin's drafts had tied up most of the money in circulation. There was no clear plan for them to be paid. Eventually, the federal treasury paid the drafts after people provided detailed statements. But this resolution came too late for Gilpin. On May 21, 1862, Lincoln removed him as governor. John Evans replaced him.

Later Life

In 1863, Gilpin and a group of foreign investors bought a very large piece of land. It was called the Charles H. Beaubien land grant, also known as the Sangre de Cristo Land Grant. It was about 1 million acres in southeast Colorado. They bought it for about 4 cents an acre. Gilpin and his investors then tried to make people living on the property leave.

William Gilpin died in 1894 in Denver, Colorado. He was hit by a horse and buggy. He was buried in Mount Olivet Cemetery (Wheat Ridge) in Jefferson County, Colorado.

Personal Life

Gilpin was married to Julia Pratte Dickerson. She was a widow from St Louis. They employed Julia Greeley for many years. Julia Greeley, also from Missouri, later became one of the few venerated African-American Catholics.