- Abraham Jefferson Seay
Infobox US Territorial Governor
name= Abraham Jefferson Seay
caption=
order= 2nd
office= Governor of Oklahoma Territory
territory= Oklahoma Territory
term_start=February 1 ,1892
term_end=May 7 ,1893
appointed=Benjamin Harrison
predecessor= Robert Martin
successor=William Cary Renfrow
birth_date= birth date|1832|11|28|mf=y
birth_place=Amherst County, Virginia
death_date= death date|1915|12|12|mf=y
death_place=Long Beach, California
spouse= never married
profession=Soldier ,Lawyer ,Judge
party= Republican
footnotes=Abraham Jefferson Seay (
November 28 ,1832 –December 12 ,1915 ) was an Americanlawyer ,soldier ,judge , andpolitician . Seay served as aColonel during theAmerican Civil War . Later, Seay would serve as anAssociate Justice onOklahoma Territory 'ssupreme court and as the secondGovernor of Oklahoma Territory .Early Life and Civil War
Abraham Jefferson Seay was born to Cam and Lucy J. Seay at Amherst Court House,
Amherst County, Virginia onNovember 28 ,1832 . Seay’s family descended from English ancestry, with Seay able to trace his family to settlers who came toNorth America during the landing atJamestown, Virginia , in 1642. At the age of three, Seay’s father moved his family toOsage County, Missouri , where Seay’s father started a farm and experimented in agriculture. During the winter of 1853 to 1854, Seay, at the age of 21, began working on the construction ofMissouri Pacific Railroad . Seay used the money he earned from the railroad towards gaining an education.In the spring of 1855, Seay enrolled at the Steelville Academy. His time at the academy was cut short when his father’s untimely death forced him to return home and assist his mother in caring for the farm and raising his eleven other brothers and sisters. Despite this, Seay’s time was alternated between teaching a public school and working on the farm. During his brief time at Steelville, Seay found an interest in law. He would spend years reading law materials at irregular intervals until in August, 1860, Seay moved to
Cherryville, Missouri where he entered a law office. Within months of the move, Seay, in April, 1861 at the age of 29, was admitted to the Missouribar association .Seay would not have much time to enjoy his new position. The same month Seay passed the
bar exam , fighting began in theAmerican Civil War . Immediately Seay enlisted as a volunteer in theUnion army . As a private, Seay assisted in the enlistment of 200 men, which become part of the 32nd Missouri Infantry commanded by Colonel John C. Phelps. Seay’s work during the Civil War earned him several promotions. Seay was promoted successively tocaptain ,major , andlieutenant colonel . Seay would serve the Union army well, fighting in theBattle of Elkhorn Tavern ,Battle of Vicksburg ,Battle of Jackson , Battle of Chattanooga,Battle of Lookout Mountain ,Battle of Missionary Ridge ,Battle of Atlanta ,Battle of Savannah ,Battle of Bentonville , and theBattle of Columbia . Seay last service came atRaleigh, North Carolina , whileGeneral Joseph E. Johnston surrendered. At the conclusion of the war, Seay left the army at the rank ofcolonel of hisregiment .After the Civil War
Upon his return from the war, Seay was appointed, by Governor
Willard Preble Hall ,county attorney of Crawford County. Later, Seay was advanced to circuit attorney before his retirement in 1870. After leaving government, Seay entered into private practice until 1875. During that year, Seay was elected circuit judge of the 9th Missouri District. Following the end of his first six-year term, Seay would win reelection to a second six-year term.Judge Seay declined a third term, preferring to resume his private practice. While in private practice, Seay entered into the realm of banking. Seay personally organized a bank at
Union, Missouri , which he became president of until his death. Seay also personally strived to endorse the First National Bank ofRolla, Missouri . Later, Seay would become the president of that bank as well.Oklahoma Territory Politics
During the 1890s,
Oklahoma Territory was first being opened to settlers. TheUnited States Congress officially changed the unorganized land into a government controlled territory with its own government. US PresidentBenjamin Harrison appointed MajorGeorge Washington Steele to serve as the territory’s first Governor. President Harrison also appointed Seay to serve as anAssociate Justice on the territory’sSupreme Court .Justice Seay would serve on the Supreme Court throughout Governor Steele’s administration. On
October 18 ,1891 , Governor Steele resigned his position and Robert Martin, the Secretary of Oklahoma Territory, became the Acting Governor. Seay submitted his name to President Harrison to serve as the second Governor. However, it would not be for three months until Harrison officially appointed Seay to the office. OnFebruary 1 ,1892 , Justice Seay resigned from the judiciary and was inaugurated as the secondGovernor of Oklahoma Territory at Guthrie.Governor Seay would only spend sixteen months in office. Under his administration, nothing of lingering importance occurred. The only important event was the opening of the
Cheyenne -Arapaho Reserve onApril 19 ,1892 , vialand run . This served to widen both Oklahoma Territory’s, and thus Governor Seay’s, domain. Seay governorship came to an abrupt end when PresidentGrover Cleveland appointedWilliam Cary Renfrow onMay 7 ,1893 to serve as governor.Late Life
After leaving office, Seay made his home in Kingfisher and on
November 23 ,1899 , he organized the Central State Bank of Kingfisher. Later, the bank’s name was changed to the First National Bank of Kingfisher. OnOctober 26 ,1904 , the bank was taken over by the Kingfisher National Bank. Despite that take over, Seay remained his position as bank president.Seay was an active member of the Episcopal Church as well as a member of the
Freemasons . In the year before his death, Seay, by a tragic accident, suffered a bow to his hip, fracturing the bone. The injury worsened as Seay aged. Eventually, the injury sickened Seay to awheelchair for the rest of his life.In 1909, Seay purchased a home in
Long Beach, California . Seay would spend the rest of his life in California until his death onDecember 12 ,1915 . His remains were returned to Oklahoma for burial and interred in the cemetery at Kingfisher, where his grave is suitably marked. His funeral was held at theMasonic Temple in Guthrie.Governor of Oklahoma Robert L. Williams and his staff attended the funeral.ources
*Meserve, John Bartlett. [http://digital.library.okstate.edu/chronicles/v020/v020p218.html "The Governors of Oklahoma Territory"] . "Chronicles of Oklahoma" 20:3 (September 1942) 218-227 (accessed August 28, 2006).
* [http://www.lasr.net/pages/city.php?City_ID=OK0611023&VA=Y&Attraction_ID=OK0611023a003 Abraham Jefferson Seay]
* [http://geneasearch.com/biography/seay.htm Abraham Jefferson Seay]
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