James M. Harvey (politician)

James Madison Harvey ( born September 21, 1833, Monroe County ( Virginia), † April 15, 1894 in Riley County, Kansas ) was an American politician and from 1869 to 1873, the fifth Governor of the State of Kansas.

Early years and political rise

Born in what is now West Virginia James Harvey visited in his youth because of multiple removals his parents' schools in Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. He was particularly interested in the engineering and land surveying. In 1859 he came to the Kansas Territory, and settled in Riley County. During the Civil War he was a captain in an infantry unit. 1865 Republican Harvey was elected to the House of Representatives from Kansas, where he remained for a year. Between 1867 and 1868 he was a member of the State Senate. In 1868, Harvey was nominated by his party as a candidate for election for governor and then elected by the voters in this office.

Governor of Kansas

Harvey took up his new post on January 11, 1869. After a re-election in 1870, he could officiate as governor for four years. He cared for the improvement of the infrastructure of his country, with particularly the expansion of roads and paths were at the forefront. However, the rail link from Kansas to Denver in Colorado was completed. At that time also the Agriculture Committee (Board of Agriculture) was launched and founded the Freedman University. Within the country, the boundaries of the individual counties were finalized and there were established new cities - a sign of the growth of the population. The judicial districts were re-divided. At that time, started the construction of the Capitol in the capital, Topeka. Finally, some anti-corruption laws have been adopted.

Another Journey

One year after the end of his term Harvey was elected to the U.S. Senate. There he remained from 1874 to 1877. According to the end of his time in Congress Harvey retired from politics and devoted himself to his private business in Kansas. However, he was still working some second as a surveyor of the federal government in the western territories. James Harvey died in 1894. He was married to Charlotte Richardson cutter. Together they had nine children.

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