Stephen S. Harding

Stephen Selwyn Harding ( born February 28, 1808 in Palmyra, Wayne County, New York, † February 12, 1891 in Milan, Indiana) was an American lawyer and politician ( Liberal Party ) and an ardent abolitionist.

Early years

Harding was the eldest son of David and Abigail Harding. In 1820 his family moved to Ripley County, Indiana. He studied law in the office of William R. Morris in Brookville, where he received his license to practice law on March 17, 1828. Then he opened his own law practice in Richmond, which remained open six months until he opened one in Versailles. He married on October 31, 1830 Avoline Sprout. The couple had ten children together.

Political career

He decided in 1842 to a political career when he ran unsuccessfully for the office of Lieutenant Governor of Indiana. Four years later he failed in his attempt to run for the governorship of Indiana. Some time after the Civil War broke out, President Abraham Lincoln appointed him in 1862 as governor of the Utah Territory. A short time after he had taken office, he exhibited a blank amnesty for all Morrisites who were sentenced to the Morrisitenkrieg afterwards. He also tried at first to calm the Mormon community, but he was soon criticized by church leaders because of the persistence of polygamy. This led in 1863 to a successful petition for his removal from office.

Further CV

Thereafter, he was appointed U.S. consul in Valparaiso, Chile, but decided for personal reasons for the post of Chief Justice of the Colorado Supreme Court in 1865 it was removed due to alleged incompetence and immorality of the field.

He died in 1891 in Milan, where he was also buried at the Old Cemetery Milan.