Thomas A. Osborn

Thomas Andrew Osborn ( born October 26, 1836 Crawford County, Pennsylvania, † February 4, 1898 in Meadville, Pennsylvania ) was an American politician and from 1873 to 1877, the sixth Governor of the State of Kansas.

Early years and political rise

Thomas Osborn grew up in his home in Pennsylvania, where he attended the public schools. Later, he served an apprenticeship in the printing trade. With the money he was able to finance his further education. After studying law and in 1857 was admitted as a lawyer, he settled in Elwood (Kansas), where he held his new profession.

Osborn was politically active as a member of the Republican Party since 1859. Between 1860 and 1863 he was a member and at times even Chairman of the Senate of Kansas. In this capacity he had presided over the proceedings against Governor Charles L. Robinson, against an unsuccessful impeachment proceedings had been initiated. The following two years until 1865 he served as lieutenant governor under Governor Thomas Carney. After the end of his term in 1865 he was appointed U.S. Marshal for the State of Kansas. A post he held until 1867. This year he was removed by President Andrew Johnson of his office because he was in the battle between the president and the radical republican -minded Congress in Washington DC sided with the Radical Republicans. His dismissal made ​​him even more popular with his party in Kansas, because you also stood on the side of Johnson's opponents. In 1868, Osborn was promoted to the Executive Board of the Republican Party of Kansas, and in 1872 he was nominated by his party as a candidate for the upcoming gubernatorial election.

Governor of Kansas

After the successful election Thomas Osborn was his four -year term, including a re-election in 1874, competing on 13 January 1873. His tenure was marred by three problems. On the one destroyed a plague of locusts in 1874 almost the entire crop, which amounted to farmers of a disaster and almost led to a famine. The government provided the district administrations financial resources that should help local stakeholders. The second problem with which the government had to deal with Osborn, Indians were riots after the assassination of a chief son. The settlers and the government called on the U.S. Cavalry to help to solve this problem militarily. The third event of the day was a scandal in the state government: Minister of Finance Joshua Hayes was dismissed because of massive embezzlement of government funds of his office.

In Osborn's term of office, a new school board was launched. In the capital city of Topeka construction of a hospital was planned and the Constitution was reformed. The latter mainly concerned the terms of office of senators and representatives of the state. During his tenure, also the railway network was further expanded. At that time, many had immigrated from Russia Mennonites settled in the valley of the Arkansas River, which led to the creation of new towns and counties in southern Kansas.

Further CV

After the end of his tenure, Osborn competed unsuccessfully in 1877 for a seat in the U.S. Senate. Instead, he was appointed United States Ambassador to Chile. This post he held 1877-1881. He was instrumental in the negotiations on the border treaty of 1881 between Chile and Argentina. It was followed by another appointment as ambassador to Brazil, where he led the American representative 1881-1886. After his return, he was a delegate to the 1888 Republican National Convention. There he led the delegation from Kansas. Between 1889 and 1897, Osborn was also a member of the Senate of Kansas.

In addition, he was also active business. He was in the banking industry, involved in the real estate business and on the railroad. Until his death he was a director of a railroad company. Thomas Osborn died 1898 in Meadville on the way back from New York City, where he had attended a meeting of railway directors. He was married to Julia Delahay; the couple had a child together.

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