John E. Rickards
John Ezra Rickards | |
|---|---|
Lieutenant Governor of Montana | |
| In office 1889–1893 | |
| Governor | Joseph Toole |
| Preceded by | Vacant |
| Succeeded by | Alexander Campbell Botkin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 23, 1848 Bookkeeper |
John Ezra Rickards (July 23, 1848 – December 26, 1927) was a
Biography
Rickards was born to David T. Rickards and his second wife, the former Mary Burris in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where his father was living with his third wife and their two daughters. The younger Rickards moved to Pueblo, Colorado in 1870 and was a clerk and a bookkeeper until 1873. He married Lizzie M. Wilson, born 19 April 1848 in Newark, Delaware, on 5 July 1876. The couple moved to California, and had three sons, Homer Crary (1877-1907), Earl Merritt (1878-1884), and Seward Adams (1880-1964). The family was living in Oakland by 1880. Lizzie died in San Francisco at the age of 33 on 18 May 1881.[2] Rickards was a salesman in the mercantile business, and also involved in real estate, insurance and the oil industry. After Lizzie's death he moved to Butte, Montana in September 1882 and became a successful businessman in those fields.[3] Rickards married Canadian-born Eliza Anne (Ellis) Boucher on 18 June 1883, in Ogden, Utah.[4] She brought a daughter, Harriet Ellis Boucher, into the marriage. The Rickards then had five children: Howard Burris (1884-1952), Carlisle (1885-1958), "Baby" (1886), John Ezra (born and died in 1889), and Rachel (1891-1954). The Rickards were active lay leaders in the Methodist-Episcopal Church.[2] After his stint as governor, Rickards, his wife, and five surviving children aged 9–24 moved back to Butte, Silver Bow County, Montana.[5] By 1908, John, Eliza and Ellis were living in Berkeley, California. In 1914, the three were registered Progressives but 1916, they were once again registered Republicans.[6]
Career
Rickards was elected Alderman of
Butte
in 1885. He was a member of the territorial legislature from 1888 to 1889, and was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1889.
Rickards, a
He served from 1889 to 1893.Rickards served as the
second Governor of Montana from 1893 to 1897. While continuing to build Montana's infrastructure, he is credited for overseeing the creation of the state legal code and the state board of education, and an anti-gambling bill was sanctioned during his tenure.[8]
After leaving office, Rickards moved to
Census Bureau in San Francisco, he was in that post for eighteen years.[9]
Death
Rickards died of
angina pectoris and chronic myocarditis at his Berkeley, Alameda County, California home on 26 December 1927. His death certificate notes that he was retired from a special appointment to the U.S. Agricultural Secretary.[10]
His cremains are interred at Chapel of the Chimes in Oakland, California.
References
- ^ "Former State Governors". www.netstate.com. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
- ^ a b Family documents.
- ISBN 9780403096046. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "John E. Rickards". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ 1900 Federal Census.
- ^ California Voter Registrations 1900-1968.
- ^ "Montana Governor John Ezra Rickards". National Governors Association. Retrieved October 10, 2012.
- ^ "John E. Rickards". National Governors Association. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ "John E. Rickards". The Encyclopedia of Montana. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
- ^ California State Board of Health, Bureau of Vital Statistics, Standard Certificate of Death
External links
- Montana Capitol
- State of Montana profile
- National Governors Association biography
- The Political Graveyard
- The Encyclopedia of Montana
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