William E Stevenson
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William E. Stevenson

Personal data
Date of birthMarch 18, 1820
Place of birthWarren, Pennsylvania
Date of deathNovember 29, 1883(age 63)
Place of deathParkersburg, West Virginia
Political partyRepublican
SpouseSarah Clotworthy Stevenson
ProfessionPolitician
3rd Governor of West Virginia
In office1869 - 1871
Succeeded byJohn J. Jacob
Preceded byDaniel D. T. Farnsworth
President of the West Virginia Senate
In office1864 - 1869
GovernorArthur I. Boreman
Daniel D. T. Farnsworth
Succeeded byDaniel D. T. Farnsworth
Preceded byJohn M. Phelps

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William Erskine Stevenson (March 18, 1820 - November 29, 1883) was an American cabinet-maker, farmer, and Republican politician from Parkersburg, West Virginia. He was the third Governor of West Virginia from 1869 until 1871.

William was the son of Irish immigrants, and was born in Warren, Pennsylvania. His parents, James and Elizabeth (Erskine) Stevenson, had immigrated to America in 1817. In 1829 James moved his young family to Pittsburgh to work as a cabinet-maker. William apprenticed at his father's trade, then went into business for himself. In September 1842 he married Sarah Clotworthy, another second generation American whose parents came from Belfast, Ireland.

Largely self-educated, Stevenson began his interest in politics as a labor spokesman. He was associated with the Pittsburgh unit of the National Reform Association, and an advocate for the ten-hour workday. He became an adherent of the new Republican Party, and shared in their early success by being elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1857. Later that same year he bought a small farm and moved to Wood County in western Virginia.

Stevenson remained an advocate of labor and also became a supporter for continuing the union. As the American Civil War grew closer, a warrant was issued for his arrest in 1859. He was accused of sedition against the state for circulating a book, "The Impending Crisis of the South" by Hinton Rowan Helper, that was critical of slavery. Hoping to make a case for the freedom of ideas, Stevenson attempted to surrender to the Wood County sheriff, who declined to arrest him. But, from this point forward, he became a militant anti-slavery and pro-union activist.

In 1860 Stevenson was a delegate to the Republican national convention in Chicago. At home, he campaigned for Abraham Lincoln. When war finally came he was an outspoken advocate to the creation of the state of West Virginia. He was a delegate for Wood County in the constitutional conventions of 1862 and 1863. When the second of these successfully withdrew from Virginia and statehood was achieved he was elected to the West Virginia State Senate.

Stevenson served in the State Senate from 1863 until 1868, and during the last three years he was its President. That year he was elected on the Republican ticket as Governor of West Virginia. He served as Governor for two years, but lost his bid for reelection in 1870. After the bulk of his political career he became a partner in the Parkersburg State Journal and a director of the West Virginia Oil Land Company.

Stevenson had two more major political tasks, he seved as a Presidential Elector in 1872 as he had in 1864. He died at his home on Juliana Street in Parkersburg, West Virginia and is buried in the Riverview Cemetery there.


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Thomsons take second inter-breed win of season at Kelso - Farmers Guardian Tweet this news
Farmers Guardian--Jacob (L. McKendeick, Fife) Sup., MW Harper; res., -E-. -Stevenson-. Shetland (L. McCaig, North Lanarkshire) Sup., J. Brunton; res., J. Steven. ... - Date : Thu, 05 Aug 2010 23:25:39 GMT+00:00
The Exchange: Last Words - New Yorker (blog) Tweet this news
New Yorker (blog)--Since the execution of the Quakers Marmaduke -Stevenson- and -William- Robinson in 1659, more than sixteen thousand executions have taken place in the United ... - Date : Fri, 06 Aug 2010 04:02:47 GMT+00:00
City man shot dead by police - istockAnalyst.com (press release) Tweet this news
istockAnalyst.com (press release)---Stevenson- ran when officers moved to detain him. Police gave chase, and an officer whom police would not identify got into a scuffl -e- with -Stevenson-. ... - Date : Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:03:04 GMT+00:00
PART 5: Throwing away the key - Regina Leader-Post Tweet this news
Regina Leader-Post--For Daniel Christopher Probe, James "Max" Yanoshewski, -William- Miles Aikens, Louis Rudolph Barron, their indeterminate sentences became death sentences. ... - Date : Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:20:11 GMT+00:00
Mexican governor candidate killed, cartels blamed - Forbes Tweet this news
Forbes--Some 23000 people have been killed in drug-related violence. Associated Press Writers Olga R. Rodriguez and Mark -Stevenson- contributed to this report.--- - Date : Tue, 29 Jun 2010 01:48:20 GMT+00:00
Lock Haven protests 'cancer presumption' bill - Williamsport Sun-Gazette Tweet this news
Williamsport Sun-Gazette--Councilman -William E-. Baney asked the question, pointing to a bill that may take away the city's ability to obtain workers' compensation insurance. ... - Date : Tue, 08 Jun 2010 13:44:28 GMT+00:00
American Public University System Appoints New Directors For Programs in ... - MarketWatch (press release) Tweet this news
MarketWatch (press release)---William- Whitley, Ed.D. (Finance and Economics Courses and AA, Accounting) -- Dr. Whitley, CPA, CIA, is an experienced educator, business owner and financial ... - Date : Wed, 05 May 2010 15:36:28 GMT+00:00

Political offices
Preceded by
John M. Phelps
President of the WV Senate
1864 - 1869
Succeeded by
Daniel D. T. Farnsworth
Preceded by
Daniel D. T. Farnsworth
Governor of West Virginia
1869 - 1871
Succeeded by
John J. Jacob


Governors of West Virginia

Boreman * Farnsworth * Stevenson * Jacob * Mathews * Jackson * Wilson * Fleming * MacCorkle * Atkinson * White * Dawson * Glasscock * Hatfield * Cornwell * Morgan * Gore * Conley * Kump * Holt * Neely * Meadows * Patteson * Marland * Underwood * Barron * Smith * Moore * Rockefeller * Moore * Caperton * Underwood * Wise * Manchin



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