Frank A. Briggs
From the 1897 atlas North Dakota and Richland County Chart
5th Governor of North Dakota
In office
January 6, 1897 – August 9, 1898
LieutenantJoseph M. Devine
Preceded byRoger Allin
Succeeded byJoseph M. Devine
Auditor of North Dakota
In office
1895–1896
GovernorRoger Allin
Preceded byArthur W. Porter
Succeeded byNathan B. Hannum
Personal details
Born(1858-09-15)September 15, 1858
Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedAugust 9, 1898(1898-08-09) (aged 39)
Bismarck, North Dakota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseNannie Rachel Meek
Children2
ProfessionPolitician

Frank A. Briggs (September 15, 1858 – August 9, 1898) was an American Republican elected official who served as the fifth governor of North Dakota from January 6, 1897 until his death nineteen months later.

Biography

Frank A. Briggs was born in the town of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was variously employed as a printer and journalist. He married Nannie Rachel Meek on July 12, 1877 and they had two daughters, Stella and Bessie. Twenty-three years old in 1881, he moved to the city of Mandan, the county seat of North Dakota's Morton County, where he dealt in real estate. At that time the area was still Dakota Territory.[1][2][3]

Career

Campaigning for public office, he was elected county treasurer, serving from 1885 to 1887, gained the statewide post of auditor in 1894 and, finally, in November 1896, prevailed in the gubernatorial election. An activist executive, he participated in discussions of laws being drafted by the state legislature, including passage of the revenue bill as well as a general railway law which regulated movement of freight and passengers.[2][3]

Death

Having struggled with tuberculosis, Governor Briggs lost the battle in Bismarck five weeks before his 40th birthday. Lieutenant Governor Joseph M. Devine served the remaining four-and-a-half months of the governor's two-year term. He was buried in Howard Lake Cemetery, Howard Lake, MN. Briggs was the first North Dakota Governor to die while in office.[1][4]

See also

Sources

References

  1. ^ a b "Frank Arlington Briggs". Mandan Historical Society. Archived from the original on July 31, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  2. ^ a b Sobel, Robert; Raimo, John (1978). Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978. Internet Archive. Westport, Conn. : Meckler Books. ISBN 978-0-930466-00-8.
  3. ^ a b "Frank A. Briggs". www.history.nd.gov. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  4. ^ "Gov. Briggs Dead. North Dakota Executive Succumbs to Consumption as Bismarck" (PDF). The New York Times. August 10, 1898. Retrieved September 3, 2012.
Party political offices Preceded byRoger Allin Republican nominee for Governor of North Dakota 1896 Succeeded byFrederick B. Fancher Political offices Preceded byArthur W. Porter North Dakota State Auditor 1895–1896 Succeeded byNathan B. Hannum Preceded byRoger Allin Governor of North Dakota 1897–1898 Succeeded byJoseph M. Devine
Categories