Anson P. K. Safford
| Anson P. K. Safford | |
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| 3rd Governor of Arizona Territory | |
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In office July 9, 1869 – April 5, 1877 |
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| Nominated by | Ulysses S. Grant |
| Preceded by | Richard C. McCormick |
| Succeeded by | John Philo Hoyt |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 17th district |
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In office 1857–1859 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
February 14, 1830 Hyde Park, Vermont |
| Died | December 15, 1891 (aged 61) Tarpon Springs, Florida |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Jenny L. Tracy (1869-1873) Margarita Grijalva(1878-1880) Soledad Bonillas(1881-) |
Anson Pacely Killen Safford (c. February 14, 1830– December 15, 1891) was the third Governor of Arizona Territory. Affectionately known as the "Little Governor" due to his 5-foot-6-inch (1.68 m) stature, he was also Arizona's longest serving territorial governor. His work to create a public education system earned him the name "Father of the Arizona Public Schools". Safford is additionally known for granting himself a divorce.
Safford was born to Joseph Warren and Diantha P. (Little) Safford in Hyde Park, Vermont, on February 14 of either 1828 or 1830. When he was eight, his family moved to Crete, Illinois, where they farmed. Safford was largely self-educated, attending only five quarters at a county school followed later by six months at a different school. His father died in 1848 and his mother in 1849. Safford left the family farm in March 1850 as part of the California Gold Rush.
After his arrival in California, Safford began working a claim in Placer County that produced from five to twenty dollars per day. His leisure time was spent reading from a set of books he had purchased to further his education. In 1854 he moved to a new claim and in 1855 was a Democratic party nominee for a seat in the California State Assembly, losing his race to a Know Nothing candidate. Safford won a seat as an assemblyman in 1857 and was reelected in 1859.
Following his time in the state legislature, Safford moved to San Francisco where he operated an earthworks business. When the American Civil War broke out, he changed his political affiliation to the Unionist party and later became a Republican. Safford moved to Nevada in early 1862 and was elected county commissioner for Humboldt County in November 1862. After a month in office, he resigned as commissioner and later served as a mining recorder and county recorder. Safford was secretary of the Nevada constitutional convention in November 1863 and President of Nevada's first Republican state convention. To add to his cultural experience, Safford took a two-year trip to Europe and then returned to Nevada. He turned down a nomination to the US House of Representatives before being appointed surveyor-general of Nevada by President Andrew Johnson in March 1867. Safford served as surveyor-general for two years before health issues forced him to resign.
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