Lewis Wolfley
| Lewis Wolfley | |
|---|---|
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| 8th Governor of Arizona Territory | |
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In office April 8, 1889 – August 20, 1890 |
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| Nominated by | Benjamin Harrison |
| Preceded by | C. Meyer Zulick |
| Succeeded by | John N. Irwin |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
October 8, 1839 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | February 12, 1910 (aged 70) Los Angeles, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Political party | Republican |
| Profession | Civil engineer |
Lewis Wolfley (October 8, 1839 – February 12, 1910) was an American civil engineer who served as the eighth Governor of Arizona Territory. He is commonly regarded as the first territorial governor to be a resident of Arizona at the time of his appointment and was the only bachelor to hold the position.
Wolfley's political career was marred by his almost complete lack of political skill. Much of his time as governor was spent in political infighting, which eventually led to his resignation.
Wolfley was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Lewis and Elanor (Irwin) Wolfley. When he was a young child, his father died, and Wolfley grew up near the border of Ohio and Kentucky. His mother's family, the Ewings of Ohio, arranged for his education which included the study of civil engineering and possibly law. As a young man he worked for railroads operating in Iowa and Ohio.
During the American Civil War, Wolfley became a member of the Union Army's 3rd Kentucky Cavalry. He served with distinction, earning the nickname "Sherman's Fighting Major", and at the end of the war was encouraged by General William T. Sherman to remain with the Regular Army at his war-time rank. Wolfley left the Army with the rank of lieutenant colonel and became a federal revenue officer in New Orleans. In 1872 Wolfley was mining in Colorado, and he also worked in the District of Columbia before moving to Arizona Territory in the early 1880s. In Arizona he worked as a civil engineer performing surveying work on public lands. He gained a reputation as a respected person but due to the large amount of time spent working in the field was not well known.
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