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Robert Williamson Steele
Robert Williamson Steele (January
14, 1820–1901) was Governor of the extralegal Territory of Jefferson, which
existed in the western United States of America from 1859 to 1861, when it was
replaced by the Territory of Colorado.
Early life
Steele was born near Chillicothe in Ross County, Ohio. He farmed until 1846,
when he began the study of law at Fairfield, Iowa. In 1848 he married Susan Nevin at
Hillsboro, Ohio, and graduated from the Law School of Cincinnati four years
later. In 1855, Steele moved to Omaha, settling in Douglas County of the
Nebraska Territory. He was elected as a Democrat to the Nebraska Territorial
House of Representatives to represent Douglas County in 1857.
The following year, news reached Omaha of gold discovered along the South Platte
River. On March 25, 1859, Steele set out for the gold fields with his wife Susan
and four children in an ox-drawn prairie schooner. They arrived at Denver City
in May. Steele soon moved to Central City, where he prospected for gold. He also
served as president of the Consolidated Ditch Company. Steele built a log cabin
on the Ute Trail midway between Denver City and Central City; he named the spot
Mount Vernon in honor of George Washington.
Territorial Governor
On September 29, 1859, Steele was nominated for Governor of the proposed
Territory of Jefferson. On October 24, 1859 the formation of a provisional
government was approved and Steele defeated J.H. St. Matthew for Governor.
Governor Steele opened the first session of the provisional territorial
legislature on November 7, 1859, with a proclamation:
Let us then enter upon our duties with a determination of spirit that conquers
all difficulties: working for the benefit of the whole commonwealth, encouraging
moderation and conservation in all our acts, that we may never be ashamed of
having taken a humble part of the organization of a Provisional Government for
the Territory of Jefferson.
Steele called for the next session to meet on January 23, 1860.
Also in 1860, he formed the Apex and Gregory Wagon Road Company to build a toll
road from Denver City to the gold fields at Gregory Gulch. It was later renamed
the Denver City, Mt. Vernon, and Gregory Toll Road. When Steeles'
home accidentally burned, and the family rebuilt at Apex, on the toll road.
Governor Steele attempted to deal with the officials of the Kansas Territory,
which was still the recognized government over the region. On August 7, 1860,
Steele requested the Provisional Government of the Jefferson Territory be merged
into the Kansas Territory. However, Kansas officials refused to agree and the
stalemate continued.
The end of the Territory of Jefferson
On November 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln won the U.S. presidential election, which
precipitated the secession of seven slave states and the formation of the
Confederate States of America. This ended any chance for federal endorsement of
the Territory of Jefferson. Furthermore, as a staunch pro-Union Democrat and
vocal opponent of both Lincoln and the Republican Party, R.W. Steele also became
a pariah.
On January 26, 1861, the United States Congress passed a bill organizing the
Territory of Colorado. It was signed into law by U.S. President James Buchanan
two days later on January 28, 1861. On June 6, 1861, Governor Steele issued a
proclamation disbanding the Territory of Jefferson and urging all residents to
abide by the laws governing the United States.
Later years
In 1862, Steele moved to Gilpin County, Colorado; in 1863 he moved again, first
to Empire and then to Georgetown. In 1865, he reluctantly returned to Iowa. Just
two years later, he returned to Georgetown. The one time governor spent his last
years in Colorado Springs, where he died in 1901.
Legacy
Steele has been called the Father of Colorado for his tireless efforts to develop the then frontier region. His 1867 home survives and is on the National Register of Historic Places
