Daniel Woodson

Daniel Woodson
Acting Territorial Governor of Kansas
Lieutenant	None
Preceded by	None
In office April 17, 1855 – June 23, 1855
In office August 16, 1855 – September 9, 1855
In office June 24, 1856 – July 7, 1856
In office August 18, 1856 – September 9, 1856
In office March 12, 1857 – April 16, 1857
Personal details
Born	May 24, 1824 Albemarle County, Virginia
Died	October 5, 1894 (aged 70) Claremore, Indian Territory
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	America Fuqua Christian Palmer
Profession	printer, newspaper editor, politician, land agent

Daniel Woodson (May 24, 1824 – October 5, 1894) was secretary of Kansas Territory (1854–1857) and a five-time acting governor of the territory.

Early life

Woodson was born on a farm in Albemarle County, Virginia. Both of his parents died by the time he was 7 years old.

Political career

Woodson was chosen to be secretary of the Kansas Territory by President Franklin Pierce on June 29, 1854. He took the oath of office in Washington, DC on September 28. He made $2,000 per year. He agreed with people who wanted to make Kansas a slave state. He agreed with what the pro-slavery people in the territory wanted.

While Governor Andrew Reeder was away from the territory, Woodson became acting governor. He signed the first laws passed by the territorial legislature. Even though this first territorial legislature was seen as real by the federal government, free-staters called the laws "bogus laws".

In total, Woodson was acting governor for a little more than five months while governors Andrew Reeder, Wilson Shannon, and John W. Geary were away from the territory.

Later life

Woodson spent his last years in Parker, Kansas. He was visiting Claremore, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) when he died in 1894.

Legacy

Woodson County, Kansas was named for him in 1855. It was the only county named for a Kansas territorial politician. This changed in 1889 when Davis County's name changed to Geary County.