The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-02
THE rIRsr -eoKERNoRs.
Moro Honor In Beine the First Than the Hast
Governor OF an American state.

A distinguished citizen Of North Carolina
died the other day, and II was noted In tho obit-
uary articles which appeared concerning him
that no waS greatly honored in tho town in
which he lived because Ibis grandfather had
been tho first Governor of North Carolina"
The frat Governor Of North Carolina was chosen
at q time when the population Of that State,
which is now l,60o,0 900. was only $4,000, and
there arc few people who know precisely who
tho first Governor of North Carolina was, or, in.
doed, who the first Governor of any American
State was, though these first Governors were
usually among tho most distinguished citizens
of the republic.
The first Governor of tho State of New York
was George Clinton, who, besides having been q
General in the Revolutionary war, was Vice.
President of the United States after having
been Governor. He was a native Of Orange
county. The first Governor of Massachusetts,
was John Hancock, who was President of tho
Continental, Congress. and as such first signer
schoolgirls, foo' IS familiar with the d%shins
signature of John Hancock, and 1t has been a
model for official signatures for many years:
John Hancock lived and died in the town OF
Patrick Henry, and IL there DO any elocutionist
in the United States who is unfamiliar with the
S or StSe me iG Gea, hh9"n hs sh spSSidih Read ~f up the me snpSSsssesSS
now that he knows that Henry, besides being an
orator, was as well the first Governor OF the
Old Dominion. which was the chief State In
population and resources in the American
Union when tho Revolutionary war broke out.
The first Governor of Maryland was John II.
Howard of the Baltimore Howard family, after
ward United States Senator, The first Governor
of Tennessee was John Sewer. whose achieve.
all through Tennessee. The first Governor of
New Jersey was William Livingston and OF
South Carolina John Rutlcdge,. WHO was after
ward an Associate Judge and finally Chief JUS
tice of the Supreme Court Of the United States.
The first Governor Of Ohio was Edward Titin.
after whom the town of Tifln is called. The
first Governor OF Maine was William King, of
Vermont Thomas C~hittendcn, and of Kentucky
Isaac Shelby. The last was a Revolutionary
officer during the war and n native OF Mary
land. The first Governor of Louisiana was
William G. Claiborne and of. Pennsylvania
Thomas Mifllin. The latter had been "a Major
General in the Revolutionary war lmany of tho
early American Governors were soldiers), and he
was afterward President of the Continental
Congress-. Many OF the early, American Gov
odd names. The first Governor Of Illinois,
though not otherwise distinguished, was named
Shadrach Bond. The first Governor of New
Hampshire was Mesheck Weare. The first Gov:
ernor of Alabama was William Bib. and Ansel
Briggs was the first Governor of Iowa. Richard
Caswell was the first Governor Of North Caro-
lima. He was a member Of the North Carolina
Assembly, Speaker of the North Carolina House
OF ommon Treasurer Of the State. Colonel of
the first regiment OF minute men. and the num-
Der of local and Federal offices which he held
was larger, it was said, than in the case of any
other Governor OF North Carolina.