caption death_place death_date birth_place other_names birth_date alt image article_title name occupation
gov. john a. burbank richmond , indiana december 19 , 1905 july 23 , 1827 yes centerville , indiana burbank , john albyne july 23 , 1827 yes gov. john a. burbank governor john a burbank.jpg john a. burbank
 john a. burbank governor of dakota territory
john a. burbank

john albyne burbank -lrb- july 23 , 1827december 19 , 1905 -rrb- was an american businessman and the fourth governor of dakota territory .
burbank was born at centerville , wayne county , indiana .
after finishing school , he entered into the merchandising business with his father .
in 1853 , burbank laid out the site of falls city , nebraska , and became the town 's first mayor .
he also served as postmaster and was a businessman in the community .
president abraham lincoln appointed burbank as agent for the iowa and sac indian tribes in missouri .
after working in the office of the governor of indiana and then in the wholesale crockery business , burbank moved to western dakota territory and assisted in the organization of wyoming territory .
on may 10 , 1869 , president ulysses s. grant appointed burbank as the governor of dakota territory at a time when factions within the territory 's republicans were quarreling .
when he took office , burbank intended to make money in dakota territory through speculation and patronage .
during his first year and a half in office , he became a member of the real estate firm , j. r. hanson and company .
because of his financial interests , burbank neglected his duties as governor and became unpopular as a result .
he used his authority as governor to abuse federal patronage to improve his own financial well being .
in 1873 , the secretary of the dakota territory , edwin s. mccook , took over as acting governor in burbank 's stead , but was assassinated in yankton on september 11 , 1873 by peter p. wintermute , a disgruntled constituent .
burbank managed to become reappointed as governor with the help of his brother-in-law , senator oliver p. morton .
after a scandal involving the dakota southern railroad , governor burbank finally resigned on january 1 , 1874 .
burbank 's departure from office ended a dark era in the history of dakota territory .
he returned to indiana and spent the rest of his life in the town of richmond , dying at age 78 .
burbank spent a number of years as united states post office inspector .
