Governor Charles Clark Stevenson

CHARLES C. STEVENSON, the fifth governor of Nevada, was born in Ontario County, New York on February 20, 1826. His education was limited and attained in the common schools of Canada and Michigan. After moving to Nevada in 1859, Stevenson worked as a farmer, miner, and miller. He first entered politics as a member of the Nevada State Senate, a position he won election to in 1866, 1868, and 1872. He was a delegate to the 1872 and 1884 Republican National Conventions, and served as chairman of the 1885 Nevada Silver Convention. He also served as a member of the University of Nevada Board of Regents from 1875 to 1887, and was a state commissioner representing Nevada at the 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. Stevenson next secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote in 1886. During his tenure, the Stewart Indian School was created; the University of Nevada was restructured; railroad construction was advanced; and programs were established that supported the livestock and farming industries. On September 21, 1890 Governor Charles C. Stevenson passed away in Carson City, becoming the first Nevada governor to die in office. He was buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland, California.