Governor Lilburn W. Boggs

LILBURN W. BOGGS was born in Lexington, Kentucky on December 14, 1796. His education was attained in the common schools of his native state. After moving to Missouri in 1816, he worked in the banking and mercantile industries. Boggs first entered politics in 1826, serving as a Missouri State Representative. He went on to win election to the Missouri Senate and served as the lieutenant governor of the state from 1832 to 1836. On September 30, 1836 Governor Daniel Dunklin resigned from office, and Boggs, as lieutenant governor assumed the duties of the governorship. He was elected to a gubernatorial term of his own in a special election and took office November 23, 1836. During his tenure, public school legislation was sanctioned; the state bank of Missouri was chartered; a new state capitol was built; and the state militia was deployed to deal with Mormon controversy. After completing his term, Boggs left office on November 16, 1840. Two years later, he won reelection to the Missouri State Senate, a position he held until 1846. Governor Lilburn W. Boggs passed away on March 14, 1860, and was buried in the Tulocay Cemetery in Napa Valley, California.