Gilbert Pierce was born at
East Otto,
Cattaraugus County, New York. He and his parents moved to
Indiana. Pierce attended the
University of Chicago; where he studied writing, literature, and law. He enlisted in the ninth Indiana Volunteers as a second lieutenant in 1861. By 1864, Pierce was a colonel and an inspector general of the War Department. In 1868, he became a member of the Indiana House of Representatives. From 1868 to 1871, Pierce was a journal clerk of the United States Senate. After resigning, he edited a Republican Chicago newspaper called the
Inter Ocean as well as wrote a number of plays, novels, and sketches. In 1877, Pierce became managing editor of the
Inter Ocean before assuming a similar position for the
Chicago News. On June 25, 1884, Gilbert Pierce was appointed Governor of Dakota Territory by President
Chester A. Arthur. Because of the corruption of his predecessor, Governor Pierce's appointment was treated with suspicion by residents of Dakota Territory. Because of bad feelings over the moving of the territorial capital, Pierce chose to be sworn in at the former capital city of
Yankton on July 25, 1884, before assuming office at the new capital of
Bismarck. With time, the new Governor gained respect in the territory. Governor Pierce vetoed a bill to move the capital from Bismarck to Pierre. He and the legislature did agree to establish the
School of Mines at
Rapid City. Pierce vetoed a bill to grant equal suffrage to women. He was a proponent of statehood and quickly signed a bill into law to authorize a state constitutional convention for southern Dakota Territory. In August 1886, Governor Pierce resigned but remained in office until February 5, 1887. After leaving office, he served in Bismarck as a correspondent for newspapers in
St. Paul, Minnesota. After
North Dakota became a state in 1889, Pierce was elected to one term as
United States Senator. ==Notes==