Constitutional+Convention


 * Wyoming Constitutional Convention **


 * Date:** September 3 - September 30, 1889
 * Location:** Supreme Court chambers, Wyoming State Capitol Building, Cheyenne
 * Members:** 55 elected, 49 attended, 45 signed, 36 Republicans (31 attended), 19 Democrats (18 attended)


 * Delegate Elections:** On June 3, 1889, Governor F.E. Warren issued a proclamation dividing the Territory into delegate districts and apportioning the number of delegates among them. According to the proclamation, the delegates were apportioned "upon the basis of the votes cast for the Delegate in Congress at the last general election." Governor F.E. Warren, Chief Justice W.L. Maginnis and Secretary of the Territory Samuel D. Shannon met in the Capitol Building on June 3 to make the apportionment. The elections held on June 3 were a party election, but the Constitutional Convention itself was non-partisan.

=Delegates to the Constitutional Convention=
 * ~  ||~   ||~ Name ||~   ||~ Party ||~   ||~ County ||~   ||~ Occupation ||~   ||~ Age ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1378, Major Noyes Baldwin, from original.jpg width="62" height="80" link="Noyes Baldwin"]] ||  || Noyes Baldwin ||   || Democrat ||   || Fremont ||   || Merchant ||   || 63 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1391, Merris C 'Bill' Barrow, from original.jpg width="56" height="74" link="Merris C. Barrow"]] ||  || Merris C. Barrow ||   || Republican ||   || Converse ||   || Newspaperman ||   || 32 ||
 * ||  || Cornelius Boulware ||   ||   ||   || Sheridan ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1489, Hon. Melvin C. Brown, President-WY's 1st Constitutional Conv.jpg width="58" height="80" link="Melville C. Brown"]] ||  || Melville C. Brown ||   || Republican ||   || Albany ||   || Lawyer/politician ||   || 51 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1395, George W Baxter portrait, Governor, nd.jpg width="60" height="83" link="George W. Baxter"]] ||  || George W. Baxter ||   || Democrat ||   || Laramie ||   || Cattleman ||   || 34 ||
 * [[image:SOS No Neg, Charles W Burdick sos 1895-1899.jpg width="61" height="83" link="C. W. Burdick"]] ||  || Charles W. Burdick ||   || Republican ||   || Carbon ||   || Rancher ||   || 29 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1503, Charles H Burritt, Johnson County.jpg width="59" height="76" link="Charles H. Burritt"]] ||  || Charles H. Burritt ||   || Democrat ||   || Johnson ||   || Lawyer ||   || 35 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1512, Robert C Bulter,member of constitutional convention.jpg width="62" height="77" link="Robert C. Butler"]] ||  || Robert C. Butler ||   || Republican ||   || Carbon ||   || Cattleman ||   || 32 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1518, Anthony C. Campbell, U.S. Attorney.jpg width="61" height="82" link="Anthony C. Campbell"]] ||  || Anthony C. Campbell ||   || Democrat ||   || Laramie ||   || US Attorney for Wyoming Territory ||   || 36 ||
 * ||  || James A. Casebeer ||   || Republican ||   || Carbon ||   || Newspaper editor ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:SOS No Neg deriv, WE Chaplin sos 1919-1923.jpg width="58" height="78" link="W. E. Chaplin"]] ||  || William E. Chaplin ||   || Republican ||   || Albany ||   || Newspaperman ||   || 29 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 13897, P79-30_30, Sen Clarnece D Clark of Evanston, potrait.jpg width="59" height="84" link="Clarence D. Clark"]] ||  || Clarence D. Clark ||   || Republican ||   || Uinta ||   || Attorney ||   || 38 ||
 * ||  || Henry A. Coffeen ||   || Democrat ||   || Sheridan ||   || Merchant ||   || 48 ||
 * ||  || Asbury B. Conaway ||   || Republican ||   || Sweetwater ||   || Attorney ||   || 52 ||
 * ||  || John C. Davis ||   ||   ||   || Carbon ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1777, Stephen W. Downey, Territorial Treasurer 1872-1875.jpg width="60" height="78" link="Stephen W. Downey"]] ||  || Stephen W. Downey ||   || Republican ||   || Albany ||   || Attorney ||   || 50 ||
 * ||  || Henry S. Elliott ||   || Democrat ||   || Johnson ||   || Attorney ||   || 31 ||
 * ||  || George Ferris ||   || Republican ||   || Carbon ||   || Mining ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 1859, Maj Frank M. Foote, Evanston, Wyo., 1905.jpg width="59" height="83" link="Frank M. Foote"]] ||  || Frank M. Foote ||   || Republican ||   || Uinta ||   || State Land Office Registrar ||   || 43 ||
 * ||  || George W. Fox ||   || Republican ||   || Albany ||   ||   ||   || 51 ||
 * ||  || Meyer Frank ||   || Democrat ||   || Crook ||   || Merchant ||   || 35 ||
 * ||  || Mortimer N. Grant ||   || Republican ||   || Albany ||   || Wyoming Territorial Auditor ||   || 38 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 2014, Henry G. Hay, State Treasurer 1895-1899, 1903.jpg width="61" height="76" link="Henry G. Hay"]] ||  || Harry G. Hay ||   || Republican ||   || Laramie ||   || Stockman ||   || 42 ||
 * ||  || Frederick H. Harvey ||   || Democrat ||   || Converse ||   || Attorney ||   || 31 ||
 * ||  || Charles W. Holden ||   || Republican ||   || Uinta ||   || Rancher ||   || 51 ||
 * ||  || Mark Hopkins ||   || Republican ||   || Sweetwater ||   || Coal Mine Superintendent ||   || 29 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 2114, H56-65, John W Hoyt portrait, Governor, nd.jpg width="64" height="81" link="John W. Hoyt"]] ||  || John W. Hoyt ||   || Republican ||   || Albany ||   || President of University of Wyoming ||   || 58 ||
 * ||  || John K. Jeffrey ||   || Republican ||   || Laramie ||   ||   ||   || 46 ||
 * ||  || Jonathan Jones ||   || Republican ||   || Uinta ||   || Rancher ||   || 37 ||
 * ||  || John McGill ||   || Republican ||   || Albany ||   || Rancher ||   || 44 ||
 * ||  || Thomas H. Moore ||   ||   ||   || Crook ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 2727 Captain Nickerson, portrait, nd.jpg width="59" height="82" link="Herman G. Nickerson"]] ||  || Herman G. Nickerson ||   || Republican ||   || Fremont ||   || County Treasurer & Probate Judge ||   || 48 ||
 * ||  || Caleb P. Organ ||   || Democrat ||   || Laramie ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || Louis J. Palmer ||   || Democrat ||   || Sweetwater ||   || Lawyer ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 2833, CN Potter, portrait, nd.jpg width="61" height="93" link="Charles N. Potter"]] ||  || Charles N. Potter ||   || Republican ||   || Laramie ||   || Board of Education ||   || 37 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 2838, DA Preston portrait, Fremont Co.jpg width="62" height="83" link="Douglas A. Preston"]] ||  || Douglas A. Preston ||   || Democrat ||   || Fremont ||   || Lawyer ||   || 31 ||
 * ||  || Thomas R. Reid ||   || Democrat ||   || Laramie ||   || UPRR employee ||   || 50 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 6384 derivative, Governors DeForest Richards portriat, nd.jpg width="64" height="82" link="DeForest Richards"]] ||  || DeForest Richards ||   || Republican ||   ||   ||   || Cattleman/Merchant ||   || 43 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 2897, Judge John A. Reiner, U.S. District Court Judge 1890-1923.jpg width="63" height="76" link="John A. Riner"]] ||  || John A. Riner ||   || Republican ||   || Laramie ||   || Lawyer ||   || 39 ||
 * ||  || William N. Robinson ||   ||   ||   || Sheridan ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || John L. Russell ||   || Democrat ||   || Uinta ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || Richard H. Scott ||   || Republican ||   || Crook ||   || Lawyer ||   || 31 ||
 * ||  || George C. Smith ||   || Republican ||   || Carbon ||   || Lawyer ||   || 47 ||
 * ||  || Joseph L. Stotts ||   ||   ||   || Crook ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * ||  || W.N. Strowbridge ||   ||   ||   || Carbon ||   ||   ||   ||   ||
 * [[image:P2008-15_1 crop, AL Sutherland, 10th Legislative Assembly, 1888.jpg width="63" height="72" link="Alexander L. Sutherland"]] ||  || Alexander L. Sutherland ||   || Republican ||   || Albany ||   ||   ||   || 28 ||
 * [[image:Sub Neg 4008 crop, Hubert E Teschmacher, portrait.jpg width="65" height="81" link="Hubert E. Teschemacher"]] ||  || Hubert E. Teschemacher ||   || Republican ||   || Laramie ||   || Stockman ||   || 33 ||
 * ||  || Charles L. Vagner ||   || Republican ||   || Carbon ||   || Cattleman/Banker ||   || 40 ||

=Opposition to Statehood=

Not everyone in Wyoming Territory supported statehood. Some residents of northern counties did not believe they were fairly represented in Territorial government or that Wyoming was ready for statehood. Several of the delegates elected from Sheridan, Converse and Crook counties did not attend the convention. The Sheridan and Johnson County conventions instructed their delegates to oppose drafting of the constitution at the convention. Henry A. Coffeen, the only delegate from Sheridan County, made this duty known to the convention, but the delegates from Johnson County tactfully ignored his half-hearted motion and the convention continued.



=Additional Resources=
 * "We, The People of Wyoming: Wyoming's Constitution at 125", online exhibit by Wyoming State Archives, 2015 (accessed June 2015)
 * "Wyoming Becomes a State: The Constitutional Convention and Statehood Debates of 1889 and 1890 — and Their Aftermath" by Phil Roberts, on WyoHistory.org (accessed May 2015)
 * //Journals and Debates of the Constitutional Convention of the State of Wyoming//, 1889 (accessed May 2015 on the Internet Archive)
 * "The Making of the Wyoming Constitution" by W.E. Chaplin, William A. Richards Family Papers, Collection 00118, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming. Digital images available (accessed June 2015)
 * "Reminiscences of a Member of the Wyoming Constitutional Convention" by W.E. Chaplin, //Annals of Wyoming// July 1940, Vol. 12 No. 3, p.190-198 (accessed June 2015)
 * "A Memorial to the Members of the Constitutional Convention of Wyoming" //Annals of Wyoming// July 1940, Vol. 12 No. 3, p.165-188. (accessed June 2015) - this article contains brief biographies of the delegates