Then there is the problem of who officially counts as a Governor. This wasn't easy either, not like presidents. I came across numerous lists, all of them being different. I finally got an official source and discovered that there are only 50 Governors - unofficial lists has the number at near 70. We have had a lot of interim acting governors since 1776 and the official count doesn't count non-consecutive terms as separate, like Grover Cleveland is counted as our 22nd and 24th President (I bet you all were really wondering about this.) By the way, James McGreevey is number 51.

So to be official, you had to be elected and sworn in. One person was elected, but chose not to be governor (for who knows what reason) so he doesn't count. Of the 50 ex-govs, four are still going strong (Byrne, Kean, Florio and Whitman - DeFrancesco doesn't count either) - so I got to work on finding the other 46 - how many do I have? At the moment I have 14, not a bad start. 

Even with the ease of traveling, would you believe that 7 of the 46 are NOT buried in New Jersey. One is in Albany (and I happen to have him already by chance - he was in the same cemetery as president Chester Arthur), one is in Pennsylvania, three are in Brooklyn (God knows why?) and two are in Washington D.C. (one of these is President Woodrow Wilson).

If I lived in Alaska, this would be so much quicker - they have only ONE DGov, but then where would all the fun be.

Yes, the city of Paterson was named after him - what a legacy. He was born in Ireland. He was a Federalist and a signer of the U.S. Constitution. In the same cemetery as Chester A. Arthur (he was a president if you had forgotten). Why in New York and not New Jersey? After being governor, he became a member of the U.S. Supreme Court - and unlike Today, these judges had to travel around. He became ill and was going to Ballston Spa in upstate New York, but died on the way at his daughter's house in Albany. His daughter was married  to Stephen van Rensselaer (the guy who founded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute). Paterson was originally buried in the Van Rensselaer manor house family vault, but for some reason his body was moved later to the Albany Rural Cemetery.
 

I don't think anything outside a state park is named after him in New Jersey. He was a Democratic-Republican (he was an Andy Jackson man). Jackson considered him for VP, but gave it to Martin van Buren instead. He was once the Secretary to the Navy and had a navy destroyer named after him. He is in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Succasunna (It's west of Morristown, if you were wondering). 
 
 

My wife Debbie and I, along with our nephew Damian, traveled south to Manassas, Virginia for the weekend. While we were in Washington D.C. (and it was very hot that day - around 100 degrees) we went to the Congressional Cemetery and picked up a dead vice president (Elbridge Gerry) and this Dead Governor.

Southard was also a U.S. Senator (which will account for him being buried there). He was a Jeffersonian Democrat-Republican and a member of Madison's cabinet. Later he became a member of the Whig Party (like many other Jeffersonian Democrat-Republicans who couldn't stand Andrew Jackson). At one time, Southard was President pro tempore of the Senate. He died while a member of the Senate. 

The above cenotaph is the style given to any Congressman who wanted it - free of charge. To me, they seem excessively ugly though. To make it worse, they are lined up in rows giving it a kind of jagged tooth look in the cemetery. I guess you get what you pay for.

The cemetery looks a little run down. There are some famous people buried here like John Philip Sousa and Matthew Brady (Civil War photographer). Of course, we can't leave out Mr. FBI, J. Edgar Hoover himself. His grave is surrounded by a black fence with a large FBI logo on it along with a bench facing the grave with the Department of Justice logo on it.

Born and died in Newark. He was a Whig (just so you know there were a few Whig governors in New Jersey). After being governor he was elected to Congress. He became Speaker of the House in 1860 (one of only two from New Jersey) as the country headed for Civil War. He wasn't re-elected in 1860 (the Whigs had pretty much died out as a party by then.) He died two years later. Pennington is in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Newark, one of three in Mt. Pleasant (A trifecta?)

He was a Anti-slavery Republican who even went to "Bleeding Kansas" in 1858. He was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1860 that choose Abe Lincoln as their candidate. He was governor after the Civil War and he started the first Veterans Home in New Jersey to care for injured soldiers from the Civil War. He is with Pennington in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Newark (not a very nice neighborhood). He is the namesake for "The MARCUS L. WARD HOME for AGED and RESPECTABLE BACHELORS and WIDOWERS" in Newark. I wonder where all of the non-respectable bachelors go?

A couple of Sunday's ago was such a nice day that Debbie and I took a drive out to Morristown. We visited The Ford Mansion which General Washington used as his headquarters when the Continental Army spent winters here, once in 1777 and the brutal winter of 1779-1780. Washington liked using the mansion as his headquarters and I am told, he liked the widow Ford too. The tour was very interesting if you are ever in the neighborhood. Also while in Morristown, we visited Evergreen Cemetery and photographed two more dead governors to add to my collection. Both were Democrats, which is strange, since I didn't think they allowed Democrats in Morris County. Maybe they only allow dead ones because they can't vote. Of course you have to be careful with that since in Hudson County, the dead have been known to vote (more that once.)

He was governor (1869-72) after the Civil War when Ulysses S. Grant was president. You can also see that he is very fashionable, sporting those sideburns that General Ambrose Burnside made so popular. Randolph was the first of 7 consecutive democrat governors of New Jersey (Werts was the 7th). Somewhat odd since the country was mostly Republican during the post-Civil War period. After growing up in New Brunswick, Randolph moved to Vicksburg, Mississippi. He returned to New Jersey in 1852 - living in Jersey City. He was one of those railroad tycoon guys. After serving one term as governor, he was elected to the U.S. Senate for a term (1875-1881). He died in Morristown less then 3 years after leaving the Senate.

Yes, Civil War enthusiasts - It's General George B. McClellan. After blowing his chance to defeat Robert E. Lee at Antietam and then losing to Abe Lincoln in the 1864 Presidential Election, 'Little Mac' ended up being our governor. Right now, he is in Riverview Cemetery in Trenton. You'll notice, he has a big memorial - fitting of his big ego.

A couple of Sunday's ago was such a nice day that Debbie and I took a drive out to Morristown. We visited The Ford Mansion which General Washington used as his headquarters when the Continental Army spent winters here, once in 1777 and the brutal winter of 1779-1780. Washington liked using the mansion as his headquarters and I am told, he liked the widow Ford too. The tour was very interesting if you are ever in the neighborhood. Also while in Morristown, we visited Evergreen Cemetery and photographed two more dead governors to add to my collection. Both were Democrats, which is strange, since I didn't think they allowed Democrats in Morris County. Maybe they only allow dead ones because they can't vote. Of course you have to be careful with that since in Hudson County, the dead have been known to vote (more that once.)

He was governor at the end of the 19th Century (1793-96) when William McKinley was president. Werts served five years in the New Jersey state senate before becoming governor. Werts created the Palisades Interstate Park Commission which saved the Palisade cliffs from being quarried for it's rock (have to give him credit for that). Haven't been able to find much else about him (not even a picture). This one was tough to find. We had a location, but there is nothing in the cemetery to tell you what section your in, so having a location is fairly useless. On top of that, we drove past this marker, but didn't notice it because there is a different name on the reverse side. Turns out, the two governors are very close to each other.

He was a Republican. He completes the trio in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Newark. This is one of my favorites monuments (I just like the shape). 

He was from Jersey City and he was a Hague Democrat. He won a seat in the U.S. Senate on his Anti-Prohibition platform using the campaign slogan "Wine, Women and Song" (that would get my vote). His famous Anti-Prohibition quote was, "New Jersey - wet as the Atlantic Ocean." He is in Bayview-New York Bay Cemetery on Garfield Avenue in Jersey City. However, his name is not on the gravestone. Why you ask? I really don't know. He did have a string of very bad luck at the end of his life. He was implicated in a voting fraud scandal (imagine that in Jersey City), he went bankrupt in the Stock Market Crash of '29, his wife died, he was diagnosed with cancer and ended up killing himself in his Kensington Avenue (that's in Jersey City) apartment. The name on the stone is his brother and sister-in-law. I did check with the cemetery office to make sure he's there.

He was also from Jersey City and another Hague man. He is the only New Jersey Governor to serve three non-consecutive terms (our old state constitution wouldn't let you serve consecutive terms). Between his second and third terms, he was a U.S. Senator which he hated. He once referred to the United States Congress as "The Cave of Winds" (he might be on to something here). He is also in Bayview-New York Bay Cemetery - not too far from Edwards. He was much easier to find. Moore's stone is stylish also - a little Art Deco. By the way, the "A" stood for Arthur. A school in Jersey City is named for him.