This has been so much easier with the traveling, but DGovs (Dead Governors) are harder to find. First of all, you have to find where they are buried. Most were easy, using the computer, but sometimes it involved looking at old microfilm of newspapers in the library to find obits. As I looked, I found out that TWO of them were in the same cemetery in Jersey City, how convenient you might think. Except that one of them doesn't even have his name on the headstone. I had to get the women in the main office to confirm that he's really down there.
 

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

       They say imitation is the finest form of flattery and I am flattered. A fellow dead president searcher, Patrick Weissend of Batavia, New York, has created a dead Governor's of New York site. His site is well made and is definitely worth looking at.

      My mother and sister wanted to visit Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, so one hot August afternoon in the summer of 2002, I took them. Of course, it was my chance to pick up three dead governors. Unfortunately, I only found two. Somehow, Leon Abbets (27th Governor) eluded me. I will have to get him on a future trip (when it is cooler). Livingston was easy to find with the map we purchased at the front gate (only $3). This wasn't his original burial location. He was moved to the vault of his son, US Supreme Court Justice, Brockholst  Livingston. 

       Livingston, who is of Scottish decent, was born into one of the wealthiest families in the 13 Colonies. His grandfather, Robert Livingston the Elder, was a son of the Rev John Livingston a lineal descendant of the fifth Lord Livingston. He was the Brother of Philip Livingston and cousin of Robert R. Livingston, the Chancellor, as well as the grandson of Albany, New York mayor, Pieter Van Brugh. Their wealth and an interlocking series of marriages with other major families gave them great political and economic influence in the New York Colony.

          He was raised by his grandmother until the age of 14. He graduated from Yale University in 1741 and then studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1748 and began his practice in New York which led into politics. Livingston was not a believer in popular voting and felt that government should be controlled by men of education and property. In 1769, he was forced from government by radical groups, such as the Sons of Liberty. He left New York, and retired to an estate in Elizabethtown, New Jersey to become a gentlemen farmer. In 1772, he had his mansion, "Liberty Hall" built. The home became a center of activity, in part due to its proximity to Francis Barber's academy and visits from young men. (Alexander Hamilton, a boarder at the academy, was a frequent early visitor.) Three of Livington's daughters — Sarah, Susan, and Catherine — came to be known as 'the three graces'. The height of social activity during this era was the wedding, at Liberty Hall, in April 1774 of Sarah to a young New York lawyer, John Jay, future Supreme Court Chief Justice.

         As the Revolutionary War approached, Livingston was sent by New Jersey to be a delegate in the First Continental Congress from July 1774 to June 1776. In 1775, New Jersey began organizing its militia, making Livingston a brigadier general, the highest rank in the state. In July 1776, when British troops started to build up on Staten Island, Livingston left the Second Continental Congress to help the New Jersey troops defend the Northern Jersey coastline (thus missing his chance to sign the Declaration of Independence).

       In August 1776 Livingston resigned his military commission to become the first governor of New Jersey elected under the new state constitution. The colony had just arrested the royal governor, William Franklin (son of Ben Franklin). Livingston served fourteen consecutive one-year terms until his death. He worked hard supporting the New Jersey contingent of the Continental Army.

        For much of the time between 1776 and 1779, the family was located in Parsippany for safety. Liberty Hall was frequently visited by British troops or naval forces since there was a substantial reward for Livingston's capture. In February of 1779, British troops, helped by local Loyalists, made a surprise pre-dawn attack at Elizabethtown with the purpose of capturing Livingston. He managed to barely escape. The family returned later in 1779 to begin restoring their looted home. Livingston's daughter, Susannah, married John Cleves Symmes in 1780 and became the stepmother-in-law of President William Henry Harrison. A descendent of William Livingston was Julia Kean, mother of New York Governor / Congressman Hamilton Fish. William Livingston's sister Sarah was married to Continental General William Alexander (aka Lord Stirling).

       After the war, Livingston felt that the Articles of Confederation were weak and needed to be replaced. In 1787 he led his states delegation to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia with the goal of creating a stronger central government for the United States. At first, he proposed the New Jersey Plan, which gave each state an equal vote in the legislature, but eventually accepted the Great Compromise. This was a bicameral legislature with one house based on population (House of Representatives) and the other on equality (Senate). Bitterly opposed to slavery himself, Livingston put his own feelings aside and hammered out a compromise (the 3/5ths Compromise) that assured the Constitution's acceptance by the Southern slave states. At the conclusion of the Convention, he signed the Constitution of the United States.

       Livingston helped to push New Jersey's ratification of the Constitution. On December 19, 1787, New Jersey was the third state to ratify it with an unanimous vote (38-0). He died in office at age 66. Livingston was originally buried in Trinity Churchyard in New York City, but was reinterred in 1846 at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. Because he was the first Revolutionary governor, he is often cited as the first governor of New Jersey. The current numbering of New Jersey governors reflects this.

       Yes, the city of Paterson was named after him - what a legacy. He was a Federalist and a signer of the U.S. Constitution. Why is he buried 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 was in Albany Rural Cemetery in during a trip that would cover five dead presidents back in October of 1999. Since he is in the same cemetery as Chester Arthur, I drove by and took a picture.

         After immigrating to America at the age of five (some documents say age two), Paterson attended local schools and the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University), where he graduated in 1763 (he is the first of 10 governors who graduated from Princeton). After graduating he studied law with the prominent lawyer Richard Stockton and was admitted to the bar in 1768. He quickly joined the patriot cause in the years following the French and Indian War. In 1776, he helped draw up New Jersey's state constitution. He was named an officer in the state militia, but never saw active duty. He assumed the post of attorney general of New Jersey in 1776 and remained in that position until after the war. 

       Although Paterson missed the last month of the Convention's sessions, returning only in September to sign the Constitution, he nevertheless played an important role in the Convention's proceedings. Along with William Livingston, he proposed the New Jersey Plan (a unicameral legislative body with equal representation from each state), which based legislative representation on equality of the states.

      Believing in a strong central government, Paterson was a member of the Federalist Party. In 1789, he was elected to the U.S. Senate. When New Jersey governor, William Livingston died in 1790, Paterson resigned from the Senate to become the states second governor (he was replaced in the senate by future governor Philemon Dickinson). In 1793, he resigned as governor when George Washington appointed him associate justice of the United States Supreme Court (Thomas Henderson took over as acting governor). As a member of the Supreme Court, Paterson presided over trials of people arrested in the Whiskey Rebellion. He was still a member of the Court when he died in Albany at age 60. Along with Paterson, New Jersey, William Paterson University ia also named after him.

           This was my first time in downtown Elizabeth. Not very anxious to go back. First Presbyterian Burying Ground is on Broad Street (one of the main drags in Elizabeth). The neighborhood is nothing great. The churchyard is very old. Some of the graves are pre-Revolutionary war. You can easily see the effect the pollution is having on them. The one I was looking for was showing the effects of age and the environment.

           Ogden was governor during the War of 1812 when James Monroe was president (1812-13). He was a Princeton grad (then it was called the College of New Jersey) who became a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army and fought in the Battles of Brandywine and Monmouth Court House. In 1779, he became an aide to General John Sullivan. General Washington sent him to meet with British General Clinton to try an arrange to get Benedict Arnold back (it didn't work). After the war in 1796, he was clerk of Essex County from 1785-1803. In 1796, Ogden became one of the seven presidential electors from New Jersey (back then they chose who the presidents would be - there was no popular vote). He, along with the rest of the state, voted for John Adams, who won. 

              A Federalist, he was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1801 to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of James Schureman to 1803. He ran for re-elected in 1802, but lost to John Condit. Ogden, along with another future governor, William S. Pennington, tried to work out an agreement with the State of New York over the NY/NJ border. New York was claiming ALL of the Hudson River for themselves, up to the low-water mark of New Jersey. Nothing came of this as New York continued to bully New Jersey around.

             In 1803, Ogden was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly, where he served until 1812. That same year, Ogden was elected trustee of his alma mater, the College of New Jersey (later to become Princeton University), a post in which he served until his death. Ogden was elected to be governor in 1812 for a one year term (the last federalist governor of New Jersey). James Madison offered him a position of Major-General in the U.S. Army in 1813 (we were fighting the British in the War of 1812 at the time) - but Ogden said no. 

            Instead, Ogden became involved in the steamboat business on the Hudson River. He bought into the Robert Fulton and Robert Livingston monopoly (given to them by the State of New York - another example of New York pushing New Jersey around). When another guy, Thomas Gibbons started operating his own steamboat between Elizabeth and New York City, Ogden sued him (claiming the monopoly) and won. However, the case went all the way up to the Supreme Court. Gibbons v Ogden was a landmark case decided by Chief Justice John Marshall against Ogden that made state monopolies unconstitutional. The decision was highly instrumental in giving more power to the federal government of the United States (the right to regulate interstate trade).

           The legal cost of the case along with the loss of the case itself to business caused severe financial hardships on Ogden and eventual imprisonment in New York for outstanding debt. His Princeton classmate and boyhood friend, Aaron Burr (former vice president) pushed through legislature prohibiting jailing Revolutionary War veterans for debt. 

            Freed from prison in 1829, he moved to Jersey City were he lived the rest of his life practicing law. In 1830, he was appointed as collector of customs and served until his death on April 19, 1839 in Jersey City. His grandnephew, Daniel Haines, served two terms as governor of NJ in the 1850's. He's buried in Hardyston, New Jersey (somewhere in Sussex County).

            Mahlon is the older brother of Philemon Dickerson, 11th governor of New Jersey. Mom Dickerson was very creative when naming her sons. 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). 

             Dickerson graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1789. He then studied the law and was admitted to the bar in 1793. During the Whiskey Rebellion, he served in the Second New Jersey Regiment Cavalry Militia as a private. After this, he moved to Philadelphia and became involved in Pennsylvania politics. In 1810, he moved to Morris County, New Jersey and was elected to the State's General assembly the following year. In 1813, he was named to New Jersey's Supreme Court for two years. 

             A Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican, he was elected governor in 1815. The following year, he successfully ran for the United States Senate and served from 1817 until March 3, 1833. He once resigned in 1829, but he was immediately reelected to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Ephraim Bateman and served for a total of 16 years of service. Andrew Jackson considered Dickerson for the vice-presidency but went with Martin Van Buren instead. Dickerson, who was very supportive of Jackson was rewarded when Jackson appointed him Secretary of the Navy in 1834 (after he declined an appointment as Minister to Russia). He was re-appointed Secretary of the Navy by Van Buren. In 1840, he became judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. He was also a delegate to the New Jersey constitutional convention of 1844. Dickerson lived to the ripe old age of 83. The destroyer USS Dickerson was named in his honor.

          I had to make a special trip to Succasunna to find Dickerson. I found the cemetery easily enough which had signs outside saying that Dickerson was buried there. But where? I had to do some walking around, but I found him directly behind the church. His closeness to the building made getting a good picture of the front of his monument impossible. So I had to settle on a side picture.

             Locating this one was difficult. If you look up Vroom's Congressional Record in the U.S. Congress website, it gives The Dutch Reformed Church in Somerville as his place of burial. But, I soon found out, he is not there. So, where is he? I received an e-mail from Paul Von der Heyden who had visited my site and offered information as to Vroom's whereabouts. Paul told me that Vroom was in a family cemetery, south of Somerville, on River Road in Hillsborough. He was also kind enough to give advice as to how to find it since it was so difficult. Paul also said there would be almost no where to park my car. I did some research on the internet and found two listings for small cemeteries on River Road in Hillsborough; the DuMont Cemetery and the Vroom Cemetery. I knew this wouldn't be easy. I looked on Google Maps and found no cemeteries identified on River Road. I even scanned the satellite images on Goggle Maps, but didn't see anything that looked like a cemetery. However, much of River Road is covered with trees, so it could easily be missed (once I knew where it was, I looked again and could see a faint outline of the wall).

            So, on a Monday afternoon, July 3, 2006, Debbie wanted to go shopping at the Short Hills Mall. After the shopping, we drove south to Somerville. We found the bridge over the Raritan River into Hillsborough (it was a brand new bridge that isn't even on Google Maps) and onto Rt. 625/River Road. Driving the length and back, Debbie spotted headstones under some trees on the southside of the road. Paul was right, there is almost no where to park and the road is too narrow to pull of to the side. However, I did find a small place to park and we went up to investigate. We walked up some stone steps into the trees. There is an old cemetery there surrounded by a brick wall that is crumbling in places (at right is the view at the top of the steps). As you can see, it doesn't get very much maintenance, however, it had been visited recently, probably on Memorial Day, so that flags could be placed. We found Governor Vroom toward the back of cemetery, along with other members of the Dumont family, making him the 29th Dead Governor on my list.

            The new question is, what cemetery is it? Is it the DuMont Cemetery or the Vroom Cemetery? We never found the other one. Find-A-Grave lists both cemeteries with Governor Vroom in it. The one listed on Find-A-Grave, that has a number of the other people we also found in to cemetery, is the DuMont Cemetery. So where is the Vroom Cemetery and why is Vroom listed as being buried there also? Hopefully someone will write me and clear up this mystery. Paul also thinks that because of this cemetery association with the Dutch Reformed Church in Somerville is the reason why Vroom's Congressional Record in the U.S. Congress is incorrect. Again, special thanks to Paul Von der Heyden because I never would have found Governor Vroom without his helpful information.

             Peter Dumont Vroom was the son of Colonel Peter D. Vroom of the Somerset Militia and who fought in the American Revolution. His mother was Elsie Bogart Vroom. They were members of the Dutch Reformed Church in Somerville (which may account for the confusion of his burial location).  After graduating from Columbia College (now Columbia University) in New York City, Vroom became a lawyer in 1813. On May 21, 1817, he married Ann DuMont.

        Vroom’s political career began as a Federalists, like his father. However, by the 1820's, the Federalist Party was on the decline. Vroom, like many other prominant New Jerseyian joined the Democratic-Republican Party and supported Andrew Jackson in the Election of 1824 (Jackson lost because of the so-called 'Corrupt Bargain'). A Democrat and the advocate of state construction of a canal from the Delaware River to the Raritan River, Vroom was elected to the General Assembly from Somerset County in 1826.

        Jackson did win the presidency in 1828, and his followers, now called Democrats, dominated New Jersey politics. In 1829, Governor Isaac Williamson was forced to resign, after 13 years, due to illness. The Democratically controlled legislature choose Garrett D. Wall to replace Williamson. Wall declined to be governor so the legislature then choose Vroom.

        Vroom believed in strengthening the authority of the governor under the state constitution. To accomplish this goal and stay within the limitations of the 1776 Constitution, Vroom reintroduced the practice of sending messages to the legislature and meeting with his party’s legislative caucus to influence its decisions. His efforts produced a number of contributions to the state, especially in the areas of prison and militia reform, education and internal improvements.

        To improve New Jersey’s penal system, Vroom proposed building a new institution modeled after the Eastern Penitentiary in Pennsylvania. The new prison was built during his second term. He also proposed the abolition of imprisonment for debt, which was enacted in 1842. Vroom also urged legislature to reform the militia system, requiring every able-bodied man between the age of 18 and 45 to train regularly with a unit (however, this didn't last long). In school reform Vroom got the legislature to give part of the money in the school fund to local towns to support public education.

          Vroom's major accomplishment as governor was the construction of a canal and a railroad through central New Jersey, but this did not happen without controversy. In 1829, Vroom chartered the Camden & Amboy Railroad and the Delaware and Raritan Canal Company to build the railroad and canal. The following year, Vroom had the two companies merged together to get money for the canal. They received a monopoly over all railroad and canal transportation between New York and Philadelphia. Both the canal and railroad, when finished, helped New Jersey economically.

        In 1832, the Whig Party gained control of the state legislature and choose Samuel Southard as the new governor who promptly removed many Democrats from office. Southard resigned four months later to become Secretary of the Navy and was replaced by acting-governor Elias P. Seeley, also a Whig. Later that year, the state legislature replaced Seeley and again selected Peter Vroom to be governor. After his second term was over in 1836, the Democratic controlled legislature choose Philemon Dickerson to be governor.

        In 1837 President Van Buren appointed him Claims Commissioner to the Chickasaw tribe in Mississippi, where he was to adjust land claims arising from the removal of the Choctaw Indians from the state. In 1838, he was one of five Democrats that were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. However, Governor Pennington (who was a Whig), due to a controversy surrounding the Monmouth County returns, claimed that Whigs had won those seats. The House of Representatives, which had a small Democratic majority, instead certified Democrat Vroom and the others to those seats.

         My wife Debbie and I, along with our nephew Damian, traveled south to Manassas, Virginia for a weekend back in August of 2002. 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's father was one of the founders of the Democratic-Republican Party in New Jersey. Southard graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1804. He began teaching after graduation and accepted a position as a tutor on a Virginian plantation. He studied law and he returned to New Jersey to set up a practice. Southard than married Rebecca Harrow of Virginia and became interested in politics.

         Southard seemed to like to jump from one political position to another. In 1815, he was appointed a justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court. A Democratic-Republican, Southard was appointed to fill a vacancy in the U.S. Senate in January 6, 1821. He was elected to that position, but resigned from the Senate on March 3, 1823 to become Secretary of the Navy in James Monroe's Cabinet which he served to 1829. Southard was the first New Jerseyian to hold a cabinet position. In the highly controversial Presidential Election of 1824, Southard had to decide which Democratic-Republican to support among the five running. He decided to support South Carolinian John C. Calhoun and ran his campaign in New Jersey. However, Calhoun soon pulled out of the race to concentrate on being elected vice president (which he successfully did). Southard was opposed to Andrew Jackson, who he saw as unfit, and secretly supported John Quincy Adams. Adams won the election when it was sent to the U.S. House of Representatives and kept Southard as his Secretary of the Navy. In the Election of 1828, despite Southard's campaigning in New Jersey, President Adams lost his bid for re-election to Andrew Jackson. 

          Now a member of the Whig Party (like many other Jeffersonian Democratic-Republicans who couldn't stand Andrew Jackson), he hoped to be elected to the Senate, but lost to another future governor, Mahlon Dickerson. We actually had four Whig governors. In 1829, he was elected Attorney General for New Jersey. He was elected by the legislature to be Governor in November of 1832, but resigned four months later when he was elected again to the U.S. Senate in 1833. He was replaced with acting-governor Elias P. Seeley. In his short term as governor, Southard fired all Jacksonian Democrats from any office they held, he pushed for a new prison (which was introduced by his predecessor Governor Peter Vroom) and pushed for governors being chosen by popular election. The New Jersey Legislature elected Southard to the Senate to fill a vacancy in 1833 so he resigned as governor. Southard joined other Whigs in he Senate fighting President Jackson. He was re-elected to the Senate in 1838 and became President Pro Tempore of the Senate on March 4, 1841. He became the Senate's leader a month later when President William Henry Harrison died and Vice President John Tyler (Senate President) became President of the United States. Southard, who was a heavy set man suffered from ill health and died a year later at the age of 55. 

           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 the son of Governor William Sandford Pennington (6th Governor). I still haven't found out where dad is buried. Pennington started out as a Whig (he was our third Whig governor). He graduated from the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) in 1813. Pennington studied law and took up practice in Newark. He was a clerk of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey (where his father was a judge) from 1815 to 1826 and then studied law on his own with Theodore Frelinghuysen (Whig senator and mayor of Newark). As a member of the Whig party, he was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly from 1828 to 1834.

                  In 1836, he was elected governor and served one term. His tenure as governor was marked by the "Broad Seal War" controversy. Following the closely contested election of 1838, two groups sought admission to the United States Congress from New Jersey. Both held commissions bearing the great (broad) seal of the state; only the Whig commissions, however, were legally executed and signed by the state governor, William Pennington. Charging their opponents with election fraud and facing loss of control of the House of Representatives, the Democratic Party majority in the House refused to seat all but one Whig. When it was proved that the county clerks in Cumberland and Middlesex counties had suppressed the returns in certain townships that would have given the Democrats a majority, the House, on February 28, 1840, seated the five Democratic claimants.

                 After being governor, President Millard Fillmore wanted Pennington to be the Governor of the Minnesota Territory, but Pennington said no. Instead, leaving the Whigs and joining the Republican Party, he was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858 to the 36th Congress. He took the seat that his cousin, Alexander Cumming McWhorter Pennington, held two years earlier. This was a tumultuous time in our history to be in Congress. During his first (and only) term, he was elected Speaker of the United States House of Representatives (one of only two from New Jersey) after months where the House was unable to decide on a candidate (the Republicans had a plurality, but not a majority, and the Southern Oppositionists who held the balance of power were unwilling to support either a radical Republican or a Democrat). Pennington was Speaker of the House in 1860 as the country headed for Civil War. He replaced James L. Orr of South Carolina as Speaker as Orr left to join the South Carolina secession convention (he later became a Confederate general). However, Pennington wasn't re-elected in November of 1860 (despite Lincoln's election - New Jersey didn't go Republican - the state voted for Democrat Stephen Douglas). He lost to Democrat Nehemiah Perry.

                He died two years later. Pennington is in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery in Newark, one of three in Mt. Pleasant (A trifecta?). 

       A Democrat, Parker was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1847, where he served until 1851 when he was appointed the "prosecutor of pleas" of Monmouth County. He continued to be active in politics and served as a New Jersey elector in the 1860 Democratic National Convention in Charleston, South Carolina were he voted for Stephen A. Douglas of Illinois.

       The following year, after the Civil War broke out, Governor Charles S. Olden appointed Parker a Major General of the New Jersey militia.

       After his term as governor was up he returned to his law practice. Republican Marcus L. Ward overcame his loss in 1862 and won the next election to be governor. Parker, though, was the "favorite son" candidate supported by New Jersey electors at the Democratic National Conventions in 1868, 1876 and 1884.

       After Democrat Theodore F. Randolph's term as governor was over, Parker was re-elected Governor in 1871 and served until 1874. He became the first person to be elected to two non-consecutive terms by the people. As governor, he called for the end of Reconstruction and the protection of States' Rights. After his second term was up, he was named Attorney General of New Jersey and later served as a justice on the New Jersey Supreme Court from 1880 until his death in 1888.

           Descended from John Ward, one of the original founders of Newark in 1666, Ward's father Moses Ward was a wealthy candle manufacturer.

           He was a Anti-slavery Republican who even went to "Bleeding Kansas" in 1858. He was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago 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. The Republicans nominated Ward for Governor in 1862, but he lost to Democrat Joel Parker by one of the largest margins in state history.

        During the Civil War, Ward became known as the 'soldier's friend' for his many donations he made to help the soldiers.

        After the Civil War was over, there was a major swing toward the Republican Party with the feeling they were responsible for winning the war. It was a forgone conclusion that a Republican would be the next governor. In the Republican convention, Ward defeated grain merchant Alexander G. Cattell. In the general election Ward easily was elected governor for one term, serving to 1869. The Republicans also swept both houses of the state legislature. After a Democratic-controlled legislature had not passed the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery, Ward worked with the new Republican-controlled New Jersey Legislature to secure state passage of both the Thirteenth and the Fourteenth Amendment, with its Due Process and Equal Protection clauses giving citizenship to former slaves. In 1873, Ward was elected from New Jersey's 6th District to the U.S. House of Representatives and served one term.

        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?

         On a nice Sunday in June of 2002, 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. 

        In 1859, he was elected to the State Assembly and then the State Senate in 1862. Randolph (representing Jersey City), along with another future governor Joseph Bedle, were members of the Democratic Convention of 1864 which met in Chicago and nominated George B. McClellan (future New Jersey governor) and George H. Pendleton of Ohio as president and vice-president. They lost badly to Abraham Lincoln in the general election (of course, New Jersey was one of only three states that McClellan carried).

        After serving one term as governor, he was elected to the U.S. Senate for a term (1875-1881) in the 46th Congress. He did become chairman of the Committee on Military Affairs. Randolph also invented a stitching machine and a steam typewriter. He died in Morristown less then three 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.

       George McClellan, who is considered one of the most controversial figures in American military history, graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1846 (ranked 2nd in his class). His classmates included famous confederate generals; Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and George E. Pickett. He served as an engineer in the Mexican-American War earning promotions to captain. He spent the next nine years in the military, three of them as an instructor at west Point, before resigning in 1857. McClellan took a job in the railroad industry, eventually becoming president of the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad. In 1860, he married Mary Ellen Marcy. 

       At the outbreak of the Civil War, he was appointed a major general of Ohio volunteers. He earned some minor success in West Virginia and, after General McDowell's disaster at the First Battle of Bull Run, was appointed commander of the Army of the Potomac in August of 1861 and top commander of all Union Armies a month later. He set about bringing order and discipline to the demoralized Union Army earning him the high popularity of his men who referred to him as "Little Mac." 

         By order of President Lincoln, McClellan reluctantly moved against the South in early 1862. He moved his vastly numerically superior force toward Richmond in what has been called the Peninsula Campaign. A series of battles around Richmond called The Seven Days Battle were indecisive for either side, yet McClellan, falsely thinking the Confederates had a much larger army, choose to retreat. His army was taken away from him and given to General Pope who was decisively defeated at the second Battle of Bull Run in August of 1862. 

        McClellan was once again in charge of re-organizing the army to their delight. In September, General Robert E. Lee moved the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia into Maryland. McClellan moved the Union Army north to meet him. Despite having Lee's plan fall into his lap, he refused to act quickly enough. McClellan attacked Lee outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 17, 1862 at the Battle of Antietam in what became the bloodiest day of the war. McClellan had superior numbers but did not have a coordinated attack and was not able to defeat Lee. After the battle, Lee retreated back into Virginia. Even though he drove the Confederates out of Maryland, McClellan missed a golden chance to crush Lee's Army and possibly end the war. After the battle, he refused to go on the offensive and two months later was relieved of command. 

       McClellan remained in his home in Trenton for new orders which never came. Resenting Lincoln, who he blamed for everything and whom he was totally contemptuous of, McClellan accepted the Democratic presidential nomination in 1864 to run against Lincoln for president. The Democratic Party went on a platform of "Peace at any price" which contradicted McClellan's desire to continue the war until it was won. He carried only three states in the election (New Jersey, Kentucky and Delaware). 

       After the war, McClellan traveled around the world and held various positions, working on various engineering projects. In 1877, McClellan was nominated by the Democrats for governor and in the election easily defeated Republican William A. Newell. As governor, he did not get along well with the Democratic state Senate who were making political maneuvers to ensure their domination of state politics. This didn't work, and the Republicans regained control two years later. His major efforts was the elimination of taxes and the improvement of the National Guard. McClellan never favored any policy that might be considered controversial and never tried to exert leadership over the legislature. Overall, he was only a fair governor. 

      When McClellan's first term was over in 1881, he retired to his home in Orange. He died there less than five years later at age 58 of heart problems. 

         On a warm Sunday afternoon in August of 2005, Debbie and I took a drive to Brooklyn's Green-wood Cemetery. I was looking for Leon Abbett, who I couldn't find on my first trip here back in 2002. I knew the section, but couldn't find him.. Debbie and I were trying to find the plot number. Finally, Debbie looked across the road and there he was. Not in the section that the cemetery gave for him, but across the road in a neighboring section. Anyway, thanks to Debbie's keen eye, I now have my 28th Dead Governor of New Jersey. On the way home, we drove across the Brooklyn Bridge and found a Starbuck's for a celebratory frappuccino. Of course, Debbie had something without coffee in it.

       Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was the son of Ezekiel and Sarah (Howell) Abbett (who are also buried in Green-Wood Cemetery with him). He became a  lawyer in 1857 and four years later, he moved to New York City. Abbett married Mary Briggs of Philadelphia in 1862 and moved across the river to Hoboken, New Jersey. A lawyer and Democrat, he soon entered politics in New Jersey and in 1864 was elected from Hudson County to the New Jersey State Assembly, where he served  to 1866 and again in 1869 to 1870. During his second term, Abbett served as Speaker of the General Assembly. In 1875, Abbett was elected and served one term in the New Jersey State Senate from 1875-1877, the last year serving as president of the Senate.

         In 1874, Abbett wanted to become governor, but lost the Democratic nomination to Joseph D. Bedle who was elected the 22nd Governor (above). Three years later, during the year he was president of the senate, Abbett again set his eyes on becoming governor. His political opponent was Hudson County rival Oretes Cleveland (former and future mayor of Jersey City). Cleveland claimed that Abbett had not played fair with him in past campaigns and political manipulations, so he used his keen mind and real managerial ability to block Abbett. The right-hand man of Cleveland in his campaign to prevent the nomination of Abbett was Henry C. Kelsey, already mentioned as a leader of the long powerful "State House Aristocracy" as it then was known. He came from Newton in Sussex County, and had been discovered and appointed Secretary of State in the year 1870 by Governor Theodore F. Randolph. This office is of great power and influence and is most important because of patronage. Nevertheless, Kelsey managed to hold onto it for more than twenty-five years. Cleveland looked to block Abbett from getting the nomination by introducing former Civil War general George B. McClellan at the convention. McClellan won the nomination and later the general election to become the 23rd Governor (above).

        After Governor George McClellan decided not to run for another term in 1880 there was again a  fight on who would succeed him. Abbet was one of two leading Democrats who wanted the job, the other was his old adversary Oretes  Cleveland. They entered into a desperate fight for the control of the Democratic State Convention that met in Trenton to nominate a candidate for Governor. Cleveland wanted it, but Abbett was too clever for him and, setting aside his own ambitions, he joined with the State House Crowd who were his former enemies, in order to block Cleveland. After one of the most disorderly sessions any Democratic convention ever had held, George C. Ludlow, Democratic State Senator from Middlesex County, was nominated and defeated Republican Frederic A. Potts, by the small margin of 651 votes, to become the 24th Governor  (above).

        Following Democrat Ludlow, Abbett was finally elected Governor of New Jersey in 1883. Abbett was the sixth consecutive Democrat governor. He was followed by Democrat Robert Stockton Green for one term and then Abbett was elected for a second term from 1890-1893. Even though he was a machine politician and party boss, Abbett, who was called "The Great Commoner", has been called a dynamic and visionary leader as well as a reformer who guided New Jersey into a new urban industrial age.

         Looking out to help the deprived urban lower classes who he saw as being oppressed by Big Business, he set out  during his first term as governor to tax the railroads. This was a major challenge considering the power the railroads held, but he ultimately prevailed. After his first term as governor, he ran for a seat in the U.S. Senate in 1887, but lost the Democratic nomination to Rufas Blodgett (who ultimately won the election and served one term). The powerful railroads, still smarting from Abbett's victory over them, used their power to have him defeated.

         In 1889, Abbett ran for a second term and won. During his second term he passed a number of reforms like a law to reduce voter fraud and another to outlaw segregated cemeteries. He set out to improve the lives of the common worker. He had laws passed that improved working conditions in factories, eliminate child labor, set a maximum number of hours in a working week and outlawed the use of Pinkerton detectives by large factories to break up labor strikes. Abbett also created a state police force to maintain peace in the industrial areas.

        As his second term as governor was ending in 1892, Abbett ran for the U.S. Senate again but lost the Democratic nomination to James Smith, Jr. (who ultimately won the election and served one term). After his defeat, he was named an Associate Justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court by Governor George T. Werts, whose election Abbett had helped secure, and served from 1893 until his death in Jersey City the following year.

       There is a book about Leon Abbett called Leon Abbett's New Jersey: The Emergence of the Modern Governor by Richard A. Hogarty.

          My mother and sister wanted to visit Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, so one hot August afternoon in the summer of 2002, I took them. Of course, it was my chance to pick up three dead governors. Unfortunately, I only found two. Somehow, Leon Abbets (27th Governor) eluded me. I will have to get him on a future trip (when it is cooler). Green was easy to find when I got to his section. 

          Born into an illustrious New Jersey family, Green graduated from the College of New Jersey (later Princeton University) in 1850. His father, James Green, a democrat ran for the governorship in 1837, but lost to Whig candidate William Pennington (12th governor above). Following in his fathers footsteps, Green became a lawyer and than entered politics. He moved to Elizabeth and in 1857, he married Mary E. Mulligan. 

         As a lawyer, green fought the railroad monopoly held by the Camden and Amboy Railroad, which held all transportation rights between New York and Philadelphia. His success in this venture in 1873 brought him popularity. In 1880, he was a member of the Democratic National Convention that nominated Winfield Scott (hero of the Battle of Gettysburg) for the presidency. In 1884, Green successfully ran for the U.S. Congress and served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

       In 1886, Green successfully defeated Republican Benjamin F. Howey to become governor. One of the major issues of the election was temperance (drinking of alcohol). Since Irish-Catholics were unfairly blamed for this, Green went after the Irish vote helping him win. A third-party candidate on the prohibition ticket helped Green also by taking votes away from Howey. 

       Green's low-key style of co-operation instead of leadership made him fairly ineffectual as governor. He failed to carry out many of the reforms needed in the state. Most of his administration was occupied with the problems of alcohol. Many people were upset that state liquor laws were being ignored (especially in Jersey City). The Republicans were pushing for prohibition in the state. His veto of a temperance law was overridden by a Republican controlled legislature. As the issue got hotter, Green decided to stay on the sidelines. Green also alienated the Irish, who supported him in the election,  when he refused to go to an Anti-British rally.

       He left office after serving one term and was appointed a judge by his successor. Green was not considered a good governor because he failed to realize what it meant to be governor.

         On a nice Sunday in June of 2002, 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.)

       Werts was governor at the end of the 19th Century (1793-96) when William McKinley was president. 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). 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. It's like having an address, but none of the streets having signs. 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.

       In 1863, Werts moved to Morristown at age 17 and soon became a lawyer. He built a law practice over the next 16 years. In 1872, he married Emma Stelle. Werts, a Democrat, entered politics and in 1886 was elected mayor of Morristown (surpassingly since Morristown was heavily Republican). He was also elected to the state senate at the same time serving for five years. Werts moved from Morristown to Jersey City and lived in a mansion on Crescent Avenue on the present site of Lincoln High School.

      Wanting to get him out of the way politically, Governor Leon Abbett made him a state judge in 1892. However, he than supported him to be his replacement when Abbett ran for the U.S. Senate. Werts, riding Grover Cleveland's coattails, defeated the Republican candidate John Kean, Jr. However, as governor, Werts was fairly ineffectual. His administration was mired in a racetrack gambling controversy which hurt the entire Democratic Party in the state. His lack of leadership, caused both parties to fight over power. 

       In 1895, a scandal involving corruption among many Democratic legislative was exposed. Though Werts was not involved, this brought an end of a quarter of a century domination of New Jersey politics by the Democratic Party. He was the last of seven consecutive Democratic governors. Leaving office after one term, Werts returned to his law practice in Jersey City. He would die 20 years later at age 63.

           I was driving up through western New Jersey on a damp Saturday morning when I stopped in Clinton, New Jersey. I was looking to pick up Dead Governor number 18. Clinton is a very picturesque town. The cemetery was easy to find as was the governor. It was interesting walking through a cemetery that was populated with deer grazing. 

            Foster MacGowen Voorhees graduated from Rutgers University. A Republican , he was elected to the New Jersey State Senate in 1894. In 1898, Voorhees as the president of the State Senate, filled in as acting governor for governor David Ogden Watkins. The following year, he was elected governor, defeating Democrat Elvin L. Crane. At 43, he was the youngest governor ever elected.  During his one term, he implemented reforms that benefited orphans, improved conditions for prison inmates and protected the environment. Voorhees was governor during the Spanish-American War. Many New Jersey National Guard soldiers trained at Camp Voorhees before going to fight in Cuba. 

         In 1900, Voorhees, along with future governor Franklin Murphy, were members of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia which nominated William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt for president and vice-president. 

        As a philanthropist, he gave generously of his time and his estate, including leaving his 325-acre farm to become  Voorhees State Park in Hunterdon County. The town of Voorhees, New Jersey is named after him. 

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

        When he was ten years old, his family moved to Newark. Murphy was 16 years old when the Civil War began. He enlisted as a private in the 13th New Jersey Regiment and served for three years. He participated in the Battles of Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and out west at Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. In his first battle at Antietam, his regiment fought in the famous cornfield and around the Dunker Church. At Gettysburg, they fought with the rest of the XII Corp against Confederate General Ewell's Corp at Culp's Hill. By the time he mustered out in 1865, Murphy had been promoted to first lieutenant. 

       When he returned home, Murphy went into business. Murphy & Company was nationally known as a varnish business. He married Janet Colwell in 1868. Murphy also became active in Republican politics in Newark. In the 1890's, he became very powerful politically in Northern New Jersey. In 1900, Murphy, along with current governor Foster Voorhees, were members of the Republican National Convention in Philadelphia which nominated William McKinley and Teddy Roosevelt for president and vice-president.

      In 1901, he ran for governor and easily defeated Democratic Newark Mayor, James M. Seymour. As governor, Murphy brought his business sense and organizational skills to Trenton. He was also very friendly toward businesses and corporations. He improved child safety laws and education. It was also a period of progressive that was sweeping the nation. Mayor Mark Fagen of Jersey City was calling for equal taxation, especially by railroads. Of course, railroad corporations were among the most powerful in the country at the time. Fagen accused the Republican Party of being controlled by the railroads. Sweeping reforms would begin under Murphy's administration.

       Murphy only served one term as governor. However, he remained a very powerful figure in the Republican Party. In 1908, he was considered for the vice presidential nomination (it went to James S. Sherman instead). In 1916, he unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate. Despite some progressive aspects, Murphy was a conservative Republican throughout his political career. In 1912, Murphy stuck with President William Taft when Teddy Roosevelt was splitting the Republican Party. 

      In 1920, while he was vacationing in Palm Beach, he suffered an intestinal obstruction. He died six days after an operation at age 74. There is a statue of Murphy on Elizabeth Avenue in Weequahic Park, Newark.

            John Franklin Fort was born into a family of public officials. His father was a state assemblyman. When Fort was born, his uncle, Dr. George F. Fort was the Democratic governor of New Jersey. Fort studied law. While at law school his roommate was future 1904 Democratic presidential hopeful Alton B. Parker. Fort became a Republican and campaigned for Ulysses S. Grant for president in 1872. The following year, he passed the bar and began law practice in Newark. In 1876, Fort married Charlotte Starnsby, the daughter of the Essex County Republican leader.

           After the Wilson's left the White House in 1921, they lived in a house at 2340 S Street, N.W. in Washington D.C. Wilson rarely left the house, though he did attend President Harding's funeral in August of 1823. Six months later, Wilson was blind and barely able to move or speak. On February 3, 1824, with his Edith and daughter Margaret by him, his heart stopped. On February 8, a private funeral service was held in his house, attended by President Coolidge and his wife. Edith, still overcome with grief, watched from the top of the stairs. 30,000 people stood in a bitter cold rain to watch the funeral procession. a military escort took Wilson, in a black coffin, to Washington National Cathedral (still being built) where the funeral service was held. Wilson was interred in the crypt below in the Chapel of St. Joseph of Arimathea. In 1956, he was moved upstairs to his present place. His wife, Edith lived for 37 years. In 1961, she rode in President Kennedy's inaugural parade. She died later in the year on her husbands birthday and is buried in the Wilson's Bay next to her husband.

        James Fairman Fielder was born in a political family. His family descended from some of the original Dutch settlers of Hudson County. His father was George Bragg Fielder, a U.S. Congressman. His grandfather was John Brinkerhoff, a Hudson County judge. His uncle was William Brinkerhoff, a New Jersey state senator. Fielder graduated from Columbia Law School and started practicing law in Jersey City. He married Mabel Cholwell Miller in 1895. Fielder, like others in his family entered politics and became a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from Hudson County, New Jersey from 1903 to 1904. He was elected to the New Jersey Senate representing Hudson County in 1908 and re-elected in 1910.

     When the New Jersey Senate convened in January 1913 after Woodrow Wilson had won the 1912 Presidential Election, the Democratic caucus selected Fielder to serve as Senate President, knowing that he would assume the position of Acting Governor after Wilson stepped down to become president. Fielder became Acting Governor on March 1, 1913, when Woodrow Wilson stepped down to become President of the United States. Fielder announced he would run for governor shortly after and on October 28, 1913, so as to create a vacancy in the governorship and avoid constitutional limits on succeeding himself as governor, to begin his campaign.

       The next election would be the first time that a candidate was selected according to the newly reconstructed primary laws. The 1913 Democratic primary had three candidates. Along with Fielder, there was Jersey City mayor Otto Wittpenn and Trenton mayor Frank S. Katzenback (who lost the governors election in 1907). President Wilson got Wittpenn to pull out of the race which allowed Fielder to easily defeat Katzenback. In the general election, Fielder defeated his Republican opponent, former governor Edward C. Stokes (1905-08). After winning "re-election," he took office on January 20, 1914, and served a full term in office. The Democrats also won both houses of the state legislature.

       Fielder, who supported the reforms of his predecessor, Woodrow Wilson, wanted to continue his policies. However, he found out quickly that the power in the New Jersey Democratic Party was shifting to a new up and coming leader, Frank Hague of Jersey City. Even with his party's control of the legislature, Fielder had trouble getting his agenda passed. It became worse in 1914, when the Republicans took control of both houses of the state legislature and began to roll back many of the Wilson reforms despite Fielders attempt to stop them. After his three years was up, Fielder who was frustrated by both political parties and what he saw as their petty agendas trumping the overall common good of the state, retired from politics. Republican Walter E. Edge defeated Wittpenn in the 1916 election.

       In 1917, Fielder ran the State Food Administration during World War I and in 1919 he became the vice-chancellor of the Court of Chancery. The last post he held for 29 years. Fiedler died of a heart attack and is buried in the mausoleum in Fairmount Cemetery, Newark

          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.

         Born in Jersey City, Edward Irving Edwards attended New York University and than studied law in his brother's law office, who was also a state senator. On November 14, 1888, he married Blanche Smith. They had two children, Edward Irving, Jr. and Elizabeth Jules. He became involved in banking, becoming president and chairman of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Jersey City. Edwards entered politics and became part of the Hudson County Democratic Organization, being elected state senator in 1918. He became a friend and close political ally of Mayor Frank "Boss" Hague, who ran the Democratic machine in Hudson County and soon New Jersey. Hague supported Edwards gubernatorial run in 1919. 

         In 1919, World War I was over and the country was going through a turbulent period with labor strikes and Communist scares. The Republican Party was growing in power after the days of Woodrow Wilson. Republican Warren G. Harding was swept into the White House, signaling the start of "Normalcy", and Republicans won every governors race in the north and west of the country, that is except New Jersey. Edwards, running on a anti-prohibition campaign, which was called "The Applejack Campaign", edged out Republican Newton Bugbee with 52% of the vote. As governor, Edwards was frustrated with the Republican controlled legislature, with more rural interests, who overrode many of his vetoes. Edwards, who had urban interests at heart constantly voted against anything he thought would hurt the city workers, like public transportation fare increases and "blue laws". Edwards had successfully created an urban coalition. In 1920, Edwards was even considered as a potential Democratic nomination for president (the party went with James Cox of Ohio - who was crushed by Harding).

             At the end of his term, forbidden by the state constitution to run for a consecutive term, he ran for the U.S. Senate in 1922. Campaigning against the 18th Amendment (Prohibition) and with the support of the Hague Democratic Political Machine, Edwards defeated incumbent Republican Joseph S. Frelinghuysen by almost 90,000 votes. After six years in the Senate, Edwards ran for re-election against Republican Hamilton Kean in 1928. Kean came out against Prohibition also which hurt Edwards who used his "Applejack Campaign" so successfully in the past. Also, Edwards could not overcome the "Coolidge Prosperity" that was sweeping the country. He lost by over 230,000 votes.

           After returning to Jersey City in March of 1929, his luck turned for the worse. His wife had died in 1928 and his relationship with Mayor Hague went downhill when Hague supported A. Harry Moore instead of Edwards for governor. He went broke in the stock market crash of '29 and was implicated in a voter freud scandal. Finally, he was diagnosed with skin cancer and ended up shooting himself in his Jersey City home. He is buried in the plot of his older brother, William David Edwards, who he once worked for, who died in 1916.

         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. 

       Born in the Lafayette section of Jersey City, Moore dropped out of grammar school to work. He finished his education on the side before becoming the secretary of Jersey City mayor, H. Otto Wittpenn in 1907. He married Jennie Hastings Stevens in 1911 as he continued to move up in the city Democratic circles. Two years later, Moore successfully ran for commissioner in Jersey City. When his mentor, Wittpenn, lost the governors election in 1916 and subsequently dropped out of politics, Moore teamed up with another commissioner, Frank Hague. 

         In the Jersey City elections of 1917, Moore and Hague were re-elected as commissioners, beginning Hague's 30-year rule as mayor and the beginning of the "Hague Political Machine". While a commissioner, Moore graduated from New Jersey Law School in Newark and passed the bar. Hague, who by the 1920's was controlling New Jersey's political scene, landed Moore the Democratic nomination for governor in 1925. In the election, that featured Moore's anti-prohibition stance against the Republican's "Anti-Hague" campaign, Moore carried only three state counties. However, he won by such a wide margin in Hudson County, that he easily won the election over Arthur Whitney.

         Working with a Republican State House, Moore learned to compromise to get things accomplished. In his first term, he dedicated the Holland Tunnel (connecting Jersey City to New York) and Goethals Bridge and the Outerbridge Crossings connecting New Jersey with Staten Island. As the country went through the "Roaring Twenties", Moore had to deal with the social problems it caused. In 1928, the state constitution prohibited Moore from running for a consecutive term and the Republicans swept the elections for the governorship and the state house. 

        Being in power at the time of the Stock Market Crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression, the Republicans took the brunt of the blame. Moore waited on the sidelines for the next election. In the election of 1925, Moore criticized President Herbert Hoover and Governor Morgan F. Larson for current depression and easily carried the election over Republican David Baird Jr., winning all but one county (Baird's home county of Camden). During his second term, Moore did everything he could to cut back on spending to help the state's economic problems. 

         Two major events, which received worldwide publicity, occurred during his second term. The first was the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby in 1932. He took personal charge of the investigation. The second was the wreck of the ocean liner Morro Castle, which burned off the coast of Asbury Park. Moore was highly involved during rescue operations. In addition, during his administration, Prohibition was repealed.

          Again unable to run for a consecutive term, Moore, at Hague's insistence, successfully ran for the United States Senate.  This allowed the Republicans to retake the governor's office when Harold G. Hoffman won in 1934. Never very comfortable with President's Roosevelt's New Deal projects, Moore did not enjoy his years in Washington D.C.  He was the only Senate Democrat to vote against Roosevelt's Social Security Program and to oppose FDR's plan to pack the Supreme Court. When Hague asked him to run again for governor, Moore happily resigned his Senate seat after only three years. In all probability, Hague did this because of his close political friendship with Roosevelt. 

        In the 1937 elections, Moore faced Essex County republican, the reverend Lester H. Clee (strangely enough, Moore's sister-in-law was married to Clee's brother). Despite the relationship, the election was very ugly. Moore record in the Senate (his opposition to the New Deal) was used I against him. Clee carried 15 of the 21 counties, but Moore's 130,000-vote victory in Hudson County gave him the win. Clee claimed voter fraud which eventually led to a Senate investigation in 1940 (the investigation ended when it was discovered that the voting records in Hudson County had been destroyed).

        Moore's third term was devoted to economic recovery as the state struggled through the Great Depression. In early 1941, Moore left the Governor's office for the last time. Frank Hague wanted him to run for a fourth term in 1943, but Moore refused. In 1944, Moore was a delegate in the democratic National Convention that nominated Roosevelt for a fourth term. A year later, Moore was appointed by Governor Edge to the State Board of Education. While driving near his summer home in Hunterton County, Moore suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 73.

        The A. Harry Moore High School in Jersey City is named after him. Moore is one of only two New Jersey governors to have a high school named in their honor. The other was Harold G. Hoffman. 

          During the summer of 2005, I took a drive to Perth Amboy to find Governor Morgan Larson. I had tried once before but could find him in Alpine Cemetery. It wasn't easy and took awhile, but I eventually found him making Larson the 28th Dead Governor to join my collection.

            The son of Danish immigrants, Larson was educated in public schools and later received a degree in engineering from Cooper Union Institute in New York City. He worked as an engineer for local municipalities. In 1914, he married Jennie Brogger. In 1921, at age 39, Larson entered politics. A Republican, he was elected to the New Jersey state senate from Middlesex County. He was re-elected in 1924 and again in 1927. In 1925, he became the senate's majority leader and the following year, the senate president.

         With the rise of the automobile, Larson became interested in engineering projects that would improve New Jersey's infrastructure. He worked on three major projects; The George Washington Bridge, The Outercrossing Bridge and the Goethals Bridge. The first one would connect New York City with Fort Lee, New Jersey while the later two connected New Jersey to Staten Island. Larson also passed legislation to build 1,700 miles of highways.

        Larson looked to winning the statehouse in 1929. Larson would first have to face Jersey City Republican Robert Carey in the Republican primaries. Ironically, Jersey City Democratic political boss Frank Hague did not want Carey to win the general election for governor, and ultimately weaken Hague's political base in the state, so he had the Democratic party machine in Hudson County support Larson in the Republican primaries to keep Carey out. Because of this, Larson won the primary. However, this backfired on Hague, who thought Larson would be easier to beat, when Larson won the gubernatorial election against Democrat Judge William L. Dill of Paterson. Larson attacked Paterson for being a Hague pawn saying he, "will enter the capital at Trenton through the front door and the Hague machine will go out the backdoor."

          As governor, Larson immediately angered many Republican party bosses over his selections to political positions. Despite the Republicans controlling both houses of the legislature, Larson wasn't able to get much accomplished his first year in office. The following year, Larson negotiated with Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt of New York to build the Lincoln Tunnel from Manhattan to Weehawken, New Jersey. That year he also married his secretary, a Danish native named Adda Schmidt. His first wife, Jennie, had died in 1927.

          After the Stock Market crash of 1929, the country fell into the Great Depression. Larson did all he could to avoid the economic downturn but the growing unemployment in the state doomed the rest of his administration. Like many people, Larson believed in a Protestant work ethic and the free enterprise system, but the growing depression called those ideas into question. Many parallels were drawn between Governor Larson and President Herbert Hoover. Both were engineers who came from humble backgrounds whose administrations were undone by the Great Depression. Because of the state constitution, Larson could not run again in 1931 (you can't succeed yourself). The governor, A. Harry Moore, who he replaced in 1929, replaced him in 1932.

          After leaving the statehouse, Larson continued to work as an engineer for the Port Authority of New York. However, the Great Depression had seriously hurt him financially. In 1945, Governor Walter E. Edge appointed Larson to the Department of Conservation, which he held until 1949. Larson died at home at age 78 and is buried along side his first wife Jennie. His second wife Adda was buried next to him when she passed away in 1985.

            Hoffman was the 17th governor to join the list. He was an easy one to get being in South Amboy. I picked this photo up in August of 2003. Christ Church Cemetery is easy to find. It's on South Pine street just off route 35. However, it took a little while to find the governor. The cemetery is not very big and I actually passed him twice without knowing it. However, I spotted him after about a 45 minute search.

         Hoffman will be forever linked to one of the most sensational events in the first half of the 20th century. He was governor during the Lindbergh baby kidnapping trial also known as the "Trial of the Century" (or at least the first one).

         After Hoffman graduated from the South Amboy High School in 1913 he worked for a few years with a newspaper. Upon the United States entry into the First World War, Hoffman enlisted into the United States Army. In France, he rose to the rank of captain in the 3rd New Jersey Infantry. After the war, he became a banker and was involved in local politics, even serving as South Amboy's mayor from 1925 to 1926. A Republican, he won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for two terms (March 4, 1927 - March 3, 1931). He chose not to run again and instead became motor vehicle commissioner of New Jersey.

        In 1934, Hoffman ran for and won the election for governor. The incumbent governor, A. Harry Moore, was not allowed to run due to the state constitution. Hoffman defeated Democrat William L. Dill. Years before his election on March 1, 1932, Charles Lindbergh, the famous aviator had his son kidnapped from their home in Hopewell, New Jersey. The baby, Charles Jr.'s, body was discovered two months later. A German immigrant, Bruno Richard Hauptmann, was arrested for the crime over two years later. In a sensational trial in Flemington, New Jersey, that lasted only six weeks in 1935, he was convicted of murder. Ironically, the trial actually began on January 15, the day Hoffman was sworn in as governor. 

        Hauptmann maintained his innocence to the last and was visited in his jail cell by Governor Hoffman in December of 1935. In February of 1936, Hoffman granted Hauptmann a 30-day stay of execution which was very unpopular with everyone. It appears to some that Hoffman had serious misgivings about Hauptmann's guilt. A Board of Pardons, on which Hoffman was a member, rejected Hauptmann's appeal by a vote of 7 to 1. Hoffman was the lone vote in favor of Hauptmann. There was little else Hoffman could do, at the time, New Jersey governors did not have the power to commute a death sentence. Hauptmann was electrocuted in Trenton on April 3, 1936. 

        The case hurt Hoffman politically. He did not want Hauptmann executed. There were calls for his impeachment, but Hoffman persisted in his claim that he only wanted to see justice done. It's not sure whether he thought Hauptmann was innocent or he felt that Hauptmann was not alone and he wanted to find out who the accomplices were. After the trial, Hoffman launched his own investigation.

        After his three-year term as governor, he became the Executive Director of the New Jersey Unemployment Compensation Commission until the United States entry into World War II. During the war, Hoffman again served in the army. He rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel before discharged in 1946. He returned to run the New Jersey Unemployment Compensation Commission again until his death in 1954 at the age of 58. Hoffman died of a heart attack in a hotel room in New York City. After his death, a posthumous confession by Hoffman stated that he stole $300,000 while serving in the Unemployment Compensation Commission. 

         In 1996, the cable channel, HBO, released a movie about the Lindbergh kidnapping called Crime of the Century. In the movie, actor Michael Moriarty portrayed Governor Hoffman.

        A high school in Perth Amboy is named, Harold G. Hoffman High School. Hoffman is one of only two New Jersey governors to have a high school named after them. The other is A. Harry Moore High School in Jersey City. 

         I had a hockey meeting in September of 2002 in Lawrenceville Prep and than had to drive to Blairstown, New Jersey for a school retreat. I decided to drive up along the Delaware River on the Pennsylvania side. I started at Washington's Crossing (site of the famous Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River in 1776) and drove north on Rt. 32. It is an exceptionally scenic drive through small towns like New Hope and along the Delaware Canal. I eventually made it to Easton, Pennsylvania and stopped for lunch. Philipsburg is across the river. After lunch, I drove over and went to the cemetery on Fillmore Street. It was easy enough to find. I didn't know the burial location, but since it is a small cemetery I just walked down the path. Luckily, it was in the back next to the path. I would not have seen it because of the size of the marker, but luckily his parents marker was next to his and easily seen. after snapping the photo, I was back on the road to Blairstown.

       After being born in Pennsylvania, Meyner's family settled in Phillipsburg when he was 14. After graduating from Columbia Law School in 1933, he began his practice in Hudson County. Meyner moved back to Phillipsburg three years later to run his own practice and enter politics. He was a lieutenant in the United States Navy during World War II where he saw active duty on board a merchant ship. After the war, he returned to politics. He lost a congressional race in 1946 to the infamous J. Parnell Thomas but won a state senate seat the following year eventually rising to be the minority leader. While in the state senate, he cast the only no vote against the creation of the New Jersey Turnpike Authority. Despite all of his work, he was defeated for re-election in 1951.

       Looking like his career was washed up; Meyner emerged in 1952 as a nomination for the Democratic candidate for governor. He went up against a South Jersey Democrat, Elmer H. Wene. People thought that Meyner being Roman Catholic would work against him. Jersey City's Frank Hague and his dying political machine supported Wene. Jersey City's new political boss, John V. Kenny supported Meyner, which gave him the edge to be nominated. Meyner's battle was still uphill considering that the Republicans held the governor's office for the previous ten years. Meyner faced Republican Paul L. Troast, a former chairman of the Turnpike Authority. During the campaign, Troast was implicated in trying to influence the prison sentence of a convicted labor racketeer and gambler, which swung the election in Meyner's favor.

       As governor, Meyner went against his own party leader's wishes by putting men he thought were best for the job in positions of importance. Despite Republican majorities in both houses of the legislature in his first term and a Republican Senate in his second term, Meyner succeeded in enacting his legislative proposals and building the Democratic Party in New Jersey. Meyner was known for his commitment to an open government, the promotion of rigid law enforcement, and the exposure of crime and corruption. Meyner increased state aid to education (including making Rutgers University a state university), worked to establish the "Green Acres" open space preservation system and oversaw the completion of the New Jersey Turnpike, the Garden State Parkway and the Palisades Interstate Parkway. On July 1, 1955, Meyner became the first person to cross the Paramus toll plaza, effectively opening the 165 miles of the parkway from Cape May to Paramus. Strangely enough, Meyner vetoed the legislature that put New Jersey's nickname, "The Garden State" on the state's license plates. He felt that there was no official recognition of the slogan (the veto was overridden).

         Meyner married Helen Day Stevenson, distant cousin of Adlai Stevenson, on January 19, 1957 at Oberlin, Ohio, and the couple moved into the recently refurbished Governor's mansion, Morven, in Princeton, New Jersey. He was known as the "Glamorous Governor of New Jersey". Despite a Republican swing in the country that swept Dwight Eisenhower into The White House the year before; Meyner easily cruised to a re-election victory over Republican Senator Malcolm S. Forbes. He was the first governor in the history of New Jersey to be elected to consecutive four-year terms. 

       Meyner became a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1960 and hoped to gain some national prominence. In the Convention, Meyner gained the spotlight by joining Lyndon B. Johnson and Stuart Symington in an attempt to block the nomination of John F. Kennedy for president. Meyner's refusal to allow his delegation to vote for Kennedy cost New Jersey the honor of being the deciding state. However, in the national election, Meyner ran Kennedy's campaign in New Jersey. After this, his political career began to go downhill.

       After completing his second term in 1962, Meyner returned to private law practice in Newark and Phillipsburg. Meyner won the Democratic nomination for the governorship of New Jersey again in 1969, but lost badly in the general election to Republican William T. Cahill. In 1974, his wife, Helen, was elected to the United States House of Representatives and served two terms. She was defeated for re-election in 1978. 

       It has been said of Meyner, that as governor, he was efficient and economical. He may not have made many changes in New Jersey, but he was a good administrator. He died at the age of 81. His wife died on November 2, 1997, in Captiva Island, Florida, where she lived after the death of her husband. The Reception Center at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel was named after Governor Meyner.

Stillborn, Paul A. and Burkina, Michael J., New Jersey Governors 1664 - 1974. Trenton, New Jersey, New Jersey Historical Commission, 1982.

Warner, Era J., Generals in Blue - Lives of the Union Commanders. Baton Rouge and London, Louisiana University Press, 1992.

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