Stephen S. Harding | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 4th Governor of Utah Territory | |
| In office 1862–1863 | |
| Preceded by | John W. Dawson |
| Succeeded by | James Duane Doty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 24, 1808[1] Palmyra, New York, U.S.[2][3] |
| Died | February 12, 1891 (aged 82)[1][4] Milan, Indiana, U.S. |
| Profession | Politician, attorney |
Stephen Selwyn Harding (February 24, 1808 – February 12, 1891)[1][4] was an American politician, lawyer, anti-slavery leader and ardent abolitionist in Indiana who served as governor of the Utah Territory (1862–1863) and as chief justice of the Colorado Supreme Court (1863–1865). Because Harding proved to be unpopular with the territory's Mormon leaders and citizens, he remained at Salt Lake City for less than a year before President Abraham Lincoln appointed him to the judgeship at Denver. In 1865 Harding returned to Indiana, where he practiced law until his retirement in 1881. Earlier in his political career, Harding helped organize the Liberty Party in Indiana and was the party's candidate for lieutenant governor of Indiana in 1843 and 1846, but lost both races. Harding subsequently became a member of the Free Soil Party in 1848 and was an early member of the Republican Party in Indiana in the 1850s.
- ^ a b c Jacob Piatt Dunn (1919). Indiana and Indianans: A History of Aboriginal and Territorial Indiana and the Century of Statehood. Vol. 1. Chicago and New York: The American Historical Society. p. 512. OCLC 2470354.
- ^ "Lilly Library Manuscript Collections: Harding Mss". Lilly Library. Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ^ Dunn, v. 1, p. 512, says Harding was born in Ontario County, New York.
- ^ a b "Stephen S. Harding". Indiana Historical Bureau. Retrieved September 12, 2019.