Irwin, William:

$400 · Offered by William Reese Company

[AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED, BY CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR WILLIAM IRWIN, WRITTEN ON EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT STATIONERY, REGARDING HIS ELECTION AND TERM OF ... A brief letter from California Governor William Irwin written to Frank Thomas. Irwin (1827-1886) was born in Ohio and moved to Siskiyou County, California in 1854, where he worked in a slaughterhouse, engaged in the mining and lumber business, and became a newspaper editor. He served as a Democrat in the California Assembly and State Senate. As President pro tem of the Senate, he became Acting Lieutenant Governor in 1875, when then-Lieutenant Governor Pacheco assumed the governorship. That same year Irwin was elected governor of the state. During his administration a new constitution was written for the state, and it went into effect on July 4, 1879, two years after Irwin wrote this letter. Irwin writes Thomas: "Your letter of the 6th June came duly to hand. I was elected Governor in 1875 and will hold till 1879. At the election at which I was chosen there were two other candidates - R.G. Phelps, Republican and John Bidwell, Independent, and I had between four and five hundred majority over both."

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