Notable people · Politician · Businessman · Cabinet Member
Stephen B. Elkins
Stephen Benton Elkins was born near New Lexington, Perry County. He made a career in New Mexico and West Virginia, serving as Secretary of War from 1891 to 1893 and as a U.S. senator from 1895 until his death.
At a glance
- Born
- 1841-09-26
- Died
- 1911-01-04
- Education
- Masonic College, Lexington, MO
- University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, B.A. 1860
- Known as
- Politician, Businessman, Cabinet Member
- Organizations
- U.S. Senate, Davis & Elkins College
Life story
Stephen Elkins was born in 1841 near New Lexington. He graduated from the University of Missouri in 1860, taught school, and in 1864 was admitted to the bar and moved to New Mexico Territory.
He held territorial offices there and was New Mexico's delegate to Congress from 1873 to 1877. In 1878 he became a West Virginia citizen and built business interests in coal and railroads.
He served as Secretary of War under Benjamin Harrison from 1891 to 1893 and as a U.S. senator from West Virginia from 1895 until his death in 1911. He is buried in Elkins, West Virginia.
Timeline
- 1841-09-26: Born (near New Lexington, OH) source
- 1860: B.A., University of Missouri (Columbia, MO) source
- 1864: Admitted to the bar; moves to New Mexico Territory source
- 1873: Delegate to Congress from New Mexico (Washington, DC) source
- 1878: Becomes a West Virginia citizen source
- 1891: Becomes Secretary of War (Washington, DC) source
- 1895: Becomes U.S. senator (Washington, DC) source
- 1911-01-04: Dies (Washington, DC) source
What Stephen is known for
- U.S. Secretary of War, 1891-1893
- U.S. Senator from West Virginia, 1895-1911
- Territorial delegate to Congress from New Mexico, 1873-1877
Honors and things named for them
- Elkins, West Virginia, named for him
- Davis & Elkins College
Family
- wife: Hallie Davis
- first wife: Sarah Simms Jacobs
Ohio places
Where Stephen B. Elkins was born, lived, worked and is remembered, with the ZIP code, town and county pages for each.
- Born: New Lexington, Perry County ZIP 43764 · New Lexington · Perry County
- Buried: Elkins, WV, Randolph (West Virginia) County (Maplewood Cemetery)
Further reading
Sources
Confidence. Medium: the main facts were confirmed, but some details (often an address or ZIP code) were not.
- Wikipedia: Stephen B. Elkins birth, education, offices, honors, burial
