Leland Stanford

- Portait of Governor
- Short Biography
- Administration
- Personal information
- This Time in California

Biography^*
A New Yorker by birth, California's eighth governor was born Amasa Leland Stanford in 1824. He was a lawyer, a storekeeper, a Justice of the Peace, and an organizer of the Sacramento Library Association. Most notably, Stanford was one of the "Big Four" (the other three being Huntington, Hopkins and Crocker) who built the transcontinental railroad which connected the Eastern United States to the West. Stanford was elected to the office of Governor as a Republican and as Governor he made major constitutional changes, sponsored legislative reforms, backed the conservation of forests, and cut the state debt in half. One of the constitutional changes enacted during his term lengthened the governor's term in office from two years to four. Consequently, he was the last governor of California to serve a two year term.

Administration under Governor Leland Stanford

- Inaugural Address - January 10, 1862

The Life of Governor Leland Stanford

Born
March 9, 1824
Watervliet township, New York

Died
June 21, 1893
Palo Alto, California

Family
First Lady: Jane Elizabeth Lathrop
Brothers or sisters: 7 brothers and sisters