John Miller | |
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1st Governor of North Dakota | |
In office November 20, 1889 – January 7, 1891 | |
Lieutenant | Alfred Dickey |
Preceded by | Arthur C. Mellette (as governor of Dakota Territory) |
Succeeded by | Andrew H. Burke |
Personal details | |
Born | Dryden, New York, U.S. | October 29, 1843
Died | October 26, 1908 Duluth, Minnesota, U.S. | (aged 64)
Political party | Republican |
Spouse | Addie S. Tucker |
John Miller (October 29, 1843 – October 26, 1908) was a bonanza farmer, business man and American Republican politician in North Dakota. He served as the first Governor of North Dakota from 1889 to 1891, after it was admitted as a state to the union.
Born of Scotch ancestors[1] in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, Miller had moved to the Dakota Territory in 1878. With a partner he bought thousands of acres of land for what was called bonanza farming: large-scale farming of wheat as a commodity crop on an industrial scale. The Northern Pacific Railroad connected such farms to the populous eastern markets. He became a wealthy partner or owner of three major agricultural companies; the last also provided milling and other services.