William Meade Fishback
Encyclopedia
William Meade Fishback was the 17th Governor of Arkansas
and selected to be a member of the United States Senate
but was not allowed to serve.
William Meade Fishback was born in Jeffersonton, Culpeper County, Virginia
. He graduated with a law degree from the University of Virginia
in 1855. He moved to Illinois
where he was admitted to the bar in 1857.
In 1858, Fishback moved to Greenwood, Arkansas
. In 1861, he was elected to the Arkansas Secession Convention as a pro-Union delegate. Fishback established a pro-Union newspaper called The Unconditional Union in 1863. In December 1863, he represented 17 year-old David Owen Dodd
, who was convicted of spying. During the American Civil War
, he raised 900 troops for the 4th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (USA) and served as Colonel
.
He was selected to represent Arkansas in the United States Senate
in 1864, but was not allowed to take his seat, as Arkansas had not yet been readmitted to the Union.
Fishback was a delegate to the 1874 Arkansas Constitutional Convention. He served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1871 to 1881. Fishback introduced what came to be known as the "Fishback Amendment", now known as Amendment 1 (codified as Article 20) of the Arkansas Constitution
. This amendment prohibited the state authorities from paying the Holford railroad aid and levee bonds
. Failure to pay the Holford debt created credit problems for the state that lasted well into the 20th century.
On September 5, 1892, Fishback was elected Governor of Arkansas. Fishback's administration focused on changing the national image of the state. During his term, the St. Francis River
levee district was formed.
Fisbhack served as governor until 1895 when he left public office and worked attempting to attract business to the state.
William M. Fishback died of a stroke. Fishback is buried at Oak Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas
.
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
and selected to be a member of the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
but was not allowed to serve.
William Meade Fishback was born in Jeffersonton, Culpeper County, Virginia
Culpeper County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there were 34,262 people, 12,141 households, and 9,045 families residing in the county. The population density was 90 people per square mile . There were 12,871 housing units at an average density of 34 per square mile...
. He graduated with a law degree from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
in 1855. He moved to Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
where he was admitted to the bar in 1857.
In 1858, Fishback moved to Greenwood, Arkansas
Greenwood, Arkansas
Greenwood is a city in and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County, Arkansas, United States, perhaps best known locally for its Arkansas high school football...
. In 1861, he was elected to the Arkansas Secession Convention as a pro-Union delegate. Fishback established a pro-Union newspaper called The Unconditional Union in 1863. In December 1863, he represented 17 year-old David Owen Dodd
David Owen Dodd
David Owen Dodd was an American 17 year-old who was tried, convicted and hanged as a Confederate spy in the American Civil War....
, who was convicted of spying. During the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, he raised 900 troops for the 4th Arkansas Cavalry Regiment (USA) and served as Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
.
He was selected to represent Arkansas in the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
in 1864, but was not allowed to take his seat, as Arkansas had not yet been readmitted to the Union.
Fishback was a delegate to the 1874 Arkansas Constitutional Convention. He served as a member of the Arkansas House of Representatives from 1871 to 1881. Fishback introduced what came to be known as the "Fishback Amendment", now known as Amendment 1 (codified as Article 20) of the Arkansas Constitution
Arkansas Constitution
The Constitution of the State of Arkansas is the governing document of the U.S. state of Arkansas. It was adopted in 1874, shortly after the Brooks-Baxter War replacing the 1868 constitution that had allowed Arkansas to rejoin the Union after the conclusion of the American Civil War; the new...
. This amendment prohibited the state authorities from paying the Holford railroad aid and levee bonds
Holford Bonds
The Holford Bonds were a series of real estate bonds that have their roots in the founding of the state and created political turmoil in Arkansas as late as 1906....
. Failure to pay the Holford debt created credit problems for the state that lasted well into the 20th century.
On September 5, 1892, Fishback was elected Governor of Arkansas. Fishback's administration focused on changing the national image of the state. During his term, the St. Francis River
St. Francis River
The Saint Francis River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, about long, in southeastern Missouri and northeastern Arkansas in the United States...
levee district was formed.
Fisbhack served as governor until 1895 when he left public office and worked attempting to attract business to the state.
William M. Fishback died of a stroke. Fishback is buried at Oak Cemetery in Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith, Arkansas
Fort Smith is the second-largest city in Arkansas and one of the two county seats of Sebastian County. With a population of 86,209 in 2010, it is the principal city of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area, a region of 298,592 residents which encompasses the Arkansas...
.
Quotation
- "Houses of ill-fame are necessary to city life, if you close these sewers of men's animal passions you overflow the home and spread disaster."