State Web Site

Military Service: Army

War(s) Served:  Civil War

STEPHEN MILLER, the fourth governor of Minnesota, was born in Carroll, Pennsylvania on January 17, 1816. His education was limited and attained in the common schools of his native state. Miller entered into a career in public service in 1853, serving as the prothonotary of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, a position he held two years. He also was appointed in 1855, as the flour inspector of Philadelphia. In 1858, he moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota, where he continued his path in politics. He served as an 1860 Republican presidential elector for Minnesota. During the Civil War, he served in the Union Army and rose through the ranks, becoming brigadier general of volunteers by the time of his discharge. After his military service, Miller secured the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and was elected governor by a popular vote on November 3, 1863. During his tenure, assistance was promoted for impoverished soldiers; funding for state schools was advocated for; and troops were raised for the ongoing war. After declining to run for reelection, Miller left office on January 8, 1866. He continued to stay politically active, serving as a member of the Minnesota House of Representatives, a position he held from 1873 to 1876. He also served as an 1876 presidential elector-at-large for Minnesota. Governor Stephen Miller passed away on August 18, 1881, and was buried in the Worthington Cemetery in Worthington, Minnesota.

Sources:

Sobel, Robert, and John Raimo, eds. Biographical Directory of the Governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Vol. 2, Westport, Conn.; Meckler Books, 1978. 4 vols.

Minnesota Historical Society

Virtual American Biographies

The Political Graveyard