William B. Daniels

William B. Daniels (November 1, 1817 – April 21, 1894) was an American farmer, lawyer, politician, and early settler of the Oregon Territory who served as secretary of state of Idaho and acting governor of Idaho Territory.

Early life William Daniels was born in Mentor, Ohio in 1817 to parents Aaron and Anna Daniels, who were farmers. William Daniels, his wife Sarah, and their four sons migrated to Yamhill County in what was then the Oregon Territory in 1854. They were some of the earliest American settlers in the Territory, crossing the plains of the Oregon Trail in a covered wagon. In Oregon, in addition to continuing his farming, Daniels studied the law and became a practicing lawyer. He quickly became involved in local Republican Party politics.

Career

Idaho Territory Upon the creation of the Idaho Territory in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed the Territory's first Governor, William H. Wallace, and the Territory's first Secretary (Secretary of State), Daniels, on March 10, 1863. Both were active Republican supporters of Lincoln. Wallace was a personal friend of Lincoln's (and subsequently a pallbearer for Lincoln) and a lawyer from Washington Territory. Daniels was also a lawyer from the now state of Oregon. They arrived in Idaho Territory on July 10, 1863, to a contentious public environment, with mining interests set against farming and ranching interests, northern state supporters against southern state supporters. Governor Wallace called for an election on October 31, 1863. Wallace decided to run for the position of Territorial Delegate to the United States House of Representatives, a position he had previously held for the Washington Territory. Wallace promised to resign the Idaho Territory governorship should he be elected a delegate to the Congress. He was elected despite a strong Democratic showing.

Upon returning to Oregon from the Idaho Territory, Daniels practiced law and was a local businessman in Columbia County, Oregon.

Personal life William B. Daniels was married to Sarah Hall, and they had four sons: W. Byron Daniels, George Hubert Daniels, Horace G. Daniels, and Thurston L. Daniels. All were prominent in Oregon and Washington states. He died April 21, 1894, in Tacoma, Washington, and is buried in Vancouver, Washington.