William Mercer Owens Dawson (1853 - 1916)

Born 21 May 1853 in Bloomington, Allegany, Maryland, United States

Husband of Luda Koontz (Neff) Dawson — married 23 Oct 1879 in Preston County, West Virginia

Husband of Maude M (Brown) Miller — married about 15 Jun 1899 (to 12 Mar 1916) in West Virginia, United States

Died 12 Mar 1916 at age 62 in Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, United States

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Preceded by 11th Governor Albert B. White

William M. O. Dawson 12th Governor of West Virginia 1905—1909

Succeeded by 13th Governor William E. Glasscock

Biography

William Dawson is Notable.

William Dawson was born in Appalachia, in West Virginia.

He became the Governor of West Virginia (1905-1909). He remarried after his first wife died, and had a daughter.

West Virginia Governor. He was raised in Cranberry (now Terra Alta), Preston County, apprenticed as a cooper, and also taught school. He later went into the newspaper business in Kingwood as Publisher and Editor of the Preston County Journal, which he owned from 1873 to 1891. Dawson also studied law and became an attorney. He was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1880, serving from 1881 to 1887. From 1891 to 1904 Dawson served as Chairman of the West Virginia Republican party. In 1895, he became Clerk of the state House of Delegates, and served as Kingwood's mayor, and in 1897 he became Secretary of State. In 1904 he was elected Governor, serving from 1905 to 1909. During Dawson's term, state educational, charitable, and correctional institutions were reorganized under the supervision of a state board, but the legislature rejected his proposals for a pure food and drug act, workers' compensation, and public service commission, all of which were later implemented. Barred by the state constitution from seeking reelection, after his term Dawson practiced law in Charleston, and served on the state Debt Commission, Board of Control, and Public Service Commission. Camp Dawson, the West Virginia National Guard's main training site, was named for him. Bio by: Bill McKern

Children:

• Daniel Dawson (1881–1952)
• Leah Jane Dawson Palmer (1901–1952)
• MAJ William Mercer Owens Dawson II (1912–1953)

Sources

• 1860 Census: "United States Census, 1860"
  citing Page: 26; Affiliate Publication Number: M653; Affiliate Film Number: 1372; FHL microfilm: 805372; Record number: 1022;
  FamilySearch Record: M41T-HR8 (accessed 14 August 2022)
  FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9BSD-GWT Image number 00030
  William O Dawson (7) in District 1, Preston, Virginia, United States. Born in Maryland.
• "West Virginia, County Marriage Records, 1776-1971", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q2ZF-DKT4 : 29 September 2021), Wm M O Dawson and Luda Neff, 1879.
• 1910 Census: "United States Census, 1910"
  citing enumeration district (ED) ED 69, sheet 1B, family 21, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 1684; FHL microfilm 1,375,697.
  FamilySearch Record: MPN6-1ZH (accessed 14 August 2022)
  FamilySearch Image: 33S7-9YYN-SDWV Image number 00965
  Wm M O Dawson (56), married head of household in Charleston Ward 6, Kanawha, West Virginia, United States. Born in Maryland.
• "West Virginia Deaths, 1804-1999," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NMJW-D6K : 10 March 2018), Wm. Mercer Owens Dawson, 12 Mar 1916; citing Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia, County Records, v 2 p 66, county courthouses, West Virginia; FHL microfilm 460,367.
• Find A Grave Memorial# 42402797

WikiTree Governors of West Virginia Page

• William M. O. Dawson on Wikipedia

• Find A Grave: Memorial #42402797