Stewart, William M. (William Morris), 1827-1909

William Morris Stewart (1827-1909) was one of the first U.S. Senators from Nevada (1864-1874 and 1886-1904). He was born in Galen, Wayne County, New York on August 9, 1827. During the 1850s, he moved to California and became involved with mining and studying law, eventually becoming Attorney General of California in 1854. In 1860, Stewart moved to Virginia City, Nevada and was involved with mining litigation and the Comstock Lode. Upon Nevada's admission into the Union, Stewart was elected to the U.S. Senate (1864) as a member of the Republican Party, and helped drafted the 15th Amendment. He retired in 1875 to private practice, but returned to the Senate in 1887 with the Silver Party. He ran again as a Republican, and was re-elected in 1899. William M. Stewart died in Washington D.C. on April 23, 1909.

Source:

"William Morris Stewart: A Featured Biography." United States Senate. Accessed June 3, 2015. "Stewart, William Morris - Biographical Information." Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Accessed June 3, 2015.