Ansel Briggs

Who was Ansel Briggs?

Ansel Briggs was the first Governor of Iowa, from 1846 to 1850. Briggs was a business entrepreneur, sheriff and a member of the Iowa Territorial House of Representatives before being Governor. While Governor of Iowa he oversaw the formation of the government bodies of Iowa, the state's school system, and diplomatically avoided an armed border dispute with the state of Missouri. Content with his accomplishments as Governor, he declined running for a second term and returned to his business interests. Later in life Briggs was involved in parts farther west in the country and was one of the founders of the new town of Florence, Nebraska.