Abraham Jefferson Seay - Oklahoma Territory Politics

Oklahoma Territory Politics

During the 1890s, Oklahoma Territory was first being opened to settlers. The United States Congress officially changed the unorganized land into a government controlled territory with its own government. US President Benjamin Harrison appointed Major George Washington Steele to serve as the territory’s first Governor. President Harrison also appointed Seay to serve as an Associate Justice on the territory’s Supreme Court.

Justice Seay would serve on the Supreme Court throughout Governor Steele’s administration. On October 18, 1891, Governor Steele resigned his position and Robert Martin, the secretary of Oklahoma Territory, became the acting governor. Seay submitted his name to President Harrison to serve as the second governor. However, it would be three months later when Harrison officially appointed Seay to the office. On February 1, 1892, Justice Seay resigned from the judiciary and was inaugurated as the second governor of Oklahoma Territory at Guthrie.

Governor Seay would be in office only sixteen months. Under his administration, nothing of enduring importance occurred. The only important event was the opening with a land run of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Reserve on April 19, 1892. This served to widen both the Oklahoma Territory’s and Governor Seay’s domains. Seay governorship came to an abrupt end when President Grover Cleveland appointed William Cary Renfrow governor on May 7, 1893.