TEXAS. Samuel Houston (1793-1863) was a descendant of John Houston who settled in Philadelphia in 1689. He was Member of Congress from Tennessee (1823-27), Governor of Tennessee (1827-28), and as Commander-in-Chief of the Texans he defeated the Mexicans under Santa Anna in 1836 on the banks of the San Jacinto, and by this one blow achieved the independence of Texas. He was elected first President of the new republic in the same year, was re-elected in 1841, and in 1859 was elected Governor of the state. Houston, the capital of Harris County, Texas, was named in his honor. Peter Hansborough Bell (1812-98), third Governor (1849-53), was of Ulster Scot ancestry, as was also James Edward Ferguson (b. 1871). James Stephen Hogg, nineteenth Governor and Thomas Mitchell Campbell, twenty-third Governor, were of Scottish descent.
COLORADO. Edward Moody McCook, fifth and seventh Governor (1869-73, 1874-75), was of Scottish descent. He also served in the Civil War and attained the rank of Brigadier-General. James Benton Grant, tenth Governor (1883-85), was grandson of a Scottish immigrant. Jesse Fuller McDonald, twenty-third Governor (1905-07), a descendant of James McDonald who emigrated from Scotland early in the eighteenth century and settled in Maine.
WYOMING. Thomas Moonlight (1833-99), sixth territorial Governor (1887-90), was born in Forfarshire.
UTAH. Eli Houston Murray (b. 1841), Governor (1880-84), of Scottish ancestry.
IDAHO. John Henry Brady (b. 1862), eighth Governor (1910-11), is of Ulster Scot descent. David P. Thompson, ninth Governor of the state (1874-76), also of Ulster Scot descent, built the first railroad in Oregon, and was twice Mayor of Portland.
SOUTH DAKOTA. Corie Isaac Crawford, sixth Governor (1907-08) is of Ulster Scot descent.
CALIFORNIA. John McDougall (1818-66) was Lieutenant-Governor (1849) and afterwards Governor. Peter Hardeman Burnett (b. 1807) was first Governor of the state (1849-51). Both were of Scottish origin.
OREGON. James Shields, first territorial Governor (1848), was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone, of Ulster Scot parentage. George Abernethy (1807-77), territorial Governor (1845-49), was born in New York city of Scottish parentage. "As a governor he was patriotic, efficient, and unselfish."