Nevada State Library and Archives

Governor of the Territory of Nevada 

 The 1861 Federal act to organize Nevada Territory provided for a territorial governor, appointed by the U.S. President, who would

-Commission all officers who would be appointed to office under the laws of said Territory
-Cause a census of the Territory to be taken
-Declare the number of members of the House of Representatives and Council to which each of the districts was entitled
-Set the time and place for the meeting of the first Territorial Legislature
-Define the judicial districts, appoint judges, and establish the time and place for holding court sessions
-Establish the time and places for the conduct of elections of a delegate to the U.S. Congress
-Appoint notaries public

James Warren Nye, 1861-1864
James Nye was the only governor of Nevada Territory. He was born in DeRuyter, Madison County, New York, on June 10, 1815. Raised in New York, he was President of the New York Metropolitan Board of Police when he received his appointment from President Abraham Lincoln. He left his family in New York during his term in office in Nevada, 1861-1864, but was frequently in the east, leaving Territorial Secretary Orion Clemens as acting governor.  Nye was permanently reunited with his family when he was chosen one of Nevada's first U.S. Senators. He served from 1864-1872. Nye died on December 25, 1876 in White Plains, New York.

Records of the Governor of Nevada Territory  1861-1864    2 cu. ft.  Indexed, see below.

The records of Territorial Governor Nye consist of correspondence and proclamations.  These records are arranged in chronological and then alphabetical order and include letters of recommendation, inventory of ordinance at Fort Churchill, petitions, requests for appointments, and letters of political interest such as discussions about the Civil War.  Telegrams are filed separately at the end of the correspondence, as are proclamations.  The contents of nearly all the telegrams were transcribed in their entirety and appear in the index below.  Appointments, proclamations and official acts were also recorded in a separate bound volume.  Most military correspondence is in the records of the Office of the Adjutant General (see general description below).

Item:  TERR-0108 - to TERR-0111      Date:  Feb. 1861- December 1864
Type:  Manuscripts
Remarks:  Correspondence, telegrams, and proclamations 
Agency:  Territorial Governor, Nye

Item:  TLEGIS-0034      Date:  1861-1864
Old #:  T/V/A2/4
Type:  Volume
Remarks:  Proclamations and official acts
Agency:  Territorial Governor, Nye

Item:  OTAG-0044         Date:  1862-1864
Old #: 
Type:  Manuscript letters
Remarks:  Letters from Gov. Nye to the Adjutant General (less than 10)
Agency:  Office of the Adjutant General

Name Index  to Governor Nye's Records- alphabetical by name of sender  

Chronological Index to Governor Nye's Records

 Photo Credit:  James Warren Nye, Nevada Territorial Governor, courtesy of Nevada State Archives.