Kansas Territory: Governors: 1854-1861

Governor of the Territory of Kansas
7 Oct 1854 - 16 Aug 1855	Andrew Horatio Reeder [1]
Acting Governor of the Territory of Kansas
16 Aug 1855 - 7 Sep 1855	Daniel Woodson
Governor of the Territory of Kansas
7 Sep 1855 - 18 Aug 1856	Wilson Shannon [2]
Acting Governor of the Territory of Kansas
18 Aug 1856 - 9 Sep 1856	Daniel Woodson
Governor of the Territory of Kansas
9 Sep 1856 - 16 Mar 1857	John White Geary [3]
Acting Governor of the Territory of Kansas
16 Mar 1857 - 16 Apr 1857	Daniel Woodson
16 Apr 1857 - 27 May 1857	Frederick Perry Stanton [4]
Governor of the Territory of Kansas
27 May 1857 - 20 Nov 1857	Robert James Walker [5]
Acting Governor of the Territory of Kansas
20 Nov 1857 - 21 Dec 1857	Frederick Perry Stanton
21 Dec 1857 - 12 May 1858	James William Denver [6]
Governor of the Territory of Kansas
12 May 1858 - 14 Oct 1858	James William Denver
Acting Governor of the Territory of Kansas
14 Oct 1858 - 18 Dec 1858	Hugh Sleight Walsh
Governor of the Territory of Kansas
18 Dec 1858 - 17 Dec 1860	Samuel Medary [7][8][9]
Acting Governor of the Territory of Kansas
17 Dec 1860 - 9 Feb 1861	George Monroe Beebe [8]

Reeder was commissioned as Governor on 29 Jun 1854 and took the oath of office at Washington, D.C., on 7 Jul 1854. He arrived in the Territory of Kansas on 7 Oct 1854. Reeder was discharged and announced his dismissal to the Legislative Assembly on 16 Aug 1855. The functions of the Governor devolved upon Secretary of the Territory Woodson.
Shannon was commissioned as Governor on 10 Aug 1855. He arrived in Kansas and took the oath of office on 7 Sep 1855. On 18 Aug 1856 he ceased to exercise the functions of office mailing his resignation to Washington. Secretary of the Territory Woodson again took over as Acting Governor.
Geary was commissioned as Governor on 31 Jul 1856 and arrived at Fort Leavenworth on 9 Sep 1856, immediately entering upon the duties of office. He proceeded to the seat of government at Lecompton on 10 Sep 1856, where he delivered his inaugural address and issued several proclamations on 11 Sep 1856. On 4 Mar 1857, Geary signed a letter of resignation addressed to the President of the United States, proposing 20 Mar 1857 as the date on which his service would terminate. He left the Territory of Kansas on 12 Mar 1857, and notification of his departure reached Secretary of the Territory Woodson on 16 Mar 1857.
Stanton was commissioned as Secretary of the Territory on 30 Mar 1857 and took the oath of office at Washington, D.C., on 2 Apr 1857. He arrived at Lecompton on 16 Apr 1857, succeeded Woodson as Secretary of the Territory, and assumed the functions of Governor.
Walker was commissioned as Governor on 30 Mar 1857 and arrived at Lecompton on 27 May 1857. He left the Territory of Kansas on 16 Nov 1857, and notification of his departure reached Secretary of the Territory Stanton on 20 Nov 1857. Following his arrival at Washington, D.C., Walker signed his letter of resignation on 15 Dec 1857.
Denver was commissioned as Secretary of the Territory on 10 Dec 1857 and arrived at Lecompton on 21 Dec 1857, on which day he took the oath of office succeding Stanton. On 24 Feb 1858 Denver was commissioned as Governor and was sworn in on 12 May 1858. However, on 1 Sep 1858 Denver signed a letter of resignation and informed the Secretary of State of his intention to depart about 10 Oct 1858, and subsequently departed from Kansas on 14 Oct 1858. The functions of the Governor devolved upon Secretary of the Territory Walsh.
Medary was commissioned as Governor on 23 Nov 1858 and took the oath of office before the Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court on 1 Dec 1858. He arrived at Lecompton and assumed office on 18 Dec 1858. On 17 Dec 1860, Medary signed a letter of resignation to take effect on 1 Jan 1861. He subsequently departed from Kansas, whereupon the functions of Governor devolved upon Secretary of the Territory Beebe.
Following the adoption and ratification of the Constitution of the State of Kansas, the governor, secretary, judges, and other officers of the territorial government were authorized by a provision of the Constitution to continue in office until superseded.
Also in Minnesota.