ZIEBACH, F. M.

ZIEBACH, F. M. (Union County, Nov. 23, PA, 1830--Wessington Springs, SD, Sept. 20, 1929). Moving to Sergeant Bluff, Iowa in 1857, Ziebach established the Western Independent newspaper. Relocating to Sioux City, Iowa in the spring of 1858 he started the Sioux City Register. In Yankton, (later South Dakota) he opened the Dakotaian in 1861. (1)

In 1863, Ziebach return to Iowa and moved to Dubuque where he purchased an interest in the DUBUQUE HERALD. He returned to Sioux City in 1866 and in the fall of that year was appointed land registrar. He later returned to the Dakota territory for a life in newspapers and politics. (2)

When Dakota sought admission as a state, an intense debate arose whether the territory would be admitted as the single state of Dakota, or admitted as two states. Politicians became known as "one state" advocates, or "two state” advocates, also called "divisionists". In 1884 Grover Cleveland, a Democrat was elected President of the United States, and in 1886, it fell to him to appoint a governor for the Dakota Territory. (3)

Frank M. Ziebach was the overwhelming choice of 90% of the rank and file Democrats in the territory, and extensive petitions were prepared and sent to the President. Frank M. Ziebach went to Washington, and met all the right people, and the Democratic faithful and the candidate confidently expected that he would be appointed governor. However, Frank M. Ziebach was a "two state Democrat" with a reputation as a "pronounced divisionist" and President Cleveland favored a "one state" admission. In 1886 President Cleveland awarded Frank M. Ziebach the consolation prize of appointment as Commissioner of the U.S. Land Office, and in 1887 the President appointed a "one state" candidate as governor. Nevertheless, Frank M. Ziebach continued to advocate for a two state admission, and in 1889 the United States Congress resolved the issue by passage of the Enabling Act of 1889 which admitted North Dakota and South Dakota, along with Montana and Washington. (4)

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Source:

1. History of Southeastern Dakota. Sioux City, Iowa : Western Publishing Company, 1881, Online: http://books.google.com/books?id=UoQTAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA382&lpg=PA382&dq=F.+M.+Ziebach&source=bl&ots=y7bCOJG4Eo&sig=DAlqy3XGcAWmalBhAtAblGJMV9c&hl=en&sa=X&ei=uacoVIS1AZaoyATqp4LIBg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=F.%20M.%20Ziebach&f=false

2. Ibid.

3. "Frank M. Ziebach," Wikipedia. Online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_M._Ziebach

4. Ibid.