1292

Wells Fargo Nevada Territory Check Signed by Orion Clemens [164476]

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Paper Start Price:150.00 USD Estimated At:300.00 - 600.00 USD
Wells Fargo Nevada Territory Check Signed by Orion Clemens [164476]
SOLD
325.00USDto m******s+ buyer's premium (81.25)
This item SOLD at 2023 Mar 30 @ 12:03UTC-7 : PDT/MST
SHIPPING & HANDLING: The customer is responsible for all shipping and packaging charges. We offer shipping service as a convenience to our buyers. Items are not shipped until the invoice and shipping charges are completely paid. Shipping costs will be calculated and billed separately after your items have been paid for. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers: FedEx, UPS, USPS or DHL. Pick up is available from our Reno office, once you have received your invoice post auction
Wells, Fargo & Co. check, Nov. 7th, 1861. Issued to Noah Carpenter. Signed by Orion Clemens, Secretary of Nevada Territory (and brother to Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain). Check has been cancelled by cutting off the bottom right corner, but the autograph is untouched. Rare! Orion Clemens (1825-1897) served as Secretary for Nevada Territory from 1861-64. Clemens worked in the newspaper industry in Missouri and Iowa before joining the election campaign for Abraham Lincoln. When Lincoln was elected, Clemens was appointed Secretary of Nevada Territory. He moved to Nevada with his wife and brother, Samuel. (Twain recounts this journey in Roughing It). Orion served as acting governor when James Nye was out of the territory. He served in such a capacity during the dispute over Susanville and Lake Honey Valley between California and Nevada (the "Sagebrush War"). When Nevada became a state in 1864, Clemens tried to run for Secretary of State. However, his opposition to whiskey (he was a tee-totaler) made him unpopular and he lost. He left Nevada and headed to the Meadow Lake area in 1866. He eventually returned to Iowa and lived out his life practicing law, farming chickens, and working at inventing various gadgets. He died in 1897. His brother became involved in mining and newspapers upon arriving in Nevada and eventually became world-famous author Mark Twain.

Date: 1861
Country (if not USA):
State: Nevada
City: Carson City
Provenance: