#29

Well, after a smashing start to my quest to visit all of the Governors of Tennessee, my initial furious pace has, understandably slowed. There are many reasons for this...now that I have visited all of the Governors that are close to me I am now having to plan full or half day trips in order to visit the remainder..several of them are so far out that I need to plan a weekend trip. Also, we are just now coming out of the winter and road trips to graveyards tend to slow in favor of inside (heated) activities. Having said all of that, I, along with Major and Effrin, were recently able to visit the last of the Governors buried in the  Middle Tennessee area, in Murfreesboro on a beautiful yet chilly April day.

Unfortunately, this will likely be one of the only Governors that I will visit anytime soon, as I am in the throes of finalizing plans with Effrin for our next DPT (Dead President's Trip), where we will be traveling 27 hours in a little less than 3 full days and will be visiting: 8 Presidents, 5 Vice Presidents and a sundry of other historical and otherwise notable individuals. A full report of that trip will be posted as quickly as possible upon my return.

Until then here's one to tide you all over....

#29

Name: James Price Buchanan

Birth: 24 October 1847

Death: 14 May 1930
Age at Death: 82 years, 6 months, 21 days

Interment: Evergreen Cemetery, Murfreesboro, TN

Term in Office: January 19, 1891 – January 16, 1893

Political Party: Farm Labor

John Price Buchanan was born on October 24, 1847 in Williamson County.  Following the Civil War, during which Buchanan fought on the side of the Confederacy, he would move to Rutherford County and operate a large farm there. Holding public office in the House or Representatives he would also serve as the President of the Tennessee Farmer’s Alliance and Laborer’s Union. It was based on connections made through this position that Buchanan would be able to propel himself into the State’s highest office in 1890.  Entering office hoping to bring relief to Farmers, Buchanan would instead spend much of his Governorship dealing with armed uprising of Coal Miners in East Tennessee, who were upset over the prisoner work release program , which they saw as a threat to their jobs. Struggling between his support of Labor and his job to enforce Government contracts, Buchanan would lose the support of the Labor Unions and of the Democratic Party, who would nominate Peter Turney in the 1892 election.  Buchanan would run as a third party candidate but only garner 10% of the vote. Under his tenure, however, the state would implement a Confederate Pension Program, as well as, state-supported secondary schools. Following his time in office, he would return to his farm and spend the rest of his life there dying on May 14, 1930.

Bonus Major Pictures: