Vice presidents may not get the same attention as presidents, but they still make public appearances. The first vice president to visit North Dakota was Adlai Stevenson I.
A well-known Democrat from Illinois, Stevenson had campaigned against the Know Nothing movement, a nativist group opposed to immigrants. Despite running in a Republican district, he gained support from large German and Irish communities and was elected to Congress twice. The Democratic Party believed his Illinois popularity could help in a national election, and in 1892, he was nominated as vice president. Grover Cleveland won the presidency with Stevenson as his running mate.
Cleveland wasn’t keen on public appearances, so Stevenson became the administration’s public face. Statehood was still new to North Dakota, and the state faced major issues. Stevenson headed west on a campaign-style tour to promote Cleveland’s policies. On this date in 1893, he stopped in North Dakota.
His visit was part of a broader effort by the Cleveland administration to connect with voters and rally support during a turbulent time, the Panic of 1893. North Dakota, like the rest of the country, was struggling. Unemployment was rising, eventually reaching 19 percent. The first signs of trouble came in February, when the Philadelphia and Reading Railroad declared bankruptcy. Things only got worse from there.
Stevenson’s tour aimed to calm public fears and reassure voters that the President was aware of the crisis and addressing it.
But Stevenson didn’t make the impression he’d hoped for. His success in Illinois didn’t translate to North Dakota. He faced criticism for never having served in the military. The Griggs Courier noted that neither Cleveland nor Stevenson had been invited to speak to the Grand Army of the Republic. The paper wrote, “The Union veterans have no use for men who sent substitutes to the army and stayed home.”
Newspapers also reminded readers of Stevenson’s role in political patronage. As assistant postmaster general, he’d fired Republican postmasters and replaced them with Democrats. North Dakotans noticed and they weren’t impressed.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Minot Daily News. “North Dakota’s ties to our nation’s leaders.” https://www.minotdailynews.com/news/local-news/2018/02/north-dakotas-ties-to-ournations-leaders/ Accessed 7/11/2025.
- Emmons County Record. “Stevenson’s Record.” 9/26/1892. Williamsport, Dakota Territory. 9/16/1892.
- Jamestown Weekly Alert. “There is No Doubt.” Jamestown ND. 3/16/1893. Page 4.
- Cool 98.7. “There Are Fifteen Presidents That Have Visited North Dakota.” https://cool987fm.com/check-out-15-sitting-presidents-that-visited-north-dakota/ TAccessed 7/11/2025.
- State Historical Society of North Dakota. “Today in North Dakota History.” https://www.statehistoricalfoundation.org/todayinndhistory/?offset=280 Accessed 7/11/2025.
- InForum. “A Look Back at Biden – and Other Presidents’ – Visits to North Dakota. https://www.inforum.com/newsmd/a-look-back-at-biden-and-other-presidents-visits-to-north-dakota Accessed 7/12/2025.
- American History. “Panic of 1893.” https://american-history.net/19th-century-america/19th-century-america-famous-events/panic-of-1893/ Accessed 7/12/2025.
- McClean County Historical Society. “Stevenson, Adlai I.” https://mchistory.org/research/biographies/stevenson-adlai-e-i Accessed 7/12/2025.
