# Orion Clemens

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American politician (1825–1897)

Orion Clemens Secretary of Nevada Territory In office 1861–1864 Nominated by Abraham Lincoln Personal details Born (1825-07-17)July 17, 1825 Gainesboro, Tennessee, United States Died December 11, 1897(1897-12-11) (aged 72) Keokuk, Iowa, United States Resting place Mount Olivet Cemetery Hannibal, Missouri, United States Party Republican Spouse Mary Eleanor Stotts Children 1 Parent(s) John Marshall Clemens (father) Jane Lampton Clemens (mother) Relatives Mark Twain (brother) Profession Journalist Signature

**Orion Clemens** (July 17, 1825 – December 11, 1897) was an American politician who was the first and only Secretary of the [Nevada Territory](/source/Nevada_Territory). As a member of the [Republican Party](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)), he supported [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln), thinking [slavery](/source/Slavery_in_the_United_States) was morally wrong. His younger brother Samuel Langhorne Clemens became an author under the [pen name](/source/Pen_name) [Mark Twain](/source/Mark_Twain).

Clemens was born in [Gainesboro, Tennessee](/source/Gainesboro%2C_Tennessee), the eldest child of the family. He married Mary Stotts and had one child, Jennie. She died in 1864, negatively affecting Clemens and his political career. Soon after, he became a [state assemblyman](/source/House_of_Assembly), though he had low pay, so he quit and left Nevada in 1866. Clemens died December 11, 1897 in [Keokuk, Iowa](/source/Keokuk%2C_Iowa).

## Early life

Born in [Gainesboro, Tennessee](/source/Gainesboro%2C_Tennessee), Orion Clemens was the eldest of seven children. Four of his six siblings died before reaching the age of twenty, leaving only sister Pamela (1827–1904) and his brother Samuel (1835–1910). In 1839, the Clemens family moved to [Hannibal, Missouri](/source/Hannibal%2C_Missouri),[1] a port town on the [Mississippi River](/source/Mississippi_River) which was to eventually inspire some of his brother Sam's stories.

As a young man, Clemens worked in his father's general store, and later as an apprentice at a local newspaper, before moving to [St. Louis, Missouri](/source/St._Louis%2C_Missouri). In St. Louis, Clemens began studying law under attorney [Edward Bates](/source/Edward_Bates), who later served as [Attorney General](/source/Attorney_General_of_the_United_States) for [President](/source/President_of_the_United_States) [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln). After his father's death in 1847, Clemens returned to Hannibal and purchased the local newspaper, then became the owner of *The Hannibal Journal* where Samuel worked for him. Unable to make a successful living as a journalist there, Clemens relocated to [Muscatine, Iowa](/source/Muscatine%2C_Iowa), in 1853 to run the *[Muscatine Journal](/source/Muscatine_Journal)*.

Just a year later he was in [Keokuk, Iowa](/source/Keokuk%2C_Iowa),[2] with new wife Mary Eleanor "Mollie" Stotts, running the "Ben Franklin Book and job printing office".[3] In 1855, he hired his brother Sam at $5 a week to join him there. Sam stayed for a year and a half before growing restless and moving on.[3]

## Political career

By at least 1860 Clemens had come to the conclusion that [slavery](/source/Slavery) was morally wrong, and had worked for the election of [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln).[4] Following Lincoln's election as president that year, Clemens was appointed Secretary to the new government of the [Territory of Nevada](/source/Territory_of_Nevada) at a salary of $1,800 a year. His younger brother Sam accompanied him to Nevada Territory in the summer of 1861. Sam would later write about this journey in his semi-autobiographical book, *[Roughing It](/source/Roughing_It).*[5] Sam drifted into mining and newspaper work, while his brother served as Territorial Secretary and often as acting governor when [James W. Nye](/source/James_W._Nye) was outside the territory. It was while acting as temporary governor that Orion gained political popularity by avoiding a "Sagebrush War" with California over disputed state boundary lines.[6] He built a home in [Carson City](/source/Carson_City%2C_Nevada) and brought his wife, Mollie, and young daughter, Jennie, to Nevada a year after his arrival. Jennie died there in February 1864. Clemens offered strong support of the newly formed government in Carson City, paying out of his own pocket for the printing of the House and Senate Journals and to furnish the two territorial legislative chambers.[7]

After the Territory became the thirty-sixth state of the US on October 31, 1864, Clemens tried to secure the nomination for Nevada [Secretary of State](/source/Secretary_of_State_of_Nevada). Clemens, "a confirmed teetotaler since his days as a printer's apprentice in St. Louis", took a strong position against the availability of whiskey, which lost him much support.[8] The death of his only child also permanently dampened the spirits of the often moody Orion, making effective campaigning difficult.[8]

The following year, he served a brief time as an elected [state assemblyman](/source/House_of_Assembly). However, the meager salary of a legislator and his inability to develop a successful law practice led him to leave Nevada in August 1866, forced to sell their home for a financial loss.[8][9]

## Later life

Clemens' residence in Keokuk, Iowa

After leaving Nevada, Clemens and Mollie tried unsuccessfully to start a new life in [Meadow Lake](/source/Meadow_Lake%2C_Nevada_County%2C_California), California.[10] They then lived for some time in the eastern United States, where Clemens again attempted to pursue a career in journalism, before finally relocating once again to [Keokuk, Iowa](/source/Keokuk%2C_Iowa), in the mid-1870s, where he lived for the remainder of his life. There he at times practiced law, raised chickens, and worked at inventing various gadgets. Unfortunately, his endeavors were largely unsuccessful, and his main source of income was his brother Sam, who visited often after their mother moved to join Clemens and Mollie.[3][9]

Orion spent much of his time in Keokuk working on his autobiography, which Sam encouraged him to write as an example of the failure of the American dream.[3][9] Orion Clemens died December 11, 1897. There are reports that Sam burned portions of his brother's manuscript that he found unsuitable. The work is lost and has never been published.[9]

## Personal life

Clemens wed Mary Eleanor "Mollie" Stotts in 1854.[11] Their only child, a daughter, Jennie, was born in 1855. She was beloved by her uncle Samuel. When the family moved to Nevada, Jennie attended Sierra Seminary in [Carson City](/source/Carson_City) about which Sam wrote a piece after visiting her there.[9] Jennie fell ill to [spotted fever](/source/Spotted_fever) on January 29, 1864, and died of [meningitis](/source/Meningitis), a complication of the illness, on February 1, 1864.[8][9] Her parents and uncle had stood vigil around her bedside until she died.[3][9]

## Legacy

The [Orion Clemens House](/source/Orion_Clemens_House), in Carson City, is listed on the [National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places).

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Mark Twain, American Author and Humorist"](http://www.lucidcafe.com/library/95nov/twain.html). Retrieved March 12, 2009.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** [twainquotes.com](http://www.twainquotes.com/oc.html), *The Lost Autobiography of Orion Clemens.*

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-LeMaster_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-LeMaster_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-LeMaster_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-LeMaster_3-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-LeMaster_3-4) J. R. LeMaster; James Darrell Wilson; Christie Graves Hamric, eds. (1993). [*The Mark Twain Encyclopedia*](https://archive.org/details/marktwainencyclo00pedi). New York, Ny: Garland Publishing, Inc.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Budd_4-0)** Louis J. Budd (2001). *Mark Twain: Social Philosopher (Mark Twain & His Circle Book 1)*. University of Missouri.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Twain, Mark, *Roughing It,* 1872. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7434-3650-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7434-3650-4).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Fanning, Philip Ashley, [*Mark Twain and Orion Clemens: Brothers, Partners, Strangers.*](http://www.twainweb.net/reviews/fanning.html) The University of Alabama Press, 2003. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-8173-1310-9](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-8173-1310-9).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** [The National Park Service](https://web.archive.org/web/20070704133157/http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/nevada/ori.htm), *Three Historic Nevada Cities.*

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Loving_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Loving_8-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Loving_8-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Loving_8-3) Jerome Loving (2010). *Mark Twain:The Adventures of Samuel L. Clemens*. Los Angeles, CA: University of California Press.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-Jones_9-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-Jones_9-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-Jones_9-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-Jones_9-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-Jones_9-4) [***f***](#cite_ref-Jones_9-5) [***g***](#cite_ref-Jones_9-6) Janet Jones (2012). *Haunted Carson City*. The History Press.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Moreno_10-0)** Richard Moreno (2011). *A Short History of Carson City*. University of Nevada Press.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Potsdam Public Museum, ed. (2004). *Images of America Potsdam*. Potsdam, N.Y.: Arcadia Publishing.

Political offices Preceded by Position created Secretary of Nevada Territory 1861–1864 Succeeded by Chauncey N. Noteware (as Secretary of State)

v t e Secretaries of state of Nevada Orion Clemens Chauncey N. Noteware James D. Minor Jasper Babcock John M. Dormer Oscar H. Grey Eugene Howell William Gibb Douglass George Brodigan William G. Greathouse Malcolm McEachin John Koontz William D. Swackhamer Frankie Sue Del Papa Cheryl Lau Dean Heller Ross Miller Barbara Cegavske Cisco Aguilar

v t e Mark Twain Bibliography Novels The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today The Adventures of Tom Sawyer The Prince and the Pauper Adventures of Huckleberry Finn A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court The American Claimant Tom Sawyer Abroad Pudd'nhead Wilson Tom Sawyer, Detective Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc A Double Barrelled Detective Story A Horse's Tale The Mysterious Stranger Hellfire Hotchkiss Short stories "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" "Cannibalism in the Cars" "A Literary Nightmare" "A Murder, a Mystery, and a Marriage" "The Great Revolution in Pitcairn" 1601 "The Stolen White Elephant" "Luck" "The Million Pound Bank Note" "A Double Barrelled Detective Story" "Those Extraordinary Twins" "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg" "A Dog's Tale" "Extracts from Adam's Diary" "The War Prayer" "Eve's Diary" "Extract from Captain Stormfield's Visit to Heaven" "My Platonic Sweetheart" "Advice for Good Little Girls" Collections Mark Twain's (Burlesque) Autobiography and First Romance Sketches New and Old Mark Twain's Library of Humor Merry Tales The £1,000,000 Bank Note and Other New Stories The $30,000 Bequest and Other Stories Plays Is He Dead? Essays "The Awful German Language" "On the Decay of the Art of Lying" "Advice to Youth" How to Tell a Story and Other Essays "Concerning the Jews" "To the Person Sitting in Darkness" "Edmund Burke on Croker and Tammany" "What Is Man?" "The United States of Lyncherdom" "Fenimore Cooper's Literary Offenses" Letters from the Earth Nonfiction Territorial Enterprise letters Letters from Hawaii The Innocents Abroad Roughing It Old Times on the Mississippi A Tramp Abroad Life on the Mississippi Following the Equator Is Shakespeare Dead? Autobiography of Mark Twain (Chapters from My Autobiography) King Leopold's Soliloquy The Private History of a Campaign That Failed Christian Science Speeches "Some Thoughts on the Science of Onanism" "Votes for Women" Places and events Family cabin Birthplace State Historic Site State Park Boyhood home and museum Mark Twain Cave Mark Twain in Nevada Territorial Enterprise Sagebrush School Quarry Farm Mark Twain House Stormfield Twain–Ament indemnities controversy Popular culture Mark Twain Prize for American Humor Mark Twain Readers Award Mark Twain Tonight! The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944) The Adventures of Mark Twain (1985) Mark Twain (2001 documentary) Twain and Shaw Do Lunch (2011 play) Mark Twain: The Musical Family Olivia Langdon Clemens (wife) Susy Clemens (daughter) Clara Clemens (daughter) Jean Clemens (daughter) John M. Clemens (father) Jane Lampton Clemens (mother) Orion Clemens (brother) Related Jap Herron Center For Mark Twain Studies Mark Twain (book) Mark Twain National Forest Mark Twain Tree National Tom Sawyer Days

Authority control databases International ISNI VIAF GND FAST WorldCat National United States Netherlands Latvia Israel Other IdRef Open Library SNAC Yale LUX

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Orion Clemens](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Clemens) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_Clemens?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.