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Edward P. McCabe

Portrait of Edward P. McCabe, Kansas State Auditor, 1883-1887African American politician, immigration promoter.  Born: 1850, Troy, New York.  Died: 1923, Chicago.

Edward McCabe was one of the early settlers in Nicodemus. Born in 1850 in New York, McCabe began his political career as clerk of Graham County in 1880, making him one of the first African American officials to be appointed in Kansas.

McCabe was on the on the Republican ticket for state auditor in 1882. His victory made him the first African American to hold a statewide office in Kansas. McCabe held this office for two terms, from 1883 to 1887.

McCabe soon focused his efforts on creating a state for blacks in Oklahoma Territory, a dream that never materialized. McCabe did, however, keep his hand in politics, serving as deputy auditor of Oklahoma Territory from 1897 to 1907. He also founded the city of Langston, Oklahoma.

McCabe died in 1923 in Chicago, Illinois.

Entry: McCabe, Edward P.

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: May 2009

Date Modified: May 2021

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.