Nevada’s first House member receives headstone

Tuesday, April 11, 2000 | 10:35 a.m.

WASHINGTON -- Nevada's first member of Congress and a pallbearer at Abraham Lincoln's funeral finally has a headstone on his unmarked grave, 91 years after his death.

Sen. Richard Bryan, D-Nev., was scheduled today to dedicate the new headstone at the resting place of Henry Gaither Worthington in Washington's Congressional Cemetery.

Bryan worked with Lahontan Valley News publisher David Henley to arrange for the headstone after learning two years ago that the pioneering Nevada politician had an unmarked grave.

Anchor Gaming executive Stan Fulton made a personal contribution of about $1,900 for the granite headstone.

The headstone reads, "Henry Gaither Worthington, Feb. 9, 1828 -- July 29, 1909, Nevada's First Congressman 1864-1865."

Worthington was born in Maryland and later moved to California where he practiced law, according to Bryan's research. He traveled in South America and Mexico and was elected to the state Legislature in California in 1861.

Worthington moved to Austin in central Nevada in 1862, and after Nevada was admitted to the union in October 1864, Worthington was elected to Congress as Nevada's first member of the House of Representatives. He served only a few months because the congressional session ended in March 1865 and Worthington was defeated in an election by another Republican, Delos Ashley.

During his short time in office Worthington cast a vote for the ratification of the 13th Amendment, the constitutional action that abolished slavery, which passed 119-56. Worthington later lost a Senate race by two votes, according to congressional research.

After his days in Congress Worthington served as a minister in Uruguay and the Argentine Republic. Worthington was a pallbearer at President Abraham Lincoln's funeral.