Department of Kansas was organized, he was honored by being elected its first commander. Governor Martin For years before his election to the office of Governor, Martin had an ambition to be the chief executive of his adopted state, but knew he had to wait and prepare himself for the duties of the office in case he should be called to fill it. The call came in 1884, when he was nominated and elected. The beginning of his administration was very difficult, and he was besieged by hordes of office-seekers. This, on account of the previous Democratic administration. At first Martin was not a prohibitionist, but in time, as he saw the beneficial effects of prohibition, he became converted to be one of its most ardent champions. During Martin's administration six educational institutions were established in Kansas, and 182 school houses were built in 1887. Also, the State Reformatory was located at Hutchinson, and opportunities for reform were provided for young law-breakers. In March 1886, a strike and serious disturbances on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, in Missouri and Kansas, demanded Martin's attentions. Rioting caused him to send the First Kansas Militia to the scene of action. After being the cause of great inconveniences and suffering, the strike was settled in April. His first administration commended him to the people, and in 1886 he was reelected. A bill was passed by the Kansas Legislature of 1887, conferring on women of Kansas the right to vote at school, bond, and municipal elections. This was one of the first steps toward the complete suffrage the State enjoys today. Kansas had steadily progressed in prosperity and her towns and broad farming lands had increased immensely in value. This led to a "boom" during which cities were erected on paper and real towns increased in size. Many syndicates were organized to deal in Kansas real estate. Long blocks of buildings were erected in unnecessary towns, and the prairie was long after dotted with rusting pipes and hydrants, the only tangible evidences of these useless towns. The end of 1888 saw the great Kansas "boom" collapse, and, as this year had also had a failure of crops, Kansas experienced a panic. But this check in prosperity was comparatively brief. There was a contest for the county seat between towns in several counties. Bitter rivalries and feuds resulted, the worst being the Stevens County, where several people