John Miller (North Dakota politician)

John Miller (October 29, 1843 – October 26, 1908) was a bonanza farmer, business man and American Republican politician in North Dakota. He served as the first governor of North Dakota from 1889 to 1891, after it was admitted as a state to the union.

Born of Scotch ancestors in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, Miller had moved to the Dakota Territory in 1878. With a partner he bought thousands of acres of land for what was called bonanza farming: large-scale farming of wheat as a commodity crop on an industrial scale. The Northern Pacific Railroad connected such farms to the populous eastern markets. He became a wealthy partner or owner of three major agricultural companies; the last also provided milling and other services.