Silas A. Holcomb

Silas Alexander Holcomb (August 25, 1858 – April 25, 1920) was a Nebraska lawyer and politician elected as the ninth Governor of Nebraska and serving from 1895 to 1899. He ran under a fusion ticket between the Populist and the Democratic Party.

Silas A. Holcomb
9th Governor of Nebraska
In office
January 3, 1895 – January 5, 1899
LieutenantRobert E. Moore
James E. Harris
Edward A. Gilbert
Preceded byLorenzo Crounse
Succeeded byWilliam A. Poynter
Personal details
Born(1858-08-25)August 25, 1858
Gibson County, Indiana, U.S.
DiedApril 25, 1920(1920-04-25) (aged 61)
Bellingham, Washington, U.S.
NationalityAmerican
Political partyPeoples
Spouse(s)Alice Brinson

Holcomb was born in Gibson County, Indiana, helped on the family farm and went to the local schools in winter. At age seventeen, he began to teach school. After his father's death in 1878, he moved with mother and siblings to Hamilton County, Nebraska in 1879. He worked in Thummel & Platt law office in Grand Island and was admitted to the Nebraska bar in 1882.[1] On April 13, 1882, he married Martha Alice Brinson in Mills County, Iowa.[2] They moved to Broken Bow where he farmed and practiced law.

Career

From 1891 to 1894, Holcomb served as a 12th District judge. In 1894, with the support of William Jennings Bryan, he was elected Governor of Nebraska. He was re-elected in 1896. During his tenure, sounder financial policies were initiated and corruption and mismanagement in the state treasurer's office was addressed; reforms in state government programs were initiated.[3] Following his years as governor, Holcomb was appointed a justice of the Nebraska Supreme Court in 1900. From 1904 to 1906, he served as chief justice. He left the Court in 1906, but then he served on the Nebraska Board of Commissioners of State Institutions from 1913 until his failing health made it necessary for him to resign.[4]

Death

Holcomb moved to Bellingham, Washington, where he lived with his daughter until his death on April 25, 1920. Holcomb's body was returned to Nebraska and he is interred at Broken Bow Cemetery, Broken Bow, Custer County, Nebraska.

References
  1. "Silas A. Holcomb". Semi-Centennial History of Nebraska. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  2. "Silas Alexander Holcomb". The Encyclopedia of Nebraska. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  3. "Silas A. Holcomb". National Governors Association. Retrieved September 17, 2012.
  4. "Silas A. Holcomb". The Encyclopedia of Nebraska. Retrieved September 17, 2012.


Party political offices
Preceded by
Julius Sterling Morton		 Democratic nominee for Governor of Nebraska
1894, 1896		 Succeeded by
William A. Poynter
Preceded by
Charles Van Wyck		 Populist nominee for Governor of Nebraska
1894, 1896		 Succeeded by
William A. Poynter
Political offices
Preceded by
Lorenzo Crounse		 Governor of Nebraska
1895–1899		 Succeeded by
William A. Poynter
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