Albinus Nance

Albinus Nance
4th Governor of Nebraska
In office January 9, 1879 – January 4, 1883
Lieutenant	Edmund C. Carns
Preceded by	Silas Garber
Succeeded by	James W. Dawes
Personal details
Born	(1848-03-30)March 30, 1848
Died	December 7, 1911(1911-12-07) (aged 63)
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Sarah White

Albinus Roberts Nance (March 30, 1848 – December 7, 1911) served as a soldier during the American Civil War, and is well known for being the fourth Governor of Nebraska.

Early life and Civil War

Albinus Nance was born in La Fayette, Illinois on March 30, 1848. He was born to Dr. Hiram Nance and Sarah (Smith) Nance. He was educated in Kewanee, Illinois, until age sixteen. At age sixteen, Nance enlisted with the 9th Illinois Cavalry. Nance fought in the American Civil War, from 1861-1865. He served as a private during the war. He fought in the battles of Hurricane Creek, Guntown, Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville. He was slightly wounded, during the Battle of Nashville. In 1865, after the war was over, Nance became a student at Knox College. In 1870, he was admitted to the bar in Illinois.

Political career

Nance moved to Nebraska in 1871 to homestead and practice law, eventually settling in Osceola, Nebraska. He divided his time between farming and his law practice. He soon gave up farming, for his law practice and large real estate business. In 1874, Nance was nominated by the state Republican Party to run for the Nebraska House of Representatives. During his election, in 1875, Nance married Sarah White. He won the election and served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from 1875 to 1878, and served as the Speaker of the Nebraska House of Representatives from 1877 to 1878. Nance was also a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1876.

Governor of Nebraska

In 1878, while Speaker of the Nebraska House of Representatives, Nance was elected Governor of Nebraska. He was only thirty years old at the time of his election, and was known as "the boy governor". Nance and his administration were very popular with the people. His administration was described in The Public Men of Today in 1882, "The distinguishing feature of his administration has been an unassuming but inflexible determination to execute the laws with fidelity to the best interests of the people of Nebraska." Nance was renominated for the governorship, in 1880. He won the election, with an overwhelming majority.

Later life and death

After being governor, Nance retired to civilian life. He owned large parts of numerous banks. He eventually retired all together from business life. Nance died in Chicago, on December 7, 1911. Nance County, Nebraska is named after him.

References

• White, J. T.; "The National cyclopaedia of American biography, Volume 12", J. T. White, (1904)
• Nance, George Washington; "The Nance memorial: a history of the Nance family in general, but more particularly of Clement Nance, of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, and descendants, containing historical and biographical records with family lineage", J. E. Burke & co., printers, (1904)
• Sheldon, Addison Erwin; "History and stories of Nebraska", University Publishing Co., (1919)
• Raimo, John; "Biographical directory of the governors of the United States, 1789-1978, Volume 3", Meckler Books, (1978)
• Geological Survey (U.S.); "Bulletin, Issues 196-201", G.P.O., (1902)

External links

• "The Political Graveyard". Nance, Albinus. Retrieved January 3, 2006.
• Albinus Nance papers at the Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved on June 22, 2009.
• "NEGenWeb Project". ALBINUS NANCE. Retrieved January 3, 2006.
• "Nebraska...Our Towns". Retrieved May 6, 2009.
• "City of Osceola". Retrieved May 6, 2009.
• "Albinus Nance". Find a Grave. Retrieved 2008-09-27.