Silas A. Holcomb

Silas Alexander Holcomb (August 25, 1858– April 25, 1920) was a Nebraska lawyer and politician best known for being 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.

Early life

Silas Holcomb was born in Gibson County, Indiana, but in 1879, after his father's death, he moved with mother and siblings to Hamilton County, Nebraska. He worked in a law office in Grand Island and was admitted to the Nebraska bar in 1882. That same year he married Alice Brinson in Mills County, Iowa. They moved to Broken Bow where he farmed and practiced law.

Political 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. Following his years as governor, Holcomb was appointed a justice on 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 1913-1919.

Death

Due to poor health, Holcomb retired from public service in 1919. He 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 buried at Broken Bow.

References

1. Gov. Silas Holcomb papers at the Nebraska State Historical Society. Retrieved on 2009-07-06.
2. "The Political Graveyard". Holcombe, Silas Alexander. Retrieved January 4, 2006.

External links

• Silas A. Holcomb at Find a Grave