Robert Wilkinson Furnas

Robert Wilkinson Furnas (born May 5, 1824 in Troy , Ohio , † June 1, 1905 in Lincoln , Nebraska ) was an American politician and from 1873 to 1875 the third governor of the state of Nebraska.

Early years and political advancement

Robert Furnas grew up in Ohio, where he also attended local schools. He then earned his living doing various jobs such as printer, insurance agent, postal worker, publisher and farmer. In 1856 he moved to the Nebraska Territory , where he founded the newspaper "Nebraska Advertiser" and published. The paper dealt mainly with agricultural and industrial matters. Furnas was a member of the Territorial Government Council from 1856 to 1858. At the same time he acted as the head of the state printing house of the territory. During the civil war he fought first in the territorial militia and later as a colonel in the army of the Union. After the war he was the federal government's Indian commissioner for some time. From 1869 to 1873 he was on the board of directors of the University of Nebraska . In November 1872 he was elected as the candidate of the Republican Party with 60:40 percent of the vote against the Democrat H. C. Lett as the new governor of Nebraska.

Governor of Nebraska

Furnas' two-year term began on January 13, 1873. During his reign, he had to deal with a severe drought and a plague of locusts . Both events resulted in considerable crop losses for agriculture. In addition, there was a weak economic phase, which increased the problems.

After his tenure as governor ended, Furnas remained politically and socially active. Between 1878 and 1891 and again from 1902 to 1905 he was President of the Nebraska Historical Society . He also worked intermittently for the US Department of Agriculture and was Chairman of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture . He held this office from 1869 to 1874 and from 1884 to 1905. In addition, he was a member of numerous other associations and organizations. Robert Furnas died on June 1, 1905. He was married twice and had a total of eight children.

According to him, Furnas County named in Nebraska.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Furnas, Robert Wilkinson
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	May 5, 1824
PLACE OF BIRTH	Troy , Ohio
DATE OF DEATH	June 1, 1905
Place of death	Lincoln , Nebraska