Robert Wilkinson Furnas (May 5, 1824June 1, 1905) was the second

governor of Nebraska The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential ...

, United States. Born near

Troy, Ohio Troy is a city in and the county seat of Miami County, Ohio, United States. The population was 26,305 at the 2020 census, making it Miami County's largest city and Ohio's 55th-largest. Troy lies along the Great Miami River about north of Da ...

, and orphaned at the age of eight Furnas was a

self-made man A self-made man is a person whose success is of their own making. Benjamin Franklin, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, has been described as the greatest exemplar of the self-made man. Inspired by Franklin's autobiography, Fr ...

. He worked as a farmer, printer,

tinsmith A tinsmith is a historical term for a skilled craftsperson who makes and repairs things made of tin or other light metals. The profession was also known as a tinner, tinker, tinman, or tinplate worker; whitesmith may also refer to this profe ...

, insurance salesman, and postmaster all before getting into politics. He married Mary Elizabeth McComas on October 29, 1845, who died in 1897. His second wife was Susannah Emswiler Jameson. He had eight children.

Career

Furnas came to Nebraska in 1856 at the age of thirty-two and settled in

Brownville, Nebraska Brownville is a village in Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 142 at the 2020 census. History Established in 1854 and incorporated in 1856, Brownville was the largest town in the Nebraska Territory, with a population ...

. Two months later, he published the '' Nebraska Advertiser'', a publication advertising the agricultural opportunities found in Nebraska. He also published the ''

Nebraska Farmer The ''Nebraska Farmer'' was the first agricultural publication in the state and is, at present, one of the oldest run journals in Nebraska. This publication is still highly influential in the making of agricultural policies and procedures in Neb ...

'', the first agricultural publication out of Nebraska that is still published to this day. In 1856 and 1858, Furnas was elected to the Legislative Assembly of

Nebraska Territory The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the state of Nebraska. The Nebrask ...

. He served as the public printer for the Nebraska Territory in 1857. In 1861, he was the chief clerk of the Territorial Council.

Civil War

During the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, Furnas became a

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

in the territorial

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

, which was loyal to the Union. In 1862, he commanded three Indian

regiment A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, military service, service, or administrative corps, specialisation. In Middle Ages, Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of l ...

s aligned with the Union Army and captured the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...

Indian chief John Ross.

Civilian career

After the war, Furnas served as

Indian agent In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the U.S. government. Agents established in Nonintercourse Act of 1793 The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the Un ...

for the

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

Winnebago Winnebago can refer to: * The exonym of the Ho-Chunk tribe of Native North Americans with reservations in Nebraska, Iowa, and Wisconsin ** Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, a federally recognized tribe group in the state ** The Winnebago language of the ...

, and

Ponca The Ponca people are a nation primarily located in the Great Plains of North America that share a common Ponca culture, history, and language, identified with two Indigenous nations: the Ponca Tribe of Indians of Oklahoma or the Ponca Tribe of ...

tribes. He was a member of the

University of Nebraska A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

board of regents from 1869 to 1875, first president of the

Nebraska State Historical Society Nebraska State Historical Society, formerly History Nebraska, is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information ... and to embrace alike aboriginal and modern history." It w ...

from 1878 to 1890, United States commissioner to the

Philadelphia Centennial Exposition The Centennial International Exhibition, officially the International Exhibition of Arts, Manufactures, and Products of the Soil and Mine, was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 10 to November 10, 1876. It was the first official wo ...

, United States Commissioner to the New Orleans Cotton Centennial and United States commissioner to the

Chicago Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The ce ...

. Furnas served as president of the American Fair Association, president of the State Horticultural Society, Fourth Grand Master of Masons of Nebraska AF&AM from 1865 to 1866, first president of the Nebraska Teachers Association and president of the State Board of Agriculture. He served as secretary of the State Board of Agriculture from the early 1880s until his death. Furnas secured the Republican nomination, and was elected governor by popular vote. He served as

Governor of Nebraska The governor of Nebraska is the head of government of the U.S. state of Nebraska as provided by the fourth article of the Constitution of Nebraska. The officeholder is elected to a four-year term, with elections held two years after presidential ...

from 1873 to 1875.

Death

Furnas died in 1905 and is interred in Walnut Grove Cemetery in Brownville, Nebraska.

Legacy

Furnas helped to create

Arbor Day Arbor Day (or Arbour Day in some countries) is a Secularity, secular day of observance in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees. Today, many countries observe such a holiday. Though usually observed in the spring, the date v ...

when he was governor.

Furnas County, Nebraska Furnas County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 4,636. Its county seat is Beaver City. The county was named for Robert Wilkinson Furnas, the second governor of the state of Nebr ...

, is named in his honor. He was inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1980.

References

External links

* * at the

Nebraska Governor Robert Wilkinson Furnas
at the

National Governors Association The National Governors Association (NGA) is an American Politics of the United States, political organization founded in 1908. The association's members are the governors of the 55 U.S. state, states, Territories of the United States, territories ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Furnas, Robert Wilkinson 1824 births 1905 deaths People from Troy, Ohio Members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature Republican Party governors of Nebraska United States Indian agents People of Nebraska in the American Civil War American male journalists People from Brownville, Nebraska Union army colonels