Ezra Perin Savage (April 3, 1842January 8, 1920) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

politician and the 12th governor of Nebraska from 1901 to 1903. He was the tenth lieutenant governor in 1901 serving under Governor

Charles H. Dietrich Charles Henry Dietrich (November 26, 1853April 10, 1924) was the 11th Governor of Nebraska. Dietrich in mercantile pursuits and in banking. After serving as governor, he was elected U.S. Senator from May 1, 1901 to March 3, 1905. Personal lif ...

. Savage was born in Connersville, Indiana, but his parents moved to Iowa shortly after his birth. He graduated from high school in

Davenport, Iowa Davenport is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Iowa, United States. Located along the Mississippi River on the eastern border of the state, it is the largest of the Quad Cities, a metropolitan area with a population of 384,324 and a ...

and then attended

Iowa College Grinnell College is a private liberal arts college in Grinnell, Iowa, United States. It was founded in 1846 when a group of New England Congregationalists established the Trustees of Iowa College. Grinnell has the fifth highest endowment-to-stu ...

Career

Savage enlisted in the Union Army as a soldier and scout at the start of the Civil War, but he was discharged due to a disability. After the war he returned to Iowa and studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1875. He moved to Nebraska in 1879 and founded

Sargent, Nebraska Sargent is a city in Custer County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 525 at the 2010 census. History Sargent was laid out in 1883 by future Governor Ezra P. Savage. Mrs. Ruth Sherman established a post office in 1879. The office was ...

in Custer County. In 1883, Savage was elected to the Nebraska House of Representatives, where he served two terms. After leaving office he moved to

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest city ...

, where he became the first mayor of South Omaha in 1887. He was City Councilman in 1888. He was elected lieutenant governor in 1900. Savage took over as governor of Nebraska on May 1, 1901 after the resignation of

to fill a US Senate seat. Savage intended to run for a second term as governor, but the criticism which was caused by his parole and pardon of former State Treasurer Bartley, who was serving a prison sentence for embezzlement, influenced his decision to step down from the race.

Family life

Savage married three times: to Anna Chase Rich in 1866, who died in 1883; to Elvira Hess in 1896, and she died in 1899; and finally to Julia McCullough in 1896, daughter of Alexander and Esther McCullough of Pennsylvania. She survived his passing and lived in Tacoma until her death in May 1941. He had six children, five of them by Anna Rich, and the last, born in 1880 to Elvira Hess.

Death

Shortly after serving out his one term as governor, Savage moved to Tacoma, Washington. He died in Tacoma and is interred at Tacoma Cemetery.

References

External links

The Political Graveyard
* at the Nebraska State Historical Society
The Encyclopedia of Nebraska
{{DEFAULTSORT:Savage, Ezra Perin 1842 births 1920 deaths People from Connersville, Indiana Politicians from Davenport, Iowa People of Iowa in the American Civil War Iowa lawyers Nebraska lawyers Nebraska city council members Mayors of places in Nebraska Republican Party members of the Nebraska House of Representatives Republican Party governors of Nebraska Lieutenant Governors of Nebraska 19th-century American lawyers