Solomon Gilman Comstock (May 9, 1842 – June 3, 1933) was an American attorney and politician who served as a member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

for

Minnesota's 5th congressional district Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey countie ...

from 1889 to 1891.

Early life and education

Born in

Argyle, Maine Argyle is an unorganized territory (township) in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 255 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the unorganized territory has a total area of 26.7 s ...

, Comstock moved to Passadumkeag, Maine, with his parents in 1845. He attended rural schools, East Corinth (Maine) Academy, Maine Wesleyan Seminary at Kents Hill, and

Hampden Academy Hampden Academy is a public high school located at 89 Western Avenue in Hampden, Maine, United States. The school is a part of Regional School Unit #22 (R.S.U. 22), with approximately 708 students from Hampden, Newburgh, Frankfort and Winterpo ...

. Comstock studied law in Bangor, Maine under the Honorable Samuel F. Humphrey. In 1868, he continued his studies at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

at Ann Arbor.

Career

He moved to

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the sout ...

in 1869 and settled in Omaha, where he was admitted to the bar the same year and commenced practice. He moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 1870 and to

Moorhead, Minnesota Moorhead () is a city in and county seat of Clay County, Minnesota, United States, on the banks of the Red River of the North. Located in the Red River Valley, an extremely fertile and active agricultural region, Moorhead is also home to several ...

, in 1871, where he became a railroad construction laborer. When Clay County government was established in April 1872 in response to the killing of Slim Jim Shumway by Shang Stanton, Comstock was the only man in town with a law degree. Consequently Comstock was Clay County attorney from 1872 to 1878. He was elected a member of the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint ...

in 1875, 1876, 1878, and 1881. He served in the

Minnesota Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are h ...

from 1882 to 1888. Comstock was an unsuccessful candidate for

attorney general of Minnesota The attorney general of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. State of Minnesota. Thirty individuals have held the office of Attorney General since statehood. The incumbent is Keith Ellison, a DFLer. Election ...

in 1882 and as lieutenant governor in 1884. He retired from law practice in 1884 and engaged in the real estate business. Comstock was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

to the

in the

51st United States Congress The 51st United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of R ...

, (March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891). He was unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1890 to the 52nd Congress and served as a delegate to the

1892 Republican National Convention The 1892 Republican National Convention was held at the Industrial Exposition Building, Minneapolis, Minnesota, from June 7 to June 10, 1892. The party nominated President Benjamin Harrison for re-election on the first ballot and Whitelaw Reid o ...

. After resuming his real estate business in Moorhead, Comstock also engaged in manufacturing farm implements in 1893. He was a member of the state normal school board from 1897 to 1905, and retired from business pursuits and resided in Moorhead, Minnesota, until his death on June 3, 1933. He was buried at Prairie Home Cemetery in Moorhead, Minnesota.

Personal life

Solomon Comstock married Sarah Ann Ball on May 27, 1874 in Fargo, North Dakota. The couple had three children: Ada Louise Comstock Notestein (1876-1973), Jessie May Comstock (1879-1951), and George Madison Comstock (1886-1966). He is the namesake of

Comstock, Minnesota Comstock is a city in Clay County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 100 at the 2020 census. History A post office called Comstock has been in operation since 1890. The city was named for Solomon Comstock, a U.S. Representative fro ...

, as well as

Comstock Township, Marshall County, Minnesota Comstock Township is a township in Marshall County, Minnesota. As of the 2000 census, the township population was 135. History Comstock Township was organized in 1881, and named for Solomon Comstock, a U.S. representative from Minnesota. Geog ...

. His residence, the Historic Solomon G.

Comstock House The Comstock House is a historic house museum in Moorhead, Minnesota, United States. It was built for Solomon Comstock and his family from 1882 to 1883 in a mix of Queen Anne and Eastlake style. Comstock (1842–1933) was one of Moorhead's ...

in Moorhead, operates as a

historic house museum A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...

References

Minnesota Legislators Past and Present
{{DEFAULTSORT:Comstock, Solomon 1842 births 1933 deaths People from Penobscot County, Maine Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Republican Party Minnesota state senators Politicians from Bangor, Maine Politicians from Omaha, Nebraska University of Michigan alumni People from Moorhead, Minnesota Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota 19th-century American politicians