George Kilbon Nash (August 14, 1842October 28, 1904) was an American attorney and

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 ...

politician from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He served as the 41st governor of Ohio.

Biography

Nash was born in York Township, Medina County,

. He attended the preparatory school at Western Reserve College. At 20 years of age he entered Oberlin College and stayed until his sophomore year, when he enlisted as a private in the One hundred fiftieth regiment of the

Ohio National Guard The Ohio National Guard comprises the Ohio Army National Guard and the Ohio Air National Guard. The commander-in-chief of the Ohio Army National Guard is the governor of the U.S. state of Ohio. If the Ohio Army National Guard is called to fed ...

of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same 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 ...

. After the war he studied law in the offices of Robert B. Warden, who had been a justice of the

Ohio Supreme Court The Ohio Supreme Court, Officially known as The Supreme Court of the State of Ohio is the highest court in the U.S. state of Ohio, with final authority over interpretations of Ohio law and the Ohio Constitution. The court has seven members, a ...

. He was admitted to the bar in 1867 in Columbus, Ohio. He was elected prosecuting attorney of

Franklin County, Ohio Franklin County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,323,807, making it the most populous county in Ohio. Most of its land area is taken up by its county seat, Columbus, the state capital and most ...

in 1870, and re-elected in 1872. He re-entered private practice, and in 1876 lost a bid for

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

, and lost for

Ohio Attorney General The Ohio Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Ohio in the United States. The office is filled by general election, held every four years. The Ohio Attorney General is Republican Dave Yost. History The office of the attor ...

in 1877. In October, 1879, he was elected Ohio Attorney General. In 1881 he was re-elected. In 1883, he was appointed a member of the

Supreme Court Commission of Ohio Bold indicates chief judge or chief justice. The Ohio Supreme Court was created by the Ohio Constitution of 1802 with three judges, and had three or four through 1851. In 1851, the number of judges was increased to five. In 1892, the number of jud ...

for two years. He then devoted time to lucrative private practice, including significant

railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a pre ...

litigation, and party politics. Smith 1898 Volume II : 122 Nash served as Governor of Ohio from January 8, 1900, to January 11, 1904.

Story with Dick Price

The following story is written in the book by Al Jennings, '' Through the Shadows With O. Henry''. A young inmate, Dick Price, was sentenced for life for repeated safe-cracking, in which he was a good specialist. Once there was a necessity to open a safe of a company, when keys were lost. George Nash promised to pardon Price, if he did it. Price cracked the safe, but Nash didn't pardon him, failing to fulfil his promise. Soon Price died in prison. His story was used by O. Henry in his story "

A Retrieved Reformation "A Retrieved Reformation" is a short story by American author O. Henry first published in '' The Cosmopolitan Magazine'', April 1903. The original title was "A Retrieved Reform". It was illustrated by A.I. Keller. History The story describes ...

". According to other sources,Nextext
at www.nextext.com the name of the safe-cracker was Jimmy Connors.

Family

George K. Nash was the son of Asa Nash and Electa Branch Nash. They were farmers in Medina County, originally from

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. There were three sons and two daughters in the family. Mercer 1903 : 7-11 Nash married Mrs. William K. Deshler, (Adaline Ayres),Green Lawn Cemetery Burial Records
/ref> April, 1882. She died October 17, 1886. They had one daughter, named Mary Nash, who died February 12, 1897. Both were interred in Green Lawn Cemetery, and Nash visited their graves and left flowers before each of his inaugurations. Governor Nash was also buried at Green Lawn.

Notes

References

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External links