Grand Island Mayor Roger Steele speaks at the Aug. 4 dedication of a Nebraska Stare Historical Marker at Pioneer Park honoring Grand Island pioneer attorney O.A. Abbott, who served as the first Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND –A Nebraska State Historical Marker honoring Othman Ali (O.A.) Abbott, Nebraska’s first Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska, was dedicated at 3 p.m. Aug. 4 at Pioneer Park.
The Hall County Historical Society sponsored the project. The group is celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Historical Society, founded in 1922, by placing 11 Nebraska State Historical Markers in Hall County.
“This was a huge project,” said Setlik, vice president of the Hall County Historical Society. She also served as emcee for the event. The marker is at the west edge of the park.
Lt. Gov. Joe Kelly, Nebraska’s 42nd Lieutenant Governor, was the first guest speaker. He said that the marker tells the story of Abbott, “all sewn together in one tapestry.”
Kelly noted that Abbott was so involved in the suffrage movement.
“Congratulations to all of you,” Kelly said.
Daryl Bohac, Director of the Nebraska State Historical Society, was the next speaker. He said that there are more than 600 historical markers throughout the state. The markers allow readers to take a moment to learn about Nebraska history.
He said that there is a 180-word limit on a marker. Hall County is second to Douglas County in the number of historical markers in the county. The markers cause “curiosity in the readers.”
Setlik referred to the markers as Nebraska’s largest outdoor classroom. The markers make history accessible to everyone for free. She said that the next Hall County Historical Marker will be placed at the Grand Island Public Library and will honor sisters Grace and Edith Abbott, who were daughters of O.A. and Elizabeth Abbott.
The third speaker was Grand Island Mayor Roger Steele. He called Abbott “a true pioneer of the city of Grand Island.”
Steele said that Abbott wrote that there would be a metropolis in Central Nebraska, and Abbott suggested that could be in Grand Island.
“Mr. Abbott would be very impressed by the metropolis we have built here,” Steele said.
Steele noted that Pioneer Park was the site of Hall County’s first courthouse. Steele said that Abbott was also a county attorney in Grand Island.
Steele said that the vision of Abbott is carried out every day at the Grand Island Public Library, also known as the Edith Abbott Public Library.
“I’m very proud to be the mayor of Grand Island and be allowed to speak” at this historical event, the mayor said.
Setlik noted that the Nebraska State Historical Society has an app that includes the location and information about all of the historical markers in the state.
The new marker, titled “O.A. Abbott: Nebraska’s First Lieutenant Governor,” commemorates the life and legacy of O.A. Abbott (1842-1935) – a Civil War veteran, pioneering attorney, public servant, and early advocate for women’s rights.
Abbott served with distinction in the 9th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War and later settled in Grand Island, where he became a leader in law and politics. His election in 1876 at Nebraska’s first Lieutenant Governor marked a historic milestone for Nebraska.
Abbott, along with his wife Elizabeth, was an ardent supporter of women’s suffrage and property rights. The couple hosted national suffrage leaders, including Susan B. Anthony, in their Grand Island home. Their daughters, Edith and Grace Abbott, would go on to gain national prominence for their work in social reform.
The text for the historical marker is drawn from Abbott’s life and political contributions, including his role in the first and second Nebraska Constitutional Conventions, and his autobiography “Recollections of a Pioneer Lawyer,” published by the Nebraska State Historical Society in 1929.
The O.A. Abbott marker was sponsored by the Hall County Bar Association. The Hall County project to place 11 historical markers has been recognized as the largest marker project in the history of the Nebraska State Historical Marker Program.
