Nemaha County

Biography of Dr. Charles F. Stewart

A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

Dr. Charles F. Stewart, born August 28, 1832, in Switzerland County, Indiana, is Nebraska’s longest-serving physician, active since 1857. He moved to Nemaha County in the Nebraska Territory, where he built a distinguished career. Dr. Stewart served as an acting assistant surgeon during the Civil War and was superintendent of the Nebraska Hospital for the Insane. He spent seven years on the state board of health and over twenty years as a U.S. examining surgeon for pensions. Despite his age, Dr. Stewart remained actively engaged in his medical practice past 1900.

Biography of Robert Wilkinson Furnas

A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

Robert Wilkinson Furnas, born May 5, 1824, in Miami County, Ohio, was a distinguished figure in Nebraska’s history. Orphaned by cholera in 1832, he was raised by his grandfather. Furnas apprenticed in tinsmithing and printing before venturing into publishing, founding the Nebraska Advertiser in 1856. A Civil War veteran, he organized Indian regiments and served in key battles. Post-war, he engaged in politics, agriculture, and education, becoming Nebraska’s governor in 1872. Married to Mary E. McComas, they had eight children. Furnas contributed significantly to state agriculture, education, and veterans’ affairs.