George L. Miller
Encyclopedia
Dr. George Lorin Miller (1830-August 28, 1920) was a pioneer physician, editor, politician, civic leader and land owner in Omaha, Nebraska
. The founder of the Omaha Herald, which later became part of the Omaha World-Herald
, Miller arrived in Omaha in 1854, the year the city was founded. He also promoted Omaha as the route of the First Transcontinental Railroad
and the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha in 1898.
, George L. Miller was a graduate from medical school in New York City
in 1852. He practiced in Syracuse, New York
for two years before coming to Omaha where his parents settled in 1854. He started the first medical practice in the city upon his arrival.
Miller was elected to the Nebraska Territorial Legislature
in 1854. He served one year in the house and then was elected to three terms in the council, serving as president of the legislature in his second term. In 1855 Miller requested that the Congregationalist Church send a minister to Omaha, leading to the assignment of Reuben Gaylord
, the city's foremost Christian
missionary in its early years. In 1860 Miller moved to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he submitted articles to local newspapers. During that period Miller decided to leave medicine to pursue other ventures. Miller helped recruit the First Nebraska Regiment prior to the Civil War and served as sutler
at Fort Kearny
until 1864. That year he returned to Omaha and ran for territorial delegate to Congress
and was defeated. The following year he started the Democratic Omaha Daily Herald. Miller was attacked by Republican Edward Rosewater
of the Omaha Bee
on September 6, 1876, as a "jack-of-all trades and a master of none. . . . a medicine man, a hotel builder, an army sutler, a cotton speculator, a railroad jobber, an eating-house keeper, journalist, and a politician. . . [and] a dishonest, unscrupulous, and unprincipled money-grabber." He was the editor of the Omaha Daily Herald for almost twenty-three years before selling the paper in 1887.
In the 1870s he helped Omaha land placement along the First Transcontinental Railroad
and the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge
. Miller was a Nebraska delegate to 1876 Democratic National Convention
. The New York Times
labeled Miller "the original Tilden man of the West
" for his support of Samuel J. Tilden
's presidential campaign
that year. In 1879 he gave a tribute to Reverend Gaylord at his funeral. During this period Miller bought a large amount of land in North Omaha, eventually offering a large chunk of his own land
for usage as the site of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha in 1898. Miller served as president of the Expo after his site lost to Kountze Park.
In the late 1880s Dr. Miller built a mansion at what is now 75th and Oakwood Streets in Ralston
, an West Omaha suburb. In 1898 the home was destroyed by a fire. Miller helped the new St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church
acquire the limestone
used in the mansion, and that building still stands. On September 17, 1900 Miller was placed "under restraint" at the upscale Paxton Hotel
in Downtown Omaha
. Reports designated him a "raving maniac" and attributed his behavior to paresis
.
Miller was president of the Nebraska State Historical Society
from 1907 to 1909, and was also the first president of the Board of Park Commissioners in Omaha. In 1907 he did not support fellow Nebraskan Democrat William Jennings Bryan
's politics during his candidacy for president, stating that Bryan was "is not a Democrat" and challenging his politics as "radical."
J. Sterling Morton, the other prominent member of the Democratic Party
in Nebraska
, was a bitter enemy of Miller's during this period. Yet Morton recognized Miller's ability and said of him, "No other man, either by the power of money, or by the power of brawn, or by the strength of brain, did as much to make Omaha a city."
Miller died in Omaha in 1920.
, Miller Park
, and the Miller Park neighborhood
in North Omaha are all named in his honor, as well as the new George Miller Parkway in West Omaha.
Omaha, Nebraska
Omaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
. The founder of the Omaha Herald, which later became part of the Omaha World-Herald
Omaha World-Herald
The Omaha World-Herald, based in Omaha, Nebraska, is the primary daily newspaper of Nebraska, as well as portions of southwest Iowa. For decades it circulated daily throughout Nebraska, and in parts of Kansas, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado and Wyoming. In 2008, distribution was reduced to the...
, Miller arrived in Omaha in 1854, the year the city was founded. He also promoted Omaha as the route of the First Transcontinental Railroad
First Transcontinental Railroad
The First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad that connected its statutory Eastern terminus at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska The First...
and the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha in 1898.
Biography
Born to Omaha pioneer politician Lorin MillerLorin Miller
Lorin Miller was a pioneer mayor of Omaha, Nebraska. He served as the Mayor from 1865 to 1867. Miller arrived in Omaha on October 19, 1854 and began surveying immediately. He was responsible for surveying Jeffrey's addition, as well as the notorious Scriptown. Prominent Omaha leader George L....
, George L. Miller was a graduate from medical school in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1852. He practiced in Syracuse, New York
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
for two years before coming to Omaha where his parents settled in 1854. He started the first medical practice in the city upon his arrival.
Miller was elected to the Nebraska Territorial Legislature
Nebraska Territorial Legislature
The Nebraska Territorial Legislature was held from January 16, 1855 until 1865 in Omaha City, Nebraska Territory.- Slavery :In 1854 the Kansas-Nebraska Act created the Nebraska Territory, overturning the Missouri Compromise by allowing legislatures of the Nebraska and Kansas territories to...
in 1854. He served one year in the house and then was elected to three terms in the council, serving as president of the legislature in his second term. In 1855 Miller requested that the Congregationalist Church send a minister to Omaha, leading to the assignment of Reuben Gaylord
Reuben Gaylord
Reuben Gaylord was the recognized leader of the missionary pioneers in the Nebraska Territory, and has been called the "father of Congregationalism in Nebraska." Writing in memory of Gaylord in the early 1900s, fellow Omaha pioneer George L...
, the city's foremost Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
missionary in its early years. In 1860 Miller moved to St. Joseph, Missouri, where he submitted articles to local newspapers. During that period Miller decided to leave medicine to pursue other ventures. Miller helped recruit the First Nebraska Regiment prior to the Civil War and served as sutler
Sutler
A sutler or victualer is a civilian merchant who sells provisions to an army in the field, in camp or in quarters. The sutler sold wares from the back of a wagon or a temporary tent, allowing them to travel along with an army or to remote military outposts...
at Fort Kearny
Fort Kearny
Fort Kearny was a historic outpost of the United States Army founded in 1848 in the western U.S. during the middle and late 19th century. The outpost was located along the Oregon Trail near present-day Kearney, Nebraska, which took its name from the fort .-Origins and various missions of the...
until 1864. That year he returned to Omaha and ran for territorial delegate to Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
and was defeated. The following year he started the Democratic Omaha Daily Herald. Miller was attacked by Republican Edward Rosewater
Edward Rosewater
Edward Rosewater, born Edward Rosenwasser, was a Republican Party politician and newspaper editor in Omaha, Nebraska...
of the Omaha Bee
Omaha Bee
The Omaha Bee was a pioneer newspaper in Omaha, Nebraska founded on May 8, 1871, by Edward Rosewater, a Bohemian Jewish immigrant who supported abolition and fought in the Union Army. The Bee was regarded as a Republican newspaper, and early on featured Rosewater's opinions...
on September 6, 1876, as a "jack-of-all trades and a master of none. . . . a medicine man, a hotel builder, an army sutler, a cotton speculator, a railroad jobber, an eating-house keeper, journalist, and a politician. . . [and] a dishonest, unscrupulous, and unprincipled money-grabber." He was the editor of the Omaha Daily Herald for almost twenty-three years before selling the paper in 1887.
In the 1870s he helped Omaha land placement along the First Transcontinental Railroad
First Transcontinental Railroad
The First Transcontinental Railroad was a railroad line built in the United States of America between 1863 and 1869 by the Central Pacific Railroad of California and the Union Pacific Railroad that connected its statutory Eastern terminus at Council Bluffs, Iowa/Omaha, Nebraska The First...
and the Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge
Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge
The Union Pacific Missouri River Bridge is a rail truss bridge across the Missouri River connecting Council Bluffs, Iowa with Omaha, Nebraska.-History:...
. Miller was a Nebraska delegate to 1876 Democratic National Convention
1876 Democratic National Convention
The 1876 Democratic National Convention assembled in St. Louis just nine days after the conclusion of the Republican National Convention. The convention opened with three contenders, Bourbon Democrat Samuel J. Tilden of New York, Thomas Hendricks of Indiana and Union General Winfield S. Hancock of...
. The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
labeled Miller "the original Tilden man of the West
Western United States
.The Western United States, commonly referred to as the American West or simply "the West," traditionally refers to the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. Because the U.S. expanded westward after its founding, the meaning of the West has evolved over time...
" for his support of Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel J. Tilden
Samuel Jones Tilden was the Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency in the disputed election of 1876, one of the most controversial American elections of the 19th century. He was the 25th Governor of New York...
's presidential campaign
United States presidential election, 1876
The United States presidential election of 1876 was one of the most disputed and controversial presidential elections in American history. Samuel J. Tilden of New York outpolled Ohio's Rutherford B. Hayes in the popular vote, and had 184 electoral votes to Hayes's 165, with 20 votes uncounted...
that year. In 1879 he gave a tribute to Reverend Gaylord at his funeral. During this period Miller bought a large amount of land in North Omaha, eventually offering a large chunk of his own land
Miller Park (park)
Miller Park is located at 6201 North 30th Street in North Omaha, Nebraska. Bounded by Redick and Kansas Avenues on the north and south and 24th and 30th Streets on the east and west, respectively, the park was added to the city of Omaha in 1891.-History:...
for usage as the site of the Trans-Mississippi and International Exposition in Omaha in 1898. Miller served as president of the Expo after his site lost to Kountze Park.
In the late 1880s Dr. Miller built a mansion at what is now 75th and Oakwood Streets in Ralston
Ralston, Nebraska
Ralston is a city in Douglas County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 6,314 at the 2000 census. Ralston is geographically surrounded by Omaha, Nebraska but is a separate city. Since Ralston's population is below 10,000, state law technically allows for Omaha to forcibly annex Ralston...
, an West Omaha suburb. In 1898 the home was destroyed by a fire. Miller helped the new St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church
St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church
St. Martin of Tours Episcopal Church is an historic stone Episcopal church building located at 2312 J Street in the South Omaha district of Omaha, Nebraska. Built in 1899 in the Late Gothic Revival style, it was designated an Omaha Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in...
acquire the limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
used in the mansion, and that building still stands. On September 17, 1900 Miller was placed "under restraint" at the upscale Paxton Hotel
Paxton Hotel
The Paxton Hotel, formerly known as Paxton Manor and currently known as The Paxton, is located at 1403 Farnam Street in Downtown Omaha, Nebraska, USA. Designed by local architect Joseph G. McArthur, the current building was constructed in 1928, with its predecessor dating from 1882. Named for local...
in Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha
Downtown Omaha is the central business, government and social core of the Omaha-Council Bluffs metropolitan area, and is located in Omaha, Nebraska. The boundaries are 20th Street on the west to the Missouri River on the east and the centerline of Leavenworth Street on the south to the centerline...
. Reports designated him a "raving maniac" and attributed his behavior to paresis
General paresis of the insane
General paresis, also known as general paralysis of the insane or paralytic dementia, is a neuropsychiatric disorder affecting the brain and central nervous system, caused by syphilis infection...
.
Miller was president of the Nebraska State Historical Society
Nebraska State Historical Society
The Nebraska State Historical Society is a Nebraska state agency, founded in 1878 to "encourage historical research and inquiry, spread historical information .....
from 1907 to 1909, and was also the first president of the Board of Park Commissioners in Omaha. In 1907 he did not support fellow Nebraskan Democrat William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan
William Jennings Bryan was an American politician in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. He was a dominant force in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party, standing three times as its candidate for President of the United States...
's politics during his candidacy for president, stating that Bryan was "is not a Democrat" and challenging his politics as "radical."
J. Sterling Morton, the other prominent member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
in Nebraska
Nebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
, was a bitter enemy of Miller's during this period. Yet Morton recognized Miller's ability and said of him, "No other man, either by the power of money, or by the power of brawn, or by the strength of brain, did as much to make Omaha a city."
Miller died in Omaha in 1920.
Legacy
Omaha has several tributes to Miller. Miller Park Elementary SchoolMiller Park Elementary School
Miller Park Elementary School is located at 5625 North 28th Avenue in the Miller Park neighborhood of north Omaha, Nebraska. The school is credited for creating the original Junior Forest Club concept.-About:...
, Miller Park
Miller Park (park)
Miller Park is located at 6201 North 30th Street in North Omaha, Nebraska. Bounded by Redick and Kansas Avenues on the north and south and 24th and 30th Streets on the east and west, respectively, the park was added to the city of Omaha in 1891.-History:...
, and the Miller Park neighborhood
Miller Park (Omaha, Nebraska)
The Miller Park neighborhood in North Omaha, Nebraska is a historically significant community housing a historic district and several notable historic places. It is located between Sorenson Parkway on the south and Redick Avenue on the north, Florence Boulevard on the east and 30th Street on the west...
in North Omaha are all named in his honor, as well as the new George Miller Parkway in West Omaha.