Marker Text
Othman Ali (O.A.) Abbott (1842-1935) was a Civil War veteran, pioneer lawyer, Nebraska statesman, and advocate for women’s rights. From 1861 to 1865 he served as First Lieutenant with the 9th Illinois Volunteer Cavalry and was wounded twice in battle. In 1867 O.A. and his brother Marcus were headed to California when they stopped at their uncle Chancey Abbott’s home in Wood River, Nebraska. O.A. decided to remain in Hall County and established a law office in Grand Island. Abbott was elected as a member of the first and second Nebraska Constitutional Conventions in 1871 and 1875. In 1872 he was appointed to complete an unexpired term in the Nebraska State Senate. He was elected in 1876 as Nebraska’s first Lieutenant Governor, serving from 1877 to 1879.
O.A. and his wife, Elizabeth, championed women’s property rights and suffrage. They hosted prominent suffragists, including Susan B. Anthony, in their Grand Island home. Their daughters, Edith and Grace, became known nationally for their social justice work. Abbott’s autobiography, “Recollections of a Pioneer Lawyer” was published in 1929 by the Nebraska State Historical Society.
Location
Pioneer Park, 615 2nd St W. Grand Island, Nebraska. To view the marker’s location, click here.
