Edward Dexter Holbrook

Edward Dexter Holbrook (May 6, 1836 – June 18, 1870) was an American lawyer and politician who served as a delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives from the Idaho Territory from 1865 to 1869.

Early life and career Edward Dexter Holbrook was born May 6, 1836, in Elyria, Ohio. He attended public schools and studied law at Oberlin College. He was admitted to the bar in 1859, aged 23, and maintained a private practice in Elyria. He later moved to Weaverville, California, then Placerville, Idaho, amid the discovery of gold in Idaho. He continued practicing law in Placerville until he was elected as a delegate. On October 22, believing that he had likely been elected, Holbrook gave a speech in Idaho City, where he vowed to serve the people of Idaho, not any political party. He was officially declared the winner by governor Caleb Lyon on November 14.

Holbrook was reelected on August 13, 1866, defeating Republican J. M. Kirkpatrick, with 3,638 votes (55.4%) to Kirkpatrick's 2,923 (44.6%).

Tenure While Holbrook officially entered office on March 4, 1865, He left for Washington, D.C., on October 16, 1865; on the day of his departure, his friends gifted him a pocket watch. On his trip to D.C., he took a steamboat from San Francisco to New York City.

On February 4, 1869, during the debate of an Indian Appropriations Act, Holbrook interrupted Benjamin Butler, a Republican from Massachusetts, and said that his claims about Indian agents were false: After he refused to retract this claim, Holbrook was censured by the House of Representatives for the use of unparliamentary language.

After one hung jury, Douglas was acquitted of manslaughter.

Electoral history