William Holcombe

William Holcombe (July 22, 1804 – September 5, 1870) was a United States Democratic politician and the first lieutenant governor of Minnesota. He was born in Lambertville, New Jersey and died in Stillwater, Minnesota; Holcombe was mayor of Stillwater, when he died.

Biography Born in New Jersey, Holcombe moved to Utica, New York in 1822 where he learned the wheelwright trade. There, he married Martha Wilson. Together, the couple moved to Ohio. In 1835, Holcombe became the captain of the steamboat Olive Branch which travelled between St. Louis, Missouri and Galena, Illinois. After the death of his wife, he moved to Galena, and soon after to the St. Croix Valley in 1839, working for the St. Croix Falls Lumber company.

In the fall of 1846, Holcomb moved to Stillwater. He was elected to serve at the Wisconsin Constitutional Convention in 1846, representing the St. Croix Valley and the land north of Crawford County. At the convention, his goal was "obtaining such a boundary as would place the St. Croix Valley without the limits of Wisconsin."

In 1848, Holcombe served as the secretary for the Stillwater Convention which petitioned Congress to form a new Minnesota territory. He helped to establish the First and Second Presbyterian Churches in Stillwater. He served as the receiver of the U.S land office in Stillwater from 1849 to 1853 and became the president of the Minnesota Bible Society and the State Sunday School Association.

After Minnesota became a state, Holcombe ran as the Lt. Governor Candidate with Henry Sibley. They were elected and Holcombe therefore was the first Lt. Governor and a member of the first Minnesota Legislature.

After serving as Lt. Governor, Holcombe was elected Mayor of Stillwater in 1869 and 1870. He worked on the development of streets and roads. He also served as the Superintendent of Stillwater Schools.