Bio
George Ward Holdrege (1847-1926) was a prominent American railroad officer and cattle rancher with significant land holdings in western Nebraska. He is known for advocating modern agricultural techniques, including irrigation, dryland farming, soil conservation, and crop rotation. Born in New York City, he had strong New England family ties and attended a prestigious school in Boston before briefly studying at Harvard. After his father’s business failure, Holdrege returned home without completing his degree.
Holdrege’s career began in Nebraska in 1869 when he joined the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad (B&M). Over 51 years, he rose to General Manager and expanded the B&M’s railroad network across Nebraska and into Wyoming and Montana. He also invested heavily in Nebraska ranching, including the HO ranch, and supported agricultural development in newly settled areas by promoting experimental farms and free grain transportation.
In 1920, Holdrege retired after a distinguished career and received the “Distinguished Service Medal” from the Lincoln Kiwanis Club in 1925. The town of Holdrege in Phelps County, Nebraska, bears his name. He passed away in Omaha in 1926 and is interred in Lincoln, Nebraska.
