Herman Silver (1831-1913) was born in Germany and died in Los Angeles, California. He emigrated to the United States in 1844, eventually settling in Illinois. Silver was a member of the fledgling Republican party and campaigned for presidential candidates John C. Fremont (1856) and Abraham Lincoln (1860). After Lincoln was elected President, Silver embarked on a career of public service. Over the years he held many offices, including county clerk in Lasalle, Illinois (1864-1872), register of the United States Land Office in Denver, Colorado (1875-1877), and superintendent of the United States Mint in Denver (1877-1883). While living in Denver, he also served several times as president of the Temple Emanuel synagogue between 1878 and 1887. It was during this period that he also became interested in Christian Science and he and his wife, Eliza M. Silver, studied with Bradford Sherman, a student of Mary Baker Eddy's. In 1887 ill-health forced him to move to California where he was appointed receiver of the Los Angeles and Pacific Railway. Silver served as president of the Los Angeles City Council (1896-1900) and in 1900 he ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Los Angeles. Later he served as water commissioner (1902-1903) and president of the California State Bank Commission (1903-1908). The Silver Lake Reservoir and its residential neighborhood in East Central Los Angeles are named after him.

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