Edward Retilla Hays (May 26, 1847 – February 28, 1896) was a nineteenth-century politician, soldier, and lawyer from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

and

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

, who briefly represented

Iowa's 7th congressional district Iowa's 7th congressional district is a former congressional district in Iowa. It was eliminated after the 1970 election, leaving Iowa with six congressional districts. The state has since been reduced to four congressional districts. Redistrict ...

in the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

Biography

Born in

Fostoria, Ohio Fostoria (, ) is a city located at the convergence of Hancock, Seneca, and Wood counties in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio. It is approximately south of Toledo and north of Columbus. The city is known for its railroads, as app ...

, Hays attended rural schools near

Tiffin, Ohio Tiffin is a city in and the county seat of Seneca County, Ohio, United States. Developed along the Sandusky River, which flows to Lake Erie, Tiffin is about 55 miles southeast of Toledo. The population was 17,963 at the 2010 census.Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

, he served as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

in the 1st Ohio Heavy Artillery Regiment from 1862 to 1865. Afterwards, he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1869, commencing practice in

Knoxville, Iowa Knoxville is a city in Marion County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,595 at the time of the 2020 census, an increase from 7,313 in the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Marion County. Knoxville is home of the National Sprint Ca ...

. He served on the local school board and on the City Council. In September 1890, less than two months before the general election, Republican U.S. Representative

Edwin H. Conger Edwin Hurd Conger (March 7, 1843 – May 18, 1907) was an American Civil War soldier, lawyer, banker, Iowa congressman, and United States diplomat. As the United States' minister to China during the Boxer Rebellion, Conger, his family, and ...

resigned his Congressional seat representing Iowa's 7th congressional district to accept President Benjamin Harrison's appointment as

United States Ambassador to Brazil The following is a list of ambassadors of the United States, or other head of mission, chiefs of mission, to Brazil. The title given by the United States State Department to this position is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Minister Plenipot ...

. Iowa Governor

Horace Boies Horace Boies (December 7, 1827 – April 4, 1923) served as the 14th Governor of Iowa from 1890 to 1894 as a member of the United States Democratic Party The Democratic Party is one of the Two-party system, two Major party, major contempo ...

added to the already-scheduled November 1890 election ballot a special election to choose an immediate successor who would complete the final months of Conger's term. Hays was chosen as the Republican nominee for this special election. After winning the election on November 4, 1890 by 2,560 votes,Waterloo Courier, 1890-12-10 at p. 4. he served in a second session that began in December 1890 and ended on March 3, 1891. Returning from Washington, he resumed practicing law until his death in Knoxville, on February 28, 1896. He was interred in Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville.

References

External links

Retrieved on 2008-10-10 {{DEFAULTSORT:Hays, Edward R. 1847 births 1896 deaths Iowa lawyers Union Army soldiers People from Fostoria, Ohio People of Ohio in the American Civil War People from Knoxville, Iowa Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers Child soldiers in the American Civil War