Hiram Pitt Bennet (September 2, 1826 – November 11, 1914) was a Congressional delegate from the

Territory of Colorado The Territory of Colorado was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 28, 1861, until August 1, 1876, when it was admitted to the Union as the State of Colorado. The territory was organized in the w ...

and Colorado Secretary of State

Biography

Bennet was born in Carthage, Maine, and moved to Ohio with his parents, who settled in Richland County in 1831. He attended public and private schools in Ohio. Bennet attended the

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

in Delaware, Ohio, before taking a teaching job in northwestern Missouri in 1850. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1851, practicing in western Iowa and later in Glenwood, Iowa. He served as judge of the circuit court of Iowa in 1852. Bennet moved to the Nebraska Territory in 1854, settled in

Nebraska City Nebraska City is a city in Nebraska, and the county seat of, Otoe County, Nebraska, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 7,289. The Nebraska State Legislature has credited Nebraska City as being the oldest incorporated ...

, and continued the practice of law. He unsuccessfully contested in 1855 as a Republican the election of

Bird B. Chapman Bird Beers Chapman (August 24, 1821 – September 21, 1871) was an American politician and lawyer from the Nebraska Territory; born in Salisbury, Connecticut, August 24, 1821; attended the public schools; studied law; was admitted to the bar and ...

to the Thirty-fourth Congress. He served as member of the Territorial council in 1856, and as member of the Territorial House of Representatives in 1858, where he served as speaker. Bennet moved to

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

in 1859 and continued the practice of law.

Career

Upon the admission of the Territory to representation, Bennet was elected as a Conservative Republican, a Delegate to the

Thirty-seventh Congress The 37th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1861, ...

. He was the first Territorial Representative for Colorado in 1862. He was reelected to the

Thirty-eighth Congress The 38th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1863, ...

and served from August 19, 1861, to March 3, 1865. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1864. Bennet played an important role in obtaining statehood for Colorado, introducing the first bill on statehood in 1863. Bennet served as

Secretary of State of Colorado The secretary of state of Colorado is the secretary of state of the state of Colorado in the United States. The office is one of five elected constitutional offices in the state. The current secretary of state is Democrat Jena Griswold. Structure ...

in 1867. He was appointed postmaster of

, on March 26, 1869, and served until May 27, 1874, when a successor was appointed. Bennet served as a member of the first State senate in 1876. He was appointed "State Agent" in 1888, and served until 1895, recovering lands belonging to the State of Colorado which had been wrongfully disposed of.

Death and legacy

Bennet retired in 1899 and resided in

, until his death, November 11, 1914. He is interred in Riverside Cemetery. The town of Bennett, Colorado was named for Bennet.

References

External links

The State of Colorado: The History of Bennett - A Proud Heritage
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bennet, Hiram Pitt 1826 births 1914 deaths Members of the Nebraska Territorial Legislature Republican Party Colorado state senators Delegates to the United States House of Representatives from Colorado Territory Secretaries of State of Colorado People from Franklin County, Maine People from Richland County, Ohio People from Glenwood, Iowa 19th-century American politicians People from Nebraska City, Nebraska