Samuel C. Hyde (April 22, 1842 – March 7, 1922) was an American attorney and politician from

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

. A

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, he was most notable for his service as prosecuting attorney of

Spokane County Spokane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, its population was 539,339, making it the fourth-most populous county in Washington. The largest city and county seat is Spokane, the second largest cit ...

from 1880 to 1886 and a member of the

United States 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 ...

from 1895 to 1897.

Early life

Samuel Clarence Hyde was born in

Ticonderoga, New York Ticonderoga (, moh, Tekaniataró:ken) is a town in Essex County, New York, United States. The population was 5,042 at the 2010 census. The name comes from the Mohawk ''tekontaró:ken'', meaning "it is at the junction of two waterways". The Tow ...

on April 22, 1842, a son of Eli N. and Susan S. Hyde. He was a twin, and his sister Salina Clarissa died when she was eight months old. When Hyde was three, his parents relocated to a farm near Oshkosh in

Winnebago County, Wisconsin Winnebago County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 171,730. Its county seat is Oshkosh. It was named for the historic Winnebago people, a federally recognized Native American tribe now known ...

, where Hyde was raised and educated.

Start of career

In December 1861, Hyde enlisted in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

for the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. He joined Company K, 17th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry as a

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, with his enlistment credited to the town of Utica in Winnebago County. Hyde attained the rank of sergeant and served until July 1862, when he was discharged for disability. After leaving the army, Hyde worked as an explorer and surveyor of timber and mining lands in Michigan's upper peninsula. In 1871, he began to farm in

Lyon County, Iowa Lyon County is the most northwesterly county of the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 11,934. The county seat is Rock Rapids. Lyon County is named in honor of Brigadier General Nathaniel Lyon, who served in the Mex ...

. In the early 1870s, he attended

Iowa State University Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...

, where he studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1872, and began to practice in

Rock Rapids, Iowa Rock Rapids is a city in and the county seat of Lyon County, Iowa, Lyon County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,611 in the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, an increase from 2,573 in the 2000 United States Census, 2000 census. Hi ...

. In addition to practicing law, Hyde was publisher of the ''Lyon County Press'' newspaper. Hyde also became active in politics as a Republican, and served as chairman of the party's central committee in Lyon County, Iowa.

Continued career

In 1877, Hyde moved to

Washington Territory The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington. It was created from the ...

, and he resided and practiced law in both

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and Tacoma. In 1879, he relocated to

Spokane Spokane ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Spokane County, Washington, United States. It is in eastern Washington, along the Spokane River, adjacent to the Selkirk Mountains, and west of the Rocky Mountain foothills, south of the Ca ...

, where he continued practicing law. As an early resident of Spokane, Hyde was one of its developers, including construction and management of several commercial buildings. In 1881, he was appointed

Prosecuting Attorney A prosecutor is a legal representative of the prosecution in states with either the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. The prosecution is the legal party responsible for presenting the case in a criminal trial ...

and Stevens County, and he served in this position for six years. In 1894, Hyde was the successful Republican nominee for the U.S. House of Representatives from

Washington's at-large congressional district At different times in its history, Washington elected one or more U.S. Representatives at-large statewide. From statehood in 1889 until 1909, Washington elected all of its U.S. representatives statewide. In 1909, Washington was divided into c ...

. He served in the 54th Congress, March 4, 1895 to March 3, 1897. During his Congressional term, Hyde successfully advocated for construction of the

Fort George Wright Fort George Wright is a land area in the northwest United States, located in Spokane, Washington's West Hills neighborhood. It is named after General George Wright, who had been stationed in the area. History In 1895, local residents purchase ...

army base near Spokane. Hyde was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1896 and resumed practicing law in Spokane. He was a longtime justice of the peace and heard cases in Spokane's justice court until retiring for ill health shortly before his death.

Death and burial

Hyde died in Spokane on March 7, 1922. He was buried at Fairmount Cemetery in Spokane. Hyde's funeral took place at Spokane's Central Methodist Church, and he received funeral honors from members of the local

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

post.

Family

In 1869, Hyde married Mattie A. Rogers (1850-1891) of

Rosendale, Wisconsin Rosendale is a village in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,063 at the 2010 census. The village is located partially within the Town of Rosendale and partially within the Town of Springvale. History The village ...

. They were married until her death, and were the parents of two children, daughter Katherine and son Earl. Hyde's siblings included E. B. Hyde, a Spokane banker and real estate developer who also served in the

Washington State Senate The Washington State Senate is the upper house of the Washington State Legislature. The body consists of 49 members, each representing a district with a population of nearly 160,000. The State Senate meets at the Legislative Building in Olymp ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hyde, Samuel C. 1842 births 1922 deaths People from Ticonderoga, New York People from Utica, Winnebago County, Wisconsin Union Army non-commissioned officers Iowa State University alumni 19th-century American lawyers Iowa lawyers Washington (state) lawyers Lawyers from Spokane, Washington Iowa Republicans Politicians from Spokane, Washington Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Washington (state)