Daniel Hartman Hastings (February 26, 1849January 9, 1903) was the 21st governor of Pennsylvania, serving from 1895 to 1899.

Biography

Daniel H. Hastings was born in Salona,

Clinton County, Pennsylvania Clinton County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,450. Its county seat is Lock Haven. The county was created on June 21, 1839, from parts of Centre and Lycoming Counties. Its name is ...

on February 26, 1849. He was educated locally, and worked on his father's farm. He tried several times to run away to join 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 ...

, following the example of his three older brothers, but his father stopped him each time.

Early career

At age 14, Hastings became a school teacher in

, a job he held for four years. Named principal of Bellefonte High School at age 18, Hastings carried out the responsibilities of this position while furthering his own education, attending

Bellefonte Academy Bellefonte Academy was a historic school building located at Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. The original building was built in 1805, as a two-story, rectangular limestone building. It was enlarged between 1839 and 1845, with the additi ...

and studying law. Hastings was admitted to the bar in 1875 and established a successful practice. He also became involved in several businesses, including coal mines and banking. In addition, he was editor of the ''Bellefonte Republican'' newspaper. Involved in local government and civic institutions, Hastings served on the Bellefonte school board, as a town Burgess, a trustee of Bellefonte's

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

, and a trustee of Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania State College and Dickinson College. Daniel Hastings was initiated into Bellefonte Lodge # 268 of Free and Accepted Masons in September 1874. He became their Worshipful Master of in 1878. He was a member of the Bellefonte Chapter # 241 of Royal Arch masons. He became the Eminent Commander of Constans Commandery #33 Knights Templar of Bellefonte in 1886.

Start of political career

Active in politics as a Republican Party (United States), Republican, in 1878 he managed the successful Congressional campaign of his law partner, Seth Hartman Yocum, a Republican running as a Greenback Party, Greenbacker. In 1882 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1882 he was active in the unsuccessful campaign of James A. Beaver for governor. In 1886 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1886, he was a delegate to the state Republican convention, and gave the nominating speech for Beaver, who ran successfully for governor. In 1887 he was chairman of the state Republican convention. Hastings was a delegate to the 1888 Republican National Convention, and gave the nominating speech for John Sherman. He also gave a seconding speech for Levi P. Morton after Morton was nominated for Vice President of the United States, Vice President.

Military career

In July 1877 Hastings joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, Pennsylvania State Militia as paymaster of the 5th Regiment with the rank of Captain (United States O-3), Captain. Within a year he had been appointed Lieutenant Colonel (United States), Lieutenant Colonel and second-in-command of his regiment, and soon afterwards he was appointed assistant adjutant of the Pennsylvania Militia's 2nd Brigade. By 1880 he had been promoted to commander of the 5th Regiment with the rank of Colonel (United States), colonel. In 1887, governor and fellow Bellefonte resident James A. Beaver named Hastings as Adjutant General of the state Militia with the rank of Major General (United States), major general. In his role as adjutant general, Hastings led relief efforts following the 1889 Johnstown Flood, for which he gained statewide attention and praise.

Governor of Pennsylvania

Hastings was a candidate for governor in 1890 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1890, but Matthew S. Quay, leader of the state Republican Party, succeeded in obtaining the nomination for George W. Delamater, defeating Hastings by only 11 votes. As a wealthy banker affiliated with Standard Oil, Delamater proved unpopular with many Republicans, who gave him lukewarm support or supported the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic nominee, former governor Robert E. Pattison. Pattison had been elected in 1882 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1882, and served from 1883 to 1887. Pattison was barred by law to an additional consecutive term and so could not run for reelection. James Beaver defeated Chauncey Forward Black in the 1886 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1886, and served from 1887 to 1891. Pattison running again then defeated Delamater in 1890 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1890, and served from 1891 to 1895. Hastings sought the United States Republican Party, Republican gubernatorial again in 1894 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1894. He obtained it, and defeated the Democratic nominee, William M. Singerly. Hastings served one term, 1895 to 1899. As governor, in 1895 Hastings appointed the first seven judges to the newly created Pennsylvania Superior Court, including former governor Beaver. In addition, his administration included the creation of the Pennsylvania State Game Commission, Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry, State Forestry Commission, and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. He also signed into a law a measure to replace state property taxes with a tax on corporate profits. Also in 1895, Hastings enacted the Pennsylvania Capitol Police, the first Pennsylvania police agency under Commonwealth jurisdiction and the second oldest state police organization in the United States, after the Texas Ranger Division, Texas Rangers. In 1897, the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg was destroyed in a fire, and the Hastings administration started efforts to erect a replacement, which was completed in 1906. Hastings directed the state's response during the Spanish–American War, working with the state legislature to raise troops, supplies and equipment and transport them to mobilization sites, and then taking steps to return soldiers to Pennsylvania and demobilize them at the end of the war.

Death and burial

Following his term, Hastings returned to his law practice and business interests. He died from pneumonia in Bellefonte on January 9, 1903, and was buried at Union Cemetery (Bellefonte, Pennsylvania), Union Cemetery in Bellefonte.

Legacy

Hastings Hall on the University Park, Pennsylvania, University Park campus of Pennsylvania State University, Penn State is named for him. In 1889 Hastings founded the town of Hastings, Pennsylvania as part of his coal mining interests, and it was named for him. He also founded the mining towns of Spangler, Pennsylvania, Spangler and Bakerton. In 1895 Hastings received an honorary degree, honorary Legum Doctor, LL.D. from Dickinson College.

References

External links

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Daniel H. Hastings

National Governors Association
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Daniel Hartman Hastings
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Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission
' {{DEFAULTSORT:Hastings, Daniel 1849 births 1903 deaths Republican Party governors of Pennsylvania Pennsylvania lawyers American militia officers American militia generals People from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania State University people Burials in Pennsylvania Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church American school principals 19th-century Methodists