Hiram Pitt Bennet
Encyclopedia
Hiram Pitt Bennet was a Delegate from the Territory of Colorado.
, Bennet moved to Ohio with his parents, who settled in Richland County in 1831. He attended public and private schools and the Ohio Wesleyan University
at Delaware, before taking a teaching job in northwestern Missouri in 1850 and studied law. He was admitted to the bar
in 1851 and practiced in western Iowa and later at Glenwood, Iowa
. He served as judge of the circuit court of Iowa in 1852.
He moved to Nebraska Territory
in 1854, settled in Nebraska City, and continued the practice of law. He unsuccessfully contested in 1855 as a Republican
the election of Bird B. Chapman 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. He moved to Denver, Colorado
, in 1859 and continued the practice of law.
. He was reelected to the Thirty-eighth Congress
and served from August 19, 1861, to March 3, 1865. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1864. He was then Secretary of State of Colorado
in 1867. He was appointed postmaster of Denver, Colorado
, on March 26, 1869, and served until May 27, 1874, when a successor was appointed. He then served as member of the first State senate in 1876. He was appointed "State agent" in 1888, and served until 1895 in recovering lands belonging to the State of Colorado which had been wrongfully disposed of.
He retired in 1899 and resided in Denver, Colorado
, until his death, November 11, 1914.
He was interred in Riverside Cemetery
.
Background
Born in Carthage, MaineCarthage, Maine
Carthage is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 520 at the 2000 census.-History:First known as Plantation No. 4, Abbott's Purchase, it was part of a large tract of land bought in 1815 by Jacob Abbott of Wilton, New Hampshire from Jonathan Phillips of Boston, who had...
, Bennet moved to Ohio with his parents, who settled in Richland County in 1831. He attended public and private schools and the Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University
Ohio Wesleyan University is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio, United States. 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 of Ohio liberal arts colleges...
at Delaware, before taking a teaching job in northwestern Missouri in 1850 and studied law. He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1851 and practiced in western Iowa and later at Glenwood, Iowa
Glenwood, Iowa
Glenwood is a city in and the county seat of Mills County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,269 in the 2010 census, a decline from 5,358 in the 2000 census. -History:...
. He served as judge of the circuit court of Iowa in 1852.
He moved to Nebraska Territory
Nebraska Territory
The Territory of Nebraska was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until March 1, 1867, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Nebraska. The Nebraska Territory was created by the Kansas–Nebraska Act of 1854...
in 1854, settled in Nebraska City, and continued the practice of law. He unsuccessfully contested in 1855 as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
the election of Bird B. Chapman to the Thirty-fourth
34th United States Congress
The Thirty-fourth 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, 1855 to March 4, 1857, during the last two years...
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. He moved to Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, in 1859 and continued the practice of law.
Political career
Upon the admission of the Territory to representation, Bennet was elected as a Conservative Republican, a Delegate to the Thirty-seventh Congress37th United States Congress
The Thirty-seventh 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 to March 4, 1863, during the first two...
. He was reelected to the Thirty-eighth Congress
38th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:Before this Congress, the 1860 United States Census and resulting reapportionment changed the size of the House to 241 members...
and served from August 19, 1861, to March 3, 1865. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1864. He was then Secretary of State of Colorado
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...
in 1867. He was appointed postmaster of Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, on March 26, 1869, and served until May 27, 1874, when a successor was appointed. He then served as member of the first State senate in 1876. He was appointed "State agent" in 1888, and served until 1895 in recovering lands belonging to the State of Colorado which had been wrongfully disposed of.
He retired in 1899 and resided in Denver, Colorado
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, until his death, November 11, 1914.
He was interred in Riverside Cemetery
Riverside Cemetery (Denver, Colorado)
Riverside Cemetery, established in 1876, is Denver, Colorado's oldest operating cemetery. More than 67,000 people are buried there, including 1,000 veterans.-Location and operation:...
.