Darius Dodge Hare

Darius Dodge Hare (January 9, 1843 – February 10, 1897) was a Civil War veteran, lawyer, and Democratic politician who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1891 to 1895. A member of the Democratic Party, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his constituents in the United States House of Representatives.

Hare was born near Adrian, Ohio, on January 9, 1843. He attended the common schools of the area, receiving a basic education typical of rural Ohio in the mid-nineteenth century. His early life in Ohio established the local ties that would later shape his legal and political career within the state.

During the American Civil War, Hare enlisted in March 1864 as a private in the Signal Corps of the Union Army. He served in that capacity for the remainder of the conflict, participating in the Union war effort during its final and decisive campaigns. He mustered out of the army in 1865 and returned home to Ohio, joining the ranks of Civil War veterans whose service informed their later public lives.

After the war, Hare pursued legal training and attended the University of Michigan Law School. He was admitted to the bar in September 1867 and commenced the practice of law in Carey, Ohio. Seeking broader opportunities, he moved to Upper Sandusky, Ohio, in May 1868, where he quickly became an active figure in local affairs. His prominence in the community led to his election as mayor of Upper Sandusky, a position he held from 1872 to 1882, giving him a decade of experience in municipal governance and public administration.

Building on his legal practice and local political service, Hare advanced to national office as a Democrat. He was elected to the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses and served as a Representative from Ohio in the United States Congress from March 4, 1891, to March 3, 1895. During his two terms in office, he participated in the democratic process and contributed to the legislative work of the House of Representatives at a time of economic and political transition in the post-Reconstruction era. He declined to be a candidate for renomination in 1894, thereby concluding his congressional career after four years of service.

Following his retirement from Congress, Hare returned to Upper Sandusky and resumed the practice of law. He continued his professional activities there until his death in Upper Sandusky on February 10, 1897. Darius Dodge Hare was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery, leaving a record of service as a Civil War veteran, local official, and two-term member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.