This is the fourth in a nine-part series looking at Ohio’s history of presidents. Some of the information was gleaned from a kit provided by the Ohio Historical Society released in 1967 titled “Portraits of Ohio Presidents.” Ashland Source has entered into a collaborative agreement with the Ohio History Connection to share content across our sites. Part I, an introduction, was published on Feb. 9. Part II, on William Henry Harrison, was published on Feb. 16. Part III, on Ulysses S. Grant, was published on Feb. 23.
Rutherford B. Hayes led an eventful and public life that led from a farm to hallowed legal halls and encompassed both glory and controversy.
The 19th president was born in Delaware, Ohio, on Oct. 4, 1822. His father, Rutherford B. Hayes Jr., died shortly after his birth and Hayes was raised by his mother, Sophia Birchard Hayes, and his uncle, Sardis Birchard, a successful businessman.
Rutherford graduated from Kenyon College at the top of his class in 1842 and earned a Harvard law degree in 1845.
He began practicing law and eventually moved to Cincinnati in 1849. Once there he met Lucy Ware Webb, a graduate of Cincinnati’s Wesleyan Women’s College. She later became the initial First Lady to have a college degree. The were married in 1852 and the couple had eight children.
Hayes worked as city solicitor of Cincinnati from 1857 to 1859.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, he earned the title of major in Ohio’s volunteer infantry in 1861. Hayes was seriously wounded during the Battle of South Mountain in Maryland, but recovered. Eventually, he was promoted to breveted major general of volunteers “for gallant and distinguished services” in 1865.
Hayes served as a congressman from 1865 to 1867 and became governor of Ohio from 1868 to 1872. He then moved his family to Fremont, originally expecting to retire from politics to enjoy life on the farm.
However, he was elected governor again in 1875 from Fremont. His turn toward the presidency was almost by happenstance.
Hayes became a compromise candidate for the GOP primary in the 1876 presidential election between Ulysses S. Grant seeking a third term and Speaker of the House James Blaine of Maine.
In the general election, Democratic opponent Samuel Tilden earned 250,000 more votes, but Hayes had a 185-184 Electoral College edge. Democrats agreed to stop contesting the election if Hayes would end Reconstruction and appoint a Southerner to his cabinet.
Some argued withdrawing federal troops from states still under occupation led to abandoning the Republican Party’s commitment to equal rights for the former slaves — and doomed them to a century of discrimination and segregation. Others argued Hayes’ intent was to begin healing the wounds from the Civil War.
Hayes also began the efforts that led to civil service reform, promoting those based on merit — an unpopular stance in numerous circles.
By the end of his first term, Hayes decided not to seek re-election.
He retired to his Spiegel Grove estate in Fremont in 1881 and worked on prison reform and educational issues. Hayes died on Jan. 17, 1893.
His family turned part of his estate into a library, something copied by numerous future presidents to this day.
