Ebenezer Byron Finley

Ebenezer Byron Finley served as a Representative from Ohio in the United States Congress from 1877 to 1881. A member of the Democratic Party, Ebenezer Byron Finley contributed to the legislative process during 2 terms in office.

Ebenezer Byron Finley’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the House of Representatives, Ebenezer Byron Finley participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Ebenezer Byron Finley (July 31, 1833 – August 21, 1916) was an American attorney and politician from Ohio. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative from 1877 to 1881. A native of Orrville, Ohio, Finley was educated in Orrville and worked at a variety of occupations prior to the American Civil War. In 1859, he commenced the study of law in the Bucyrus, Ohio office of his uncle, Stephen Ross Harris. He was admitted to the bar in 1861, but soon afterwards enlisted for the Civil War as a member of the Union Army’s 64th Ohio Infantry Regiment. Appointed a first lieutenant in the regiment’s Company K, Finley served for a year and took part in several battles before being discharged after he was injured in an accident. He settled in Bucyrus, where he established a successful law practice. Finley was active in politics as a Democrat and served as mayor of Bucyrus from 1863 to 1865. He won election to the U.S. House in 1876 and served two terms, 1877 to 1881. During his second term he was chairman of the House’s Committee on Public Expenditures. He declined to run for another term in 1880, and resumed practicing law in Bucyrus. From 1884 to 1886, he served as adjutant general of the Ohio National Guard with the rank of major general. Finley died in Bucyrus on August 21, 1916. He was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Bucyrus.