Edward Retilla Hays

Edward Retilla Hays (May 26, 1847 – February 28, 1896) was a nineteenth-century politician, soldier, and lawyer from Ohio and Iowa, who briefly represented Iowa’s 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives. A member of the Republican Party, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in office, serving in Congress during a significant period in American history and participating in the democratic process on behalf of his constituents.

Hays was born on May 26, 1847, in Fostoria, Seneca County, Ohio. He was raised in rural northwestern Ohio and attended rural schools near Tiffin, Ohio. His early education in these country schools provided him with a basic formal education typical of mid-nineteenth-century rural communities, and he came of age during the turbulent years leading up to and including the American Civil War.

During the Civil War, Hays enlisted in the Union Army as a private in the 1st Ohio Heavy Artillery Regiment, in which he served from 1862 to 1865. Entering the service as a teenager, he spent the formative years of his youth in uniform, participating in the Union war effort until the close of hostilities. His three years of military service during the nation’s most significant internal conflict helped shape his later public career and sense of civic duty.

After the war, Hays turned to the study of law. He read law in the customary fashion of the period and was admitted to the bar in 1869. Shortly thereafter, he moved west to Iowa and commenced the practice of law in Knoxville, Marion County. Establishing himself as an attorney in this growing community, he became active in local affairs. He served on the local school board, reflecting an interest in public education, and also held a seat on the Knoxville City Council, gaining experience in municipal governance and building a reputation as a civic leader.

Hays’s local prominence and Republican affiliation led to his selection for higher office at a moment of political transition. In September 1890, less than two months before the general election, Republican U.S. Representative Edwin H. Conger resigned his congressional seat representing Iowa’s 7th congressional district to accept President Benjamin Harrison’s appointment as United States Ambassador to Brazil. In response, Iowa Governor Horace Boies ordered that a special election to fill the remainder of Conger’s term be added to the already-scheduled November 1890 ballot. Hays was chosen as the Republican nominee for this special election.

In the special election held on November 4, 1890, Hays won by a margin of 2,560 votes, securing the right to complete the unexpired term in the Fifty-first Congress. He took his seat for the second session of that Congress, which began in December 1890 and ended on March 3, 1891. During this brief tenure, he represented Iowa’s 7th congressional district as a Republican, contributing to the legislative work of the House at a time marked by debates over tariffs, economic policy, and post–Civil War national development. Although his service was short and he did not return for a subsequent term, he participated fully in the responsibilities of a member of Congress and represented the interests of his Iowa constituents.

After the expiration of his term, Hays returned to Knoxville and resumed the practice of law. He continued his professional and community activities there until his death. Edward Retilla Hays died in Knoxville, Iowa, on February 28, 1896. He was interred in Graceland Cemetery in Knoxville, leaving a record of service as a Civil War soldier, local official, lawyer, and brief but duly elected representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.