Elias Howell

Elias Howell (August 17, 1785 – May 12, 1844) was an American politician who served one term as a United States Representative from Ohio from 1835 to 1837. He was born in New Jersey on August 17, 1785. Details of his early family life are sparse, but he was raised in the post-Revolutionary era and attended the public schools available to him, receiving a basic formal education typical of the period.

In 1819, Howell moved west to Newark, Ohio, reflecting the broader migration and settlement patterns of the early nineteenth century. Settling in Newark, he became part of the developing civic and political life of Licking County. His relocation to Ohio positioned him within a rapidly growing state that was gaining influence in national affairs, and he soon entered public service at the state level.

Howell’s political career advanced with his election to the Ohio Senate, where he served from 1830 to 1832. As a state senator, he participated in legislative deliberations during a time of significant economic and political change in Ohio, contributing to the shaping of state policy in the years preceding the rise of the Whig Party as a major national force. His service in the Ohio General Assembly helped establish his reputation and prepared him for national office.

In national politics, Howell was elected as an Anti-Jacksonian to the Twenty-fourth United States Congress, representing Ohio in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served from March 4, 1835, to March 3, 1837. During this single term in Congress, he was aligned with the broader Anti-Jacksonian movement that opposed the policies of President Andrew Jackson and that would soon coalesce into the Whig Party. As a member of this emerging Whig-aligned opposition, and described as a member of the Whig Party representing Ohio, Elias Howell contributed to the legislative process during his term in office. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by debates over federal power, banking, and internal improvements, and he participated in the democratic process by representing the interests of his Ohio constituents.

Howell did not seek renomination at the conclusion of his term in the House of Representatives and returned to private life in Ohio after March 3, 1837. He remained in the Newark area for the remainder of his life. Elias Howell died near Newark, Ohio, on May 12, 1844. His family continued his legacy of public service; his son, James Bruen Howell, later became a United States Senator from Iowa, extending the Howell family’s involvement in national politics into the next generation.