Harrison Eugene Havens

Harrison Eugene Havens (December 15, 1837 – August 16, 1916) was an American lawyer, newspaper editor, railroad executive, and politician who served two terms in the United States House of Representatives from Missouri as a Republican. He was born in Franklin County, Ohio, on December 15, 1837. Havens attended local schools in Ohio, where he received his early education, and subsequently studied law. After completing his legal studies, he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law in Ohio, establishing the professional foundation that would support his later political and public service career.

Seeking broader opportunities, Havens moved from Ohio to Iowa, where he continued to practice law and entered the field of journalism. In Iowa he edited the Sigourney News, combining legal work with editorial responsibilities and gaining experience in public affairs and political discourse. During the American Civil War he served in the Union Army as commander of Company H, 47th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, holding the rank of captain. His military service during this critical national conflict added to his public standing and deepened his engagement with national issues.

After the Civil War, Havens relocated first to Illinois and then to Springfield, Missouri. In Springfield he resumed the dual pursuits of law and journalism, practicing as an attorney while editing the Springfield Patriot newspaper. His work as a newspaper editor in Missouri further increased his visibility and influence in Republican Party circles and among local constituents, positioning him for elective office at the federal level.

In 1870 Havens was elected as a Republican to the Forty-second Congress from Missouri’s 4th congressional district, serving in the United States House of Representatives from March 4, 1871, to March 3, 1873. Following redistricting or changes in his political base, he was elected from Missouri’s 6th congressional district to the Forty-third Congress, serving from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1875. As a member of the Republican Party representing Missouri, Harrison Eugene Havens contributed to the legislative process during two terms in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history in the aftermath of the Civil War and during Reconstruction. In his second term he served as chairman of the Committee on Public Expenditures, a position that placed him at the center of congressional oversight of federal spending. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1874 and later, in 1878, was an unsuccessful candidate for the Missouri Senate.

Following his congressional service, Havens remained active in business and public affairs in Missouri. In 1881 he became superintendent of the Springfield & Western Missouri Railway Company, reflecting a shift toward involvement in the expanding railroad industry that was transforming the American economy. He continued his legal career as well, and from 1893 to 1894 he served as prosecuting attorney of Greene County, Missouri, returning to an official legal role in local government and maintaining his engagement with public service.

Havens later moved farther west as new territories opened to development. He settled first in Guthrie, Oklahoma Territory, and then in Enid, where he again combined journalism and politics. In Enid he edited the Enid Eagle newspaper, using the press as a platform for civic and political issues. He also served as a member of the Oklahoma Territory’s Legislative Council in the late 1890s, where he became a prominent supporter of the unsuccessful effort to secure immediate statehood for the territory. His work in territorial governance extended his political career beyond Missouri and into the evolving political landscape of the American frontier.

In the early 1900s Havens moved to Cuba, where he owned and operated a plantation, marking a final chapter of entrepreneurial activity outside the continental United States. In 1916 he became ill and was taken to Havana for medical care. Harrison Eugene Havens died in Havana, Cuba, on August 16, 1916. He was buried at Colón Cemetery in Havana, closing a life that had spanned law, journalism, military service, congressional office, business leadership, and territorial politics across several states and regions.