Melvin Morella Boothman

Melvin Morella Boothman (October 16, 1846 – March 5, 1904) was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio who served two terms in Congress from 1887 to 1891. Born near Bryan, Williams County, Ohio, Boothman spent his early years in a rural environment and attended the local public schools. In his youth he engaged in agricultural pursuits, working on and around farms in the region, an experience that grounded him in the concerns of the agrarian communities he would later represent.

During the Civil War, Boothman entered military service for the Union. He enlisted on January 4, 1864, in Company H of the Thirty-eighth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Serving as a young soldier in the later years of the conflict, he participated in the Atlanta campaign, one of the pivotal operations of the war in the Western Theater. His service during this campaign exposed him to the hardships of military life and the broader national struggle over the Union and emancipation.

After the war, Boothman pursued higher education and a professional career in law. He enrolled in the law department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, one of the leading law schools in the Midwest, and was graduated in 1871. That same year he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Bryan, Ohio. Establishing himself as an attorney in his home community, he quickly became involved in local public affairs and earned a reputation for competence and reliability.

Boothman’s formal entry into public office came through county service. In 1871 he was elected treasurer of Williams County, Ohio, reflecting the confidence of local voters in his integrity and financial stewardship. He was reelected to the same post in 1873, serving multiple terms in charge of county funds. His work as county treasurer, combined with his legal practice, strengthened his standing within the Republican Party and provided a platform for higher office.

Building on his local prominence, Boothman was elected as a Republican to the Fiftieth and Fifty-first Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1887, to March 3, 1891. Representing an Ohio district during a significant period in American history marked by industrial expansion, veterans’ issues, and debates over tariffs and monetary policy, he participated in the legislative process and the broader democratic governance of the nation. As a member of the House of Representatives, he represented the interests of his constituents from northwestern Ohio and contributed to the work of the Republican majority in Congress. He chose not to be a candidate for renomination in 1890, thus concluding his congressional service after two terms.

Following his departure from Congress, Boothman returned to Bryan and resumed the practice of law. He continued to be a respected figure in his community, drawing on his experience as a Civil War veteran, county official, and former member of Congress. He lived and worked in Bryan until his death there on March 5, 1904. Melvin Morella Boothman was interred in Fountain City Cemetery in Bryan, Ohio, closing a life that spanned the Civil War era, Reconstruction, and the nation’s rapid growth at the turn of the twentieth century.