Ossian Ray

Ossian Ray (December 13, 1835 – January 28, 1892) was a United States Representative from New Hampshire and a member of the Republican Party who served three terms in Congress from 1879 to 1885. He was born in Hinesburg, Vermont, and in his youth moved with his family to Irasburg, Vermont. He attended the public schools and later an academy in nearby Derby, Vermont, receiving a basic formal education that prepared him for the study of law.

After completing his schooling, Ray studied law in Irasburg and subsequently in Lancaster, New Hampshire, to which he moved in 1854. He was admitted to the bar in 1857 and commenced legal practice, working in both Essex County, Vermont, and Coos County, New Hampshire. Establishing himself as an attorney in northern New England, he built a regional practice that led to increasing involvement in public affairs and Republican Party politics.

Ray’s public career began at the county level. He served as solicitor for Coos County, New Hampshire, from 1862 to 1872, a decade-long tenure that placed him at the center of local law enforcement and legal administration during and after the Civil War. He entered state politics as a member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, serving in the sessions of 1868 and 1869. His growing prominence within the Republican Party was further recognized when he was chosen as a delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1872, reflecting his influence in party councils at both the state and national levels.

In addition to his legislative service, Ray held a federal legal post. On February 22, 1879, he was appointed United States Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. He served in that capacity until his resignation, effective December 23, 1880. His experience as a federal prosecutor, combined with his earlier county and state service, positioned him as a leading Republican figure in New Hampshire and prepared him for election to the United States Congress.

Ray was elected as a Republican to the Forty-sixth Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Evarts W. Farr. He took his seat on January 8, 1881, and was subsequently re-elected to the Forty-seventh and Forty-eighth Congresses, serving continuously until March 3, 1885. During these three terms in the House of Representatives, he participated in the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his New Hampshire constituents and contributing to the work of the Republican majority and minority as national politics adjusted in the post-Reconstruction era. Although he remained an active and engaged legislator, Ray did not seek renomination in 1884, thereby concluding his congressional career at the end of his third term.

After leaving Congress, Ray returned to private life in Lancaster, New Hampshire, where he had long been a resident and where he continued to be identified with the legal and civic life of the community. He died in Lancaster on January 28, 1892. Ossian Ray was buried in Summer Street Cemetery in Lancaster, New Hampshire, closing a career that spanned local, state, and federal service over several decades.