Solomon George Haven

Solomon George Haven (November 27, 1810 – December 24, 1861) was a U.S. Representative from New York and mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving as mayor in 1846–1847. He was born in Guilford, Chenango County, New York, on November 27, 1810. Little is recorded of his early childhood, but as a young man he supported himself in part by teaching school, an occupation that enabled him to pursue further study and laid the groundwork for his later legal and political career.

Haven studied law while engaged in teaching and, seeking broader professional opportunities, moved to Buffalo, New York, on January 10, 1835. In Buffalo he completed his legal training in the offices of Fillmore & Hall, the law partnership of future President Millard Fillmore and Nathan K. Hall. His association with this prominent firm advanced his standing in the legal community, and he later became a partner in the practice. On May 2, 1838, he married Harriett N. Scott, further establishing his personal and social ties in Buffalo. His growing reputation as an attorney led to his appointment in 1843 as district attorney of Erie County, New York, a position in which he was responsible for prosecuting criminal cases and representing the interests of the county in legal matters.

Haven’s public career advanced rapidly in the mid-1840s. On March 3, 1846, he was elected mayor of Buffalo. His tenure coincided with a period of institutional development in the city’s government. During his term, the city charter was amended to grant the mayor veto power, thereby strengthening the authority of the executive branch in municipal affairs. In addition, the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser was designated as the official newspaper of the city, reflecting the administration’s efforts to regularize the publication of official notices and proceedings. Haven’s term as mayor concluded on March 9, 1847, after which he returned to his legal practice while remaining active in public life.

Haven subsequently entered national politics and was elected to the United States House of Representatives from New York. As a member of the Independent Party representing New York, Solomon George Haven contributed to the legislative process during three terms in office. He was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-second and Thirty-third Congresses and was reelected as an Opposition Party candidate to the Thirty-fourth Congress, serving from March 4, 1851, to March 3, 1857. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by rising sectional tensions and debates over slavery, territorial expansion, and the future of the Union. During these years he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in western New York, aligning at various times with the Whig, Independent, and Opposition elements that coalesced in response to the shifting national party system of the 1850s.

After three consecutive terms, Haven sought to continue his congressional career but was unsuccessful in his bid for reelection in 1856 to the Thirty-fifth Congress. He later ran again, unsuccessfully, in 1860 for election to the Thirty-seventh Congress, a contest held on the eve of the Civil War as the national political landscape was being reshaped by the emergence of the Republican Party and the disintegration of older party alignments. Following these defeats, he resumed the full-time practice of law in Buffalo, maintaining his role as a respected member of the city’s legal and civic community.

Haven remained in Buffalo for the rest of his life, engaged in his profession and in local affairs until his death. He died in Buffalo, New York, on December 24, 1861. He was interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, a burial ground that became the resting place for many of the city’s leading citizens.