William Woodburn Skiles

William Woodburn Skiles (December 11, 1849 – January 9, 1904) was an American lawyer, banker, and Republican politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1901 until his death in 1904. Over the course of two terms in the United States House of Representatives, he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history, representing the interests of his Ohio constituents and participating actively in the democratic process.

Skiles was born in Stoughstown, Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on December 11, 1849, the son of John Gettis Skiles (c. 1820–1891) and Sarah Jane Martin (1823–1913), both natives of Cumberland County. His maternal grandfather was William Martin. He grew up in a large family that included siblings Mary Caroline Cramer (1847–1920), George M. Skiles (1852–1916), John Clark Skiles (1855–1906), Jennie Smith (1857–1939), Valletta Bell (1861–1945), and Burgetta Crum (1863–1925). Through his mother, he was related to the Martin family of Pennsylvania; Sarah Jane Martin had at least three sisters—Mary Hahn (d. 1867), Martha E. Mattoon (d. 1893), and Susan B. Roberts (1831–1910)—reflecting extended family connections that reached beyond his immediate household.

In 1854 Skiles moved with his parents from Pennsylvania to Richland County, Ohio, where the family settled in Shelby. He attended the district schools in Shelby, receiving the basic education typical of mid-nineteenth-century rural Ohio. As a young man he taught school for several years, an experience that both supported his further studies and established his early involvement in local educational affairs. Seeking advanced education, he enrolled at Baldwin University in Berea, Ohio, and graduated in 1876, marking a significant step from teaching into the learned professions.

Following his graduation, Skiles turned to the study of law. On July 24, 1878, he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of law in Shelby, Ohio. He entered into partnership with his brother, and the firm operated under the name Skiles and Skiles. In addition to his legal work, Skiles became involved in local business and industry; he was a stockholder and director in various manufacturing enterprises in the Shelby area, reflecting his interest in the economic development of his community. His growing prominence in professional and commercial circles helped lay the groundwork for his later political career.

Skiles also played a leading role in local education and banking. He served as a member and president of the Shelby City School Board from 1885 until his death in 1904, overseeing the administration and development of the local public schools for nearly two decades. In the financial sector, he became president of the Citizens Bank of Shelby in 1893 and held that position until his death, guiding the institution through a period of economic change at the close of the nineteenth century. His civic and business leadership, combined with his legal practice, made him a well-known figure in Richland County and within Ohio Republican circles.

A committed Republican, Skiles advanced within the party organization at the state level. He served as a member of the Republican State central committee from 1900 to 1904, participating in the coordination and direction of party activities in Ohio. His work on the committee coincided with his emergence as a candidate for national office, as the Republican Party consolidated its strength in the state during the early years of the twentieth century.

Skiles was elected as a Republican to the Fifty-seventh and Fifty-eighth Congresses and served as a U.S. Representative from Ohio from March 4, 1901, until his death on January 9, 1904. His tenure in Congress thus spanned two full terms, during which he took part in the legislative deliberations of the House of Representatives at a time of expanding American economic and political influence. During the Fifty-eighth Congress he served as chairman of the Committee on Patents, a position that placed him at the center of legislative consideration of intellectual property issues and the legal framework for innovation and industrial development. In this capacity and as a member of the House more broadly, he contributed to the work of Congress during a formative period in the nation’s modern legislative history.

In his personal life, Skiles married E. Dora Matson of Shelby in 1877, and the couple had two children. He continued to reside in Shelby throughout his professional and political career, maintaining close ties to the community in which he had grown up and built his legal, business, and civic reputation. Skiles died in office in Shelby, Ohio, on January 9, 1904, while still serving in the Fifty-eighth Congress. He was interred in Oakland Cemetery in Shelby, Ohio, where his grave marks the resting place of a local lawyer, banker, and legislator who rose to national office while remaining rooted in his home community.