George W. Hayes
George W. Hayes | |
|---|---|
| Ohio House of Representatives | |
| In office 1902–1905 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | George Washington Hays November 1, 1847 St. Landry Parish, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | 1933 (aged 85–86) |
| Resting place | Union Baptist Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation | Ohio state legislator, court crier, surveyor |
George Washington Hayes (November 1, 1847 – 1933), also known as George W. Hays, was an American state legislator, a former slave, and a court crier. He was the first African-American court crier in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio; and served as a Republican in the Ohio House of Representatives from 1902 to 1905 (75th–76th General Assemblies).[1]
Early life and family
George Washington Hayes was born on November 1, 1847, near St. Landry Parish, Louisiana.[2] He had Creole, African American and Native American heritage, and he was enslaved early in his life.[2] Hayes was the youngest child of Anna and Joshua Hays; his mother was enslaved and was of African American and Native American descent, and his father was a free Creole.[2] He was taken with his mother to Franklin, Kentucky when he was 7 years old.[2]
Career
Hayes was forced into the Confederate Army around 1862 when he was a teenager, and later escaped in order to join the Union Army at Fort Negley in Nashville.[2] He was with General William Tecumseh Sherman on his march to the sea.[2] Hayes stayed with the Union Army until April 1865.[2]
He moved to New York City after the war, where he initially worked as a waiter and took classes.[2] Hayes married Mamie Forte in 1874, and they had five children.[2] He and his family were members of the Union Baptist Church, Cincinnati.
Hayes served as a Republican in the Ohio House of Representatives from Hamilton County, from 1902 to 1905 (75th–76th General Assemblies).[3]
Hayes was a trustee of the Ohio Institute of the Blind, and the Curry Normal and Industrial Institute.[2][4] He was superintendent of Sunday schools for both the Union Baptist Church and the Calvary Baptist Church.[2] Hayes was a 32nd degree Mason, the district grand director of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, and a member of True Reformers.[2]
He is buried in the Union Baptist Cemetery in the Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati. The Hayes Elementary School in Cincinnati is named for him.
See also
References
- ^ "The African American Experience in Ohio, 1850-1920 / Ohio House of Representatives Photograph Collection". The Ohio Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2021-04-21. Retrieved 2021-04-28.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "African-American Legislators". georgewashingtonwilliams.org. Archived from the original on 10 October 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2022.
- ^ Walton Jr., Hanes; Puckett, Sherman; Deskins Jr., Donald R. (2012-07-20). The African American Electorate. SAGE. p. 397. ISBN 978-0-87289-508-9.
- ^ Curry, Elmer W. B. (1907). A Story of the Curry Institute, Urbana, Ohio. The Institute.
External links
- Photographs of African-American members of the Ohio House of Representatives Archived 2008-08-01 at the Wayback Machine
- Letter from George W. Hays to Jere Brown Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine