H. B. Miller (April 16, 1819 – November 19, 1889) was a politician and newspaperman. He organized the ''Republican'' in

Niles, Michigan Niles is a city in Berrien and Cass counties in the U.S. state of Michigan, near the Indiana border city of South Bend. In 2010, the population was 11,600 according to the 2010 census. It is the larger, by population, of the two principal cit ...

, ''Michigan Telegraph'' in Kalamazoo, Michigan and the ''Buffalo Telegraph'' in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

. He served as a member of the

New York Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan compo ...

and the Illinois House of Representatives.

Early life

H. B. Miller was born on April 16, 1819, in

Lebanon County, Pennsylvania Lebanon County ( Pennsylvania Dutch: Lebanon Kaundi) is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the population was 133,568. Its county seat is the city of Lebanon. The county was formed from portions of Dauphin ...

, to Henry Miller. At the age of fourteen, Miller learned the printer's trade at a printer office in his hometown. At the age of seventeen, Miller and his family moved to St. Joseph County, Indiana, where he worked in ''The Free Press'' office under Wilbur F. Storey. His brother was William Miller.

Career

In 1839, Miller moved to

, and established ''Republican'', a weekly paper and helped organize the Whig Party. In 1840, Miller worked as a lighthouse inspector for the lakes under Harrison. In 1844, Miller sold the paper and moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he founded the ''Michigan Telegraph''. In 1845, Miller left the paper and moved to

, to establish the ''Buffalo Telegraph'', the second German newspaper published in the United States. He worked with the paper for fourteen years. After leaving the ''Buffalo Telegraph'', Miller secured a contract to line telegraph from Quebec to Montreal. Afterward, he secured a contract to deepen and widen the

Erie Canal The Erie Canal is a historic canal in upstate New York that runs east-west between the Hudson River and Lake Erie. Completed in 1825, the canal was the first navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes, vastly reducing t ...

Black Rock, Buffalo Black Rock, once an independent municipality, is now a neighborhood of the northwest section of the city of Buffalo, New York. In the 1820s, Black Rock was the rival of Buffalo for the terminus of the Erie Canal, but Buffalo, with its larger har ...

. Miller was elected to the

, representing the Buffalo district. He served for two terms, served until 1865. In 1865, Miller moved to Chicago. Miller was a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

. He served in the Illinois House of Representatives for one term. He was appointed treasurer of

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 2 ...

. He served as treasurer for one term. Miller opened a brewery in Chicago. He also purchased a distillery owned by

Jacob Bunn :''This article concerns John Whitfield Bunn, Jacob Bunn, and the entrepreneurs who were interconnected with the Bunn brothers through association or familial and genealogical connection.'' John Whitfield Bunn (June 21, 1831 – June 7, 1920)Ill ...

. Miller was arrested due to his connection with the

Whiskey Ring The Whiskey Ring took place from 1871 to 1876 centering in St. Louis during the Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. The ring was an American scandal, broken in May 1875, involving the diversion of tax revenues in a conspiracy among government agents, ...

. He then retired and moved to

South Bend, Indiana South Bend is a city in and the county seat of St. Joseph County, Indiana, on the St. Joseph River near its southernmost bend, from which it derives its name. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total of 103,453 residents and is the fourt ...

. In 1888, Miller was nominated for

Mayor of South Bend This is a list of mayors of South Bend, Indiana, beginning with South Bend's incorporation as a city on May 22, 1865. William G. George served as the city’s first mayor from 1865 to 1868. Joe Kernan was mayor of South Bend from 1988 to 1997 and ...

, but lost the election. According to his obituary, he lost due to his whiskey interests.

Personal life

Miller married Esther Bowman in 1840. They had six children, including three that died in infancy, Katherine, W. H. Jr. and Clara. Miller was given the nickname "Buffalo" Miller since he often spoke about his time in Buffalo. Miller died at Grand Pacific Hotel on November 19, 1889, following a surgical operation for Bright's disease. He was buried in the family lot at

South Bend City Cemetery The South Bend City Cemetery is a historic cemetery in South Bend, Indiana. History The South Bend City Cemetery was established in 1831, when Lathrop Taylor and Alexis Coquillard donated the land upon which it was built. Jacob Roof was the firs ...

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miller, H. B. People from Lebanon County, Pennsylvania People from Niles, Michigan People from Kalamazoo, Michigan People from Buffalo, New York Politicians from Chicago People from South Bend, Indiana 19th-century American newspaper founders New York (state) state senators Members of the Illinois House of Representatives Michigan Whigs Illinois Republicans Indiana Republicans