Hiram Bell Farmstead in the 19th century

Hiram Bell (April 22, 1808 – December 21, 1855) was an American politician who was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Article One of th ...

from the Ohio's Third Congressional District. Bell was born in Salem (now

Derby Derby ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area on the River Derwent, Derbyshire, River Derwent in Derbyshire, England. Derbyshire is named after Derby, which was its original co ...

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, and attended the public schools of his native town. In 1826, his parents moved the family to

Hamilton, Ohio Hamilton is a city in Butler County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Located north of Cincinnati along the Great Miami River, Hamilton is the second-most populous city in the Cincinnati metropolitan area and the List of municipaliti ...

. There he studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1829, when he commenced practice in

Greenville, Ohio Greenville is a city in Darke County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is near Ohio's western edge, about northwest of Dayton, Ohio, Dayton. The population was 12,786 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. History Indigenous ...

. Hiram Bell married Lusina Clark in

Darke County Darke County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,881. Its county seat and largest city is Greenville. The county was created in 1809 and later organized in 1817. It is named for William Darke, ...

on July 25, 1832; they had two children. In 1829 and 1834 he was elected auditor of

Darke County, Ohio Darke County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 51,881. Its county seat and largest city is Greenville. The county was created in 1809 and later organized in 1817. It is named for William Darke ...

. He served three terms in the

Ohio house of representatives The Ohio House of Representatives is the lower house of the Ohio General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Ohio; the other house of the bicameral legislature being the Ohio Senate. The House of Representatives first met in ...

in 1836, 1837, and 1840. In 1850, he ran successfully for Congress as a Whig from the third district. After the redistricting following the

1850 census The 1850 United States census was the seventh decennial United States Census Conducted by the Census Office, it determined the resident population of the United States to be 23,191,876—an increase of 35.9 percent over the 17,069,453 persons ...

, he did not stand for re-election in the new district in 1852. He engaged in the practice of law in Greenville where he died a few years later, aged 47. He is interred in the Greenville Cemetery.

Sources

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Hiram 1808 births 1855 deaths People from Derby, Vermont Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio Members of the Ohio House of Representatives People from Greenville, Ohio People from Hamilton, Ohio Members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state) 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives 19th-century members of the Ohio General Assembly