Hiram Pitt Bennet

Hiram Pitt Bennet (September 2, 1826 - November 11, 1914) was a Delegate from the Territory of Colorado.

Background

Born in Carthage, Maine, Bennet moved to Ohio with his parents, who settled in Richland County in 1831. He attended public and private schools and the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware, before taking a teaching job in northwestern Missouri in 1850 and studied law. He was admitted to the bar in 1851 and practiced in western Iowa and later at Glenwood, Iowa. He served as judge of the circuit court of Iowa in 1852.

He moved to Nebraska Territory in 1854, settled in Nebraska City, and continued the practice of law. He unsuccessfully contested in 1855 as a Republican the election of Bird B. Chapman to the Thirty-fourth Congress. He served as member of the Territorial council in 1856, and as member of the Territorial house of representatives in 1858, where he served as speaker. He moved to Denver, Colorado, in 1859 and continued the practice of law.

Political career

Upon the admission of the Territory to representation, Bennet was elected as a Conservative Republican, a Delegate to the Thirty-seventh Congress. He was reelected to the Thirty-eighth Congress and served from August 19, 1861, to March 3, 1865. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1864. He was then Secretary of State of Colorado in 1867. He was appointed postmaster of Denver, Colorado, on March 26, 1869, and served until May 27, 1874, when a successor was appointed. He then served as member of the first State senate in 1876. He was appointed "State agent" in 1888, and served until 1895 in recovering lands belonging to the State of Colorado which had been wrongfully disposed of.

He retired in 1899 and resided in Denver, Colorado, until his death, November 11, 1914.He was interred in Riverside Cemetery.

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