Henry M. Hoyt
Henry Martyn Hoyt, Sr. | |
---|---|
Charles W. Stone | |
Preceded by | John F. Hartranft |
Succeeded by | Robert E. Pattison |
Personal details | |
Born | 52nd Pennsylvania Infantry | June 8, 1830
Battles/wars | American Civil War
|
Henry Martyn Hoyt, Sr. (June 8, 1830 – December 1, 1892) was an American lawyer and politician and the 18th
Early life
Henry M. Hoyt was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania, the son of Ziba Hoyt (b. September 1788, Connecticut – d. December 1853, Luzerne County, PA) and Nancy (née Herbert) Hoyt, who had moved to Luzerne County after the Revolutionary War. Henry M. Hoyt was grandson of Daniel and Ann (Gunn) Hoyt, and nephew of Levi Hoyt. They were descended from Walter Hoyt (1616–1698), who was born in West Hatch, Somerset, England, and settled in the Connecticut Colony.[2]
He attended lower education at Wyoming Seminary. He started higher-level classes at Lafayette College, where he studied from 1845 until 1848. He transferred to Williams College, graduating in 1849 with Phi Beta Kappa honors, as a member of The Kappa Alpha Society.
Career
After graduating from Williams College, he returned to Pennsylvania, where from 1851 to 1853 he taught Mathematics at Wyoming Seminary. Hoyt first held elected office as a district attorney. A member of the
Military career
As a soldier in the Civil War, Hoyt was initially commissioned as Lieutenant Colonel, then as
He participated in the siege of
Upon his eventual exchange, he rejoined his regiment. He served with them until the close of the war, when he was mustered out with the rank of brevet brigadier general.
Law career
After the war, Hoyt returned to his law practice. After briefly serving as a judge, he rose in influence with the
In 1878, he won the governor's seat, the third consecutive Civil War general to hold the office. During his term, the debt of the state was reduced to $10,000,000, and refunded at the rate of three per cent.
Hoyt wrote two books: Controversy between Connecticut and Pennsylvania (Philadelphia, 1879), about their competing colonial claims settled after the Revolutionary War; and Protection vs. Free Trade (New York, 1885).
Personal life
On September 25, 1855, Hoyt married Mary Elizabeth Loveland (b. April 1833 – d. October 1890 in Luzerne County), the daughter of Elijah and Mary (née Buckingham) Loveland. They had two children together:
- Henry Martyn Hoyt, Jr.(1856–1910) became solicitor general
- Maud Buckingham Hoyt (1859–1931)
Hoyt died in Wilkes-Barre on December 1, 1892.[3] He is buried next to his wife in the Forty Fort Cemetery in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania.
Descendants
Hoyt was also the grandfather of the poet Elinor Wylie, the daughter of Henry Martyn Hoyt, Jr. His daughter was a poet, too: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/helen-hoyt?mc_cid=b202317e81&mc_eid=15eb358e88
Honors
- In 1881 Hoyt was awarded the honorary degree of LL. D. from the University of Pennsylvania and also from Lafayette College.
- A residence hall in the South Halls section of the University Parkcampus is named for him.
See also
Notes
- ^ "The Governors of Pennsylvania." Mount Union, Pennsylvania: The Mount Union Times, January 27, 1911, p. 1 (subscription required).
- ^ "Walter Hoyt". Geni. Retrieved September 19, 2015.
- ^ "Ex-Gov. Henry M. Hoyt Died This Morning". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Wilkes-Barre. December 1, 1892. p. 1. Retrieved May 8, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
References
- State of Pennsylvania official webpage for Governor Hoyt
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Wilson, J. G.; Fiske, J., eds. (1891). Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
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