Representative Hugh Reid Belknap

Hugh Reid Belknap (born September 1, 1860) was a Republican politician who represented Illinois in the United States House of Representatives in the late nineteenth century. Serving as a member of Congress from Illinois’s 3rd District, he held office as a Representative during a period of rapid industrial and political change in the United States.

Belknap entered Congress on December 2, 1895, and served until March 3, 1899. Over the course of his congressional career, he completed two terms in the House. During this time he was identified with the Republican Party, reflecting the political alignment of his district and state in that era.

Hugh Reid Belknap’s tenure in Congress marked his principal role in national public life. Although specific committee assignments, legislative initiatives, and post-congressional activities are not recorded in the available metadata, his service as a Representative from Illinois’s 3rd District between 1895 and 1899 situates him among the historical members of Congress who participated in shaping federal policy at the close of the nineteenth century.