Representative Lorenzo Danford

Lorenzo Dow Danford (October 18, 1829 – June 19, 1899) was an American lawyer and Republican politician who represented Ohio in the United States House of Representatives during the latter half of the nineteenth century. Over the course of his career he served five terms in Congress, from 1873 to 1879 and again from 1895 until his death in 1899, contributing to the legislative process during a significant period in American history and representing the interests of his constituents in Ohio’s 16th Congressional District.

Danford was born in Washington Township, Belmont County, Ohio, where he attended the local common schools. Seeking further education, he studied for two years at a college in Waynesburg, Pennsylvania, before turning his attention to the law. He read law in Ohio and was admitted to the bar at St. Clairsville, Belmont County, in September 1854. Immediately after his admission he commenced the practice of law in St. Clairsville, which would remain his professional and political base for the rest of his life.

Danford’s early public career reflected the turbulent political realignments of the 1850s. In 1856 he served as a presidential elector on the American Party ticket, participating in the national contest that preceded the rise of the Republican Party. The following year he entered local public service as prosecuting attorney of Belmont County, a position he held from 1857 until 1861. His tenure as prosecutor was cut short by the outbreak of the Civil War, when he resigned his office to enter the Union Army.

In 1861 Danford enlisted as a private in the Fifteenth Regiment, Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Over the course of his service he was commissioned a lieutenant and later promoted to captain, reflecting both his leadership and his commitment to the Union cause. He served in the field until he was honorably discharged in August 1864. That same year, he continued his engagement in national politics by serving as a presidential elector for the Lincoln–Johnson ticket in the 1864 election. After leaving military service, he returned to St. Clairsville and resumed the practice of law, rebuilding his civilian career while remaining active in Republican politics.

Danford’s first period of congressional service began with his election as a Republican to the Forty-third Congress. He was subsequently reelected to the Forty-fourth and Forty-fifth Congresses, serving from March 4, 1873, to March 3, 1879, as the representative of Ohio’s 16th Congressional District. During these three consecutive terms he participated in the legislative deliberations of the Reconstruction and post-Reconstruction era, aligning with the Republican Party’s policies and contributing to the democratic process in the House of Representatives. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1878 and, upon leaving Congress in 1879, returned once more to his legal practice in St. Clairsville.

Remaining a prominent Republican figure in Ohio, Danford continued to play a role in national elections. He served as a presidential elector again in 1892, this time for the Harrison–Reid ticket. His renewed prominence in party affairs preceded his return to Congress. He was elected to the Fifty-fourth, Fifty-fifth, and Fifty-sixth Congresses and served from March 4, 1895, until his death on June 19, 1899. In this second span of congressional service, which brought his total to five terms in the House, he held a notable leadership position as chairman of the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization during the Fifty-fifth Congress, overseeing legislative matters related to immigration policy and the naturalization of foreign-born residents.

Danford’s personal life was closely tied to his home community in Belmont County. He was first married on October 7, 1858, to Annie H. Cook of Jefferson County, Ohio. This marriage lasted until her death on October 24, 1867. On October 27, 1870, he married Mary M. Adams of St. Clairsville, who would survive him and later be interred beside him. Throughout his career, Danford balanced his legal practice, military service, and political responsibilities with his role as a husband and community member in St. Clairsville.

Lorenzo Dow Danford died in office in St. Clairsville, Ohio, on June 19, 1899, while serving in the Fifty-sixth Congress. His death placed him among the members of the United States Congress who died while still holding their seats during the nineteenth century. He was laid to rest in the Methodist Cemetery on Newell Avenue in St. Clairsville, located behind the Belmont County courthouse. His second wife, Mary (Adams) Danford, is buried beside him, marking the final resting place of a lawyer, Civil War officer, and long-serving Republican representative who played a sustained role in Ohio and national politics from the 1850s through the end of the century.