Representative Michael Daniel Harter

Michael Daniel Harter (April 6, 1846 – February 22, 1896) was an American banker and politician who served as a Representative from Ohio in the United States Congress from 1891 to 1895. A member of the Democratic Party, he served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Ohio during the 1890s and contributed to the legislative process during this significant period in American history.

Harter was born on April 6, 1846, in Canton, Stark County, Ohio. He attended the public schools of Canton, where he received his early education. As a young man he entered the business world, gaining experience in commerce and finance that would shape his later career. His early exposure to trade and banking in a growing industrial region of Ohio helped establish his reputation as a capable businessman before he entered public life.

Pursuing a career in finance, Harter became a banker and was prominently identified with banking interests in Ohio. He engaged in banking and manufacturing enterprises, reflecting the broader economic expansion of the post–Civil War era. Through these activities he became well known in his community and developed the economic and political connections that would support his eventual entry into national politics. His background in banking informed his views on monetary and financial issues that were central to national debate in the late nineteenth century.

Harter was elected as a Democrat to the U.S. House of Representatives and served in the Fifty-second and Fifty-third Congresses, holding office from March 4, 1891, to March 3, 1895. Representing an Ohio district during a time of rapid industrialization and contentious economic policy debates, he participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of his constituents in the House of Representatives. His service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history, marked by disputes over tariffs, currency, and economic regulation, and he took part in legislative deliberations that reflected both his party affiliation and his professional experience in banking.

After completing his two terms in Congress, Harter did not continue in elective office but returned to his business pursuits. He resumed his involvement in banking and related enterprises, remaining active in the economic life of his region. His post-congressional years were spent largely in private life, although his prior service and professional standing kept him a figure of note in Ohio’s political and business circles.

Michael Daniel Harter died on February 22, 1896. His career as both a banker and a legislator placed him among the late nineteenth-century figures who bridged the worlds of finance and politics, and his two terms in the House of Representatives from 1891 to 1895 reflected the concerns and priorities of an industrializing Ohio and a changing United States.