Hugh J. Jewett

Who was Hugh J. Jewett?

Hugh Judge Jewett was an American railroader and politician. He served as United States Representative from Ohio's 12th congressional district in the 43rd United States Congress.

He resigned his seat on June 23, 1874 in order to become president of the Erie Railroad. At the beginning of his tenure the railroad was reorganized as the New York, Lake Erie and Western Railroad. On June 22, 1880 he led the railroad in converting from a 6 ft broad gauge to standard gauge, 4 ft 8 ¹⁄2 in .

Jewett was born at Harford County, Maryland and died in Maryland, but spent most of his life in Ohio at Zanesville and Columbus. He came to Ohio as a young man, and was admitted to the bar at St. Clairsville in 1840. In 1848 he moved to Zanesville, where he was president of the Muskingum branch of the State Bank of Ohio. In 1852 he was Presidential elector, and supported Franklin Pierce for president. He was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives and the Ohio State Senate. He ran for Congress in 1860 and for Ohio Governor in 1861, and was candidate for United States Senate in 1863, losing each time as a Democrat. He lived in Ohio until 1887, when he returned to Maryland.