Jump to Navigation

Harrison Kelley

Politician. Republican. Born: May 12, 1836, Wood County, Ohio. Died: July 24,1897, Burlington, Kansas. Served in U.S. House of Representatives, 4th District: December 2, 1889, to March 3, 1891.

Harrison Kelley, who was elected May 21, 1889, to fill the seat vacated by the resignation of Thomas Ryan of Topeka, was born in Wood County, Ohio, on May 12, 1836, where he attended the common schools. He moved to Coffey County, Kansas, in March 1858, and during the Civil War enlisted in the Fifth Regiment, Kansas Volunteer Cavalry-he served as captain of Company B for over two years. Kelley returned to Burlington in 1865 and was appointed brigadier general of Kansas State Militia. He was member of the State house of representatives (1868-1870), director of the State penitentiary (1868-1873), and receiver of the United States land office at Topeka (1877 and 1878). He served in the State senate (1880-1884), was deputy collector of internal revenue, chairman of the state's livestock sanitary commission, and treasurer of the State board of charities in 1889, before his election to Congress in 1889 (served, December 2, 1889, to March 3, 1891). He served as president of the Kansas Historical Society in 1897. Turner died in Burlington on July 24, 1897, and was buried in Bowman Cemetery at Ottumwa.

Entry: Kelley, Harrison

Author: Kansas Historical Society

Author information: The Kansas Historical Society is a state agency charged with actively safeguarding and sharing the state's history.

Date Created: June 2011

Date Modified: May 2012

The author of this article is solely responsible for its content.