Samuel M. Hay

Samuel M. Hay
Born	Template:Birth date Fairview Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	October 26, 1906(1906-10-26) (aged 81)
Occupation(s)	Entrepreneur, banker, politician
Years active	1845–1903
Known for	Mayor of Oshkosh, Wisconsin; Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly member; president of National Bank of Oshkosh

Samuel McClellan Hay (August 7, 1825 – October 26, 1906) was a prominent American entrepreneur, banker, Republican public official, and early settler who played a key role in shaping Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He was the fifth individual to serve as mayor of Oshkosh and completed one-year terms in both the Wisconsin State Senate (1862) and State Assembly (1858), representing Winnebago County. He was frequently referred to by the initials S. M. Hay.

Early life

Born in Fairview Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania, in August 1825, Samuel M. Hay spent his youth working on his family’s farm during summer months while attending local schools in winter. At age 15, despite his father’s offer to pursue college education, Hay opted for an apprenticeship in tin, copper, and iron workmanship, achieving master tinsmith status after four years of training.

Business career

In 1845, Hay ventured westward to the Wisconsin Territory, initially arriving in Milwaukee before relocating to Whitewater. There he collaborated with merchant S. C. Hall as a tradesman within Hall’s factory and resided in Hall’s household for three years. During this period, Hay instructed Hall’s brother, Eli Collins Hall, in tinsmithing.

While employed by Hall, Hay undertook extensive trading expeditions across the territory. In 1846, he explored what would become Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he recognized significant opportunities and resolved to establish himself there.

By late 1848, having accumulated sufficient capital, Hay moved to Oshkosh—a modest community of roughly 100 residents—and launched a tinware enterprise in partnership with Eli C. Hall. Following Hall’s retirement in 1851, Hay formed a new partnership with Orson J. Clark under the name Hay & Clark, which lasted about ten years. When Clark’s health deteriorated in 1862, Hay acquired his interest and joined forces with his brother William Henry Hay, rebranding the business as "S. M. Hay and Brother." The company evolved into the Hay Hardware Company in 1892 with Samuel serving as president and William as treasurer. Despite enduring two significant fires in 1859 and 1875, the firm expanded steadily and by 1880 stood as the sole surviving business from Oshkosh’s earliest commercial establishments.

In addition to his hardware ventures, Hay co-founded the First National Bank of Oshkosh in 1863; this institution was renamed the National Bank of Oshkosh in 1884. At that time, he entrusted day-to-day hardware operations to his brother and concentrated on banking and investment activities. Serving as bank president for four decades, Hay successfully guided the institution through several financial crises while maintaining a hands-on leadership approach. He also held board positions and substantial equity stakes in various regional banks including Manufacturers National Bank of Neenah, Commercial Bank of Appleton, Kellogg National Bank of Green Bay, Fond du Lac National Bank, Wisconsin National Bank of Milwaukee, and Royal Trust Company of Chicago.

Through these enterprises, Hay played an active role in industry associations. He held the vice presidency of the American Bankers Association and presided over the Wisconsin Bankers Association, Oshkosh Stock Growers Association, and Oshkosh Business Men's Association. A close ally of politician Philetus Sawyer, who served as mayor as well as U.S. congressman and senator, Hay collaborated with Sawyer on banking matters; Sawyer occupied officer roles at Hay’s bank while Sawyer’s son Edgar succeeded Hay as bank president following his retirement in 1903.

Political career

At the outset of his professional journey, Hay became involved in politics through the newly formed Republican Party. In 1856, he secured a seat on the Oshkosh city council, and a year later, in 1857, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, overcoming Democrat William A. Knapp. He represented Oshkosh and surrounding areas within Winnebago County during the 1858 session.

In April 1858, Hay was chosen as mayor of Oshkosh and successfully retained the office with re-election in 1859, serving until April 1860.

Following the resignation of state senator Horace O. Crane in the initial year of the American Civil War to enlist in the Union Army, Hay received the Republican nomination and defeated Democrat Charles Morgan in a special election. He served in the Senate during the 1862 session but opted not to run for another term.

Governor Harrison Ludington appointed Hay to the board of regents for the State Normal Schools in 1876, a position he held until 1879. Later, in 1892, President Benjamin Harrison named him to a commission tasked with inspecting the U.S. mint located in Philadelphia.

Personal life and family

Samuel Hay was the firstborn among eleven siblings to James John Hay, a prosperous farmer, and Nancy (Template:Nee Laughlin). His lineage traces back to his great-grandfather John Hay, who emigrated to America during the mid-18th century and served with the continental militia throughout the American Revolutionary War. The family’s ancestry includes ties to Clan Hay and notable Jacobite noble John Hay of Cromlix.

In 1852, Hay wed Maria (Mary) E. Spaulding from New York. Together they had at least four children, although one son died in childhood. Mary passed away in 1875, coinciding with a significant fire that struck Oshkosh that same year. Hay retired from his business pursuits in 1903 and maintained good health until experiencing a brief illness in May 1905. In October 1906, he contracted pneumonia and passed away on October 26.

He was survived by two children; his eldest son, Samuel Thayer Hay, had died eight months prior. His youngest son, William J. Hay, enjoyed a lengthy and successful business career in Oshkosh. His only daughter, Mary, married Brigadier General Frank Merrill Caldwell of the U.S. Army. Their daughter Mary Hay gained recognition as a dancer and silent film actress.

The family rests within an esteemed mausoleum located at Oshkosh’s historic Riverside Cemetery. Hay’s former residence, which was designed by Wisconsin architect William Waters, once stood near Jackson Street on Algoma Blvd; although no longer standing, it is recorded by the Wisconsin Historical Society.

See also

• List of mayors of Oshkosh, Wisconsin