Ebenezer B. Finley
American politician
Ebenezer Byron Finley (July 31, 1833 – August 21, 1916) was an American attorney and politician from Ohio. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as a U.S. Representative from 1877 to 1881.
A native of Orrville, Ohio, Finley was educated in Orrville and worked at a variety of occupations prior to the American Civil War. In 1859, he commenced the study of law in the Bucyrus, Ohio office of his uncle, Stephen Ross Harris. He was admitted to the bar in 1861, but soon afterwards enlisted for the Civil War as a member of the Union Army's 64th Ohio Infantry Regiment. Appointed a first lieutenant in the regiment's Company K, Finley served for a year and took part in several battles before being discharged after he was injured in an accident. He settled in Bucyrus, where he established a successful law practice.
Finley was active in politics as a Democrat and served as mayor of Bucyrus from 1863 to 1865. He won election to the U.S. House in 1876 and served two terms, 1877 to 1881. During his second term he was chairman of the House's Committee on Public Expenditures.
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