Hills 
Senate 
Welcome to the Hill Family Association's History section on famous and prominent Hills. This part of our History section is devoted to honoring those relatives who have achieved a degree of fame or prominence because of their achievements in such fields as government service (politics), education, entertainment, the arts, science, sports, religion, medicine and other fields of endeavor.
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Benjamin Harvey Hill Sr. was born 14 Sep 1823 in Hillsborough, Jasper County, Georgia, a son of John Hill and Sarah Elizabeth Parham. He was a grandson of Isaac Hill Sr. of Charles County Md. and Bertie County, NC and Lucinda Wallace. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 1844 and was admitted to the bar the same year. He set up law practice in LaGrange, Ga. He was elected to the Georgia General Assembly House of Representatives in 1851. He was elected to the Georgia State Senate and served 1859-1860.
Benjamin actively opposed Georgia's secession from the union until the state passed an ordinance of secession. He became a delegate to the Confederate States of America Provisional Congress in 1861.
He was elected to the Senate of the Confederate States of America and served 1861-1865, throughout the War for Southern Independence.
At the end of the War, the yankees arrested Benjamin and held him prisoner at Fort Lafayette in New York harbor until he was finally "paroled". He resumed his law practice at LaGrange. He did not seek public office for several years but remained active in Georgia politics. He denounced the harsh yankee "Reconstruction" acts and one of his speeches before a mass crowd in Atlanta became famous all over the South. He supported Horace Greely for president in 1872 and attended a convention in New York which nominated him.
Benjamin was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives of the 44th US Congress to fill a vacancy and reelected for a second term, serving 1875 until his resignation 3 Mar 1877, after his election to the United States Senate. He served in the Senate until his death 16 Aug 1882 at Atlanta, Ga. During his tenure, he served as Chairman of the Committee to Audit and Control the Contingent Expense.
Benjamin married Caroline Holt. They had four children. He died 16 Aug 1882 in Atlanta and was buried in the city's historic Oakland Cemetery.
A beautiful life-size white marble statue of him was erected in Atlanta and stood at the junction of two streets there for many years. Its location today is unknown to our editor.
The Georgia General Assembly created a new county in central South Georgia in 1903 which the Assembly named Ben Hill County, in his honor. The county seat is Fitzgerald.
David Bennett Hill was born 29 Aug 1843 in what is now Montour Falls, Schuyler County, NY, a son of Caleb Hill and Eunice Durfey. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1864. He set up practice in Elmira, NY. He became City Attorney the same year. He was elected to the New York State Assembly 1871-1872 and served as Speaker in 1872. He was elected Mayor of Elmira, NY in 1882. He became president of the New York State Bar Association, 1886-1887.
He was elected as a Democrat candidate to be Lieutenant Governor of New York in 1882. He was elected Governor of New York and served 188501892.
David was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate in 1890 and served 1891-1897. He did not seek reelection. During his tenure, he served as Chairman of the Committee on Immigration. While in the Senate, he was nominated again for Governor but was defeated. He resumed his law practice.
He died 20 Oct 1910 at Albany, NY. He was buried in Montour Cemetery, Montour Falls.
Isaac Hill was born 6 Apr 1789 in West Cambridge, near Arlington, Massachusetts. He moved with his parents to Ashburnham, Ma. in 1798. He was apprenticed to a printer in Amherst, NH where he learned the printing and publishing business. He moved to Concord, New Hampshire in 1809 and bought the "New Hampshire Patriot" newspaper, which he edited for the next 20 years.
He was elected to the New Hampshire State Senate and served 1820-1823. He was elected to the State House of Representatives in 1826 and served again in the State Senate, 1827-1828. He was appointed Second Comptroller of the United States Treasury and served 1829-1830.
Isaac was elected as a Jacksonian Democrat to the United States Senate and served from 1831-1836, when he resigned. He was elected Governor of New Hampshire and served from 1836-1839. He was named United States subtreasurer at Boston, 1840-1841. He then returned to his newspaper publishing business from 1840-1847. He died at Washington, DC 22 Mar 1851.
He was buried at Blossom Hill Cemetery, NH.
Nathaniel Peter Hill Jr. was born 18 Feb 1832 in Montgomery, Orange County, NY, son of Nathaniel Peter Hill Sr. and Matilda Crawford. He attended Montgomery Academy and graduated in 1856 from Brown University, Providence, RI. He became an instructor and later professor of chemistry at Brown from 1856-1864. He went to Colorado in 1865 to study mineral deposits. He then spent part of 1865 and 1866 at Swansea, Wales, and Freiberg, Saxony (Germany) studying metallurgy. He returned to the US with a perfected method for smelting gold ore. He moved to Black Hawk, Co. in 1867 as manager of the Boston & Colorado Smelting Co. He was elected Mayor of Black Hawk in 1871. He was elected to the Territorial Council, 1872-1873. He moved to Denver in 1873 and entered the smelting and real estate businesses.
Nathaniel was elected as a Republican to the United States Senate and served 1879-1885. While in the Senate, he served as chairman of the Committee on Mines and Mining and on the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads.
After he left office, Nathaniel continued in the mining industry and became owner and publisher of the "Denver Republican" newspaper. He served as a member of the US delegation to the International Monetary Commission in 1891. He died 22 May 1900 at Denver and was buried in Fairmount Cemetery.
William Luther Hill was born 17 Oct 1873 in Gainesville, Alachua County, Florida, a son of Lawson Logan Hill and Louisianna Eliza Zetrouer. He attended the East Florida Seminary at Gainesville and later graduated from the law college of the University of Florida in 1914. He worked in banking and insurance. After he received his law degree, he set up practice in Gainesville. He became secretary to US Senator Duncan U. Fletcher from 1917-1936 and also served as clerk of the Senate Committee on Banking and Currency, 1933-1936.
William was appointed as a Democrat to the United States Senate to fill the vacancy of Senator Fletcher and served from 1 Jul to 3 Nov 1936, when a successor was elected. He did not seek election. He resumed his law practice at Gainesville until his retirement in 1947. He died there 5 Jan 1951 and was buried in Evergreen Cemetery.
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