View source for Daniel H. Hastings

{{more citations needed|date=October 2025}}
{{Short description|American politician (1849–1903)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name= Daniel Hartman Hastings
|image=Daniel H Hastings (3x4a).jpg
|caption=
|order= 21st
|office= Governor of Pennsylvania
|term_start= January 15, 1895
|term_end=   January 17, 1899
|lieutenant= [[Walter Lyon (Pennsylvania politician)|Walter Lyon]]
|predecessor= [[Robert E. Pattison]]
|successor= [[William A. Stone]]
|birth_date= {{birth date|1849|2|26}}
|birth_place= [[Salona, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|death_date= {{death date and age|1903|1|9|1849|2|26}}
|death_place= [[Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]], U.S.
|party= [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|profession= Teacher<br>[[Head teacher|Principal]]<br>Attorney<br>Military officer
|spouse= Jane Armstrong Rankin (married 1877)
}}

'''Daniel Hartman Hastings''' (February 26, 1849{{spaced ndash}}January 9, 1903) was the 21st [[governor of Pennsylvania]], serving from 1895 to 1899.<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/325157119/?terms=%22David%20Rittenhouse%20Porter%22&match=1 The Governors of Pennsylvania]." Mount Union, Pennsylvania: ''The Mount Union Times'', January 27, 1911, p. 1 (subscription required).</ref>

==Biography==
Daniel H. Hastings was born in [[Salona, Pennsylvania]], on February 26, 1849. He was educated locally, and worked on his father's farm. He tried several times to run away to join the [[Union Army]] for the [[American Civil War]], following the example of his three older brothers, but his father stopped him each time.

==Early career==
At age 14, Hastings became a school teacher in [[Clinton County, Pennsylvania]], a job he held for four years. Named principal of [[Bellefonte Area High School|Bellefonte High School]] at age 18, Hastings carried out the responsibilities of this position while furthering his own education, attending [[Bellefonte Academy]] and studying law.

Hastings was admitted to the bar in 1875 and established a successful practice. He also became involved in several businesses, including coal mines and banking. In addition, he was editor of the ''Bellefonte Republican'' newspaper.

Involved in local government and civic institutions, Hastings served on the Bellefonte school board, as a town [[Burgess (title)|Burgess]], a trustee of Bellefonte's [[Methodist Episcopal Church]], and a trustee of [[Pennsylvania State University|Pennsylvania State College]] and [[Dickinson College]]. Daniel Hastings was initiated into Bellefonte Lodge # 268 of Free and Accepted Masons in September 1874. He became their Worshipful Master of in 1878.  He was a member of the Bellefonte Chapter # 241 of Royal Arch masons. He became the Eminent Commander of  Constans Commandery #33 Knights Templar of Bellefonte in 1886. {{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

==Political career==
Active in politics as a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]], in 1878 he managed the successful Congressional campaign of his law partner, [[Seth Hartman Yocum]], a Republican running as a [[Greenback Party|Greenbacker]].

In [[1882 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1882]] he was active in the unsuccessful campaign of [[James A. Beaver]] for governor. In [[1886 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1886]], he was a delegate to the state Republican convention, and gave the nominating speech for Beaver, who ran successfully for governor.  In 1887 he was chairman of the state Republican convention.

Hastings was a delegate to the [[1888 Republican National Convention]], and gave the nominating speech for [[John Sherman]]. He also gave a seconding speech for [[Levi P. Morton]] after Morton was nominated for [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]]. {{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

==Military career==
In July 1877 Hastings joined the [[Pennsylvania Army National Guard|Pennsylvania State Militia]] as paymaster of the 5th Regiment with the rank of [[Captain (United States O-3)|Captain]]. Within a year he had been appointed [[Lieutenant Colonel (United States)|Lieutenant Colonel]] and second-in-command of his regiment, and soon afterwards he was appointed assistant adjutant of the Pennsylvania Militia's 2nd Brigade. By 1880 he had been promoted to commander of the 5th Regiment with the rank of [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]].

In 1887, governor and fellow Bellefonte resident [[James A. Beaver]] named Hastings as Adjutant General of the state Militia with the rank of [[Major General (United States)|major general]].

In his role as adjutant general, Hastings led relief efforts following the 1889 [[Johnstown Flood]], for which he gained statewide attention and praise. {{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

==Governor of Pennsylvania==
Hastings was a candidate for governor in [[1890 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1890]], but [[Matthew S. Quay]], leader of the state Republican Party, succeeded in obtaining the nomination for George W. Delamater, defeating Hastings by only 11 votes.

As a wealthy banker affiliated with [[Standard Oil]], Delamater proved unpopular with many Republicans, who gave him lukewarm support or supported the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] nominee, former governor [[Robert E. Pattison]]. Pattison had been elected in [[1882 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1882]], and served from 1883 to 1887. Pattison was barred by law to an additional consecutive term and so could not run for reelection. James Beaver defeated Chauncey Forward Black in the [[1886 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1886]], and served from 1887 to 1891. Pattison running again then defeated Delamater in [[1890 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1890]], and served from 1891 to 1895.

Hastings sought the [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] gubernatorial again in [[1894 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1894]].<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/639590653/?terms=%22Daniel%20H.%20Hastings%22 Hastings and Lyon]." Carbondale, Pennsylvania: ''The Carbondale Daily News'', May 24, 1894, p. 1 (subscription required).</ref><ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/76588640/?terms=%22Daniel%20H.%20Hastings%22 City Notes]." Scranton, Pennsylvania: ''The Scranton Tribune'', October 22, 1894, p. 5 (subscription required).</ref> He obtained it,<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/44271759/?terms=%22Daniel%20H.%20Hastings%22 Inaugural Arrangements]." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: ''Harrisburg Telegraph'', January 11, 1895, p. 1 (subscription required).</ref> and defeated the Democratic nominee, [[William M. Singerly]].<ref>"[https://www.newspapers.com/image/83025984/?terms=%22Daniel%20H.%20Hastings%22 Inauguration]." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: ''Harrisburg Independent'', January 14, 1895, p. 1 (subscription required).</ref> Hastings served one term, 1895 to 1899.

As governor, in [[1895]] Hastings appointed the first seven judges to the newly created [[Pennsylvania Superior Court]], including former governor Beaver. In addition, his administration included the creation of the [[Pennsylvania State Game Commission]], [[Pennsylvania Bureau of Forestry|State Forestry Commission]], and [[Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture]]. He also signed into a law a measure to replace state property taxes with a tax on corporate profits.

Also in 1895, Hastings enacted the [[Pennsylvania Capitol Police]], the first Pennsylvania [[police agency]] under Commonwealth jurisdiction and the second oldest state police organization in the United States, after the [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Rangers]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dgs.pa.gov/police/Pages/default.aspx|title=PA Capitol Police}}</ref>

In [[1897]], the State Capitol Building in Harrisburg was destroyed in a fire, and the Hastings administration started efforts to erect a replacement, which was completed in 1906.

Hastings directed the state's response during the [[Spanish–American War]], working with the state legislature to raise troops, supplies and equipment and transport them to mobilization sites, and then taking steps to return soldiers to Pennsylvania and demobilize them at the end of the war. {{Citation needed|date=October 2025}}

==Death and burial==
Following his term, Hastings returned to his law practice and business interests. He died from pneumonia in Bellefonte on January 9, 1903, and was buried at [[Union Cemetery (Bellefonte, Pennsylvania)|Union Cemetery]] in Bellefonte.

==Legacy==
Hastings Hall on the [[University Park, Pennsylvania|University Park]] campus of [[Pennsylvania State University|Penn State]] is named for him.

In 1889 Hastings founded the town of [[Hastings, Pennsylvania]], as part of his coal mining interests, and it was named for him. He also founded the mining towns of [[Spangler, Pennsylvania|Spangler]] and Bakerton.

In 1895 Hastings received an [[honorary degree|honorary]] [[Legum Doctor|LL.D.]] from Dickinson College.

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
* {{Find a Grave|6648}}
*[http://www.nga.org/cms/home/governors/past-governors-bios/page_pennsylvania/col2-content/main-content-list/title_hastings_daniel.html Daniel H. Hastings], ''[http://www.nga.org/ National Governors Association]''
*[http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/1879-1951/4284/daniel_hartman_hastings/468353 Daniel Hartman Hastings] at ''[http://www.portal.state.pa.us/ Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission]''

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{{succession box | title=[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] nominee for [[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]] | before=George Delamater | after=[[William A. Stone]] | years=[[1894 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election|1894]]}}
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{{Succession box| before=[[Robert E. Pattison]] |title=[[List of governors of Pennsylvania|Governor of Pennsylvania]] | years=1895&ndash;1899 | after=[[William A. Stone]]}}
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{{Governors and Presidents of Pennsylvania}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hastings, Daniel}}
[[Category:1849 births]]
[[Category:1903 deaths]]
[[Category:Republican Party governors of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania lawyers]]
[[Category:American militia officers]]
[[Category:Adjutants General of Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:People from Bellefonte, Pennsylvania]]
[[Category:Pennsylvania State University people]]
[[Category:Burials at Union Cemetery (Bellefonte, Pennsylvania)]]
[[Category:Members of the Methodist Episcopal Church]]
[[Category:American school principals]]
[[Category:19th-century Methodists]]
[[Category:19th-century American educators]]