George W. Hayes facts for kids

Hon. George W. Hayes (1847–1933) was a slave, the first black court crier in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, and a state legislator. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives and an image of him is in its collection. He had African American and Native American heritage and was enslaved early in his life.

Hayes married Mamie Forte in 1874 and they had five children. He later served three terms in the Ohio General Assembly, as a Republican. He and his family were members of the Union Baptist Church, Cincinnati. Hayes Elementary School in Cincinnati is named for him.

He is buried in the Union Baptist Cemetery in the Price Hill neighborhood of Cincinnati.

See also

• African-American officeholders during and following the Reconstruction era