Howard Melville Hanna

Howard Melville Hanna (1840–1921) was an American Civil War veteran, businessman, philanthropist and plantation owner.

Howard Melville Hanna was born on January 23, 1840 in New Lisbon, Ohio. His brother Mark Hanna (1837-1904) served as Republican United States Senator from Ohio from 1897 to 1904. He moved to Cleveland, Ohio with his family at the age of twelve.

Hanna graduated from Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Hanna served in the American Civil War of 1861 to 1865. On June 11, 1862, he became Paymaster of the Union Navy. He served on USS Agawam from March 9, 1864 until he resigned and was discharged on February 13, 1865.

After the Civil War, Hanna invested in shipping and later in the oil business. He eventually sold his oil concerns to the Standard Oil of Ohio. He later invested in the American Ship Building Company. He was one of the original stockholders of the Glenville Race Track, a race track in Cleveland.

A philanthropist, Hanna was President of the Charity Organization Society in Cleveland. He also donated to the Lakeside Hospital and to the Western Reserve University. Additionally, he was a member of the Western Reserve Historical Society.

Hanna married Kate Smith (1843-1919) on December 28, 1863. They had six children. They purchased the Pebble Hill Plantation in Thomasville, Georgia in 1896, where they wintered. They also purchased the Winnstead Plantation and the Melrose Plantation in Thomasville.

Hanna was a harness racer.

Hanna died on February 8, 1921 in Thomasville.