His father, Alfred Hodge, was born in 1795 and was a War of 1812 veteran who died July 11, 1832.

He fought for sixteen months in Mexico, and received two wounds to his leg, which ended his military career.

[2] From 1849 to 1851, Hodge attended the Geauga Seminary at Chester, Ohio, where his classmates included James A. Garfield and Lucretia Rudolph.

[3] In 1860, Hodge went to Litchfield County, Connecticut, to settle an estate, planning a short stay.

[4] He was sent to the front lines of the American Civil War twice by Governor William A. Buckingham.

[4] He was elected to a Cuyahoga County seat in the Ohio House of Representatives for the 61st and 62nd General Assemblies (1874–1877).

On the evening of April 16, 1912, Hodge spoke to the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce at their annual meeting.

A fifteen-minute recess was called before continuing the program, during which Hodge fell ill.