Statewide

The Hon. Epaphroditus Ransom , the Seventh Governor of Michigan, was a native of Massachusetts. In that State he received a collegiate education, studied law, and was admitted to the bar. Removing to Michigan about the time of its admission to the Union, he took up his residence at Kalamazoo. Mr. Ransom served with marked ability or a number of years n the State Legislature, an din 1837 he was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. In 1843 he was promoted to Chief Justice, which office he retained until 1845, when he resigned. Shortly afterwards he became deeply interested […]

William L. Greenly, Governor of Michigan for the year 1847, was born at Hamilton, Madison Co, N.Y., Sept. 18, 1813. He graduated at Union College, Schenectady, in 1831, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1834. In 1836, having removed to Michigan, he settled in Adrian, where he as since resided. The year following his arrival in Michigan he was elected State Senator and served in that capacity until 1839. In 1845 he was elected Lieut. Governor and became acting Governor by the resignation of Governor Felch, who was elected to the United States Senate. The war with

Alpheus Felch, the third Governor of Michigan, was born in Limerick, Maine, September 28, 1806. His grandfather, Abijah Felch, was a soldier in the Revolution; and when a young man, having with others obtained a grant of land between the Great and Little Ossipee Rivers, in Maine, moved to that region when it was yet a wilderness. The father of Mr. Felch embarked in mercantile life at Limerick. He was the first to engage in that business in that section, and continued it until his death. The death of the father, followed within a year by the death of the

John Steward Barry, Governor of Michigan from Jan. 3, 1842 to Jan. 5, 1846, and from Jan. 7, 1850, to Jan. 1, 1852, was born in Amherst, N. H., Jan. 29, 1802. His parents, John and Ellen (Steward) Barry, early removed to Rockingham, Vt., where he remained until he became of age, working on his father’s farm, and pursuing his studies at the same time. He married Mary Kidder, of Grafton, Vt., and in 1824 went to Georgia, Vt., where he had charge of an academy for two years, meanwhile studying law. He afterward practiced law in that State. While

William Woodbridge, second Governor of Michigan, was born at Norwich, Conn., Aug. 20, 1780 and died at Detroit Oct 20, 1861. He was of a family of three brothers and two sisters. His father, Dudley Woodbridge removed to Marietta, Ohio, about 1790. The life of Wm. Woodbridge, by Chas. Lanman, from which this sketch is largely complied, mentions nothing concerning his early education beyond the fact that is was such as was afforded by the average school of the time, except a year with the French colonists at Gallipolis, where he acquired a knowledge of the French language. It should

Stephen T. Mason, the first Governor of Michigan, was son of Gen. John T. Mason, of Kentucky, but was born in Virginia, in 1812. At the age of 19 he was appointed Secretary of Michigan Territory, and served in that capacity during the administration of Gov. George R. Porter. Upon the death of Gov. Porter, which occurred on the 6th of July 1834, Mr. Mason became Acting Governor. In October, 1835, he was elected Governor under the State organization, and immediately entered upon the performance of the duties of the office, although the State was not yet admitted into the