Page images
PDF
EPUB

the State, devoting a volume to each, and then subdivide, taking each local institution by itself, and subdivide still farther, and so on ad infinitum, devoting a volume to each movement in the career of every institution.

As it is therefore impracticable to preserve the proportion of history to the end, the writer is obliged to generalize more and more as he approaches the termination of any selected epoch in the progress of a growing organism. Accordingly, from this point onward in the history of Michigan, we will treat the subject matter mainly by topics, commencing with an outline of the several gubernatorial administrations.

THE ADMINISTRATIONS.

Stevens T. Mason was the first Governor of this State, having been elected (Governor of the State prospectively) in 1835, as before noted, and he held the office until January, 1840. This State, at the time of its admission into the Union, had a population of about 200,000; its area was about 40,000 square miles, which was divided into 36 counties.

Nearly the first act passed by the Legislature was one for the organization and support of common schools. Congress had already set apart one section of land in every township for this purpose, and the new State properly appreciated the boon. In March of the same year (1837) another act was passed establishing the University of Michigan, of which institution we speak more fully on subsequent pages. This Legislature also appropriated $20,000 for a geological survey, and appointed Dr. Douglass Houghton State geologist. For the encouragement of internal improvements, a board of seven commissioners was appointed, of which the Governor was made president. This board authorized several surveys for railroads. Three routes were surveyed through the State, which eventually became, respectively, the Michigan Central, the Michigan Southern, and the Detroit & Milwaukee. The latter road, however, was originally intended to have Port Huron for its eastern terminus. The next year appropriations were made for the survey of the St. Joseph, Kalamazoo and Grand rivers, for the purpose of improving the navigation.

In 1839 the militia of the State was organized, and eight divisions, with two brigades of two regiments each, were provided for. This year, also, the State prison at Jackson was completed. Nearly 30,000 pupils attended the common schools this year, and for school purposes over $18, 000 was appropriated. Agriculturally, the State yielded that year 21,944 bushels of rye, 1,116,910 of oats, 6,422 of buckwheat, 43,826 pounds of flax, 524 of hemp, 89,610 head of cattle,14,059 head of horses, 22,684 head of sheep and 109,096 of swine.

Gov. William Woodbridge was the chief executive from January, 1840, to February, 1841, when he resigned to accept a seat in the

U. S. Senate. J. Wright Gordon was Lieut.-Governor, and became Acting Governor on the resignation of Gov. Woodbridge.

During the administration of these men, the railroad from Detroit to Ann Arbor, a distance of 40 miles, was completed; branches of the University were established at Detroit, Pontiac, Monroe, Niles, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, Jackson, White Pigeon and Tecumseh. The material growth of the State continued to increase, proportionally more rapidly than even the population, which now amounted to about 212,000.

John S. Barry succeeded Gov. Gordon in the executive chair, serving from 1841 to 1845. In 1842 the university was opened for the reception of students, and the number of pupils attending the common schools was officially reported to be nearly 58,000. In 1843 a land office was established at Marshall, for the whole State. In 1844 the taxable property of the State was found to be in value $28,554,282, the tax being at the rate of two mills on the dollar. The expenses of the State were only $70,000, while the income. from the two railroads was nearly $300,000. In 1845 the number of inhabitants in the State had increased to more than 300,000.

Alpheus Felch served as Governor from 1845 to 1847. During his time the two railroads belonging to the State were sold to private corporations,-the Central for $2,000,000, and the Southern for $500,000. The exports of the State amounted in 1846 to $4,647,608. The total capacity of vessels enrolled in the collection district at Detroit was 26,928 tons, the steam vessels having 8,400 and the sailing vessels 18,528 tons, the whole giving employment to 18,000 seamen. In 1847 there were 39 counties in the State, containing 435 townships; and 275 of these townships were supplied with good libraries, containing in the aggregate 37,000 volumes.

In the spring of 1846, on the account of northern and eastern immigration into Texas, with tastes and habits different from the native Mexicans, a war was precipitated between the United States and Mexico; and for the prosecution of this war Michigan furnished a regiment of volunteers, commanded by Thomas W. Stockton, and one independent company, incurring a total expense of about $10,500. March 3, 1847, Gov. Felch resigned to accept a seat in the U. S. Senate, when the duties of his office devolved upon Wm. L. Greenly, under whose administration the Mexican war was closed.

There are few records extant of the action of Michigan troops in the Mexican war. That many went there and fought well are points conceded; but their naines and country of nativity are hidden away in U. S. archives where it is almost impossible to find them.

The soldiers of this State deserve much of the credit of the memorable achievements of Co. K, 3d Dragoons, and Cos. A, E, and G of the U. S. Inf. The two former of these companies, re

cruited in this State, were reduced to one-third their original number.

In May, 1846, our Governor was notified by the War Department of the United States to enroll a regiment of volunteers, to be held in readiness for service whenever demanded. At his summons 13 independent volunteer companies, 11 of infantry and two of cavalry, at once fell into line. Of the infantry four companies were from Detroit, bearing the honored names of Montgomery, Lafayette, Scott and Brady upon their banners. Of the remainder Monroe tendered two, Lenawee county three, St. Clair, Berrien and Hillsdale each one, and Wayne county an additional company. Of these alone the veteran Bradys were accepted and ordered into service. In addition to them 10 companies, making the First Regiment of Michigan Volunteers, springing from various parts of the State, but embodying to a great degree the material of which the first volunteers was formed, were not called for until October following. This regiment was soon in readiness and proceeded to the seat of war.

Epaphroditus Ransom was Governor from 1847 to November, 1849. During his administration the Asylum for the Insane was established at Kalamazoo, and also the Institute for the Blind, and the Deaf and Dumb, at Flint. Both these institutions were liberally endowed with lands, and each entrusted to a board of five trustees. March 31, 1848, the first telegraph line was completed from New York to Detroit.

[ocr errors]

John S. Barry, elected Governor of Michigan for the third time, succeeded Gov. Ransom, and his term expired in November, 1851. While he was serving this term a Normal school was established at Ypsilanti, which was endowed with lands, placed in charge of a Board of Education, consisting of six persons; a new State constitution was adopted, and the great "railroad conspiracy case was tried. This originated in a number of lawless depredations upon the property of the Michigan Central Railroad Company, terminating with the burning of their depot at Detroit in 1850. The next year 37 men were brought to trial, and 12 of them were convicted. The prosecution was conducted by Alex. D. Fraser, of Detroit, and the conspirators were defended by Wm. H. Seward, of New York. Judge Warner Wing presided.

Robert McClelland followed Barry as Governor, serving until March, 1853, when he resigned to accept the position of Secretary of the Interior, in the cabinet of President Pierce. Lieut.-Gov. Andrew Parsons consequently became Acting Governor, his term expiring in November, 1854.

In the spring of 1854, during the administration of Acting Gov. Parsons, the "Republican party," at least as a State organization, was first formed in the United States "under the oaks " at Jackson, by anti-slavery men of both the old parties. Great excitement prevailed at this time, occasioned by the settling of Kansas and the issue thereby brought up whether slavery should exist there.

For the purpose of permitting slavery there, the "Missouri compromise" (which limited slavery to the south of 36° 30') was repealed, under the lead of Stephen A. Douglas. This was repealed by a bill admitting Kansas and Nebraska into the Union as Territories, and those who were opposed to this repeal measure were in short called "anti-Nebraska” men. The epithets "Nebraska" and "anti-Nebraska" were temporarily employed to designate the slavery and anti-slavery parties, pending the dissolution of the old Democratic and Whig parties and the organization of the new Democratic and Republican parties. At the next State election Kinsley S. Bingham was elected by the Republicans Governor of Michigan, and this State has ever since then been under Republican control, the State officers of that party being elected by majorities ranging from 5,000 to 55,000. And the people of this State generally, and the Republicans in particular, claim that this commonwealth has been as well taken care of since 1855 as any State in the union, if not better, while preceding 1855 the Democrats administered the government as well as any other State, if not better.

As a single though signal proof of the high standard of Michigan among her sister States, we may mention that while the taxes in the New England States, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania average $10.09 per capita, while in Massachusetts the average is $17.10 per inhabitant, and while in the West the average is $6.50, in Michigan it is only $4.57. At the same time it is generally believed even by the citizens of sister States, that Michigan is the best governed commonwealth in the Union.

Kinsley S. Bingham was Governor from 1854 to 1858. The most notable event during his administration was the completion of the ship canal at the falls of St. Mary, May 26, 1855. An act of Congress was approved, granting to the State of Michigan 750,000 acres of land for the purpose of constructing this canal. The "sault," or rapids, of the St. Mary, have a fall of 17 feet in one mile. The canal is one mile long, 100 feet wide and about 12 feet deep. It has two locks of solid masonry. The work was commenced in 1853 and finished in May, 1855, at a cost of $999,802. This is one of the most important internal improvements ever made in the State.

Moses Wisner was the next Governor of Michigan, serving from 1858 to November, 1860, at which time Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. National themes began to grow exciting, and Michigan affairs were almost lost in the warring elements of strife that convulsed the nation from center to circumference with a life-and-death struggle.

Austin Blair was the 13th Governor of Michigan, serving during the perilous times of rebellion from 1861 to 1865, and by his patriotic and faithful execution of law and prompt aid of the general Government, earning the well deserved title of "the War Gov

ernor." The particulars of the history of this State in connection with that war we will reserve for the next section.

Henry H. Crapo succeeded Gov. Blair, serving one term. He was elected during the dark hours just before the close of the war, when he found the political sky overcast with the most ominous clouds of death and debt. The bonded debt of the State was $3,541,149.80, with a balance in the treasury of $440,047.29. In the single year just closed the State had expended $823,216.75, and by the close of the first year of his term this indebtedness had increased more than $400,000 more. But the wise administration of this Governor began materially to reduce the debt and at the same time fill the treasury. The great war closed during the April after his election, and he faithfully carried out the line of policy inaugurated by his predecessor. The other prominent events during his time of office are systematically interwoven with the history of the various institutions of the State, and they will be found under heads in their respective places.

Henry P. Baldwin was Governor two terms, namely, from January, 1868, to the close of 1872. The period of his administration was a prosperous one for the State. In 1869 the taxable valuation of real and personal property in the State amounted to $400,000,000, and in 1871 it exceeded $630,000,000.

During Gov. Baldwin's time a step was taken to alter the State constitution so as to enable counties, townships, cities and incorporated villages, in their corporate capacity, to aid in the construction of railroads. Bonds had been issued all over the State by these municipalities in aid of railroads, under laws which had been enacted by the Legislature at five different sessions, but a case coming before the Supreme Court involving the constitutionality of these laws, the Bench decided that the laws were unconstitutional, and thus the railroads were left to the mercy of "soul-less" corporations. Gov. Baldwin, in this emergency, called an extra session of the Legislature, which submitted the desired constitutional amendment to the people; but it was by them defeated in November, 1870.

The ninth census having been officially published, it became the duty of the States in 1872 to make a re-apportionment of districts for the purpose of representation in Congress. Since 1863 Michigan had had six representatives, but the census of 1870 entitled it to nine.

During the last two years of Gov. Baldwin's administration the preliminary measures for building a new State capitol engrossed much of his attention. His wise counsels concerning this much-. needed new building were generally adopted by the Legislature, which was convened in extra session in March, 1872.

Ample provision having been made for the payment of the funded debt of the State by setting apart some of the trust-fund receipts, and such portion of the specific taxes as were not required for the payment of interest on the public debt, the one-eighth mill tax for the sinking fund was abolished in 1870.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »