Aaron T. Bliss
Encyclopedia
Aaron Thomas Bliss was a U.S. Representative from and the 25th Governor of the US state of Michigan
, and was from Saginaw
and attended the common schools. He was employed as a clerk in a store in Morrisville, New York
, in 1853 and 1854 and with the $100 he made there he attended a select school in Munnsville, New York
, in 1854. The following year, Bliss moved to Bouckville, a small town in Madison County, New York
, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits.
, Bliss enlisted as a private in the Peterman Guards of the Tenth New York Volunteer Cavalry, October 1, 1861 and reported for duty at Elmira, New York
. After a quick advancement to lieutenant, his regiment formed a part of Kilpatrick’s Brigade
and was ordered front joining the Army of the Potomac
. He commanded a squadron from Washington, D.C. during the Second Battle of Bull Run
and his rank advanced to captain. He also fought in the battle of Fredericksburg
, the Wilderness
, Petersburg
, Ground Squirrel Church, Stony Creek
, South Mountain
, Falls Church
and Warrenton
. Then he was captured on General Wilson’s raid near Richmond
. For six months he was held at the Confederate
prisons of Andersonville, Georgia
, Charleston, South Carolina
, Macon, Georgia
, and Columbia, South Carolina
, where on November 29, 1864, like his predecessor, Hazen S. Pingree
, Bliss escaped from a Confederate prison. He walked near three weeks until he reached General Sherman’s
army at Savannah, Georgia
just two days before its evacuation. Bliss soon rejoined his own command at Petersburg, Virginia
, where he remained until the war ended.
and found employment at a shingle mill. With his brother, Lyman W. Bliss, and J. H. Jerome, formed A. T. Bliss & Company and engaged in the manufacture of lumber
and lands along the Tobacco River. On March 31, 1868, he married Allaseba Morey Phelps of Solsville, New York north of the town of Madison
. That same spring the brothers bought the Jerome mill at Zilwaukee
, and it became A. T. Bliss & Brother. In 1880, Bliss was one of the organizers and a director of the Citizen’s National Bank, which was reorganized into the Bank of Saginaw, and was president and director of the Saginaw County Savings Bank.
from Saginaw County (25th district), and during that time helped establish a soldiers' home in Grand Rapids
. He was appointed aide-de-camp
on the staff of Governor Russell A. Alger
in 1885, with the rank of colonel
, and held the same position on the staff of the commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic
in 1888.
In 1888, Bliss was elected as a Republican
from Michigan's 8th congressional district
to the 51st Congress
, serving from March 4, 1889 to March 3, 1891. Among notable bills he introduced were for appropriating $100,000 for a federal building in Saginaw and $25,000 for an Indian school at Mt. Pleasant. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1890 to the 52nd Congress
, being defeated by Democrat
Henry M. Youmans
.
After leaving Congress, Bliss resumed the lumber business and also engaged in banking. He was department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in Michigan in 1897.
In 1900, Bliss was elected Governor of Michigan
, defeating mayor of Detroit William C. Maybury
, and was re-elected in 1902, serving from 1901 through 1904. During his four years in office, the Michigan Employment Institution for the Adult Blind was established in Saginaw, a state highway department was formed, and railroad taxation was sanctioned.
.
Bliss died less than two years after leaving office at the age of sixty-eight in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
, while on a visit for medical treatment. He is interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw, Michigan
.
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and was from Saginaw
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
Early life in New York
Bliss was born to Lyman and Anna M. (Chaffee) Bliss in Peterboro, New YorkPeterboro, New York
Peterboro, located about twenty-five miles southeast of Syracuse, New York, is a historic hamlet situated in the Town of Smithfield, Madison County, New York.-Founding:...
and attended the common schools. He was employed as a clerk in a store in Morrisville, New York
Morrisville, New York
Morrisville is a village in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 2,148 at the 2000 census. The village is named after its founder, Thomas Morris.The Village of Morrisville in the northwest part of the Town of Eaton on US Route 20....
, in 1853 and 1854 and with the $100 he made there he attended a select school in Munnsville, New York
Munnsville, New York
Munnsville is a village located in the Town of Stockbridge in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 437 at the 2000 census...
, in 1854. The following year, Bliss moved to Bouckville, a small town in Madison County, New York
Madison County, New York
Madison County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 73,442. It is named after James Madison, fourth President of the United States of America...
, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits.
Civil War
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Bliss enlisted as a private in the Peterman Guards of the Tenth New York Volunteer Cavalry, October 1, 1861 and reported for duty at Elmira, New York
Elmira, New York
Elmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
. After a quick advancement to lieutenant, his regiment formed a part of Kilpatrick’s Brigade
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick
Hugh Judson Kilpatrick was an officer in the Union Army during the American Civil War, achieving the rank of brevet major general. He was later the United States Minister to Chile, and a failed political candidate for the U.S...
and was ordered front joining the Army of the Potomac
Army of the Potomac
The Army of the Potomac was the major Union Army in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War.-History:The Army of the Potomac was created in 1861, but was then only the size of a corps . Its nucleus was called the Army of Northeastern Virginia, under Brig. Gen...
. He commanded a squadron from Washington, D.C. during the Second Battle of Bull Run
Second Battle of Bull Run
The Second Battle of Bull Run or Second Manassas was fought August 28–30, 1862, as part of the American Civil War. It was the culmination of an offensive campaign waged by Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia against Union Maj. Gen...
and his rank advanced to captain. He also fought in the battle of Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Virginia
Fredericksburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia located south of Washington, D.C., and north of Richmond. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 24,286...
, the Wilderness
Battle of the Wilderness
The Battle of the Wilderness, fought May 5–7, 1864, was the first battle of Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant's 1864 Virginia Overland Campaign against Gen. Robert E. Lee and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Both armies suffered heavy casualties, a harbinger of a bloody war of attrition by...
, Petersburg
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, Ground Squirrel Church, Stony Creek
Stony Creek, Virginia
Stony Creek is a town in Sussex County, Virginia, United States. The population was 202 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Stony Creek is located at ....
, South Mountain
Battle of South Mountain
The Battle of South Mountain was fought September 14, 1862, as part of the Maryland Campaign of the American Civil War. Three pitched battles were fought for possession of three South Mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's, and Fox's Gaps. Maj. Gen. George B...
, Falls Church
Falls Church, Virginia
The City of Falls Church is an independent city in Virginia, United States, in the Washington Metropolitan Area. The city population was 12,332 in 2010, up from 10,377 in 2000. Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Anglican parish, Falls Church gained township status within...
and Warrenton
Warrenton, Virginia
Warrenton is a town in Fauquier County, Virginia, United States. The population was 6,670 at the 2000 census, and 14,634 at the 2010 estimate. It is the county seat of Fauquier County. Public schools in the town include Fauquier High School, Warrenton Middle School, Taylor Middle School and two...
. Then he was captured on General Wilson’s raid near Richmond
Richmond, Virginia
Richmond is the capital of the Commonwealth of Virginia, in the United States. It is an independent city and not part of any county. Richmond is the center of the Richmond Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Greater Richmond area...
. For six months he was held at the Confederate
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
prisons of Andersonville, Georgia
Andersonville, Georgia
Andersonville is a city in Sumter County, Georgia, United States. The population was 331 at the 2000 census . It is located in the southwest part of the state, about southwest of Macon, Georgia on the Central of Georgia railroad...
, Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, Macon, Georgia
Macon, Georgia
Macon is a city located in central Georgia, US. Founded at the fall line of the Ocmulgee River, it is part of the Macon metropolitan area, and the county seat of Bibb County. A small portion of the city extends into Jones County. Macon is the biggest city in central Georgia...
, and Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Columbia is the state capital and largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The population was 129,272 according to the 2010 census. Columbia is the county seat of Richland County, but a portion of the city extends into neighboring Lexington County. The city is the center of a metropolitan...
, where on November 29, 1864, like his predecessor, Hazen S. Pingree
Hazen S. Pingree
Hazen Stuart Pingree was a four-term Republican mayor of Detroit and the 24th Governor of the US state of Michigan .-Early life in Maine and Massachusetts:...
, Bliss escaped from a Confederate prison. He walked near three weeks until he reached General Sherman’s
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
army at Savannah, Georgia
Savannah, Georgia
Savannah is the largest city and the county seat of Chatham County, in the U.S. state of Georgia. Established in 1733, the city of Savannah was the colonial capital of the Province of Georgia and later the first state capital of Georgia. Today Savannah is an industrial center and an important...
just two days before its evacuation. Bliss soon rejoined his own command at Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg, Virginia
Petersburg is an independent city in Virginia, United States located on the Appomattox River and south of the state capital city of Richmond. The city's population was 32,420 as of 2010, predominantly of African-American ethnicity...
, where he remained until the war ended.
Life in Michigan
In December 1865, he moved to Saginaw, MichiganSaginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
and found employment at a shingle mill. With his brother, Lyman W. Bliss, and J. H. Jerome, formed A. T. Bliss & Company and engaged in the manufacture of lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
and lands along the Tobacco River. On March 31, 1868, he married Allaseba Morey Phelps of Solsville, New York north of the town of Madison
Madison (town), New York
Madison is a town in Madison County, New York, United States. The population was 2,801 at the 2000 census.The Town of Madison contains a village also named Madison. The town is on the eastern border of the county.- History :...
. That same spring the brothers bought the Jerome mill at Zilwaukee
Zilwaukee, Michigan
Zilwaukee is a city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,799 at the 2000 census. The 2009 Census Bureau estimate places the population at 1,640. The city is adjacent to and was created from Zilwaukee Township...
, and it became A. T. Bliss & Brother. In 1880, Bliss was one of the organizers and a director of the Citizen’s National Bank, which was reorganized into the Bank of Saginaw, and was president and director of the Saginaw County Savings Bank.
Politics
In 1882, Bliss was elected member of the Michigan SenateMichigan Senate
The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. The Senate consists of 38 members, who are elected from constituencies having approximately 212,400 to 263,500 residents....
from Saginaw County (25th district), and during that time helped establish a soldiers' home in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Grand Rapids is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is located on the Grand River about 40 miles east of Lake Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 188,040. In 2010, the Grand Rapids metropolitan area had a population of 774,160 and a combined statistical area, Grand...
. He was appointed aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
on the staff of Governor Russell A. Alger
Russell A. Alger
Russell Alexander Alger was the 20th Governor and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan and also U.S. Secretary of War during the Presidential administration of William McKinley...
in 1885, with the rank of colonel
Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general...
, and held the same position on the staff of the commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic
Grand Army of the Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army, US Navy, US Marines and US Revenue Cutter Service who served in the American Civil War. Founded in 1866 in Decatur, Illinois, it was dissolved in 1956 when its last member died...
in 1888.
In 1888, Bliss was elected as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
from Michigan's 8th congressional district
Michigan's 8th congressional district
Michigan's 8th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Southern Michigan and Southeast Michigan. It consists of all of Clinton, Ingham, and Livingston counties, and includes the southern portion of Shiawassee and the northern portion of Oakland counties.The district was...
to the 51st Congress
51st United States Congress
The Fifty-first United States Congress, referred to by some critics as the Billion Dollar Congress, was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
, serving from March 4, 1889 to March 3, 1891. Among notable bills he introduced were for appropriating $100,000 for a federal building in Saginaw and $25,000 for an Indian school at Mt. Pleasant. He was an unsuccessful candidate for re-election in 1890 to the 52nd Congress
52nd United States Congress
The Fifty-second United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C...
, being defeated by Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Henry M. Youmans
Henry M. Youmans
Henry Melville Youmans was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.Youmans was born in Otego, New York and attended the common schools. He was in the employ of the York & Erie Railroad Co. on the Susquehanna division for ten years. He moved to East Saginaw, Michigan in 1862 and engaged in...
.
After leaving Congress, Bliss resumed the lumber business and also engaged in banking. He was department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in Michigan in 1897.
In 1900, Bliss was elected Governor of Michigan
Governor of Michigan
The Governor of Michigan is the chief executive of the U.S. State of Michigan. The current Governor is Rick Snyder, a member of the Republican Party.-Gubernatorial elections and term of office:...
, defeating mayor of Detroit William C. Maybury
William C. Maybury
William Cotter Maybury was a politician from the U.S. state of Michigan.-Early life:William Maybury was born in Detroit, Michigan on November 20, 1848, the son of Thomas Maybury. He attended public schools in Detroit, graduating in 1866...
, and was re-elected in 1902, serving from 1901 through 1904. During his four years in office, the Michigan Employment Institution for the Adult Blind was established in Saginaw, a state highway department was formed, and railroad taxation was sanctioned.
Retirement and death
Bliss was a patron of the Home for the Friendless, the Y.M.C.A., the Methodist Church and was also a member of the Freemasons and Knights TemplarKnights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
.
Bliss died less than two years after leaving office at the age of sixty-eight in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, while on a visit for medical treatment. He is interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Saginaw County. The city of Saginaw was once a thriving lumber town and manufacturing center. Saginaw and Saginaw County lie in the Flint/Tri-Cities region of Michigan...
.
Additional reading
- Fuller, George, Ed., Messages of the Governors of Michigan, Volume 4 (East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State University Press) ISBN 0-87013-723-9; ISBN 978-0-87013-723-5.