- William Woodbridge
Infobox Governor
name= William Woodbridge
caption=
order= 2nd
office= Governor of Michigan
term_start=January 7 ,1840
term_end=February 23 ,1841
lieutenant=J. Wright Gordon
predecessor=Stevens T. Mason
successor=J. Wright Gordon
birth_date= birth date|1780|8|20|mf=y
birth_place=Norwich, Connecticut
death_date= death date|1861|10|20|mf=y
death_place=Detroit, Michigan
spouse= Juliana Trumbull
party=Whig
religion=Congregationalist William Woodbridge (
August 20 ,1780 –October 20 ,1861 ) was a U.S.statesman in the states ofOhio andMichigan and in theMichigan Territory prior to statehood. He served as Governor and asU.S. Senator from Michigan.Early life in Connecticut and politics in Ohio
Woodbridge was born in
Norwich, Connecticut , and as a child moved with his family toMarietta, Ohio in about 1790. He began the study of law in Marietta and developed a close friendship withLewis Cass . He returned toConnecticut to complete his law studies and, after returning to Ohio, was admitted to the Ohio bar in 1806 where he began a practice inMarietta, Ohio . In June 1806, he married Juliana Trumbull, the daughter of John Trumbull.He was a member of the
Ohio House of Representatives in 1807, and was elected to theOhio Senate in 1808, serving from 1809 to 1814. He was also the prosecuting attorney for New London (nowWashington County, Ohio ) from 1808 to 1814.Politics in Michigan Territory
In 1814, Woodbridge's old friend Lewis Cass, who had become Governor of the
Michigan Territory , encouraged him to accept appointments as Secretary of the Territory and as the collector of customs at the Port of Detroit. OnOctober 15 ,1814 , Woodbridge reluctantly accepted the appointments from PresidentJames Madison and moved toDetroit, Michigan . During the frequent absences of Cass, Woodbridge served as acting Governor. In 1817 became a trustee of theUniversity of Michigan .Under the rules of Territorial government, the Territory did not have representation in the U.S. Congress. Woodbridge influenced Congress to pass legislation authorizing the selection of a non-voting Delegate to Congress. Woodward became Michigan Territory's first Delegate, serving in the 16th Congress from
March 4 ,1819 , to his resignation onAugust 9 ,1820 due to illness in his family.Solomon Sibley succeeded Woodbridge as Delegate. As a Delegate, Woodbridge worked for the passage of legislation that recognized old French land titles in the Territory according to the terms of the previously signed treaties. He also secured approval for the construction of government roads from theGreat Miami River to Detroit, and from Detroit to Chicago. He was also a strong advocate for Michigan's claim to theToledo Strip , which was disputed with the state of Ohio.In 1828, he was appointed one of three Territorial Supreme Court judges by President
John Quincy Adams , succeedingJames Witherell and serving in this capacity until 1832 when his term expired and PresidentAndrew Jackson chose a replacement who was not from the Whig party as Woodbridge was.Politics and Governorship in the State of Michigan
Woodbridge was a delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1835 and a member of the
Michigan State Senate , 1838–1839. He was elected as the secondGovernor of Michigan in 1840, leading the Whig party to sweeping statewide victories under the slogan "Woodbridge and reform" (along withWilliam Henry Harrison 's national campaign). He resigned as Governor onFebruary 23 ,1841 to take a seat in theUnited States Senate and was succeeded by his Lieutenant Governor,J. Wright Gordon .In 1840, Woodbridge was elected as a Whig to the Senate and served from
March 4 ,1841 , toMarch 3 ,1847 . He served as chairman of the Committee on Public Lands in the 28th Congress, 1843–1844, and of the Committee on Patents and the Patent Office in the 29th Congress, 1845–1846. He did not seek reelection.Retirement and death
After leaving the Senate, he retired from public life and devoted his time to horticulture. He died in Detroit and is interred there in Elmwood Cemetery.
Woodbridge Township, Michigan inHillsdale County, Michigan is named for him. TheWoodbridge Historic District and Woodbridge Avenue in Detroit are also named for him.References
*CongBio|W000709
* [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/mi/county/tuscola/book/book107-110.htm Benjamin Harrison and Governor Woodbridge]
*cite book |title=Cyclopedia of Michigan |origyear=1900 |url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/apk6141.0001.001 |accessdate=2007-03-24 |year=2005 |publisher=University of Michigan Library |location=Ann Arbor, Mich. |pages=pp. 162–163 |chapter=s.v. Hon. William Woodbridge |chapterurl= http://www.hti.umich.edu/cgi/t/text/pageviewer-idx?c=micounty;cc=micounty;idno=apk6141.0001.001;size=l;frm=frameset;seq=254
* [http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/woodall-woodburn.html Political Graveyard]
* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Gordon&GSfn=James&GSmn=Wright&GSbyrel=all&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=6853153& Find a Grave]
* [http://www.memoriallibrary.com/MI/LivIngPB/gov~105-142.htm#Barry memorial library]U.S. Senator box
state=Michigan
class=2
before=John Norvell
after=Alpheus Felch
alongside=Augustus S. Porter,Lewis Cass
years=1841 – 1847
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