Aaron Thomas Bliss (May 22, 1837 – September 16, 1906) was an American politician who worked as a U.S. representative and the 25th governor of Michigan. He was from Saginaw. Bliss Township was named after him.

Early life in New York

Bliss was born to Lyman and Anna M. (Chaffee) Bliss in Peterboro, New York. He attended public schools in his early years. In 1853 and 1854, he worked as a clerk in a store in Morrisville, New York. Using the $100 he earned from this job, he enrolled in a select school in Munnsville, New York, in 1854. The next year, Bliss moved to Bouckville, a small town in Madison County, New York, where he began working in a store and managing business activities.

Civil War

During the American Civil War, Bliss joined the Peterman Guards of the Tenth New York Volunteer Cavalry as a private on October 1, 1861, and reported for duty in Elmira, New York. He quickly advanced to the rank of lieutenant, and his regiment became part of Kilpatrick's Brigade. The unit was sent to the front lines and joined the Army of the Potomac. Bliss commanded a squadron from Washington, D.C., during the Second Battle of Bull Run and was promoted to captain. He also participated in battles at Fredericksburg, the Wilderness, Petersburg, Ground Squirrel Church, Stony Creek, South Mountain, Falls Church, and Warrenton. Later, he was captured during General Wilson's raid near Richmond. For six months, he was held in Confederate prisons located in Andersonville, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Macon, Georgia; and Columbia, South Carolina. On November 29, 1864, Bliss escaped from a Confederate prison, similar to Hazen S. Pingree, who later became governor. He walked for nearly three weeks until reaching General Sherman's army at Savannah, Georgia, just two days before its evacuation. Bliss soon rejoined his unit at Petersburg, Virginia, where he stayed until the war ended.

Life in Michigan

In December 1865, he moved to Saginaw, Michigan, and began working at a shingle mill. He partnered with his brother, Lyman W. Bliss, and J. H. Jerome to form A. T. Bliss & Company. The company produced lumber and used land along the Tobacco River. On March 31, 1868, he married Allaseba Morey Phelps of Solsville, New York, which is located north of Madison. Later that spring, the brothers purchased the Jerome mill in Zilwaukee, and the business became A. T. Bliss & Brother. In 1880, Bliss helped start and served as a director of the Citizen's National Bank, which later changed into the Bank of Saginaw. He also held leadership roles as president and director of the Saginaw County Savings Bank.

Politics

In 1882, Bliss was elected to the Michigan Senate from Saginaw County (25th district) and worked to create a soldiers' home in Grand Rapids. In 1885, he was appointed as an aide-de-camp on the staff of Governor Russell A. Alger with the rank of colonel. He 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. He served from March 4, 1889, to March 3, 1891. He introduced bills that provided $100,000 for a federal building in Saginaw and $25,000 for an Indian school in Mt. Pleasant. In 1890, he ran for re-election to the 52nd Congress but was defeated by Democrat Henry M. Youmans.

After leaving Congress, Bliss returned to the lumber business and also worked in banking. In 1897, he served as department commander of the Grand Army of the Republic in Michigan.

In 1900, Bliss was elected Governor of Michigan, defeating Detroit mayor William C. Maybury. He was re-elected in 1902 and served from 1901 to 1904. During his time as governor, the Michigan Employment Institution for the Adult Blind was created in Saginaw, a state highway department was formed, and railroad taxation was approved.

Retirement and death

Bliss was a supporter of the Home for the Friendless, the Y.M.C.A., and the Methodist Church. He was also a member of the Freemasons and Knights Templar.

Bliss died less than two years after leaving his position at the age of sixty-nine in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while visiting for medical care. He is interred in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Saginaw, Michigan.