Charles Miller Croswell was born on October 31, 1825, and he died on December 13, 1886. He served as the 17th governor of Michigan from 1877 to 1881.

Early life in New York

Croswell was born in Newburgh, New York, as the only son of John and Sallie (née Hicks) Croswell. His father, who was descended from Scots and Irish people, worked as a paper maker and ran a business in New York City. On his mother’s side, his ancestors were from New York’s early Dutch and English settlers. Some members of the Croswell family were involved in important events in New York and Connecticut, including Harry Croswell, who was a newspaper editor who supported the Federalist Party and was convicted of libel against President Thomas Jefferson in a significant legal case in New York. When Croswell was seven years old, his mother and younger sister died from a fever. A few months later, his father accidentally drowned in the Hudson River. Charles was then cared for by the family of his mother’s brother, Daniel Hicks.

Early life in Michigan

In 1837, when Croswell was 12 years old, the Hicks family moved to Adrian, Michigan. At 16, he started learning to become a carpenter, a trade practiced by his uncle, and worked as a carpenter for four years. One biography stated that he "worked very hard at his job, supporting himself and using his free time to read and gain knowledge."

In 1846, Croswell began studying the law. That same year, he was appointed Deputy Clerk of Lenawee County. His uncle, Daniel, had previously been the first Register of Deeds for Lenawee County. In 1847, Hicks traveled to fight in the Mexican–American War. After returning from the war, Hicks went to Sault Ste. Marie to work as a port collector. Soon after, he died from yellow fever, which he had contracted in Mexico. Following this, Charles purchased the house in Adrian that he had helped build from his aunt for $1,700.

Early political career

In 1848, Croswell ran for County Clerk as a member of the Whig Party but lost the election. In 1850, he was elected as a Whig to serve as Register of Deeds for the county and was re-elected in 1852. In 1854, he helped create the Republican Party and was a member of the convention held in Jackson, Michigan, where he served as Secretary.

In 1855, Croswell formed a law partnership with Thomas M. Cooley, who later became Chief Justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. This partnership lasted until 1859, when Cooley moved to Ann Arbor. In 1862, Croswell was appointed City Attorney of Adrian and was elected mayor of the city that same year. He also won election to the Michigan Senate from the 10th District in the fall of 1862. He was re-elected from the 10th District in 1864 and from the 8th District in 1866. During this time, he held the positions of president pro tempore and Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.

In 1867, Croswell was elected to the Constitutional Convention to help revise the Michigan Constitution and was chosen as the presiding officer. In 1868, he was selected as an elector on the Republican presidential ticket and voted for Ulysses S. Grant and Schuyler Colfax as the state of Michigan’s representatives. In 1872, he was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives from the Lenawee County 4th District and became Speaker of the House. He also worked as Secretary of the State Board of Corrections and Charities for several years, visiting nearly all of the poor-houses and jails in the state.

Governorship

In 1876, he was chosen by the Republican Party to run for Governor of Michigan and won by a majority of 23,434 votes over his Democratic opponent. He was chosen again in 1878 and won by a majority of 47,777 votes over his strongest competitor. During his time as governor, the state’s public debt was significantly lowered. A rule was made that required state institutions to stay within their budget. Laws were passed to better punish corruption and bribery in elections. The State House of Correction in Ionia and the Eastern Asylum for the Insane in Pontiac were opened. The new capitol building in Lansing was completed and used. During his second term, he led the ceremony to dedicate the capitol building and helped stop a riot in Jackson from causing major damage. In 1887, the town of Davisville in Michigan’s Thumb region was renamed Croswell in his honor.

Personal life

Croswell married Lucy M. Eddy, the daughter of Adrian pioneer Morton Eddy, on February 4, 1852. They had five children, but only three lived to adulthood. Lucy Croswell died from a health condition related to the spine on March 19, 1868, while her husband was attending a state Republican convention in Detroit. She left behind one son and two daughters: Charles Morton, Harriet (Hattie), and Lucy Elizabeth.

In 1880, Croswell married Elizabeth Musgrave, who was twenty-five years younger than him. A daughter from his second marriage was born three months after he died.

Retirement and death

After completing two terms as governor, Croswell returned to Adrian in 1881. During his retirement, he remained active by serving as president of the Lenawee County Savings Bank. He also began purchasing shares in the Adrian Union Hall Company, which managed the town’s largest event hall. Over time, he became the majority owner and appointed his son, C.M. Croswell Jr., as the manager in 1883. The theater, now known as the Croswell Opera House, continues to operate today.

On a cold afternoon in December 1886, Croswell sat by the stove in the offices of the Lenawee County Savings Bank and mentioned feeling a chill. This marked the start of an illness that eventually caused his death. He passed away on December 13, 1886, at the age of 61.

Croswell was buried at Oakwood Cemetery in Adrian. Three months after his death, his wife gave birth to a daughter, who was named Sallie Hicks Croswell, after Croswell’s mother.

Later, Elizabeth remarried and became known as Elizabeth Merrill. She donated the Croswell home in Adrian to the local chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The home is now used as the chapter’s offices.

The house in Adrian, Michigan, where Croswell lived before becoming governor, was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1958. It was later added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and is now known as the Governor Charles Croswell House.