As famous Michiganders go, Lewis Cass stands as one of the most famous of all. He served as our territorial governor 1813 to 1831, during which time he is credited with designing the state seal of Michigan. A stylized version of the seal appears on his tombstone.
After serving as the territorial governor, Cass went on to serve as the United States Secretary of War, Ambassador to France, United States Senator for Michigan, and United States Secretary of State. In 1848, he ran for President, losing to Zachary Taylor. When he vacated the his Senate seat in 1857, my favorite historical Michigander, Zachariah Chandler, was elected in his stead. Until recently, statues of Cass and Chandler stood in the U.S. Capitol's Statuary Hall representing Michigan. However, Chandler's statue was replaced by Gerald Ford a few years ago. Both Cass and Chandler are interred in Detroit's Elmwood Cemetery. The obelisk marking Chandler's grave rests about 100 yards to the east of Cass's tomb, separated by a pond.
No comments:
Post a Comment