Alpheus Felch

Alpheus Felch ( born September 28, 1804 in Limerick, York County, Massachusetts, † June 13, 1896 in Ann Arbor, Michigan) was an American lawyer and politician and from 1846 to 1847, the fifth Governor of the State of Michigan.

Early years and rise in Michigan

After the early death of his parents born in present-day Maine Alpheus Felch was raised by his grandfather. He attended Bowdoin College, the Phillips Academy in New Hampshire and then to 1827. After studying law and his 1830 was admitted to the bar he began in Houlton to work in this profession.

In 1833 Felch moved to Monroe in the Michigan Territory. He was also active as a lawyer. As a member of the Democratic Party, he took from then on political life in his new home in part. Between 1835 and 1837 he was a delegate in the House of Representatives from Michigan. He was then to 1839 State Representative for the Banking ( State Bank Commissioner) and 1842-1845 he was a judge at the Michigan Supreme Court in 1845, he was elected as a candidate of his party for the new governor.

Governor and Senator

Alpheus Felch took up his new post on January 5, 1846. During his tenure, the capital of the state of Detroit was moved to Lansing and some laws have been revised. Just a year after his election as Governor Felch candidate for the U.S. Senate. After his successful election, he resigned on 3 March 1847 to take his seat in Congress. Unopened His tenure as governor of Michigan was terminated by Vice- Governor William L. Greenly.

Between 1847 and 1853 Felch exercised his mandate as a Senator in Washington DC from. Then he was appointed by President Franklin Pierce in a commission to negotiate on outstanding border issues between the U.S. and Mexico. Felch remained until 1856 a member of this Commission. He then returned to Ann Arbor, where he practiced as a lawyer again. In 1856 he applied unsuccessfully to return to the Office of the Governor. Between 1879 and 1883 Felch was a professor at the University of Michigan. He was married to Lucretia W. Lawrence, with whom he had four children.