Francis B. Stockbridge

Francis Brown Stockbridge ( born April 9, 1826 in Bath, Maine, † April 30, 1894 in Chicago ) was a U.S. Representative ( Republican), who represented the state of Michigan in the U.S. Senate.

After attending school in Maine Francis Stockbridge first worked from 1843 to 1847 as a clerk in a wholesale house in Boston; then he ran his own lumber business in Chicago. In 1851 he moved to Saugatuck, Michigan, where he was active in the leadership of several sawmills as well as a merchant; From 1863 he lived in Kalamazoo and then there rose also into the wood business.

1869 Stockbridge's political career began with membership of the House of Representatives from Michigan; two years later he moved into the state Senate. On 12 July 1875 he was appointed U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands and also swore the oath of office, but not stepped up to the job. Instead, he went on about his business and acquired in 1882 the land on which the later should arise Grand Hotel of Mackinac Iceland. Stockbridge led the three major active on the island of transport companies in a finance company together: the Michigan Central Railroad, the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad and the Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company jointly formed the Mackinac Iceland Hotel Company, which made ​​possible the completion of the hotel in 1887.

In the same year Stockbridge also returned into political life, when he was elected for the Republicans in the U.S. Senate. After his first term he was confirmed in 1893; the following year he died, however, while he visited his nephew in Chicago. During his time in the Senate Francis Stockbridge was, among other things the Committee on Fisheries. He was the last member of the state Legislature of Michigan, which moved into the U.S. Senate, Debbie Stabenow to this succeeded again in 2000.