Cyrus Gray Luce (July 2, 1824 – March 18, 1905) was an American politician who served as the 21st

governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the state's 49th governor. She was re-ele ...

Early life in Ohio and Indiana

Luce was born in

Windsor Windsor may refer to: Places *Detroit–Windsor, Michigan-Ontario, USA-Canada, North America; a cross-border metropolitan region Australia New South Wales *Windsor, New South Wales ** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area Queen ...

Ashtabula County, Ohio Ashtabula County ( ) is the northeasternmost county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,574. The county seat is Jefferson, while its largest city is Ashtabula. The county was created in 1808 and later organ ...

, to Walter and Mary Gray Luce. Walter Luce, a veteran of the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

from

Tolland, Connecticut Tolland ( ) is a suburban town in Tolland County, Connecticut, United States. The town is part of the Capitol Planning Region. The population was 14,563 at the 2020 census. History Tolland was named in May 1715, and incorporated in May 172 ...

, settled in the

Connecticut Western Reserve The Connecticut Western Reserve was a portion of land claimed by the Colony of Connecticut and later by the state of Connecticut in what is now mostly the northeastern region of Ohio. Warren, Ohio was the Historic Capital in Trumbull County. T ...

after the war. He and Mary were parents to sons Cyrus Gray, Charles Leverett, and George Lester Luce. When he was twelve years old, young Cyrus moved west with his family to

Steuben County, Indiana Steuben County is a County (United States), county in the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Indiana. As of the 2020 United States census the county population was 34,435. The county seat (and only incorporated city) is Angola, Indiana, Ango ...

. After leaving school at seventeen, Cyrus Luce worked from 1841 until 1848 in a woolen mill, carding

wool Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and other mammals, especially goats, rabbits, and camelids. The term may also refer to inorganic materials, such as mineral wool and glass wool, that have some properties similar to animal w ...

and dressing the unfinished cloth for sale.

Life and politics in Michigan

In 1848, Luce was a Whig Party candidate for the

Indiana House of Representatives The Indiana House of Representatives is the lower house of the Indiana General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Indiana. The House is composed of 100 members representing an equal number of constituent districts. House mem ...

for the district including Steuben and DeKalb counties. He lost a close election, and in the same year he purchased of uncultivated land near Gilead, Michigan, in

Branch County Branch County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 44,862. The county seat is Coldwater. One of the "cabinet counties", it was named for John Branch, U.S. Secretary of the Navy under President ...

, not far from the Indiana state line. Luce cleared the land for farming and in 1849 married Julia A. Dickinson of Gilead. Over time he expanded his landholdings with additional purchases. He became an active member of the Grange in 1874, and remained active in the organization for many years afterwards. In 1852, he was elected to represent Gilead Township on the Branch County Board of Supervisors. In 1854, he was elected as a candidate of the newly formed Republican Party to the

Michigan State House of Representatives Michigan ( ) is a peninsular state in the Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwestern United States. It shares water and land boundaries with Minnesota to the northwest, Wisconsin to the west, Indiana and Illinois to the southwest, Ohio ...

to represent Branch County's second district, serving from 1855 to 1856. He was elected Branch County Treasurer in 1858 and again in 1860. In 1864, he was named to fill a seat which represented the 15 district in the

Michigan Senate The Michigan Senate is the upper house of the Michigan Legislature. Along with the Michigan House of Representatives, it composes the state legislature, which has powers, roles and duties defined by Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ado ...

and was re-elected to the 13th district seat in 1866. In July, 1879, Luce was appointed State Oil Inspector by Governor Charles Croswell, and re-appointed by Gov.

David Jerome David Howell Jerome (November 17, 1829April 23, 1896) was an American politician. He served as the 18th governor of Michigan (1881–1883); he was the first governor to be born in Michigan. Early life He was born in Detroit to Horace and Elizab ...

in 1881. His first wife Julia died in August 1882, and Luce married Mary Thompson of

Bronson, Michigan Bronson is a city in Branch County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 2,307 at the 2020 census. Incorporated as a city in 1934, Bronson is mostly surrounded by Bronson Township, but the two are administered autonomously. Histo ...

, in November 1883. Running as a Republican candidate, Luce was elected

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of government of the U.S. state of Michigan. The current governor is Gretchen Whitmer, a member of the Democratic Party, who was inaugurated on January 1, 2019, as the state's 49th governor. She was re-ele ...

in November 1886, defeating George L. Yaple, taking office on January 1, 1887. He was reelected in 1888 and served two two-year terms. During his tenure, a local liquor option law was sanctioned and a state game warden was established, reportedly the first salaried state game wardenship in the United States. To fill this position Luce appointed William Alden Smith, who would later represent Michigan in the U.S. Senate.

Death and legacy

Luce died at the age of 80 in

Coldwater, Michigan Coldwater is a city in and county seat of Branch County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city had a population of 13,822 at the 2020 census. The city is mostly surrounded by Coldwater Township, but the two are administered autonomously. H ...

, and is interred in Oak Grove Cemetery adjacent to that municipality. Luce County, in the

Upper Peninsula The Upper Peninsula of Michigan—also known as Upper Michigan or colloquially the U.P. or Yoop—is the northern and more elevated of the two major landmasses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan; it is separated from the Lower Peninsula b ...

, is named in his honor. He was the last governor of the state to have a county named in his honor. His administration was marked by rapid population growth and development in northern Michigan, led by the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

industry. A state landmark, the

Grand Hotel A grand hotel is a large and luxurious hotel, especially one housed in a building with traditional architectural style. It began to flourish in the 1800s in Europe and North America. Grand Hotel may refer to: Hotels Africa * Grande Hotel Beir ...

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( , ; ; ; ) is an island and resort area, covering in land area, in the U.S. state of Michigan. The name of the island in Odawa is Michilimackinac and "Mitchimakinak" in Ojibwemowin, meaning "Great Turtle". It is located in ...

, was built in 1887 during his administration.

References

External links

*
Memorial Library
*
National Governors Association
{{DEFAULTSORT:Luce, Cyrus G. 1824 births 1905 deaths Governors of Michigan People from Ashtabula County, Ohio People from Branch County, Michigan Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Republican Party Michigan state senators American Presbyterians People from Coldwater, Michigan Indiana Whigs County treasurers in Michigan Republican Party governors of Michigan 19th-century members of the Michigan Legislature