Thomas White Ferry (June 10, 1827October 13, 1896), or T.W. Ferry, was a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

, and acting Vice President of the United States from the State of Michigan. Except for President Gerald Ford, no Michigan politician has held higher office than Ferry. He is one of only four United States senators from Michigan to have served as

president pro tempore A president pro tempore or speaker pro tempore is a constitutionally recognized officer of a legislative body who presides over the chamber in the absence of the normal presiding officer. The phrase ''pro tempore'' is Latin "for the time being". ...

of the U.S. Senate, and Ferry is the only U.S. senator from Michigan to hold the position for multiple Congresses ( 44th and 45th).

Biography

Mission House Mackinac Island August 2011

Birth and early life

Ferry was born in the old Mission House on

Mackinac Island Mackinac Island ( ; french: Île Mackinac; oj, Mishimikinaak ᒥᔑᒥᑭᓈᒃ; otw, Michilimackinac) 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 an ...

in the Territory of Michigan."Ferry, Thomas White,"
Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, retrieved February 28, 2021. The community on Mackinac at that time included the military garrison, the main depot of John Jacob Astor's

American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was founded in 1808, by John Jacob Astor, a German immigrant to the United States. During the 18th century, furs had become a major commodity in Europe, and North America became a major supplier. Several British co ...

, and the mission. His father was a Presbyterian pastor, the Rev. William Montague Ferry, and his mother was Amanda White Ferry; together his parents ran the mission school. Rev. Ferry also was the pastor of the Protestant church on the island. Thomas moved with his parents to

Grand Haven, Michigan Grand Haven is a city within the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Ottawa County. Grand Haven is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Grand River, for which it is named. As of the 2010 census, Grand Ha ...

, attended the public schools, and engaged in mercantile pursuits. He worked as a store clerk in Elgin, Illinois, for two years from 1843 to 1845 before returning to Michigan. At the age of 21 he was elected clerk of Ottawa County. In addition to English, Ferry was fluent in

Ottawa Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...

, Chippewa, and

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

Political career

State legislator

He was a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives from 1850 to 1852 and a member of the Michigan State Senate in 1856. On January 26, 1857, Ferry, with his father William Montague Ferry, platted the village of Ferrysburg, Michigan, in 1834.

Years between state and federal office

In 1862 Thomas became a director of the new Grand Haven Union High School and was superintendent for ten years. He went into the lumbering business with his brother,

Edward Payson Ferry Edward Payson Ferry (1837–1917) was as Michigan and Utah businessman/mining magnate and prominent member of the Ferry Family. Early life in Michigan Edward lived his early childhood in Grand Haven. He worked with his father William Montague F ...

. Before the Civil War he served on the Republican State Central Committee for eight years and was delegate-at-large and one of the vice presidents of the national convention that nominated Abraham Lincoln. In 1864 he was elected to the 39th Congress and first and forty-second assemblies. Upon President Lincoln's death, he was appointed by the U.S. Senate to a committee that accompanied Lincoln's body to Springfield.

United States Representative

He was a delegate to the Loyalist Convention at Philadelphia in 1866. He was elected as a Republican to the United States House of Representatives for the 39th, 40th, and 41st Congresses, serving from March 4, 1865 to March 3, 1871. He was re-elected to the U.S. House for the

42nd Congress The 42nd United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1871, ...

in the general election of November 8, 1870. The Michigan Legislature subsequently elected him to the U.S. Senate on January 18, 1871, and Wilder D. Foster was elected in a special election on April 4, 1871, to fill the vacancy in the House. On April 2, 1868, he testified in the impeachment trial of President

Andrew Johnson Andrew Johnson (December 29, 1808July 31, 1875) was the 17th president of the United States, serving from 1865 to 1869. He assumed the presidency as he was vice president at the time of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. Johnson was a Dem ...

, having been called as a witness by the prosecution. One of Ferry's lasting legacies in the house is the clearing of the floor prior to the start of a session. On March 31, 1869, Ferry moved that the House adopt a rule which required the House Doorkeeper to clear the floor of visitors and non-privileged employees 10 minutes before the start of a session. The rule was later changed to 15 minutes.

United States Senator

Ferry was re-elected to the Senate in 1877, and served from March 4, 1871 to March 3, 1883. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1882. Ferry was the first person from Michigan to have served in both houses of the

Michigan State Legislature The Michigan Legislature is the legislature of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is organized as a bicameral body composed of an upper chamber, the Senate, and a lower chamber, the House of Representatives. Article IV of the Michigan Constitution, ...

and in both houses of the United States Congress. The second person to do so is Debbie Stabenow. During the "Panic of 1873" economic deflation was causing serious problems. Ferry became the face of the Republican inflationist movement. Congress hoped inflation would stimulate the economy and passed The Ferry Bill (introduced by Senator Ferry), which became known as the "Inflation Bill" in 1874. Many farmers and workingmen favored the bill, which would have added $64 million in greenbacks to circulation, but some Eastern bankers opposed it because it would have weakened the dollar. The bill passed the Senate and House of Representatives, but was vetoed by President Grant. An override attempt failed 34–30 in the senate. This Is one of the few bills vetoed by a member of the same party as a bills sponsor. While Senator, Ferry was chairman of the Committee on Rules (43rd through 45th Congresses) and the Committee on Post Office and Post Roads (46th and 47th Congresses), as well as President pro tempore of the Senate during the 44th and 45th Congresses.

Acting Vice President

Vice President

Henry Wilson Henry Wilson (born Jeremiah Jones Colbath; February 16, 1812 – November 22, 1875) was an American politician who was the 18th vice president of the United States from 1873 until his death in 1875 and a senator from Massachusetts from 1855 to ...

died on November 22, 1875. Ferry, being President pro tempore of the Senate, was next in the line of presidential succession, and remained so until March 3, 1877. While the title "Acting Vice President" isn't defined in the Constitution, the title was widely used at the time (including by Ferry himself). He presided over the 1876 impeachment trial of

U.S. Secretary of War The secretary of war was a member of the U.S. president's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War", had been appointed to serve the Congress of the ...

William Belknap and the meetings of the Electoral Commission created by Congress to resolve the disputed

1876 presidential election The 1876 United States presidential election was the 23rd quadrennial United States presidential election, presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 1876, in which Republican Party (United States), Republican nominee Rutherford B. Haye ...

. Still president pro tempore at that time, he would have temporally become the acting president had the Electoral College vote not been certified by March 4, 1877; Congress certified Rutherford B. Hayes as the winner of the Electoral College vote on March 2. On July 4, 1876, The United States celebrated its 100th anniversary with a ceremony in Philadelphia at Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was approved on July 4, 1776. President Grant was supposed to attend and lead the ceremony, but instead sent Ferry (as acting vice president) in his place. While Ferry was officiating, five women, headed by Susan B. Anthony, walked onto the platform and handed their "Declaration of Rights" to Ferry. As they were being taken off the stage, they threw out copies to the crowd. Anthony also read the Declaration to a large crowd and invited everyone to a NWSA convention nearby.

1882 election

Ferry's 1882 election saw national attention. Political opponent

Jay Hubbell Jay Abel Hubbell (September 15, 1829 – October 13, 1900) was a politician and judge from the U.S. state of Michigan, who served as a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Hubbell was born in Avon (now Rochester Hills), Mic ...

, created the "Grand Army Journal" newspaper. This libelous publication was almost universally denounced. Its sole purpose was to defame Senator Ferry. Hubbell sought to take his place in the Senate by throwing slanderous headlines in his "Journal" which he mailed out by the thousands. Word of this fake publication took its toll on both men. Thousands of Michiganders had read this publication and, though untrue, it had tarnished Ferry's image. Hubbell was despised by many Michiganders for fabricating lies about Michigan's most powerful politician. Hubbell withdrew from the election. Hubbell was not the only one waging war with Ferry. The Grand Rapids Times published a story labeling Ferry as unfit for office. They accused Ferry of drunkenly insulting patrons of a Washington DC Hotel. There were no first hand accounts that this took place. The Hotel proprietor, staff, and many colleagues on both sides of the aisle disputed the story and claimed Ferry did not drink and had been the perfect guest for the 12 years he had spent there. It was said in the Chicago Inter-Ocean newspaper that, "A more malignant and unscrupulous campaign has never been conducted against any man, and whether Ferry wins or losses, the effect of this contest will be felt in Michigan for some time to come." The story continues to say, "If Michigan withdraws him and sends a new man, the State will thus surrender its standing on committees in Congress, much of its relative influence there; and what Michigan thus loses other States will gain." After these personal attacks, Ferry could see his political life coming to an end. He withdrew from the election and advocated for the nomination of close friend

Thomas Palme Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas th ...

r. Palmer went on to replace Ferry in the Senate, much to the dismay of Ferry's political rivals.

Later life and death

Following his political defeat, Ferry travelled Europe for nearly three years. The time abroad was to recover his mental and physical health which was said to be in poor condition. When he returned to Grand Haven in 1886 he worked tirelessly to manage his businesses and repay his debts. Ferry had interests in mining, lumber, and iron businesses. Towards the late 1800s the West Michigan lumber Industry had dried up. This along with political foes targeting his Ottawa Iron Works business caused Ferry's companies to declare bankruptcy. Along with liquidating business assets, Ferry spent over $1,250,000($36,000,000 in 2021 dollars) to pay his personal debts. While his national image had been tarnished, Ferry never lost the respect of citizens of Ottawa County or his home of Grand Haven. West Michigan, undoubtedly, owes much of its past and present success to the tireless efforts of Senator Ferry. Senator Ferry never married, but was engaged on multiple occasions. Ferry was considered to be one of Washington's most eligible bachelor's even in his fifties. He was described as being wealthy, charismatic, handsome, and powerful. One Philadelphia newspaper called him the "lady-killer" of his day who, "never fails to gather a harvest of hearts during their proper season." Once an immensely wealthy man, Ferry fell into financial disaster following his political defeat. Once a household name throughout the entire country, Ferry spent his final years hidden from any national spotlight. Ferry died in

, at age 69, after ailing slightly for a few days. He is interred in Grand Haven's Lake Forest Cemetery in the Ferry family plot."Ferry, Thomas White (1827–1896),"
The Political Graveyard, retrieved 28 February 2021. His epitaph reads, “I have done what I could to extend our commerce over the world for the security of life and property along our seacoast, upon our great inland seas. T.W.F. The Sailors’ and Soldiers’ Friend. For 62 years a citizen of Grand Haven, Mich.” Harrison, J. L. (1950). Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774–1949: The Continental Congress, September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788, and the Congress of the United States from the First to the Eightieth Congress, March 4, 1789, to January 3, 1949, Inclusive (Page 1143). United States: U.S. Government Printing Office.

References

Sources

* ''Dictionary of American Biography'' * Ziewacz, Lawrence E. "The Eighty-First Ballot: The Senatorial Struggle of 1883." ''Michigan History'' 56 (Fall 1972): 216–32. *
Thomas W. Ferry
at The Political Graveyard

External links