Albert Asahel Bliss (1812-1893) was a Whig politician from the U.S. State of

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He served in the Ohio House of Representatives and was the

Ohio State Treasurer The treasurer of the U.S. state of Ohio is responsible for collecting and safeguarding taxes and fees, as well as managing state investments. The Treasury was located in the Ohio Statehouse from 1861 to 1974, when it was moved to the Rhodes State ...

for five years.

Biography

Albert A. Bliss was born March 25, 1812, at

Canton, Connecticut Canton is a town, incorporated in 1806, located in the Farmington Valley section of Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 10,124 as of the 2020 census. It is bordered by Granby on the north, Simsbury on the east, Avon a ...

. He was the son of Asahel Bliss and Lydia Griswold. His younger brother was Philemon Bliss. At age fourteen, he attended the

Oneida Institute The Oneida Institute was a short-lived (1827–1843) but highly influential school that was a national leader in the emerging Abolitionism in the United States, abolitionist movement. It was the most radical school in the country, the first at w ...

Whitestown, New York Whitestown is a town in Oneida County, New York, United States. The population was 18,667 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from Judge Hugh White, an early settler. The town is immediately west of Utica and the New York State Thruway (Inte ...

, where he learned the trades of chairmaking and house and sign painting. He worked at his trade, and saved money to go west. Bliss arrived at

Elyria, Ohio Elyria ( ) is a city in the Greater Cleveland metropolitan statistical area and the county seat of Lorain County, Ohio, United States, located at the forks of the Black River in Northeast Ohio 23 miles southwest of Cleveland. As of the 2020 cen ...

, in 1833, where he studied law at the office of Whittlesey and Hamlin, and edited the ''Ohio Atlas''. He was admitted to the bar in September, 1835 in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

. He removed to Cleveland, where he worked as a lawyer, and edited the ''Daily Gazette''. Bliss returned to Elyria in 1837, and practiced for ten years. He was elected to the Ohio House of Representatives for three terms, as a Whig. He was elected by the legislature as

early in 1847 to a three-year term. He was re-elected in 1850. In 1851, Ohio voters adopted a new constitution, which made treasurer a two-year term elected by voters. In the 1851 election, Bliss lost to his Democratic opponent, John G. Breslin. Bliss served until the second Monday in January, 1852. Bliss returned to Elyria late in 1852, where he remained until 1863. In 1857, Bliss's successor was accused of embezzling large sums from the treasury, and accused Bliss of similar crimes. Bliss managed to defend himself and avoid punishment. March 26, 1859
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' He moved to

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approxi ...

, in 1863, and was appointed by

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Bagley as an inspector of the Jackson State Prison. Three years later, he was elected to the School Board. He was the Republican candidate for probate judge in 1876, and was defeated by only 45 votes.

Family

Albert Bliss was married at Elyria, December 30, 1835, to Almira J. Beebe, originally from Whitestown, New York. They had five children. He died at

Leoni, Michigan Leoni Township is a civil township of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 13,807 at the 2010 census. Communities * Leoni is a small unincorporated community in the southeastern part of the township, east of Jackson, ...

, on May 14, 1893.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bliss, Albert A. State treasurers of Ohio 1812 births 1893 deaths People from Elyria, Ohio People from Jackson, Michigan People from Canton, Connecticut Ohio Whigs 19th-century American legislators Members of the Ohio House of Representatives Michigan Republicans Oneida Institute alumni