Alonzo Sessions (August 4, 1810 – July 3, 1886) was an American politician from the

U. S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

Biography

Sessions was born to Amasa and Pheobe (Smith) Sessions in

Marcellus, New York Marcellus is a town in Onondaga County, New York, United States. The population was 6,210 at the 2010 census. The town was probably named after Marcus Claudius Marcellus, a Roman general, by a clerk interested in the Classics. The Marcellus Fo ...

acquired and early education and taught school. In 1831 he moved to

Bennington Bennington is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. It is one of two shire towns (county seats) of the county, the other being Manchester. As of the 2020 US Census, the population was 15,333. Bennington is the most populous to ...

and worked in a store as a clerk for two years receiving $10 a month and

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ty ...

. In 1833, Sessions left New York and traveled to Michigan mostly on foot. After traveling all over Michigan, he wound up in White Pigeon where the U. S. land office was and entered his land. The next winter he taught school in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

until 1835 when he bought a team and came through his land on the south side of the Grand River. He also built the first log cabin in the Township of Berlin and managed an farm. In 1837 he married Celia Dexter and had thirteen children together. He served as the first supervisor of Berlin; first chairman of the board of supervisors for

Ionia County Ionia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 66,804. The county seat is Ionia. The Ionia County Courthouse was designed by Claire Allen, a prominent southern Michigan architect. Ion ...

;

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

for eight years; and sheriff from 1841-42. In 1856, Sessions was elected as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

from Ionia County (2nd district) to the

Michigan House of Representatives The Michigan House of Representatives is the lower house of the Michigan Legislature. There are 110 members, each of whom is elected from constituencies having approximately 77,000 to 91,000 residents, based on population figures from the 2010 ...

and served from 1857-62. He co-founded and served as director and president of the First National Bank of Ionia. In 1872 he served as a

Presidential Elector The United States Electoral College is the group of presidential electors required by the Constitution to form every four years for the sole purpose of appointing the president and vice president. Each state and the District of Columbia appo ...

for Michigan casting his vote for incumbent U. S. President

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant ; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was an American military officer and politician who served as the 18th president of the United States from 1869 to 1877. As Commanding General, he led the Union Ar ...

. In 1876 and 1878, Sessions was elected as the 21st

lieutenant governor of Michigan The lieutenant governor of Michigan is the second-ranking official in U.S. state of Michigan, behind the governor. The current lieutenant governor by default is Garlin Gilchrist, a Democrat, who has held the office since January 1, 2019. Proce ...

and served under

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 ...

Charles Croswell Charles Miller Croswell (October 31, 1825 – December 13, 1886) was the 17th governor of Michigan from 1877 to 1881. Early life in New York Croswell was born in Newburgh, New York, the only son of John and Sallie (née Hicks) Croswell. His fat ...

from 1877–1881. Sessions was also a member of The Grange. He died five years after leaving office.

References

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The Political Graveyard
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sessions, Alonzo 1810 births 1886 deaths Republican Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Lieutenant Governors of Michigan Michigan sheriffs 19th-century American legislators People from Marcellus, New York People from Ionia County, Michigan