John Treadway Rich (April 23, 1841 – March 28, 1926) was an American politician serving as 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 ...

and the 23rd

governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive 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 stat ...

Early life in Pennsylvania, Vermont and Michigan

Rich was born in

Conneautville, Pennsylvania Conneautville is a borough in Crawford County, Pennsylvania, United States, situated along Conneaut Creek. The population was 737 at the 2020 census, down from 774 at the 2010 census. History Conneautville was founded in 1814 by Alexander Power, ...

, the son of John W. Rich and Jerusha Treadway Rich. John Treadway Rich's middle name is mistakenly given as "Tyler", perhaps because he was born just nineteen days after

John Tyler John Tyler (March 29, 1790 – January 18, 1862) was the tenth president of the United States The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president dire ...

became U.S. President upon the death of

William Henry Harrison William Henry Harrison (February 9, 1773April 4, 1841) was an American military officer and politician who served as the ninth president of the United States. Harrison died just 31 days after his inauguration in 1841, and had the shortest pres ...

. In 1846, he moved with his parents to

Addison County, Vermont Addison County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 37,363. Its shire town (county seat) is the town of Middlebury. History Iroquois settled in the county before Europeans arrived in 160 ...

, and two years later they moved to Elba Township, Michigan. He attended the public schools and engaged in agricultural pursuits. On March 12, 1863, he married Lucretia M. Winship.

Politics

Rich was a member and chairman of the board of supervisors of

Lapeer County Lapeer County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 88,619. The county seat is Lapeer. The county was created on September 18, 1822, and was fully organized on February 2, 1835. The name ...

, 1869–1872. He was a member of 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 ...

, 1873–1881, and served as

speaker of the house The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

during the last two terms. He was also a delegate to the Republican State conventions in 1873, 1875, and 1878. Rich served 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 ...

from January 1, 1881, until March 21, 1881, when he resigned, having been elected to the

United States House of Representatives 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 house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

for the

47th Congress The 47th 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, 1881, ...

to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of

Omar D. Conger Omar Dwight Conger (April 1, 1818July 11, 1898) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. Conger was born in Cooperstown, New York, and moved with his father, the Rev. E. Conger, to Huron County, Ohio, in 1824. He p ...

, serving from April 5, 1881, to March 4, 1883. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1882 to the 48th Congress. He later served as State Railroad Commissioner, 1887–1891, and a delegate to the

Republican National Convention The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...

s in 1884 to elect

James G. Blaine James Gillespie Blaine (January 31, 1830January 27, 1893) was an American statesman and Republican politician who represented Maine in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1863 to 1876, serving as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representative ...

and 1892 to re-elect

Benjamin Harrison Benjamin Harrison (August 20, 1833March 13, 1901) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 23rd president of the United States from 1889 to 1893. He was a member of the Harrison family of Virginia–a grandson of the ninth pr ...

as U.S. President, both of whom lost to

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Grover Cleveland Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837June 24, 1908) was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 22nd and 24th president of the United States from 1885 to 1889 and from 1893 to 1897. Cleveland is the only president in American ...

. Rich served as

Governor of Michigan The governor of Michigan is the head of state, head of government, and chief executive 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 stat ...

from 1893 to 1897. During his four years in office, a railroad strike, as well as an iron mine strike occurred. Also, three members of the State Canvassing Board were fired for falsifying returns on a salary raise vote for state officeholders. After leaving office, he served as United States collector of customs at Detroit from February 16, 1898, to January 30, 1906. He was elected

State Treasurer of Michigan The State Treasurer of Michigan functions as the chief financial officer for the U.S. state of Michigan. The State Treasurer oversees the collection, investment, and disbursement of all state monies, and also administers major tax laws, safeguard ...

to fill a vacancy and served from January 23, 1908, to January 1, 1909. He was then collector of customs at

Port Huron Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...

from December 11, 1908, to May 30, 1913.

Death

Rich died in

St. Petersburg, Florida St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...

, and is interred at Mount Hope Cemetery of

Lapeer, Michigan Lapeer ( ') is a City (Michigan), city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the county seat of Lapeer County, Michigan, Lapeer County. As of the United States Census, 2010, 2010 census, the city population was 8,841. Most of the city was incorporat ...

References

*
The Political GraveyardNational Governors AssociationJohn Treadway Rich papers
1884-1914" Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan {{DEFAULTSORT:Rich, John Tyler 1841 births 1926 deaths People from Conneautville, Pennsylvania Republican Party governors of Michigan Speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives Republican Party Michigan state senators State treasurers of Michigan Burials in Michigan Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan 19th-century American politicians 20th-century American politicians