William L. Greenly

William Greenly

Greenly's grave in Adrian

William L. Greenly (born September 18, 1813 in Hamilton , Madison County , New York , † November 29, 1883 in Adrian , Michigan ) was an American politician and from 1847 to 1848 the 6th governor of the state of Michigan.

Early years and political advancement

William Greenly attended Union College in New York State until 1831 . After studying law and being admitted to the bar in 1834, he began to work in his new profession in Eaton (New York). In 1836 Greenly moved to Adrian, Michigan. There he became politically active as a member of the Democratic Party . He sat in the Michigan Senate between 1839 and 1840 and again from 1842 to 1843 . In 1845 he was elected lieutenant governor of the state. He took up this office in January 1846. After the incumbent governor Alpheus Felch resigned from his office on March 3, 1847 to change to the US Congress , Greenly had to end the term of office as its deputy.

Michigan governor

Between March 3, 1847 and January 3, 1848 Greenly could serve as governor. During this time the Mexican-American War ended , in which soldiers from Michigan also took part, who are now returning to their homeland. Otherwise, Greenly's brief tenure was uneventful in Michigan. Even after the end of his governorship, Greenly remained politically active. In 1858 he became mayor of his home parish Adrian; he was also a justice of the peace for twelve years. William Greenly died on November 29, 1883. He was married three times and had one child.

Web links

• William L. Greenly in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• William Greenly in the National Governors Association (English)