Lewis Cass, 1782 – 1866

The oldest state office building in Lansing, Michigan, is the Lewis Cass Building. It stands on Walnut Street between Kalamazoo and Washtenaw, about three blocks from the Capitol and two blocks from the office where I worked for 25 years.

I knew Lewis Cass had been Secretary of State, but I assumed he must have been important to Michigan. Being from Illinois and, therefore, not schooled in Michigan history, I asked some of my coworkers what they knew about Lewis Cass. Every person told me they’d never heard of him.

They don’t name buildings with larger-than-life statues on the lawn for just anybody, so one day I walked down to the library on my lunch hour and checked the card catalogue (1985 version of Googling), and there was plenty of material to indicate Lewis Cass was a pretty important guy.

He was born in New Hampshire in 1782, studied law and moved to Ohio to open a practice. He fought in the War of 1812, rising from colonel to brigadier general, was appointed Territorial Governor of Michigan, served as Andrew Jackson’s Secretary of War, was Ambassador to France, and was the U.S. Senator from Michigan until Buchanan tapped him for Secretary of State in 1857.

It’s too bad more people don’t celebrate his contribution to Michigan and the country, but I guess as long as that building stands –

Oh – that reminds me. I was only half right about the tribute paid to Lewis Cass. I actually took a good look at the inscription on the pedestal of that big statue one day as I was driving by. It’s George Washington.