Charles E. Stuart
Charles Edward Stuart (November 25, 1810 – May 19, 1887) was an American lawyer and Democratic politician from Michigan. Born in New York, he became a lawyer in 1832 and moved to Portage, Michigan in 1835. He served in the Michigan State Legislature in 1842, then represented Michigan in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1847 to 1849 and again from 1851 to 1853. He chaired the Expenditures in the Department of State committee during the 32nd Congress.
Stuart was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1852 and served from 1853 to 1859. For a short time in 1856 he was President pro tempore of the Senate, and he chaired the Public Lands committee during the 34th and 35th Congresses. He did not seek reelection to the Senate and unsuccessfully ran for Governor of Michigan in 1858. After leaving office, he practiced law in Kalamazoo, was a delegate to the 1860 Democratic National Convention, and during the Civil War he organized and led the 13th Michigan Infantry as a colonel before resigning due to ill health.
Stuart died in Kalamazoo in 1887 and is buried at Mountain Home Cemetery. His home at 427 Stuart Ave. is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the surrounding Stuart Area Historic District.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:14 (CET).