Samuel Etheridge

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Samuel Etheridge (April 15, 1788 – February 18, 1864) was a Michigan state senator in 1838, representing the Seventh District.

He was born in Adams, Massachusetts, to parents of English descent and had only basic schooling, though he was good at mathematics. He taught school for a while and then learned to be a millwright and machinist. Etheridge worked in West Schuyler, New York (1815) and Frankfort, New York (1817). In 1833 he tried a mercantile business in New York, but it failed, so he moved to Coldwater, Michigan, in March 1837. In Michigan he built a large business employing 50–75 workers and erected mills in Ypsilanti, Saline, Leonidas, Marshall, and Allegan.

He held various local offices in Michigan and was elected to the State Senate in 1838, representing the Seventh District, which included Branch, St. Joseph, Bellevue, Van Buren, and Cass counties. He joined the Masonic Fraternity early in life and became a Knight Templar. Etheridge actively supported public projects, especially in education, and was known for his public speaking, even though his early education limited him.

In the Senate he was mocked for backing public enterprises that later came to fruition, such as the Pacific Railroad and direct trade with China, which showed his forward-thinking view. At age 55 he joined the Baptist Church in Coldwater. He was a Jacksonian Democrat, stood 6 feet 1 inch tall, and was known for his imposing yet friendly personality. He married twice and had ten children.

Etheridge died in Quincy, Michigan, on February 18, 1864, at nearly 76 years old. He is buried in Oak Grove Cemetery in Coldwater, Michigan, beside his wives and children.