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Alexander Woodruff Buel
From Volume 3 of 1915's History of Michigan
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 1st district
In office March 4, 1849 – March 3, 1851
Preceded by	Robert McClelland
Succeeded by	Ebenezer J. Penniman
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
In office 1859–1860
In office 1848–1848
In office 1838–1838
Personal details
Born	(1813-12-13)December 13, 1813 Castleton, Vermont, U.S.
Died	April 19, 1868(1868-04-19) (aged 54) Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Resting place	Elmwood Cemetery Detroit, Michigan
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Ann Ackley Buel ​ ​(m. 1836)​
Children	Julia Maria Buel Trowbridge Mary B. Buel Wetmore Clara B. Buel Mercur Delia W. Buel Lydecker
Alma mater	University of Vermont Middlebury College
Profession	Lawyer
Signature

Alexander Woodruff Buel (December 13, 1813 – April 19, 1868) was an American lawyer and politician from the U.S. state of Michigan. A Democrat, he was most notable for his service as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1849 to 1851 and his multiple terms as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives.

Early life

Buel was born in Castleton, Vermont, and exhibited precocious intellectual abilities. He attended the public schools in Poultney, Vermont, until the age of eight, at which time he began an accelerated course of studies preparing for college under the private tutelage of Henry Howe, the former principal of the Canandaiga Academy in Canandaigua, New York. In 1824, at the age of 10, he passed the admission exams for Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont, and was admitted to the college. However, concerned about the difference in age between Buel and the other college students, his teacher and family persuaded him to continue his independent studies for three years. In 1827, at the age of 13, Buel accompanied one of his teachers and was enrolled as a sophomore at the University of Vermont in Burlington, where he stayed for one year. In 1828, he decided to attend Middlebury College, which was his original intent. He was enrolled there as a junior and also taught at the common schools in Clarendon.

Career

In August 1830, at the age of 16, Buel graduated from Middlebury College ranked first in his class. In September 1830, he became superintendent of a classical academy in West Rutland. In November 1831, he was invited to become principal of a classical academy at Fort Covington in northern New York, where he also began to study law. In December, 1832, he returned to his father's residence in Castleton and continued his study of law while also teaching at the Castleton Academy.

In October 1834, Buell moved to Detroit, Michigan, and within two months became Deputy Register of the Court of Probate. Because of his language skills, he was able to converse with the many French speakers native to Detroit at the time, as well as the increasing number of German immigrants. He admitted to the bar in the spring of 1835 and commenced practice in Detroit.

Buel was city attorney in 1837 and a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1838 and again in 1848, serving as speaker the latter year. He was the prosecuting attorney for Wayne County 1843–1846.

Buel first ran for the United States House of Representatives in Michigan's 1st congressional district in 1846, but lost in a close election. In 1848, Buel was elected as a Democrat from Michigan's 1st district to the United States Congress for the Thirty-first Congress, succeeding fellow Democrat Robert McClelland who did not run. Buel served from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1851. He was an unsuccessful candidate for reelection in 1850 to the Thirty-second Congress and resumed the practice of law. He was again a member of the Michigan State House of Representatives in 1859 and 1860. He was appointed postmaster of Detroit on September 28, 1860, and served until March 18, 1861.

Death

Buel died at his home in Detroit on April 19, 1868 (age 54 years, 128 days). He is interred at Elmwood Cemetery, Detroit.

Family life

Buel was the son of Ezekial and Sally Thompson Buel. He married Mary Ann Ackley of West Rutland, Vermont, in October 1836, and they raised four daughters, one of whom was Julia Maria Buel Trowbridge. On April 8, 1862, she married Gen. Luther Stephen Trowbridge (Buel's law partner). The others were: Mary B., wife of Charles H. Wetmore; Clara B., wife of Col. James Mercur; and Delia W., wife of Gen. Garrett J. Lydecker.

References

1. ^ Moore, Charles (1915). History of Michigan, Volume 3. Lewis Publishing Company, Alcona County, Mich. pp. 1728–1729.
2. Hannan, Caryn; Herman, Jennifer L.; Dye, Bryan; Ewald, Mel; Genel-Gonzalez, Gloria (January 1, 1998). Michigan Biographical Dictionary. North American Book Dist LLC. p. 109. ISBN 9781878592958.
3. "Death of Hon. A. W. Buel". Detroit Free Press. April 21, 1868. p. 1. Retrieved March 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Obituary Record of Graduates of Yale University. Yale University The University, 1915. 1915. p. 197.

External links

• "Political Portraits with Pen and Pencil. Alexander W. Buel, of Michigan." The United States Democratic review. Volume 27, Issue 150, December 1850 Page(s) 545-56

• United States Congress. "Alexander W. Buel (id: B001037)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• The Political Graveyard

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan
Territory Woodbridge Sibley Richard Wing Biddle Wing Lyon G. Jones At-large Crary J. Howard Kelley Staebler
1st district McClelland Buel Penniman D. Stuart W. Howard Cooper W. Howard Granger Beaman Waldron Field A. S. Williams Newberry Lord Maybury J. L. Chipman Griffin Corliss Lucking Denby Doremus Codd Clancy Sosnowski Clancy Sadowski Tenerowicz Sadowski Machrowicz Nedzi Conyers Stupak Benishek Bergman 2nd district Lyon J. S. Chipman E. Bradley C. Stuart Sprague C. Stuart Noble Waldron Beaman Upson Stoughton Waldron Willits Eldredge Allen Gorman Spalding H. Smith Townsend Wedemeyer Beakes Bacon Beakes Michener Lehr Michener Meader Vivian Esch Pursell Hoekstra Huizenga Moolenaar 3rd district Hunt Bingham J. Conger Clark Walbridge Kellogg Longyear Blair Willard McGowan Lacey O'Donnell Burrows Milnes A. Todd Gardner J. Smith Frankhauser J. Smith A. B. Williams Hooper Kimball Main Shafer Johansen P. Todd G. Brown Wolpe Henry Ehlers Amash Meijer Scholten 4th district H. L. Stevens Peck Leach Trowbridge Kellogg Ferry Foster Burrows Potter Keightley Burrows Yaple Burrows Thomas Hamilton Ketcham Foulkes Hoffman Hutchinson Stockman Siljander Upton Camp Moolenaar Huizenga 5th district Baldwin Trowbridge O. Conger Foster W. Williams Stone Webber Houseman Comstock M. Ford Belknap M. Ford Belknap Richardson W. Smith Diekema Sweet Mapes Jonkman G. Ford Vander Veen Sawyer Henry Barcia D. E. Kildee D. T. Kildee Walberg 6th district Driggs Strickland Sutherland Begole Durand Brewer Spaulding Winans Brewer Stout Aitken S. Smith Kelley Hudson Person Cady Blackney Transue Blackney Clardy Hayworth Chamberlain Carr Dunn Carr Upton Dingell 7th district O. Conger Rich Carleton Whiting Snover Weeks McMorran Cramton Wolcott McIntosh O'Hara Mackie Riegle D. E. Kildee N. Smith Schwarz Walberg Schauer Walberg Slotkin Barrett (elect) 8th district N. Bradley Ellsworth Horr Tarsney Bliss Youmans Linton Brucker Fordney Vincent Hart Crawford Bentley Harvey Traxler Carr Chrysler Stabenow Rogers M. Bishop Slotkin Kildee McDonald Rivet (elect) 9th district Hubbell Cutcheon H. Wheeler Moon R. Bishop McLaughlin Harry W. Musselwhite Engel Thompson Griffin Vander Jagt D. E. Kildee Knollenberg Peters S. Levin A. Levin McClain 10th district Hatch Fisher F. Wheeler Weadock Crump Aplin Loud Woodruff Loud Currie Woodruff Cederberg Albosta Schuette Camp Bonior Miller Mitchell McClain J. James 11th district Breitung Moffatt Seymour Stephenson Avery Mesick Darragh Dodds Lindquist Scott Bohn P. Brown Luecke F. Bradley Potter Knox Clevenger Ruppe Davis Knollenberg McCotter Curson Bentivolio Trott H. Stevens 12th district Stephenson Shelden Young MacDonald W. F. James Hook Bennett Hook Bennett O'Hara Bonior Levin J. Dingell Jr. D. Dingell Tlaib 13th district Nichols McLeod Brennan McLeod O'Brien McLeod O'Brien Coffin O'Brien Diggs Crockett Collins W. Ford Rivers Kilpatrick Clarke Conyers B. Jones Tlaib Thanedar 14th district Weideman Rabaut Youngblood Rabaut Ryan Nedzi Hertel Conyers Peters Lawrence 15th district J. Dingell Sr. J. Dingell Jr. W. Ford Collins Kilpatrick J. Dingell Jr. 16th district Lesinski Sr. Lesinski Jr. J. Dingell Jr. 17th district Dondero Oakman Griffiths Brodhead Levin 18th district Dondero Broomfield Huber Blanchard Broomfield 19th district Farnum McDonald Broomfield

v t e Speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives
Convis Whipple Bingham Acker Fuller Biddle Bingham McClelland Lothrop Hanscom Crary Peck Buel Chapman Harris Thurber Quackenboss Lovell Stout Shaw Mussey Cutcheon G. E. Read P. D. Warner Woodman Croswell Hoyt Rich Moffatt Howard Clark Markey Diekema Wachtel Tateum Gordon Adams Carton Master Whelan Campbell Baker Currie Smith Rice T. Read F. L. Warner Welsh Wells Gardner Ming Bradley Schroeder Nugent Knox Van Valkenburg Van Peursem Pears Green Kowalski Waldron Ryan Crim Owen Dodak Hertel/Hillegonds (co-speakers, '93–'94) Hillegonds Hertel Perricone Johnson DeRoche Dillon Bolger Cotter Leonard Chatfield Wentworth Tate Hall (designate)

• 1813 births
• 1868 deaths
• People from Castleton, Vermont
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan
• Speakers of the Michigan House of Representatives
• 19th-century members of the Michigan Legislature
• Middlebury College alumni
• Castleton State College faculty
• Burials at Elmwood Cemetery (Detroit)
• 19th-century members of the United States House of Representatives