John C. Lodge

John Christian Lodge (August 12, 1862 – February 6, 1950) was an influential politician from Detroit, Michigan, serving as mayor from 1922 to 1923, in 1924, and from 1927 to 1929, and spending over 30 years on the Detroit City Council.

Not to be confused with John Davis Lodge.
John C. Lodge
48th, 51st, and 53rd Mayor of Detroit
In office
December 5, 1922 – April 9, 1923
Acting
Preceded byJames J. Couzens
Succeeded byFrank Doremus
In office
August 2, 1924 – November 21, 1924
Acting
Preceded byJoseph A. Martin
Succeeded byJohn W. Smith
In office
1927–1929
Preceded byJohn W. Smith
Succeeded byCharles Bowles
Personal details
Born(1862-08-12)August 12, 1862
Detroit, Michigan
DiedFebruary 6, 1950(1950-02-06) (aged 87)
Detroit, Michigan
Political partyRepublican

Biography

John C. Lodge was born in Detroit on August 12, 1862, to Dr. Edwin A. Lodge and Christiana Lodge (née Hanson).[1] He attended the Michigan Military Academy in 1881.[1] He worked as a reporter and city editor for the Detroit Free Press from 1889 to 1896.[2] In 1897 he entered the lumber industry, and was connected with the Dwight Lumber Company.[2]

Politics

Lodge was the chief clerk for the Wayne County Auditors from 1897 to 1905, then served for two years as the secretary to mayor George P. Codd.[2] He was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives as a Republican from Wayne County's 1st district, from 1909 to 1910,[1] and served as chair of the Wayne County Board of Supervisors.[2] He was a member of the Detroit City Council beginning in 1910,[2] and held the position for 17 years before being elected mayor, nine of them as council president.[3] During that time, Lodge served twice as acting mayor: once from December 5, 1922, to April 9, 1923, after James J. Couzens's resignation to assume the office of United States Senator, and once from August 2, 1924, to November 21, 1924, after Joseph A. Martin's resignation. In 1927, Lodge was elected mayor in his own right, serving from 1927 to 1929.[1] He was defeated in his quest for renomination in 1929.[4] After his stint as mayor, Lodge returned to the city council, serving there from 1932 to 1947.[5]

Lodge died on February 6, 1950, and is buried at Elmwood Cemetery in Detroit.[6] After his death, the John C. Lodge Freeway (M-10) in Detroit was named after him.[6]

Family

Lodge was the great uncle of aviator Charles Lindbergh.[7] Before Lindbergh's famed transatlantic flight, he approached Lodge for funding. Lodge declined, convinced his grandnephew faced certain death. Lindbergh would go on to receive funding from supporters in St. Louis, rather than Detroit.[8]

References
  1. Who's Who in Detroit, 1935-36, Walter Romig & Co, 1935, p. 206
  2. Albert Nelson Marquis, ed. (1914), The book of Detroiters: a biographical dictionary of leading living men of the city of Detroit, A.N. Marquis, p. 311
  3. "In Detroit". TIME magazine. January 23, 1928. Archived from the original on June 14, 2009.
  4. "Detroit's Silent Mayor Defeated in Primary Race". Los Angeles Times. Oct 10, 1929.
  5. "Detroit City Council, 1919 to present". Detroit Public Library. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  6. "Index to Politicians: Lockyear to Lofvegren". The Political Graveyard. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  7. Austin, Dan. "The day Charles Lindbergh was born in Detroit". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-02-05.
  8. Bak, Richard (22 January 2023). "Free Press Flash Back: When Detroit once reigned as 'The Airship City'". The Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 4 February 2023.

Bibliography
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