Legislator Details
Portrait of Charles Flowers scanned from Men of Progress p.518.
Vital Records Information:
Marital Information:
married Miss Mary E. DeNormandie, of Pennsylvania in 1868, she died in 1910; children: 3, Herbert Baker, Bowden Thomas, Bell (adopted) and Mary (Marble) others may have died as small children ; married Gertrude Wolcott
Number of Children: 3
Background
Education:
attended Collegiate Institute, Fort Edward NY for two years
Biographical Sketch:
Of English & Dutch descent. Son of Joseph [d.1867] and Sarah (Pickering) [d.1876] Flowers. They were farmers and the son divided his time between farm work and school. Early in 1860, he took up the study of stenography. His first job was in the Grand Trunk Railway offices in New York city, following which he attended a Collegiate Institute at Fort Edwards for 2 years. After the close of the Civil War, he was employed as official stenographer of the government military commission which sat at Raleigh, N. C. Subsequently, he studied law for a year in New York, and came to Detroit in 1868 and established a practice of reporting in the courts. Was appointed the first stenographer of Wayne County Circuit Court by Gov. Baldwin and served in that capacity for 13 years. He pursued the study of law concurrently and was admitted to the bar in 1878. In his capacity as stenographer, he was one of the official reporters for 3 Constitutional Conventions: Illinois in 1868; Pennsylvania in 1872; and Ohio in 1873. He also reported scientific conventions at various times. He was elected Circuit Court Commissioner in 1880 and 1882, resigning his stenographic work. He was a member of the Detroit Fire Commission 4 years, 1885-9; in July, 1896, he was appointed Corporation Counsel by Mayor Pingree, holding the office 4 years. He was general counsel for the Michigan Telephone Co., and a director in that corporation
Notable Facts:
His father was a descendant of George Washington's Secretary of State;
his mother was a descendant of the Quimby family of Philadelphia, one Josiah Quimby having manufactured the clock and machinery of the "Liberty Bell," which announced the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.
Promoted legislation limiting hours of work for women and children to under 54 hours/week. Introduced an amendment to the constitution in 1909 to give women the vote [it was defeated but a related bill he wrote in 1917 passed].
Died of stomach cancer.