Legislator Details
Image Description:
Portrait captured from Find-a-Grave.com, 1/31/2026
Number of sessions served 5
Gender: Male
Age at election: 38
Vital Records Information:
Birth
Date: 2/23/1880
City: near Morgan Park, IL
County: Cook County, IL
Country: US
Death
Date: 6/15/1939
City: Howell, MI
County: Livingston County, MI
Country: US
Type of Burial: Interred
Burial
Date:
City: Lansing, MI
County: Ingham County, MI
Country: US
Cemetery: Deepdale Memorial Park
Marital Information:
married Evelyn May Forman, dau. of Austin and Nina (Taft) Forman, 10/1/1910, in Newaygo, MI; children: 2, Marion Lucille (Jones) and Dean Leroy
Number of Children: 2
Background
Religion: Congrgationalist
Military Service:
Occupation: farmer
Race: Caucasian or White
Education:
attended Ottawa Academy in Ottawa, KS; graduated from University of Chicago, 1903
Biographical Sketch:
Of English ancestry. Son of Orville Elbridge Atwood, Sr.(1840-1910) and Martha Elvira (Townsend) Atwood (1842-1914). At age 12, he moved to Kansas with his parents. He was a traveling salesman for 2 yrs. before moving to a farm near Newaygo, MI. He was killed, along with auto executive Frank Longyear, in a collision with a bus. He was director of the State Board of Tax Administration at the time of his death.
Notable Facts:
Sec. of state of Michigan, 1935-36. Served in both chambers. Died in an accident. Indexed as Attwood [2 't's] in Michiganology.org. Active in the establishment of the Michigan Dept. of Agriculture and early advocate for using gasoline taxes for road building..
Sessions Served:
Committees Served On: Finance and Appropriations , Conservation, Agriculture , Highways , Public Utilities, Transportation , Apportionment , Industrial Schools
City of Residence: Fremont
County of Residence Newaygo
District Description: Counties of Lake, Manistee, Mason, Newaygo and Oceana
Reason for Leaving Office: Unknown
End of Term Status: Departed
Notes: Chair of Agriculture.
Committees Served On: Apportionment , Finance and Appropriations , Highways , Rules, Transportation
City of Residence: Newaygo
County of Residence Newaygo
District Description: Counties of Lake, Manistee, Mason, Newaygo and Oceana
Reason for Leaving Office: Lost Primary
End of Term Status: Departed
Notes: Chair of the Committee on Transportation
Committees Served On: Apportionment , Finance and Appropriations , Highways , Rules
City of Residence: Newaygo
County of Residence Newaygo
District Description: Comprising the counties of Lake, Manistee, Mason, Newaygo and Oceana
Reason for Leaving Office: N/A
End of Term Status: Re-elected
Notes: Chair of the Committee on Apportionment
Committees Served On: Local Taxation , Michigan Employment Institution for the Blind , Revision and Amendment of the Statutes , Roads and Bridges
City of Residence: Newaygo
County of Residence Newaygo
Reason for Leaving Office: See Notes
End of Term Status: Departed
Notes: Elected to the state senate in 1922
Committees Served On: Apportionment , College of Mines , Local Taxation , Roads and Bridges
City of Residence: Newaygo
County of Residence Newaygo
District Description: Newaygo
Reason for Leaving Office: N/A
End of Term Status: Re-elected
Notes: Chair of the Committee on Apportionment
Bibliography:
PolGryd; MIBiog 1:31; Manual 1919 p. 808; Manual 1923 p.725; PolGryd; Michiganology; MIMarRec 1867-1952; Find-a-Grave.com, includes portrait and obit.
