Representative Julius Houseman

Julius Houseman (December 8, 1832 – February 8, 1891) was an American businessman and politician who served as mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, as a representative in the Michigan House of Representatives, and as a Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives. A member of the Democratic Party representing Michigan, he contributed to the legislative process during one term in Congress, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a significant period in American history. He was the first Jewish representative from Michigan and is recognized as the first permanent Jewish settler of Grand Rapids.

Houseman was born in Zeckendorf, near Bamberg, in the Kingdom of Bavaria in the German Confederation. His father, Solomon Houseman, was a merchant and manufacturer of silk and cotton goods in Zeckendorf. Julius Houseman was educated in the national schools of Zeckendorf and Bamberg and completed a two-year course of study at a commercial school in Munich. After finishing his formal education, he worked for three years as a dry goods clerk in a store in Bavaria, gaining early experience in commerce that would shape his later career in the United States.

In 1851, at the age of nineteen, Houseman immigrated to the United States. He first settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he worked as a clerk in a clothing house for several months. He then moved to New Vienna, Ohio, remaining there as a clerk in a general store until March 1852. Seeking further opportunity, he relocated to Battle Creek, Michigan, where he entered the merchant tailoring and clothing business with I. Amberg under the firm name of Amberg & Houseman. In August 1852, before he was twenty years old, Houseman moved to Grand Rapids to establish a branch of the Battle Creek firm, marking the beginning of his long association with that city and his role as its first permanent Jewish resident.

Houseman’s business in Grand Rapids prospered. In 1854 he became the sole proprietor of the clothing establishment, a business he continued for nine years. In 1864 he helped organize the firm of Houseman, Alsberg & Co., which operated with branch houses in New York, Baltimore, and Savannah, reflecting the expansion of his commercial interests beyond Michigan. The firm continued until 1870, when it was dissolved, with Houseman retaining possession of the Grand Rapids establishment. In 1876 he disposed of this business to his cousin, Joseph Houseman, who had been a partner for several years, and to Moses May; they continued the enterprise for a number of years under the firm name of Houseman & May, which was later succeeded by Houseman, Donally & Jones. By this time Houseman had developed substantial interests in timber lands and the manufacture of pine lumber in Michigan and, after 1876, he devoted himself largely to those pursuits. He became one of the largest holders of real estate in the Grand Rapids area and also owned large tracts of land in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and in other states.

In addition to his mercantile and lumber interests, Houseman became deeply involved in the financial and industrial development of Grand Rapids. In 1870 he became a stockholder in the City National Bank, the predecessor of the National City Bank. In August 1874 he was chosen a director of the bank to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Ransom E. Wood, who was departing for Europe with his family. At the annual meeting in January 1882, Houseman was elected vice president of the bank after William B. Ledyard declined re-election because of infirm health. He was one of the organizers of the Grand Rapids Chair Company, serving as a director and vice president, and he also served as a director of the Grand Rapids Brush Company. He was a leading stockholder, director, and president of the Grand Rapids Fire Insurance Company and one of the founders and directors of the Michigan Trust Company. Through these roles he was identified with many enterprises that contributed to the city’s commercial and industrial growth.

Houseman was also active in civic and political affairs at the local and state levels. In Grand Rapids he served on the board of aldermen for eight years, from 1863 to 1870, participating in the municipal governance of the rapidly growing city. He represented the first district of Kent County in the Michigan House of Representatives from 1871 to 1872. He was elected mayor of Grand Rapids for two terms, serving in 1872–1873 and again in 1874–1875, and he was an unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor of Michigan in 1876. His political career culminated in his election to the United States House of Representatives as a Fusion candidate, aligned and seated with the Democrats, from Michigan’s 5th congressional district. He served one term in the Forty-eighth Congress from 1883 to 1885. As a member of the Democratic Party representing Michigan, Houseman contributed to the legislative process during this single term in office, representing the interests of his constituents at a time of significant economic and political change in the post–Civil War era. He was not a candidate for reelection in 1884 and, upon leaving Congress, he resumed his former business pursuits.

Beyond business and politics, Houseman played a prominent role in the social, fraternal, and religious life of Grand Rapids. He became a member of the Freemasons in 1854 and was also a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of B’nai B’rith. He was a charter member of the local Peninsular Club and belonged to the Owashtanong Club. As a leader in the Jewish community, he was influential in forming Temple Emanuel in 1857, which became the fifth-oldest Reform Jewish congregation in the United States. He also helped found the first Jewish organization in Grand Rapids, the Jewish Benevolent and Burial Society, providing for the religious and communal needs of the city’s Jewish residents.

Julius Houseman died in Grand Rapids on February 8, 1891, and was interred in Oak Hill Cemetery in that city. At the time of his death he left a large estate, estimated to be worth approximately one million dollars, reflecting the success of his extensive business and real estate ventures. He was survived by his only child, his daughter Hattie, Mrs. David M. Amberg of Grand Rapids, and her family; by his sister, Mrs. M. Alsberg of New York City; by a half brother, William Houseman; by a half sister, Mrs. Simon Mainzer; and by his cousin, Joseph Houseman, and his family. Several other half brothers and half sisters remained in Germany. In 1907 his daughter, Hattie Houseman Amberg, donated six acres of land to the Grand Rapids Board of Education for use as an athletic field in memory of her father, and in 1924 she gave an additional adjoining tract. The resulting facility, Houseman Field, continues to be shared by several Grand Rapids area high schools, extending his legacy in the city he helped to build.