Charles R. Sligh, founder of the Sligh Furniture company and one of the leading business men of Grand Rapids, was born in the Valley city, January 5, 1850, and is a son of James W. and Elizabeth (Wilson) Sligh, the former of whom was born in Scotland and the latter in `Ireland. His father was one of the first to respond to the call to arms at the outbreak of the Civil war, was captain of a company in the First Michigan mechanics and engineers, served with honor and ability, and died at Tullahoma, Tenn., November 15, 1863, from injuries received in a railroad accident while the train was being attacked by the Rebels.

Upon the death of his father, and while an elder brother was yet serving in the army, Charles R. Sigh was obliged to leave school to earn his own living and to aid in the support of the loved ones at home. He served a three years’ apprenticeship at the tinsmith’s trade under W.D. Foster and then worked a year at the trade in Grand Rapids, and in the railroad shops at Galesburg, Ill. He then accepted a clerkship in Foster, Stevens & Co’s hardware store, where he remained six years. During these years he devoted his spare hours to study and reading under the direction of an old schoolmate, who had graduated from the State university. When a young man he became a communicant of the

Episcopal church and was for several years superintendent of Grace church Sunday school. At the age of twenty-five years Mr. Sligh became a traveling salesman for the Berkey & Gay Furniture company, and as such covered the territory west of Pittsburg and south to the Gulf of Mexico. He was the first to sell Grand Rapids furniture in the southwest, visiting Texas before many railroads were built, and when the stage coach was the principal means of traveling.

In 1880, Mr. Sligh and others organized the Sligh Furniture company, and under his management it has become one of the large furniture concerns of the country and thoroughly representative of Grand Rapids’ chief industry. The company started with a small factory, limited capital and about twenty-five workmen. Its capital is now $150,000. Its factory has three acres of floor space and gives employment to 300 artisans The establishment is known wherever furniture is sold; its success has been in a large measure due to the executive ability, enterprise, energy and good judgment of Mr. Sligh in its management. He was for several years successfully engaged in importation of mahogany logs and lumber, visiting Central America five times on this business.

He was one of the organizers of the Grand Rapids association and was twice elected its president. He was one of the chief movers in the organization of the Western Furniture Manufacture’s association and was its president until it merged into the National association; and of the new association he was the first president, and twice re-elected.

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He was a charter member and one of the chief movers in the organization of the Grand Rapids board of trade, for several years serving as vice-president, and from the beginning was chairman of the River Improvement committee--a committee whose work has made possible the improvement of Grand river for deep water navigation. He was also the first to suggest and was the chief organizer of the Citizens’ Telephone company, and is still a director in the same. He was likewise a charter member of company B., Michigan state militia.

Mr. Sligh visited Germany in 1890, and after thorough canvassing the glass districts, made arrangements to buy the products of scattering factories, not controlled by the trust, and by importing direct, caused the dissolution of the monopoly. Later he made a tour of Great Britain to study the possibilities of selling American furniture abroad, an effort which has resulted in the establishment of a Grand Rapids furniture store in London, the beginning of an export trade which promises to be highly profitable and beneficial to all American furniture men.

In politics, Mr. Sligh was a republican up to 1896, and, firm in his convictions and true to his political faith, he was a liberal contributor and a stanch supporter of his party, while he thought his party was right. He took as active a part in political affairs as comported with good citizenship and as his business would permit, repeatedly declining offices and honors which he could have had for taking. He studied carefully and thoroughly the issues as they arose, and on the financial question became convinced that this country never could obtain lasting prosperity without bimetallism. Having reached this conclusion, he advocated the policy, and when the national republican convention surrendered itself to the gold ring and the moneyed syndicates, he left the party with which he had been identified from his first ballot. He advocated the organization of a silver party and was active in its work of education and organization. Upon the death of Hon. James Turner, of Lansing, he was chosen to succeed him as chairman of the state central committee of the Union silver party, and did much to further the work. At the Bay City convention in 1896, he was unanimously nominated for governor by the largest political convention ever held in the state. The selection proved a wise one, his personal popularity drawing many friends to the cause, which was ably discussed by him throughout the state; but the result at the polls showed that the great masses of voters had not as yet studied the question sufficiently. His personal bearing and campaign was such as to largely increase the number of his friends, and he stands today one of the recognized leaders of advanced thought in Michigan

Mr. Sligh was united in marriage, in 1875, with Miss Mary C. Conger, and this union has been blessed with three children--Edith, Adeline, and Loraine.

The Sligh home is one among the many attractive ones in the city, and in the midst of the family he finds his greatest enjoyment.