John C. Lodge was a member of the constitutional convention which drafted the Michigan Constitution of 1908, a former member of the Michigan Legislature and Detroit alderman and councilman. He later served as Mayor of Detroit in 1918–1919 before returned to the City Common Council from 1932 to 1947. He was then elected to the Wayne County Board of Supervisors from 1948 until 1950. In total, he held elective office longer than anyone in city history. He died on February 6, 1950, and the future Lodge Freeway was named in his honor on January 20, 1953. The entire freeway, including segments previously named for James Couzens and the Northwestern Highway was named the John C. Lodge Freeway in 1987, although the service drives retained their original names.