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The 1837 Chicago mayoral election was held on May 2, 1837. It was the first Chicago mayoral election, taking place the same year as Chicago's incorporation as a city. Democratic candidate William B. Ogden defeated Whig incumbent Town President John H. Kinzie by a landslide 38.5 point margin.
Shortly after the election Ogden was sworn in as Chicago's first mayor. This set the precedent of scheduling Chicago's mayoral inauguration for the month of May, a practice which has continued for most of the city's history into the present.[1]
The election coincided with elections to the Common Council. In addition to winning the mayor's office, Democrats took all 10 seats of the Common Council.[2]
Campaign
Prominent Chicagoan W. B. Egan had been considered a potential candidate, however he refused to run.[3]
Kinzie was backed by individuals such as Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard.[4]
Chicago had quickly been becoming a stronghold for the Whig Party.[5] To overcome this trend, Democrats Francis Sherman, John Wentworth, and Peter Pruyne convinced William B. Ogden to run on their party's ticket.[5] Wentworth, being editor of the city's Chicago Democrat newspaper, used the paper to support Ogden's candidacy.[4]
Kinzie campaigned on a platform advocating the extension of Chicago's plank roads into the countryside.[5] Ogden ran a more railroad-centric candidacy, believing that the railroads were the lifeline for the city's future.[5]
Making use of his roots in the city, as the son of early settlers, Kinzie's supporters used the slogan "First born of Chicago" to promote him.[4][5] Kinzie had the backing of old settlers, such as Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard.[5] Detractors of Ogden accused him of being a "transient speculator" whose only aim was to make money off of Chicago before returning to New York.[4][6] However, this line of attack was rendered ineffective by the fact that, by this time, eastern newcomers made up a majority of the city's populace.[4]
Kinzie, being popular figure, initially seemed to have an advantage in the election.[5]
Voting procedure
Voting was done viva voce. Individuals would walk up to a table and orally announce their vote, for all to eavesdrop upon.[5] Each ward had a single polling place.[5]
The polling places for each ward were:[2]
- First: The "Eagle", No. 10 Dearborn Avenue
- Second: Lincoln Coffee House
- Third: Charles Taylor's House, Canal Street
- Fourth: Chicago Hotel, northeast corner of Canal and Lake Streets
- Fifth: Canal office, North Water Street
- Sixth: Franklin House, North Water Street
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | William B. Ogden | 470 | 66.86 | |
| Whig | John H. Kinzie | 233 | 33.14 | |
| Total votes | 703 | 100.00 | ||
Results by ward
Ogden won in every ward, even defeating Kinzie in his own ward by a single vote.[5][7]
| Ward | Ogden | Kinzie | Total Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||
| 1st | 102 | 61.1% | 65 | 38.9% | 167 |
| 2nd | 182 | 74.9% | 61 | 25.1% | 243 |
| 3rd | 21 | 60.0% | 14 | 40.0% | 35 |
| 4th | 34 | 64.2% | 19 | 35.9% | 53 |
| 5th | 58 | 96.7% | 2 | 3.3% | 60 |
| 6th | 73 | 50.4% | 72 | 49.7% | 145 |
References
- ^ John, Derek (18 February 2015). "No Conspiracy Required: The True Origins Of Chicago's February Elections". WBEZ. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
- ^ a b Origin, Growth, and Usefulness of the Chicago Board of Trade: Its Leading Members, and Representative Business Men in other branches of Trade. New York: Historical Publishing Company. 1885–1886. p. 37. Retrieved December 4, 2018.
- ^ Goodspeed, Weston A. (Feb 6, 2017). The History of Cook County, Illinois. Jazzybee Verlag.
- ^ a b c d e Miller, Donald L. (2014). City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America. Rosetta Books. p. 98, 103. ISBN 978-0-7953-3985-1. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Harpster, Jack (December 3, 2018). Railroad Tycoon Who Built Chicago.
- ^ Pierce, Bessie Louise. A History of Chicago, Volume I: The Beginning of a City 1673-1848. p. 376.
- ^ a b Goodspeed, Weston A. (Feb 6, 2017). History of Cook County, Illinois--, Being a General Survey of Cook County History, Including a Condensed History of Chicago and Special Account of Districts Outside the City Limits; from the Earliest Settlement to the Present Time Volume I. Jazzybee Verlag. p. 132.