Walter A. Post (January 7, 1857 - February 12, 1912) was the first mayor of Newport News, Virginia.[1]
He was born in Kingston, New York, on 7 January 1857, and studied as a civil engineer.[2]
He was sent to Newport News by his brother-in-law, Eugene White of Brooklyn, who had contracted with railroad magnate Collis P. Huntington to build a cargo terminal at the end of the newly built eastern terminus of the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway on the Virginia Peninsula, in 1880. [3]
When Newport News was chartered as an independent city in 1896, Post was chosen to serve as acting mayor until the city's first municipal elections could be held. On July 1 of that year, he was elected. Post chose to serve only one term as mayor, stepping down in 1898.
In 1911, he assumed the presidency of Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company. He would hold that office until his death in 1912. The newspapers of the day attributed his death to "overwork", and heart failure.[2] His entire time in Newport News was spent serving as a kind of lieutenant for Huntington, who essentially built the city of Newport News to serve his railroad.[citation needed]
Post Street in the Hilton Village historic district in Newport News is named after Post.[citation needed]
References
- ^ Rouse, Parke (March 24, 1991). "A Look Back at NN Leaders". Daily Press. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ a b "Death of Walter Post". newspapers.com. Retrieved 30 April 2020.
- ^ Parke, Rouse (December 8, 1996). "Walter Post, Builder of NN". Daily Press. Retrieved March 10, 2019.