George Hewston

George Hewston (September 11, 1826 - September 4, 1891) He was appointed the 16th Mayor of San Francisco upon the death of James Otis and was sworn in on November 4, 1875 and served until December 5, 1875.

George Hewston was born on September 11, 1826 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He apprenticed himself to a physician and then took a medical degree from the Philadelphia College of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania. He moved with his family to San Francisco to escape the Civil War.

Hewston established a new medical practice upon his arrival and he supplemented his income by lecturing at the Toland College of Medicine (later UCSF). His skill at lecturing broght him to the attention of the People's Party, which nominated him for Supervisor. He was appointed mayor to finish James Otis's unfiinished term.

In his brief term, Hewston sat in on an investigation into charges against six policemen. He also refused to make inflated payments for unspecified repairs. He was also known to make a speech condemning the Chinese for bring opium to the city.

After his term, he served on the commission to plan California's celbration of America's centennial. His final political activity was as chair of the Anti-Monopoly Party, which sought to stop the transfer of federal lands for the railroads.

Hewston then returned to the lecture and travelled along the East Coast, collecting many books along the way. He eventually amassed some 2000 volumes for his private library.

He died on September 4, 1891 in San Francisco of Bright's Disease.

Source

• Heintz, William F., San Francisco's Mayors: 1850-1880. From the Gold Rush to the Silver Bonanza. Woodside, CA: Gilbert Roberts Publications, 1975. (Library of Congress Card No. 75-17094)