Charles Godfrey Gunther

Charles Godfrey Gunther (born April 7, 1822 in New York City , † January 22, 1885 there ) was an American politician . Between 1864 and 1866 he was Mayor of New York City.

Career

Charles Gunther was the son of a German immigrant who worked in the fur trade. He graduated from the Moravian Institute in Nazareth ( Pennsylvania ) and then the Columbia College Grammar School . Like his father, he worked in the fur trade. He founded the company CG Gunther and Company . He also served in the New York City Volunteer Fire Department for a long time. Politically, he joined the Democratic Party and the Tammany Hall Societyon. In 1861 he ran unsuccessfully for the office of mayor of his hometown. Two years later he was elected to this office, which he held between 1864 and 1866. Until 1898, the urban area of New York essentially extended to what is now Manhattan .

Gunther he was against the policies of President Abraham Lincoln . He was against both the manner of waging war in the civil war and against conscription. Nonetheless, during the first part of his tenure, he had to take action against a Confederate gang that tried to terrify the city. In 1865 he directed the New York City funeral for the assassinated President Lincoln. After the end of his time as mayor, he withdrew from politics. This was also because he was not a supporter of the then powerful William Tweed who ruled Tammany Hall and the Democrats in New York City. In the 1880s he built a hotel on Coney Island . In the process, he also built a railway line that made the connection to Manhattan. He also became president of the predecessor institution of Lenox Hill Hospital . Charles Gunther died on January 22, 1885.

Web links

Commons : Charles Godfrey Gunther - Collection of images, videos and audio files

predecessor	Office	successor
George Opdyke	Mayor of New York City 1864–1866	John Thompson Hoffman

personal data
SURNAME	Gunther, Charles Godfrey
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	American politician
DATE OF BIRTH	April 7, 1822
PLACE OF BIRTH	New York City
DATE OF DEATH	January 22, 1885
Place of death	New York City