Harvey Doolittle Colvin

Harvey Doolittle Colvin

Harvey Doolittle Colvin (born December 18, 1815 in Herkimer County , New York , †  April 16, 1892 in Jacksonville , Florida ) was an American politician . Between 1873 and 1875 he was mayor of Chicago .

Career

Nothing is known about Harvey Colvin's youth and schooling. He worked for the United States Express Company for 38 years . It is also not certain since when he lived in Chicago. There he embarked on a political career. Immediately before his time as mayor, he was city treasurer. In 1873 he was elected mayor of Chicago as a People's Party candidate. In doing so, he prevailed against the acting mayor Lester L. Bond , who had held the office since the resignation of Joseph Medill in August of that year. Colvin's tenure was marked by the aftermath of the fire in 1871. She also fell into an economic crisis . Soon after taking office, he faced protests from around 12,000 unemployed. Colvin overturned an ordinance issued by Medill that included a ban on alcohol sales on Sundays.

In 1874 his tenure was shaken by scandals. On the one hand, the administration was accused of nepotism. In addition, there were irregularities in the office of the city treasurer. In 1875 a political controversy followed. In accordance with a state law ( Cities and Villages Act of 1872 ), the city ​​council had scheduled new elections for all city posts with the exception of the office of mayor. Even so, a man named Thomas Hoyne stood up and was elected. Colvin refused to resign because, in his opinion, Hoyne's election was illegal. The problem was resolved in 1876 by a court ruling ordering a new mayor election, which Monroe Heath won.

Harvey Colvin was injured after an accident caused by the crash of a cable car. He then left Chicago to live with his son in Florida. He died on April 16, 1892 in Jacksonville there.

Web links

• Harvey Doolittle Colvin in the database of Find a Grave (English)
• The Political Graveyard
• Chicago History