Isaac L. Varian
Portrait by Edward Ludlow Mooney , 1842, oil on canvas, New York City Hall Portrait Collection.
Isaac Leggett Varian (born June 25, 1793 in New York City , † August 10, 1864 in Peekskill , New York ) was an American politician . Between 1839 and 1841 he was Mayor of New York City.
Career
Nothing is known about Isaac Varian's youth and schooling. There is also no information in the sources about his career outside of politics. He joined the Democratic Party, founded in 1828, early on. Between 1831 and 1833 he was a member of the New York State Assembly ; from 1842 to 1845 he was a member of the State Senate . He was a member of the Tammany Hall Society , which he directed from 1835 to 1842. That was a difficult time for the New York City Democrats. The local party was then split into two factions. In the early 1840s, the break was then repaired.
In 1838 Varian ran against incumbent Aaron Clark for the office of mayor. He was narrowly beaten. However, Clark and his Whig Party were accused of electoral fraud. In 1839, Varian was elected mayor of New York after all, against Aaron Clark. He held this office after being re-elected between 1839 and 1841. The urban area of New York extended until 1898 essentially to what is now Manhattan . Varian's first election as mayor in 1839 was marred by mutual electoral fraud. This was mainly possible because there were no electoral rolls for these elections, which had only been held publicly since 1834. As a result of this, such electoral rolls were introduced and made mandatory during Varian's first term. This made future fraud much more difficult.
Isaac Varian died in Peekskill on August 10, 1864. With his wife Catharine Hopper Dusenbury (1789-1870) he had nine children, seven of whom reached adulthood.
Web links
- Isaac L. Varian in the database of Find a Grave (English)
- The Political Graveyard
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Clark |
Mayor of New York City 1839–1841 |
Robert H. Morris |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Varian, Isaac L. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Varian, Isaac Leggett (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | June 25, 1793 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City |
| DATE OF DEATH | August 10, 1864 |
| Place of death | Peekskill , New York |