William B. Magruder
William Beans Magruder (born February 11, 1810 in Montgomery County , Maryland , † May 30, 1869 ) was an American politician . Between 1856 and 1858 he was Mayor of Washington, DC
Career
William Magruder was born in Maryland and grew up in Georgetown , which was an independent municipality until 1871. After studying medicine and his license to practice medicine in 1831, he began to work in this profession in Washington. He made a name for himself successfully fighting a cholera epidemic . For this reason he was called to Cincinnati , Ohio , when this city was also battling a cholera epidemic. He then returned to Washington.
His political career began in 1835 when he became a member of the Washington Health Committee. He was also a member of the city council until 1856. His party affiliation is not mentioned in the sources. But he was an opponent of the Know-Nothing Party . In 1856 he was elected mayor of the federal capital with a majority of 13 votes as a joint candidate of all other important parties against the know-nothing candidate Silas H. Hill. He held this office between June 9, 1856 and June 14, 1858. As mentioned, his powers did not extend to the then still independent city of Georgetown.
As mayor, he worked to improve the infrastructure of his city. Political unrest broke out in Washington in 1857, triggered mainly by supporters of the Know-Nothing Party. Thugs have been hired and citizens have been harassed, harassed and terrorized. The mayor asked President James Buchanan for military assistance. Eventually the rioters had to give in and pull away. In 1858 he was no longer nominated for the office of mayor. Two years later he ran again unsuccessfully for this office as an independent candidate. After the end of his time as mayor, William Magruder practiced again as a doctor. He died on May 30, 1869 of stomach problems.
Web links
- William B. Magruder in the database of Find a Grave (English)
- The Political Graveyard
| predecessor | Office | successor |
|---|---|---|
| John T. Towers |
Mayor of Washington 1856–1858 |
James G. Berret |
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Magruder, William B. |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Magruder, William Beans (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American politician |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 11, 1810 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Montgomery County , Maryland |
| DATE OF DEATH | May 30, 1869 |