George J. Whelan facts for kids

George J. Whelan was the 7th Mayor of San Francisco. He served a short term from July 8 to November 14, 1856. Before becoming mayor, he worked as a lawyer.

He was chosen as mayor by a group of local judges, who were acting like the city's main governing board at the time. His time as mayor was difficult because of several challenges. These included a group called the vigilance movement, issues related to Chinese immigration, and the tough job of collecting unpaid taxes from important citizens. He also faced problems with other elected officials who didn't want to cooperate with him.

His last official act as mayor was to give a farewell speech. However, members of the new administration, led by Ephraim Willard Burr, chose not to attend. During his term, the city and county governments of San Francisco officially joined together into one unit. After leaving office, George Whelan went back to practicing law.

Who Was George Whelan?

George Whelan is known as San Francisco's least-documented mayor. This means there isn't much information about him.

A Mystery Mayor

No photos or drawings of him are known to exist today. His name also disappears from San Francisco city records after 1860. For many years, official lists of San Francisco mayors didn't even include him. For example, some records from the 1860s skipped his name and listed his successor, Ephraim Willard Burr, right after the previous mayor, James Van Ness.

Before Becoming Mayor

Before serving as mayor, George Whelan was the District Attorney for San Francisco County. This job involves being the chief prosecutor for the local government.