List of mayors of Detroit facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mayor of the City of Detroit |
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![]() Flag of the City of Detroit
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![]() Seal of the City of Detroit
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Residence | Manoogian Mansion |
Term length | Four years |
Constituting instrument | Detroit City Charter |
Formation | 1824 |
First holder | John R. Williams |
Website | Mayor's Office |
This article lists the people who have served as the mayor of Detroit, Michigan. The mayor is the top leader of the city government. They are in charge of making sure the city runs smoothly.
The current mayor of Detroit is Mike Duggan. He started his term on January 1, 2014.
Contents
Detroit's Early Leaders
In its earliest days, Detroit was a military outpost. French and then British military leaders were in charge. After American forces took over, a civil government slowly grew. Leaders were first appointed, then elected. For a short time (1806–1809), there was a mayor, but this role had little power.
Detroit's modern system, where the mayor has strong executive powers, began with the city's charter in 1824. From 1824 to 1857, mayors served one-year terms. This changed to two-year terms from 1858 to 1953. Since 1953, mayors have served four-year terms.
French and British Commandants
Before American rule, French and British military leaders, called commandants, governed Detroit.
French commandants included:
- Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac (1701–1710)
- François de la Forêt (1710–1714)
- Jacques-Charles Renaud Dubuisson (1714)
- Pierre Alphonse de Tonty (1717–1727)
- Jean-Baptiste de Saint-Ours Deschaillons (1728–1729)
- Louis Henry Deschamps , Sieur de Boishebert (1730–1733)
- Jacques-Hugues Péan de Livaudière (1733–1736)
- Pierre-Jacques Payen de Noyan , Sieur de Charvis (1739–1742)
- Pierre Joseph Celoron (1742–1744)
- Paul Joseph le Moyne, Chevalier de Longueuil (1744–1748)
- Pierre Joseph Celoron (second term, 1750–1754)
- Jacques-Pierre Daneau de Muy (1754–1758)
- Francois Marie Picote, Sieur de Belestre (1758–1760)
Seventeen British commandants led Detroit between 1760 and 1796.
- Major Robert Rogers (1760)
- Captain Donald Campbell (1760–1762)
- Major Henry Gladwin (1762–1764)
- Colonel John Bradstreet (1764)
- Lieutenant-Colonel John Campbell (1765–1766)
- George Turnbull (1766–1769)
- Captain James Stephenson (1770–1772)
- Captain George Etherington (1772)
- Major Henry Bassett (1772–1774)
- Captain Richard Beringer Lernoult (1774–1779)
- Colonel Arent Schuyler de Peyster (1779–1784)
- Major William Ancrum (1785–1786)
- Thomas Bennett (1786)
- Captain Robert Matthews (1787–1788)
- Major Patrick Murray (1788–1790)
- Major John Smith (1790–1792)
- Colonel Richard England (1792–1796)
First American Leaders
When Detroit became American in 1796, Colonel Jean François Hamtramck was the commander. He held this role until his death in 1803.
Detroit was officially made a town in 1802. A board of trustees governed it. The chairman of this board was the highest leader. James Henry was the first chairman, appointed in February 1802. He was later elected to the position.
Chairmen of the Board of Trustees:
- James Henry (1802–1803)
- James May (1803–1804)
- Solomon Sibley (1804–1805)
- Joseph Wilkinson (elected 1805)
The 1806 Charter
A huge fire destroyed Detroit in 1805. The government was effectively gone. Governor William Hull and Judge Augustus Woodward created a new government in 1806. It was led by an appointed mayor. However, this mayor position was mostly honorary. The two men who held it, Solomon Sibley and Elijah Brush, quickly resigned. They realized the job had no real power. This mayoral position was removed in 1809. Detroit had no mayor or board of trustees until after the War of 1812.
Second Board of Trustees
After the War of 1812, a new law in 1815 brought back a Board of Trustees. Citizens of Detroit elected this board yearly. In October 1815, Solomon Sibley was elected as the first chairman.
Chairmen elected yearly to this Board were:
- Solomon Sibley (1815–1816)
- George McDougall (1816–1817)
- Abraham Edwards (1817–1818)
- John R. Williams (1818–1819)
- James McCloskey (1819–1820)
- James Abbott (1820–1821)
- Andrew G. Whitney (1821–1822; 1822–1823)
- James Abbott (second term, 1823–1824)
The 1824 Charter
In 1824, John R. Williams created a new city charter. This charter allowed for the first time a directly elected mayor. This mayor would have much more power. After the state approved it, Williams became Detroit's first elected mayor.
Official Mayoral Residence
Since 1966, the official home of Detroit's Mayor has been the Manoogian Mansion. It is located on Dwight Street, facing the Detroit River. Industrialist Alex Manoogian, who founded the Masco Corporation, donated the mansion to the city.
Detroit's Mayors: A Timeline
This section lists the mayors of Detroit. The party affiliations listed for mayors after 1918 are unofficial. They are based on historical information, as elections became non-partisan.
Mayors Under the 1806 Charter
Two mayors served under the 1806 charter. This charter gave the mayor very little power.
# | Name | Term | Party | Notes | |
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1 | ![]() |
Solomon Sibley | 1806 | Democratic | Solomon Sibley helped write Detroit's first city charter in 1806. He became the city's first mayor under this charter. However, he resigned because the office had little power. Sibley later served as chairman of Detroit's board of trustees. He also became a delegate to the United States House of Representatives and a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. |
2 | ![]() |
Elijah Brush | 1806 | Elijah Brush was appointed mayor after Sibley resigned. Like Sibley, he found the position powerless and soon resigned. He owned land next to Detroit, where Brush Street now runs. Brush was a lieutenant colonel in the Territorial Militia. He died shortly after returning to Detroit in 1814. |
Mayors Under the 1824 Charter
The following mayors served under the 1824 charter. This system gave the mayor more executive power.
# | Mayor | Term | Party | Notes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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1 | ![]() |
John R. Williams | 1824–1825 | Democratic | John R. Williams wrote the City Charter. He served as the first mayor under the new system from 1824 to 1825. He also served two more terms later. Williams was a successful merchant and held many other public roles. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Henry Jackson Hunt | 1826 | Democratic | Henry Jackson Hunt was a successful merchant. He held various political offices, including county judge. He died while in office on September 15, 1826. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jonathan Kearsley | 1826 | Democratic | Jonathan Kearsley served in the War of 1812. He moved to Detroit in 1819. Kearsley was mayor twice. He was appointed once in 1826 to finish Henry Jackson Hunt's term. He was elected himself in 1829. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Biddle | 1827–1828 | Whig | Major John Biddle was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1792. He served in the US Army during the War of 1812. He was active in Detroit politics and civic life. He later served as a delegate to the United States House of Representatives. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Jonathan Kearsley | 1829 | Democratic | (See above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John R. Williams | 1830 | Democratic | (See above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Marshall Chapin | 1831 | Whig | Marshall Chapin was a medical doctor. He opened Detroit's first drugstore in 1819. He served twice as mayor (1831 and 1833). He was also City Physician during the cholera outbreaks of 1832 and 1834. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Levi Cook | 1832 | Whig | Levi Cook held many positions in Detroit and Michigan government. He was mayor of Detroit in 1832, 1835, and 1836. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Marshall Chapin | 1833 | Whig | (See above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Charles Christopher Trowbridge | 1834 | Whig | Trowbridge moved to Detroit in 1819. He helped negotiate a treaty with Native American tribes. He briefly served as Mayor during the cholera epidemic of 1834, then resigned. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
11 | Andrew Mack | 1834 | Democratic | Andrew Mack won a special election after Mayor Trowbridge resigned during a cholera epidemic. He later represented Wayne County in the Michigan Legislature. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Levi Cook | 1835–1836 | Whig | (See above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Henry Howard | 1837 | Democratic | Henry Howard moved to Detroit in 1827. He managed a lumber business. He served as an alderman and mayor for one term. He was also the treasurer and auditor general of Michigan. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Augustus Seymour Porter | 1838 – March 14, 1839 | Whig | Augustus Porter practiced law in Detroit for 20 years. He was elected mayor in 1838. He resigned on March 14, 1839, to become a United States Senator for Michigan. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Asher B. Bates | March 15, 1839 – April 18, 1839 | Whig | Asher Bates came to Detroit in 1831. He served as acting mayor after Porter resigned. He later became Attorney General for the Kingdom of Hawaii. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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De Garmo Jones | 1839 | Whig | De Garmo Jones was involved in many businesses, including the Michigan Central Railroad. He served as mayor, city alderman, and state senator. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zina Pitcher | 1840–1841 | Whig | Zina Pitcher was a medical doctor. He served as a surgeon in the United States Army. After leaving the Army, he came to Detroit in 1836. He served three terms as mayor (1840, 1841, and 1843). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Douglass Houghton | 1842 | Democratic | Douglass Houghton was a medical doctor. He served as Michigan's state geologist from 1833 until his death in 1845. He was also a geology professor at the University of Michigan. Houghton died in 1845 in a storm on Lake Superior. Houghton County, Michigan is named after him. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zina Pitcher | 1843 | Whig | (See above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John R. Williams | 1844–1846 | Democratic | (See above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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James A. Van Dyke | 1847 | Whig | James A. Van Dyke was a lawyer. He served as City Attorney for Detroit and mayor. He was also very important in organizing the early Detroit Fire Department. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Frederick Buhl | 1848 | Whig | Frederick Buhl moved to Detroit in 1833. He started a successful business in hats and furs with his brother. He was also a director of banks and president of Harper Hospital. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Charles Howard | 1849 | Whig | Charles Howard moved to Detroit in 1840. He worked in shipping and railroad construction. He was president of two banks and was elected mayor in 1848. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Ladue | 1850 | Democratic | Ladue moved to Detroit in 1847. He started a business making leather and buying wool. He was popular in the business community and was elected mayor in 1850. He died a few years later in 1854. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Zachariah Chandler | 1851 | Whig | Zachariah Chandler arrived in Detroit in 1833 and opened a dry goods store. After serving as mayor, Chandler spent 18 years as a United States Senator. He was also the United States Secretary of the Interior under Ulysses S. Grant. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John H. Harmon | 1852–1853 | Democratic | John Harmon came to Detroit in 1838. He worked at the Detroit Free Press and eventually bought the paper. Harmon served as an alderman and two years as mayor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Oliver Moulton Hyde | 1854 | Whig | Oliver Moulton Hyde moved to Detroit in 1838 and opened a hardware store. He expanded into manufacturing marine engines. Hyde was elected to the city council many times and served as mayor in 1854, 1856, and 1857. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Henry Ledyard | 1855 | Democratic | Henry Ledyard was the son of a famous New York lawyer. He moved to Detroit in 1844. He served as a member of the Board of Education, an alderman, and mayor in 1855. He was also a state senator. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Oliver Moulton Hyde | 1856–1857 | Whig | (See above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Patton | 1858–1859 | Democratic | John Patton was a carriagemaker from Ireland. He came to Detroit and started a factory. He held many city positions, including chief engineer of the Fire Department and mayor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Christian H. Buhl | 1860–1861 | Republican | Christian H. Buhl moved to Detroit in 1833. He started a successful business in hats and furs with his brother. He later started a wholesale hardware firm. He was also an alderman and mayor of Detroit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William C. Duncan | 1862–1863 | Democratic | William C. Duncan moved to Detroit in 1849 and became a brewer. He was elected city alderman in 1852. He also served as the first council president, mayor, and state senator. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Kirkland C. Barker | 1864–1865 | Democratic | Barker worked in shipping before starting a successful tobacco business in Detroit. He was also the presiding officer of the Horse Association of America. He died in a boating accident. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Merrill I. Mills | 1866–1867 | Democratic | Mills originally planned to start a store in Fort Wayne, Indiana. But he ended up in Detroit and started a business there. He later traded in furs and manufactured tobacco. He also served two years as head of the Democratic State Committee. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William W. Wheaton | 1868–1871 | Democratic | Wheaton was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1833. He came to Detroit in 1853 and built a successful wholesale grocery business. He was elected mayor in 1868. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hugh Moffat | 1872–1875 | Republican | Moffat was born in Scotland and came to Detroit in 1837. He started as a carpenter and built a successful lumber business. He was elected mayor for two terms. His honesty earned him the nickname "Honest Hugh Moffat." | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Alexander Lewis | 1876–1877 | Democratic | Alexander Lewis was born in Windsor, Ontario. He came to Detroit at 14 and eventually started his own forwarding business. He also served as Police Commissioner and a board member of the Detroit Public Library. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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George C. Langdon | 1878–1879 | Democratic | George C. Langdon started as a clerk. He later went into brewing and malting, earning a lot of money. After his time as mayor, he faced financial difficulties. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William G. Thompson | 1880–1883 | Republican | Thompson was a Republican mayor. He later switched to the Democratic Party in 1884. He also served as a state senator. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Stephen Benedict Grummond | 1884–1885 | Republican | Stephen Benedict Grummond made his money in the shipping industry. He was originally a Democrat but joined the Republican Party. He served on the Board of Estimates, the Detroit City Council, and one term as mayor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Marvin H. Chamberlain | 1886–1887 | Democratic | Marvin H. Chamberlain was a wholesale liquor distributor. He served as president of the Detroit City Council before becoming mayor. He later patented a process for garbage reduction. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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John Pridgeon, Jr. | 1888–1889 | Democratic | John Pridgeon, Jr. was born in Detroit in 1852. He joined his father's shipping business. He was a member of the first Park Commission. He was elected to the city council and then mayor of Detroit. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Hazen S. Pingree | 1890–1897 | Republican | Hazen Pingree served in the Civil War. He then started a successful shoe company in Detroit. He was elected mayor of Detroit in 1889. He worked to fight corruption and help the poor. During an economic downturn in 1893, he started public works for the unemployed. He also created "potato patch plans" to grow food for the poor on vacant city land. Pingree was elected mayor four times. He later became Governor of Michigan. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William Richert | March 22, 1897 – April 5, 1897 | Republican | William Richert served on the Detroit City Council for eight years. He was council president in 1895 and 1897. Richert served as acting mayor for a short time after Pingree was unable to hold both mayor and governor positions. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William C. Maybury | 1897–1904 | Democratic | Maybury served as Detroit's city attorney. He was elected twice to the United States House of Representatives. He was elected mayor of Detroit in 1897 to finish Pingree's term. He was then elected twice more. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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George P. Codd | 1905–1906 | Republican | George P. Codd was a lawyer. He served as assistant city attorney and a member of the board of aldermen. He was mayor of Detroit from 1905 to 1906. He also served as a circuit judge and a member of the United States House of Representatives. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William Barlum Thompson | 1907–1908 | Democratic | William Barlum Thompson served as an alderman for two terms. He resigned to become city treasurer. He served as mayor for two terms, in 1907–1908 and 1911–1912. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Philip Breitmeyer | 1909–1910 | Republican | Philip Breitmeyer joined his family's florist business. He became the sole owner and grew the business. He was also one of the organizers and president of Florists' Telegraph Delivery (FTD). He was appointed Commissioner of Parks and Boulevards before being elected mayor. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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William Barlum Thompson | 1911–1912 | Democratic | (See above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Oscar Marx | 1913–1918 | Republican | Oscar Marx was born in 1866. He used money from his family's farm to buy into an optical firm, making it very successful. He served as an alderman for eight years. He was appointed City Assessor before serving three terms as Detroit's mayor.
Mayors in Non-Partisan ElectionsIn 1918, a new city charter made all city offices non-partisan. This means candidates do not run as members of a political party. The following mayors were elected without official party labels. The party affiliations listed below are based on their personal political history.
See also
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