City of Dallas Office of the City Secretary HISTORY OF MAYORS & CITY COUNCILS Disclaimer: The Dallas City Secretary's Office provides this database as an informational resource. Every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this document. Always consult original sources if accuracy is in doubt. i KEY NOTES 1 Changed married names to first names ex: Mrs. 2 Did not include deceased date unless the person died in office 3 Corrected spelling of a person's name ex: Campbell to Cabell 4 Corrected misprint of dates (year) ex: 1877 to 1871; 5 Corrrected misprint in election date ex: December 23, 1976 to correct December 23, 1975 6 Updated history from past book ex: 1996 - present (copy of canvass available for confirmation) 7 Entered data where information was missing ex: Entered minute book, page #; resolution #, date of election 8 Starting in 1872, indentified long, short terms with an * for long term ex: see footnote 9 Added form of government to page heading ex: Mayor-Alderman 10 Replaced initials and nicknames with proper name when possible ex: J. H. Bryan to John H. Bryan 11 Months will be spelled out for clarity ex: 4/4/1870 to April 4, 1870 12 Candidate votes listed highest to lowest Previous book ends with the 1993-1995 Election Term. Starting with 1995 to present, city council action items 13 used as documentation to validate the information provided 14 Extensive research conducted and no reference to first name found ex: _____ Russell 15 Updated election information to show key personnel in public office ex: City Attorney, City Engineer, Marshall ii City of Dallas Office of the City Secretary HISTORY OF MAYORS & CITY COUNCILS This database was developed to delineate the election history for the Dallas City Council (1866 to present). The election history was originally compiled by Lee Armstrong and the Office of the City Secretary. Unfortunately, records are sketchy and sometimes contradictory in the listings of officials during the first 10 years of incorporation. The list covering the first ten years, 1856 to 1866, has been compiled by comparison and combination of information obtained from: ● History of Dallas County by John Henry Brown (1887) ● Mayors of Dallas by John H. Cullom (1917) ● Dallas' First Hundred Years by George H. Santerre (1956) Listings on all other pages have been compiled from the official City Council Minutes of the City of Dallas. iii Mayor-Alderman 1856-1857 Election: Saturday, April 5, 1856 Votes Cast: 92 Minute Book: Unknown Mayor: Samuel B. Pryor Aldermen: William Burtle James W. Latimer William J. Halsell Burrill Wilkes _____ Williams George W. Baird Recorder: Samuel S. Jones Treasurer: William L. Murphy Marshal: Andrew W. Moore 1 Mayor-Alderman 1856-1857 Election: Saturday, April 5, 1856 Votes Cast: 92 Minute Book: Unknown Votes Cast Mayor: Samuel B. Pryor 58 A. D. Rice 34 Aldermen: William Burtle 75 James W. Latimer 74 William J. Halsell 71 Burrill Wilkes 68 _____ Williams 59 George W. Baird 57 A. M. Dean 49 W. A. Gold 45 James Marquez 11 Recorder: Samuel S. Jones 90 Treasurer: William L. Murphy 56 Z. E. Ranney 36 Marshal: Andrew W. Moore 55 John W. Merrifield 37 2 Mayor-Alderman 1857-1858 Election: April 1856 Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Mayor: John M. Crockett Aldermen: Unknown Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: Marlin M. Thompson 3 Mayor-Alderman April - August, 1858 Election: April 1858 Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Mayor: Isaac Naylor Aldermen: Unidentified Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: Andrew M. Moore 4 Mayor-Alderman 1858-1859 Election: August 1856 Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Mayor: A. D. Rice Aldermen: George W. Laws William J. Halsell Isaac C. Naylor James N. Smith William W. Peak Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: William Marion Moon 5 Mayor-Alderman 1858-1859 Election: August 1856 Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Votes Cast Mayor: A. D. Rice 39 Aldermen: George W. Laws 24 William J. Halsell 22 Isaac C. Naylor 19 James N. Smith 18 William W. Peak 12 A. Simon 8 Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: William Marion Moon 57 6 Mayor-Alderman 1859-1860 Election: August, 1859 Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Mayor: John M. Crockett Aldermen: William Marion Moon George W. Guess Edward W. Hunt James N. Smith Samuel B. Pryor Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: George W. Baird 7 Mayor-Alderman 1859-1860 Election: August, 1859 Votes Cast: Unknown Unknown Votes Cast Mayor: John M. Crockett 38 Aldermen: William Marion Moon 39 George W. Guess 39 James N. Smith 39 Edward W. Hunt 38 Samuel B. Pryor 37 Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: George W. Baird 37 8 Mayor-Alderman 1860-1861 Election: August, 1860 Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Mayor: John M. Crockett (Resigned April 4, 1861) James L. Smith (Appointed) Aldermen: William W. Peak George W. Guess Edward W. Hunt James N. Smith Samuel B. Pryor Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: Marlin M. Thompson 9 Mayor-Alderman 1860-1861 Election: August, 1860 Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Votes Cast Mayor: John M. Crockett 51 Aldermen: William W. Peak 43 George W. Guess 40 Edward W. Hunt 48 James N. Smith 43 Samuel B. Pryor 39 Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: Marlin M. Thompson 40 10 Mayor-Alderman 1861-1862 Election: August, 1861 Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Mayor: Thomas E. Sherwood Aldermen: William W. Peak George W. Guess Edward W. Hunt James N. Smith Samuel B. Pryor Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: Peter Stevenson 11 Mayor-Alderman 1861-1862 Election: August, 1861 Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Votes Cast Mayor: Thomas E. Sherwood 30 Aldermen: William W. Peak 58 George W. Guess 63 Edward W. Hunt 61 James N. Smith 62 Samuel B. Pryor 56 Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: Peter Stevenson 34 12 Mayor-Alderman 1862-1865 No mayor under military rule, Confederate States of America References: History of Dallas County by John Henry Brown (1887) Mayors of Dallas by John H. Cullom (1917) Dallas' First Hundred Years by George H. Santerre (1956) 13 Mayor-Alderman 1865-1866 November, 1865-April, 1866 Election: ► No public election-selected by Aldermen Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Unknown Mayor: John M. Crockett Aldermen: Charles Newton W. H. Thomas A. W. Morton George W. Baird _____ Johnson J. S. Ballard Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: Unknown 14 Mayor-Alderman 1866-1868 Election: ► No public election-selected by Aldermen Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Minutes of September 4, 1866 Mayor: John W. Lane (Resigned September 4, 1866) George W. Guess (Appointed September 4,1866) Aldermen: J. N. Bryan John S. Saunders M. M. Morrow A. W. Morton E. W. Hunt Recorder: Unknown Treasurer: Unknown Constable: H. Hickman (Resigned September 10,1866) A. W. Carter (Appointed September 10,1866) Harry Shepherd (Name appears as constable in Minutes of February 21, 1867) 15 Mayor-Alderman 1868-1870 Election: ► No public election-selected by Aldermen Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Minute Book 1, Page 22 Mayor: Benjamin Long (Appointed by General J. J. Reynolds, US Army, as provisional mayor) [April 4, 1870 Announced his intention of taking an extended trip to Europe] Henry Ervay (Appointed Mayor Pro Tem April 4, 1870; Records show he served unti August 15, 1870) Aldermen: John Tenison (Resigned November 24, 1868) C. R. Miller (Resigned April 4, 1870 ) Edwin Taylor J. P. McKnight Henry Boll (Resigned November 12, 1868) Sam S. Jones (Appointed November 12, 1868; Resigned November 26, 1868) John Loupot (Appointed November 26, 1868) Henry Ervay (Appointed April 4, 1870) J. C. Seydell (Appointed April 4, 1870) Recorder: Unknown A. J. Gouffe Marshal: John F. Barbier (Appointed September, 1868; Resigned May 10, 1869) Mr. Burns (Appointed May 10,1869; Resigned July 21,1869) John C. Thomas (Appointed July 21,1869; "absconded with funds" in May 1870) Edwin Basey (Appointed June 2,1870) 16 Mayor-Alderman 1870-1871 Election: ► No public election-selected by Aldermen Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Minute Book 1, Page 32 Mayor: ◊ Henry Ervay, Mayor Pro Tem until August 15, 1870 Aldermen: ◊ J. C. Seydell ◊ Edwin Taylor ◊ John Loupot ◊ The above officers apparently served as the Board of Aldermen from April 4, 1870 until November 19, 1870 when the minutes record the following officers: Mayor: Henry Ervay F. L. Willemet Edwin Taylor E. W. Tucker, Mayor Pro Tem Samuel Crossley Ira B. Conklin Thomas Field (first mentioned in Minutes of August 22, 1871) Melvin Wade (first mentioned in Minutes of November 7, 1871) Secretary: H. T. McLean (Appointed May 22, 1871; apparently served through June, 1871) Julius Royer (Appointed July 5, 1871) Treasurer: Unknown Marshal: E. H. F. Nichols (Appointed November 19, 1870; Removed July 4, 1871) George W. Goode (Appointed July 4, 1871; "Relieved" November 21, 1871) Perry Bowser (Marshall Pro Tem, November 21, 1871-December 5, 1871) G. W. Campbell (Appointed December 5, 1871) 17 Mayor-Alderman January-November, 1872 Election: ► No public election-selected by Aldermen Votes Cast: Unknown Minute Book: Minute Book 1, Page 111 January-November 1872 Council Minutes of January and February, 1872, indicate disagreement as to who was legally serving as Alderman. The following names appear as officers during this period: Mayor: Henry S. Ervay Aldermen: Samuel Crossley (Removed) Edwin Taylor J. R. Davis for Ira B. Conklin (Removed) J. C. Seydell F. L. Willemet J. A. Hawkins Frank Ervay for Thomas Field (Removed) Melvin Wade Secretary: Julius Royer (Resigned February 15, 1872) R. S. Druly (Appointed February 15, 1872) Treasurer: Unknown George W. Campbell On February 12, 1872, the Council met to hear an opinion from the Attorney General as to who was entitled to sit as Aldermen: Council Minutes: "....The said opinion of the Attorney General, was then so read; and at the conclusion of which F.