Solomon Sibley
| Solomon Sibley | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st Mayor of Detroit, first charter | |
|
In office 1806–1806 |
|
| Preceded by | None |
| Succeeded by | Elijah Brush |
| U.S. Representative from Michigan Territory | |
|
In office November 20, 1820 – March 3, 1823 |
|
| Preceded by | William Woodbridge |
| Succeeded by | Gabriel Richard |
| Personal details | |
| Born | October 7, 1769 Sutton, Massachusetts |
| Died | April 4, 1846 (aged 76) Detroit, Michigan |
| Alma mater | Brown University |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Solomon Sibley (October 7, 1769 – April 4, 1846) was an American politician and jurist in the Michigan Territory who became the first mayor of Detroit.
Sibley was born in Sutton, Massachusetts, and after completing preparatory studies, he graduated from the College of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (now Brown University) at Providence in 1794. He studied law, was admitted to the Bar in 1795 and began a practice in Marietta, Ohio, which was then part of the Northwest Territory. He soon moved to Cincinnati and then moved again to Detroit, Michigan in 1797, shortly after the British handed over the fort in 1796. When he arrived, Sibley was one of only two lawyers in Detroit. Being a pioneer lawyer was a physically challenging profession, often requiring long travel by horseback through wilderness over Indian trails in all types of weather to attend the territorial courts in Cincinnati, Marietta, or Chillicothe, Ohio.
In December, 1798, Detroit elected a delegate to the legislature of the Northwest Territory. This, the first election in Michigan under United States control, was held in a Detroit tavern. Although Sibley was elected, his opponent, James May, claimed he had won by providing liquor for the voters. Despite the protestation, Sibley represented Wayne County in the first legislature of the Northwest Territory, commencing his term in January 1799.
Sibley was instrumental in passing the legislation in 1802 by which Detroit was incorporated as a town. Sibley was elected first as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and then under the first city charter of 1806 as the first mayor of Detroit. During the War of 1812, Sibley commanded a company of riflemen in defense of Detroit, though the British attack was successful and William Hull surrendered the fort. After the war, Sibley served as Auditor of Public Accounts for the Michigan Territory from 1814 to 1817.
...
Wikipedia