William Butler Ogden
| William Butler Ogden | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 1st Mayor of Chicago | |
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In office 1837–1838 |
|
| Preceded by | none |
| Succeeded by | Buckner Stith Morris |
| Member of the New York State Assembly | |
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In office January 1, 1835 – December 31, 1835 |
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| Constituency | Delaware County, NY |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
June 15, 1805 Walton, New York |
| Died | August 3, 1877 (aged 72) New York City, New York |
| Political party |
(Before 1860) Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
(beginning in 1860) Republican |
| Residence | Chicago, Illinois |
| Occupation | Real Estate Developer |
William Butler Ogden (June 15, 1805 – August 3, 1877) was the first Mayor of Chicago.
Ogden was born on June 15, 1805, in Walton, New York. When still a teenager, his father died and Ogden took over the family real estate business. He assisted Charles Butler, his brother-in-law, with business matters related to opening a new building for New York University, attending the law school for a brief period himself. He was a member of the New York State Assembly (Delaware Co.) in 1835. He married Marianna T. Arnot. In 1837-1838 he became the first mayor of Chicago.
Ogden designed the first swing bridge over the Chicago River and donated the land for Rush Medical Center. Ogden was also a founder of the Chicago Board of Trade.
Ogden was a leading promoter and investor in the Illinois and Michigan Canal, then switched his loyalty to railroads. Throughout his later life, Ogden was heavily involved in the building of several railroads. "In 1847, Ogden announced a plan to build a railway out of Chicago, but no capital was forthcoming. Eastern investors were wary of Chicago's reputation for irrational boosterism, and Chicagoans did not want to divert traffic from their profitable canal works. So Ogden and his partner J. Young Scammon solicited subscriptions from the farmers and small businessmen whose land lay adjacent to the proposed rail. Farmer's wives used the money they earned from selling eggs to buy shares of stock on a monthly payment plan. By 1848, Ogden and Scammon had raised $350,000—enough to begin laying track. The Galena and Chicago Union Railroad was profitable from the start and eventually extended out to Wisconsin, bringing grain from the Great Plains into the city. As president of Union Pacific, Ogden extended the reach of Chicago's rail lines to the West coast."
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Wikipedia