William Graham Swan
| William Graham Swan | |
|---|---|
| Confederate Congressman from Tennessee | |
|
In office February 18, 1862 – March 18, 1865 |
|
| Preceded by | New office |
| Succeeded by | End of office |
| Mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee | |
|
In office 1855–1856 |
|
| Preceded by | James C. Luttrell |
| Succeeded by | James H. Cowan |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1821 Probably East Tennessee or Alabama |
| Died | April 12, 1869 Memphis, Tennessee |
| Resting place | Elmwood Cemetery |
| Political party |
Whig Democratic Party |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Paralee Mabry |
| Alma mater | East Tennessee College |
| Profession | Lawyer |
William Graham Swan (1821 – April 12, 1869) was an American attorney and politician active primarily in East Tennessee during the mid-19th century. Swan served in the Confederate States Congress during the American Civil War, and served one term as mayor of Knoxville, Tennessee, from 1855 until late 1856. He also helped establish the town of East Knoxville (later annexed by Knoxville), and served as its first mayor in the late 1850s. In 1854, Swan and his brother-in-law, Joseph Mabry, donated the initial land for the formation of Market Square in downtown Knoxville.
Swan's early life is obscure, but he was likely born in East Tennessee or Alabama. He graduated from East Tennessee College (now the University of Tennessee) in 1838, and studied law afterward. By 1843, he had a law office on Gay Street in Knoxville, and he attended courts in Knox, Anderson, Roane, Campbell, and Claiborne counties. He served as Attorney General of Tennessee 1851 until 1853.
Throughout the early 1850s, Swan speculated in land along the periphery of Knoxville, especially in what is now East Knoxville, which he helped develop. In 1854, he and Mabry purchased several acres of land then located north of Knoxville (the boundary at the time being Union Avenue). They donated a portion of this land to the city for creation of a Market House, laying the foundation for what is now Market Square. That same year, Swan and William Montgomery Churchwell founded the Knoxville Gas Light Company, which installed the first gas lights on Gay Street.
...
Wikipedia