John F. Forward, Sr.

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John F. Forward, Sr. (October 3, 1851–December 24, 1926) was an American Republican politician from California.

John Forward, Sr. was born 1851 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Walter and Elizabeth Forward. His grandfather Walter Forward was U. S. Secretary of the Treasury. In 1866 he started work as a machinist and continued for seven years. He then joined the Pennsylvania Railroad as a fireman.

Forward married Ella Dillon November 1874 in Pittsburg, and they had seven children: John F. Forward, Jr., who was also mayor, James D., Annie D., Charles H. Forward, attorney, Walter L., Joseph C., and Frank G.

Forward came to San Diego in 1887. In San Diego he worked in the San Diego County's recorder office for 19 years, and, from 1892, headed the office for 14 of those years.

In 1903 Forward founded Union Title and Trust Company and, after resigning as recorder, directed it for nine years as its president.

Forward was mayor of San Diego during 1907–1909. He was elected on an anti-establishment campaign with only 39% of the vote. Since that time, runoffs have been required if nobody receives a majority of the vote for mayor.

Forward was a prominent citizen, "stanch republican", and strongly supported unions as the "salvation of the working man."

Forward died 1926 aged 75 in San Diego.

[edit] Further reading

Black, Samuel T. (1913). San Diego County California. The S. J. Clark Publishing Company, Chicago. , v. 2, pp. 26-27: "John F. Forward, Sr."
Heilbron, Carl (1936). History of San Diego County. San Diego Press Club. Biography, p. 23. Includes portrait