John G. Baxter

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John George Baxter Jr. (December 12, 1826 — March 30, 1885) was the nineteenth and twenty-first Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky from 1870 to 1872 and from 1879 to 1881, respectively. He was born to Scottish immigrants in Lexington, Kentucky and came to Louisville in 1847, and eventually established a successful stove company.

He served on the Board of Alderman during the 1860s, and was elected president from 1865 to 1867. He was elected to mayor twice as a Democrat. His first administration saw the construction of the new city hall, as well as a new city hospital and almshouse. He did not run again in 1872 after his first term because the new city charter greatly restricted incumbents from running. He ran in 1875 and lost by a small margin to Charles D. Jacob, but was successful in 1879.

He is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery, the main entrance of which is located on Baxter Avenue, which was renamed in his honor.

[edit] Reference

• Yater, George H. (1987). Two Hundred Years at the Fall of the Ohio: A History of Louisville and Jefferson County, 2nd edition, Louisville, KY: Filson Club, Incorporated. ISBN 0-9601072-3-1. 
• "John George Baxter Jr.". The Encyclopedia of Louisville (1). (2001).

Preceded by Joseph H. Bunce	Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky 1870–1872	Succeeded by Charles D. Jacob
Preceded by Charles D. Jacob	Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky 1879–1881	Succeeded by P. Booker Reed