Hiram Pratt
| Hiram Pratt | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Portrait of Hiram Pratt | |
| Mayor of Buffalo | |
| In office 1835–1836, 1839–1840 | |
| Preceded by | Ebenezer Johnson, Ebenezer Walden |
| Succeeded by | Samuel Wilkeson, Sheldon Thompson |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 28, 1800 Westminster, Vermont |
| Died | April 27, 1840 (aged 39) Utica, New York |
| Political party | Whig |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Fowle |
| Children | three children |
| [1] | |
Hiram Pratt (1800–1840) was mayor of Buffalo, New York, serving 1835–1836 and 1839–1840.
He was born in Westminster, Vermont on June 28, 1800,[2] a son of Captain Samuel Pratt, an early settler of Buffalo. He married Maria Fowle on November 3, 1825. They had three daughters. With Orlando Allen he built a mercantile business. He also built a warehouse and forwarding business; was an agent for the Farmers Fire Insurance and Loan Company; a founder, cashier, and president of the first Bank of Buffalo; a leading Great Lakes shipbuilder; and a Trustee of the village of Buffalo.[3]
On March 10, 1835, the Buffalo Common Council appoint Hiram Pratt as Mayor of the city. During his first term the city purchased land for the Elk Street Market. On March 5, 1839, he was elected for a second term. During this term six new school buildings were erected and competent teachers hired and a Recorder's Court was created. In January 1840, the New York State legislature passed a law requiring all mayors in New York to be elected directly by the people, making him the last mayor elected by the Common Council.[3]
During the financial depression of 1836–1838, Pratt lost his entire estate largely to forged notes and the speculative projects undertaken by Benjamin Rathbun. He never fully recovered from the emotional strain and died in Utica, New York on April 27, 1840, en route to Saratoga, New York for rest. His body was returned to Buffalo and buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery. Buffalo's Prospect Park stands on property once owned by Pratt.
References
- ↑ Rizzo, Michael (2005). Through The Mayors' Eyes. Lulu. p. 424. ISBN 978-1-4116-3757-3.
- ↑ Pratt, Walter Wilcox (1900). The Ancestry and the Descendants of John Pratt of Hartford, Conn. Case, Lockwood & Brainard Company. p. 71.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Hiram Pratt". Through The Mayor's Eyes, The Only Complete History of the Mayor's of Buffalo, New York, Compiled by Michael Rizzo. The Buffalonian is produced by The Peoples History Union. 2009-05-27.
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ebenezer Johnson |
Mayor of Buffalo, NY 1835—1836 |
Succeeded by Samuel Wilkeson |
| Preceded by Ebenezer Walden |
Mayor of Buffalo, NY 1839—1840 |
Succeeded by Sheldon Thompson |