Abraham J. Berry (c. 1797–1865), a physician, was the first mayor of "the independent city of Williamsburgh."

Early life

Berry "was born in New York City and educated as a physician." "Dr. Berry became one of the most admired and recognized figures in the city" partly due to his 1832 work with

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

patients.

First mayor of Williamsburgh

Among his accomplishments leading up to and becoming the first mayor of ''Williamsburgh'' (1852–1853)Posted in(Not)Forgotten Greenpoint: were: * a ferry linking to

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...

* dropping the ''h'' from Williamsburgh * "his 1855 proposal consolidated Williamsburg with the rest of Brooklyn." Following his term in office, Berry was unsuccessful in a four-way race for a congressional seat. In 1851, prior to his mayoral term in office, he was an election supervisor, appointing election inspectors. Only one other person served after him as mayor of Williamburgh.

Civil War

"At the beginning of the Civil War, Dr. Berry enlisted as a surgeon in the 38th New York Infantry." He died "the result of a fever he contracted during that time."

Family

He had a wife, a daughter named Julia (d. 1906), and a son John (c. 1835–1915).

Legacy

The name ''Berry'' in Williamsburg's ''Berry Playground'' at 106 South Third Street, between Bedford Avenue and Berry Street, refers to: * nearby ''Berry Street'' * the street was named for his family * that he was a physician, and the park's address is linked to a since-closed

hospital A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...

References

1790s births 1865 deaths 19th-century American physicians People from Brooklyn Union Army surgeons {{doctor-stub