Abraham Maus Schermerhorn (December 11, 1791 – August 22, 1855) was the third mayor of Rochester, New York and a

United States Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

from New York.

Early life

He was born in 1791 in

Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

. He completed preparatory studies and graduated from

Union College Union College is a private liberal arts college in Schenectady, New York. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, and second in the state of New York, after Columbia Co ...

in 1810. He studied law, was admitted to the

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in 1812, and in 1813, he moved to

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

Political career

He became the "money king" of the Genesee region as the secretary of Rochester's first bank, before becoming a supervisor of the city in 1834. In 1837, he became the third mayor of Rochester but resigned after two months to become secretary to the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature; the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Its members are elected to two-year terms; there are no term limits. There are 63 seats in the Senate. Partisan com ...

. He became a member of the

New York State Assembly The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature, with the New York State Senate being the upper house. There are 150 seats in the Assembly. Assembly members serve two-year terms without term limits. The Assem ...

(Monroe Co., 2nd D.) in 1848, and was elected as a Whig to the Thirty-first and Thirty-second Congresses, representing

New York's 28th congressional district New York’s 28th congressional district is an obsolete congressional district for the United States House of Representatives. Before becoming obsolete in 2013, the district was based in Rochester, Buffalo, and Niagara Falls, and included part ...

holding office from March 4, 1849, to March 3, 1853.

Personal life

Schermerhorn was married to Mary Kent Adams (1798–1865). Together, they were the parents of: * Susan M. Schermerhorn (d. 1846) * James Adams Schermerhorn (1816–1879), who married Sarah Maria Parker (1819–1874) in 1849. In 1855, he died in

Savin Rock Savin Rock is a section of West Haven, Connecticut, named after the rocky outcropping at the shorefront in Bradley Point Park. It was the site of the Savin Rock Amusement Park, which began in the late 19th century as a regionally renowned seaside ...

, near

West Haven, Connecticut West Haven is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. It is located on the coast of Long Island Sound. At the 2020 census, the population of the city was 55,584. History Settled in 1648, West Haven (then known as West Farms) ...

. He was interred in

Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester, Monroe County, New York, founded in 1838, is the first municipal cemetery in the United States. It is the burial site of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Situated on of land adjacent to the University of ...

References

External links

*
Schermerhorn Genealogy and Family Chronicles
at www.SchenectadyHistory.org 1791 births 1855 deaths Abraham M. American people of Dutch descent Burials at Mount Hope Cemetery (Rochester) Politicians from Schenectady, New York Union College (New York) alumni Mayors of Rochester, New York Members of the New York State Assembly Whig Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American politicians New York (state) Republicans {{NewYork-NYAssembly-stub