Augustin de Macarty (sometimes anglicized, as ''McCarty'' or ''McCarthy'') was a mayor of New Orleans from September 7, 1815, to May 1, 1820. He was a member of an influential Creole family allied by marriage to

Esteban Rodríguez Miró Esteban Rodríguez Miró y Sabater, KOS (1744 – June 4, 1795), also known as Esteban Miro and Estevan Miro, was a Spanish army officer and governor of the Spanish American provinces of Louisiana and Florida. Miró was one of the most popular ...

, one of the last Spanish Governors of

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. He was brought to the mayoralty by the resignation of the previous mayor, Nicolas Girod, but subsequently served two full terms, to which he was elected by landslide majorities; after which he declined further terms. His tenure was chiefly marked by the first officially recorded outbreak of

yellow fever Yellow fever is a viral disease of typically short duration. In most cases, symptoms include fever, chills, loss of appetite, nausea, muscle pains – particularly in the back – and headaches. Symptoms typically improve within five days. In ...

, and the subsequent creation of the city's first Board of Health in 1817. It initiated systematic garbage removal and the institution of a

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

quarantine A quarantine is a restriction on the movement of people, animals and goods which is intended to prevent the spread of disease or pests. It is often used in connection to disease and illness, preventing the movement of those who may have been ...

. In 1816, a comprehensive ordinance regulated theaters. In 1817,

house numbering House numbering is the system of giving a unique number to each building in a street or area, with the intention of making it easier to locate a particular building. The house number is often part of a postal address. The term describes the num ...

was instituted. In 1818, the city limits were expanded to include what is now the Eighth Ward. In 1819, the city's first public

waterworks Water supply is the provision of water by public utilities, commercial organisations, community endeavors or by individuals, usually via a system of pumps and pipes. Public water supply systems are crucial to properly functioning societies. Thes ...

system was begun; its execution was entrusted to

Benjamin Henry Latrobe Benjamin Henry Boneval Latrobe (May 1, 1764 – September 3, 1820) was an Anglo-American neoclassical architect who emigrated to the United States. He was one of the first formally trained, professional architects in the new United States, draw ...

, who succumbed to yellow fever there himself, the following year. During Macarty's tenure, the population of New Orleans grew from 33,000 to 41,000; and commerce, measured by

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

boat traffic and receipts, doubled. The expansion of New Orleans into the "American Quarter" took place under Macarty's tenure and that of the next mayor, Roffignac. Macarty was a cousin of

Delphine LaLaurie Marie Delphine Macarty or MacCarthy (March 19, 1787 – December 7, 1849), more commonly known as Madame Blanque or, after her third marriage, as Madame LaLaurie, was a New Orleans socialite and serial killer who tortured and murdered slave ...

, née Macarty, alleged to be a killer of slaves and a

serial killer A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A * * * * with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...

External links

Macarty and Roffignac
(Kendall's ''History of New Orleans'', Chapter 7) Mayors of New Orleans 1774 births 1844 deaths Louisiana Creole people People in 19th-century Louisiana Macarty family {{NewOrleans-stub