Charles F. Grainger (January 23, 1854 – April 13, 1923) was

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Louisville, Kentucky Louisville ( , , ) is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the 28th most-populous city in the United States. Louisville is the historical seat and, since 2003, the nominal seat of Jefferson County, on the Indiana border ...

from 1901 to 1905. He became president of Grainger & Company, his family's iron foundry.

Life

He was elected to the

Board of Aldermen An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members them ...

representing the Seventh Ward in 1890. He became board president in 1893, and was quite powerful in the Democratic Party, temporarily eclipsing long-time party boss John Whallen. Grainger was elected mayor in 1901. During his term as mayor, the Jefferson County Armory (which became

Louisville Gardens Louisville Gardens is a multi-purpose, 6,000-seat arena, in Louisville, Kentucky, that opened in 1905, as the Jefferson County Armory. It celebrated its 100th anniversary as former city mayor Jerry Abramson's official "Family-Friendly New Years ...

) was built, as was a new jail building and the main branch of the Louisville Free Public Library. After his term as mayor he became president of the

Louisville Water Company The Louisville Water Company is a water company based in Louisville, Kentucky. History The Louisville Water Company has been in operation since 1860. First known as "The Water Works", the company served water to 512 customers. Water delivery ...

. He was president of the Louisville Jockey Club from 1902 to 1918. As President, he purchased

Churchill Downs Churchill Downs is a horse racing complex located on Central Avenue in south Louisville, Kentucky, United States, famed for hosting the annual Kentucky Derby. It officially opened in 1875 and was named for Samuel Churchill, whose family was ...

in 1905. He served as manager of the famous facility from 1918 until his death. He is credited with helping build the prominence of the

Kentucky Derby The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...

, increasing the purse from five to fifty thousand dollars during his term. He also introduced the first parimutuel betting system in the United States. He died in 1923 of heart disease and was buried in Cave Hill Cemetery.

References

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grainger, Charles F. 1854 births 1923 deaths Mayors of Louisville, Kentucky Burials at Cave Hill Cemetery