Charles Newton Holden (May 13, 1816 – September 29, 1887) was an American politician who served as city treasurer of Chicago, a

Chicago alderman The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms. The council is gaveled into session regularly, usually mont ...

, president of the Chicago Board of Education, and Chicago commissioner of taxes. He was the unsuccessful

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

nominee for

mayor of Chicago The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive of city government in Chicago, Illinois, the third-largest city in the United States. The mayor is responsible for the administration and management of various city departments, submits proposals and r ...

1862 Events January–March * January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria. * January 6 – French intervention in Mexico: French, Spanish and British forces arrive in Veracruz, Mexico. * January ...

Early life

Holden was born May 13, 1816, in

Fort Covington, New York Fort Covington ( moh, Kentsia’kowáhne) is a town in Franklin County, New York. The population was 1,676 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from a War of 1812 fortification. The original name of the town was ''French Mills''. The town is ...

Career

Holden was a school teacher at the age of 20. After working as a store clerk for a year, Holden moved to

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. He soon moved to Will County, Illinois, where he briefly lived with relatives and found work at a claim. Quickly moving back to Chicago, he found employment at a clerk in

John H. Kinzie John Harris Kinzie (July 7, 1803 – June 19, 1865) was a prominent figure in Chicago politics during the 19th century. He served as the president of the Board of Trustees of Chicago when it was still a town and thrice unsuccessfully ran for Chic ...

's lumber yard. Holden was elected as a

from the 5th ward in 1855, serving until 1857, when he was elected Chicago city treasurer, a position he held through the following year. Holden was a supporter of the

1860 Events January–March * January 2 – The discovery of a hypothetical planet Vulcan is announced at a meeting of the French Academy of Sciences in Paris, France. * January 10 – The Pemberton Mill in Lawrence, Massachusett ...

presidential candidacy of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...

. He served on the committee that arranged the construction of the Wigwam (Chicago), Wigwam, which was built to host the 1860 Republican National Convention. 1862 Chicago mayoral election, In 1862, Holden was the

nominee for

. He lost the election to Democratic Party (United States), Democratic nominee Francis Cornwall Sherman. In 1864, Holden was elected as Chicago's commissioner of taxes, holding that position for four years. He was a member of the Chicago Board of Education. From 1864 through 1866, Holden served as president of the Chicago Board of Education. The city named one of its schools after him. Holden was one of the organizers of Chicago's Second Baptist Church, and held a number of leadership roles within that church. He was involved in the founding of the Morgan Park Theological Seminary. Holden was a trustee of the state insane asylum. Holden, in his later years, worked at the firm of A. H. Holden & Co. He would also manufacture paint. For over twenty years, Holden served as treasurer of Chicago's Firemen's Benevolent Society.

Personal life

In 1841, Holden married Frances Woodbury. Holden's extended family was well-involved in Chicago politics. This included Charles C. P. Holden, his cousin.

Death

Holden died September 29, 1887, at his Chicago residence of a stroke. He had suffered a previous stroke roughly a year earlier, from which he had only partially recovered. His funeral was held October 3, 1887, at Chicago's Second Baptist Church, and he was buried at Rosehill Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holden, Charles N. Chicago City Council members City Treasurers of Chicago Presidents of the Chicago Board of Education Illinois Republicans People from Fort Covington, New York 1816 births 1887 deaths Burials at Rosehill Cemetery