DeWitt Clinton Cregier (June 1, 1829 - November 9, 1898) served as
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 ...
,
Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Roc ...
(1889–1891) for the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
.
Early career
Cregier worked as an engineer with the City of Chicago, and was awarded, in 1875, and in 1876, , both for
fire hydrants
A fire hydrant, waterplug, or firecock (archaic) is a connection point by which firefighters can tap into a water supply. It is a component of active fire protection. Underground fire hydrants have been used in Europe and Asia since at least ...
. The latter was a combination
drinking fountain
A drinking fountain, also called a water fountain or water bubbler, is a fountain designed to provide drinking water. It consists of a basin with either continuously running water or a tap. The drinker bends down to the stream of water and s ...
, fire hydrant, and watering basin for animals. The Cregier hydrant is widely seen in old photographs of Chicago.
Cregier was also
Master Mason
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
, presided as Worshipful Master of Blaney Lodge No. 271, A.F. & A.M. of Illinois for eight years, and served as Grand Master of Illinois in 1870–1871. D.C. Cregier Lodge No. 81 in Wheeling, Illinois, is named after him. He was a fifth great-grandson of
Martin Cregier
Captain Marten Kregier or Cregier (1617–after 1681) most likely originated from Borcken in Germany and was an early settler of New Amsterdam. He was a prominent citizen of the settlement and served three terms as Burgomaster. Kregier led several ...
, first
Burgomaster
Burgomaster (alternatively spelled burgermeister, literally "master of the town, master of the borough, master of the fortress, master of the citizens") is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief ...
of
New Amsterdam
New Amsterdam ( nl, Nieuw Amsterdam, or ) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island that served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The initial trading ''factory'' gave rise ...
.
Cregier served as the chief engineer of the Chicago water system, and subsequently as Chicago's Commissioner of Public Works during the first mayoralty of
Carter Harrison Sr. Cregier came into conflict with Harrison when Cregier's own ambition to someday become mayor became apparent.
[
]
Political career
In the 1887 Chicago mayoral election
The Chicago mayoral election of 1887 saw Republican John A. Roche win by a landslide, receiving more than a two-thirds majority of the vote, defeating Socialist Robert S. Nelson by more than 36 points (a margin of victory which was itself gre ...
, the city's Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
tried nominating him, but he declined their nomination. Ultimately, no Democrat would run in the election.
Cregier won the 1889 Chicago mayoral election
In the Chicago mayoral election of 1889, Democrat DeWitt Clinton Cregier defeated incumbent Republican John A. Roche, winning a majority of the vote and a margin of victory in excess of ten percent.
The election was held on April 2, 1889.
Ca ...
as the Democratic Party nominee, defeating incumbent Republican mayor John A. Roche
John A. Roche (August 12, 1844 – February 10, 1904) was an American politician from Illinois who served as Mayor of Chicago from 1887 to 1889. He was the 30th mayor of the city.
Biography Early years
John A. Roche was born in Utica, New York ...
. Cregier was sworn in as mayor on April 15, 1889.
As mayor, Cregier, alongside former Illinois Central Railroad
The Illinois Central Railroad , sometimes called the Main Line of Mid-America, was a railroad in the Central United States, with its primary routes connecting Chicago, Illinois, with New Orleans, Louisiana, and Mobile, Alabama. A line also ...
president Edward Turner Jeffery and businessman Thomas Barbour Bryan
Thomas Barbour Bryan (December 22, 1828 – January 26, 1906) was an American businessman, lawyer, and politician.
Born in Virginia, a member of the prestigious Barbour family on his mother's side, Bryan largely made a name for himself in Chic ...
, delivered the presentation for Chicago's successful bid to the fifteen member United States Senate committee that decided what location would be awarded the World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, h ...
.
Cregier lost his bid for reelection in the 1891 Chicago mayoral election
The Chicago mayoral election of 1891 saw "Reform" candidate Hempstead Washburne narrowly win a four-way race against incumbent Democrat DeWitt Clinton Cregier, former mayor Carter Harrison Sr., and Citizens Party candidate Elmer Washburn. Also r ...
. He had first seen Carter Harrison Sr. challenge him for the Democratic nomination. Cregier was able to win renomination over Harrison, as the local Democratic political machine
In the politics of representative democracies, a political machine is a party organization that recruits its members by the use of tangible incentives (such as money or political jobs) and that is characterized by a high degree of leadership co ...
s had supported Cregier as they found him to be even more accommodating to them than Harrison had been. However, he lost the election in a four-way race, featuring Carter Harrison Sr. as an independent Democrat
In U.S. politics, an independent Democrat is an individual who loosely identifies with the ideals of the Democratic Party but chooses not to be a formal member of the party (chooses to be an independent) or is denied the Democratic nomination ...
, Hempstead Washburne as the Republican nominee, and Elmer Washburn as the "Citizens" nominee. Cregier placed second, losing to Republican nominee Hempstead Washburne.
Cregier's tenure as mayor ended on April 27, 1891.
In the 1893 Chicago mayoral election
In the Chicago mayoral election of 1893, Democrat Carter Harrison Sr. won election to a (then-record) fifth non-consecutive term as mayor of Chicago.
Harrison won a majority of the vote, defeating Republican Samuel W. Allerton by a 10 point m ...
, Cregier ran as the nominee of the new "Citizens Party", but received little support.
He died at his home in Chicago on November 9, 1898, and was buried at Rosehill Cemetery
Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is an American garden cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and at , is the largest cemetery in the City of Chicago. According to legend, the name "Rosehill" resulted from a City Clerk's error – the a ...
.
Legacy
In October 2011, a biography of Cregier entitled: ''The New York Orphan Who Built Chicago'' subtitled: ''The Story of DeWitt Clinton Cregier A 19th-Century American Engineering Genius'' was published, written Gloria Cregier Emma, one of Cregier's last surviving two grandchildren.
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cregier, DeWitt
1829 births
1898 deaths
Burials at Rosehill Cemetery
Mayors of Chicago
19th-century American politicians