George Bascom Sparkman (September 20, 1855 – August 31, 1898) was an attorney who was twice served as mayor of Tampa, Florida: 1881–1883 and 1887–1888.

Early years

George Bascom Sparkman was born on September 20, 1855, in

Dover, Florida Dover is an unincorporated census-designated place in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,266 at the 2020 census, down from 3,702 at the 2010 census. Geography Dover is located at (27.994457, -82.216630). Dover is ...

, to Elijah Bird Sparkman and Sarah Ann Mizell. He attended high school in Tampa and entered the

University of Virginia Law School The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law or UVA Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson as part of his "academical v ...

Mayor

First Term

Henry Clarke Farris had moved outside the city limits, violating the city charter. He was forced to resign on February 19, 1881. City Council President Matthew Haynesworth became acting mayor until March 22, 1881, when Sparkman was appointed by the city council and sworn in to complete Farris's term.

Second term

The charter was revised in April 1887; Sparkman was he first mayor under the new municipal government.http://www.manateemosquito.com/downloads/YellowFever.pdf He would win in a close race by 14 votes despite accusations of attempting to sway the election by local newspapers and residents. That month, the charters of Tampa and North Tampa were replaced with one new all encompassing one. In the new charter, it stated that municipal government was to be overseen with a mayor and eleven council members. Three of the council members would be elected at-large while the other eight would come each of the city's four wards with two council members per ward. The city marshal, clerk, treasurer, tax assessor and tax collector would also be elected positions in the new charter. The city would elect its first Latino city council member, Candido Angel Ybor, the son of

Vicente Martinez Ybor Vicente Martinez Ybor (7 September 1818 – 14 December 1896), was a Spanish entrepreneur who first became a noted industrialist and cigar manufacturer in Cuba, then Key West, and finally Tampa, Florida. Martinez Ybor is best known for his found ...

during his second term in office. Another notable event occurring during his second term was the adoption of Tampa's present city seal.

Later and personal life

After his time in office as mayor, he would serve as the Judge of the Sixth Circuit Court from 1893 to 1894. Sparkman was a member of the

Independent Order of Odd Fellows The Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) is a non-political and non-sectarian international fraternal order of Odd Fellowship. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Wildey in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. Evolving from the Order of Odd ...

and the

Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias is a fraternal organization and secret society founded in Washington, D.C., on . The Knights of Pythias is the first fraternal organization to receive a charter under an act of the United States Congress. It was founded ...

. He would be married to Mary Kershaw and they would have 7 children. Sparkman would die of yellow fever on August 31, 1898, in Tampa.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sparkman, George B. 1855 births 1898 deaths Mayors of Tampa, Florida University of Virginia School of Law alumni People from Hillsborough County, Florida 19th-century American politicians Deaths from yellow fever Members of the Odd Fellows