James Adams Van Dyke (December 1813 – May 7, 1855) was a

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and the 21st

mayor of Detroit This is a list of mayors of Detroit, Michigan. See History of Detroit, Michigan, for more information about the history of the incorporation of the city. The current mayor is Mike Duggan, who was sworn into office on January 1, 2014. History o ...

, Michigan. He was elected in 1847.

Early biography

James Adams Van Dyke was born in

Mercersburg, Pennsylvania Mercersburg is a borough in Franklin County, located near the southern border of Pennsylvania, United States. The borough is southwest of Harrisburg, the state capital. Due to its location in a rural area, it had a relatively large percentage ...

in December, 1813, the son of William and Nancy Duncan Van Dyke. He graduated from Madison College in

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in 1832, then studied law in

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and

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before moving to

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. In 1834, he moved to

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, but was unhappy with his situation there and moved on to Detroit, where six months later was admitted to the

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. He began a practice with future

Michigan Supreme Court The Michigan Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is Michigan's court of last resort and consists of seven justices. The Court is located in the Michigan Hall of Justice at 925 Ottawa Street in Lansing, the state ...

justice Charles W. Whipple in 1835, later partnering with, in turn, E. B. Harrington and H. H. Emmons, before leaving private practice in 1852 to become the attorney for the

Michigan Central Railroad The Michigan Central Railroad (reporting mark MC) was originally incorporated in 1846 to establish rail service between Detroit, Michigan, and St. Joseph, Michigan. The railroad later operated in the states of Michigan, Indiana, and Illinois in ...

. In 1837, he married Elizabeth Desnoyers; the couple had eleven children.

Public service

In 1835, Van Dyke was appointed City Attorney for Detroit; he also served in that capacity in 1839, and as Wayne County prosecuting attorney in 1840. He was a city alderman in 1843 and 1844, and was elected mayor in 1847. He was president of the

Detroit Fire Department The Detroit Fire Department (DFD) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The DFD operates 47 fire companies out of 36 fire stations located throughout the city, with a total sworn perso ...

from 1847-1851, and a member of the Board of Commissioners of the Detroit Water Works from 1853 until his death in 1855. Politically, Van Dyke was a Whig, and he was described as a brilliant and eloquent orator. James A. VanDyke died on May 7, 1855.

Early biography

Public service

See also

References

Further reading