John Darragh (1772 – May 14, 1828) was a U.S. politician. He served as the

Mayor of Pittsburgh The mayor of Pittsburgh is the chief executive of the government of the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States, as stipulated by the Charter of the City of Pittsburgh. This article is a listing of past (and present) mayors of Pittsburgh. ...

from 1817 to 1825.

Early life

Darragh was born in Ireland, the son of John Darragh and Margaret Oliver. In 1774, the Darragh family, including young John, his older brother Daniel, and at least one sister, emigrated to

Nottingham Township, Washington County, Pennsylvania Nottingham Township is a township in Washington County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,933 in the 2020 census. History The Ebenezer Covered Bridge and Henry Covered Bridge are listed on the National Register of Historic P ...

, in the Pittsburgh area. Two more brothers, Neal and Archibald, would be born there. Darragh began his career as a merchant on Fourth Avenue between Wood Street and Smithfield Street in the city. Darragh eventually parlayed his success as merchant into becoming the president of the Bank of Pittsburgh. He married Margaret "Peggy" Calhoun and together they had six children, Their son

Cornelius Darragh Cornelius Darragh (1809December 22, 1854) was an American lawyer and politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Whig Party (United States), Whig member of the Pennsylvania State Senate, a U. S. District Attorney, a member of the U.S. House of ...

would become prominent in state politics and served as U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 21st congressional district from 1844 to 1847.

Pittsburgh politics

Darragh served terms as Justice of the Peace and Burgess of the Borough. John Darragh became mayor of Pittsburgh on January 14, 1817 on the sudden retirement of

Ebenezer Denny Ebenezer Denny (March 11, 1761July 21, 1822) was a soldier during the American Revolutionary War whose journal is one of the most frequently quoted accounts of the surrender of the British at the siege of Yorktown. Denny later served as the first M ...

because of health concerns. His tenure as mayor saw the construction of sidewalks and street drainage systems. The start of a citywide water system also took root during his service. John Darragh also hosted world leaders for the first time in Pittsburgh's history.

U.S. President The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States ...

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

visited Pittsburgh on September 5, 1817; he toured military installations around the area, including the

Allegheny Arsenal The Allegheny Arsenal, established in 1814, was an important supply and manufacturing center for the Union Army during the American Civil War, and the site of the single largest civilian disaster during the war. It was located in the community of ...

. French statesmen and general

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revoluti ...

also visited Pittsburgh with John Darragh as host on May 30, 1825.

Later life

On Wednesday May 14, 1828, Darragh died after a long fight with

consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...

. Originally interred in the churchyard of Pittsburgh's First Presbyterian Church, his remains were reburied in 1861 at

Allegheny Cemetery Allegheny Cemetery is one of the largest and oldest burial grounds in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is a historic rural cemetery. The non-sectarian, wooded hillside park is located at 4734 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood, and boun ...

Honors

Darragh Street near the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

is named for John Darragh.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darragh, John Politicians from Pittsburgh 1772 births 1828 deaths 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Mayors of Pittsburgh Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923) Burials at Allegheny Cemetery Tuberculosis deaths in Pennsylvania