John Patton (March 1, 1822 – November 15, 1900) was the

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at ...

, in 1858–1859.

Biography

John Patton was born March 1, 1822, in the county of

County Down County Down () is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the nine counties of Ulster and one of the traditional thirty-two counties of Ireland. It covers an area of and has a population of 531,665. It borders County Antrim to the ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

, the son of James and Eliza Patton. In 1830, John and his father emigrated to

Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York City ...

, and were joined by the rest of the family the next year. At 17, John Patton was apprenticed as a carriagesmith, and in 1843 moved to Detroit, where he worked for others at his trade. Two years later, he went into business as a

carriagemaker A coachbuilder or body-maker is someone who manufactures bodies for passenger-carrying vehicles.Construction has always been a skilled trade requiring a relatively lightweight product with sufficient strength. The manufacture of necessarily ...

for himself. The fire of 1848 destroyed his factory, but Patton soon rebuilt, and his business prospered. In 1845, Patton married Eliza J. Anderson. The couple had five children: William, Walter, Mrs. John McLean, Mrs. E. B. Gay, and John. Patton rapidly became popular in the city, due in part to his "masterly" delivery of reading, thespian skills, and command of Scotch and Irish dialects. He served as chief engineer of the Fire Department in 1852–1854 and its president from 1855 to 1857. He was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

in politics, and awas elected a city alderman in 1853–1854, mayor in 1858–1859, county auditor in 1864–1869,

Wayne County, Michigan Wayne County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of 2020, the United States Census placed its population at 1,793,561, making it the 19th-most populous county in the United States. The county seat is Detroit. The coun ...

, sheriff in 1869–1870,

Justice of the Peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

from 1880– 1892 and United States

consul Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states throug ...

Amherstburg, Ontario Amherstburg is a town near the mouth of the Detroit River in Essex County, Ontario, Canada. In 1796, Fort Malden was established here, stimulating growth in the settlement. The fort has been designated as a National Historic Site. The town is ...

, from 1893 to 1897. John Patton died November 15, 1900.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Patton, John 1822 births 1900 deaths Mayors of Detroit Detroit City Council members Politicians from County Down Politicians from Albany, New York Irish emigrants to the United States 19th-century American politicians Businesspeople from County Down Businesspeople from Detroit