William Bonnifield (September 14, 1814 – November 18, 1875), also known as William Bounifield and William Bonnefield, 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 ...

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, elected in 1863, during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. However, most of the

City Council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

had sided with the

South South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...

and cut off Bonnifield’s pay. He held office for one month, after which he resigned and moved to

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

Biography

William was born on September 14, 1814 in

Randolph County, Virginia Randolph County is a county located in the U.S. state of West Virginia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,932. Its county seat is Elkins. The county was founded in 1787 and is named for Edmund Jennings Randolph. Randolph County com ...

, the second son of Rhodham and Sarah Nancy (Minear) Bonnifield. Sarah Nancy Minear was the daughter of David and Catherine (Saylor) Minear. William attended

Allegheny College he, תגל ערבה ותפרח כחבצלת , mottoeng = "Add to your faith, virtue and to your faith, knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5)"The desert shall rejoice and the blossom as the rose" (Isaiah 35:1) , faculty = 193 ...

Meadville, Pennsylvania Meadville is a city in and the county seat of Crawford County, Pennsylvania. The city is within of Erie and within of Pittsburgh. It was the first permanent settlement in Northwestern Pennsylvania. The population was 13,388 at the 2010 censu ...

in 1836/7 then joined his family in

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

where they had moved. Between 1839 and 1840 several members of the Bonnifield family died in a

cholera epidemic Seven cholera pandemics have occurred in the past 200 years, with the first pandemic originating in India in 1817. The seventh cholera pandemic is officially a current pandemic and has been ongoing since 1961, according to a World Health Organizat ...

, Rhodham and Sarah were among those who died. William, being the second oldest son, cared for his younger siblings on the farm until 1848. On the 3rd of August 1843, William Bonnifield married Sarah Ann Jackson in Henry County, Iowa. By 1860 William Bonnifield and his family moved to

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

, Division Thirty-Five, Jackson County, Missouri. William 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 ...

, pro Union and anti Slavery. While living in Colorado William Bonnifield along with the McGee family mined in the Running Creek, Colorado area.

Accomplishments

*1839: William Bonnifield was the first elected surveyor of Jefferson County, Iowa and helped lay out the town of Fairfield and set the stakes for the first Court House, he also assisted in the construction of the Court House. *1843: William Bonnifield was appointed as U.S. Postmater for Lockridge, Jefferson, Iowa Territory. (Appointment Date 3 Jan 1843) *1846: William Bonnifield was a co-leader of the two democratic mass-meetings in Fairfield, Iowa when a constitution for the new State of Iowa was under consideration. *1863: William Bonnifield was elected Mayor of Kansas City, however most of the City Council had sided with the South and cut off William’s pay. He held office for one month after which he resigned and moved to

. *1875: Nov 18, 1875 William Bonnifield died from injuries he had received the previous day, he was hauling a load of wood when the horses spooked, William fell under the wagon wheels which crushed several ribs on his left side and also injured his head and face. Ancestry.com U.S., Appointments of U.S. Postmasters, 1832-1971 Volume #12B Volume Year Range 1832-1844

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bonnifield, William 1814 births 1875 deaths Mayors of Kansas City, Missouri 19th-century American politicians