William Franklin Chapin (22 May 1831 – 14 November 1885) was an American politician who served as the first Mayor of Lincoln, Nebraska as a member of the

Republican party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

from 4 April 1871 to 10 April 1872 as well as serving in the Nebraska Legislature, including being its speaker.

Early life

Chapin was born on 22 May 1831 in Butternuts, New York and was of English descent. He moved to

Rock Bluff, Nebraska Rock Bluff is a ghost town in Cass County, Nebraska, Cass County located approximately three miles east of Murray, Nebraska, Murray in the U.S. state of Nebraska. Once the home of an influential college called the Naomi Institute, Rock Bluff was in ...

in October 1856, where he married Margaret J. Young in January 1858, the couple had three children. During this time, Chapin was working as a farmer, a teacher in Lexington and a lawyer after he was admitted to the bar of Nebraska in 1857.

Political career

Chapin first ran for office for the Nebraska Legislature in 1858, but failed to get elected. He tried again in 1859, this time succeeding. Ultimately he baceme the Speaker of Nebraska Territory House of Representatives in 1866, serving until 1869 when he retired from the Legislature. Upon his retirement, Chapin moved to Lincoln where he was elected as the first Mayor of the city on 4 April 1871. He served in this position until 10 April 1872, when he ran for the Republican nomination for the 1872 Nebraska gubernatorial election, losing the primary to

Robert Wilkinson Furnas Robert Wilkinson Furnas (May 5, 1824June 1, 1905) was the second governor of Nebraska. Born near Troy, Ohio, and orphaned at the age of eight Furnas was a self-made man. He worked as a farmer, printer, tinsmith, insurance salesman, and postmaste ...

by a few votes.

Death

Chapin retired from politics following his primary loss and died in

Grand Island, Nebraska Grand Island is a city in and the county seat of Hall County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 53,131 at the 2020 census. Grand Island is the principal city of the Grand Island metropolitan area, which consists of Hall, Merrick, ...

on 14 November 1885, aged 54.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapin, William F. 1831 births 1885 deaths 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American lawyers People from Butternuts, New York People from New York (state) Nebraska Republicans Republican Party (United States) politicians Mayors of Lincoln, Nebraska Speakers of the Nebraska Legislature Republican Party members of the Nebraska House of Representatives Politicians from Lincoln, Nebraska New York (state) Republicans