William Kerr (1809 – August 11, 1853) was a physician and politician from Pennsylvania. He served as
Mayor of Pittsburgh from 1846 to 1847.
Early life
William Kerr was born on September 15, 1809
or November 15, 1809,
sources differ, to Agnes (née Reynolds) and Joseph Kerr in
St. Clair Township in
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
His father was an Irish immigrant and a Presbyterian minister in Allegheny County.
He graduated from the
University of Pennsylvania Medical School in 1833.
Career
In 1833, opened an office on
Liberty Avenue the same year. He was also the owner of an
apothecary on Wood Street. Kerr worked as a physician until he was elected.
Kerr was a
Democrat. He was rejected for the Democratic nomination for
Mayor of Pittsburgh in 1844. He defeated incumbent mayor
William J. Howard
William Jordan Howard (December 31, 1799 – October 2, 1862), served as Mayor of Pittsburgh from 1845 to 1846.
Biography
Howard was born in Wilmington, Delaware and went to Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield. He worked as a merchant. ...
in a close election in 1845. He served as mayor from January 13, 1846, to January 2, 1847. During his administration, Pittsburgh was being rebuilt with brick and stone following the
Great Fire of Pittsburgh in 1845. During his time in office, he advocated for the merger of Allegheny and Pittsburgh. He did not seek re-election in 1847, but ran again in 1848 and lost by 96 votes.
During Mayor Kerr's term as mayor, the
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
was founded, as well as
Mercy Hospital.
Personal life
Kerr married Mary Warden on March 26, 1840. They had four children.
A son, also named
William, was a co-owner of the
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Founded as part of the American Associati ...
during the 1890s.
His sister-in-law was the daughter of Pittsburgh mayor
John M. Snowden
John Maugridge Snowden (January 13, 1776 – April 1, 1845) served as Mayor of Pittsburgh City from 1825 to 1828.
Early life
Snowden was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to a revolutionary war family of patriots. His father, William S ...
.
In 1848, Kerr moved to Chartiers Township, which is now the
West End
West End most commonly refers to:
* West End of London, an area of central London, England
* West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England
West End may also refer to:
Pl ...
of Pittsburgh.
Kerr died on August 11, 1853, at the age of 43. He was buried at
Allegheny Cemetery.
Legacy
There exists today a Kerr Street in the city neighborhood of
Elliott.
See also
*
List of mayors of Pittsburgh
References
External links
South Pittsburgh Development Corporation*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerr, William
1809 births
1853 deaths
Politicians from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Mayors of Pittsburgh
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania alumni
Burials at Allegheny Cemetery
19th-century American politicians
Physicians from Pennsylvania