Clement Dowd (August 27, 1832 – April 15, 1898) was a Democratic politician in

North Carolina North Carolina () is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the List of U.S. states and territories by area, 28th largest and List of states and territories of the United ...

who served as

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 ...

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most popu ...

from 1869 to 1871 and as a U.S. Representative from 1881 to 1885. Dowd was born at Richland Creek, in

Moore County, NC Moore County is a county located in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, its population was 99,727. Its county seat is Carthage and its largest municipality is the Village of Pinehurst. It is a border county between the P ...

, and graduated from the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United State ...

in 1856. He served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...

. An attorney, bank president and one-time newspaper editor, Dowd was a law partner of North Carolina Governor

Zebulon Vance Zebulon Baird Vance (May 13, 1830 – April 14, 1894) was the 37th and 43rd governor of North Carolina, a U.S. Senator from North Carolina, and a Confederate officer during the American Civil War. A prolific writer and noted public speak ...

. After serving as a city

alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members ...

, Dowd was the first mayor of Charlotte elected after the Civil War (his predecessor had been appointed by the state governor). While Dowd was mayor of Charlotte, the city police department was established and a new city charter was adopted.Mayors of Charlotte, North Carolina
/ref> He served two terms in Congress but chose not to run for re-election in 1884. Dowd worked as the federal tax collector for North Carolina in 1886-1887. He then returned to the practice of law and died in

on April 15, 1898.

References

External links

Congressional Biography
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Dowd, Clement University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni 1832 births 1898 deaths People of North Carolina in the American Civil War North Carolina lawyers North Carolina city council members Mayors of Charlotte, North Carolina Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from North Carolina 19th-century American politicians Editors of North Carolina newspapers 19th-century American lawyers