John Patrick Hopkins (October 29, 1858October 13, 1918) served as mayor of

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(1893–1895) for the Democratic Party. John Patrick Hopkins was the first of nine Irish American

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mayors of Chicago. Hopkins was a close friend and a political ally of

Roger Charles Sullivan Roger Charles Sullivan (February 3, 1861 – April 14, 1920), was a member of the Cook County Democratic Organization during the early twentieth century.'A Biographical History, With Portraits, of Prominent Men of the Great West,' John A Campb ...

Early life

Hopkins was born October 29, 1858, in

Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...

Career

Because his brothers and fathers died when Hopkins was still young, he became a provider for his family. His first job at a

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as a boy. He later worked in Buffalo's grain elevators. In 1879, he moved to Chicago with his mothers and sisters. He worked for some times at the Pullman works. From 1883 to 1885 he served as a paymaster for Pullman interests. In 1888, he founded the Started the Arcade Trading Co. in 1888, which later became the Secord and Hopkins Co. Hopkins forged a career in Democratic politics.

Mayoralty

Hopkins was elected the 1893 Chicago mayoral special election, held after the assassination of mayor Carter Harrison Sr. At 35 years of age when he took office, Hopkins became the youngest mayor the city had ever had. His tenure was marred by numerous scandals, criticisms, and shortcomings. This included incidents of political corruption in the city, such as the Ogden Gas Scandal, rampant public gambling that drew the ire of the Chicago Civic Federation, an indecisive response by Hopkins to the Pullman Strike that was assailed by Republican press outlets. Additionally, the misappropriation of significant amounts of campaign contributions by Hopkins had upset many in the Chicago Democratic party, including those who belonged to the party's former Harrison faction. Hopkins did not seek reelection in the 1895 Chicago mayoral election

Post-mayoralty

Grave of John Patrick Hopkins at Calvary Cemetery, Evanston 2

Hopkins died of the

Spanish flu The 1918–1920 influenza pandemic, commonly known by the misnomer Spanish flu or as the Great Influenza epidemic, was an exceptionally deadly global influenza pandemic caused by the H1N1 influenza A virus. The earliest documented case wa ...

on October 13, 1918, in Chicago. He is buried in Calvary Cemetery in

Evanston, Illinois Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, ...

Personal life

Hopkins never married.

References

External links

* 1858 births 1918 deaths Deaths from Spanish flu Politicians from Buffalo, New York Mayors of Chicago American Roman Catholics American people of Irish descent 19th-century American politicians Illinois Democrats St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute alumni Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Evanston, Illinois) {{Illinois-mayor-stub