Lorenzo A. Kelsey (February 22, 1803 – February 13, 1890) was the 10th

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 ...

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

in 1848. Kelsey was born to Eber and Lucy Ann Leete Kelsey in Port Leyden, New York, where he was locally educated. He later moved to

Youngstown Youngstown is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio, and the largest city and county seat of Mahoning County. At the 2020 census, Youngstown had a city population of 60,068. It is a principal city of the Youngstown–Warren metropolitan area, which ...

to work in the

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into dimensional lumber, including beams and planks or boards, a stage in the process of wood production. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, wi ...

industry. Kelsey and his wife, Sophia Smith (1806–1893), from

Windsor, Connecticut Windsor is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States, and was the first English settlement in the state. It lies on the northern border of Connecticut's capital, Hartford. The population of Windsor was 29,492 at the 2020 census. P ...

, moved to Cleveland in 1837, after which he became the manager of the Cleveland House Hotel. After managing the hotel, Kelsey became captain of the USS Chesapeake and later the General Harrison. In 1848, Kelsey ran as a Democratic dark horse candidate due to his lack of political experience and defeated Charles Bradburn and Milo Hickox for the title of mayor. Kelsey returned to the hotel business in 1849 until his retirement. Kelsey died in Cleveland and was buried in the Erie Street Cemetery, until his remains were moved to

Lake View Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a privately owned, nonprofit garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio. Founded in 1869, the cemetery was favored by wealthy families during the Gil ...

in 1903. Kelsey and Sophia Smith had 7 children: Edgar (who died in infancy), Eugene, Antoinette, Theodore, Ada Helen, Josephine H., and Edgar A.

References

* ''The Encyclopedia Of Cleveland History'' by Cleveland Bicentennial Commission (Cleveland, Ohio), David D. Van Tassel (Editor), and John J. Grabowski (Editor) Mayors of Cleveland Burials at Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland 1803 births 1890 deaths Ohio Democrats 19th-century American politicians Burials at Erie Street Cemetery {{Ohio-mayor-stub