John G. Baxter
John George Baxter, Jr. | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Braxter by George Dury c.1871 | |
| 22nd Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky | |
| In office 1879–1881 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Donald Jacob |
| Succeeded by | Paul Booker Reed |
| 20th Mayor of Louisville, Kentucky | |
| In office 1870–1872 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Henry Bunce |
| Succeeded by | Charles Donald Jacob |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 12, 1826 Lexington, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | March 30, 1885 (aged 58) Hot Springs, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Resting place | Cave Hill Cemetery Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Alicia Mary McCready
(m. 1852) |
| Children | 8 |
John George Baxter Jr. (December 12, 1826 – March 30, 1885) was the twentieth (1870–1872) and twenty-second (1879–1881) mayor of Louisville, Kentucky.
Early life
[edit]John George Baxter Jr. was born December 12, 1826, to Elizabeth (née Smith) and John G. Baxter, Scottish immigrants from Dundee, Scotland, in Lexington, Kentucky. His father was a machinist.[1][2] He attended rural schools and apprenticed with a blacksmith.[2]
Career
[edit]Baxter worked as a clerk for six years.[1] He came to Louisville in 1847 and eventually established a successful stove company.
From 1861 to 1863, Baxter was a member of the Board of Councilman.[2] In 1865, he was elected to the Board of Aldermen, and was elected president of the board in 1866.[2] He was a director of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad from 1868 to 1870.[1]
In March 1870, Baxter was elected mayor of Louisville.[1] His first administration saw the construction of the new city hall, as well as a new city hospital and an almshouse.[2] He did not run again in 1872 after his first term because the new city charter restricted incumbents from running. He ran in 1875 and lost by a small margin to Charles Donald Jacob, but was reelected in 1879.
Around 1884, Baxter was elected president of the Louisville Gas Company and served in that role until his death.[2]
Personal life
[edit]Baxter married Alicia Mary McCready of Louisville on November 7, 1852. They had eight children: Mary, Elizabeth, Belle, John, Annie, Emma, Carrie and Willie.[1][2]
Baxter died on March 30, 1885, in Hot Springs, Arkansas.[2] He is buried at Cave Hill Cemetery[3] on Baxter Avenue, which was renamed in his honor.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Louisville Past and Present. 1875. pp. 225–228. Retrieved May 29, 2022 – via archive.org.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "John G. Baxter Dead". The Courier-Journal. March 31, 1885. p. 6. Retrieved May 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "The Funeral Arranged". The Courier-Journal. April 2, 1885. p. 8. Retrieved May 29, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- Yater, George H. (1987). Two Hundred Years at the Fall of the Ohio: A History of Louisville and Jefferson County (2nd ed.). Louisville, KY: Filson Club, Incorporated. ISBN 0-9601072-3-1.
- "John George Baxter Jr.". The Encyclopedia of Louisville (1 ed.). 2001.
External links
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