Arthur Barret
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Arthur B. Barret (August 23, 1836 – April 24, 1875) was the 22nd mayor of
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
, but died of an illness only 11 days after taking office. Barret was born on his family farm in
Sangamon County, Illinois Sangamon County is a county located near the center of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 196,343. Its county seat and largest city is Springfield, the state capital. Sangamon County is inclu ...
, near the state capital of Springfield. He was educated at various private schools including
Phillips Academy Phillips Academy (also known as PA, Phillips Academy Andover, or simply Andover) is a Private school, private, Mixed-sex education, co-educational college-preparatory school for Boarding school, boarding and Day school, day students located in ...
and
Saint Louis University Saint Louis University (SLU) is a private university, private Society of Jesus, Jesuit research university in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in 1818 by Louis William Valentine DuBourg, it is the oldest university west of the Missi ...
. As he reached adulthood, he moved to a farm across the
Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
from Hermann, Missouri, to raise cattle. A few years later, he moved to St. Louis where he met and married his wife, Miss Anna F. Swerengen, in June 1859 with whom he had three children. Shortly after the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...
, Barret succeeded his cousin, Colonel J. Richard Barret, to become president of the St. Louis Agricultural and Mechanical Association, a group that organized many large fairs held on the lands that would become
Fairground Park Fairground Park is a urban park, municipal park that opened in 1908 in St. Louis, Missouri, St. Louis, Missouri. It was originally a privately owned facility, first used by the St. Louis Agricultural and Mechanical Association for the Saint Loui ...
in St. Louis. He resigned from the post in 1874. He was a candidate for mayor several times before the St. Louis Democratic Convention: he was defeated three times in 1869, 1871, and 1873, the latter two which he was defeated by 3 votes and 1 vote, respectively. Finally, in 1875, Barret was nominated by the Democratic Convention without any opposition. On April 6, he was elected mayor of St. Louis having defeated Henry Overstolz with a large majority of the vote. Barret was inaugurated as mayor of St. Louis on April 13, 1875. Four days later, he fell severely ill. The illness proved fatal and he died on April 24, 1875, having served only 11 days as mayor.


References

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External links


Arthur B. Barret
at the St. Louis Public Library: St. Louis Mayors Online Exhibit. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Barret, Arthur B. 1836 births 1875 deaths 19th-century mayors of places in Missouri Mayors of St. Louis Politicians from Springfield, Illinois