Hiram Sinsabaugh (c. 1832 – May 19, 1892) was a Methodist Episcopal minister and banker who served on the Los Angeles, California, Common Council, the legislative branch of the city, in the 19th century.

Personal

Sinsabaugh was born about 1832 in

Norwich, Ohio Norwich is a village in Muskingum County, Ohio, United States. The population was 87 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Zanesville micropolitan area. History Norwich was laid out in 1827, and named after Norwich, in England, the native home ...

. Because of ill health, he moved in 1873 to

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, and in 1880 he came to Los Angeles on a visit and returned the following year with his family."Another Good Man Gone," ''Los Angeles Times,'' May 20, 1892, page 6
/ref> He died May 19, 1892, at the age of sixty, with the cause attributed to "a combination of

consumption Consumption may refer to: *Resource consumption *Tuberculosis, an infectious disease, historically * Consumption (ecology), receipt of energy by consuming other organisms * Consumption (economics), the purchasing of newly produced goods for curren ...

and

Bright's disease Bright's disease is a historical classification of kidney diseases that are described in modern medicine as acute or chronic nephritis. It was characterized by swelling and the presence of albumin in the urine, and was frequently accompanied ...

." A funeral was held in his residence, 225 Loma Drive, near today's Belmont High School, followed by private burial.

Vocation

Before moving to Los Angeles, Sinsabaugh was a

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

preacher in Ohio and Pennsylvania. After settling in California, he became the president of the Broadway Bank, which opened in March 1890 on the corner of Broadway and Sixth Street.

Memberships

Sinsabaugh was a vice-president of the University Place Improvement Society, founded in 1887 to protect the interests of that residential area near the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $8.1 ...

. He was also a member of the Coeur de Leon Commandery, Knights Templar.

Public service

Sinsabaugh was elected to represent the 5th

Ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...

on the

Los Angeles Common Council The Los Angeles Common Council was the predecessor of the Los Angeles, California, City Council. It was formed in 1850 under state law, when the city had only 1,610 residents, and it existed until 1889, when the city had about 50,400 residents and ...

, the legislative branch of the city government, for three one-year terms between December 9, 1884, and December 10, 1888, and for a term ending February 21, 1889, shortened because of the institution of a new

city charter A city charter or town charter (generically, municipal charter) is a legal document ('' charter'') establishing a municipality such as a city or town. The concept developed in Europe during the Middle Ages. Traditionally the granting of a charte ...

. In 1887, Sinsabaugh ran for a Board of

Freehold Freehold may refer to: In real estate *Freehold (law), the tenure of property in fee simple * Customary freehold, a form of feudal tenure of land in England * Parson's freehold, where a Church of England rector or vicar of holds title to benefice ...

ers to write the new charter for Los Angeles, on a

ticket Ticket or tickets may refer to: Slips of paper * Lottery ticket * Parking ticket, a ticket confirming that the parking fee was paid (and the time of the parking start) * Toll ticket, a slip of paper used to indicate where vehicles entered a tol ...

pledged to assure Sunday closing of saloons."Beware!" (display advertisement), ''Los Angeles Times,'' December 4, 1887, page 5
/ref> He was elected and helped to write the charter.

References and notes

Additional sources

�
Denver, Colorado, City Directory, 1876, page 213
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sinsabaugh, Hiram American Methodist clergy American bankers Los Angeles Common Council (1850–1889) members 19th-century American politicians 1832 births 1892 deaths People from Muskingum County, Ohio 19th-century deaths from tuberculosis Deaths from kidney disease Tuberculosis deaths in California 19th-century Methodists 19th-century American clergy