John How (c. 1813January 3, 1885) was the 14th
mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, US, serving from 1853 to 1855 and again from 1856 to 1857.
Early life
How was born in Pennsylvania, but later moved to St. Louis and became a successful merchant.
Political career
In 1853, How defeated Charles P. Chouteau in the St. Louis mayoral election. He served two one-year terms and then left office for one year. He was re-elected in 1856 when he defeated John B. Carson of the Know-Nothing Party.
During How's three terms, he moved a workhouse from a temporary site near the city hospital to a permanent location at Broadway and Meramec. He established a house of refuge and correction for juvenile offenders, set aside land for Marquette Park, and provided the park with a board of managers on which the mayor and two members from each house of City Council would serve. How set aside land for other city parks, including 14.5 acres for Hyde Park. He also purchased the land for the Central Public Library from James H. Lucas. Under How's leadership, the city invested in railroads and had interest in all four major lines. How also created a building inspection office in 1855, requiring building permits under the office of Inspector of Buildings and Fires.
Personal life
He married and had two sons, James F. How, who married a daughter of James Eads, who built
Eads Bridge
The Eads Bridge is a combined road and railway bridge over the Mississippi River connecting the cities of St. Louis, Missouri, and East St. Louis, Illinois. It is located on the St. Louis riverfront between Laclede's Landing, St. Louis, Lacled ...
. How moved west in 1869 to begin a mining business. He was an
Indian agent
In United States history, an Indian agent was an individual authorized to interact with American Indian tribes on behalf of the U.S. government.
Agents established in Nonintercourse Act of 1793
The federal regulation of Indian affairs in the Un ...
at Elko, Nevada, for four years and lived in
San Francisco, California
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
, for the last years of his life. He died there on January 3, 1885. How is buried at
Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis, Missouri.
References
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External links
John Howat the St. Louis Public Library: St. Louis Mayors website.
1810s births
1885 deaths
Mayors of St. Louis
19th-century mayors of places in Missouri
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