Orestes Cleveland (March 2, 1829 – March 30, 1896) was an American manufacturer and
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
politician who represented for two terms from 1869 to 1871, and served two separate stints as
Mayor of Jersey City
The Mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint depu ...
.
Early life and career
Cleveland was born in Duanesburg, New York on March 2, 1829, a son of Elijah Cleveland and Mary Ann (Bartlett) Cleveland. He attended common schools, then moved to
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
to begin a business career. Beginning as a clerk with William Miller, an importer of silverware and fancy goods, Cleveland eventually worked his way up to a partnership.
In 1850, he moved to Jersey City, New Jersey, where he specialized in the manufacture of black lead, stove polish and
pencil
A pencil () is a writing or drawing implement with a solid pigment core in a protective casing that reduces the risk of core breakage, and keeps it from marking the user's hand.
Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving a trail ...
s. With Joseph Dixon, he helped organize the Dixon Crucible Company, of which Cleveland served as president. Dixon Crucible became one of the world's largest
graphite
Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on lar ...
products manufacturers in the 1870s.
In 1853, Cleveland married Dixon's daughter Jane Hitchins Dixon. They were the parents of four sons and two daughters—Joseph, Orestes, Louise, Josephine, Francis, and Converse.
Political career
Cleveland was a member of the Jersey City Board of Aldermen in 1861 and 1862, serving as president in the latter year, and was
mayor of Jersey City
The Mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint depu ...
from 1864 to 1867.
Congress
Cleveland was elected a Democrat to the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
in 1868, serving from 1869 to 1871, being unsuccessful for reelection in 1870.
Later career
Afterward, he engaged in business with the Forbes Fibre Company in Jersey City, New Jersey, was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for
Governor of New Jersey
The governor of New Jersey is the head of government of New Jersey. The office of governor is an elected position with a four-year term. There is a two consecutive term term limit, with no limitation on non-consecutive terms. The official r ...
mayor of Jersey City
The Mayor of the City of Jersey City is the head of the executive branch of the government of Jersey City, New Jersey, United States. The mayor has the duty to enforce the municipal charter and ordinances; prepare the annual budget; appoint depu ...
, serving again from 1886 to 1892. Cleveland was one of the organizers of the Jersey City Board of Trade in 1888 and served as its first president. He moved to
Tenafly, New Jersey
Tenafly () is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census the borough had a population of 15,409,Englewood, New Jersey.
Death
He died in
Norwich, Vermont
Norwich is a town in Windsor County, in the U.S. state of Vermont. The population was 3,612 at the 2020 census. Home to some of the state of Vermont's wealthiest residents, the municipality is a commuter town for nearby Hanover, New Hampshir ...
on March 30, 1896, where he had gone in search of health. He was interred in Fairview Cemetery in Norwich.
The Political Graveyard
The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations o ...