Cyrus Porter Smith (1800–1877) was an American politician. He was the mayor of

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

from 1839 to 1842.

Early life

He was born on a farm in

Hanover, New Hampshire Hanover is a town located along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, its population was 11,870. The town is home to the Ivy League university Dartmouth College, the U.S. Army Corps of En ...

, and worked his way through

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native ...

. After reading law in

Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...

, he moved to Brooklyn in 1827. Arriving in the city with few contacts and resources, he gained notice through active involvement in the 1828 presidential campaign and as choir-master of the First Presbyterian Church.

Brooklyn civics

Smith held positions as clerk of Brooklyn's Board of Trustees and then on the Corporation Counsel. In 1839 he was chosen by the Board of Trustees to be Mayor. He became Brooklyn's first elected mayor in 1840. He was defeated by

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

Henry C. Murphy in 1842. Smith later served as a state senator. He was also involved in other civic duties, serving for thirty years as a member of the Board of Education, and as a founder of both

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several blo ...

(his final resting place) and Brooklyn City Hospital.

Smith & Bulkley

After leaving public office, Smith teamed with business partner William F. Bulkley to form Smith & Bulkley. Smith served as president of the company, with numerous railroad and ferry concerns in Brooklyn, including the Catherine Ferry and the

Gouverneur Street Ferry The Gouverneur Street Ferry was a ferry route connecting Manhattan, New York City, with the city of Brooklyn, by joining Manhattan's Gouverneur Street to Brooklyn's Bridge Street across the East River. History The ferry, originally the Walnut Str ...

Family

One of his granddaughters was the illustrator

Pamela Colman Smith Pamela Colman Smith (16 February 1878 – 18 September 1951), nicknamed "Pixie", was a British artist, illustrator, writer, publisher, and occultist. She is best-known for illustrating the Rider–Waite tarot deck (also called the Rider–Wait ...

References

1800 births 1877 deaths Dartmouth College alumni Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery Mayors of Brooklyn 19th-century American politicians People from Hanover, New Hampshire New York (state) Whigs {{NewYork-NYSenate-stub