Elijah F. Smith (December 1792 – September 12, 1879) was the 8th
mayor
In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...
of
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in and the county seat, seat of government of Monroe County, New York, United States. It is the List of municipalities in New York, fourth-most populous city and 10th most-populated municipality in New York, with a populati ...
.
Biography
Smith came to Rochester from
Groton, Connecticut
Groton ( ) is a town in New London County, Connecticut, United States, located on the Thames River (Connecticut), Thames River. It is the home of General Dynamics Electric Boat, which is the major contractor for submarine work for the United St ...
in 1826 when he opened a store, Smith & Perkins, on Main Street. He became involved in city affairs and served as an alderman before 1840 when he was elected Mayor. He was the first Mayor of Rochester to be elected by the people of the city, following an 1840
New York State
New York, also called New York State, is a state in the northeastern United States. Bordered by New England to the east, Canada to the north, and Pennsylvania and New Jersey to the south, its territory extends into both the Atlantic Ocean and ...
law requiring that all mayors be publicly elected. In March 1841, Smith was reelected to a second term. His time in office saw the annexation to the city of the
Mount Hope Cemetery area, but other improvements were prevented by the
ongoing national depression.
After his term as Mayor, Smith held other offices in the city. He served as a trustee for the
University of Rochester
The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...
until his death in 1880. He is buried in Mount Hope Cemetery.
References
External links
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1792 births
1879 deaths
Burials at Mount Hope Cemetery (Rochester)
Mayors of Rochester, New York
19th-century mayors of places in New York (state)
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