Jonathan Chapman (January 23, 1807 – May 25, 1848) was an American politician, serving as the eighth mayor of
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
,
from 1840 to 1842.
Chapman's father also named Jonathan Chapman served as a member of the Town of Boston's
Board of Selectmen.
Chapman attended
Phillips Exeter Academy
(not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God)
, location = 20 Main Street
, city = Exeter, New Hampshire
, zipcode ...
and he graduated from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...
and studied law under the direction of Judge
Lemuel Shaw
Lemuel Shaw (January 9, 1781 – March 30, 1861) was an American jurist who served as chief justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (1830–1860). Prior to his appointment he also served for several years in the Massachusetts House ...
.
Chapman was elected mayor in December 1839; he was sworn into office in 1840; he served three one-year terms.
Because of a large increase of the debt of the city of Boston in the 18 years since it was incorporated, Mayor Chapman had as a chief aim of his administration the reduction of the city's debt.
New City Hall
Although land had been purchased for a new city hall, Mayor Chapman did not favor that project. Because
Suffolk County was constructing a new building for the Registry and Probate offices, and was going to move out of the old courthouse building, Chapman instead recommended that the old Suffolk County Courthouse be remodeled for use as Boston's city hall.
The City occupied the renovated structure on March 18, 1841.
Steamship Service
Chapman spoke of the great importance of the establishment of the
Cunard Line
Cunard () is a British shipping and cruise line based at Carnival House at Southampton, England, operated by Carnival UK and owned by Carnival Corporation & plc. Since 2011, Cunard and its three ships have been registered in Hamilton, Berm ...
s
steamship
service between Boston and Liverpool, England.
The Western Railroad
Chapman also spoke of the great importance of the opening up of the
Western Railroad from Boston to the
Hudson River
The Hudson River is a river that flows from north to south primarily through eastern New York. It originates in the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York and flows southward through the Hudson Valley to the New York Harbor between N ...
.
See also
*
Timeline of Boston
This article is a timeline of the history of the city of Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
17th century
* 1625 – William Blaxton arrives.
* 1630 - When Boston was founded
** English Puritans arrive.
** First Church in Boston established.
** Septe ...
, 1830s–1840s
References
* Image from ''Mayors of Boston: An Illustrated Epitome of who the Mayors Have Been and What they Have Done'', Boston, MA: State Street Trust Company, Page 16, (1914).
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chapman, Jonathan
1807 births
1848 deaths
Phillips Academy alumni
Harvard College alumni
Mayors of Boston
Boston City Council members
19th century in Boston
Massachusetts Whigs
19th-century American politicians