John W. Willey
John Wheelock Willey (1797 – July 9, 1841) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as the first Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1836 to 1837.
John W. Willey | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 1st Mayor of Cleveland | |
| In office 1836–1837 | |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Joshua Mills |
| Personal details | |
| Born | John Wheelock Willey 1797 New Hampshire |
| Died | July 9, 1841 (aged 43–44) Cleveland, Ohio |
| Resting place | Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Profession | Lawyer |
Born in New Hampshire, Willey was educated in Dartmouth, Massachusetts and studied law in New York. In 1822, he settled in Cleveland and began practicing law. He soon gained recognition as a witty debater, which earned him three years in the Ohio House of Representatives (1827–1830) and three more in the Ohio Senate (1830–1832) as a Jacksonian Democrat. Willey quickly became attached to Cleveland and was subsequently elected mayor for two terms after the city was chartered in 1836. Willey was "responsible for writing the municipal charter as well as many of the original laws and ordinances."[1] In October 1836, Willey and a group of armed Cleveland militiamen confronted an angry mob from Ohio City (then an independent municipality) in the dispute over the Columbus Street Bridge that became known as the "Bridge War."[2]
References
- "Willey, John Wheelock". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. 12 May 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- "Columbus Street Bridge". The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History. Case Western Reserve University. 18 November 2019. Retrieved July 22, 2021.