Frederick P. Stevens was Mayor

Mayor

In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....

 of the City of Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...

, serving 1856–1857. He was born on October 26, 1810 in Pierpont, New Hampshire. He taught, studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1835 or 1836, soon after coming to Buffalo. On January 20, 1837 he was appointed judge of the Court of Common Pleas

New York Court of Common Pleas

The New York Court of Common Pleas was a state court in New York. Established in New Netherland in 1686, the Court remained in existence in the Province of New York and, after the American Revolution, in the U.S...

 by Governor William L. Marcy

William L. Marcy

William Learned Marcy was an American statesman, who served as U.S. Senator and the 11th Governor of New York, and as the U.S. Secretary of War and U.S. Secretary of State.-Early life:...

. He was the first presiding judge of Erie County Court

Erie County, New York

Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...

, successor to the Court of Common Pleas. He never married.

In 1854, Stevens was elected an alderman

Alderman

An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...

 for the eleventh ward. He was elected mayor of Buffalo on November 6, 1855, as the Democratic

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 candidate. During his term, the city undertook an extensive program of street, sidewalk, and street light improvements. He is credited as the originator of Buffalo's street railway system, and was one of the first people to actively campaign for an international bridge between Buffalo and Canada.

In 1863, Stevens was elected to the New York State Assembly

New York State Assembly

The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...

, but defeated the following year. He died at Buffalo on March 23, 1866.