Biography

Leopold David was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1878
(or Nordhausen

Nordhausen

Nordhausen is a town at the southern edge of the Harz Mountains, in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Nordhausen...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 in 1881). He served in the Philippines

Philippines

The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...

 in the Spanish-American War

Spanish-American War

The Spanish–American War was a conflict in 1898 between Spain and the United States, effectively the result of American intervention in the ongoing Cuban War of Independence...

, achieving the rank of Sergeant First Class. In 1904, he was assigned to Fort Egbert

Fort Egbert

-History:Fort Egbert was established in 1899, during the Klondike Gold Rush, as U.S. Army headquarters in the District of Alaska. It was named by U.S. President William McKinley in honor of Colonel Harry C...

 on the Yukon River

Yukon River

The Yukon River is a major watercourse of northwestern North America. The source of the river is located in British Columbia, Canada. The next portion lies in, and gives its name to Yukon Territory. The lower half of the river lies in the U.S. state of Alaska. The river is long and empties into...

 near Eagle, Alaska

Eagle, Alaska

Eagle is a city located along the United States-Canada border in the Southeast Fairbanks Census Area, Alaska, United States. It includes Eagle Historic District, a U.S. National Historic Landmark. The population was 129 at the 2000 census...

, where he worked as a pharmacist's assistant. Discharged in 1905, he moved to Seward

Seward, Alaska

Seward is a city in Kenai Peninsula Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 3,016....

, obtaining a position as manager of the Seward Drug Company. Local newspapers ads described him as a "Physician and Surgeon".

In 1909, David moved to Susitna Station to serve as a United States Marshal. The next year, he moved to Knik

Knik, Alaska

-Alaska:* Knik, Alaska, a ghost town located southwest of Wasilla. The townsite, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, lies within the Knik-Fairview census-designated place boundaries .-Census-designated places:* Knik-Fairview, Alaska...

, where he was appointed a U.S. Commissioner. He served as an ex-officio probate judge, studying law on his own time and gaining admission into the Washington State Bar Association.

In 1915, David moved with his family to the tent city at Ship Creek

Ship Creek

Ship Creek is an Alaskan river that flows from the Chugach Mountains into Cook Inlet. The Port of Anchorage at the mouth of Ship Creek gave its name to the city of Anchorage that grew up nearby. The river lies entirely within the limits of the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska....

. When the land for the future city of Anchorage was auctioned off, he acquired two lots. In 1917, he designed and built a house on Second Avenue, which stands to this day.

Anchorage was legally incorporated on November 23, 1920. On November 29, the newly-elected city council designated David as the first mayor of Anchorage. In 1921, he joined Seward attorney L.V Ray in private law practice. David ran the firm's Anchorage office. After a second term as mayor, he joined the Board of Regents

Board of Regents

In the United States, a board often governs public institutions of higher education, which include both state universities and community colleges. In each US state, such boards may govern either the state university system, individual colleges and universities, or both. In general they operate as...

 of the University of Alaska.

David died on November 21, 1924 of heart failure. He was survived by his wife Anna and children Caroline and Leopold, Jr, and buried in Anchorage Memorial Park Cemetery.

The Leopold David House was placed on the National Register of Historical Places in 1986.