Richard Wallach
Encyclopedia
Richard Wallach was an American
politician who served as the first Republican Mayor of Washington, D.C.
in 1816, and grew up in Washington City
where his father was a successful attorney. He attended Gonzaga College High School
and then Columbian College (later renamed George Washington University
) and was admitted to the D.C. bar in 1836.
Zachary Taylor
as U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia, which made him the chief marshal for the entire United States
until removed by Franklin Pierce
in 1853.
After election to the board of Aldermen in 1854, Wallach joined the Republican Party and ran against Anti-Know-Nothing candidate James G. Berret
for mayor of Washington. He was defeated amidst widespread allegations of election fraud. He ran again in 1860, facing Berret a second time, and lost by 24 votes. This time, Wallach took to the newspapers (especially the Washington Star, of which Wallach's brother was editor), publishing detailed accounts of the election crimes of which he believed Berret guilty.
, pursuant to emergency Civil War legislation passed by the U.S. Congress. On August 26, 1861, the Washington City Councils elected Wallach to serve out the remainder of Berret's two-year term. He was subsequently elected to three terms in his own right (as the candidate for the "Unconditional Union
" slate), and served until 1868, the first Washington mayor to serve more than one term since William Winston Seaton
.
Wallach's mayoral administration coincided with the District's most drastic period of growth, from a small rural village to a crowded metropolis (thanks to the influx of soldiers and massive federal bureaucracy necessitated by the U.S. Civil War. In accommodating the city's swelling population, Wallach established its paid fire department; paved 22,000 feet of road and over 42,000 feet of sidewalks; planned and executed a modernized sewer system, with 33,000 feet of water mains; and doubled the number of public schools. Wallach also submitted several proposals for beautification of the city's avenues and successfully advocated for a Congressional grant to build a modern marketplace in the center of the city.
Wallach was mayor when Abraham Lincoln
was assassinated in April 1865. He oversaw the police investigation and helped to prevent a riot in the crowds of frightened attendees at Ford's Theater. He later headed the Lincoln National Monument Committee.
Wallach was a staunch opponent of both emancipation and suffrage for former slaves, but did act to encourage integration of Washington schools, intending to dispel the idea that only poor children attended public schools. The Wallach School on Capitol Hill
was named in his honor in 1864. However, his general lack of sympathy for blacks in Washington resulted in their turning him out of office, since in 1866 Congress had enacted black suffrage above his objections.
, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson
and John Quincy Adams
and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician who served as the first Republican Mayor of Washington, D.C.
History
Wallach was born in Alexandria, VirginiaAlexandria, Virginia
Alexandria is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2009, the city had a total population of 139,966. Located along the Western bank of the Potomac River, Alexandria is approximately six miles south of downtown Washington, D.C.Like the rest of northern Virginia, as well as...
in 1816, and grew up in Washington City
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
where his father was a successful attorney. He attended Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School
Gonzaga College High School is a Jesuit high school for boys located in Washington, D.C. The school is named in honor of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, an Italian saint from the 16th century...
and then Columbian College (later renamed George Washington University
George Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
) and was admitted to the D.C. bar in 1836.
Political life
Wallach was an active member of the Whig Party and was elected as such to the Washington Common Council in 1846, serving for two years. In 1849 he was appointed by PresidentPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
as U.S. Marshal for the District of Columbia, which made him the chief marshal for the entire United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
until removed by Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce
Franklin Pierce was the 14th President of the United States and is the only President from New Hampshire. Pierce was a Democrat and a "doughface" who served in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. Pierce took part in the Mexican-American War and became a brigadier general in the Army...
in 1853.
After election to the board of Aldermen in 1854, Wallach joined the Republican Party and ran against Anti-Know-Nothing candidate James G. Berret
James G. Berret
James Gabriel Berret was an American politician who served as a Maryland state legislator from 1837 to 1839 and as Mayor of Washington, District of Columbia, from 1858 to 1861, when he was forced to resign from office after being jailed by the Lincoln administration for sedition.Berret was born in...
for mayor of Washington. He was defeated amidst widespread allegations of election fraud. He ran again in 1860, facing Berret a second time, and lost by 24 votes. This time, Wallach took to the newspapers (especially the Washington Star, of which Wallach's brother was editor), publishing detailed accounts of the election crimes of which he believed Berret guilty.
Mayor of Washington D.C.
In 1861, Wallach was serving as the president of the board of Aldermen when Mayor Berret was arrested for refusing to take a loyalty oath to the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, pursuant to emergency Civil War legislation passed by the U.S. Congress. On August 26, 1861, the Washington City Councils elected Wallach to serve out the remainder of Berret's two-year term. He was subsequently elected to three terms in his own right (as the candidate for the "Unconditional Union
Unconditional Union Party
The Unconditional Union Party was a loosely organized political entity during the American Civil War and the early days of Reconstruction. First established in 1861 in Missouri, where secession talk was strong, the party fully supported the preservation of the Union at all costs...
" slate), and served until 1868, the first Washington mayor to serve more than one term since William Winston Seaton
William Winston Seaton
William Winston Seaton was an American journalist, born in King William County, Va.From 1812 until 1860 he was, with his brother-in-law Joseph Gales, proprietor of the National Intelligencer at Washington, D.C. From 1812 until 1820 the two were the only reporters of congressional proceedings...
.
Wallach's mayoral administration coincided with the District's most drastic period of growth, from a small rural village to a crowded metropolis (thanks to the influx of soldiers and massive federal bureaucracy necessitated by the U.S. Civil War. In accommodating the city's swelling population, Wallach established its paid fire department; paved 22,000 feet of road and over 42,000 feet of sidewalks; planned and executed a modernized sewer system, with 33,000 feet of water mains; and doubled the number of public schools. Wallach also submitted several proposals for beautification of the city's avenues and successfully advocated for a Congressional grant to build a modern marketplace in the center of the city.
Wallach was mayor when Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was assassinated in April 1865. He oversaw the police investigation and helped to prevent a riot in the crowds of frightened attendees at Ford's Theater. He later headed the Lincoln National Monument Committee.
Wallach was a staunch opponent of both emancipation and suffrage for former slaves, but did act to encourage integration of Washington schools, intending to dispel the idea that only poor children attended public schools. The Wallach School on Capitol Hill
Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C.
Capitol Hill, aside from being a metonym for the United States Congress, is the largest historic residential neighborhood in Washington D.C., stretching easterly in front of the United States Capitol along wide avenues...
was named in his honor in 1864. However, his general lack of sympathy for blacks in Washington resulted in their turning him out of office, since in 1866 Congress had enacted black suffrage above his objections.
Societies
During the 1820s, Wallach was a member of the prestigious society, Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and SciencesColumbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences
The Columbian Institute for the Promotion of Arts and Sciences was a literary and science institution in Washington, D.C., founded by Dr. Edward Cutbush , a naval surgeon...
, who counted among their members former presidents Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson
Andrew Jackson was the seventh President of the United States . Based in frontier Tennessee, Jackson was a politician and army general who defeated the Creek Indians at the Battle of Horseshoe Bend , and the British at the Battle of New Orleans...
and John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams was the sixth President of the United States . He served as an American diplomat, Senator, and Congressional representative. He was a member of the Federalist, Democratic-Republican, National Republican, and later Anti-Masonic and Whig parties. Adams was the son of former...
and many prominent men of the day, including well-known representatives of the military, government service, medical and other professions.