Sheldon Thompson 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 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 in 1840–1841. He was born in Derby, Connecticut

Derby, Connecticut

Derby is a city in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,391 at the 2000 census. With of land area, Derby is Connecticut's smallest municipality.The city has a Metro-North railroad station called Derby – Shelton.-History:...

 on July 2, 1785. In early 1810, he moved to Lewiston, New York

Lewiston, New York

Lewiston is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 2,781 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Morgan Lewis, an early 19th-century governor of New York. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.The Village of Lewiston,...

 where he entered into the shipbuilding business and mercantile trade along the Great Lakes

Great Lakes

The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...

. He also entered the salt trade from the Onondaga salt mines. In April 1811, he married Catharine Barton. His daughter Sally Ann married Henry K. Smith

Henry K. Smith

Henry Kendall Smith was Mayor of the City of Buffalo, New York, serving 1850–1851. He was born on April 2, 1811 in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. In 1819, he was sent to Baltimore, Maryland for education and then moved to New York City in 1828. Shortly thereafter he moved to Johnstown, New York to...

 a future mayor of the city. Around 1816 or 1817, Thompson moved to Black Rock, and promoted the village which was in direct competition with Buffalo for the western terminus of the Erie Canal

Erie Canal

The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...

. By 1830, Thompson moved to Buffalo and became a principal freight forwarder

Freight forwarder

A freight forwarder, forwarder, or forwarding agent is a person or company that organizes shipments for individuals or other companies and may also act as a carrier...

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On March 8, 1840, Sheldon Thompson became the first mayor elected by the people. In 1845, he retired from active business life and occupied himself with the management of his estate. He died in Buffalo on March 13, 1851, and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery

Forest Lawn Cemetery, Buffalo

Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York was founded in 1849 by Charles E. Clark. It covers over 250 acres and over 152,000 are buried there. Notable graves include U.S. President Millard Fillmore, singer Rick James, and inventor Lawrence Dale Bell...

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