William H. Wickham
Encyclopedia
William H. Wickham was a New York
mayor and anti-Ring Democrat who helped to topple corrupt politician Boss Tweed
.
on Long Island, but was raised in New York. Early in his career he worked for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and was a volunteer fireman. Wickham joined Mutual Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 in 1850 and served as foreman. In 1854 he organized the Baxter Hook and Ladder Company No. 15. He was elected Secretary of the New York Fire Department in 1858, Vice President in 1859, and President from 1860-61. He was married to Louise Floyd and had a daughter, Louise Floyd Wickham.
In the early 1870s, Wickham became an anti-Ring Democrat opposed to Boss Tweed
of Tammany Hall
. Wickham served as Chairman of the Apollo Hall Democracy
, a political group that worked to bring Boss Tweed
to justice. He also served on the Executive Committee of Seventy, a group formed by the public to reestablish honest government.
In 1874, Wickham was nominated by the Democrats to be Mayor of New York, with the support of a temporarily reformed Tammany Hall
. He easily defeated Oswald Ottendorfer
, the Independent Democratic candidate, and Salem H. Wales, the Republican. During his two-year tenure starting in 1875,
Wickham appointed William C. Whitney
to be the City of New York's legal counsel to combat political fraud. Wickham also conducted fundraising for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty
.
Wickham declined to be re-nominated in 1876. He served on the Board of Education for several years and was a member of the Committee of One Hundred for New York's Columbian celebration. He died in 1893 from heart disease.
He was a distant cousin of John Wickham
, the attorney for Aaron Burr
during his trial for treason. It was Burr who transformed Tammany into a political machine for the election of 1800.
He also has a street named after him in the north Bronx.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
mayor and anti-Ring Democrat who helped to topple corrupt politician Boss Tweed
Boss Tweed
William Magear Tweed – often erroneously referred to as William Marcy Tweed , and widely known as "Boss" Tweed – was an American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century...
.
Biography
Wickham was born in SmithtownSmithtown, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 115,715 people, 38,487 households, and 31,482 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,159.9 people per square mile . There were 39,357 housing units at an average density of 734.6 per square mile...
on Long Island, but was raised in New York. Early in his career he worked for the Pacific Mail Steamship Company and was a volunteer fireman. Wickham joined Mutual Hook and Ladder Company No. 1 in 1850 and served as foreman. In 1854 he organized the Baxter Hook and Ladder Company No. 15. He was elected Secretary of the New York Fire Department in 1858, Vice President in 1859, and President from 1860-61. He was married to Louise Floyd and had a daughter, Louise Floyd Wickham.
In the early 1870s, Wickham became an anti-Ring Democrat opposed to Boss Tweed
Boss Tweed
William Magear Tweed – often erroneously referred to as William Marcy Tweed , and widely known as "Boss" Tweed – was an American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century...
of Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
. Wickham served as Chairman of the Apollo Hall Democracy
Apollo Hall Democracy
Apollo Hall Democracy was a Democratic New York City political group opposed to the corruption of Tammany Hall.Apollo Hall Democracy was a Democratic reform movement founded in the early 1870s by New York State Senator James O'Brien as a response to the corruption of Boss Tweed controlled Tammany...
, a political group that worked to bring Boss Tweed
Boss Tweed
William Magear Tweed – often erroneously referred to as William Marcy Tweed , and widely known as "Boss" Tweed – was an American politician most notable for being the "boss" of Tammany Hall, the Democratic Party political machine that played a major role in the politics of 19th century...
to justice. He also served on the Executive Committee of Seventy, a group formed by the public to reestablish honest government.
In 1874, Wickham was nominated by the Democrats to be Mayor of New York, with the support of a temporarily reformed Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
. He easily defeated Oswald Ottendorfer
Oswald Ottendorfer
Valentin Oswald Ottendorfer was a United States journalist associated with the development of the German-language New Yorker Staats-Zeitung into a major newspaper.-Education:...
, the Independent Democratic candidate, and Salem H. Wales, the Republican. During his two-year tenure starting in 1875,
Wickham appointed William C. Whitney
William C. Whitney
William Collins Whitney was an American political leader and financier and founder of the prominent Whitney family. He served as Secretary of the Navy in the first Cleveland administration from 1885 through 1889. A conservative reformer, he was considered a Bourbon Democrat.-Early life:William...
to be the City of New York's legal counsel to combat political fraud. Wickham also conducted fundraising for the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
.
Wickham declined to be re-nominated in 1876. He served on the Board of Education for several years and was a member of the Committee of One Hundred for New York's Columbian celebration. He died in 1893 from heart disease.
He was a distant cousin of John Wickham
John Wickham (1763)
John Wickham was an American Loyalist and attorney. He was one of the very few Loyalists to achieve any sort of national prominence in the United States after the American Revolution, and is best remembered for his role in the treason trial of former Vice President Aaron Burr in...
, the attorney for Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr
Aaron Burr, Jr. was an important political figure in the early history of the United States of America. After serving as a Continental Army officer in the Revolutionary War, Burr became a successful lawyer and politician...
during his trial for treason. It was Burr who transformed Tammany into a political machine for the election of 1800.
He also has a street named after him in the north Bronx.