List of mayors of Albany, New York
Nineteenth century

List of mayors of Albany, New York

Section Title: Nineteenth century
Table Section Text: None

Mayor	Start	End	Comment

Elisha Jenkins	1816	1819	Key figure in an early Albany scandal in 1807, when he was assaulted by General Solomon Van Rensselaer after passing a resolution questioning Van Rensselaer's honesty.

Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer	1819	1820	See first term entry above

Charles E. Dudley	1821	1824	Merchant. Key early petitioner for the Erie Canal, helped found Cohoes Company to tap the power of the Mohawk River.

Ambrose Spencer	1824	1826	His wife was the sister of Governor DeWitt Clinton; also Attorney General of New York and Chief Justice of the New York Supreme Court, and member of the United States House of Representatives.

James Stevenson	1826	1828	Lawyer, one of the first governors of Albany City Hospital. During his term, a large celebration was held in Albany on the effective date of the emancipation of slaves in New York; resigned in 1828.

Charles E. Dudley	1828	1829	See first term entry above; resigned in 1829

John Townsend	1829	1830	Laid the cornerstone for Albany's old City Hall in 1829; major cholera outbreak during his term. Advised DeWitt Clinton in Erie Canal matters.

Francis Bloodgood	1831	1831	Clerk of the New York State Supreme Court, president of New York State Bank. See entry under Elisha Jenkins above for his role in a politically motivated brawl in 1807.

John Townsend	1832	1832	See first term entry above

Francis Bloodgood	1833	1833	See first term entry above

Erastus Corning	1834	1837	Founder of the New York Central Railroad and member of the United States House of Representatives; resigned in 1837.

Teunis Van Vechten	1837	1839	President of Albany Insurance Company and attorney to Patroon Stephen Van Rensselaer; first locomotive arrived from Boston during his term, though passengers disembarked in Greenbush (Rensselaer) and crossed the river by ferry; resigned in 1839.

Jared Lewis Rathbone	1839	1841	Last Mayor chosen by the common council, appointed to complete Mayor Van Vechten's term. President of Albany Medical College.

Teunis Van Vechten	1841	1842	See first term entry above

Barent Philip Staats	1842	1843	Physician, alderman, strong temperance sensibilities.

Friend Humphrey	1843	1845	Born in Connecticut, relocated to Albany in 1811. Albany Rural Cemetery was consecrated and Albany's first telegraph office opened during his term.

John Keyes Paige	1845	1846	New York State Supreme Court Clerk from 1825 until his election as mayor. President of the Canal Bank.

William Parmelee	1846	1848	Lawyer. Also served as city attorney, judge and recorder.

John Taylor	1848	1849	Brewer. Known for his fine private library.

Friend Humphrey	1849	1850	See first term entry above

Franklin Townsend	1850	1851	Adjutant General of the State of New York, Assemblyman, President of New York State National Bank, Vice-President of Albany Savings Bank; nephew of Mayor John Townsend

Eli Perry	1851	1854	Merchant in livestock and provisions. Contracted to supply Union forces during the Civil War but lost his fortune in the process.

William Parmelee	1854	1856	See first term entry above; died in office

Charles Watson Godard	1856	1856	Appointed by common council on the death of William Parmalee. Also served as captain of the Port of New York, and was a prominent lecturer and philanthropist.

Eli Perry	1856	1860	See first term entry above

George Hornell Thacher	1860	1862	Owned Thacher Carwheel Co., headed Albany's substantial humanitarian efforts during the Civil War. Also served as an alderman.

Eli Perry	1862	1866	See first term entry above

George Hornell Thacher	1866	1868	See first term entry above

Charles Edward Bleecker	1868	1870	Planned Washington Park. During his term, construction of the Capitol began. First Mayor to have veto power.

George Hornell Thacher	1870	1874	See first term entry above; resigned during electoral challenge

John G. Burch	1874	1874	Coal and wood dealer and alderman. Appointed to serve as mayor during contested election between George Hornell Thacher and Edmund Lewis Judson.

Edmund L. Judson	1874	1876	Flour and provision merchant. Election was contested by George Thacher; contest dragged through the courts for two years; Judson was declared the winner only weeks before his first term ended.

Anthony Bleecker Banks	1876	1878	Principal partner of Banks & Brothers, law publishers, booksellers, and importers; one of the oldest legal publishing houses in the United States.

Michael N. Nolan	1878	1883	Born in Ireland, also served in United States House of Representatives. Albany's City Hall was destroyed by fire during his term; he resigned in 1883.

John Swinburne	1883	1884	Physician who served as a Medical Officer during the Civil War, and Surgeon-in-Chief of American Ambulance Corps during the Franco-Prussian War.

Anthony Bleecker Banks	1884	1886	See first term entry above

John Boyd Thacher	1886	1888	Author, philanthropist, bibliophile. Son of Mayor George Hornell Thacher, uncle of Mayor John Boyd Thacher II.

Edward Augustin Maher	1888	1890	President of Union Railway Company and South End Bank.

James Hilton Manning	1890	1894	Son of Daniel Manning. Publisher, President of the Weed Parsons Printing Company.

Oren Elbridge Wilson	1894	1895	President of the Board of Education, Chief Accountant for Whitney's Dry Goods Company. Also served as School Commissioner and President of the Board of Education.

John Boyd Thacher	1896	1897	See first term entry above

Thomas J. Van Alstyne	1898	1899	Civil War veteran, attorney; first public water filtration plant opened during his term. Also served as Judge, member of United States House of Representatives, and as a trustee of the Albany Institute.

Sentence(s)

Thomas J. Van Alstyne served as mayor of Albany from 1898.

final_sentence: Thomas J. Van Alstyne served as mayor of Albany from 1898.