# Los Angeles Common Council

The Los Angeles Common Council was the predecessor of the Los Angeles, California, City Council. It was formed in 1850 under state law, when the city had only 1,610 residents, and it existed until 1889, when the city had about 50,400 residents and a city charter was put into effect. It succeeded the council of the Ciudad de Los Angeles.
From 1850 through 1869, council members were elected at large under a first-past-the-post voting system, in which the top vote-getters were seated. From 1870 they were elected by electoral districts called wards.

## History

The Los Angeles Common Council was created in 1850 as the city of Los Angeles grew from a remote town of 5,000 residents to a city of 15,000 residents. Between 1850 and 1858, the council had 7 seats and for two years after had 10 seats drawn by lots. From 1870 to 1889, the council had a ward system with three (until 1877) and five (1877 onwards) seats.
The Council had various responsibilities for governing the city, including the responsibility of governing the school system as several members were appointed to serve on a committee for the governance of schools.
In 1857, the officials that were elected on May 6 were deposed and the officials from the previous year were reinstated, though they never took office.

## Members
### At-large (1850–1870)

| Year | President | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1850 | David W. Alexander | David W. Alexander | Cristobal Aguilar | Alexander Bell | Julian Chavez | Morris L. Goodman | Manuel Requena | Juan Temple | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1850 | David W. Alexander | David W. Alexander | Wilson W. Jones | Alexander W. Hope | Benjamin Davis Wilson | Jose Vicente Guerrero | Manuel Requena | Stephen Clark Foster | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1851 | David W. Alexander | David W. Alexander | Ygnacio Coronel | Alexander W. Hope | Agustín Olvera | Tomas Avila Sanchez | Manuel Requena | Stephen Clark Foster | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1851 | Joseph Lancaster Grant | Joseph Lancaster Grant | Ygnacio Coronel | John Ozias Wheeler | Agustín Olvera | Tomas Avila Sanchez | Manuel Requena | Stephen Clark Foster | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1852 | Manuel Requena | John G. Downey | Ygnacio Coronel | Myron Norton | Mathew Keller | Ygnacio del Valle | Manuel Requena | Narciso Botello | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1853 | Manuel Requena | John F. Jones | William Taylor Barnes Sanford | Arnold Jacobi | Pio Pico* | William R. Rand | Manuel Requena | Jose Maria Doporto | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1853 | Manuel Requena | Henry R. Myles | William Taylor Barnes Sanford | Ezra Drown | Juan Maria Sepulveda | Collins Wadhams | Manuel Requena | Jose Maria Doporto | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1854 | Francis Mellus | Francis Mellus | Lewis Granger | Solomon Lazard | Collins Wadhams | Antonio F. Coronel | Manuel Requena | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1854 | Manuel Requena | Obed Macy | Alexander W. Hope | Ezra Drown | Collins Wadhams | Vacant | Manuel Requena | | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1855 | John G. Nichols | Obed Macy | John G. Nichols | Ezra Drown | Ira H. Stuart | Horace Z. Wheeler | J. W. Ross | Will Lloyd | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1855 | Ezra Drown | Obed Macy | Henry Uhrbrook | Ezra Drown | Cristobal Aguilar | Robert Glass | Paul R. Hunt | Timothy Foster | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1855 | Ezra Drown | Obed Macy | Henry Uhrbrook | Ezra Drown | Cristobal Aguilar | Robert Glass | Paul R. Hunt | John Schumacher | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1856 | Manuel Requena | Ygnacio del Valle | John Gately Downey | Ezra Drown | Nehemiah A. Potter | August Ulyard | Manuel Requena | Ira Gilchrist | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1856 | Manuel Requena | Myron Norton | George Henry Carson | Ezra Drown | Nehemiah A. Potter | August Ulyard | Manuel Requena | Ira Gilchrist | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1857 | Antonio F. Coronel | Antonio F. Coronel | George Henry Carson | Joseph Mullaly | John Frohling | August Ulyard | Hiram McLaughlin | John Barre | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1857 | Antonio F. Coronel | Antonio F. Coronel | George Henry Carson | Joseph Mullaly | John Frohling | George N. Whitman | Hiram McLaughlin | John Barre | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1858 | Antonio F. Coronel | Antonio F. Coronel | John Strother Griffin | John Goller | Cristobal Aguilar | Phineas Banning | David M. Porter | Stephen Clark Foster | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1859 | Nehemiah A. Potter | Nehemiah A. Potter | Ezra Drown | James Baldwin | Geronimo Ybarra | Arthur McKenzie Dodson | David M. Porter | Wallace Woodworth | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1859 | Nehemiah A. Potter | Nehemiah A. Potter | Ezra Drown | James Baldwin | Geronimo Ybarra | Arthur McKenzie Dodson | Vincent A. Hoover | Wallace Woodworth | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1860 | Abel Stearns | Abel Stearns | Damien Marchesseault | T.B. Collins | Elijah Moulton | James Edwards | Vincent A. Hoover | Peter Baltz | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1860 | James Edwards | William Moore | Joseph Huber Sr. | William H. Peterson | Elijah Moulton | James Edwards | Vincent A. Hoover | David Anderson | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1860 | Wallace Woodworth | William Moore | Joseph Huber Sr. | William H. Peterson | Elijah Moulton | Wallace Woodworth | Vincent A. Hoover | David Anderson | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1861 | Nehemiah A. Potter | Nehemiah A. Potter | Solomon Lazard | Antonio F. Coronel | Cristobal Aguilar | Ezra Drown | Arthur McKenzie Dodson | James Brown Winston | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1862 | Nehemiah A. Potter | Nehemiah A. Potter | Augustine Poulain | Antonio F. Coronel | John Turner | Jacob Weizel | Philip Sichel | Joseph Huber Sr. | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1863 | Joseph Huber Sr. | James Brown Winston | Eli Taylor | Antonio F. Coronel | Felix Signoret | Jacob Weizel | Philip Sichel | Joseph Huber Sr. | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1864 | Joseph Huber Sr. | Manuel Requena | Jose Mascarel | Antonio F. Coronel | Wallace Woodworth | Vincent A. Hoover | Philip Sichel | Joseph Huber Sr. | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1865 | William H. Perry | William H. Perry | Julian A. Chavez | John Goller | Harley Taft | John Jones | Juan C. Vejar | W. S. Van Dusen | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1866 | Murray Morrison | Murray Morrison | Elijah H. Workman | Louis Roeder | John Schumacher | Moritz Morris | John King | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1866 | Murray Morrison | Murray Morrison | Elijah H. Workman | Louis Roeder | John Schumacher | Jose Mascarel | John King | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1867 | Murray Morrison | Murray Morrison | Elijah H. Workman | Louis Roeder | John Schumacher | Jose Mascarel | John King | Antonio F. Coronel | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1867 | John King | Dionisio Botiller | Andrew A. Boyle | Louis Roeder | John Schumacher | Jose Mascarel | John King | George Dalton | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1868 | John King | Dionisio Botiller | Caro W. Childs | Louis Roeder | Henry Wartenberg | Jose Mascarel | John King | Mathew Keller | Moritz Morris | William H. Perry | Jacob Metzger |
| 1869 | John King | Dionisio Botiller | Ozro W. Childs | Louis Roeder | Henry Wartenberg | Jose Mascarel | John King | Samuel Bradford Caswell | Moritz Morris | Elijah H. Workman | Vacant |
| 1869 | John King | Andrew A. Boyle | James R. Toberman | Vacant | Henry Wartenberg | Luis B. Martinez | John King | Samuel Bradford Caswell | Moritz Morris | Elijah H. Workman | Juan C. Vejar |

### Wards (1870–1889)

| Year | President | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward | Ward |
| Year | President | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 1870 | John Jones | Julian A. Chavez | Bernard Dubourdin | John Jones | Vacant | William Ferguson | George Fall | Matthew Teed | Vacant | Heinrich Dockweiler | William S. Hammel Sr. | John Osborn | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1870 | John Jones | Julian A. Chavez | Bernard Dubourdin | John Jones | Vacant | William Ferguson | George Fall | Matthew Teed | Vacant | Frank Sabichi | William S. Hammel Sr. | John Osborn | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1871 | H.K.S. O'Melveny | Thornton P. Campbell | Oscar Macy | Julian Valdes | Vacant | William Ferguson | Prudent Beaudry | Matthew Teed | Vacant | Frank Sabichi | H.K.S. O'Melveny | William H. Dennison | Elijah H. Workman | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1872 | Frank Sabichi | Joseph Mullaly | George R. Long | Julian Valdes | Vacant | William H. Workman | Prudent Beaudry | Matthew Teed | Vacant | Frank Sabichi | Eulogio F. de Celis | William Osborn | Heinrich Dockweiler | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1873 | Frank Sabichi | Julian A. Chavez | Jacob F. Gherkins | Julian Valdes | Vacant | William H. Workman | Prudent Beaudry | Jose Mascarel | Vacant | Frank Sabichi | Eulogio F. de Celis | Charles E. Huber | Heinrich Dockweiler | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1874 | Prudent Beaudry | Joseph Mullaly | Thornton P. Campbell | Ramon R. Sotelo | Joseph G. Carmona | William Whipple Robinson | Matthew Teed | Jose Mascarel | Louis Lichtenberger | Louis Wolfskill | Thomas Leahy | Charles E. Huber | Elijah H. Workman | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1874 | Prudent Beaudry | Joseph Mullaly | Vacant | Ramon R. Sotelo | Joseph G. Carmona | William Whipple Robinson | Matthew Teed | Jose Mascarel | Louis Lichtenberger | Louis Wolfskill | Thomas Leahy | Charles E. Huber | Elijah H. Workman | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1874 | Prudent Beaudry | Joseph Mullaly | Thornton P. Campbell | Ramon R. Sotelo | Joseph G. Carmona | William Whipple Robinson | Matthew Teed | Jose Mascarel | Louis Lichtenberger | Louis Wolfskill | Thomas Leahy | Charles E. Huber | Elijah H. Workman | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1875 | Prudent Beaudry | Joseph Mullaly | Thornton P. Campbell | Ramon R. Sotelo | Jacob F. Gherkins | Jacob Kuhrts | Matthew Teed | William H. Workman | Louis Lichtenberger | Louis Wolfskill | Thomas Leahy | Charles E. Huber | D.V. Waldron | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1876 | Frederick A. MacDougall | F. Tamiet | B. Valle | Ramon R. Sotelo | Jacob F. Gherkins | Jacob Kuhrts | John S. Thompson | William H. Workman | Bernard Cohn | Elisha K. Green | Thomas Leahy | John B. Thompson | D.V. Waldron | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1877 | Bernard Cohn | F. Tamiet | B. Valle | Joseph Mullaly | Cayetano Apalblasa | John Edward Hollenbeck | C. C. Lips | James W. Potts | Bernard Cohn | John S. Thompson | John H. Jones | Albert Fenner Kercheval | Elisha K. Green | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant | Vacant |
| 1878 | Samuel J. Beck | Ezra Hamilton | Louis Meinzer | John Schaeffer | Vacant | Richard Molony | Jesse Houston Butler | John Bobenreith | Vacant | Charles Brode | Simon A. Francis | S.H. Buchanan | Vacant | Samuel J. Beck | Samuel Marshall Perry | William H. Workman | Nathan R. Vail | William B. Lawlor | James Greer McDonald |
| 1879 | William B. Lawlor | R.L. Beauchet | Louis Meinzer | William Norton Monroe | Jacob Kuhrts | H. Schumacher | Jesse Houston Butler | Richard Molony | Edward Falles Spence | Elisha K. Green | S.H. Buchanan | O.H. Bliss | John P. Moran | Samuel J. Beck | | William H. Workman | | William B. Lawlor | James Greer McDonald |
| 1880 | Edward Falles Spence | R.L. Beauchet | J.G. Bower | William Norton Monroe | Jacob Kuhrts | Matthew Teed | Jose Mascarel | George Gephard | Edward Falles Spence | Elisha K. Green | Vacant | O.H. Bliss | John P. Moran | Bernard Cohn | Burdette Chandler | Walter Scott Moore | | | James Greer McDonald |
| 1881 | John P. Moran | Joseph Mullaly | J.G. Bower | Clinton S. Scheiffelin | Jacob Kuhrts | Matthew Teed | Jose Mascarel | Andrew S. Ryan | Robert Steere | J.B. O'Neil | George Kerckhoff | Otto G. Weyse | John P. Moran | Bernard Cohn | Burdette Chandler | Walter Scott Moore |
| 1882 | John P. Moran | Joseph Mullaly | Charles W. Schroeder | Clinton S. Scheiffelin | Jacob Kuhrts | Pascal Ballade | Henry Hammel | Andrew S. Ryan | Robert Steere | Charles Gassen | George Kerckhoff | Otto G. Weyse | John P. Moran | Alfred Louis Bush | Joseph W. Wolfskill | Walter Scott Moore |
| 1883 | Walter Scott Moore | Ezra Hamilton | Charles W. Schroeder | William Thomas Lambie | Frank R. Day | Pascal Ballade | Henry Hammel | Charles H. Johnson | Loring A. French | Charles Gassen | D.E. Miles | Frank Sabichi | Daniel Michael McGarry | John B. Niles | Joseph W. Wolfskill | Walter Scott Moore |
| 1884 | D.E. Miles | Ezra Hamilton | James Velsir | William Thomas Lambie | Frank R. Day | John Frederick Holbrook | Martin V. Biscailuz | Charles H. Johnson | Loring A. French | Albert Brown | D.E. Miles | Milton Santee | Daniel Michael McGarry | John B. Niles | James D. Bullis | Hiram Sinsabaugh |
| 1885 | Hiram Sinsabaugh | Thomas Goss | James Velsir | George L. Stearns | Jacob Kuhrts | John Frederick Holbrook | Martin V. Biscailuz | Levi Newton Breed | Edward Wadsworth Jones | Albert Brown | Samuel Marshall Perry | Milton Santee | Cyrus Willard | Jacob Frankenfield | James D. Bullis | Hiram Sinsabaugh |
| 1886 | Levi Newton Breed | Thomas Goss | William Thomas Lambie | George L. Stearns | Jacob Kuhrts | Michael Thomas Collins | Matthew Teed | Levi Newton Breed | Charles R. Johnson | Edward Wadsworth Jones | Samuel Marshall Perry | John Lovell | Cyrus Willard | Jacob Frankenfield | Joseph Hyans | Horace Hiller |
| 1886 | Levi Newton Breed | Thomas Goss | Edward A. Gibbs | George L. Stearns | Jacob Kuhrts | Michael Thomas Collins | Matthew Teed | Levi Newton Breed | Charles R. Johnson | Edward Wadsworth Jones | | John Lovell | Cyrus Willard | Jacob Frankenfield | Joseph Hyans | Horace Hiller |
| 1887 | John F. Humphreys | James Hanley | Edward A. Gibbs | Newell Mathews | Thomas J. Cuddy | Michael Thomas Collins | Matthew Teed | Edward C. Bosbyshell | Charles R. Johnson | John F. Humphreys | Bernard Cohn | John Lovell | Burdette Chandler | Hiram Sinsabaugh | A.W. Barrett | Horace Hiller |
| 1887 | John F. Humphreys | James Hanley | Edward A. Gibbs | Newell Mathews | John Moriarty | Michael Thomas Collins | Matthew Teed | Edward C. Bosbyshell | J.H. Book | John F. Humphreys | Bernard Cohn | John Lovell | Burdette Chandler | Hiram Sinsabaugh | A.W. Barrett | Horace Hiller |
| 1888 | Jacob Kuhrts | James Hanley | George O. Ford | C.N. Earl | John Moriarty | Jacob Kuhrts | H.T.D. Wilson | Edward C. Bosbyshell | John Henry Bryant | John F. Humphreys | Bernard Cohn | Anthony McNally | Edward R. Threlkeld | Hiram Sinsabaugh | A.W. Barrett | Austin Conrad Shafer |