death_place death_date predecessor birth_place successor children party office birth_date term spouse article_title name
buffalo , new york 25 february 1865 hiram barton palatine bridge , new york frederick p. stevens no children democrat mayor of buffalo january 23 , 1814 1853 , 1854 -- 1855 married twice eli cook
 eli cook
eli cook

eli cook -lrb- 1814 -- 1865 -rrb- was mayor of the city of buffalo , new york , serving 1853 and 1854 -- 1855 .
he was born in palatine bridge , new york on january 23 , 1814 .
he took up law in 1830 , passed the bar exam , and in 1837 he practiced in tennessee and mississippi with rebel general simon b. buckner .
in 1838 , he moved to buffalo where he became one of the leading criminal lawyers .
he married around 1838 , but his wife died soon after ; he re-married in 1843 , to sarah l .
he was appointed city attorney in 1845 , and again in 1851 .
he was elected mayor on march 1 , 1853 , as the democratic candidate .
during his term the city charter was revised to make the mayor 's term two years and the common council would elect its own presiding officer ; the mayor would no longer be president .
additionally , many of the city offices that were filled by council appointment were now to be elective .
the charter also annexed black rock into the city of buffalo .
he was reelected for a second term on november 8 , 1853 , as the first two-year buffalo mayor , and the first mayor to serve consecutive terms .
after serving as mayor he returned to his law practice .
he died on february 25 , 1865 , and was buried in forest lawn cemetery .
