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{{short description|American politician}}
'''Samuel D. Maxwell''' was the eighth mayor of the city of [[Indianapolis, Indiana]].

{{Infobox officeholder
|name = Samuel D. Maxwell
|image =
|caption =
|office = 8th [[List of mayors of Indianapolis|Mayor of Indianapolis]]
|term_start = May 5, 1858
|term_end = January 1, 1863
|predecessor = [[William J. Wallace (Indianapolis mayor)|William J. Wallace]]
|successor = [[John Caven (American politician)|John Caven]]
|constituency =
|majority =
|office2 =
|term_start2 =
|term_end2 =
|predecessor2 =
|successor2 =
|constituency2 =
|majority2 =
|birth_date = February 19, 1803
|birth_place = [[Garrard County, Kentucky]]
|death_date = July 3, 1873
|death_place = [[Indianapolis]], [[Indiana]]
|party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
|relations =
|residence =
|alma_mater =
|occupation = lawyer, politician
|religion =
|signature =
|website =
|footnotes =
}}
'''Samuel Dunn Maxwell''' (February 19, 1803 – July 3, 1873) was an attorney and the eighth mayor of the city of [[Indianapolis, Indiana]].<ref name=Encyc>{{cite book|author1=David J. Bodenhamer |author2=Robert Graham Barrows |author3=David Gordon Vanderstel |title=The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis|publisher=Indiana University Press|year=1994|pages=979–980|isbn=978-0-253-31222-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bg13QcMSsq8C}}</ref> Under his administration and guidance, Indianapolis Fire Department became a professional force.

==Early and family life==

Maxwell was born in [[Garrard County, Kentucky]], to John Maxwell (25 Dec 1775-12 Nov 1824) and Sarah Dunn Maxwell (1786–1819). His grandfather, Bezaleel Maxwell (1751-1828), of [[Albemarle County, Virginia]], had served as a patriot in the [[American Revolutionary War]], and later moved to [[Jefferson County, Indiana]], with his eldest son, Samuel, and John.

Maxwell's mother died and was buried in [[Hanover, Indiana|Hanover]] in [[Jefferson County, Indiana]], in 1819. His father, a lawyer, took him to [[Bloomington, Indiana|Bloomington]], the county seat of [[Monroe County, Indiana]]. His uncle [[David Hervey Maxwell]] had been one of Bloomington's delegates to the Indiana Constitutional Convention as the territory became a state, and later served in the Indiana state legislature and as mayor of Bloomington. Maxwell married Sarah Maxwell and their children who survived childhood included sons John (b. 1825) and Williamson (1842-1884) and daughters Martha (b. 1838) and Emma (b. 1847).<ref>1860 U.S.Federal Census for Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, family 350</ref>

==Career==
Possibly after reading law under his father (who died in 1824), Maxwell was admitted to the Indiana bar and by 1829 had moved his family to [[Frankfort, Indiana|Frankfort]], the seat of [[Clinton County, Indiana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://genealogytrails.com/ind/clinton/history.html|title=Clinton County Indiana|website=genealogytrails.com}}</ref><ref>1830 U.S. Federal Census for Clinton County, Indiana</ref> Like his father, he practiced law, married, and raised a family. The 1850 census lists him as a lawyer with $13,000 in property and his eldest son John (aged 25) as a farmer.<ref>1850 U.S. Federal Census for Frankfort, Clinton County, Indiana, family 13</ref> By 1858, his wife and youngest son had died, and Samuel Maxwell and his younger children (surviving son Williamson Maxwell, who had become a printer, and two unmarried daughters) had moved about 45 miles away, to [[Indianapolis]], the state capital and county seat of [[Marion County, Indiana]].

After the resignation of Indianapolis mayor [[William J. Wallace (Indianapolis mayor)|William J. Wallace]] (who had won an election to fill the remainder of the term of [[Henry F. West]], who had died in office), Samuel Maxwell won the election to replace him. Like Wallace but unlike West, Maxwell was the candidate of the new [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]]. He was re-elected twice (defeating James McCready and then James R. Bracken) and held office from 1858 to 1863, at which time he declined to run for re-election.<ref name=Encyc/><ref>{{Cite book|url=http://name.umdl.umich.edu/AJA2982.0001.001|title=Indianapolis.: A historical and statistical sketch of the railroad city, a chronicle of its social, municipal, commercial and manufacturing progress, with full statistical tables|last=Holloway|first=William Robeson|publisher=Indianapolis Journal|year=1870|location=Indianapolis|pages=138|access-date=May 20, 2019}}</ref> Maxwell founded the [[Indianapolis Fire Department]] in the fall of 1859, taking it from a combination volunteer to all career department by creating a board to oversee the transition. He appointed Joseph W. Davis as the department's first Chief Fire Engineer. His grandson, Samuel Anderson Maxwell, would become a fireman with the department in 1880.

Maxwell and Indiana governor [[Oliver P. Morton]] escorted fellow Republican [[Abraham Lincoln]] in a parade through Indianapolis as president-elect Lincoln traveled to [[Washington, D.C.]], for his inauguration.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.abrahamlincolnsclassroom.org/abraham-lincoln-state-by-state/abraham-lincoln-and-indiana/|title=Abraham Lincoln and Indiana|website=Abraham Lincoln's Classroom|access-date=May 20, 2019}}</ref> During the [[American Civil War]], Maxwell cooperated with Governor Morton, and was succeeded by fellow Republican lawyer [[John Caven (American politician)|John Caven]] in 1863.

Maxwell died in Indianapolis in 1873 (aged about 70 years), and was buried at [[Crown Hill Cemetery]].

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{IndianapolisMayors}}
{{IndianapolisMayors}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Maxwell, Samuel D.}}
[[Category:1803 births]]
[[Category:1873 deaths]]
[[Category:Mayors of Indianapolis]]
[[Category:Indiana Republicans]]
[[Category:19th-century American politicians]]
[[Category:People from Garrard County, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Indiana lawyers]]
[[Category:Burials at Crown Hill Cemetery]]

Latest revision as of 10:23, 22 August 2024

Samuel D. Maxwell
8th Mayor of Indianapolis
In office
May 5, 1858 – January 1, 1863
Preceded byWilliam J. Wallace
Succeeded byJohn Caven
Personal details
BornFebruary 19, 1803
Garrard County, Kentucky
DiedJuly 3, 1873
Indianapolis, Indiana
Political partyRepublican
Occupationlawyer, politician

Samuel Dunn Maxwell (February 19, 1803 – July 3, 1873) was an attorney and the eighth mayor of the city of Indianapolis, Indiana.[1] Under his administration and guidance, Indianapolis Fire Department became a professional force.

Early and family life

[edit]

Maxwell was born in Garrard County, Kentucky, to John Maxwell (25 Dec 1775-12 Nov 1824) and Sarah Dunn Maxwell (1786–1819). His grandfather, Bezaleel Maxwell (1751-1828), of Albemarle County, Virginia, had served as a patriot in the American Revolutionary War, and later moved to Jefferson County, Indiana, with his eldest son, Samuel, and John.

Maxwell's mother died and was buried in Hanover in Jefferson County, Indiana, in 1819. His father, a lawyer, took him to Bloomington, the county seat of Monroe County, Indiana. His uncle David Hervey Maxwell had been one of Bloomington's delegates to the Indiana Constitutional Convention as the territory became a state, and later served in the Indiana state legislature and as mayor of Bloomington. Maxwell married Sarah Maxwell and their children who survived childhood included sons John (b. 1825) and Williamson (1842-1884) and daughters Martha (b. 1838) and Emma (b. 1847).[2]

Career

[edit]

Possibly after reading law under his father (who died in 1824), Maxwell was admitted to the Indiana bar and by 1829 had moved his family to Frankfort, the seat of Clinton County, Indiana.[3][4] Like his father, he practiced law, married, and raised a family. The 1850 census lists him as a lawyer with $13,000 in property and his eldest son John (aged 25) as a farmer.[5] By 1858, his wife and youngest son had died, and Samuel Maxwell and his younger children (surviving son Williamson Maxwell, who had become a printer, and two unmarried daughters) had moved about 45 miles away, to Indianapolis, the state capital and county seat of Marion County, Indiana.

After the resignation of Indianapolis mayor William J. Wallace (who had won an election to fill the remainder of the term of Henry F. West, who had died in office), Samuel Maxwell won the election to replace him. Like Wallace but unlike West, Maxwell was the candidate of the new Republican Party. He was re-elected twice (defeating James McCready and then James R. Bracken) and held office from 1858 to 1863, at which time he declined to run for re-election.[1][6] Maxwell founded the Indianapolis Fire Department in the fall of 1859, taking it from a combination volunteer to all career department by creating a board to oversee the transition. He appointed Joseph W. Davis as the department's first Chief Fire Engineer. His grandson, Samuel Anderson Maxwell, would become a fireman with the department in 1880.

Maxwell and Indiana governor Oliver P. Morton escorted fellow Republican Abraham Lincoln in a parade through Indianapolis as president-elect Lincoln traveled to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration.[7] During the American Civil War, Maxwell cooperated with Governor Morton, and was succeeded by fellow Republican lawyer John Caven in 1863.

Maxwell died in Indianapolis in 1873 (aged about 70 years), and was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b David J. Bodenhamer; Robert Graham Barrows; David Gordon Vanderstel (1994). The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis. Indiana University Press. pp. 979–980. ISBN 978-0-253-31222-8.
  2. ^ 1860 U.S.Federal Census for Indianapolis, Marion County, Indiana, family 350
  3. ^ "Clinton County Indiana". genealogytrails.com.
  4. ^ 1830 U.S. Federal Census for Clinton County, Indiana
  5. ^ 1850 U.S. Federal Census for Frankfort, Clinton County, Indiana, family 13
  6. ^ Holloway, William Robeson (1870). Indianapolis.: A historical and statistical sketch of the railroad city, a chronicle of its social, municipal, commercial and manufacturing progress, with full statistical tables. Indianapolis: Indianapolis Journal. p. 138. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
  7. ^ "Abraham Lincoln and Indiana". Abraham Lincoln's Classroom. Retrieved May 20, 2019.