John G. Baxter
Encyclopedia
John George Baxter Jr. (December 12, 1826 – March 30, 1885) was the nineteenth and twenty-first mayor of Louisville, Kentucky
from 1870 to 1872 and from 1879 to 1881, respectively. He was born to Scottish
immigrants in Lexington, Kentucky
and came to Louisville in 1847, and eventually established a successful stove company.
He served on the Board of Alderman during the 1860s, and was elected president from 1865 to 1867. He was elected to mayor twice as a Democrat. His first administration saw the construction of the new city hall, as well as a new city hospital and almshouse
. He did not run again in 1872 after his first term because the new city charter greatly restricted incumbents from running. He ran in 1875 and lost by a small margin to Charles Donald Jacob
, but was again successful in 1879.
He is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery, the main entrance of which is located on Baxter Avenue, which was renamed in his honor.
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
from 1870 to 1872 and from 1879 to 1881, respectively. He was born to Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
immigrants in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
and came to Louisville in 1847, and eventually established a successful stove company.
He served on the Board of Alderman during the 1860s, and was elected president from 1865 to 1867. He was elected to mayor twice as a Democrat. His first administration saw the construction of the new city hall, as well as a new city hospital and almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
. He did not run again in 1872 after his first term because the new city charter greatly restricted incumbents from running. He ran in 1875 and lost by a small margin to Charles Donald Jacob
Charles Donald Jacob
Charles Donald Jacob served four terms as mayor of Louisville, Kentucky, two consecutively in 1873-78, then later in 1882-84 and 1888-90. He also served as the U.S. minister to Colombia in 1885-1886. He was a member of the Democratic Party....
, but was again successful in 1879.
He is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery, the main entrance of which is located on Baxter Avenue, which was renamed in his honor.