John M. Delph
Encyclopedia
John Millbank Delph was the eighth and fourteenth mayor of Louisville, Kentucky
. His terms of office extended from May 13, 1850 to April 26, 1852 and April 6, 1861 to April 4, 1863.
He was a carpenter by trade, but entered into real estate in Louisville and became wealthy. He held various public offices in Louisville and Jefferson County, including city tax collector, constable, sheriff and deputy marshall of the chancery court
. He was the first mayor to serve under a new city charter that allowed a two-year term for mayors, as opposed to the earlier single-year term.
During his first term, the city experienced a Cholera
epidemic, and Delph lead a push for better sanitation in Louisville. Though a member of the Whig Party
during his first term, he became a Unionist and staunch supporter of the Union during and after that term.
He served a term in the state legislature after his second term as mayor. He was a founder of Walnut Street Baptist Church, and is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery.
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...
. His terms of office extended from May 13, 1850 to April 26, 1852 and April 6, 1861 to April 4, 1863.
He was a carpenter by trade, but entered into real estate in Louisville and became wealthy. He held various public offices in Louisville and Jefferson County, including city tax collector, constable, sheriff and deputy marshall of the chancery court
Chancery Court
The Chancery Court of York is an ecclesiastical court for the Province of York of the Church of England.The presiding officer, the Official Principal and Auditor, has been the same person as the Dean of the Arches since the nineteenth century . The Court comprises the Auditor, two clergy and two...
. He was the first mayor to serve under a new city charter that allowed a two-year term for mayors, as opposed to the earlier single-year term.
During his first term, the city experienced a Cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
epidemic, and Delph lead a push for better sanitation in Louisville. Though a member of the Whig Party
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
during his first term, he became a Unionist and staunch supporter of the Union during and after that term.
He served a term in the state legislature after his second term as mayor. He was a founder of Walnut Street Baptist Church, and is buried in Cave Hill Cemetery.
See also
- Louisville in the American Civil War