William Markham (mayor)
Encyclopedia
William Markham was a prominent hotel
owner in Atlanta. Following the illness of John Mims
he filled in as mayor
October 1853 and won a special election soon after. Born in Goshen, Connecticut
he had only arrived in Atlanta in January 1853, so he certainly made a speedy impression.
During his term a new city hall was built that was used for nearly 25 years.
By 1858 he was proprietor of the Atlanta Rolling Mill
, and following the Battle of Atlanta
he was part of the committee of citizens who surrendered the city.
Within a year of destruction of Atlanta, he had already started rebuilding commercial sites. He put up nine one-story stores with cheap temporary roofs designed to be rebuilt or improved as circumstances improved. They cost $3,000 a piece to build and were rented out to different merchants.
In 1870 he lost an election for a second term as mayor from the Radical Party
to another previous mayor, William Ezzard
, Democrat
. He dedicated the city's best hotel, the Markham House, on November 15, 1875. It had 107 rooms, central heat and was the center of civic life until it burned to the ground in 1896, six years after the death of its builder.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
owner in Atlanta. Following the illness of John Mims
John Mims
John F. Mims sixth mayor of Atlanta and agent of the Georgia Railroad & Banking Company.In the late 1840s he founded a flour mill with Lemuel Grant, Richard Peters and his younger brother William Peters but it didn't do well with competition from Mark A...
he filled in as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
October 1853 and won a special election soon after. Born in Goshen, Connecticut
Goshen, Connecticut
Goshen is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 2,697 at the 2000 census.Each July, the Connecticut Agricultural Fair is held in town. It is also home to the Goshen players.-Geography:...
he had only arrived in Atlanta in January 1853, so he certainly made a speedy impression.
During his term a new city hall was built that was used for nearly 25 years.
By 1858 he was proprietor of the Atlanta Rolling Mill
Atlanta Rolling Mill
The Atlanta Rolling Mill was constructed in 1858 by Lewis Schofield and James Blake and soon after, Schofield and William Markham took it over and transformed it into the South's second most productive rolling mill, after the Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond, Virginia.Their specialty was re-rolling...
, and following the Battle of Atlanta
Battle of Atlanta
The Battle of Atlanta was a battle of the Atlanta Campaign fought during the American Civil War on July 22, 1864, just southeast of Atlanta, Georgia. Continuing their summer campaign to seize the important rail and supply center of Atlanta, Union forces commanded by William T. Sherman overwhelmed...
he was part of the committee of citizens who surrendered the city.
Within a year of destruction of Atlanta, he had already started rebuilding commercial sites. He put up nine one-story stores with cheap temporary roofs designed to be rebuilt or improved as circumstances improved. They cost $3,000 a piece to build and were rented out to different merchants.
In 1870 he lost an election for a second term as mayor from the Radical Party
Radical Party
-France:*Radical Party *Radical Party of the Left -Italy:*Radical Party *Radical Party *Italian Radicals *Radicals of the Left -Luxembourg:*Radical Party...
to another previous mayor, William Ezzard
William Ezzard
William E. Ezzard was a Southern United States politician who served as the 11th, 13th and 19th Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, in the 19th century....
, Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He dedicated the city's best hotel, the Markham House, on November 15, 1875. It had 107 rooms, central heat and was the center of civic life until it burned to the ground in 1896, six years after the death of its builder.