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List of mayors of North Adams, Massachusetts

This is a list of mayors of North Adams, Massachusetts. North Adams became a city in 1895.

Mayors

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# Mayor Picture Term Party Notes
1 Albert Charles Houghton   1896–1898 Republican Democratic (April 13, 1844 – August 11, 1914) The first mayor of North Adams, Houghton was nominated by both the Democratic Party and the Republican Party during both of his mayoral terms. He was considered a quiet mayor who presided over the first two years of North Adams' incorporation as a city. A business magnate, Houghton owned significant properties in North Adams such as the Beaver and Eclipse Mills during and after his tenure as Mayor.
2 Hiram Torrey Cady   1898–1900 Democratic (1898-1899) Republican (1899-1900) (January 17, 1843 - January 8, 1917) He was born on January 17, 1843, in North Adams, Massachusetts. He died on January 8, 1917, in Hartford, Connecticut.
3 Edward Shepard Wilkinson   1900-October 14, 1902 Republican (March 21, 1842 – October 14, 1902) He was born on March 21, 1842. He worked as a banker. He died in office on October 14, 1902, in an Albany, New York hospital as a result of an operation performed for an abscess on his kidneys.[1]
Acting mayor. Valmore Augustus Whitaker 1902–1903 Republican (March 14, 1835 - ?) He was born March 14, 1835, in North Adams, Massachusetts, to Ezra Douglas Whitaker and Amanda M. Jones.[2] In 1905 Whitaker was the Republican candidate for mayor, he lost to the incumbent, Mayor Marshall R. Ford.[3]
4 Frank D. Stafford   1903–1905 Republican (August 15, 1856 - ?) This was his first term. He was born on August 15, 1856, to Joel C. Stafford and Jane A. Stroud in Stamford, Vermont. Stafford attended the local public schools then Williamstown High School in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He studied medicine at Burlington Medical College. He represented Windham County in the Vermont legislature in 1888 and 1889, while residing in Whitingham. He married Flora A. Ballou, the daughter of Hosea B. Ballou and Adeline Murdock.[4]
5 Marshall Rufus Ford   1905–1907 Democratic
6 Frank D. Stafford   1907–1909 Republican This was his second tenure.
7 John H. Waterhouse   1909–1911 Republican (March 1, 1870 - April 29, 1948) He was born on March 1, 1870, in Rhode Island. Waterhouse began his career in the wool industry working at a wool mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Waterhouse was, with Theodore Howard,[5] a member of the manufacturing firm of Waterhouse and Howard which, in 1905[5] leased the Eagle Mill[5] in North Adams and operated it as a wollen mill.[5][6] Waterhouse was the operator of Blackinton Woolen Mill in North Adams from 1910 to its liquidation in 1939.
8 Charles Lyman Frink 1911–1913 Republican (February 16, 1849 – January 1937). He served as a deputy United States Marshal.[7]
9 Wallace Everett Brown 1913–1916 Republican Independent (June 29, 1853 – April 4, 1930) during his 1913 bid for reelection, he failed to get renominated by the city's Republican committee. Despite this, Brown would go on to win the election as an independent. he would later be renominated by the Republicans in his successful 1914 reelection bid.
10 John W Gale 1916-1917 Democratic
11 Ezra Douglas Whitaker 1917–1921 Republican Independent (December 11, 1874 – October 24, 1936) He was born on December 11, 1874, to Valmore Augustus Whitaker and Emma Louise Beckwith. Whitaker received his early education at the Worcester Academy. He receives his A.B. from Yale College in 1898.[8] After he graduated from Yale, Whitaker went to work for the North Adams Savings Bank and was a director of the Hoosac Valley Street Railway. On April 30, 1900, Whitaker married Josephine Coenen of Springfield, Massachusetts. They had three daughters, including Josephine D. Whitaker.[9] He died on October 24, 1936.[10][11]
12 Harvey Alpheus Gallup 1921–1923 Republican (October 16, 1869 - August 6, 1946) In 1891 Gallup formed the Harvey A. Gallup Agency with his brother Clarence.[12]
13 William Kirk Greer 1923–1925 Republican
14 William Henry Johnson 1925–1933 People's Candidate Democratic He was born in Copake, New York February 26, 1871. This was his first tenure as Mayor. Despite initially being a registered republican, Johnson ran under the designation of People's Candidate and successfully courted the Democratic Party into supporting his campaign. He was elected twice as the Exalter Ruler of the North Adams Elks lodge. He died on May 7, 1941, aged 70.[13]
15 Archie James Pratt 1933–1935 Republican (July 13, 1880 – November 1959). Pratt was, with Ed Price, the co-owner of Rice's Drug Store on the corner of Main and Eagle streets in North Adams.[14]
16 William Henry Johnson 1935–1937 People's Candidate This was his fifth non-consecutive term as mayor. Johnson was the longest-serving mayor in North Adams history until John Barrett III surpassed his record in 1993 by winning a 6th term. Unlike previous elections, Johnson was not co-nominated by the Democratic Party. Johnson won against Mayor Archie J. Pratt in a rematch of the 1932 election. Johnson would lose his bid for a 6th term against Francis J. O'Hara.
17 Francis J. O'Hara 1937–1941 Democratic Republican O'Hara was the second mayor jointly nominated by the Democratic and Republican Party. This was primarily due to the local parties being opposed to a resurgent Johnson. O'Hara would lose his bid for a third term primarily due to the collapse of his political alliance and the emergence of anti-establishment candidate Faxon Bowen in the 1940 election.
18 Faxon Bowen 1941–1943 Independent
19 Cornelius E. O'Brien 1943–1947 Democratic
20 James A. Bowes 1947–1952 Democratic
21 Ernest Henry Rosasco 1952–1954 Republican (August 4, 1907 – July 1985) was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, to Giovanni B. Rosasco, a police captain; and Virginia Gazzaniga. Virginia died in 1930 and Giovani died in 1949. He had four brothers, Medeo, John B, William P, and Francis W, and William, and two sisters, Mary and Margaret. His wife was Mary A. Fachini. He graduated from Williams College in 1929 and from Harvard Law school in 1932. He practiced law in North Adams for ten years, and was a member of the North Adams city council from 1938 to 1941. From 1940 to 1942, he was a member of the advisory committee of the local draft board, and in November 1942 he joined the United States Army, enlisting as a private to serve in World War II. He served in the 4th Armored division in Europe until November 1945. He was granted a battlefield commission as lieutenant during the war, and was discharged with the rank of 2nd lieutenant. He died in July 1985.
22 James M. Lilly 1954–1956 Democratic (July 17, 1891 - July 1978)
23 Julius Mark Calvi 1956–1958 Democratic (May 19, 1917 – January 22, 2009)
24 Joseph Raymond Bianco 1958–1960 Democratic (March 19, 1914 – March 3, 2000). This was his first term. Bianco was the last mayor elected under a Massachusetts Plan D form of government and the last mayor to be elected by a vote of the City Council rather than a popular vote.
25 Louis J. Diamond 1960–1962 Democratic First mayor elected under a Massachusetts Plan B form of government.[15] Diamond would lose his reelection bid to Francis Constant Florini in 1961.[16]
26 Francis Constant Florini 1962–1968 Republican Last mayor elected under a Massachusetts Plan B form of Government. In 1967, Florini lost reelection to James F. Cleary.[17]
27 James F. Cleary 1968–1970 Democratic
28 Joseph Raymond Bianco 1970–1978 Democratic This was his second tenure as Mayor. Bianco was elected in 1969 with an almost 2-1 margin against fellow City Councilor Robert E. Patenaude.[18] Bianco would serve for eight years making him North Adams' longest serving mayor at the time.
29 Richard Charles Lamb 1978–1983 Democratic In 1977 Lamb, then 28 years old, was elected mayor over Louis R. Sinclitico. On election day, November 8, 1977, Lamb received fifty seven percent of the vote against Sinclitico who received forty two percent.[19] He resigned from office in 1983.
Acting mayor. John R. Taft, Jr. 1983 Democratic (April 28, 1954 – June 3, 2007 ) He was president of the North Adams, Massachusetts, city council and, in 1983, as the acting mayor. He was born on April 28, 1954, in North Adams, Massachusetts, to Therese Judge and John R. Taft Sr. Taft graduated with honors from Drury High School. Taft was a member of the North Adams City Council from 1980 to 1985. Taft was the president of the North Adams City Council. In 1983 Taft served, for two months as the acting mayor of North Adams.[20][21] In the 1985 mayoral election Taft ran against incumbent Mayor John Barrett III.[22] Of the 4,373 votes cast in the election Barrett received 3,718 votes and Taft received 655.[23] Taft died on June 3, 2007, at the Veterans' Hospital in West Haven, Connecticut.
30 John Barrett III   1984–2010 Democratic Barrett is the longest serving mayor in North Adams history with twenty-six consecutive years in office. Elected in 1983, Barrett was mayor during the closure of Sprague Electric and led the transition of the North Adams economy towards the "creative economy". He was an influential figure in the construction of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Arts which opened in 1999. Barrett would lose his bid for a 14th term in office to Richard J. Alcombright.[24]
31 Richard J. Alcombright 2010-2018 Democratic
32 Thomas Bernard 2018-2022 Democratic
33 Jennifer Macksey   2022- Democratic First female mayor.[25]

References

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  1. ^ "Death List of The Week", The New York Times, p. 9., October 15, 1902
  2. ^ Cooke, Rollin Hillyer (1906), Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Volume I, The Lewis Historical Publishing Co., p. 413
  3. ^ "North Adams Democrats Re-elect Mayor", The Hartford Courant, p. 1, December 20, 1905
  4. ^ Cooke, Rollin Hillyer (1906), Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Volume II, New York, NY: The Lewis Historical Publishing Co., pp. 246–247
  5. ^ a b c d Campanile, Robert (2007), North Adams, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, p. 31.
  6. ^ Arnold, N. H. (May 1908), T. R. MacMechen (ed.), The American Aeronaut and Aerostatist, Vol. I, No 5, A Balloon Christening, Saint Louis, Missouri: Greeley Printery, p. 171.
  7. ^ New York Times (January 27, 1937), "Charles L. Frink. Ex-Mayor of North Adams, Mass., Deputy Sheriff 50 Years", The New York Times, New York, NY, p. 21
  8. ^ Wright, Henry B. (July 1902), Triennial Record of the Class of 1898. Yale College., New Haven, Connecticut: Yale College, Class of 1898., p. 86.
  9. ^ "Miss Whitaker a Bride. Daughter of North Adams's Late Mayor Wed to Hans Meissner", The New York Times, New York City, p. 2, June 13, 1937
  10. ^ Wright, Henry B. (July 1902), Triennial Record of the Class of 1898. Yale College., New Haven, Connecticut: Yale College, Class of 1898., pp. 86–87.
  11. ^ "Ezra D. Whitaker". New York Times. October 26, 1936. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  12. ^ Dobrowolski, Tony (June 7, 2007), Merger helps agency expand, Pittsfield, Mass: The Berkshire Eagle
  13. ^ "William Johnson. Elected Mayor of North Adams Five Times.- Dies at Age of 70". New York Times. May 8, 1941. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
  14. ^ Rivers, Roger (November 17, 2009), Drug stores were all in the family, North Adams, Massachusetts: The North Adams Transcript
  15. ^ "Nov 04, 1959, page 8 - The North Adams Transcript at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  16. ^ "Nov 08, 1961, page 8 - The North Adams Transcript at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  17. ^ "Nov 08, 1967, page 5 - The North Adams Transcript at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  18. ^ "Nov 05, 1969, page 5 - The North Adams Transcript at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2024-07-17.
  19. ^ North Adams Transcript (June 9, 2009), "Mystery photo solved", The North Adams Transcript, North Adams, Massachusetts
  20. ^ Obituaries (June 5, 2007), John R. Taft Jr., 53, N.A. veterans' agent, North Adams, Massachusetts: The North Adams Transcript
  21. ^ Mandell, Hinda (November 19, 2004), The IRS wants you ... to get your refund check, North Adams, Massachusetts: The North Adams Transcript
  22. ^ METRO (October 10, 1985), MAYORAL NOMINEES IN MASSACHUSETTS; THE FOLLOWING IS THE LIST OF MAYORAL NOMINEES FOR THE NOV. 5; FINAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS:, Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston Globe, p. 37.
  23. ^ METRO (November 7, 1985), NORTH ADAMS, Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston Globe, p. 40.
  24. ^ https://www.berkshireeagle.com/news/local/barrett-ousted----alcombright-wins/article_b135db1c-ed47-52df-adfd-9d8a7e5a9de7.html
  25. ^ "With historic vote, Macksey to become first female mayor of North Adams". WAMC. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2021-12-05.
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