Harvey Doolittle Colvin

Infobox_Politician
name = Harvey Doolittle Colvin


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birth_date = December 18, 1815
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death_date = April 16, 1892
death_place = Chicago, Illinois
residence = Chicago, Illinois
office = Mayor of Chicago
order = 27th
term_start = 1873
term_end = 1875
predecessor = Joseph Medill, (Lester L. Bond)
successor = (Thomas Hoyne), Monroe Heath
party = People's Party
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Harvey Doolittle Colvin (born: December 18, 1815; died: April 16, 1892; buried in Rosehill Cemetery) served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1873-1875) for the People's Party.

Immediately prior to serving as Chicago's mayor, Colvin served as the city's treasurer. He ran against acting mayor Lester L. Bond and won with 60% of the vote. One month after taking office as mayor, Colvin was met with a mass demonstration at City Hall when more than 12,000 unemployed workers marched for jobs and relief. The crowd dispersed after being promised the city would provide relief when an alderman offered to buy them food throughout the winter if the city would reimburse him.

Colvin's administration repealed a Sunday ban on liquor sales which his predecessor, Joseph Medill and Bond supported. In 1874, Colvin's administration was rocked by allegations of patronage and a scandal in the city treasurer's office.

When the city council called for elections following the adoption of the Cities and Villages Act of 1872 in 1875, they left the office of mayor off the list of offices for the election. Despite this, Thomas Hoyne ran for the office and was elected. Colvin, however, refused the vacate the office and retained the title and position of mayor despite Hoyne's inauguration, partly due to the support of the city Comptroller. In 1876, a state judge ordered a special election be held later in the year. Monroe Heath, the Republican candidate beat his two rivals, James McGrath (Democrat) and Mark Kimball (People's Party).

External links

* [http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8228 Find-A-Grave profile for Harvey Doolittle Colvin]