Andrew Mack (politician)
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Andrew Mack | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 11th Mayor of Detroit, second charter | |
| In office 1834–1834 | |
| Preceded by | Charles Christopher Trowbridge |
| Succeeded by | Levi Cook |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 9, 1780 |
| Died | July 12, 1854 (aged 74) |
Andrew Mack (1780 – July 12, 1854[1][N 1]) was an American businessman and politician who, among other things, co-founded the Detroit Free Press, served as mayor of Detroit, Michigan, and whose land holdings became a portion of the town of Marysville.
Mack was born in New London, Connecticut, and was a sailor as a young man, having sailed around the world three times.[4] In 1804,[N 2] he drove a herd of merino sheep that he had purchased in Spain westward to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he established a wool factory[3] and a hotel. In the War of 1812, he was the captain of a military company[4] and subsequently served as member of the Cincinnati City Council[5]: 534 and as a state senator in the Ohio General Assembly.[6] He ran for Mayor of Cincinnati in the spring of 1829, but lost to the incumbent Isaac G. Burnet.[5]: 584
Detroit
President Andrew Jackson appointed him to become customs collector for Detroit in 1829,[7] a post he held for ten years. Upon his arrival in the Michigan Territory, he became involved with the local militia and gained the appellation "Colonel".[4] In 1831, Sheldon McKnight established the Democratic Free Press and Michigan Intelligencer (it eventually was renamed to the Detroit Free Press in 1866) and less than a year later, the newspaper was purchased by a consortium of citizens, one of whom was Mack. That group owned the business until 1837.[8]
Mayor Charles Christopher Trowbridge was elected in early 1834 during a cholera epidemic, but abruptly resigned. Mack won the ensuing special election on September 24 with 91 votes. In the general election the following year, Mack ran for re-election, but lost. He tried again in 1837, but also was unsuccessful.[9] In 1839, he represented Wayne County in the state legislature.[10] It is sometimes believed that Mack Avenue in Detroit is named after Andrew Mack, but that was actually named after John M. Mack, who was a supervisor of Hamtramck.[11][12]
