Thomas Dyer
American politician
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Thomas Dyer (January 13, 1805 – June 6, 1862) served as mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1856–1857) for the Democratic Party. He also served as the founding president of the Chicago Board of Trade.
Thomas Dyer | |
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| 18th Mayor of Chicago | |
| In office March 11, 1856[1] – March 10, 1857[2] | |
| Preceded by | Levi Boone |
| Succeeded by | John Wentworth |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 13, 1805 Canton, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Died | June 6, 1862 (aged 57) Middletown, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Resting place | Graceland Cemetery |
| Party | Democratic |
| Signature | |
Biography
Thomas Dyer was born in Canton, Connecticut on January 13, 1805.[3]
He was a meat-packing partner of former mayor John Putnam Chapin, who was one of Chicago's first meat packers. Chapin built a slaughterhouse on the South Branch of the Chicago River in 1844.[4]
Running as a "pro-Nebraska" Democrat (aligned with Stephen A. Douglas, who publicly backed his candidacy), Dyer won the contentious 1856 Chicago mayoral election, defeating former mayor Francis Cornwall Sherman (who ran as an anti-Nebraska candidate).[5][6]
He died in Middletown, Connecticut on June 6, 1862, and was buried at Graceland Cemetery in Chicago.[3]
