Cleveland Past and Present | Page 6

of
the city. A more full and exact account will be found in the historical
sketches prefacing each department in the body of the work, and still
further details will be found in the biographical sketches. There only
remains to be added here a few data in regard to the population,
government, and officials of the city.
The population of Cleveland commenced in 1796, with four persons.
Next year the number increased to fifteen, but in 1800, had fallen back
to seven. The subsequent figures are: 1810, 57; 1820, about 150; 1825,
about 500; 1830, United States census, 1,075; 1832, about 1,500; 1833,

about 1,900; 1834, city census, 6,071, or with Ohio City, 7,648; 1845,
9,573, or with Ohio City, 12,035; 1846, Cleveland 10,135; 1850,
United States census, 17,034, or with Ohio City, 20,984; 1851, city
census, 21,140; 1852, 25,670; 1860, United States census for combined
city, 43,838; 1866, 67,500; 1869, not less than 100,000.
The village of Cleveland was incorporated in 1814, and the first
president of the village, elected in 1815, was Alfred Kelley. Twelve
votes were cast at the election. In the following year he resigned his
position, and his father, Daniel Kelley, was elected by the same number
of votes, retaining his position until 1820, when Horace Perry was
made president. In the following year he was succeeded by Reuben
Wood. From the year 1821 to 1825, Leonard Case was regularly
elected president of the corporation, but neglecting to qualify in the
latter year, the recorder, E. Waterman, became president, ex-officio.
Here the records are defective until the year 1828, when it appears Mr.
Waterman received the double office of president and recorder. On
account of ill-health he resigned, and on the 30th of May the trustees
appointed Oirson Cathan as president. At the annual election in June,
1829, Dr. David Long was elected president, and during his presidency
a fire-engine was purchased. Forty-eight votes were cast at this election.
For the years 1830 and 1831, Richard Hilliard was president, and for
the following year John W. Allen was chosen, and retained the position
until 1835, one hundred and six votes being cast at the last named
election.
The mayors of Ohio City, up to the time of the consolidation, were as
follows; 1836, Josiah Barber; 1837, Francis A. Burrows; 1838-9,
Norman C. Baldwin; 1840-41, Needham M. Standart; 1842, Francis A.
Burrows; 1843, Richard Lord; 1844-5-6, D. H. Lamb; 1847, David
Griffith; 1848, John Beverlin; 1849, Thomas Burnham; 1850-51-52,
Benjamin Sheldon; 1853, Wm. B. Castle.
The first mayor of the city of Cleveland was John W. Willey, who held
the office for two terms, namely, for the years 1836 and 1837, the term
under the old constitution being but for one year. In 1858, the term was
extended to two years, Abner C. Brownell being re-elected for the first
two-year term. Under that mayoralty the consolidation of the two cities
was effected, and the next mayor, according to the understanding, was
taken from the late municipality of Ohio City, William B. Castle being

elected for the term of 1855-6.
When Cleveland was raised to the dignity of a city, in 1836, it was
divided into three wards, each ward represented by three councilmen
and one alderman. In 1851, a fourth ward was added, the increased
population rendering the re-arrangement necessary. In 1853, under the
operation of the new constitution, the aldermen were dispensed with;
the wards had previously been restricted to two trustees, or councilmen,
each. In 1854, the two cities of Cleveland and Ohio City having been
united, the consolidated city was divided into eleven wards. This
number remained until 1868, when, by the annexation of additional
territory, a re-division was necessitated, and the city districted into
fifteen wards.
As an interesting and valuable contribution to the municipal history of
the city we give the following complete record of the executive and
legislative government of Cleveland since its organization as a city:
1836. Mayor--John W. Willey. President of the Council--Sherlock J.
Andrews. Aldermen--Richard Hilliard, Joshua Mills, Nicholas
Dockstader. Councilmen--1st Ward--Morris Hepburn, John R. St. John,
William V. Craw. 2d Ward--Sherlock J. Andrews, Henry L. Noble,
Edward Baldwin. 3d Ward--Aaron T. Strickland, Horace Canfield,
Archibald M. C. Smith.
1837. Mayor--John W. Willey. President of the Council--Joshua Mills.
Aldermen--Joshua Mills, Nicholas Dockstader, Jonathan Williams.
Councilmen--1st Ward--George B. Merwin, Horace Canfield, Alfred
Hall. 2d Ward--Edward Baldwin, Samuel Cook, Henry L. Noble. 3d
Ward--Samuel Starkweather, Joseph K. Miller, Thomas Colahan.
1838. Mayor--Joshua Mills. President of the Council--Nicholas
Dockstader. Aldermen--Nicholas Dockstader, Alfred Hall, Benjamin
Harrington. Councilmen--1st Ward--George C. Dodge, Moses A.
Eldridge, Herrick Childs. 2d Ward--Benjamin Andrews, Leonard Case,
Henry Blair. 3d Ward--Melancthon Barnett, Thomas Colahan, Tom
Lemen.
1839. Mayor--Joshua Mills. President of the Council--John A. Foot.
Aldermen--Harvey Rice, Edward Baldwin, Richard Hilliard.
Councilmen--1st Ward--George Mendenhall, Timothy P. Spencer,
Moses Ross. 2d