Mayor Hugh O'Brien, 1885-1888

Object Type: Asset
In Folder: 5210004-015 Mayoral portraits

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Mayor Hugh O'Brien, 1885-1888

Metadata Object Description - Record Information

Record Identifier: 5210004_015_028

Record Creation Date: 2022-09-13

Description Standard: dacs

Metadata Object Description

Title: Mayor Hugh O'Brien, 1885-1888

Creator Name: Wilcox, John Angel James, 1835-

Type of Resource: photographs

Date Created: unknown

Language: english

Conditions Governing Reproduction: Copyright not evaluated

LCSH Subject Heading: Boston (Mass.). Office of the Mayor

LCSH Subject Heading: Portraits

LCSH Subject Heading: O'Brien, Hugh, 1827-1895

City: tgn:7013445

Collection name and number: Landmarks Commission image collection (5210.004)

Metadata Object Description - Notes

Biography or History: Hugh O'Brien served four terms as mayor, from 1885 to 1888. He was born in Ireland, July 13, 1827, and came to this country while a child. He went to the public schools, but left at the age of twelve to earn his living in newspaper work and publishing, and later entered politics, where he served almost continuously from 1875 to 1883 on the Board of Aldermen. He was a strong advocate of public parks, and a powerful argument of his caused the city to acquire the Franklin Park land in West Roxbury, the Back Bay land, and the large tract at City Point. Always a champion of the laboring classes, he was most potent in passing ordinances regulating the pay of men working for city contractors. He endeavored to limit the municipal expenditures, so that the amount to be raised by taxes would be greatly decreased. During his four terms as mayor, he showed great concern in making the necessary changes in offices and in controlling the expenses made by changes in business methods. After retiring from the mayoralty, he was appointed by Mayor Matthews to the Board of Survey for planning streets. He died August 1, 1895.Taken from "Boston's 45 Mayors from John Phillips to Kevin H. White," City Record, Boston, 1979.

Appraisal Information: This is a reproduction.

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