George Opdyke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
George Opdyke (1805 - June 12, 1880) was an entrepreneur, a millionaire, and the Mayor of New York during the American Civil War, from 1862 to 1863. While mayor, he worked hard to raise and equip troops, dealt with the draft riots, and prevented commercial panics. He was largest clothing manufacturing and merchandiser in the city.
He joined the Republican Party specifically because of its anti-slavery stance. He was a member of the Buffalo Free-soil convention in 1848, and served on its committee on resolutions. He was a candidate for U.S. Congress on the Free-soil ticket in New Jersey.
He was a member of the New York State Assembly in 1859, and was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention where he played a key role in the nomination of Abraham Lincoln.
He was born in Hunterdon County, New Jersey and died in New York. In the 1820s, lived in Cleveland, Ohio and New Orleans, Louisiana.
[edit] References
- Mr. Lincoln and New York: George Opdyke
- [1] Biographical Sketches of the State Officers and Members of the Legislature in the State of New York in 1859 by Wm. D. Murphy (pages 202f; C. Van Benthuysen, Albany NY, 1859)
