List of Principal Municipal Authorities of the Cities of Washington, Georgetown and the District of Columbia

Compiled by John B. Larner

Commissioners who laid out City of Washington

Thomas Johnson, from Maryland, from January 22, 1791 to August 23, 1794, when he was succeeded by Gustavus Scott.

Daniel Carroll, from Maryland, from March 4, 1791 to May 21, 1795, when he was succeeded by Alexander White.

David Stuart, from Virginia, from January 22, 1791, to September 12, 1794, when he was succeeded by William Thornton.

Gustavus Scott, from Maryland, from August 23, 1794, to December 25, 1800, when he died.

William Thornton, from Pennsylvania, from September 12, 1794 to July 1, 1802, when the office of Commissioners was abolished by the Act of Congress of May 1, 1802.

Alexander White, from Virginia, from May 21, 1795 to July 1, 1802, when the office of Commissioners was abolished.

William Cranch, from Massachusetts, from January 14, 1801 to March 3, 1801, when he resigned, and was succeeded by Tristram Dalton.

Tristram Dalton, from Massachusetts, from March 10, 1801 to July 1, 1802, when the office of Commissioners was abolished.

Mayors of Washington

Robert Brent, June 1, 1802 to May, 1812.
Daniel Rapine, June 8, 1812 to June, 1813.
James H. Blake, June 14, 1813 to June, 1817.
Benjamin G. Orr, June 9, 1817 to June, 1819.
Samuel N. Smallwood, June 14, 1819 to June, 1822, and June 14, 1824 to Sept. 30, 1824, when he died.
Thomas Carbery, June 14, 1822 to June, 1824.
Roger C. Weightman, Oct. 4, 1824 to July 31, 1827, when he resigned.
Joseph Gales, Jr., July 31, 1827 to June, 1830.
John P. Van Ness, June 14, 1830 to June, 1834.
William A. Bradley, June 9, 1834 to June, 1836.
Peter Force, June 13, 1836 to June, 1840.
William Winston Seaton, June 8, 1840 to June, 1850.
Walter Lenox, June 10, 1850 to June, 1852.
John W. Maury, June 14, 1852 to June, 1854.
John Thomas Towers, June 12, 1854 to June, 1856.
William B. Magruder, June 9, 1856 to June, 1858.
James Gabriel Berret, June 14, 1858 to August 24, 1861.
Richard Wallach, August 26, 1861, to June, 1868.
Sayles Jenks Bowen, June 8, 1868 to June, 1870.
Matthew Gault Emery, June 13, 1870 to June, 1871.

Commissioners of the Town of Georgetown,
Appointed By the Act of the Houses of Assembly of the Province of Maryland
passed May 15, 1751, which Created the Town of Georgetown.

Captain Henry Wright Crabb,
John Needham,
John Cleggett,
James Parris,
Samuel Magruder, the third,
Josias Beale and
David Lynn.

These were succeeded by
John Murdock,
Richard Thompson,
William Deakins,
Thomas Richardson
Charles Beatty, who were appointed by virtue of an act of the General Assembly of Maryland.

Mayors of Georgetown

Robert Peter, appointed January 5, 1790.
Thomas Beale, of Geo., elected January 3, 1791.
Uriah Forrest, elected January 2, 1792.
John Threlkeld, elected January 7, 1793.
Peter Casenave, elected January 6, 1794.
Thomas Turner, elected January 5, 1795.
Daniel Reintzel, elected January 4, 1796.
Lloyd Beall, elected January 2, 1797.
Daniel Reintzel, elected October 19, 1799.
Daniel Reintzel, elected January 7, 1800.
Daniel Reintzel, elected January 5, 1801.
Daniel Reintzel, elected January 4, 1802.
Daniel Reintzel, elected January 3, 1803.
Daniel Reintzel, elected January 2, 1804.
Thomas Corcoran, elected January 7, 1805.
Daniel Reintzel, elected January 6, 1806
Daniel Reintzel, elected January 5, 1807.
Thomas Corcoran, elected January 4, 1808.
Thomas Corcoran, elected January 2, 1809.
Thomas Corcoran, elected January 1, 1810
David Wiley, elected January 7, 1811.
Thomas Corcoran, elected January 6, 1812.
John Peter, elected January 4, 1813.
John Peter, elected January 3, 1814.
John Peter, elected January 2, 1815.
John Peter, elected January 1, 1816.
John Peter, elected January 1, 1817.
John Peter, elected January 5, 1818.
Henry Foxall elected January 4, 1819.
Henry Foxall, elected January 3, 1820.
John Peter, elected January 1, 1821.
John Peter, elected January 7, 1822.
John Cox, elected January 6, 1823.
John Cox, elected January 5, 1824.
John Cox, elected January 3, 1825.
John Cox, elected January 2, 1826.
John Cox, elected January 1, 1827.
John Cox, elected January 7, 1828.
John Cox, elected January 5, 1829.
John Cox, elected January 4, 1830.
By act of Congress May 31, 1830, John Cox was continued in office until February 28, 1831.
John Cox elected March 7, 1831, and continued in office until March 3, 1845.
Henry Addison from March 3, 1845, to March 2, 1857.
Richard R. Crawford, from March 2, 1857, to March 4, 1861.
Henry Addison, from March 4, 1861, to March 4, 1867.
Charles D. Welch, from March 4, 1867, to March 1, 1869.
Henry M. Sweeney, from March 1, 1869, to May 31, 1871.

Governors of the District of Columbia

David Henry Cooke, February 28, 1871 to September 13, 1873.
Alexander Robey Shepherd, September 13, 1873 to June 20, 1874.

Delegate to Congress

Norton P. Chipman, April 21, 1871 to March 4, 1875.

Commissioners of the District of Columbia,
Temporary Government

William Dennison, July 1, 1874 to July 1, 1878.
Henry T. Blow, July 1, 1874 to December 31, 1874. (Resigned.)
John Henry Ketcham, July 3, 1874 to June 30, 1877. (Resigned.)
Seth Ledyard Phelps, January 18, 1875 to June 30, 1878. (Resigned.)
Thomas B. Bryan, December 3, 1877 to July 1, 1878. Succeeding Ketcham.

Permanent Form of Government

Josiah Dent, July 1, 1878 to July 17, 1882.
Seth Ledyard Phelps, July 1, 1878 to November 29, 1879.
Maj. William Johnson Twining, June 29, 1878 to May 5, 1882.
Thomas Phillips Morgan, November 29, 1879 to March 8, 1883.
Maj. Garrett J. Lydecker, May 11, 1882 to April 1, 1886.
Jos. Rodman West, July 17, 1882 to July 22, 1885.
James Barker Edmonds, March 8, 1883 to April 1, 1886.
William Benning Webb, July 22, 1885 to May 21, 1889.
Samuel Edwin Wheatley, April 1, 1886 to May 21, 1889.
Col. William Ludlow, April 1, 1886 to January 27, 1888.
Maj. Charles Walker Raymond, January 27, 1888 to February 3, 1890.
John Watkinson Douglass, May 21, 1888 to February 28, 1893.
Lemon Galpin Hine, May 21, 1889 to September 30, 1890.
Lt. Col. Henry Martyn Robert, February 14, 1890 to October 14, 1891.
John Wesley Ross, October 1, 1890 to July 29, 1902.
Capt. William Trent Rossell, October 15, 1891 to May 8, 1893.
Myron Melville Parker, March 1, 1893 to March 9, 1894.
Maj. Charles Francis Powell, May 8, 1893 to March 1, 1897.
George Truesdell, March 10, 1894 to May 7, 1897.
Capt. William Murray Black, March 2, 1897 to May 31, 1898.
John Brewer Wight, May 8, 1897 to May 8, 1900.
Henry Brown Floyd Macfarland, May 9, 1900 to January 24, 1910.
Capt. Lansing Hoskins Beach, June 1, 1898 to November 1, 1901.
Col. John Biddle, November 1, 1901 to May 1, 1907.
Henry Litchfield West, October 16, 1902 to January 24, 1910.
Maj. Jay Johnson Morrow, May 2, 1907 to December 31, 1908.
Maj. Spencer Cosby, December 21, 1908 to March 15, 1909.
Maj. William Voorhees Judson, Mar. 15, 1909 to September 26, 1914.
Cuno Hugo Rudolph, January 24, 1910 to July 19, 1913.
John Alexander Johnston, January 24, 1910 to July 19, 1913.
Lt. Col. Chester Harding, Detailed as a Commissioner by order of February 20, 1913, to take effect February 28, 1913. Took oath at Gatun, Canal Zone, February 28, 1913. Reported for duty March 8, 1913.
Oliver Peck Newman, July 19, 1913, to October 9, 1917.
Frederick Lincoln Siddons, July 19, 1913 to January 20, 1915. Resigned to accept appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court, District of Columbia.
Lt. Col. Charles Willauer Kutz, October 31, 1914 to July 16, 1917, and December 16, 1918 to
Louis Brownlow, January 26, 1915 to September 15, 1920.
Brig. Gen. John George David Knight, July 16, 1917 to December 16, 1918.
William Gwynn Gardiner, October 9, 1917 to December 16, 1918. (Resigned.)
John Thilman Hendrick, September 17, 1920 to
Mabel Thorpe Boardman, September 25, 1920 to

Public Schools of the District of Columbia

The public school system was established by an act of the city council passed December 5, 1804. The control of the schools by this act was placed in the hands of a board of thirteen trustees, seven chosen by the council and six named by the contributors to the support of the schools. Thomas Jefferson, then the President of the United States, was elected the first president of the new board August 14, 1805. The first board of trustees was composed of the following persons:

Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Monroe
Gabriel Duvall
Thomas Tingey
Joseph Brombey
John Tayloe
Robert Brent
William Brent
Samuel H. Smith
William Cranch
George Blagden
John Dempsie
Nicholas King.

In 1816 there was established two boards of trustees, who managed the schools until the reorganization in 1844, when a single board of twelve members was established, three from each of the four wards of the city. The first school for colored children was established in 1807.

In 1874 there were four boards for school management, one for Washington, Georgetown and the County, and one for the colored schools.

Superintendents

Zalmon Richards, 1869. Appointed by the Mayor. James Ormond Wilson, 1870-1885. Appointed by the Mayor and by the Commissioners.
William Bramwell Powell, 1885-1900. Appointed by the Commissioners.
Alexander T. Stuart, 1900-1906. Appointed by Board of Education.
Dr. William E. Chancellor, July 1906-January, 1908. Appointed by the Board of Education.
Alexander T. Stuart, January 5, 1908 to July 1, 1911. Appointed by the Board of Education.
Dr. William M. Davidson, July 1, 1911 to January, 1914. Appointed by the Board of Education.
Ernest L. Thurston, January, 1914 to July 1, 1920. Appointed by Board of Education.
Dr. Frank W. Ballou, July 1, 1920 to ___. Appointed by Board of Education.

Superintendents of Colored Schools

A. E. Newton, 1865-1868. Appointed by the Board of Trustees.
George F. T. Cook, 1868-1900. Appointed by the Board of Trustees.

AHGP District of Columbia

Source: Records of the Columbia Historical Society, Washington DC, Committee on Publication and the Recording Secretary, Volume 7, Washington, Published b the Society, 1904.