Hugh O'Brien (July 13,1827 –August 1,1895) served as the mayor of Boston from 1884 to 1888. O'Brien is notable as Boston's first Irish and Catholic mayor,having emigrated from Ireland to America in the early 1830s. O'Brien was the editor of the Shipping and Commercial List and served as a Boston alderman from 1875 to 1883.[2] He was chairman of the Boston Board of Aldermen from 1879 through 1881 and again in 1883.
Born in Ireland on July 13,1827,O'Brien emigrated to America in the early 1830s as a young child. He dropped out of public school at the age of twelve to pursue a career in newspapers,[3] eventually becoming the editor of the Shipping and Commercial List.
During his time as alderman,he was known for his advocacy toward public parks,having a hand in the city's acquisition of Franklin Park and the Back Bay land. He was a champion of the working class and helped pass legislation regulating the pay of men under city contractors. He also sought to decrease expenditures within the city,in order to lower taxes.[4]
O'Brien enacted numerous reforms and focused on controlling their subsequent expenses. He won reelection in 1885,1886,and 1887,before being defeated by three-time challenger Republican Thomas N. Hart in the election of 1888.[4]
Later life
O'Brien was appointed by Mayor Nathan Matthews Jr. to Boston's Board of Survey,which was tasked with planning the city's streets.
Mayors of Boston:An Illustrated Epitome of who the Mayors Have Been and What they Have Done,Boston,MA:State Street Trust Company,Page 39,(1914).
12A Catalogue of the City Councils of Boston, 1822–1908, Roxbury, 1846–1867, Charlestown 1847–1873 and of The Selectmen of Boston, 1634–1822 also of Various Other Town and Municipal officers, Boston, MA: City of Boston Printing Department, 1909, p.279 Printed by Order of the City Council
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