List of mayors of North Adams, Massachusetts

This is a list of mayors of North Adams, Massachusetts. North Adams became a city in 1895.

Mayors

#	Mayor	Picture	Term	Party	Notes
1	Albert Charles Houghton		1896–1897		(April 13, 1844 – August 11, 1914) He was born April 13, 1844, in Stamford, Vermont, to James and Chloe Houghton. He was the youngest son in a family of nine children. Houghton married Cordelia J. Smith, of Stamford, Vermont, in 1866. They had four children, all of whom studied in Germany. He died on August 11, 1914. [1]
2	Hiram Torrey Cady		1898–1899		(January 17, 1843 - January 8, 1917) He was born on January 17, 1843, in North Adams, Massachusetts. He died on January 8, 1917, in Hartford, Connecticut.
3	Edward Shepard Wilkinson		1900-October 14, 1902	Republican	(March 21, 1842 – October 14, 1902) He was born on March 21, 1842. He worked as a banker. He died in office on October 14, 1902, in an Albany, New York hospital as a result of an operation performed for an abscess on his kidneys. [2]
Acting mayor.	Valmore Augustus Whitaker		1902–1903	Republican	(March 14, 1835 - ?) He was born March 14, 1835, in North Adams, Massachusetts, to Ezra Douglas Whitaker and Amanda M. Jones. [3] In 1905 Whitaker was the Republican candidate for mayor, he lost to the incumbent, Mayor Marshall R. Ford. [4]
4	Frank Dalmon Stafford, M.D.		1903–1904	Republican	(August 15, 1856 - ?) This was his first term. He was born on August 15, 1856, to Joel C. Stafford and Jane A. Stroud in Stamford, Vermont. Stafford attended the local public schools then Williamstown High School in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He studied medicine at Burlington Medical College. He represented Windham County in the Vermont legislature in 1888 and 1889, while residing in Whitingham. He married Flora A. Ballou, the daughter of Hosea B. Ballou and Adeline Murdock. [5]
5	Marshall Rufus Ford		1905–1906	Democratic
6	Frank Dalmon Stafford		1907–1908	Republican	This was his second term.
7	John H. Waterhouse		1909–1910	Republican	(March 1, 1870 - April 29, 1948) He was born on March 1, 1870, in Rhode Island. Waterhouse began his career in the wool industry working at a wool mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts. Waterhouse was, with Theodore Howard, [6] a member of the manufacturing firm of Waterhouse and Howard which, in 1905 [6] leased the Eagle Mill [6] in North Adams and operated it as a wollen mill. [6] [7] Waterhouse was the operator of Blackinton Woolen Mill in North Adams from 1910 to its liquidation in 1939.
8	Charles Lyman Frink		1911–1912	Republican	(February 16, 1849 – January 1937). He served as a deputy United States Marshal. [8]
9	Wallace Everett Brown		1913–1914	Republican	(June 29, 1853 – April 4, 1930) He was a physician. He died on Wallace died on April 4, 1930, in Fort Collins, Colorado of a cerebral hemorrhage.
10	John W. Gale		1915-1916	Democratic
11	Ezra Douglas Whitaker		1917–1920	Republican	(December 11, 1874 – October 24, 1936) He was born on December 11, 1874, to Valmore Augustus Whitaker and Emma Louise Beckwith. Whitaker received his early education at the Worcester Academy. He receives his A.B. from Yale College in 1898. [9] After he graduated from Yale, Whitaker went to work for the North Adams Savings Bank and was a director of the Hoosac Valley Street Railway. On April 30, 1900, Whitaker married Josephine Coenen of Springfield, Massachusetts. They had three daughters, including Josephine D. Whitaker. [10] He died on October 24, 1936. [11] [12]
12	Harvey Alpheus Gallup		1921–1922	Republican	(October 16, 1869 - August 6, 1946) In 1891 Gallup formed the Harvey A. Gallup Agency with his brother Clarence. [13]
13	William Kirk Greer		1923–1924	Republican
14	William Henry Johnson		1925–1932		He was born in Copake, New York February 26, 1871. He served for 5 terms and owned a foundry. He was elected twice as the Exalter Ruler of the North Adams Elks lodge. He died on May 7, 1941, aged 70. [14]
15	Archie James Pratt		1933–1934		(July 13, 1880 – November 1959). Pratt was, with Ed Price, the co-owner of Rice's Drug Store on the corner of Main and Eagle streets in North Adams. [15]
16	William Johnson		1935–1936
17	Francis J. O'Hara		1937–1940	Democratic
18	Faxon Bowen		1941–1942	Independent
19	Cornelius E. O'Brien		1943–1946	Democratic
20	James A. Bowes		1947–1951	Democratic
21	Ernest Henry Rosasco		1952–1953		(August 4, 1907 – July 1985) was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, to Giovanni B. Rosasco, a police captain; and Virginia Gazzaniga. Virginia died in 1930 and Giovani died in 1949. He had four brothers, Medeo, John B, William P, and Francis W, and William, and two sisters, Mary and Margaret. His wife was Mary A. Fachini. He graduated from Williams College in 1929 and from Harvard Law school in 1932. He practiced law in North Adams for ten years, and was a member of the North Adams city council from 1938 to 1941. From 1940 to 1942, he was a member of the advisory committee of the local draft board, and in November 1942 he joined the United States Army, enlisting as a private to serve in World War II. He served in the 4th Armored division in Europe until November 1945. He was granted a battlefield commission as lieutenant during the war, and was discharged with the rank of 2nd lieutenant. He died in July 1985.
22	James M. Lilly		1954–1955		(July 17, 1891 - July 1978)
23	Julius Mark Calvi		1956–1958		(May 19, 1917 – January 22, 2009)
24	Joseph Raymond Bianco		1958–1959		(March 19, 1914 – March 3, 2000). This was his first term.
25	Louis J. Diamond		1960–1961		Last mayor elected under a Massachusetts Plan D form of government.
26	Francis Constant Florini		1962–1967		First mayor elected under a Massachusetts Plan A form of government.
27	James F. Cleary		1968–1969	Democratic
28	Joseph Raymond Bianco		1970–1977		This was his second term.
29	Richard Charles Lamb		1978–1983		In 1977 Lamb, then 28 years old, was elected mayor over Louis R. Sinclitico. On election day, November 8, 1977, Lamb received fifty seven percent of the vote against Sinclitico who received forty two percent. [16] He resigned from office in 1983.
Acting mayor.	John R. Taft, Jr.		1983	Democratic	(April 28, 1954 – June 3, 2007 ) He was president of the North Adams, Massachusetts, city council and, in 1983, as the acting mayor. He was born on April 28, 1954, in North Adams, Massachusetts, to Therese Judge and John R. Taft Sr. Taft graduated with honors from Drury High School. Taft was a member of the North Adams City Council from 1980 to 1985. Taft was the president of the North Adams City Council. In 1983 Taft served, for two months as the acting mayor of North Adams. [17] [18] In the 1985 mayoral election Taft ran against incumbent Mayor John Barrett III. [19] Of the 4,373 votes cast in the election Barrett received 3,718 votes and Taft received 655. [20] Taft died on June 3, 2007, at the Veterans' Hospital in West Haven, Connecticut.
30	John Barrett III		1984–2009	Democratic
31	Richard J. Alcombright		2010-2018	Democratic
32	Thomas Bernard		2018-2022	Democratic
33	Jennifer Macksey		2022-	Democratic	First female mayor. [21]

References

1. Davis, William T. (1897). The New England States (Vol 1 ed.). Boston: D.H. Hurd & Co. pp.  175–176. Retrieved 17 February 2016.
2. "Death List of The Week", The New York Times, p. 9., October 15, 1902
3. Cooke, Rollin Hillyer (1906), Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Volume I, The Lewis Historical Publishing Co., p. 413
4. "North Adams Democrats Re-elect Mayor", The Hartford Courant, p. 1, December 20, 1905
5. Cooke, Rollin Hillyer (1906), Historic Homes and Institutions and Genealogical and Personal Memoirs of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, Volume II, New York, NY: The Lewis Historical Publishing Co., pp. 246–247
6. Campanile, Robert (2007), North Adams, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, p. 31.
7. Arnold, N. H. (May 1908), T. R. MacMechen (ed.), The American Aeronaut and Aerostatist, Vol. I, No 5, A Balloon Christening, Saint Louis, Missouri: Greeley Printery, p. 171.
8. New York Times (January 27, 1937), "Charles L. Frink. Ex-Mayor of North Adams, Mass., Deputy Sheriff 50 Years", The New York Times, New York, NY, p. 21
9. Wright, Henry B. (July 1902), Triennial Record of the Class of 1898. Yale College., New Haven, Connecticut: Yale College, Class of 1898., p. 86.
10. "Miss Whitaker a Bride. Daughter of North Adams's Late Mayor Wed to Hans Meissner", The New York Times, New York City, p. 2, June 13, 1937
11. Wright, Henry B. (July 1902), Triennial Record of the Class of 1898. Yale College., New Haven, Connecticut: Yale College, Class of 1898., pp. 86–87.
12. "Ezra D. Whitaker". New York Times . October 26, 1936. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
13. Dobrowolski, Tony (June 7, 2007), Merger helps agency expand, Pittsfield, Mass: The Berkshire Eagle
14. "William Johnson. Elected Mayor of North Adams Five Times.- Dies at Age of 70". New York Times . May 8, 1941. Retrieved 2018-02-27.
15. Rivers, Roger (November 17, 2009), Drug stores were all in the family, North Adams, Massachusetts: The North Adams Transcript
16. North Adams Transcript (June 9, 2009), "Mystery photo solved", The North Adams Transcript, North Adams, Massachusetts
17. Obituaries (June 5, 2007), John R. Taft Jr., 53, N.A. veterans' agent, North Adams, Massachusetts: The North Adams Transcript
18. Mandell, Hinda (November 19, 2004), The IRS wants you ... to get your refund check, North Adams, Massachusetts: The North Adams Transcript
19. METRO (October 10, 1985), MAYORAL NOMINEES IN MASSACHUSETTS; THE FOLLOWING IS THE LIST OF MAYORAL NOMINEES FOR THE NOV. 5; FINAL MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS IN MASSACHUSETTS:, Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston Globe, p. 37.
20. METRO (November 7, 1985), NORTH ADAMS, Boston, Massachusetts: The Boston Globe, p. 40.
21. "With historic vote, Macksey to become first female mayor of North Adams". WAMC. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2021-12-05.