John Putnam Chapin

John Putnam Chapin (April 21, 1810 – July 27, 1864; buried in Graceland Cemetery) served as Mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1846–1847) for the Whig Party.

John Putnam Chapin
10th Mayor of Chicago
In office March 3, 1846[1] – March 9, 1847[2]
Preceded by	Augustus Garrett
Succeeded by	James Curtiss
Personal details
Born	(1810-04-21)April 21, 1810 Bradford, Vermont
Died	July 27, 1864(1864-07-27) (aged 54) Chicago, Illinois
Political party	Whig
Residence	Chicago, Illinois

Chapin left his hometown to enter the mercantile business in Haverhill, New Hampshire before moving to Chicago in 1832.[3] In Chicago he became a member of the wholesale and retail merchants firm Wadsworth, Dyer & Chapin until it was dissolved in 1843.[3] Following the dissolution of the firm, Chapin joined the Canal Boat Transportation Company. He was a founding member of the Chicago Board of Trade.

In 1846, Chapin ran for mayor of Chicago as a Whig against Democratic nominee Charles Follansbee and Liberty Party nominee Philo Carpenter, winning the office with just over 55% of the vote.[4]

Following his term as Mayor, Chapin was elected to the city council in 1859. In 1861, he was nominated by the Union ticket for the office of Commissioner of Public Works. As Chapin was a Republican, he declined the nomination as he felt it was a mischievous move on the part of the Democrats.[5]