Jonathan Trotter

Jonathan Trotter (c. 1797 – April 5, 1865) was an English-American manufacturer and politician.

Life

Trotter was born in about 1797 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. He immigrated to the United States of America in 1818, settling in New York City. He worked as a morocco dresser on Roosevelt Street. In 1825, he began building a factory for leather dressing in the village of Brooklyn. In 1829, he moved to Brooklyn and his factory became a success.{{Cite book|last=Stiles|first=Henry R.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p3MxAAAAMAAJ|title=A History of the City of Brooklyn|year=1869|volume=II|location=Brooklyn, N. Y.|pages=250|language=en}}

In 1833, Trotter was elected a trustee of Brooklyn.{{Cite news|date=9 October 1833|title=Village Election|volume=XXV|page=2|work=The Long-Island Star|publisher=Alden Spooner|issue=18|location=Brooklyn, N. Y.|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/117467000/}} In 1834, when Brooklyn was officially chartered as a city, he was elected alderman of the 4th ward. In May 1835, he was elected the second Mayor of Brooklyn. He was re-elected in 1836 and served until 1837. As mayor, he laid the cornerstone for the original Brooklyn City Hall, which was later deemed too large.

Trotter lost his fortune in the Panic of 1837. In 1840, he moved back to Manhattan. He was elected to the New York City Board of Assistant Alderman and served as president of the board in 1852{{Cite news|date=10 September 1852|title=The President of the Board of Assistant|volume=XLIV|work=Brooklyn Evening Star|issue=3604|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/117470302/}} and 1853. He was a passenger on the train of the 1853 Norwalk rail accident, but survived.{{Cite news|date=7 May 1853|title=Another Frightful Calamity|page=1|work=New York Herald|issue=7441|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/329294720/}} In 1858, he was appointed first clerk of the Street Commissioner's office.{{Cite news|date=1 May 1858|title=Street-Commissioner's Appointment|volume=VII|page=8|work=The New York Times|issue=2064|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/20324635/}} In 1859, he was appointed Collector of Assessments.{{Cite news|date=18 June 1859|title=Appointments by the Street Commissioner|page=1|work=The New York Herald|issue=8322|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/593175711/}}

Trotter was a member of the Democratic Party{{Cite news|date=17 November 1889|title=Questions Answered|volume=49|page=6|work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle|issue=318|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/50408635/}} and a sachem of the Tammany Society.{{Cite news|date=20 April 1859|title=Election of Tammany Sachems|volume=XXIV|page=2|work=Buffalo Daily Courier|issue=67|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/313065958/}} He served as the first president of the Atlantic Bank of Brooklyn, and was vice-president of the Leather Manufacturers Bank of New York.{{Cite news|date=16 August 1873|title=Mayors of Brooklyn|volume=34|page=4|work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle|issue=194|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/50390526/}}

Trotter died on April 5, 1865.{{Cite news|date=7 April 1865|title=Death of Hon. Jonathan Trotter|volume=25|page=3|work=The Brooklyn Daily Eagle|issue=75|url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/50248445/}} He was buried in Green-Wood Cemetery.