Henry Parker Ford served as Mayor of Pittsburgh from 1896 to 1899.

Early life

Henry Parker Ford was born in Hudson, New York

Hudson, New York

Hudson is a city located along the west border of Columbia County, New York, United States. The city is named after the adjacent Hudson River and ultimately after the explorer Henry Hudson.Hudson is the county seat of Columbia County...

 in 1837. He first worked as an accountant, experiencing much success in the trade. His skills in finance served him well in the expanding commercial center of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...

 and led to his association in many industries in the city. He founded Emerson, Ford and Company, a manufacturing concern whose specialty was saw blades. In 1881 he was elected to city council.

Pittsburgh politics

For a city that sometimes goes by the nickname "city of bridges" and claims to have more bridges then any other city outside of Venice, Italy, Mayor Ford was perfect. He was the founder of the city's Department of Bridges during his term. Mayor Ford also oversaw the creation of Pittsburgh Police Department's Bicycle patrol in 1896 as well as the first water filtration

Water purification

Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...

 in the city.

Later life

Mayor Ford died in 1905. He is buried in Homewood Cemetery

Homewood Cemetery

Homewood Cemetery is a historic, nonsectarian burial ground in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. It is located in Squirrel Hill and is bordered by both Frick Park and the neighborhood of Point Breeze....

on the city's east end.