William Freret
Encyclopedia
William Freret was Mayor of New Orleans from May 10, 1840 to Apr. 4, 1842, and again from Feb. 27, 1843 to May 12, 1844.
He was born in New Orleans, and was of mixed English and French descent: his father was an English merchant who settled in New Orleans and married a Creole woman. His father built on the boy's natural mechanical talent, sending him to Europe to be educated in engineering and the mechanical arts. He returned to New Orleans and eventually succeeded to his father's business of compressing cotton for shipment abroad. Under his direction, the Freret Cotton Press Company became the first large industrial firm in New Orleans, and propelled him to public visibility and a political career. Despite his Creole mother, he joined the Native American party, a new political group that sought to limit the influence on public affairs of Creoles and other groups viewed as "foreign"; under its banner he won the 1840 election by 1,051 votes to the 942 of his predecessor Charles Genois
.
His meticulous temperament made him one of the most efficient mayors in New Orleans' history; he was a hands-on administrator notorious for his surprise inspections of city facilities, for example. His term was marked by the continuation of the city's recovery from the combined effects of the borrowing and spending of previous mayors and the nationwide economic crisis of 1837, and hampered by the curious administration he inherited, in which the city was divided into three autonomous — and often acrimoniously competing — "Municipalities". Despite these difficulties, he succeeded in establishing a free public school system and obtaining backing for it at the state level: this is considered to be his greatest achievement.
At the expiration of his term he ran for re-election but lost to Denis Prieur
, a former mayor; who, however, was mayor for only eight months, resigning to take a state office; Freret filled the remainder of Prieur's term.
He ran for a third term in the elections of 1844, but they seem to have been marked by widespread fraud, and he lost to Joseph Edgard Montegut
. In 1850, he was appointed Collector of the Port of New Orleans by President Zachary Taylor
.
Freret is buried in New Orleans, Louisiana
, in St. Patrick Cemetery. Freret Street in New Orleans is named for him.
He was born in New Orleans, and was of mixed English and French descent: his father was an English merchant who settled in New Orleans and married a Creole woman. His father built on the boy's natural mechanical talent, sending him to Europe to be educated in engineering and the mechanical arts. He returned to New Orleans and eventually succeeded to his father's business of compressing cotton for shipment abroad. Under his direction, the Freret Cotton Press Company became the first large industrial firm in New Orleans, and propelled him to public visibility and a political career. Despite his Creole mother, he joined the Native American party, a new political group that sought to limit the influence on public affairs of Creoles and other groups viewed as "foreign"; under its banner he won the 1840 election by 1,051 votes to the 942 of his predecessor Charles Genois
Charles Genois
Charles Genois was the Mayor of New Orleans from May 1838 to May 1840. Genois's brief tenure has been characterized as feeble because of a stagnant period that followed the enterprise outbreak during his predecessor's term...
.
His meticulous temperament made him one of the most efficient mayors in New Orleans' history; he was a hands-on administrator notorious for his surprise inspections of city facilities, for example. His term was marked by the continuation of the city's recovery from the combined effects of the borrowing and spending of previous mayors and the nationwide economic crisis of 1837, and hampered by the curious administration he inherited, in which the city was divided into three autonomous — and often acrimoniously competing — "Municipalities". Despite these difficulties, he succeeded in establishing a free public school system and obtaining backing for it at the state level: this is considered to be his greatest achievement.
At the expiration of his term he ran for re-election but lost to Denis Prieur
Denis Prieur
Denis Prieur was the 10th mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana serving from May 12, 1828 - April 9, 1838 and again from April 4, 1842 - February 7, 1843.-References:...
, a former mayor; who, however, was mayor for only eight months, resigning to take a state office; Freret filled the remainder of Prieur's term.
He ran for a third term in the elections of 1844, but they seem to have been marked by widespread fraud, and he lost to Joseph Edgard Montegut
Joseph Edgard Montegut
Joseph Edgard Montegut was the 14th mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana serving from May 13, 1844 - April 5, 1846.-References:...
. In 1850, he was appointed Collector of the Port of New Orleans by President Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
.
Freret is buried in New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
, in St. Patrick Cemetery. Freret Street in New Orleans is named for him.
External links
- The Genois, Freret and Montegut Administrations (Kendall's History of New Orleans, Chapter 9)