John Thomas Lesley

Born: May 12, 1835

Died: July 13, 1913

12th Mayor of Tampa: Term March 1, 1869 – October 4, 1869

Born in Madison County, Florida, John Lesley moved to Tampa with his family in 1848. During the Third Seminole War, Lesley joined the Florida militia as a private but quickly was promoted to lieutenant. At the outbreak of the War Between the States, he formed a company of Tampa men and was elected its captain. In October 1862, Lesley was commissioned a major in the Confederate Army. At the end of the war, Lesley returned to Tampa where he worked to establishing his financial and social position. During the next several years, Lesley served as sheriff for two years and built a sawmill that supplied much of the lumber used to re-build the town. He later became a cattle rancher and state legislator.

At the end of 1865, Tampa resembled a ghost town. The majority of residents had left the city during the war (although a significant number eventually returned), the economic condition was dismal and there was no municipal government. The election of Edward Clark as mayor on October 25, 1866 was unable to substantially improve conditions. Clark’s Administration was confronted with an empty treasury, yellow fever epidemics and frequent unrest in the city. The situation worsened with arrival of federal troops and administrators to impose the Reconstruction policies established by the U.S. Congress. Deeply resented by the population, soldiers and federal civil authorities were subjected to frequent harassment. In response, both federal military and civil authorities used their position to make life even more miserable for the resident population.

The antagonism between federal authorities and Tampa residents was the foundation for John Lesley’s mayoral campaign in early 1869. He campaigned on a single platform that Tampa’s charter should be revoked by the state legislature due to the City’s destitute financial condition. The majority of residents agreed and Lesley was elected mayor on March 1, 1869. While a city clerk, treasurer and a city council was elected, the Lesley Administration did little more than wait until the state legislature revoked Tampa’s Charter due to a inactive government. On October 4, 1869, the state legislature responded as expected and revoked the City’s charter. When the news reached Tampa, Lesley and other City officials resigned their positions.  The Hillsborough County government appropriated all City properties and assumed responsibility for providing educational and other principal services to Tampa’s residents. Tampa’s status as a non-chartered city continued until August 1873 when residents voted to re-incorporate the city.

http://www.tampagov.net/dept_City_Clerk/Information_resources/previous_mayors/john_thomas_lesley.asp