Seth Iredell - Akron, Ohio's 1st Mayor

Husband of Mary C. Iredell. Seth was a PA. Quaker storekeeper. On March 12, 1836, the Ohio State Legislature granted North Akron, Ohio, population 682, and South Akron, population 661, a single town charter. The first elections were held in June of 1836 at Clark's Tavern at the northeast corner of Main and Exchange Streets in Akron. This had been the first building constructed in the original town. Rivaly was strong between North and South Akron and most on both sides did not want to combine. (The Civil War a few years later would help to unite the two.) At the elections, both sides wanted someone they could trust for their first mayor. The running mates were a local man, Dr. Eliakim Crosby, who was thought to be an honest man as he was a medical doctor. The other was a former partner to Clark, of Clark's Tavern, Seth Iredell. Iredell had a small trading-type store in town and most had had dealings with him in the past.

Everyone knew how Iredell had helped newcomers to the area, and had made sure that families low on cash were still able to get the food and equipment they needed to survive. He had never asked for any interest on his loans, it had always been, "just pay me when you get it." In some cases, when they got it he still wouldn't take it as he knew that it was all they had. Thus, Seth Iredell died with many people owing him money. Seth beat Dr. Crosby in the election for office of mayor thus making Iredell Akron, Ohio's first mayor. He served the people very well and once his term was up, he simply returned to running his small store. Seth's wife, Mary, had died in 1839 while he was serving his term as mayor.

A Little Footnote to Seth's grave:

I have listed thousands of names to the Find A Grave.com website over the years and many of these were industrialists, businessmen and historical people of Akron. I went in search of Seth's grave to add but couldn't find it. I had heard somewhere that he was buried in Akron's historic Glendale Cemetery. I went to the cemetery office and asked about Seth Iredell. The lady was very nice but had never heard of him. I told her he had been Akron's first mayor. She checked the records at the cemetery, then checked them a second time. No Iredells were buried there she told me. I was stumped. I figured that if he was there, he should have been buried in, at least, the first three sections. so I began walking. Sure enough, in section 1, by the outer fence was the Iredell family plot. The gravestones, though small, were very readable. So, I took the information from the stones and the grave's locations back to the office. Now they are on record. How ironic, Seth was our very first city mayor, and his burial location was unknown...even at the cemetery office they had no record for his interment.

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Clark's Tavern is to the right in the photo. The two men (and the horses) are unidenified ~

Iredell Family Plot Layout

A Little Footnote to Seth's grave:

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