Herrick, Rensselaer Russell

Rensselaer Russell Herrick (1826-1899) was an entrepreneur, member of the city council of Cleveland, Ohio, and mayor of Cleveland (1879-1882). Born in Utica, New York, to Sylvester Pierce Herrick and Cleveland magazine publisher Maria Marcia Smith Herrick, he moved to Cleveland in 1836 and worked as a printer's apprentice and carpenter. He was the president of the Dover Bay Grape and Wine Company. Beginning in 1855, he held five terms as a member of Cleveland's city council, and served on the city's Board of Improvements. As mayor of Cleveland (Republican), he lowered the city's debt and tax levy rates and instituted an annual census by the police department. After leaving office, he served as a vice president at the Society for Savings, and briefly served as the director of Cleveland's Public Works department.

View the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Rensselaer Russell Herrick

View the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry for Maria Marcia Smith Herrick

From the guide to the Rensselaer Russell Herrick Papers, 1875-1882, (Western Reserve Historical Society)