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James Henry Elmore
(1843-1914)
1890 - 1895
James Elmore was born January 6, 1843, in Mukwonago, Waukesha County.
He received his elementary education at the public schools of his native town, with a course of study at the East Troy school taught by Mr. Markham, who afterward became principal of the "Markham Academy," Milwaukee. At the age of fifteen, he entered Racine College, which he attended two years.
Then he connected with his father's mercantile business in Mukwonago and later in the capacity of reporter for various newspapers, being stationed during the winter of 1862-63 at Madison, WI. In the spring of 1863, he came to Green Bay and engaged in the grain elevator and forwarding business, in which he remained until 1877. He then moved to Milwaukee, where, for a year, he was interested in the commission trade. He then spent several years traveling and employing his time at various occupations. He spent two summers in New York; he was in the Black Hills and in Arizona; in 1882 in Crystal Falls, MI, he was superintendent of the Crystal Falls Iron Company. He returned to Green Bay and in May of 1884 received the appointment of receiver for
Strong's Bank, 1880, located on the west side of Washington Street between Pine and Cherry Streets.
Strong's Bank. The affairs of this institution were mixed up, and he succeeded in unraveling and clearing them up in such a highly creditable and satisfactory manner as to receive from all concerned, including the judge of the court, the highest encomiums, so he was appointed at different times as assignee to various estates.
Mr. Elmore's next occupation was in the manufacture of and dealing in cedar poles, ties, piling posts, shingles, etc., in which he did a remarkably large business.
In 1873, he was elected, without opposition, the first Mayor of Fort Howard. He also served as alderman of the same borough, and after coming to Green Bay in 1883, he was elected mayor in 1890. He was elected twice without opposition and once (1892) over an opponent who succeeded in capturing only about one-fourth of the votes. Mr. Elmore was again elected in 1895. Although known to be a staunch Democrat, he always had the support of all parties, regardless of political bias. The general feeling was that the chief magistrates of a city should be a man pro bono publico and not a politician.
Fire Department, 1923, taken on south Washington Street near the present day Meyer Theatre.
James Elmore boasted of many accomplishments during his tenure as mayor, among which was a couple of miles of cedar block paving, several miles of sewers, two old bridges rebuilt, and a new one erected, the reorganization of the fire department, (which at the time was a model one equipped with the Gamewell fire alarm telegraph system), and a new high school built of Lake Superior red sandstone. Due to his efforts, Green Bay had the best system of street railroads in the United States.
On January 19, 1896, James married Miss Anna Leola Chapman, daughter of Col. William Chapman. They had one child, William Chapman.
James Elmore's home which stood at 644 South Monroe Avenue.
Read about
life in the 1880s