Jewish mayor of Seattle Bailey Gatzert is elected on August 2, 1875.

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On August 2, 1875, Bailey Gatzert (1829-1893) is elected as the first and only (as of 2005) Jewish mayor of Seattle. Gatzert is partner and general manager of Schwabacher & Bros., one of Seattle's earliest hardware and general mercantile stores, later to become the start of wholesale trade in Seattle.

Gatzert and his wife Babette (Schwabacher) Gatzert were involved in many business and civic ventures critical to the establishment of early Seattle commerce and infrastructure.

Sources:
Washington State Jewish Historical Society, "Historically Speaking: Bailey Gatzert, Seattle's First and Only Jewish Mayor," Jewish Transcript, December 10, 1987.

By Lee Micklin, October 30, 1998

Travel through time (chronological order):
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Related Topics: Firsts | Jews in Washington | Government & Politics |

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Bailey Gatzert (1829-1893), 1875
Courtesy Seattle Municipal Archives