Samuel Wilkeson was a merchant, politician, and judge who served as mayor of Buffalo, New York.
Occupation
politician
Position held
member of the New York State Assembly, member of the State Senate of New York, Mayor of Buffalo, New York
Citizenship
United States
Born
June 1, 1781
Died
July 7, 1848
Overview
Samuel Wilkeson (June 1, 1781 – July 7, 1848) was a merchant, politician, and judge who served as mayor of Buffalo, New York.
Early life
He was born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania on June 1, 1781. He was a child of John Wilkeson and Mary (née Robinson) Wilkeson, immigrant farms from the north of Ireland.
After the death of his father around 1802, Wilkeson moved to Mahoning County, Ohio, where he built a farm and the first grist mill in the area.
Career
During the War of 1812, Wilkeson was asked to build a fleet of ships for the U.S. Army at Buffalo, brought his family there, and opened a general store. In 1815, he became the village's first Justice of the Peace and later chosen as a village trustee. He was a member of the Buffalo Harbor Company that brought the terminus of the Erie Canal to Buffalo, versus its rival Black Rock.
