March 30, 1853 – The Iowa Republican announces the first gathering of the Johnson County Agricultural Society which will include our first Iowa City mayor – J.P. DeForest.
Iowa City Mayor #1 – DeForest – while involved in local politics – might have been a farmer, or minimally a land investor, since in the March 30, 1853 Iowa (City) Republican, we find that he – along with many other Iowa City pioneers – were involved in the formation of the first Johnson County Agricultural Society, just days before being named our city’s first mayor.
According to his records in Find-A-Grave, Jacob Peter (J.P.) DeForest was born on December 2, 1791 in Rensselaer County, New York, and served in the War of 1812 as a Major. He was the husband of Elizabeth Eliza Eddy, died on February 18, 1854 (age 62), and is buried in Oakland Cemetery – Block 4, Lot #43 – in Iowa City.
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