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Nunda Historical Society |
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Nunda Historical Society |
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This list of mayors and village presidents of Nunda, New York, traces the local leadership of our community from its incorporation in 1839 to the present day. It was researched and compiled by Nunda Historical Society member Ann Crandall using village minutes, local newspapers, and other historical sources. Ann's discussion of the project follows the list.
| Date | Name | Clerk |
|---|---|---|
| June 11, 1839–43 | Benedict Bagley (appointed President) | Nathaniel Coe |
| June 16, 1843 | Elijah Norton | " |
| June 29, 1844 | Benedict Bagley | W. Whitcomb |
| June 13, 1845 | Nathaniel Coe | Charles W. King |
| June 10, 1846–49 | Samuel Swain, Jr. | Chauncey Remington / Silas Grover |
| June 7, 1849 | C. N. Lawrence | W. Whitcomb / Wm. D. Hammond |
| July 5, 1850 | Hiram C. Grover | Wm. D. Hammond |
| June 10, 1851 | Samuel Swain | " |
| June 21, 1852–54 | Walter Whitcomb | " |
| June 13, 1854 | Spencer S. Swain | H. Chalker |
| June 11, 1855 | William N. Alward | Sam J. Crook |
| June 14, 1856 | Samuel S. Skinner | " |
| June 13, 1857 | Hiram C. Grover | P. Carter |
| June 2, 1858 | Benjamin F. King | W. D. Hammond |
| June 29, 1859 | Peter Carter | L. C. Skinner |
| June 5, 1860 | William N. Alward | W. D. Hammond |
| June 6, 1861 | Emilus O. Dickinson | " |
| June 4, 1862 | Francis H. Gibbs | George M. Osgoodby |
| June 3, 1863 | Russell Barnes | " |
| July 4, 1864 | Willard Wood | W. D. Hammond (Pg. 220 of Minutes, Notation that Trustees, Clerk, and Assessors voted on, President appointed.) |
| June 9, 1865 | Walter Spencer | " |
| May 17, 1866 | Willard Wood | " |
| May 1867 | Willard Wood | F. Davidson |
| April 18, 1868 | (*Assumption) Willard Wood | " (Nunda News) |
| 1869 | ||
| April 14, 1870 | Utley Spencer | C. K. Sanders |
| April 1871 | A. C. Colby | " |
| April 1872 | Lewis Palins | C. F. Peck (?) |
| April 1873 | Utley Spencer | B. F. Rollah |
| April 14, 1874 | Spencer? | " |
| (Trustees Cyrus Rose, E. W. Packard, Capt. George Greig) | ||
| April 13, 1875 | E. W. Packard | B. F. Rollah |
| April 17, 1876 | George Greig | " |
| April 11, 1877 | Christian Smith | " |
| April 9, 1878 | (*Assumption) Christian Smith | " |
| April 1979–81 | R. Jacob Balty | " |
| April 28, 1881 | Christian Smith | A. S. Houghton |
| April, 1982 | James Leeman | " |
| April 10, 1883–85 | John W. Banker | " |
| April 14, 1885–88 | Abner C. Colby | " |
| April 10, 1888–90 | Z. A. Miller | S. Whitenack |
| April 8, 1890 | Dr. W. B. Alley | " |
| August 5, 1890 | Abner C. Colby appointed at Dr. Alley’s death | " |
| April 14, 1891 | Frank P. Thomas | Whitenack and J. H. Baker |
| April 12, 1892–94 | Denton S. Robinson | Alton DePuy / J. H. Baker |
| April, 1894 | Abner C. Colby | J. H. Baker |
| Apr. 9, 1895–98 | Luman H. Brace | Baker / C. D. Whitenack |
| April 18, 1898–1902 | John P. Brown | L. P. Higgins |
| April, 1902–10 | Harrison Peck | John A. Dake |
| Apr. 12, 1910–12 | Chester T. Foote | " |
| April, 1912–16 | Milton E. VanDusen | " |
| April 11, 1916–26 | James H. Baker | John A. Dake & Fred D. Gordon |
| April 13, 1926 | Melvin H. Osgoodly | J. H. Baker |
| Apr. 12, 1927–29 | Frank J. Foote, President | " |
| April, 1929–31 | Frank J. Foote, Mayor | L. E. Walters |
| Two-Year Terms | ||
| Mar. 17, 1931–32 | Frank J. Foote, Mayor | " |
| Mar. 21, 1933–35 | Robert Lippincott | " |
| Mar. 19, 1935–59 | Kenneth R. Willard | L. E. Matteson / Gladys Glymps / Ruth Coffin |
| (Kernahan filled in as necessary ’37) | ||
| (C. Lloyd Chacey, Acting Mayor ’51) | ||
| Mar. 17, 1959–61 | Alfred Slawson | |
| Mar. 23, 1961–63 | Robert E. Weir, Jr. | |
| Mar. 1963–69 | Ivan J. McColl | |
| Mar. 1969–74 | Leon H. Goldthwait | |
| Four-Year Terms | ||
| June, 1974–78 | Frank M. Estep | Merilee Walker |
| March 21, 1978–82 | Ivan J. McColl | " |
| Mar. 31, 1982–86 | James P. Byrnes | " |
| April 1, 1986–2002 | Betty A. Morris | " |
| April 1, 2002–2006 | James P. Byrnes | " |
| April 3, 2006–2010 | Jeffery P. Essler | " |
| March 23, 2010–11 | Curtis Simmons | |
| Nov. 22, 2011–14 | Jack E. Morgan | Kenneth Veneron, Deputy Mayor |
| April 8, 2014–18 | Robert P. Cox | Fritz Amrheim, " |
| April 2, 2018–2022 | Jack E. Morgan | Darren Snyder, Deputy Mayor |
| April 8, 2022–Present | " | " |
I was pleased when Tom Cook, President of the Nunda Historical Society, asked me to make a list of mayors of Nunda. It turned out to be an interesting project. He suggested that I start at the Nunda Government Center, where Minutes of Board of Trustees Meetings are kept, refer to the Nunda News, and call other area historical societies. The Minutes were the most helpful but also a challenge due to early minutes being written in beautiful cursive handwriting. Most of the minutes were very clear and precise, with a few exceptions (1874–87). The minutes were taken by men until around 1939 when women began serving as clerk, and in 1986 our first female mayor was elected.
The title of President was changed to Mayor in April 1929 when Frank J. Foote changed from President to Mayor during his term. In the beginning the board of trustees, clerk and assessors were elected and the board members appointed the president. Later on elections for Mayor were held, with notice of results in the Nunda News. Term limits also changed from one-year to two-year to four-year terms. The presidents and mayors were local businessmen, lawyers, and farmers who had served on the board.
Many important decisions needed to be made through the years—the construction of roads, bridges and sidewalks, for example. Trustees, constables, assessors, collectors, and fire wardens were all needed as noted on the documents (see link below) dated June 11 and 15, 1839, when the Village of Nunda was organized.
— Ann Crandall, Member Nunda Historical Society October 2025
Minutes of Board of Trustees:
1839–1874
1874–1887
Apr. 1887–July 1892
1892–1895
1895–1899
Oct. 1899–Mar. 1909
Mar. 1909–Apr. 1921
Apr. 1921–Feb. 1934
Mar. 1934–May 1956
Nunda News:
Mar. 1957–Jan. 1972 Election Results
1974–1979
1975–2022
Rev. 10/25