Name J. Haynes | ||
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James Clark Haynes (September 22, 1848 – April 14, 1913) was a lawyer and Democratic politician who served as the 22nd and 24th mayor of Minneapolis.
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Life and career
Haynes was born in Baldwinsville, New York. He was largely raised on the family's farm. At age 11 he began attending local schools (future Minnesota attorney general Henry W. Childs was a classmate and friend). After graduating, he worked as a teacher for several years while still helping with the family's farm. In 1871, he began college at Onondaga Valley Academy and Cazenovia Seminary. He went on to read law and completed some final studies at Columbia Law School, gaining admission to the bar in 1875. He initially practiced law in Buffalo, New York and Eau Claire, Wisconsin before relocating to Minneapolis in 1878.
After arriving in Minneapolis, Haynes developed a law practice specializing in business law. He was also a backer and president of the American District Telegraph Company of Minneapolis from 1883 to 1906. Haynes also became involved with the local Democratic party. He was elected as an alderman in 1890; in 1892 he was the Democratic nominee for mayor but was defeated. In 1902 he ran again for mayor, winning by a significant margin. Haynes was narrowly defeated in his re-election campaign in 1904, but won again in 1906 as well as 1908 and 1910. As a member of the city council and mayor, Haynes was involved in efforts to create a water reservoir in Columbia Heights, Minnesota, the continuing development of the city's streetcar network, and working to restore public trust and eliminate corruption in the wake of former mayor A. A. Ames.
Haynes died in 1913. He is buried in Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis.