Samuel Purdy

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title: "Samuel Purdy" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1819-births", "1882-deaths", "lieutenant-governors-of-california", "mayors-of-stockton,-california", "california-democrats", "19th-century-mayors-of-places-in-california"] description: "American politician (1819–1882)" topic_path: "people/1810s" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Purdy" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary American politician (1819–1882) ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox officeholder"]

Field	Value
name	Samuel Purdy
image	Samuel Purdy.png
office1	3rd Lieutenant Governor of California
term_start1	January 8, 1852
term_end1	January 9, 1856
governor1	John Bigler
predecessor1	David C. Broderick (Acting)
successor1	Robert M. Anderson
office2	1st Mayor of Stockton, California
term_start2	October 5, 1850
term_end2	1851
predecessor2	Position established
successor2	John C. Edwards
birth_date	1819
birth_place	New York City, US
death_date	(aged 64)
death_place	San Francisco, California, US
party	Democratic
children	7
occupation	Architect, politician
::

| name = Samuel Purdy | image = Samuel Purdy.png | office1 = 3rd Lieutenant Governor of California | term_start1 = January 8, 1852 | term_end1 = January 9, 1856 | governor1 = John Bigler | predecessor1 = David C. Broderick (Acting) | successor1 = Robert M. Anderson | office2 = 1st Mayor of Stockton, California | term_start2 = October 5, 1850 | term_end2 = 1851 | predecessor2 = Position established | successor2 = John C. Edwards | birth_date = 1819 | birth_place = New York City, US | death_date = (aged 64) | death_place = San Francisco, California, US | party = Democratic | spouse = | children = 7 | occupation = Architect, politician Samuel Purdy (1819 – February 17, 1882){{cite news | title = Sketch of an Esteemed and Eminent California Pioneer | newspaper = Daily Alta California | location = California | date = 18 February 1882 | url = http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cdnc/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=DAC18820218.2.9&cl=CL2.1882.02&e=-------en-logical-20--1-----all---}}{{cite book | title = Governmental Roster: State and County Governments of California, Executive, Judicial and Legislative Departments | publisher = J.D. Young, Supt. State Printing | location = California | date = 1889 | page = 129 | url = https://archive.org/details/governmentalros01statgoog }} was an American politician. As a Democrat, he served as the third lieutenant governor of California from 1852 to 1856. He also was the first mayor of Stockton, California, where he was in office from 1850 to 1851.

Early life

Purdy was born in New York City in 1819, and was Purdy educated to be an architect.

Career

In October 1850, Purdy was elected as the first mayor of Stockton, California. Purdy designed the city seal that was adopted by its city council.

Purdy served as lieutenant governor of California from 1852 until 1856 under Governor John Bigler. Purdy lost his 1855 re-election bid to Robert M. Anderson, who defeated him with 50.9% of the votes.

Purdy went on to hold various state-wide and municipal offices in California, including Inspector of Revenue for the state and Superintendent of Construction in San Francisco.

Personal life

In 1849, Purdy moved to California. Purdy was married and had seven children. In 1881, one of Purdy's sons, General Erastus Sparrow Purdy, predeceased him in Cairo, Egypt. On February 17, 1882, as a widower, Purdy died in San Francisco, California.

References

References

1. Hittell, Theodore Henry (1898). ''History of California'', Vol. IV, pp. 81-82, 135. San Francisco: N.J. Stone & Company.
2. Hutchings, J. M. (1875). ''Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California'', p. 34. New York and San Francisco: A. Roman and Company.
3. (October 5, 1850). "Samuel Purdy recently elected Mayor of Stockton".
4. "Stockton, California (U.S), San Joaquin County".
5. "Lieutenant Governors of California, 1849-2011".
6. (September 5, 1855). "September 5, 1855 General Election".

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