Encyclopedia Of Detroit
Maybury, William C.
Detroit lawyer and politician William Cotter Maybury was born on November 20, 1848 in Detroit, Michigan. He graduated from the old Capitol High School in Detroit in 1866. He attended the University of Michigan and received a bachelor's degree from the literary department in 1870 and a bachelor of law degree in 1871. After passing the bar, he went into private practice with a partner, Edward F. Conely. From 1876 to 1880, Maybury served as Detroit City Attorney. He lectured on medical jurisprudence for the Michigan College of Medicine in Detroit in 1881 and 1882.
In 1882, he was elected to represent Michigan's 1st District in the United States House of Representatives and served from March 4, 1883 to March 3, 1887. During this time, he sponsored bills to build the Belle Isle Bridge and the First Federal building in Detroit. After the end of his second term in Congress, Maybury returned to Detroit, and resumed practicing law. On April 10, 1897, when Mayor Hazen Pingree resigned to become Governor of Michigan, Maybury was elected to fill the unexpired mayoral term. The following November, he was re-elected and served as Mayor of Detroit from 1897 to 1905. During this time, he was credited for expanding the municipal water and sewage programs, public lighting, paving of street and sidewalks, expansion of public parks, playgrounds and building the Belle Isle Aquarium.
William Maybury returned to private life after completing his last term as mayor. He died on May 6, 1909, in Detroit and was buried in his family lot at Elmwood Cemetery. A statue of Maybury was unveiled to the public in 1912 and is located at Woodward Avenue and East Adams Street, in Grand Circus Park. The sculptor was Adolph Alexander Weinman.
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