Encyclopedia Of Detroit
Van Dyke, James
James Adams Van Dyke was the 15th elected mayor of Detroit, Michigan, serving in 1847. He was born in Mercersburg, Pennsylvania on December 10, 1813 to William Van Dyke and Nancy Duncan Van Dyke. In 1832, he graduated from Madison College in Uniontown, Pennsylvania. After his graduation, he studied law in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania and Hagerstown, Maryland, before moving to Baltimore, Maryland.
In 1834, Van Dyke briefly settled in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania before moving to Detroit. Six months after his arrival he began practicing law and in 1835, he opened a practice with future Michigan Supreme Court justice Charles W. Whipple. He was appointed city attorney for Detroit in 1836 then again in 1838-39. He later practiced law through partnerships with E. B. Harrington and H. H. Emmons, respectively. In 1835, he married Elizabeth Desnoyers, and together the couple had ten children.
Van Dyke served as Wayne County prosecuting attorney in 1840. He was a city alderman in 1843 and 1844, and was elected mayor of Detroit in 1847. He was particularly effective in advancing the growth of the Detroit Fire Department, facilitating its incorporation in 1840. A working fireman, Van Dyke served as the president of the Detroit Fire Department from 1847 to 1851, and was instrumental in establishing the first fireman’s hall.
A member of the prosecution team for the Michigan Central Railroad in the “Great Railroad Conspiracy” trial in 1851, Van Dyke left private practice in 1852 to become the attorney for the railroad. He also served as a member of the Board of Commissioners for Detroit Water Works from 1853 until his death.
James Van Dyke passed away in Detroit on May 7, 1855 and is buried in Mount Elliott Cemetery. Van Dyke was a member of the Whig party, and was known for his oratory skills. A major street on the east side of Detroit bears his name.
RELATED ITEMS IN THE COLLECTION
