John Putnam Chapin
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John Putnam Chapin (April 21, 1810 – June 27, 1864) served as the 10th Mayor of Chicago, Illinois (1846–1847) for the Whig Party.
Chapin left his hometown to enter the mercantile business in Haverhill, New Hampshire before moving to Chicago in 1832.<ref name="death">Template:Cite news</ref> In Chicago he became a member of the wholesale and retail merchants firm Wadsworth, Dyer & Chapin until it was dissolved in 1843.<ref name="death" /> Following the dissolution of the firm, Chapin joined the Canal Boat Transportation Company. He was a founding member of the Chicago Board of Trade,Template:Citation needed and served several terms as its vice president.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
From 1844 to 1845, Chapin served a single term as Chicago alderman from the 1st ward.<ref name="centennial">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 1846, Chapin ran for mayor of Chicago as a Whig against Democratic nominee Charles Follansbee and Liberty Party nominee Philo Carpenter, winning the office with just over 55% of the vote.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Following his term as Mayor, Chapin was elected to the city council in 1859. In 1861, he was nominated by the Union ticket for the office of Commissioner of Public Works. Since Chapin was a staunch Republican, he declined the nomination as he felt it was a mischievous move on the part of the Democrats.<ref name="announcement">Template:Cite news</ref>
He died in Chicago on June 27, 1864, and was buried at Graceland Cemetery.<ref name="death"/>