Isaac R. Harrington

Isaac Russell (or Russel) Harrington was born in New Haven, Connecticut on December 7, 1789.[2][lower-alpha 1] Harrington's mother was Hannah (Upson) Harrington (1763-1840).[3][4] His father was Benjamin Harrington (1762-1810), a prominent citizen of Shelburne, Vermont, who served several terms in the Vermont House of Representatives.[5] Benjamin Harrington was a native of Connecticut and commanded ships on ocean voyages before moving to Shelburne, which resulted in Shelburne residents frequently referring to him as "Captain Harrington".[5]

In 1793, Benjamin Harrington moved his family to Shelburne, where Isaac Harrington was raised and educated.[5] He graduated from the University of Vermont in 1809.[6] During the War of 1812, Harrington served as a private in the 1st Regiment (Judson's) of the Vermont Militia.[7]

Harrington became active in several business ventures in Burlington, including a store where he sold dry goods, groceries, hardware and housewares.[8][9] He also bought and sold other items when he had the opportunity, including horses, farms, and barrels of beer.[10][11][12] In 1816, Harrington became the proprietor of a Burlington inn and hotel, which he purchased from Joseph King.[13]

Another early Isaac Harrington business venture was operating the Phoenix, a Lake Champlain steamship which made regular trips to and from Whitehall, New York and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec.[14] Harrington was the ship's sailing master, and as a result was frequently addressed as "Captain Harrington", as his father had been.[14][15] He left Vermont in about 1830 and moved to Buffalo, New York; an 1832 letter by a Vermonter traveling to Cleveland, Ohio was published in a Burlington newspaper, which indicated that the author had stayed at the Eagle Tavern in Buffalo, of which Harrington was the proprietor.[16]

In addition to Harrington's business career in Buffalo, he became active in the city's local government.[17] In the mid-1830s, he was appointed to several commissions that assessed property owners in order to finance improvements to several Buffalo streets.[17][18] The owners were required to pay based on the value the improvements would add to their homes and businesses.[17][18] In Buffalo, Harrington was popularly known as "Cuff" or "Old Cuff", but the origin of the nickname is not known.[19][20]

Harrington was also involved in Buffalo-area politics as a member of the Whig Party.[21] In 1836 he was a delegate to the party's 8th New York State Senate District Convention.[21] In 1840, Harrington was a candidate for alderman from Buffalo's fifth ward.[22] He was elected, and took his seat in March.[23] Though he was a Whig, in 1841 Harrington entered the race for mayor against the party's preferred candidate, Ira A. Blossom.[24] Harrington was supported by most of Buffalo's Democrats and defeated Blossom.[24][25] In March, 1841 he succeeded Sheldon Thompson as mayor.[24][25][26] He served until March 1842, when he was defeated for reelection by George W. Clinton.[25][27] Among the initiatives Harrington undertook as mayor was an effort to persuade New York's state government to fund improvements to the Erie Canal, which were intended to ensure that Buffalo-area shipping could continue during periods when the water level of Lake Erie receded.[28]

After leaving the mayor's office, Harrington continued his involvement in Whig politics.[29] He supported Henry Clay for president in 1844, and attended Whig party meetings to organize the Clay campaign in New York.[29] Harrington supported the presidential campaign of Zachary Taylor in the election of 1848.[30] Taylor won and Harrington was one of the honorary managers of a February 1849 Whig inaugural ball held in Buffalo.[30]

Harrington's support for the Whig Party was recognized in May 1849, when he was appointed as postmaster of Buffalo, succeeding Henry K. Smith.[31][32] He continued to serve in this position until his death, and was succeeded by James O. Putnam.[32][33] Harrington became ill in the summer of 1851 and died at his home in Buffalo on August 20.[33] He was buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo.[34]

• Election for mayor of Buffalo, 1842[35]

• George W. Clinton, 1462 (61%)
• Isaac R. Harrington, 909 (39%)

• Election for mayor of Buffalo, 1841[19]

• Isaac R. Harrington, 1122 (52%)
• Ira A. Blossom, 996 (48%)

• Election for Alderman from Buffalo's Fifth Ward, 1840[36]

• Isaac R. Harrington, 221 (31.5%)
• Peter Curtiss, 205 (29.2%)
• A. Q. Stebbins, 170 (24.2%)
• Henry Roop, 105 (15.0%)

In 1810, Harrington married Amanda Lyman (1790-1874) in Burlington.[37] They were the parents of six children -- Edmund, Laura, Juliet, Charles, Donald, and Marion.[38][39][40]

• Isaac R. Harrington at Find a Grave