DeWitt Clinton Cregier (1829-1898)

Born at New York, he came to Chicago in his capacity as an engineer to update the City's Water Department. He came from a well-known family of firefighters and was a brother of the celebrated New York Fire Chief John Aspell Cregier (1815-1888). In 1876, DeWitt invented a fire hydrant combined as a water fountain and watering basin for animals - frequently seen in old photographs of Chicago. In 1889, he was elected the 31st  Mayor of Chicago by the Democrats. It was due to him that the World Fair came to Chicago rather than New York, Washington D.C., or St. Louis. He was a Freemason and was elected Grand Master of Illinois. He was directly descended from Captain Martin Cregier (1617-1681), the first Burgomaster of New Amsterdam. He married at New York in 1853 and he and his wife were the parents of eight sons and two daughters - survived by six sons and one daughter. Sons not listed above (dates unknown) are Washington Rogers Cregier and Edwin/Edward LeFort Cregier.