Robert W. Speer
Robert W. Speer | |
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Robert W. Speer
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26th Mayor of Denver | |
In office 1904–1912 |
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Preceded by | Robert R. Wright |
Succeeded by | Henry J. Arnold |
30th Mayor of Denver | |
In office 1916–1918 |
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Preceded by | William H. Sharpley |
Succeeded by | William Fitz Randolph Mills |
Personal details | |
Born | Mount Union, Pennsylvania |
December 1, 1855
Died | Script error: The function "death_date_and_age" does not exist. Denver, Colorado |
Robert Walter Speer (December 1, 1855 – May 14, 1918) was elected the mayor of Denver, Colorado three times. He served two four-year terms in office from 1904 to 1912. He died from Influenza, early on in the worldwide epidemic of that year on May 14, 1918, while halfway through a third term in office that had started in 1916.[1]
Biography
Speer was born in Mount Union, Pennsylvania, on December 1, 1855. He married Kate Thrush, his childhood sweetheart, in 1882.[2]
As an adherent of the City Beautiful movement, Speer initiated several projects that added new landmarks, updated existing facilities, or improved the city's landscape including:
- City Auditorium, site of the 1908 Democratic National Convention
- The Civic Center
- Denver Mountain Parks
- The Denver Zoo expansion from 1906 to 1918.
- Denver Museum of Nature and Science
- The paving and graveling of many of the city's remaining dirt streets
- An urban forestry program that eventually distributed 110,000 free shade trees to city residents[3][4]
Speer was the first mayor of Denver to die while serving in office. Speer Boulevard in Denver is named in his honor.[5] He is buried in Fairmount Cemetery in Denver.
References
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- ↑ Johnson, Denver's Mayor Speer, pp. 5-6.
- ↑ Forestry statistics are from Noel, Mile High City, p. 100.
- ↑ Other items in the list of projects are from "Some Things Denver Owes to Speer," Rocky Mountain News, 15 May 1918, p. 3.
- ↑ Goodstein, Denver Streets, p. 33.
Bibliography
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External links
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