Draft:Truman George Hart

Truman George Hart (1866-04-09–1866-04-09) was a businessman, County Clerk, Firefighter, Fire Chief, Police Commissioner, city trustee, and mayor of Fresno. The Hart family is considered one of the founding families of the city of Fresno.

Early Life
Truman George Hart was born Judge Charles August Hart and Ann McKenzie (nee. Brennan) in Fort Miller located near Millerton, California. He was the youngest of four children and the only biological son of Charles Hart. His half-siblings were from his mother's prior marriage to the late United States Army Sergeant James McKenzie. Hart was born in U.S. Army Headquarters building at Fort Miller where he was raised for the first several years of his life until the family would move with many other settlers to the then town of Fresno. Fresno would go on to be established by the Central Pacific Railroad in 1872 and made the county seat in 1874.

Hart attended the public school in Fort Miller and eventually the Fresno City Schools. Hart entered St. Augustine College at Benicia from which he graduated in 1886. Hart returned to Fresno and soon became identified with the Fresno County Abstract Company, working his way to the position of manager.

On September 29, 1892, Hart married Augusta A. Trowbridge, a native of Illinois.

Hart was considered one of the pioneers in the oil industry in the San Joaquin Valley. Hart is attributed as one of the organizers of the Producers and Consumers Oil Company, in which he served as a director. Hart also organized the Oil City Petroleum Company and sat as its president, and the Twenty-eight Oil Company where he served as its director.

Fire Chief
Hart's first public office came as part of the Fresno Volunteer Fire Department, the precursor to the Fresno Fire Department. From as early as 1889 to 1893, Hart served as the Assistant Fire Chief. In 1893, Hart was nominated and elected by fireman to serve as Fire Chief. During Hart's tenure as Fire Chief, Fresno would suffer a notable fire in which the Fresno County Courthouse would have its copper dome destroyed and the courthouse gutted in July 1895. The Fresno Volunteer Fire Department would suffer damage from the fire as an engine was burned in the incident. Hart would originally resign his position as Fire Chief on January 5, 1897 in favor of James B. McDonald. McDonald served from January 6, 1897 to December 30, 1897. At this time, Hart would be elected again to serve as Fire Chief until his second resignation on May 23, 1898.

County Clerk
In 1894, Hart was elected on the Republican ticket for the office of county clerk, receiving over 700 votes over his opponent in a county that at the time was a Democratic stronghold. Hart would serve one term from January 1895, through January 1899. Hart would be succeeded by George W. Cartwright.

Police and Fire Commissioner
Hart was appointed as Commissioner to the Board of Police and Fire in 1902 by Mayor L. O. Stephens. Hart served alongside his half-brother William Henry McKenzie. The commission oversaw the police and fire chiefs and their departments. The commissioners were referred to as Police Commissioners even though they were not sworn officers and the departments had their own Police Chief and Fire Chief. Hart served on the commission from 1902 to 1920.

City Board of Trustees
Hart was appointed to the Fresno City Board of Trustees from the third ward, a predecessor to the Fresno City Council, by Mayor Alva Snow. Hart was serving as a freeholder committee working to modify and amend the city charter. This position was vacated by Ernest Klette who was appointed to the role of City Attorney. Hart would then run in the 1913 Fresno City Election and win a full term. Hart would not seek reelection in 1917 due to severe illness which resulted in him missing city council meetings in 1916.

Mayor
Hart declared his candidacy on December 2, 1920 for the April 1921 election. Hart campaigned for the office of mayor after the crafting of a new city charter to create a City commission government. The new charter eliminated the office of mayor replacing it as an ex-officio position, with the primary head of city government being devolved to five city commissioners each responsible for specific aspects of city governance. The ex-officio mayor was the Commissioner of Public Safety and Welfare who was responsible for the selection, hiring, and termination of the police and fire chiefs as well as lead and manage the city health department. Hart touted his civil service experience and his lifetime of being a Fresno County resident as more robust and capable of managing under the new charter. Hart defeated the incumbent William F. Toomey by more than twice the number of votes.

Immediately after taking office in 1921, Hart recognized that the new charter was flawed unless the city had full cooperation of all commissioners. Hart attempted to establish this amongst the other commissioners however this would prove troublesome as other commissioners argued for co-equal municipal power and place themselves on the same level of municipal control although Hart was the lead commissioner. Hart began to advocate for the charter to be amended to allow a city manager.

Hart's tenure was noted in The Fresno Bee for the re-establishment of the City Planning Commission that had been abolished in prior years.