User:SecretName101/List of Chicago aldermen

This is a list of those who served on the Chicago City Council before it took its modern form in 1923. The Chicago City Council assumed its modern form on April 16, 1923, with fifty wards each electing one alderman. Before then, there were a varying number of wards over the years, many serving as multiple-member districts.

Since its incorporation as a city in 1837 Chicago had been divided into wards whose number varied but which were almost always entitled to two aldermen. In the early 20th century it was decided that reducing the number of aldermen per ward to one would be a cost-saving measure, and an ordinance to that effect was passed in 1920, taking effect in 1923.

History
Chicago was incorporated in 1837 and initially comprised six wards.

Originally, aldermanic terms lasted a single year. Effective in 1851, terms were extended to two years, with the two alderman in each ward holding their elections staggered so that one aldermanic seat from each ward would be up for election every year.

Originally held in April, in 1869 elections were shifted to November. In 1876, elections shifted back to being held in April (to accommodate this, no elections were held in 1875, and all members holding office that year had their terms (if they were to expire that year) extended until 1876.

Aldermanic elections in Chicago have been formally nonpartisan since 1920. Starting at this point, the elections now had a general primary in February, with runoffs held in April for races that did not see any candidate win a majority of the vote in the general primary.

In 1923, the number of alderman were reduced by making wards single-member constituencies.

Aldermanic terms were extended to four-years effective in 1935.

15th ward
Walter J. Raymer 1898-1901