William C. Duncan
William C. Duncan Mayor of Detroit In office 1862–1863 Preceded by Christian H. Buhl Succeeded by Kirkland C. Barker Personal details Born May 18, 1820 Lyons, New York Died December 19, 1877 ( 1877-12-20 ) (aged 57) Detroit, Michigan William Chamberlain Duncan (May 18, 1820 – December 19, 1877) was a brewer, politician, and mayor of Detroit, Michigan. Life and politics Duncan was born in Lyons, New York on May 18, 1820. [1] The family moved to Rochester, New York in 1825, and in 1841 Duncan began working as a steward [2] on the passenger steamers crossing the Great Lakes. In 1846, he changed employers and began working on a steamer traveling through Lake Superior. [2] In 1849, Duncan moved to Detroit and became a brewer. [1] Duncan was a Democrat, [2] and in 1852, he was elected an alderman, serving five years. He was first council president, after a revision of the city charter created that position. [2] He was mayor of Detroit for t...