{{Short description|American politician (1820-1877)}} {{about|the American politician|the American writer|William Cary Duncan}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = William C. Duncan | image = WilliamCDuncanDetroit2.jpg | caption = | office = Mayor of Detroit | term_start = 1862 | term_end = 1863 | predecessor = Christian H. Buhl | successor = Kirkland C. Barker | birth_date = {{birth date text|May 18, 1820}} | birth_place = Lyons, New York | death_date = {{death-date and age|December 19, 1877|May 18, 1820}} | death_place = Detroit, Michigan | constituency = | party = Democratic | alma_mater = | spouse = | profession = | signature = | footnotes = }}
'''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.<ref name = "farm">{{citation|title = THE HISTORY OF DETROIT AND MICHIGAN |author = Silas Farmer| year = 1889 |page = 1044|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yl06VbZ-RfwC&pg=1044}}</ref> The family moved to Rochester, New York in 1825, and in 1841 Duncan began working as a steward<ref name = "gen"/> on the passenger steamers crossing the Great Lakes. In 1846, he changed employers and began working on a steamer traveling through Lake Superior.<ref name = "gen"/> In 1849, Duncan moved to Detroit and became a brewer.<ref name = "farm"/>
Duncan was a Democrat,<ref name = "gen">{{citation|title = General history of the state of Michigan: with biographical sketches, portrait engravings, and numerous illustrations. A complete history of the Peninsular state from its earliest settlement to the present time |author = Charles Richard Tuttle | publisher = R. D. S. Tyler & co. |date=1874 |pages = 714–716| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=zk1ZDp8Z6hcC&pg=PA713}}</ref> 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.<ref name = "gen"/> He was mayor of Detroit for two years, 1862 and 1863, and in the fall of 1863 was elected as a Democrat to the Michigan State Senate, where he represented the 2nd district.<ref name = "farm"/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://mdoe.state.mi.us/legislators/Legislator/LegislatorDetail/1079|title=Legislator Details - William Chamberlain Duncan|publisher=Library of Michigan |access-date=October 17, 2024}}</ref> He began in the banking business in 1865, but soon gave up the trade due to impaired health<ref name = "gen"/> and to take care of the property he had accumulated and to visit Europe.<ref name = "farm"/>
In 1873, however, Duncan was chosen as a member of the newly created Board of Estimates.<ref name = "gen"/> In the same year, the city Democratic Party asked him to again be their candidate for mayor, but Duncan declined due to his ill-health.<ref name = "gen"/>
William C. Duncan married Emma J. Hammer who died in 1863. They had a son, Frank C. Duncan, and a daughter, Kate Mary Emma Duncan. After the death of his wife, he married Sara Elizabeth Heath.
William C. Duncan died on December 19, 1877.<ref name = "farm"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{s-start}} {{s-off}} {{s-bef | before=Christian H. Buhl}} {{s-ttl | title=Mayor of Detroit | years = 1862–1863}} {{s-aft | after=Kirkland C. Barker}} {{end}}
{{DetroitMayors}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duncan, William C.}} Category:1820 births Category:1877 deaths Category:19th-century mayors of places in Michigan Category:Democratic Party Michigan state senators Category:Mayors of Detroit Category:People from Lyons, New York Category:Politicians from Rochester, New York Category:Detroit City Council members Category:19th-century members of the Michigan Legislature