# William Case

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For other uses, see [William Case (disambiguation)](/source/William_Case_(disambiguation)).

**William Case** (August 10, 1818 – April 19, 1862) was an [American](/source/United_States_of_America) politician of the [Whig Party](/source/Whig_Party_(United_States)) and served as the 12th [mayor](/source/Mayor_of_Cleveland) of [Cleveland](/source/Cleveland), [Ohio](/source/Ohio) from 1850 and 1851. He was the first Cleveland-born citizen to become mayor.[1]

In his early career, he helped establish and became the first president of the Cleveland Library Association in 1846 (later the Leonard Case Reference Library, today the location of the [Metzenbaum U.S. Courthouse](/source/Howard_M._Metzenbaum_United_States_Courthouse)). In 1850, he founded the short-lived [Cleveland University](/source/Cleveland_University) in the city's [Tremont](/source/Tremont,_Cleveland) neighborhood.[1] He also served as president of the [Cleveland, Ashtabula, and Painesville Railroad](/source/Lake_Shore_and_Michigan_Southern_Railway) and secured the funding to finish its Chicago-to-Buffalo route. In 1846, Case was elected to [Cleveland City Council](/source/Cleveland_City_Council) and served as an alderman from 1847 to 1849. In 1850, Case was elected mayor of Cleveland as part of a "Rail Road Ticket" of Whig candidates who disfavored disturbing the location of the terminus of the [Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati Railroad](/source/Cleveland,_Columbus_and_Cincinnati_Railroad), defeating Democratic candidate and former City Council president [Benjamin Harrington](/source/Benjamin_Harrington). In 1851, he was re-elected for another one-year mayoral term as part of a "Citizen's Ticket" of Whigs and [Free Soilers](/source/Free_Soil_Party), defeating challenger Robert Parks. During his tenure, Case "organized the city workhouse, poorhouse, and house of refuge, as well as the city finances."[1] He is often credited with establishing the Cleveland nickname, "[The Forest City](/source/The_Forest_City)", as a result of a citywide fruit-tree planting campaign.[1]

## See also

- [Leonard Case Jr.](/source/Leonard_Case_Jr.), Case's younger brother who endowed the [Case School of Applied Science](/source/Case_School_of_Applied_Science) (later Case Institute of Technology, merging with Western Reserve University to become [Case Western Reserve University](/source/Case_Western_Reserve_University))[2]

## References

1. ["Case, William"](https://case.edu/ech/articles/c/case-william). *The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History*. [Case Western Reserve University](/source/Case_Western_Reserve_University). 11 May 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2021.

1. ["Impact of The Case Bequest"](https://web.archive.org/web/20121006084414/http://www.case.edu/artsci/isus/bequest.htm). Case Western Reserve University. Archived from [the original](http://www.case.edu/artsci/isus/bequest.htm) on 6 October 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2011.

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