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Ben Walsh to Sign Mayor’s Autograph Book
February 21, 2018 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am
On February 21s, 2018, Ben Walsh will become the 52nd Mayor of Syracuse to sign the “Mayor’s Autograph Book.” This book has the autograph of every Mayor of Syracuse since the first Mayor, Harvey Baldwin, in 1848.
The signing will take place at the Onondaga Historical Museum at 321 Montgomery Street in downtown Syracuse at 10 AM. The event is open to the public.
Mayor Walsh will sign the book on a mid-19th century desk used in the United States House of Representatives from Onondaga Historical Association’s (OHA) collection. Ben’s father, James, represented New York’s 25th congressional district from 1993 to 2008.
Walsh has made history in his short time as Syracuse’s mayor. Ben’s grandfather, William Francis Walsh, was Syracuse’s mayor from 1962 to 1969, making Ben the first descendant of a mayor to lead City Hall. Mayor Walsh is also the first minor-party candidate elected since Louis Will in 1913, who represented the Progressive Party.
A number of objects from OHA’s collection will be on display, including a chair used by Syracuse’s first mayor in 1848, Harvey Baldwin.
This legacy of signatures reminds us of our community’s challenges, but also of its dreams and accomplishments. The signatures help us remember that these were real people who struggled with the serious issues of their day, just as our present leaders have their own challenges. And, although their names may not be familiar to the average citizen today, their decisions have a legacy that still impacts us in the 21st century.
OHA will also be making major announcement during the event.