Editing William B. Ogden (section)

===Political career===
The first political position Ogden held was as [[Postmaster]] of Walton, New York, having been appointed by President [[Andrew Jackson]] to the position.<ref name=cotc/>

He was a member of the [[New York State Assembly]] (Delaware Co.) in [[58th New York State Legislature|1835]].{{sfn|Merriner|2004|p=19}}

During his career in New York politics, Ogden was a [[Jacksonian democracy|Jacksonian Democrat]].<ref name=cotc/> However, Ogden was also an advocate of government funding for infrastructural improvements, aspiring to see the federal government financially back the construction of a railroad from New York to Chicago.<ref name=cotc/> He told colleagues that such a railroad would be "the most splendid system of internal communication ever yet devised by man."<ref name=cotc/> He had been elected to the New York Senate on a platform supporting state funding for the construction of the [[New York and Erie Railroad]].<ref name=cotc/> The bill he backed to accomplish this was passed.<ref name=cotc/>

One of Ogden's brothers-in-law purchased a tract of land in Chicago for $100,000 in 1834. Ogden went to survey this area in 1835, and wrote back that his relative had "been guilty of the grossest folly" as the land held no value due to being boggy and swampy. However, he sold 1/3 of the land for more than the entire tract been purchased for after the muddy environment dried up in summer. Ogden chose to stay in Chicago rather than return to New York.{{sfn|Merriner|2004|p=19}}

While Ogden's initial concern in Chicago was based in his land interests there, he believed that he could not afford to stay out of the politics of the city, as he believed growing western towns such as Chicago were dependent on government assistance.<ref name=cotc/>

Shortly after moving to Chicago in 1836, Ogden joined the committee responsible for drafting the city charter to be submitted to the state legislature.<ref name=cotc/>

[[1837 Chicago mayoral election|In 1837]], he was elected the first mayor of [[Chicago]], serving a single one-year term.<ref name="WBOObit1877"/><ref name=chs>{{Cite web |url=http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |title=Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office. |access-date=December 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052355/http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 1840 through 1841, he served on the [[Chicago City Council|Chicago Common Council]] as an alderman from the 6th Ward.<ref name=chs/> From 1847 through 1848, he served as an alderman from the 9th Ward.<ref name=chs/>

Ogden was a [[boosterism|booster]] of Chicago both during and after his tenures in elected office.<ref name=cotc>{{cite book |last1=Miller |first1=Donald L. |title=City of the Century: The Epic of Chicago and the Making of America |date=2014 |publisher=Rosetta Books |isbn=978-0-7953-3985-1 |pages=97–99 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_WlsDwAAQBAJ |access-date=17 May 2020 |language=en}}</ref> At the time he came to Chicago, its buildings were largely wood cabins, it lacked [[sidewalk]]s and decent [[bridge]]s, it had no paved roads, and it lacked [[water supply]] infrastructure.<ref name=cotc/> As a politician he advocated for the city to raise tax revenue for new roads, plank sidewalks, and bridges (which he presented designs of his own for).<ref name=cotc/> He also used his own wealth to fund improvements to the city's infrastructure.<ref name=cotc/>