Ezra Thompson

Ezra Thompson (July 17, 1850 – April 8, 1923) was the 12th and 14th mayor of Salt Lake City, Utah who was elected three times and served two non-consecutive terms. He was mayor in 1900–03 and 1906–07.

First term

Thompson was born in Salt Lake City in the Provisional State of Deseret, just months before Utah Territory was created. He made his fortune in a Park City mining venture with future United States Senator from Utah Thomas Kearns. In 1899, Thompson was elected mayor of Salt Lake City on the Republican Party ticket. He was re-elected in 1901 and served until 1903.

In January 1903, Thompson was a signatory of an official protest to the United States Senate of the Utah Legislature's election of Mormon Apostle Reed Smoot as a United States Senator for Utah.

Second term

In September 1904, Thompson was one of the founders of the anti-Mormon American Party. The party's principal goal was to eliminate the influence of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) over politics in Utah. In 1905, Thompson was the new party's candidate for mayor, and he was elected; four other elected members of the city council were also members of the American Party. During this term, Thompson was an outspoken critic of the LDS Church and accused church leaders of continuing to sanction the practice of plural marriage.

Resignation

In 1907, Thompson's chief of police, George Sheets, was accused of bribery. Although formally cleared of charges, the Sheets nevertheless resigned, and Thompson followed five days later on August 2, 1907. Thompson's stated reason for resigning was that of ill health. Thompson was replaced as mayor by American Party leader John S. Bransford, who was subsequently elected to a full term in the 1907 election.

References

• Jeffrey D. Nichols (2002). Prostitution, Polygamy, and Power: Salt Lake City, 1847–1918 (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, ISBN 978-0-252-02768-0) pp. 137–138