1. "His Honor, the Mayor"
Posted by harry on Jan-31st-03 at 10:32 PM

Some info on Mayor Coughlin.  I stole it without remorse from this site: http://www.fallriver.mec.edu/Coughlin/Coughlinhist.html

The rest of the article is about the school named in his honor.

"Dr. Coughlin, a three-term mayor, was born in Fall River in 1861. He attended city schools, and later studied steam and gas fitting.

For a brief time, he worked in the law offices of Coffey and Dubuque, only to leave in 1880 to work for the Providence Steam and Gas Pipe Co. He left the company 18 months later to work in a Fall River drug store.

Working with medicine appears to have suited Coughlin. He was associated with Dr. Charles C. Terry for a time, applied and was accepted at the College of Physicians and Surgeons in Baltimore, Md. In 1885, he graduated first in his class of 220 from the college, and returned to practice in Fall River.

Although he received the Democratic nomination for mayor in 1888, he lost his first try at politics by 300 votes. In 1889, he ran again, losing by 100 votes.

The next decade apparently brought him luck. He was elected by a margin of more than 800 in each of his three bids for the mayor's seat. He served Fall River for three terms beginning in 1891.

Dr. Coughlin was active in the Democratic Party. He was a delegate to the national convention in 1892, was chairman of the state committee from 1891 to 1895, and for 12 years, beginning in 1908, was a member of the national committee.

Despite his political activism, Dr. Coughlin was unsuccessful as a candidate for lieutenant governor. He also failed in his bid to unseat Congressman William Stedman Greene, also a Fall River resident.

The former mayor's contacts allowed the city to have a voice in presidential affairs. He was a strong defender of President Grover Cleveland during his two terms in office.

When Woodrow Wilson was elected to office, Dr. Coughlin's influence remained. When Wilson visited Fall River, he was a guest at the doctor's home. Coughlin, a bachelor all his life, died at 60 years old and was survived by his mother. When word of his death reached Washington, the President sent Mrs. Coughlin a message.

"Dr. Coughlin was a true and valued friend of mine, and I always believed, a most serviceable public servant. We shall miss him," President Wilson wrote."

The book "Lizzie Borden Past & Present" by Leonard Rebello contains references to Mayor Coughlin but does not include a profile of him. Harry, your post above helps fill that small gap.