James B. Howell was a newspaper editor, a lawyer by trade, and a politician. While he held several important roles, he is best remembered for his time as mayor of Brooklyn and later as a key trustee of the Brooklyn Bridge. After the Civil War, President Ulysses S. Grant appointed a James Howell to a commission reviewing property claims from Southern Unionists whose assets were seized by the Union Army. However, historical records indicate this was a different individual, James B. Howell of Iowa, and not the future mayor of Brooklyn. Read more about the life and career of Brooklyn’s Mayor James B. Howell at brooklyn-yes.com.
Early Life and Career
James B. Howell was born on October 16, 1829, in Bradford, Wiltshire, England. When he was just over six years old, his parents immigrated with him to the United States, settling in New Lisbon, Ohio. In 1845, at the age of 16, Howell moved to Brooklyn to start his adult life. He initially tried his hand at the grocery business but soon made a dramatic career change. The young James decided to master the iron foundry trade, aiming to become an expert iron founder. His efforts paid off, and after gaining valuable experience, he established his own iron foundry, “Howell & Saxtan,” by 1855.
The “Howell & Saxtan” company operated in Brooklyn from around 1866 until the early 1890s, owned by James Howell and Daniel Y. Saxtan. The firm specialized in foundry work, supplying the growing city with its products. In fact, the company’s mark can still be found today on manhole covers and cast-iron building elements throughout Brooklyn, especially around Fulton Avenue and Grand Street, and even in Lower Manhattan. The foundry’s address was typically cast into the products: 353 Adams St, Brooklyn.
Regarding his political career, James Howell was elected mayor of Brooklyn for two terms. He was a Democrat, which was an advantage in a heavily Democratic town where the party had a majority of about 8,000 to 10,000 voters. Notably, Howell won his first election against Republican John F. Henry by a margin of 3,000 votes. He secured his second term with an even more decisive victory over Franklin Woodruff, winning by a landslide of 12,000 votes.
Mayor of Brooklyn
At the time, Brooklyn politics were dominated by the Democratic Party “boss,” Hugh McLaughlin. Bribery and corruption were widespread within the party structure. A Brooklyn native born to Irish immigrants, McLaughlin learned the trade of a ropemaker and by 1855 had become a master mechanic at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. He used this position to strengthen the local Democratic Party. Despite his growing influence, McLaughlin’s own bid for Kings County Sheriff failed spectacularly in 1860. However, he was elected to the Kings County Register of Deeds office in 1861, a position he held for three consecutive terms.
But McLaughlin’s life’s work was his position within the Brooklyn Democratic Party. In 1862, he became the leader of the political organization known as the “Brooklyn Ring.” This allowed him to dominate local politics for years, despite the efforts of reform-minded mayors like Frederick A. Schroeder and Seth Low to diminish its influence. While McLaughlin played a significant role in creating Prospect Park and constructing the Brooklyn Bridge, he was also instrumental in ensuring that Howell did not serve a third term.
Although Howell was not personally implicated in any corruption scandals, he earned a reputation as a “mediocre” mayor. For example, despite rapid economic growth in Brooklyn, including the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge, the city’s tax rate fell from $3.17 to $2.36 during Howell’s two terms. This period also saw a massive increase in Brooklyn’s population.
Losing the Third Term Election
Ultimately, Howell lost his bid for a third term to Republican Seth Low by a vote of 45,434 to 40,937—a margin of less than 5,000 votes. Approximately 15,000 Democratic voters crossed party lines to vote for Low. Newspapers at the time attributed this loss not to personal criticism of Howell, but to the rise of the “good government” movement and widespread dissatisfaction with the McLaughlin political machine.
After his mayoral career ended, Howell became a trustee of the Brooklyn Bridge in 1883. In 1885, he was elected president of the trustees, a position he held until his death. Howell was credited with implementing many major improvements to the bridge during his tenure.
Howell married Anna Tunstall in 1851, and they had a son and two daughters. For many years, he was a member of the Hanson Place Central United Methodist Church. He passed away at his home on South Portland Avenue in Brooklyn on January 27, 1897, and is buried in Green-Wood Cemetery.