John Bigelow is elected mayor of Boston.

Bigelow (W), with 5,150 votes, defeats James, with 1,143, and others to be elected to the first of three consecutive terms as mayor. He lives at 1 Oak Place. Inaugurated on January 1, 1849, he resumes the practice of granting liquor licenses, which had been stopped by his predecessor. Although careful with city expenditures, Bigelow nevertheless builds a new almshouse and city waterworks and promotes creation of the Boston Public Library.