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RAO MUSUNURU, M.D. MUSEUM & LIBRARY
Dade City Government
Incorporated 1889
Dade City is the county seat of Pasco County. Its government consists of a city council of 5 members, each with 4 year terms of office. The city council appoints one of their members as mayor for a term of 2 years in office. They also appoint a city manager who is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the city.
The official incorporation date of Dade City is generally considered to be 1889. However, there are numerous reports that a “first incorporation” happened in 1884 or 1885. History is sketchy on this matter.
Mayors
 |
David Oliver Thrasher 1 | 1884 |
| E. A. Hall 1 (1st incorporation) | 1885 | |
| H. W. Coleman (or Henry Clay Griffin) 2 | 1888 | |
| John B. Johnston (or Henry Clay Griffin) 1 2 (2nd incorporation) | 1889 | |
| Henry Clay Griffen 2 | 1890 | |
| Unknown | 1891 – 1897 | |
| George W. Dayton | 1898 – 1899 | |
| John B. Johnston | 1900 – 1902 | |
| James Knox Ward | 1903 – 1904 | |
|
David O. Thrasher | 1905 |
| R. W. Thompson | 1906 | |
| Edward Pasco Wilson | 1907 | |
| Unknown | 1908 | |
| W. Irving Porter | 1909 | |
| Unknown | 1910 | |
| Jasper C. Carter | 1911 – 1912 | |
| Robert B. Sturkie | 1912 – 1913 | |
 |
Dr. R. D. Sistrunk 3 | 1914 |
| Alfred Francis Pope | 1915 – 1916 | |
| Edgar Montgomery Craig 4 | 1917 | |
| James Ambrose Peek | 1918 | |
| Orville L. Dayton | 1919 – 1920 | |
| Frederick Daniel Cosner | 1921 – 1924 | |
 |
Frank P. Ingram | 1925 |
| James E. Turner | 1926 | |
 |
William Friedman | 1927 – 1928 |
| James Franklin Croley | 1929 | |
| Unknown | 1930 | |
 |
Johnson Younger O’Neal | 1931 |
|
William Friedman | 1932 – 1933 |
| R. S. Bechtelheimer | 1934 – 1938 | |
| William Thomas Cash | 1939 | |
| Frank M. Ashbrook | 1940 – 1945 | |
| C. Leroy Williams | 1946 – 1947 | |
| James Franklin Croley | 1948 – 1949 | |
| Ed Madill | 1950 – 1951 | |
 |
William Glenn Lester | 1952 – 1957 |
| Victor V. Adams | 1958 – 1959 | |
 |
John S. Burks | 1960 – 1963 |
| Joseph Austin Sperry Jr. | 1964 – 1965 | |
| Charles F. Touchton Jr. | 1966 – 1967 | |
| Jacob Willard Lamb 5 | 1968 | |
| Ed Vierling (acting) | 1968 | |
 |
James L. Huckabay Sr. | 1969 – 1972 |
| J. Edward Starling | 1973 | |
| Francis Faso 6 | 1974 | |
 |
Agnes Lamb | 1974 – 1977 |
| J. Blake Dunson Sr. | 1978 – 1979 | |
 |
Lawrence Pierce Puckett | 1980 – 1982 |
| William Brewton | 1982 – 1984 | |
 |
William Dennis | 1984 – 1986 |
| David L. Williams | 1986 – 1988 | |
 |
Charles McIntosh | 1988 – 1990 |
 |
Pat Weaver | 1990-1992 |
|
Charles McIntosh | 1992 – 2000 |
 |
Scott Black | 2000 – 2004 |
 |
P. Hutchinson “Hutch” Brock | 2004 – 2008 |
|
Scott Black | 2008 – 2012 |
 |
Camille Hernandez | 2012 – 2021 |
 |
James Donald Shive | 2022 – present |
Footnotes:
1 Dade City was incorporated first in 1884 or 1885. Some accounts say the first appointed mayor was David O. Thrasher, while others say it was E. A. Hall. A 1927 Dade City Banner article reported that the city was incorporated in 1884 at a meeting held in the old Baptist church and that D. O. Thrasher was the mayor.
A second incorporation of the city occurred in 1888 or 1889. The appointed mayor for the second incorporation was John B. Johnston.
2 The obituary of Henry Clay Griffin, as well as a biography and a 1923 Tampa Tribune article, say that he was the 2nd mayor of Dade City and served from 1888 to 1890. A 1963 newspaper article reported that in 1888, H. W. Coleman was elected as the first mayor.
3 Dr. R. D. Sistrunk resigned on April 17, 1914. The rest of his term was filled by A. F. Price.
4 E. M. Craig resigned on June 6, 1917. He was replaced by J. A. Peek.
5 Willard Lamb resigned in September of 1968.
6 Francis Faso resigned November 5, 1974.
Page created March 29, 2024 by Paul Herman, Digital Media Archivist, West Pasco Historical Society
