James Otis

James Otis (August 11, 1826 – October 30, 1875) was an American politician. He was active in San Francisco, where he served as mayor from 1873 to 1875. Biography James Otis was born in Boston, Massachusetts to the Otis family, which is counted among the Boston Brahmin families. He was the grandson of James Otis Jr. of the American Revolutionary War. He moved to San Francisco, California for the 1849 California Gold Rush. He was a prominent member of the First Unitarian Church of San Francisco. In 1858, Otis married Lucy Hamilton Macondray, together they had two daughters and five sons. Otis then became an importer and exporter in San Francisco, working at his father-in-law Frederick William Macondray's business Macondray and Company.