He became mayor of Pittsburgh at age 28. He was the youngest mayor in Pittsburgh (until Luke Ravenstahl) and was known affectionately as the "Boy Mayor". His administration established the Pittsburgh Police Department. He also implemented major infrastructure improvements in the city including the original "cut" of Grant's Hill, a steep bluff boxing the city in on the east. The "cut" allowed for settlement of an area of the city previously uninhabitable because of the grade of the land. The city also expanded during his time as mayor with the annexation of the Northern Liberties Borough.