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Henry C. Berghoff

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Henry C. Berghoff
19th Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana
In office
1901–1905
Preceded byHenry P. Scherer
Succeeded byWilliam J. Hosey
Personal details
BornJanuary 6, 1856
Dortmund, Germany
DiedJune 28, 1925 (aged 69)
Fort Wayne, Indiana
CitizenshipAmerican
NationalityGerman-American
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseTheresa Mayer Berghoff (m. 1877)
OccupationPolitician, lawyer, businessman

Henry Carl Berghoff (January 6, 1856 – June 28, 1925) was a German-American politician, lawyer, and businessman who cofounded the Herman Berghoff Brewing Company and served as the 19th Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana from 1901 to 1905.

Early life

Henry Carl Berghoff was born January 6, 1856, in Dortmund, Germany (then Prussia), the son of Franz Anton and Lizette (Boelhauve) Berghoff. Henry had five brothers (Theodor, Anton, Herman, Hubert, and Gustav) and one sister (Elizabeth). In Dortmund, Henry received a high school education, and held a job at a bank.[1] In 1872, Henry immigrated to the United States, and settled in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[2] Berghoff chose to settle in Fort Wayne supposedly after he was offered a job there when the train he was aboard made a stop in the city.[1] During the next few years after his arrival in the United States, he held a range of jobs as a clerk and a bookkeeper, and he also studied law.[1] In 1877, Henry married Theresa Mayer.[2]

Business career

In 1883, Berghoff and his brother Herman bought a bottling company in Fort Wayne. In 1887, Berghoff and three of his brothers, Herman, Hubert, and Gustav, established the Herman Berghoff Brewing Company in Fort Wayne.[1][2] Henry served as secretary, vice president, and treasurer of the business. Berghoff also entered into a partnership with Artificial Ice Company, was the proprietor of Globe Spice Mills, and was the treasurer of Phoenix Building and Savings Union.[1]

Political career

Berghoff, a Democrat, served as treasurer of Fort Wayne for three terms, from 1885 to 1891.[1][3] In 1890, he ran for Indiana State Treasurer, but lost to businessman Albert Gall.[4] On Memorial Day in 1893, Fort Wayne railway workers went on strike, demanding their pay be increased from thirteen and a half cents an hour to fifteen cents an hour. The workers quickly resorted to rioting. Sheriff E. F. Clausmeier appointed multiple civilians to the position of deputy sheriff to assist him in putting down the disturbances, among them Henry Berghoff. On June 2, Berghoff spoke at the meeting that was held to review measures to put down the riots. The rioting ended that day after the strikers’ demands of wage increase were met.[3] Berghoff returned to politics in 1896, serving as comptroller of Fort Wayne for two terms, from then until 1901.[1][3]

1901 Fort Wayne Mayoral election

In April 1901, Berghoff received the Democratic nomination for mayor of Fort Wayne. The other nominees for mayor were Republican Charles Reese and Socialist Martin H. Wefel. The 1901 Fort Wayne Mayoral Election was very heated. During this time, Americans held unfavorable views towards Kaiser Wilhelm II and the German Empire, and so Berghoff was harshly criticized for his German birth by some leading Fort Wayne Republicans, and consequently, they were accused of xenophobia by members of the Democratic Party.[1] Despite the criticism of his heritage, Berghoff won the May 7, 1901 general election with 5176 of the 9209 votes cast.[1] He was sworn in two days later.[5]

Mayoralty

Berghoff, who succeeded Henry P. Scherer, served as mayor of Fort Wayne from 1901 to 1905.[6] Throughout his mayoralty, Berghoff, along with other city officials, annually wrote messages to the Common Council of Fort Wayne, informing them of the business and financial situation of the city.[7][8][9][10] A major event in Berghoff’s mayoralty occurred in September 1901, when the first electric interurban railway in Fort Wayne, the Fort Wayne and Northern Indiana Traction Company line, was opened.[3] In April 1902, the Indiana State Supreme Court, ruling against Berghoff in State, ex. rel., v. Berghoff,[11] declared valid the appointment made by Indiana Governor Winfield T. Durbin of Robert B. Dreibelbiss, a Republican, as judge of the Fort Wayne Municipal (Police) Court, after the previous judge, George W. Louttit, a Democrat, had been removed from the bench on the grounds that the office had been created two days after his (Louttit’s) election to the position.[3][11] Berghoff, believing the grounds for Louttit’s removal were unconstitutional, refused to approve Dreibelbiss’ official bond required by law to serve as judge of the Fort Wayne Municipal Court.[3][11] In the Indiana Circuit Court, Berghoff’s opinion was upheld, although upon further review in the Indiana Supreme Court, it was decided the governor’s appointment was legitimate, as mentioned earlier.[3][11] In September 1902, the construction of the current Allen County Courthouse was completed, and Berghoff was present at the courthouse’s dedication ceremonies.[3] In July 1904, Berghoff addressed the Indiana State Bar Association at its eighth annual meeting, where he was hailed as “the best mayor of the best city in America” by the association’s president, Willliam P. Breen.[12] In April 1905, Berghoff appointed the first Fort Wayne Board of Park Commissioners.[13] Berghoff, after serving one term as mayor, was succeeded by William J. Hosey.[6]

Later life and death

After serving as mayor of Fort Wayne, Berghoff, in 1905, assisted in the creation of the German-American National Bank, where he served as head cashier.[1][3] He also held positions at Wayne Oil Tank and Rub-No-More Soap Company.[1] Berghoff died aged 69 on June 28, 1925 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, after suffering an apoplectic stroke three days before.[14][15]

Personal life

Berghoff, a Catholic, was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, the Holy Name Society, the Knights of Columbus, and the Catholic Knights of America.[1]

He was married to Theresa Mayer. Theresa survived Henry, dying in 1955 at the age of 99.

Berghoff and his wife had eight children: Lawrence, Joseph, Carl, Frederick, Augustus, Raymond, Elsie, and Arthur.

Berghoff, his wife, and four of their children are buried at Catholic Cemetery in Fort Wayne, Indiana.[15]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Brown, Nancy Eileen (May 2013). "The 1901 Fort Wayne, Indiana City Election: A Political Dialogue of Ethnic Tension" (PDF). Retrieved 2021-12-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  2. ^ a b c Berghoff, Carlyn (2011-08-15). The Berghoff Family Cookbook: From Our Table to Yours, Celebrating a Century of Entertaining. Andrews McMeel Publishing. ISBN 978-0-7407-9321-9.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i Griswold, Bert Joseph (1917). The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne, Indiana: A Review of Two Centuries of Occupation of the Region about the Head of the Maumee River. Robert O. Law Company.
  4. ^ "Indianapolis Journal 23 July 1890 — Hoosier State Chronicles: Indiana's Digital Historic Newspaper Program". newspapers.library.in.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-10.
  5. ^ "8 May 1901, Page 1 - The Fort Wayne Sentinel at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-12-14.
  6. ^ a b "Fort Wayne Mayors - City of Fort Wayne". www.cityoffortwayne.org. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  7. ^ Wayne (Ind.), Fort (1901). Annual Message of ... [the] Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana: With Annual Reports of Heads of Departments, of the City Government,...
  8. ^ Wayne (Ind.), Fort (1902). Annual Message of ... [the] Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana: With Annual Reports of Heads of Departments, of the City Government,...
  9. ^ Wayne (Ind.), Fort (1903). Annual Message of ... [the] Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana: With Annual Reports of Heads of Departments, of the City Government,...
  10. ^ Wayne (Ind.), Fort (1904). Annual Message of ... [the] Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana: With Annual Reports of Heads of Departments, of the City Government,...
  11. ^ a b c d Court, Indiana Supreme; Carter, Horace E.; Porter, Albert Gallatin; Tanner, Gordon; Harrison, Benjamin; Kerr, Michael Crawford; Black, James Buckley; Martin, Augustus Newton; Kern, John Worth (1903). Reports of Cases Argued and Determined in the Supreme Court of Judicature of the State of Indiana. Bobbs-Merrill Company.
  12. ^ Report of the annual meeting. 1904.
  13. ^ "History - Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation". www.fortwayneparks.org. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  14. ^ "Journal and Courier from Lafayette, Indiana on June 29, 1925 · 1". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 2021-12-11.
  15. ^ a b "Henry C Berghoff (1856–1925) - Find A Grave..." www.findagrave.com. Retrieved 2021-12-10.

First Annual Message of Henry C. Berghoff, Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana with Annual Reports of Heads of Departments of the City Government for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 1901.

Second Annual Message of Henry C. Berghoff, Mayor of Ford Wayne, Indiana with Annual Reports of Heads of Departments of the City Government for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 1902.

Third Annual Message of Henry C. Berghoff, Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana with Annual Reports of Heads of Departments of the City Government for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 1903.

Fourth Annual Message of Henry C. Berghoff, Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana with Annual Reports of Heads of Departments of the City Government for the Fiscal Year Ending December 31, 1904.

Preceded by
Henry P. Scherer
 Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana
1901 — 1905 		Succeeded by
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