Daniel Bechtel (July 31, 1840 – August 9, 1907) was an American

politician A politician is a person active in party politics, or a person holding or seeking an elected office in government. Politicians propose, support, reject and create laws that govern the land and by an extension of its people. Broadly speaking, a ...

and

farmer A farmer is a person engaged in agriculture, raising living organisms for food or raw materials. The term usually applies to people who do some combination of raising field crops, orchards, vineyards, poultry, or other livestock. A farmer mig ...

. Born in

Lycoming County, Pennsylvania Lycoming County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 114,188. Its county seat is Williamsport. Lycoming County comprises the Williamsport metropolitan statistical area. About northwest ...

, Bechtel moved with his parents to

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

in 1850 and settled in the town of Pleasant Springs,

Dane County, Wisconsin Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is the ...

. Bechtel went to business college in

Madison, Wisconsin Madison is the county seat of Dane County and the capital city of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census the population was 269,840, making it the second-largest city in Wisconsin by population, after Milwaukee, and the 80th-lar ...

and moved to a farm in

Blooming Grove, Wisconsin Blooming Grove is a town in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,768 at the 2000 census. The unincorporated community of Hope is located partially within Blooming Grove. Although once much larger, currently the town of Bloo ...

. He was also involved with the fire insurance business. He was the Blooming Grove town chairman and town clerk. In 1883, Bechtel served as Dane County sheriff and was a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

. He served on the Dane County Board of Supervisors. In 1907, Bechtel served in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

. Bechtel died at his home in Blooming Grove, Wisconsin.''Wisconsin Blue Book'', 1907, Biographical Sketch of Daniel Bechtel, p. 674.

Notes

1840 births 1907 deaths People from Lycoming County, Pennsylvania People from Pleasant Springs, Wisconsin Businesspeople from Wisconsin Farmers from Wisconsin County supervisors in Wisconsin Mayors of places in Wisconsin Wisconsin sheriffs People from Blooming Grove, Wisconsin 19th-century American legislators Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Democratic-stub