David Schreiner (December 21, 1842 – June 17, 1919) was an American farmer, businessman, and politician from Lancaster,

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 ...

Background

Born in Dexbach,

Grand Duchy of Hesse The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine (german: link=no, Großherzogtum Hessen und bei Rhein) was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Grand Duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806 ...

, Schreiner emigrated with his parents to the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

in 1855 and settled on a farm in

Grant County, Wisconsin Grant County is a county (United States), county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 51,938. Its county seat is Lancaster, Wisconsin, Lancaster. The county is named after t ...

. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

, Schreiner served in the

25th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 25th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a United States Volunteers, volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. During their service, they first participated in the Dakota War of 1862, then spent most ...

and lost an arm during a battle. Schreiner was a farmer and was in the abstract titles, fire insurance, and real estate businesses.

Public office

Schreiner served as town clerk and town treasurer. He also served on the Lancaster common council and was president of the board of education. Schreiner served as Wisconsin Circuit Court clerk for Grant County and as justice of the peace. He was the (unsuccessful) Republican nominee for state

insurance commissioner An insurance commissioner (or commissioner of insurance) is a public official in the executive branch of a state or territory in the United States who, along with his or her office, regulate the insurance industry. The powers granted to the office ...

in 1890, with his candidacy being supported by some over rival Robert McCurdy because Schreiner was a German-born Lutheran, and the Republican ticket was perceived as vulnerable over the

Bennett Law The Bennett Law, officially chapter 519 of the 1889 acts of the Wisconsin Legislature, was a controversial state law passed by the Wisconsin Legislature in 1889 dealing with compulsory education. The controversial section of the law was a requi ...

. In 1910, Schreiner was elected to the 2nd Grant County

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, ...

district, with 1,910 votes to 958 for

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 ...

Michael McSpaden, 60 for Prohibitionist Frank Horsfall, and 58 for Social Democrat J. A. DeWitt. (Republican incumbent

Henry E. Roethe Henry Edgar Roethe (May 1866 – August 16, 1939) was an American politician and newspaper editor who was a Republican candidate for governor of Wisconsin in 1914. Early life and education Born in Whitewater, Wisconsin, Roethe attended Wh ...

was not a candidate). He was assigned to the standing committees on

printing Printing is a process for mass reproducing text and images using a master form or template. The earliest non-paper products involving printing include cylinder seals and objects such as the Cyrus Cylinder and the Cylinders of Nabonidus. The ea ...

(which he chaired) and on charitable and penal institutions; and to the legislative visiting committee. Schreiner declined to be a candidate in 1912, and Roethe was returned to his old position.

Last years

Schreiner died June 17, 1919, at his house in Lancaster after a long illness.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Schreiner, David 1842 births 1919 deaths People from Lancaster, Wisconsin People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Businesspeople from Wisconsin Farmers from Wisconsin County officials in Wisconsin Wisconsin city council members School board members in Wisconsin 19th-century American politicians American justices of the peace People from the Grand Duchy of Hesse Hessian emigrants to the United States 20th-century American politicians Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly