Johann "John" Fellenz (June 23, 1833December 16, 1896) was a

German American German Americans (german: Deutschamerikaner, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. With an estimated size of approximately 43 million in 2019, German Americans are the largest of the self-reported ancestry groups by the Unite ...

immigrant, building contractor, and

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 ...

pioneer. He was a member of 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, ...

, representing the southwest side of the city of

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

for five terms. He was also one of the contractors for the construction of the Winnebago Mental Health Institute.

Biography

Fellenz was born in the municipality of Bengel, in what's now western

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

, in June 1833. Sources have differed on the exact date. At the time of his birth, this area was the

Rhine Province The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...

of the

Kingdom of Prussia The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918.Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. Re ...

. As a child, he emigrated to the

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with his parents and settled in the town of Farmington, Washington County, in the

Wisconsin Territory The Territory of Wisconsin was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from July 3, 1836, until May 29, 1848, when an eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Wisconsin. Belmont was ...

, in 1847. At age 18, he moved to the city of

, where he worked as a carpenter and builder. He was one of the earliest settlers in the southwest side of the city of

, in what was the 8th ward for most of his life. He was active throughout his life with the

Democratic Party of Wisconsin The Democratic Party of Wisconsin is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. It is currently headed by chair Ben Wikler. Important issues for the state party include support for workers and unions, strong public educa ...

. He was elected to three consecutive terms in the

in 1867, 1868, and 1869, running on the Democratic Party ticket. He represented Milwaukee County's 5th Assembly district, which then comprised the 5th and 8th wards of the city. He was not a candidate in 1870. During this time he was a contractor on the construction of the Female 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 Winnebago Mental Health Institute—then known as the "Northern State Hospital for the Insane"—in

Oshkosh, Wisconsin Oshkosh is a city in Winnebago County, Wisconsin, of which it is the county seat. The city had a population of 66,816 in 2020, making it the ninth-largest city in Wisconsin. It is also adjacent to the Town of Oshkosh. History Oshkosh was ...

. He was elected to another term in 1871, after redistricting, in the new Milwaukee 8th Assembly district, which comprised just the 8th ward. He did not run again in 1872, but was an unsuccessful candidate in 1873. He subsequently took on more important construction jobs in Wisconsin, including the 1875 Science Hall at the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

, which burned to the ground in 1884. He worked on the Notre Dame Convent, St. Joseph's Hospital, as well as several churches, schools, and a Jewish temple. He was elected to his final term in the Assembly in 1882. He died on December 16, 1896, in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

Personal life and family

John Fellenz was the eldest of at least six children born to Johann "Peter" Fellenz and his wife Anna Margaretha (' Feiten). His younger brother, Joseph, remained in Washington County, Wisconsin. Joseph's grandson, Louis J. Fellenz, Sr., and great-grandson, Louis J. Fellenz, Jr., both served in the

Wisconsin State Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...

in the 20th century. John Fellenz married Anna Katharina Ruhland, another German immigrant, at

Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin Menomonee Falls is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States, and is part of the Greater Milwaukee area. The population was 35,626 at the 2010 census, making it the most populous village in Wisconsin. It is the fourth largest communi ...

, on February 6, 1855. They had at least nine children, though at least two died young. Their son Frank Fellenz became a successful businessman in Milwaukee.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1871)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 7, 1871

Wisconsin Assembly (1873)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 4, 1873

Wisconsin Assembly (1882)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 7, 1882

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fellenz, John Prussian emigrants to the United States Politicians from Milwaukee Wisconsin Reformers (19th century) 1833 births 1896 deaths 19th-century American legislators Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century Wisconsin politicians