John Lewis Brenner (February 2, 1832 – November 1, 1906) was an American farmer, nurseryman, businessman and member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

Early life

John L. Brenner was born in Wayne Township,

Montgomery County, Ohio Montgomery County is located in the southwestern portion of the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 census, the population was 537,309, making it the fifth-most populous county in Ohio. The county seat is Dayton. The county was named in honor ...

, the son of Jacob S. Brenner and Sarah Ann Matthews. His parents left

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

because of a dislike of

slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...

and settled in Ohio; Jacob was a

miller A miller is a person who operates a Gristmill, mill, a machine to grind a grain (for example corn or wheat) to make flour. Mill (grinding), Milling is among the oldest of human occupations. "Miller", "Milne" and other variants are common surname ...

and farmer. John Brenner worked on his father's farm in the summer and attended the local public schools in the winter. He finished his education at the

Springfield Springfield may refer to: * Springfield (toponym), the place name in general Places and locations Australia * Springfield, New South Wales (Central Coast) * Springfield, New South Wales (Snowy Monaro Regional Council) * Springfield, Queenslan ...

(Ohio) Academy. John Brenner married Josephine Moore and farmed in Wayne township until 1862. He then became interested in the nursery business which he pursued very successfully until 1872. In 1866, he moved to

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater Day ...

, then emerging as a center of tobacco agriculture in Ohio, where he became a merchant in leaf tobacco.

Career

John L. Brenner was elected a member of the City of Dayton board of police commissioners, serving from 1885 to 1887. In 1896, Brenner was elected as 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 ...

to the

Fifty-fifth Congress The 55th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from March 4, 1897, to M ...

and re-elected to another term in the

Fifty-sixth Congress The 56th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1899, ...

. Ohio's third district was at the time evenly divided between the two parties, and Mr. Brenner's plurality at each election was barely 100 votes. Brenner was an unsuccessful candidate for renomination in 1900.

Later life and death

After his congressional service, John Lewis Brenner returned to Dayton and resumed his former occupation as a dealer in leaf tobacco. He died in Dayton and was interred in

Woodland Cemetery, Dayton, Ohio Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum (200 acres), located at 118 Woodland Avenue, Dayton, Ohio, is one of the oldest garden cemeteries in the United States. Woodland was incorporated in 1842 by John Whitten Van Cleve, the first male child born in D ...

Sources

* Taylor, William A. Ohio in Congress from 1803 to 1901. Columbus, Ohio: The XX Century Publishing Company, 1900. * History of Dayton, Ohio. Dayton, Ohio: United Brethren Publishing House, 1889, 753 pgs. {{DEFAULTSORT:Brenner, John Lewis 1832 births 1906 deaths Politicians from Dayton, Ohio Burials at Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum 19th-century American politicians Businesspeople from Dayton, Ohio Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio 19th-century American businesspeople