Otto B. Joerns (March 13, 1864September 15, 1917) was an American

civil engineer A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering – the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructure while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing ...

, businessman, and Democratic politician. He was the 32nd mayor of

Sheboygan, Wisconsin Sheboygan () is a city in and the county seat of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 49,929 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a populatio ...

(1915–1917) and represented Sheboygan for one term 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, ...

(

1911 A notable ongoing event was the Comparison of the Amundsen and Scott Expeditions, race for the South Pole. Events January * January 1 – A decade after federation, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory ...

). In historical documents, his last name is sometimes spelled Joerens.

Early life and education

Born in

Winooski, Wisconsin Winooski was a hamlet in the Town of Lyndon in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, at 43° 42.423′ N, 87° 59.039′ W. It was named after Winooski, Vermont, home of James and Lucinda Stone, who were the town's first settlers in 1846. Hi ...

, Joerns graduated from Plymouth High School in

Plymouth, Wisconsin Plymouth is a city in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, along the Mullet River. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is located in the Town of Plymouth, but is politically independent. Plymouth is kno ...

. He received his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from

Valparaiso University Valparaiso University (Valpo) is a private university in Valparaiso, Indiana. It is a Lutheran university with about 3,000 students from over 50 countries on a campus of . Originally named Valparaiso Male and Female College, Valparaiso Universit ...

in 1886.

Career

In 1905, Joerns became the owner of Joerns Furniture Company in

. He served as surveyor of Sheboygan County. Joerns also served as treasurer of the school board. He also served as assessor and mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Joerns also served on the library board and on the Sheboygan Police and Fire Commission. In 1911, Joerns served in the

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 ...

. In 1916, Joerns' furniture plant in Sheboygan was destroyed by fire. In April 1917, Joerns and his family moved to

Stevens Point, Wisconsin Stevens Point is the county seat of Portage County, Wisconsin, United States. The city was incorporated in 1858. Its 2020 population of 25,666 makes it the largest city in the county. Stevens Point forms the core of the United States Census Bur ...

, where the company had another furniture plant.

Death

Joerns died suddenly in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

, where he had gone for medical treatment because of ill health.'Otto B. Joerns Dies At Denver,' ''Stevens Point Daily Journal'', September 17, 1917

References

1864 births 1917 deaths People from Lyndon, Sheboygan County, Wisconsin People from Stevens Point, Wisconsin Valparaiso University alumni American civil engineers Businesspeople from Wisconsin County officials in Wisconsin School board members in Wisconsin Mayors of Sheboygan, Wisconsin 19th-century American legislators 19th-century American businesspeople Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly 19th-century Wisconsin politicians {{Wisconsin-WIAssembly-Democratic-stub