Peter Reuther (February 8, 1836August 6, 1905) 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, carpenter, and

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

politician. 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 southern

Manitowoc County Manitowoc County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 81,359. Its county seat is Manitowoc. The county was created in 1836 prior to Wisconsin's statehood and organized in 1848. Manitowoc County ...

during the 1872 session.

Biography

Reuther was born on February 8, 1836, in

Laubach Laubach is a town of approximately 10,000 people in the Gießen region of Hesse, Germany. Laubach is known as a ', a climatic health resort. It is situated east of Gießen. Surrounding Laubach are the towns of Hungen, Grünberg, Schotten and Lic ...

, in the

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 ...

(now central

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 ...

). He emigrated 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 ...

with his parents in 1854, settling first in

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 ...

. At Sheboygan, Reuther went to work as a carpenter and soon moved to the town of

Centerville, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Centerville is a town in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 713 at the 2000 census. The town is divided by I-43 and surrounds the Village of Cleveland. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town ...

, where he was a contractor. He also became involved in local politics in Centerville, and was elected to seven terms as town clerk. During the fourth year of 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 ...

, Reuther was drafted into the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

and was enrolled in Company B of the

45th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment The 45th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment was a volunteer infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 45th Wisconsin was organized at Madison, Wisconsin, and mustered into Federal service on November 8, ...

. Reuther was promoted to first sergeant shortly after the regiment mustered into federal service. The 45th Wisconsin Infantry was sent to

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

, and remained there on guard duty until the end of the war. Reuther returned from the war and became involved with the

Republican Party of Wisconsin The Republican Party of Wisconsin is a right-wing political party in Wisconsin and is the Wisconsin affiliate of the United States Republican Party (GOP). The state party chair is Paul Farrow. The state party is divided into 72 county parties f ...

. He was elected to the

in 1871, running on the Republican Party ticket. During the 1872 session, he represented

's first Assembly district, which then comprised roughly the southern half of the county. He ran for re-election in 1872, but was defeated by Democrat

Charles Rudolph Zorn Charles (Carl) Rudolph Zorn (August 4, 1844 – September 25, 1916) was an American farmer and politician. Born in what is now Germany, he settled in Schleswig, Wisconsin with his family in 1854. Zorn was a farmer. He served on the Schleswig ...

. He was twice a candidate for

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

, but was not elected. Later in life he moved to

Brillion, Wisconsin Brillion is a city in Calumet County, Wisconsin, Calumet County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 3,327 as of July 1, 2019. The city is located within the Brillion (town), Wisconsin, Town of Brillion, though it is politically inde ...

, in

Calumet County Calumet County is a county located in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,442. The county seat is Chilton. The county was created in 1836 (then in the Wisconsin Territory) and organized in 1850. Calumet ...

, where he worked as a liquor wholesaler and retailer. He was also elected commander of

Grand Army of the Republic The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization composed of veterans of the Union Army (United States Army), Union Navy (U.S. Navy), and the Marines who served in the American Civil War. It was founded in 1866 in Decatur, Il ...

post 222. He died at his home in Brillion on August 6, 1905.

Personal life and family

Peter Reuther was the fourth of five children born to George Reuther and his wife Anna Margaretha (' Mickel). Reuther's parents and all five children emigrated to the United States. His younger brother, Jacob, served in the

5th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment The 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry (65th Volunteers / "Cameron Dragoons") was a cavalry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service The 5th Pennsylvania Cavalry was organized at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania beginning ...

in the Civil War. Peter Reuther married Augusta Rossberg, another German immigrant, on October 28, 1861. They had seven children. His second son, George, later served as register of deeds for Manitowoc County.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1871, 1872)

, colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 7, 1871 , colspan="6" style="text-align:center;background-color: #e9e9e9;", General Election, November 5, 1872

References

External links

2manitowoc.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reuther, Peter 1836 births 1905 deaths People from Laubach Hessian emigrants to the United States People from Centerville, Manitowoc County, Wisconsin Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly People of Wisconsin in the American Civil War Union Army non-commissioned officers 19th-century American legislators