William Pfaender Sr. (Jakob Wilhelm Pfänder, July 6, 1826 – August 11, 1905) was a German-American politician and businessman.

Biography

Born in

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Mid ...

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 ...

, Pfaender 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 ...

in 1848 and went to

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. In 1848, he moved to

Cincinnati, Ohio Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

. In 1856, after an attack by

Know Nothing The Know Nothing party was a nativist political party and movement in the United States in the mid-1850s. The party was officially known as the "Native American Party" prior to 1855 and thereafter, it was simply known as the "American Party". ...

s on his family and other German immigrant families at a picnic, Pfaender organized a move to New Ulm,

Minnesota Territory The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota and wester ...

. Pfaender was in the real estate and insurance business; he was also in the lumber business. 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 ...

, Pfaender served in the

1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry The 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment was the very first group of volunteers the Union received in response to the South's assault of Fort Sumter at the beginning of the United States Civil War. Minnesota's Governor Alexander Ramsey offered 1000 me ...

and was commissioned lieutenant colonel. Pfaender served on the New Ulm City Council. He also served as mayor of New Ulm and on the New Ulm school board. He served as register for

Brown County, Minnesota Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,912. Its county seat is New Ulm. The county was formed in 1855 and organized in 1856. Brown County comprises the New Ulm, MN Micropolitan ...

and as postmaster for New Ulm. In 1859 and 1860, Pfaender served in the

Minnesota House of Representatives The Minnesota House of Representatives is the lower house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. There are 134 members, twice as many as the Minnesota Senate. Floor sessions are held in the north wing of the State Capitol in Saint Pa ...

and was a

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 ...

. Then, from 1869 to 1873, Pfeander served in the

Minnesota State Senate The Minnesota Senate is the upper house of the Legislature of the U.S. state of Minnesota. At 67 members, half as many as the Minnesota House of Representatives, it is the largest upper house of any U.S. state legislature. Floor sessions are hel ...

. From 1876 to 1880, Pfaender served as the

Minnesota State Treasurer The state treasurer of Minnesota was a constitutional officer in the executive branch of the U.S. state of Minnesota. Twenty-six individuals occupied the office of state treasurer from 1858 until the office's abolition in 2003. The final state t ...

. Pfaender died at his home in New Ulm, Minnesota.

Family

His great-great-grandniece is singer

Victoria Beckham Victoria Caroline Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the girl group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spice. Wi ...

Notes

External links

* 1826 births 1905 deaths German emigrants to the United States People from New Ulm, Minnesota People of Minnesota in the American Civil War Businesspeople from Minnesota Minnesota city council members School board members in Minnesota County officials in Minnesota State treasurers of Minnesota Republican Party Minnesota state senators Republican Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives Minnesota postmasters 19th-century American politicians 19th-century American businesspeople Mayors of places in Minnesota People from Heilbronn {{Minnesota-politician-stub