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Frederick Hilgen | |
---|---|
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 3rd district | |
In office January 2, 1860 –January 7, 1861 | |
Preceded by | Lion Silverman |
Succeeded by | Hugh Cunning |
Personal details | |
Born | Johann Friedrich Hilgen April 3,1805 Kirchhatten, Duchy of Oldenburg |
Died | March 27,1878 72) | (aged
Resting place | Hilgen Cemetery,Cedarburg,Wisconsin |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | |
Children |
|
Occupation | Miller |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | South Carolina Militia Wisconsin Militia |
Unit | German Fusilier Society (SC) Wisconsin Guards (WI) |
Battles/wars | Second Seminole War |
Johann Friedrich "Frederick" Hilgen (April 3, 1805 –March 27, 1878) was a German American immigrant, miller, and Wisconsin pioneer. He is known as the "father" of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and was responsible for the construction of the historic Cedarburg Mill and the Hilgen and Wittenberg Woolen Mill. He also represented Ozaukee County in the Wisconsin Senate during the 1860 legislative session.
Frederick Hilgen was born Johann Friedrich Hilgen in the municipality of Kirchhatten, in what is now northwestern Germany. At the time of his birth, this area was the Duchy of Oldenburg. [1] He was raised and educated in Germany, learning to farm from his father. He emigrated to the United States in 1832, settling in a German immigrant community in Charleston, South Carolina, where he remained for over a decade. In South Carolina, he opened a grocery and general store. He operated the store in partnership with William Schroeder, another immigrant from Kirchhatten, who would be Hilgen's business partner for most of his life. [1] [note 1]
While living in South Carolina, Hilgen was also a member of the volunteer militia company the "German Fusilier Society". As part of his involvement with the militia, he served with the United States forces in the Second Seminole War and participated in a campaign in the Everglades. [1]
Hilgen and several of his partners and friends began looking for a new home in the early 1840s, and became aware of the nascent German immigrant community thriving in the village of Milwaukee in the Wisconsin Territory. In 1843, Hilgen and his compatriots sold their business interests in Charleston and moved to Milwaukee, buying a store together on Water Street in the downtown area. Later that year, Hilgen made his first visit to the area of Cedarburg, on the road between Milwaukee and Green Bay, Wisconsin, and quickly decided that he would relocate there. [1]
Hilgen purchased his original lot of 160 acres in April 1844. He eventually owned as much as 400 acres, but sold off pieces for real estate speculation. Shortly after his purchase, he and Schroeder began construction of a saw and gristmill on land that they believed would be suitable for the center of a village, the mill was completed in 1845. They also cut a road from their mill to the Green Bay Road to facilitate trade. [1]
Around this time, Hilgen came into conflict with another early settler in the Cedarburg area—Dr. Fred Luening. Luening, who operated a separate mill in Cedarburg, constructed a dam on his property which flooded five acres of Hilgen's land. After more than a year of attempting to convince Luening to destroy or modify the dam, Hilgen sued in 1847. Since public opinion in Cedarburg was significantly in favor of Hilgen, Luening got the case moved to Dodge County, but still ultimately lost the case and was forced to destroy the dam and pay monetary damages. Luening sold his interests in Cedarburg and left shortly thereafter. [1] Just after Wisconsin achieved statehood, Hilgen along with several other prominent settlers lobbied to have the town of Cedarburg established from the western half of the town of Grafton. [2] : 531
Hilgen also became involved with the militia in Wisconsin, joining the "Wisconsin Guards"—a Milwaukee-based militia company made of mostly German immigrants. [1] Throughout the latter half of the 1840s, Hilgen was also actively engaged in a mission to recruit other similarly motivated German Lutherans to come settle in his village. His most prominent recruit during these years was Frederick W. Horn, who went on to serve 14 years in the Wisconsin State Assembly and five years in the State Senate, and was three times elected speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Horn also became the first mayor of Cedarburg when it was incorporated as a city in 1885. [1]
After a decade of growth and commerce in Cedarburg, by the mid-1850s Hilgen and his associates decided they needed a more extensive and durable mill facility. They contracted Burchard Weber to design a new mill, made of stone rather than wood. The new five-story mill was completed in 1855, and could produce 120 barrels of flour per day. This was the building now known as the Cedarburg Mill. [3]
Hilgen only served in state office once. He was elected in an 1859 special election to serve one year in the Wisconsin Senate following the resignation of the incumbent, Lion Silverman. He received the Democratic nomination and faced no opposition in the general election. During the 1860 legislative session, he served on the committees on internal improvements and on state prisons. [4] He did not run for re-election in 1860.
Through the next several decades, Hilgen was responsible for several other important buildings and institutions in the new village, including the Hilgen and Wittenberg Woolen Mill, which is also not listed in the National Register of Historic Places. [5] He also established the Hilgen Spring Park, a popular summer resort, in 1852, and founded the Hilgen Manufacturing Company in partnership with his son in 1872. [2]
He was also one of the co-founders of the Ozaukee County Agricultural Society and the Bank of Cedarburg, which was organized in 1968. He served as an officer in both organizations. [2]
Hilgen was one of seven children born to Christian Carl Ludwig Hilgen and his wife Anna Sophia (née Schroeder) Hilgen. [note 2] His father was an Untervogt in Oldenburg—a secular government administrator, generally of junior nobility. His father died in 1821, when Frederick Hilgen was 16. [7]
After emigrating to the United States, Hilgen returned to Oldenburg in 1837 to marry Katherine Louise Boerner, the sister of his business partner C. Frederick Boerner. [1] The decision to leave Charleston was in part motivated by the fact that Hilgen and his wife lost four of their first five children—Hilgen blamed South Carolina's heat and humidity. They ultimately would have nine more children after moving to Wisconsin, all nine survived to adulthood. [7]
Ozaukee County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 91,503. Its county seat is Port Washington. Ozaukee County is included in the Milwaukee–Waukesha–West Allis, WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Mequon is the largest city in Ozaukee County, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, and the third-largest city in Wisconsin by land area. Located on Lake Michigan's western shore with significant commercial developments along Interstate 43, the community is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. Despite being an incorporated city, approximately half of Mequon's land is undeveloped and agriculture plays a significant role in the local economy. At the time of the 2020 census the population was 25,142.
Thiensville is a village in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Located on the west bank of a bend in the Milwaukee River, the community is bordered on all sides by the City of Mequon and is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 3,235 at the 2010 census.
Cedarburg is a town in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, and is in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The town was created in 1849 and at the time of the 2020 census had a population of 6,162.
Cedarburg is a city in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Located about 20 miles (32 km) north of Milwaukee and in close proximity to Interstate 43, it is a suburban community in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The city incorporated in 1885, and at the time of the 2020 census the population was 12,121.
The Town of Grafton is a town located in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States, and is in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The town was created in 1846 and at the time of the 2020 Census had a population of 4,157.
Grafton is a village in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Located about 20 miles (32 km) north of Milwaukee and in close proximity to Interstate 43, it is a suburban community in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The village incorporated in 1896, and at the time of the 2020 census the population was 12,094.
Saukville is a town in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The Village of Saukville is located in the town's southeast quadrant. The population was 1,755 at the 2000 census.
Saukville is a village in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Located on the Milwaukee River with a district along Interstate 43, the community is a suburb in the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 4,258 at the 2020 census.
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. It is intended to provide a comprehensive listing of entries in the National Register of Historic Places that are located in Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. The locations of National Register properties for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below may be seen in a map.
Washington Avenue Historic District is the historic center of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, the location of the early industry and commerce that was key to the community's development. The historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1986.
The Cedarburg Mill is a former gristmill in Cedarburg, Wisconsin that is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Located the on Cedar Creek, the building was constructed in 1855 by Frederick Hilgen and William Schroeder to replace a smaller wooden mill from the 1840s. At the time of its construction, the five-story structure was the tallest building in Cedarburg.
The Wayside House is a historic house located in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. It was built by Frederick Hilgen, who later co-owned the Cedarburg Mill, and is considered the father of Cedarburg. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on March 17, 1982.
Hamilton is an unincorporated community located in the Town of Cedarburg, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. Much of the community is part of the Hamilton Historic District, a site listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The NRHP-listed Concordia Mill is also located in the community.
The Cedarburg Woolen Co. Worsted Mill is a former woolen mill on the Milwaukee River in Grafton, Wisconsin. In the late-1800s, the Cedarburg Woolen Company in neighboring Cedarburg decided to expand their production by opening a second mill.
The Hilgen and Wittenberg Woolen Mill is a former textile factory in Cedarburg, Wisconsin. Built in 1864, the mill was one of many wool- and flax-processing factories that opened during the American Civil War, due to a shortage of cotton textiles formerly supplied by southern states. The mill produced yarns, blankets, and flannels, and was the largest woolen mill west of Philadelphia in the 19th century. The mill closed in 1968 and has since become a commercial complex called the "Cedar Creek Settlement," containing restaurants and stores.
The Old Ozaukee County Courthouse in Port Washington, Wisconsin is a Richardsonian Romanesque-styled building built in 1901 and clad in gray-blue limestone from the nearby Cedarburg quarry. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The building currently serves as the county administration center.
Frederick William Horn was a German-American immigrant, lawyer, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He served in many elected offices; he was the 4th, 7th, & 25th speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and served a total of 14 years in the Assembly. He also served five years in the Wisconsin State Senate—including the first three sessions after statehood—and was the first mayor of Cedarburg, Wisconsin, serving seven years in that role. He generally identified as a Democrat, but was elected several times as an Independent.
The Columbia Historic District is a neighborhood in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. At the time the district was listed on the register, its contributing properties included 128 historic homes, one church, and eighty-seven historic outbuildings, including garages and barns, all constructed between 1844 and 1938. The district also contained several dozen buildings that do not contribute to the historic district, including modern homes from the post-war era as well as modern garages and other additions to historic properties.
Herman Joseph Schulteis was a German American immigrant, politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was a member of the Wisconsin Senate, representing Ozaukee County during the 1857 and 1858 sessions. His name was also sometimes incorrectly spelled "Schulties", "Schultes", or "Schultis".