Christian Mayer

Background

Mayer was born on January 24, 1827 in Bretten, then part of the Grand Duchy of Baden.

Career

He received a common school education. He emigrated to the United States in 1852. He spent six months in Brooklyn as a carpenter and joiner, then settled for a while in Buffalo, New York, working at the Buffalo City Planing-Mills.

In 1856 or 1857 (accounts vary) they moved to Wisconsin, settling in Watertown and worked as a carpenter until 1861.

He then began manufacturing doors, window sashes and window blinds, and operating a planing mill. He was assigned to the standing committee on ways and means.

He was not a candidate for re-election in 1875, and was succeeded by Democrat Thomas Shinnick. He continued to serve as an alderman in Watertown.

He died August 6, 1910 as a result of a broken hip sustained in a fall.

He was buried in Watertown"s Oak Hill Cemetery.

Achievements

• Mayer won with 969 votes to 781 for Republican August Volkmann.

Membership

He served as an alderman in, and mayor of, that city, and as a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly. He had been alderman of Watertown seven years, and served as mayor of that city for one term, when in 1874 he was elected to the Assembly"s 1st Jefferson County district (which included the Towns of Ixonia and Watertown as well as the entire City of Watertown, including those two wards which actually were in Dodge County) as a member of the Reform Party, a short-lived coalition of Democrats, reform and Liberal Republicans, and Grangers formed in 1873 which had secured the election of a Governor of Wisconsin and a number of state legislators. Incumbent Charles Beckman, a Reformer, was not running for re-election.