Andrew Haben
Andrew Haben (December 23, 1834 – January 18, 1908) was a German American immigrant, businessman, Democratic politician, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was the 19th and 24th mayor of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and represented Winnebago County in the Wisconsin State Senate and Assembly. He was also an unsuccessful candidate for U.S. Congress.
Andrew Haben | |
|---|---|
| Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 19th district | |
| In office January 6, 1879 – January 3, 1881 | |
| Preceded by | Return Torrey |
| Succeeded by | Joseph B. Hamilton |
| 19th & 25th Mayor of Oshkosh, Wisconsin | |
| In office April 1885 – April 1886 | |
| Preceded by | Charles D. Health |
| Succeeded by | Carlton Foster |
| In office April 1876 – April 1878 | |
| Preceded by | Joseph Stringham |
| Succeeded by | Sanford Beckwith |
| Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Winnebago 1st district | |
| In office January 5, 1885 – January 3, 1887 | |
| Preceded by | Earl Finch |
| Succeeded by | James B. McLeran |
| In office January 2, 1882 – January 1, 1883 | |
| Preceded by | William Wall |
| Succeeded by | Earl Finch |
| Personal details | |
| Born | December 23, 1834 Urexweiler, Rhine Province, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | January 18, 1908 (aged 73) Oshkosh, Wisconsin, U.S. |
| Resting place | Riverside Cemetery, Oshkosh, Wisconsin |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Matilda N. McCourt
(m. 1866–1908) |
| Children |
|
Biography
Born in the Rhine Province, in the Kingdom of Prussia, Haben emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1837 and settled in Dansville, New York. In 1855, Haben moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and worked as a merchant tailor.[1] He also became active in the real estate trade in Oshkosh.[2]
Haben became active with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin, and was elected mayor of Oshkosh in 1876 and 1877.[2] In 1878, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate from the 19th State Senate district. At the time, the district comprised all of Winnebago County. Haben was the first Democrat to represent Winnebago County in the Wisconsin State Senate since 1856.[1]
During his first year as state senator, he was the Democratic nominee for State Treasurer of Wisconsin. He was defeated along with the rest of the Democratic ticket in the 1879 general election.[3]
He was subsequently elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly from Winnebago County's 1st Assembly district. In 1882, he ran for a seat in the United States House of Representatives, in Wisconsin's 6th congressional district, but was defeated by incumbent Richard W. Guenther.[4]
He was elected to another term in the State Assembly in 1884, and during that term, he was elected to another term as mayor in 1885.[5] In 1886, he ran for Congress again, but was defeated again, by Guenther's successor, Charles B. Clark.[6]
Haben retired from business and politics in 1890 and moved with his family to Denver, Colorado.[7] He stayed for nine years, but abandoned Colorado after a fire destroyed much of his property there in 1899. He returned to Oshkosh, but had little further engagement in business or politics. He died of heart disease at his home in Oshkosh, on January 18, 1908.[8]
Electoral history
Wisconsin Senate (1878)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 5, 1878 | |||||
| Democratic | Andrew Haben | 2,855 | 40.38% | -8.65% | |
| Republican | L. E. Knapp | 2,797 | 39.56% | -11.40% | |
| Greenback | W. E. Hanson | 1,418 | 20.06% | ||
| Plurality | 58 | 0.82% | -1.11% | ||
| Total votes | 7,070 | 100.0% | -25.03% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
Wisconsin State Treasurer (1879)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1879 | |||||
| Republican | Richard W. Guenther | 101,745 | 54.00% | +7.63% | |
| Democratic | Andrew Haben | 73,668 | 39.10% | -0.02% | |
| Greenback | Peter A. Griffiths | 13,002 | 6.90% | -7.62% | |
| Plurality | 28,077 | 14.90% | +7.65% | ||
| Total votes | 188,415 | 100.0% | +7.74% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
Wisconsin Assembly (1881)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 8, 1881 | |||||
| Democratic | Andrew Haben | 932 | 53.87% | ||
| Republican | William Wall (incumbent) | 647 | 37.40% | -27.23% | |
| Prohibition | B. E. Van Kuren | 151 | 8.73% | ||
| Plurality | 285 | 16.47% | -14.98% | ||
| Total votes | 1,730 | 100.0% | -37.81% | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | |||||
U.S. House of Representatives (1882)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 7, 1882 | |||||
| Republican | Richard W. Guenther (incumbent) | 10,303 | 44.14% | -8.37% | |
| Democratic | Andrew Haben | 9,265 | 39.69% | -4.07% | |
| Prohibition | Theodore D. Kanouse | 3,275 | 14.03% | ||
| Greenback | L. A. Stewart | 496 | 2.12% | -1.62% | |
| Scattering | 5 | 0.02% | |||
| Plurality | 1,038 | 4.45% | -4.30% | ||
| Total votes | 23,344 | 100.0% | -39.23% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
Wisconsin Assembly (1884)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 4, 1884 | |||||
| Democratic | Andrew Haben | 1,967 | 51.76% | +0.36% | |
| Republican | Ephraim E. Stevens | 1,760 | 46.32% | +12.09% | |
| Prohibition | Joshua Dalton | 73 | 1.92% | -12.44% | |
| Plurality | 207 | 5.45% | -11.73% | ||
| Total votes | 3,800 | 100.0% | +50.38% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
U.S. House of Representatives (1886)
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Election, November 2, 1886 | |||||
| Republican | Charles B. Clark | 15,983 | 54.60% | +8.41% | |
| Democratic | Andrew Haben | 11,526 | 39.38% | -10.54% | |
| Prohibition | Theodore D. Kanouse | 1,761 | 6.02% | +3.11% | |
| Scattering | 2 | 0.01% | |||
| Plurality | 4,457 | 15.23% | +11.49% | ||
| Total votes | 29,272 | 100.0% | -11.04% | ||
| Republican hold | |||||
References
- Warner, Hans B., ed. (1879). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 508. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- Harney, Richard J. (1880). The History of Winnebago County, Wisconsin. Allen & Hicks, Book Printers. pp. 175, 183. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- Warner, Hans B., ed. (1880). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 496. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- Heg, J. E., ed. (1883). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 468. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- Heg, James E., ed. (1885). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 443. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- Timme, Ernst G., ed. (1887). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. pp. 480–481. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- "Will Live in Denver". Oshkosh Northwestern. November 7, 1890. p. 4. Retrieved February 23, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Andrew Haben Dies". Oshkosh Northwestern. January 18, 1908. p. 5. Retrieved February 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- Heg, J. E., ed. (1882). "Biographical Sketches" (PDF). The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. p. 563. Retrieved February 23, 2022.