Mayor of Appleton 1922 - 1923. Photo posted at City Hall.
Image of photograph from Fox Valley Memory.
Used with permission of the Appleton Public Library.
In the 1920's steamship ticket agent Henry Reuter lived in the home which used to stand at 209 W. Lawrence St.
The following was taken verbatim from Ryan's History of Outagamie County, Part 15 (1911):
HENRY REUTER, who is one of the proprietors of the C. F. Smith Livery and Transfer Company, at Appleton, Wisconsin, one of the city's substantial business enterprises, was born at Appleton, January 1, 1865, and is the son of Peter and Gertrude (Borlinghousen) Renter. The late Peter Reuter was a prominent citizen of Wisconsin for many years. He was born July 5, 1838, in Belgium, and died at Kaukauna, Wisconsin, in 1905. In 1847 he accompanied his parents to America, they locating on a farm near Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where the father died three weeks afterward, leaving the mother with five small children, Peter being aged nine years at that time. Peter Reuter learned the carpenter's trade and in 1864 came to Appleton as foreman in a hub and spoke factory, and four years later, with his brother, Alexander, built a hub and spoke factory at Kaukauna, fifteen years later buying his brother's interest. Peter Reuter served Kaukauna several terms as mayor, and was a leading democratic politician of his section for many years, later becoming a republican. Since its organization he was president of the Bank of Kaukauna, and was serving as such at the time of his death. Both he and his wife were devoted members of the Catholic Church, and he was a member of the Knights of Columbus and of the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin. He was twice married, and three children were born to his first union and five to this second. Henry Reuter attended the public schools of Kaukauna and later Pio Nono College at St. Frances, near Milwaukee from which institution he graduated in 1881 after which time he took charge of the office of the hub and spoke factory that was being operated at Kaukauna by his father Peter Reuter and in 1886 when the plant moved to Rice Lake, Wisconsin, and incorporated under the name of the Reuter Hub and Spoke Co., he (Henry Reuter) became the Secretary and Manager of the concern which was later moved to Dexter, Missouri, in 1899; in 1901, Henry Reuter became the President and Treasurer of the concern, which position he held until 1903 at which time he sold his interests in the south owing to climatic conditions and returned at Wisconsin, locating at Appleton.
In 1905 he purchased the controlling interest in the C. F. Smith Livery and Transfer Co., of Appleton, Wisconsin, and through his energy and business ability has brought this concern up to a point that today it owns one of the finest and most modern livery and transfer businesses in the state.
Mr. Reuter was married (first) May 1, 1888, to Agnes Kamps, who died September 27, 1904. He was married (second) on June 16, 1909, to Mrs. Catherine Sacksteder, daughter of G. T. Moeskes, who was formerly a judge of the county court. Mr. Reuter has three children, born to his first marriage: Agnes, Helen and Gerhard, all of whom are proficient in music. Mr. Reuter and family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church. He belongs to the Knights of Columbus, the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin and the Modern Woodmen of America.
Reuter was Mayor of Appleton for only two years from 1922-1923, but those years saw a boon in building and construction. An article in the August 24, 1937 Appleton Post-Crescent stated, "Construction of the Lawe Street and Memorial Drive bridges were [sic] started and contracts for two junior high school buildings were let." These accomplishments, according to the article, made the term of Mayor Reuter "stand out in Appleton's history."
After his term in office was up, Reuter continued in the steamship ticket business. He died August 25, 1925 after an illness of several months. His death was front page news in the Post-Crescent on that day.
Ad from the Appleton Post-Crescent, Tuesday, April 24, 1923.
