John Michael Kohler
Encyclopedia
John Michael Kohler was a prosperous industrialist and mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin
. Kohler founded what later became known as the Kohler Company
, a large producer of bathroom and kitchen products.
, Austria
, the fourth child of dairy farmer Johann Michael Kohler (1805–74) and his wife, the former Maria Anna Moosbrugger (1816–53). After his wife's death, the elder Kohler remarried, and he and his large family emigrated to the United States. With help from a relative, the Kohlers built up a promising dairy business.
Apparently in conflict with his father, John Michael Kohler left home when he was about eleven and, with scanty formal education, got work in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1865 he moved to Chicago, Illinois and became a traveling salesman. In Sheboygan, Wisconsin
, 56 miles north of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan, he met Lillie Vollrath (1848–1883), the daughter of local steel and iron industrialist Jacob Vollrath
(1824–1898). The couple was married in 1871.
In 1899, Kohler purchased 21 acres of farmland four miles west of Sheboygan, intending to move his entire company to the location. Shortly after the new factory was constructed, in 1900, Kohler died at 56, probably of heart failure.
Five years later, 30-year-old Walter J. Kohler assumed his father's corporate presidency and began to guide the firm. In 1912, it was officially designated the Kohler Company, and the property surrounding the plant became the Village of Kohler
.
Today, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center
, which occupies a square block in downtown Sheboygan (containing Kohler's restored Gilded Age home along with modern buildings), is a tribute to this founding member of a distinguished family.
The large and fashionable Kohler family home in Sheboygan was filled with music, books, and constant lessons in ethics and public service.
On November 5, 1900, John died at 56, probably the result of a heart attack. The entire Sheboygan area mourned. John's three sisters remained in the Kohler house, unmarried, for the rest of their lives, frequently wearing black.
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
. Kohler founded what later became known as the Kohler Company
Kohler Company
'The Kohler Company is a manufacturing company in Kohler, Wisconsin best known for its plumbing products. Kohler also manufactures furniture, cabinetry, tile, engines, and generators.-History:...
, a large producer of bathroom and kitchen products.
Early life
Kohler was born on November 3, 1844 in the Alpine village of SchnepfauSchnepfau
Schnepfau is a municipality in the district of Bregenz, Vorarlberg, Austria.-References:...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, the fourth child of dairy farmer Johann Michael Kohler (1805–74) and his wife, the former Maria Anna Moosbrugger (1816–53). After his wife's death, the elder Kohler remarried, and he and his large family emigrated to the United States. With help from a relative, the Kohlers built up a promising dairy business.
Apparently in conflict with his father, John Michael Kohler left home when he was about eleven and, with scanty formal education, got work in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1865 he moved to Chicago, Illinois and became a traveling salesman. In Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
-Airport:Sheboygan is served by the Sheboygan County Memorial Airport, which is located several miles from the city.-Roads:Interstate 43 is the primary north-south transportation route into Sheboygan, and forms the west boundary of the city. U.S...
, 56 miles north of Milwaukee on Lake Michigan, he met Lillie Vollrath (1848–1883), the daughter of local steel and iron industrialist Jacob Vollrath
Jacob Vollrath
Jacob Johann Vollrath was an industrialist in the city of Sheboygan, Wisconsin in the United States. He founded the Vollrath Company....
(1824–1898). The couple was married in 1871.
Business career
Shortly after his marriage, Kohler worked at the steel and iron factory his father-in-law partly owned. He took over the company two years later during a Panic of 1873#national depression. By the early 1880s, the firm was producing a variety of iron and enamelware products. In 1883, Kohler put ornamental feet on a cast-iron water trough and sold it as a bathtub. Four years later, more than two-thirds of the company's business was in plumbing products and enamelware. In 1888, Kohler and two partners had the firm incorporated.In 1899, Kohler purchased 21 acres of farmland four miles west of Sheboygan, intending to move his entire company to the location. Shortly after the new factory was constructed, in 1900, Kohler died at 56, probably of heart failure.
Five years later, 30-year-old Walter J. Kohler assumed his father's corporate presidency and began to guide the firm. In 1912, it was officially designated the Kohler Company, and the property surrounding the plant became the Village of Kohler
Kohler, Wisconsin
Kohler is a village in Sheboygan County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Sheboygan River. The population was 1,926 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Sheboygan, Wisconsin Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
Civic leadership
From 1880 until his death Kohler served in several governmental offices. In 1892 he became Mayor. Citizens also admired Kohler for his generous contributions and leadership in the areas of art and culture, symbols of Sheboygan's desire to be more than factory town.Today, the John Michael Kohler Arts Center
John Michael Kohler Arts Center
The John Michael Kohler Arts Center is a not-for-profit art museum located in downtown Sheboygan, Wisconsin. The original house at the facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the John Michael Kohler House...
, which occupies a square block in downtown Sheboygan (containing Kohler's restored Gilded Age home along with modern buildings), is a tribute to this founding member of a distinguished family.
Personal life
The Kohlers had six children, including Walter Jodok Kohler, Sr. (1875-40), who would later be Governor of Wisconsin. In 1887, four years after Lillie's death, John married Lillie's sister, Wilhelmina (Minnie) Vollrath (1852–1929) and they had one child, Herbert Vollrath Kohler (1891–1968). This Kohler was to become the dominant force in the Kohler company for many years, presiding over the longest strike in American history.The large and fashionable Kohler family home in Sheboygan was filled with music, books, and constant lessons in ethics and public service.
On November 5, 1900, John died at 56, probably the result of a heart attack. The entire Sheboygan area mourned. John's three sisters remained in the Kohler house, unmarried, for the rest of their lives, frequently wearing black.