William Voss

William Voss
25th & 27th Mayor of Watertown, Wisconsin
In office April 1892 – April 1895
Preceded by	Frederick Kusel
Succeeded by	Justus T. Moak
In office April 1886 – April 1890
Preceded by	Albert Solliday
Succeeded by	Frederick Kusel
Member of the Wisconsin Senate from the 13th district
In office January 5, 1891 – January 7, 1895
Preceded by	Charles Pettibone
Succeeded by	Michael E. Burke
Personal details
Born	(1847-12-23)December 23, 1847 Berlin, Brandenburg, Kingdom of Prussia
Died	November 2, 1921(1921-11-02) (aged 73) Watertown, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting place	Oak Hill Cemetery, Watertown, Wisconsin
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mary Schempf
Children	Edna Voss Albert E. Voss Josie (Shealy) (Mrs. Max Baumann) Fred E. Voss

William Frederick Voss (December 23, 1847 – November 2, 1921) was a German American immigrant, banker, and politician. He was the 25th and 27th mayor of Watertown, Wisconsin, and represented Dodge County in the Wisconsin State Senate during the 1891 and 1893 sessions.

Biography

William Voss was born on December 23, 1847, in Berlin, in what was then the Kingdom of Prussia. He emigrated to the United States with his parents in 1850. They first resided in Milwaukee for two years, then came to Watertown, Wisconsin, in 1852. He was educated at the public schools of Watertown, but by the time of his graduation in 1863, both his parents were dead.

As the eldest of four siblings, Voss took it upon himself to support the family. The day after his graduation, he walked to Columbus, Wisconsin, and secured temporary employment as a farmhand. He quickly transitioned to work as a clerk at the grocery store William Volkmann & Co., and worked there for three years. He then went to Cincinnati, Ohio, and worked for two years for John Schillito & Company.

He returned to Watertown in the employment of Justus T. Moak, and when Moak was appointed postmaster at Watertown in 1867, he designated Voss as his deputy. He worked with Moak for several years, and then determined to prospect for gold in Colorado. He ultimately abandoned that goal, but worked on a farm for about two years near Denver before returning to Wisconsin.

In the Spring of 1874, he was hired as bank teller for the Wisconsin National Bank. He remained with the bank for most of the rest of his career, and later became president of the bank. He was elected to the Watertown city council in 1879, 1880, 1881, and 1882, and was then elected mayor in 1886, 1887, 1888, and 1889.

In 1890, he was elected to the Wisconsin State Senate, running on the Democratic Party ticket. He represented Wisconsin's 13th State Senate district, which then comprised all of Dodge County. In the Senate, he was chairman of the committee on banking and currency, and was also a member of the committee on railroads. While serving as senator, he was elected to three more terms as mayor, in 1892, 1893, and 1894.

Voss was a member of the school board in Watertown on and off throughout his life, and served two long stretches as president of the school board. He was also president of the library board and secretary of the waterworks board.

Voss worked as president of the Wisconsin National Bank until his death. He died in his sleep on the morning of November 2, 1921, at his home in Watertown.

Personal life and family

William F. Voss was the eldest surviving child of Frederick Voss. His mother died in 1856 and his father in 1861.

William Voss married Mary Schempf, daughter of pioneer merchant George L. Schempf, on May 21, 1878, in Watertown. They would have five children, all of whom survived him.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Senate (1890)

Wisconsin Senate, 13th District Election, 1890

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
General Election, November 4, 1890
	Democratic	William Voss	6,458	75.0%	+32.2%
	Republican	Christian Reinhart	2,148	25.0%
Plurality			4,310	50.1%	+39.7%
Total votes			8,606	100%	-0.9%
	Democratic gain from Independent

External links

William Frederick Voss at Find a Grave