Bartholomew Ringle
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the Marathon district
In office
January 4, 1875  January 7, 1878
Preceded byWillis C. Silverthorn
Succeeded byF. W. Kickbusch
In office
January 1, 1872  January 6, 1873
Preceded byRufus P. Manson (Marathon & Wood)
Succeeded byDaniel L. Plumer
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly
from the MarathonWood district
In office
January 4, 1864  January 2, 1865
Preceded byLevi P. Powers
Succeeded byH. W. Remington
County Clerk of Marathon County, Wisconsin
In office
January 1865  January 1871
Preceded byRufus P. Manson
Succeeded byJacob Paff
County Judge of Marathon County, Wisconsin
In office
January 1864  October 27, 1881
Preceded byC. Graham
Succeeded byLouis Marchetti
5th Mayor of Wausau, Wisconsin
In office
April 1876  April 1877
Preceded byCharles Hoeflinger
Succeeded byJohn C. Clarke
2nd Village President of Wausau, Wisconsin
In office
April 1862  April 1864
Preceded byF. A. Hoffman
Succeeded byRufus P. Manson
Personal details
Born(1814-10-16)October 16, 1814
Zweibrücken, Palatinate, Kingdom of Bavaria
DiedOctober 27, 1881(1881-10-27) (aged 67)
Wausau, Wisconsin, U.S.
Resting placePine Grove Cemetery, Wausau
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Magdalena Amalia Pick
(m. 18341881)
Children
  • Carl Ringle
  • (b. 1835; died 1908)
  • Bartholomew Ludwig Ringle
  • (b. 1839; died 1914)
  • Phillip Ringle
  • (b. 1843; died 1891)
  • Valentine Ringle
  • (b. 1847; died 1895)
  • John Ringle
  • (b. 1848; died 1923)
  • Caroline (Lodde)
  • (b. 1855; died 1950)
  • Louisa (Merklein)
  • (b. 1857; died 1948)
RelativesOscar Ringle (grandson)
ProfessionLawyer

Bartholomew Ringle (October 16, 1814  October 27, 1881) was a German American immigrant, lawyer, and Wisconsin pioneer. He was instrumental in organizing many of the towns of Marathon County, Wisconsin. He was the fifth mayor of Wausau, Wisconsin, represented Marathon County for five terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, and served nearly 18 years as county judge. His son and grandson also served in the Wisconsin Legislature.

Biography

Ringle was born on October 16, 1814, in the region of Zweibrücken in what is today southwest Germany.[1] At the time of his birth, this was part of the Rhine region which had just been transferred to the dominion of the Kingdom of Bavaria, after having been briefly under the rule of Napoleon's French Empire.[note 1] As a resident of Bavaria, he received a common school education and became an attorney.[2]

He emigrated to the United States in 1846, coming directly to the Wisconsin Territory and settling in Germantown, in Washington County. He lived there for two years before moving to the town of Herman, in Dodge County. In Herman, Ringle became a prominent member of the community and a member of the Democratic Party of Wisconsin. He was appointed to serve as postmaster for six years, and was elected justice of the peace, town clerk, and chairman of the town board.[2]

He moved to Wausau, Wisconsin, in Marathon County in 1859.[2] Wausau was incorporated as a village in 1861; Ringle was elected the 2nd village president in 1862 and was re-elected in 1863.[2] In 1863, he was also elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly, running on the Democratic Party ticket. He represented all of Marathon and Wood counties.[3] In the 1863 election, he was also elected county judge, and would continue to hold that office until his death. In 1864, he was also elected to serve as county clerkthat office he held for three two-year terms.[2][4]

He did not run for re-election to the Assembly in 1864, but returned to the Assembly with the election of 1871,[5] and then served three more terms in 1875, 1876, and 1877. While serving in the Assembly, he was instrumental in the act to incorporate Wausau as a city. He was elected the fifth mayor of Wausau in 1876.[4]

Ringle continued to work as an attorney and county judge until his death. He died of heart disease while working at his desk in Wausau, on October 27, 1881.[1] He was buried at Wausau's Pine Grove Cemetery. Reports stated that Wausau "never saw a larger funeral."[4]

Personal life and family

Bartholomew Ringle married Magdalena Amalia Pick in June 1834, while they were both living in the Kingdom of Bavaria. They had twelve children together, though two died in infancy, and two others died in childhood. Several of their children grew to prominence in Wisconsin.[2]

Charles (Carl) Ringle was a successful merchant in Herman, Dodge County, Wisconsin, and served as town chairman, town treasurer, town clerk, postmaster, and justice of the peace.[6]

Valentine Ringle served as a member of the city council in Wausau and city treasurer and postmaster. He was also a publisher of two newspapers, the English-language Wisconsin River Pilot and the German-language Wausau Wochenblatt.[2]

John Ringle was a successful merchant in Wausau and also served as postmaster there. He served three terms as county clerk, three terms as a member of the State Assembly, and two years in the State Senate.[2] His son, Oscar Ringle, also served in the State Assembly.

Electoral history

Wisconsin Assembly (1871)

Wisconsin Assembly, Marathon District Election, 1871[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 1871
Democratic Bartholomew Ringle 650 65.72%
Independent Democratic Charles Hoeflinger 339 34.28%
Plurality 311 31.45%
Total votes 989 100.0%
Democratic win (new seat)

Wisconsin Assembly (1874, 1875, 1876)

Wisconsin Assembly, Marathon District Election, 1874[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 3, 1874
Democratic Bartholomew Ringle 1,647 100.0%
Total votes 1,647 100.0% +55.82%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, Marathon District Election, 1875[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 2, 1875
Democratic Bartholomew Ringle (incumbent) 1,296 100.0%
Total votes 1,296 100.0% -21.31%
Democratic hold
Wisconsin Assembly, Marathon District Election, 1876[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
General Election, November 7, 1876
Democratic Bartholomew Ringle (incumbent) 1,787 72.49%
Republican C. A. Single 678 27.51%
Plurality 1,109 44.99%
Total votes 2,465 100.0% +90.20%
Democratic hold

Notes

  1. His biographies always describe his home region as "Rhein-Bairen", which is likely a poor Anglicization of "Rhine-Bayern" or "Bavarian Rhine".

References

  1. 1 2 "Badger Notes: Judge Bartholomew Ringle". The Weekly Wisconsin. November 2, 1881. p. 8. Retrieved September 5, 2015 via Newspapers.com. Open access icon
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "History of Marathon County". History of Northern Wisconsin. Western Historical Company. 1881. pp. 545, 565. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  3. "Assembly Districts with Names of Members since the Apportionment of 1861". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1864. p. 132. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Mayors Biographies and Photos". City of Wausau. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  5. 1 2 "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1872. p. 451. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  6. "Biographical Sketches - Herman Township". The History of Dodge County, Wisconsin. Western Historical Company. 1880. p. 676. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1876. p. 4701. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
  8. "Official Directory". The Legislative Manual of the State of Wisconsin (Report). State of Wisconsin. 1877. p. 466. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
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