Representative Charles Lieb

Charles Lieb (May 20, 1852 – September 1, 1928) was an American politician and businessman who served two terms as a U.S. Representative from Indiana from 1913 to 1917. A member of the Democratic Party, he represented Indiana in the United States Congress during a significant period in American history, contributing to the legislative process over the course of his two terms in office.

Lieb was born in Flehingen, Germany, on May 20, 1852. In 1868 he immigrated to the United States and settled in Rockport, Spencer County, Indiana, which would remain his home for the rest of his life. As a young immigrant, he integrated into the local community and pursued his education in the American school system, laying the foundation for his later business and political career.

He attended the public schools of Rockport and continued his studies at the Rockport Collegiate Institute. Seeking further practical training, he enrolled at Bryant and Stratton’s Business College in Louisville, Kentucky, where he received commercial education that prepared him for work in finance and business. After completing his schooling, Lieb was employed as a bookkeeper and accountant, occupations that gave him experience in financial management and local commerce.

Lieb entered public service at the municipal level in Rockport. He served as a member of the Rockport City Council from 1879 to 1884, participating in the governance and development of the growing river town. In 1882 he engaged in the lumber business as a contractor, combining his public responsibilities with private enterprise. His standing in the community led to his appointment as postmaster of Rockport, a federal position he held from 1893 to 1897, overseeing local postal operations during a period of expanding communication and commerce.

Advancing to state-level office, Lieb served as a member of the Indiana House of Representatives from 1907 to 1913, representing Spencer County. In the state legislature he gained experience in lawmaking and party affairs that would carry over into his later national service. His work in Indianapolis coincided with the Progressive Era, when questions of regulation, economic development, and political reform were prominent in Indiana and across the country.

Lieb was elected as a Democrat to the Sixty-third and Sixty-fourth Congresses, serving in the U.S. House of Representatives from March 4, 1913, to March 3, 1917. During these two terms he represented his Indiana district in Washington, D.C., participating in the democratic process and advocating for the interests of his constituents at a time that included the early years of the Woodrow Wilson administration and major legislative initiatives in banking, tariffs, and economic policy. He was not a candidate for renomination in 1916, but remained active in party affairs, serving as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention that year.

After leaving Congress, Lieb returned to Rockport and resumed his business and agricultural interests. He served as president and director of the Farmers’ Bank at Rockport, applying his earlier experience as a bookkeeper and accountant to the management of a local financial institution. In addition to his banking activities, he engaged in agricultural pursuits, reflecting the economic base of Spencer County and the surrounding region and maintaining close ties to the rural communities he had long represented.

Charles Lieb died in Rockport, Indiana, on September 1, 1928. He was interred in Sunset Hill Cemetery in Rockport. His life and career spanned immigration from Germany, local and state public service, and two terms in the United States Congress, marking him as a significant Democratic figure in early twentieth-century Indiana politics.