Representative John William Boehne

John William Boehne (October 28, 1856 – December 27, 1946) was a United States Representative from Indiana and a prominent Democratic politician and businessman in Evansville, Indiana. He was the father of John W. Boehne Jr., who also later served in Congress, and his own congressional service spanned two terms during a significant period in early twentieth-century American political and economic history.

Boehne was born on October 28, 1856, in Scott Township, Vanderburgh County, Indiana. He was raised in a German-American Lutheran community and received his early education in the local district schools and in the German parochial school of the Lutheran Church. Seeking practical training for a business career, he later attended Evansville Business College, where he acquired the commercial and accounting skills that would shape his early professional life.

In 1872 Boehne moved to Evansville, Indiana, which would remain his home for the rest of his life. He first worked as an accountant, gaining experience in the city’s growing commercial and industrial sectors. Over time he expanded his activities into manufacturing, engaging in the manufacture of stoves and ranges and becoming interested in other manufacturing enterprises. Through these pursuits he became a well-known figure in Evansville’s business community, combining entrepreneurial activity with an emerging interest in civic affairs.

Boehne’s public career began at the municipal level. He was elected councilman at large in Evansville in 1897 and was reelected in 1899, reflecting broad support across the city. In 1901 he ran as the Democratic candidate for mayor of Evansville but was unsuccessful in that first bid. He remained active in local politics, however, and in 1905 was elected mayor, serving from 1905 to 1908. His mayoral administration coincided with a period of urban growth and industrial development in Evansville, and his leadership in city government helped establish his reputation within the Democratic Party. In 1908 he further advanced his standing in party affairs by serving as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention.

Building on his local and party experience, Boehne was elected as a Democrat to the United States House of Representatives. He represented Indiana in the Sixty-first and Sixty-second Congresses, serving from March 4, 1909, to March 3, 1913. As a member of the Democratic Party representing Indiana, he contributed to the legislative process during his two terms in office, participating in the democratic process and representing the interests of his constituents during a time marked by progressive-era reforms and debates over economic regulation and national policy. After two terms, he chose not to be a candidate for renomination in 1912 and returned to private life at the conclusion of his service.

Following his departure from Congress, Boehne remained involved in financial and economic affairs. He served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank at St. Louis, Missouri, a position that placed him within the emerging framework of the Federal Reserve System created in 1913 to stabilize the nation’s banking and monetary structure. In later years he gradually retired from active business pursuits, though he continued to be regarded as a leading figure in Evansville’s civic and economic life.

John William Boehne died in Evansville, Indiana, on December 27, 1946. He was interred in the Lutheran Cemetery, reflecting the religious community in which he had been raised. His former residence, the John W. Boehne House in Evansville, was later recognized for its historical significance and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983, underscoring his lasting association with the city and his role in its political and civic history.