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- Henry Carl Berghoff (January 6, 1856 – June 28, 1925) was a German-American politician, lawyer, and businessman who cofounded the Herman Berghoff Brewing Company and served as the 19th Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana from May 9, 1901 to January 10, 1906. Berghoff was born January 6, 1856, in Dortmund, Germany, and immigrated to the United States in 1872, settling in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He, along with his brothers, also recent immigrants, founded the Herman Berghoff Brewing Company, which served Berghoff's Beer, in 1887, and in 1888, they opened their first Berghoff Brewery in Fort Wayne. Henry Berghoff became involved within helped establish various local businesses throughout his life, and also became involved with local Democratic politics in Fort Wayne, serving in various local political offices from 1885 to 1901, and mounting an unsuccessful campaign for Indiana State Treasurer in 1890. In 1893, he assisted the county sheriff in putting down a local riot. In 1901, Berghoff received the Democratic nomination for mayor of Fort Wayne, and after a campaign in which his opponents criticized his German background, was elected mayor of Fort Wayne, and took office after being sworn in on May 9 of that year. As mayor, Berghoff delivered a rousing speech praising German contributions to America at the 1901 Indiana District Turnfest, presided over the opening of the first electric interurban railroad (as well as at least three other railroads throughout the duration of his mayoralty) in Fort Wayne in 1901, the completion and dedication of the current Allen County Courthouse in 1902, the completion of the South Wayne Sewer in 1902, a typhoid epidemic from 1903 to 1904, signed General Ordinance 223, which granted a 31-year municipal franchise to the Fort Wayne Electric Light and Power company, and appointed the first Fort Wayne Board of Parks Commissioners in 1905. During Berghoff's mayoralty, more work was done on public works than in prior years, the cases of communicable diseases fell by over 300, gambling devices were banned from public places, there were no losses in litigation by the Fort Wayne Law Department from 1903 to 1905, and a balance of over $130,000 was attained for the city of Fort Wayne. However, Berghoff came under controversy for his handling of an impending water famine in 1901, after ordering that a canal basin flow into Fort Wayne's main water supply for ten hours (in order to give the city a larger water supply), which caused the pollution of the city's water. Berghoff also came under controversy for refusal to approve the bond, on the grounds that the appointment was not legitimate, of Robert B. Dreibelbiss for his appointment by Governor Winfield T. Durbin to the Fort Wayne Municipal (Police) Court, however, the appointment was held as valid by the Indiana Supreme Court in 1902. In 1905, Berghoff founded the German-American National Bank, later renamed to the Lincoln National Bank due to anti-German sentiments during World War I. In late 1905, Berghoff received a Democratic nomination for City Councilman-at-large, however, he lost in the general election. Berghoff left office on January 10, 1906, after serving one five year term as mayor of Fort Wayne (the only mayor of Fort Wayne to do so). After his mayoralty, Berghoff returned to work in the Berghoff Brewery, and various other local businesses, for the rest of his life. Berghoff died on June 28, 1925, in Fort Wayne, after suffering an apoplectic stroke, survived by his wife and several children. (en)
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- Henry Carl Berghoff (January 6, 1856 – June 28, 1925) was a German-American politician, lawyer, and businessman who cofounded the Herman Berghoff Brewing Company and served as the 19th Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana from May 9, 1901 to January 10, 1906. After his mayoralty, Berghoff returned to work in the Berghoff Brewery, and various other local businesses, for the rest of his life. Berghoff died on June 28, 1925, in Fort Wayne, after suffering an apoplectic stroke, survived by his wife and several children. (en)
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