John Louis Bohn was born August 2, 1867 in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Bohn was one of
thirteen children born to German immigrant parents. The Bohns ran a hotel in Two
Rivers, but eventually relocated to Milwaukee. As a boy, Bohn worked as a
lamplighter, a newsboy, and a bellboy at the Newhall House hotel. Bohn followed his
parents into the hospitality business, running a hotel in Ishpeming, Michigan and
later operating a saloon in Hurley, Wisconsin. He returned to Milwaukee in 1894 and
opened the Bohn House hotel at the corner of South 1st Street and East Pittsburgh
Avenue.
Bohn first ran for office in 1898, winning the 5th district seat on the County Board
of Supervisors. He served a single term, leaving office in 1902. His major
achievements on the Board were helping to establish a juvenile court in the county
and championing the construction of the Grand Avenue viaduct. In 1916, he reentered
the political arena and, claiming non-partisanship, defeated a Socialist
Party-backed opponent for the open 23rd district seat on the common council. He
served his south-west side district for the next 26 years, fighting for the
construction of the 35th Street Viaduct and an expanded city playground system.
When Prohibition came into effect, Bohn got out of the hospitality business and went
into real estate. He was active in a number of fraternal organizations, including
the Order of the Elks, the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, and the Loyal Order of the
Moose. He was also active in Milwaukee’s Old Settlers’ Club and served as the
president of the South Division Civic Association. He married Anna Swenson in 1888.
Anna would become an active partner in his political career, often dealing directly
with constituent concerns from their home on South 28th Street. The couple had no
children of their own, but were active in raising two nieces and a nephew.
Bohn was elected president of the common council in 1940, and the year 32-year-old
Carl Zeidler defeated 24-year incumbent Daniel Hoan in the mayoral election. In
January 1942, just weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Zeidler enlisted in the
U.S. Navy. Granted a leave of absence by the common council, Zeidler left for basic
training in April and Bohn, as council president, became Milwaukee’s acting
mayor.
With no timeline for the mayor’s return, Bohn vowed to carry on as Zeidler would
have, retaining his staff and holding true to his policy stances. On December 14,
1942, the Navy informed Zeidler’s parents that their son was missing in action.
Zeidler’s ship, the LaSalle, had actually been sunk
more than a month earlier with all personnel lost, although this would not be
learned until after the war. Upon hearing the news, Bohn pledged that his office
would carry on with expectation that Zeidler would be found and return to his
post.
In December 1943, with hopes dim that Zeidler would be found alive, Bohn declared he
would be a candidate for mayor in the spring 1944 election. In one of the closest
mayoral primaries in city history, Bohn placed first with 32% of the vote. Police
officer John Seramur, who had been a bodyguard for both Zeidler and Bohn, placed
second. Frank Zeidler, Carl’s younger brother and a future three-term mayor, placed
fourth, missing a spot in the general election by just 1,200 votes. Bohn prevailed
over Seramur in the general election, beating him 54% to 46%.
Bohn’s main priorities would involve Milwaukee’s adjustment to peacetime and post-war
growth. He went against many of his old real estate colleagues by establishing the
city’s first public housing program. His administration worked to build up a
post-war city construction fund that grew to more than $20 million. He supported an
expansion of Milwaukee’s air travel services and mass transit. He supported blight
elimination programs and worked to bring an arterial highway system to the city. He
also backed the creation of the city income tax, but his proposals were rejected by
the state legislature. Bohn also made regular use of mayoral proclamations, issuing
as many as 50 per year.
In August 1947, Bohn announced that he would not seek reelection. His wife, Anna, had
been ill for some time and Bohn did not wish to put her through the stress of
another campaign. Leaving office at age 80, Bohn went back into the real estate
business. Anna passed away in 1950. Bohn died of a heart attack on April 20, 1955 at
age 87.
