Charles Becker (June 24, 1840 – January 2, 1908) was a

German American German Americans (, ) are Americans who have full or partial German ancestry. According to the United States Census Bureau's figures from 2022, German Americans make up roughly 41 million people in the US, which is approximately 12% of the pop ...

politician from

Bavaria Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...

. Immigrating to

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

with his family in 1851, Becker attended public schools then worked for the Harrison Machine Works. He fought in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, losing his leg at the

Battle of Pea Ridge The Battle of Pea Ridge (March 7–8, 1862), also known as the Battle of Elkhorn Tavern, took place during the American Civil War near Leetown, Arkansas, Leetown, northeast of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Fayetteville, Arkansas. United States, Feder ...

. He returned to Belleville and became a prominent citizen, holding several local offices before he was elected

Illinois Treasurer The Treasurer of Illinois is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. state of Illinois. Seventy-four individuals have occupied the office of Treasurer since statehood. The incumbent is Mike Frerichs, a Democ ...

(1889–1891).

Biography

Charles Becker was born in

Rockenhausen Rockenhausen () is a town in the Donnersbergkreis, in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It is situated on the river Alsenz, approx. north of Kaiserslautern. Rockenhausen is the seat of the ''Verbandsgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") Nordpfälz ...

, on June 24, 1840. In 1851, his family immigrated to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

, settling in

Belleville, Illinois Belleville is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. It is a southeastern suburb of St. Louis. The population was 42,404 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most populated city in the Me ...

. Becker attended public school, then found employment with the Harrison Machine Works when he was fifteen. He became a skilled molder and worked there until the outbreak of the

in 1861. Becker enlisted in Company B of the

12th Missouri Volunteer Infantry 12th Missouri Infantry Regiment may refer to: * 12th Missouri Infantry Regiment (Confederate), a Confederate regiment in the American Civil War * 12th Missouri Infantry Regiment (Union), a Union regiment in the American Civil War See also * 12th M ...

. At the

on March 8, 1862, Becker took a wound in the right thigh. The leg was

amputated Amputation is the removal of a limb or other body part by trauma, medical illness, or surgery. As a surgical measure, it is used to control pain or a disease process in the affected limb, such as malignancy or gangrene. In some cases, it is ...

and Becker was discharged from service. Returning to Belleville, Becker attended school for a while and then returned to the Harrison Machine Works as an officer. Becker was noted for his efficient management and in 1866, he was elected Collector of Taxes and Sheriff of St. Clair County, serving for two years. When his term expired, he ran a brewery with a Mr. Echardt for four years. In 1872, he was elected Circuit Clerk and Recorder of Deeds, serving two four-year terms. In the meantime, he became president of the Belleville Stone Works and the Pump & Skein Works. In 1884, Becker was elected chairman of the county Republican Party. Becker was elected

in 1889, serving a two-year term. Charles Becker married Louisa Fleischbein on January 23, 1864. They had six children, five surviving to adulthood: Bertha, Casimir, Gustave, Arthur, and Ray. He died in Belleville on January 2, 1908, and was buried in Walnut Hill Cemetery.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Becker, Charles 1840 births 1908 deaths Illinois Republicans People of Illinois in the American Civil War People from Belleville, Illinois People from Donnersbergkreis State treasurers of Illinois Emigrants from Bavaria to the United States