Martin Kalbfleisch (February 8, 1804 – February 12, 1873) was a Dutch pioneer in the chemical industry, mayor of the city of

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behi ...

, and a

United States representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together the ...

from New York during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

. He served one term in the

U.S. House The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from 1863 to 1865.

Early life

Born in

Flushing, Netherlands Vlissingen (; zea, label= Zeelandic, Vlissienge), historically known in English as Flushing, is a municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the former island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river ...

, Kalbfleisch attended the public schools where he studied chemistry. At the age of eighteen, he embarked with an American captain to engage in trading in Sumatra, but returned on account of cholera. Forming a partnership with an American, he carried on business in

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, ver ...

, France, for four years.

Immigration to the United States

Kalbfleisch immigrated to the United States and settled in New York City in 1826, where he engaged in the manufacture and sale of paints. He was health warden in 1832, school trustee in 1836, and established a chemical factory at Greenpoint in 1844. He was

Town Supervisor The administrative divisions of New York are the various units of government that provide local services in the State of New York. The state is divided into boroughs, counties, cities, townships called "towns", and villages. (The only boro ...

Bushwick Bushwick is a neighborhood in the northern part of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. It is bounded by the neighborhood of Ridgewood, Queens, to the northeast; Williamsburg to the northwest; East New York and the cemeteries of Highland Pa ...

from 1852 to 1854 and was an unsuccessful candidate for mayor of the

City of Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, behin ...

in 1854. He was an

alderman An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members them ...

in Brooklyn from 1855 to 1861 and mayor from 1862 to 1864.

Later life

Kalbfleisch was elected as a Democrat to the Thirty-eighth Congress, holding office from March 4, 1863, to March 3, 1865. He voted against the

Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution The Thirteenth Amendment (Amendment XIII) to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude, except as punishment for a crime. The amendment was passed by the Senate on April 8, 1864, by the House of Representati ...

. He was a delegate to the Union National Convention at

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

in 1866, and was again mayor of Brooklyn from 1867 to 1871. He was an unsuccessful independent candidate for reelection and retired from active pursuits. Kalbfleisch died in Brooklyn. He is interred at

Green-Wood Cemetery Green-Wood Cemetery is a cemetery in the western portion of Brooklyn, New York City. The cemetery is located between South Slope/ Greenwood Heights, Park Slope, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Kensington, and Sunset Park, and lies several ...

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External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kalbfleisch, Martin 1804 births 1873 deaths Dutch emigrants to the United States Mayors of Brooklyn Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery People from Vlissingen People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state) 19th-century American politicians Politicians from Brooklyn