Frederick H. Kreismann was an American politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 who served as mayor of St. Louis, Missouri from 1909 to 1913. He was a Republican

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

.

Education and background

Kreismann was born in Quincy, Illinois

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy, known as Illinois' "Gem City," is a river city along the Mississippi River and the county seat of Adams County. As of the 2010 census the city held a population of 40,633. The city anchors its own micropolitan area and is the economic and regional hub of West-central Illinois, catering a...

 and attended public schools in Quincy and St. Louis.
He worked in civil engineering and surveying, and in 1890, he entered the insurance business, which became his career. In 1902 he married Pauline Whiteman and they had two children.

Kreismann was interested in politics at an early age. In 1905 he ran for the position of City Clerk and was elected. He held this position until he resigned to run for mayor in 1909.

Term as mayor

Kreismann became the thirty-first Mayor of St. Louis in 1909. The city's population was growing rapidly at this time, rising from 575,238 in 1900 to 687,029 in 1910. St. Louis remained the fourth largest city in the United States. Much of Kriesmann's term as mayor was dedicated to policies that would manage this growth. He helped establish a Municipal Testing Laboratory, which went into operation in 1912. An ordinance that same year also gave the city's health commissioner the authority regulate the storage and transportation of food.

Two important public buildings were completed during Kreismann's administration. Construction on the Municipal Courts Buildings began in August 1909 and was completed in 1911 at a cost of $967,000. The Central Library Building of the City's Public Library System was completed and opened on January 6, 1912.

Another public works project, the construction of the McArthur Free Bridge, crossing the Mississippi River

Mississippi River

The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...

 north of Downtown became a problem for Kriesmann because the $3,500,000 bond issue that had been authorized to fund the bridge did not provide sufficient funds for its completion. The bridge was eventually completed after another bond issue was approved during Mayor Henry Kiel

Henry Kiel

Henry W. Kiel was the thirty-second Mayor of Saint Louis, serving from 1913 to 1925.Kiel grew up in St. Louis and attended St. Louis Public Schools and the Smith Academy. His family worked in the construction industry, and Kiel learned the bricklayer's trade from his father...

's administration.

Later life

After his tern as mayor ended, Kreismann returned to the insurance business. He retired in 1939. He died in Webster Groves, Missouri

Webster Groves, Missouri

Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census. The city is named after New England politician Daniel Webster....

 on November 1, 1944 and was buried in Bellefontaine Cemetery.