Louis Kuehnle
Encyclopedia
Louis Kuehnle, known as the Commodore, was an American
business entrepreneur and politician considered a pioneer in the growing resort town of Atlantic City in the late 1880s and early 1900s. He was leader of the Republican organization that controlled Atlantic City during the early 1900's. Future president New Jersey
Governor
Woodrow Wilson
pursued Kuehnle after his 1910 election as part of his campaign to clean up Atlantic City. The effort led to the unsuccessful prosecution of Kuehnle for election fraud and the successful prosecution and conviction of him for a conflict of interest in connection with a government contract. His name then tarnished by scandal, he was succeeded by Enoch "Nucky" Johnson
as leader of the organization.
, New York on December 25, 1857 the son of German immigrants
Louis and Katrina Kuehnle, where Louis Sr. was a successful chef. In 1858, Louis Kuehnle Sr., moved his family to Egg Harbor City, New Jersey
where he began his first hotel, The New York Hotel. The family then moved again, in 1875, to nearby Atlantic City to open another hotel, Kuehnle's Hotel
.
power brokers, one of whom was Nucky Johnson's father Sheriff Smith E. Johnson. When one of those three politicians died in 1900, Kuehnle took his spot at the meetings and eventually took control of the club itself.
Nicknamed "Louie", Kuehnle grew both in popularity and political power in Atlantic City inspiring other young politicians such as Harry
and Isaac Bacharach
and Enoch Johnson. He is credited as the architect and first leader of a partisan political machine
in Atlantic City, and he held great control over the city from the late 1800s until his imprisonment in 1911. He responded to critics of his power by saying, "They'll build a monument to me someday; I built this town".
metropolis
. Concerned with high rates for telephone and gas, he created his own telephone and gas companies, resulting in lower prices. His telephone company, named Atlantic Coast Telephone Company, would later be bought by Bell
. Kuehnle also helped lower electric prices by supporting a competing utility in the area. He helped build the Boardwalk, and he even increased the amount of fresh water in town by building a water main from the mainland to Absecon Island
. To show its possibility, he drilled an artesian well, and created the city's waterworks
company. Kuehnle always was an entrepreneur in the transportation industry, helping to modernize the trolley system to improve intra-city transport.
Kuehnle was looked upon by many citizens of Atlantic City as a leader and protector. He would devise non-violent ways to get the state militia to visit and calm the community whenever a Philadelphia newspaper published an inflammatory article. He was charitable too, and well liked by the African-American community.
Joining the Atlantic City Yacht Club during his prime, he later served as chairman and this is essentially where he adopted the unofficial rank of "Commodore", a nickname he kept until his death.
such as prostitution
, gambling
and liquor were available at his hotel. Additionally, he extorted gambling rooms and whorehouses, plus a variety of legitimate businesses, to fund his Republican political operation. Because he saw them as appointees, Kuehle would force government employees to "kick back" 5-7% of their salaries to the Republican party.
Election fraud was prevalent, with the Republicans paying black voters $2 per vote. These voters would be taken to multiple voting stations and vote in the names of the deceased who were still registered to vote. Kuehnle's Republicans increased their level of fraud in the 1910 gubernatorial campaign so their candidate would be elected as governor of New Jersey. Despite their work they lost and newly-elected governor, future United States president, Woodrow Wilson was elected on a vow of addressing corruption in Atlantic City. Wilson, following his promise, investigated corruption by looking into the election results. He noted that there were more than 3,000 Republican votes identified as fraudulent in Atlantic City so he elected a commission to prosecute. They received indictments but were unable to get a conviction of anyone important.
In 1913, Kuehnle was convicted of conflict of interest related corruption and was sentenced to one year of hard labor plus a $1,000 fine. After his six-month sentence he traveled to Bermuda
for vacation and took an extended trip to Bavaria, Germany, the home to his Kuehnle ancestry.
. Kuehnle was elected in 1920 and reelected every four year term following that until his death in 1934 serving specifically as Commissioner of Parks and Public Property. As a commissioner, he proved to be an independent who sometimes opposed Johnson's organization.
Kuehnle died on August 6, 1934 and he is buried in Egg Harbor City, his hometown during his middle teen years. On the day of his death, the City Hall draped his chair in the Commission Chamber and City Hall itself in black, out of respect, and the flags hung at half staff on every firehouse
. The street named Kuehnle Avenue is the only visible monument to Kuehnle currently in Atlantic City.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
business entrepreneur and politician considered a pioneer in the growing resort town of Atlantic City in the late 1880s and early 1900s. He was leader of the Republican organization that controlled Atlantic City during the early 1900's. Future president New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Woodrow Wilson
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was the 28th President of the United States, from 1913 to 1921. A leader of the Progressive Movement, he served as President of Princeton University from 1902 to 1910, and then as the Governor of New Jersey from 1911 to 1913...
pursued Kuehnle after his 1910 election as part of his campaign to clean up Atlantic City. The effort led to the unsuccessful prosecution of Kuehnle for election fraud and the successful prosecution and conviction of him for a conflict of interest in connection with a government contract. His name then tarnished by scandal, he was succeeded by Enoch "Nucky" Johnson
Enoch L. Johnson
Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson was an Atlantic City, New Jersey political boss and racketeer. From the 1910s until his imprisonment in 1941, he was the undisputed “boss” of the Republican political machine that controlled Atlantic City and the Atlantic County government...
as leader of the organization.
Early life
Kuehnle was born in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York on December 25, 1857 the son of German immigrants
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
Louis and Katrina Kuehnle, where Louis Sr. was a successful chef. In 1858, Louis Kuehnle Sr., moved his family to Egg Harbor City, New Jersey
Egg Harbor City, New Jersey
Egg Harbor City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 4,243....
where he began his first hotel, The New York Hotel. The family then moved again, in 1875, to nearby Atlantic City to open another hotel, Kuehnle's Hotel
Kuehnle's Hotel
Kuehnle's Hotel was an Atlantic City, New Jersey hotel first opened on January 9, 1875 by Commodore Louis Kuehnle's father. The Commodore took over the management of the hotel shortly after his eighteenth birthday...
.
Rise to power
Louis Sr. died leaving Kuehnle, aged 18, to take over Kuehnle's Hotel at the corner of South Carolina and Atlantic Avenues. A saloon named "The Corner" was within the hotel and it became a popular meeting place for local politicians. The meetings included three Atlantic CountyAtlantic County, New Jersey
-National protected areas:* Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge * Great Egg Harbor Scenic and Recreational River -Demographics:...
power brokers, one of whom was Nucky Johnson's father Sheriff Smith E. Johnson. When one of those three politicians died in 1900, Kuehnle took his spot at the meetings and eventually took control of the club itself.
Nicknamed "Louie", Kuehnle grew both in popularity and political power in Atlantic City inspiring other young politicians such as Harry
Harry Bacharach
Harry Bacharach was the five time Mayor of Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1912 for 6 months, and from 1916 to 1920, and again from 1930 to 1935. He also served as a city commissioner for Atlantic City, New Jersey.-Biography:...
and Isaac Bacharach
Isaac Bacharach
Isaac Bacharach was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey who represented the 2nd congressional district from 1915 to 1937....
and Enoch Johnson. He is credited as the architect and first leader of a partisan political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
in Atlantic City, and he held great control over the city from the late 1800s until his imprisonment in 1911. He responded to critics of his power by saying, "They'll build a monument to me someday; I built this town".
Community leader
Kuehnle was responsible for numerous improvements to the city, as he always remembered his goal of transforming Atlantic City into a major United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
metropolis
Metropolis
A metropolis is a very large city or urban area which is a significant economic, political and cultural center for a country or region, and an important hub for regional or international connections and communications...
. Concerned with high rates for telephone and gas, he created his own telephone and gas companies, resulting in lower prices. His telephone company, named Atlantic Coast Telephone Company, would later be bought by Bell
Bell Telephone Company
The Bell Telephone Company, a common law joint stock company, was organized in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1877 by Alexander Graham Bell's father-in-law Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who also helped organize a sister company — the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company...
. Kuehnle also helped lower electric prices by supporting a competing utility in the area. He helped build the Boardwalk, and he even increased the amount of fresh water in town by building a water main from the mainland to Absecon Island
Absecon Island
Absecon Island is a barrier island located on the Jersey Shore of the Atlantic Ocean in Atlantic County, New Jersey, USA. On the island are the resort communities of Atlantic City, Ventnor, Margate, and Longport...
. To show its possibility, he drilled an artesian well, and created the city's waterworks
WaterWorks
WaterWorks is a water park owned by Cedar Fair, located at the back of Kings Dominion in Doswell, Virginia. When it debuted in 1992, it was originally named Hurricane Reef...
company. Kuehnle always was an entrepreneur in the transportation industry, helping to modernize the trolley system to improve intra-city transport.
Kuehnle was looked upon by many citizens of Atlantic City as a leader and protector. He would devise non-violent ways to get the state militia to visit and calm the community whenever a Philadelphia newspaper published an inflammatory article. He was charitable too, and well liked by the African-American community.
Joining the Atlantic City Yacht Club during his prime, he later served as chairman and this is essentially where he adopted the unofficial rank of "Commodore", a nickname he kept until his death.
Corruption
RacketsRacket (crime)
A racket is an illegal business, usually run as part of organized crime. Engaging in a racket is called racketeering.Several forms of racket exist. The best-known is the protection racket, in which criminals demand money from businesses in exchange for the service of "protection" against crimes...
such as prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
, gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
and liquor were available at his hotel. Additionally, he extorted gambling rooms and whorehouses, plus a variety of legitimate businesses, to fund his Republican political operation. Because he saw them as appointees, Kuehle would force government employees to "kick back" 5-7% of their salaries to the Republican party.
Election fraud was prevalent, with the Republicans paying black voters $2 per vote. These voters would be taken to multiple voting stations and vote in the names of the deceased who were still registered to vote. Kuehnle's Republicans increased their level of fraud in the 1910 gubernatorial campaign so their candidate would be elected as governor of New Jersey. Despite their work they lost and newly-elected governor, future United States president, Woodrow Wilson was elected on a vow of addressing corruption in Atlantic City. Wilson, following his promise, investigated corruption by looking into the election results. He noted that there were more than 3,000 Republican votes identified as fraudulent in Atlantic City so he elected a commission to prosecute. They received indictments but were unable to get a conviction of anyone important.
Legal trouble
Kuehnle's projects improved Atlantic City, but at a cost: the Republican Party (which he controlled) gave out city contracts but not necessarily to the lowest-cost bid. Quite often contracts were awarded business to companies that Kuehnle owned. In 1909, Atlantic City awarded a contract to construct a water main from the mainland. The winning bidder subsequently assigned part of the contract to a company in which Kuehnle was a part owner. Kuehnle, as the chairman of the city's water commission, thereafter approved contract changes that resulted in increased payments to the company in which he held an ownership interest. Wilson's team finally had a solid case against Kuehnle for conflict of interest.In 1913, Kuehnle was convicted of conflict of interest related corruption and was sentenced to one year of hard labor plus a $1,000 fine. After his six-month sentence he traveled to Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
for vacation and took an extended trip to Bavaria, Germany, the home to his Kuehnle ancestry.
Return
By the time of his return to Atlantic City, Enoch "Nucky" Johnson had become the unofficial boss of the city. After Kuehnle unsuccessfully challenged Johnson's leadership, Johnson agreed to support Kuehnle, his former mentor, for City CommissionerCity commission government
City commission government is a form of municipal government which once was common in the United States, but many cities which were formerly governed by commission have since switched to the council-manager form of government...
. Kuehnle was elected in 1920 and reelected every four year term following that until his death in 1934 serving specifically as Commissioner of Parks and Public Property. As a commissioner, he proved to be an independent who sometimes opposed Johnson's organization.
Kuehnle died on August 6, 1934 and he is buried in Egg Harbor City, his hometown during his middle teen years. On the day of his death, the City Hall draped his chair in the Commission Chamber and City Hall itself in black, out of respect, and the flags hung at half staff on every firehouse
Fire station
A fire station is a structure or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus , personal protective equipment, fire hose, fire extinguishers, and other fire extinguishing equipment...
. The street named Kuehnle Avenue is the only visible monument to Kuehnle currently in Atlantic City.
In popular culture
- In Boardwalk Empire, the character of Commodore Louis Kaestner, portrayed by actor Dabney ColemanDabney ColemanDabney Wharton Coleman is an American actor, best known for his roles in 9 to 5, WarGames, You've Got Mail, Sworn to Silence, The Beverly Hillbillies and as the voice of Principal Peter Prickly in Recess and Recess: School's Out.-Early life:Coleman was born in Austin, Texas, the son of Mary...
, is based on Kuehnle.
Further reading
- Martin Paulsson. The Social Anxieties of Progressive Reform - Atlantic City, 1854-1920. New York University Press: New York, 1994.
- Nelson Johnson. Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City. Plexus Publishing: Medford, NJ, 2002
- Who's Who in New Jersey, Atlantic County Edition. National Biographic News Service: New York, 1925.