Biographical Sketch of Robert Hoffmann, Franklin County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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Robert Hoffmann, president of the Washington-Clay Manufactory, of
Washington, Mo., was born in Saxony, Germany, in 1832, and is the
son of Gottlieb and Frederica (Berger) Hoffmann, both natives of
Germany, born in 1812 and 1807, and died in 1871 and 1876, respec-
tively.  The father was a carpenter and contractor by trade.  Our
subject was the second of three children.  He was educated in his
native country, and, when fourteen years of age, began serving as
an apprentice to learn the carpenter's trade with his father.  He
worked four years, and afterward worked as a journeyman.  In 1853
he left his native country, immigrated to the United States, and 
worked in the East a short time, after which he went to Chicago and
worked for a machine company at that place.  He also assisted in
building the Central Depot, and then took a contract for erecting a
bridge at Mazo Manie, Wis.  In 1857 he came to Washington, and be-
gan contracting and building.  He erected the public school build-
ing and numerous business houses in Washington, and also erected
the Warren County Courthouse.  June 18, 1863, he married Miss Julia
Stumpe, a native of Franklin County, Mo., born in 1841.  To them 
were born six children, viz.: August, Lyda, Clara, Henry, Charles
and Pauline.  In October, 1869, he was working on a two-story frame
building, when the scaffold on which he was working gave way, and
he was compelled to jump, but in doing so his left leg was broken,
and at the end of a month amputation was necessary.  In the year
1874 he was elected county collector and served two years.  In 1876
he was elected treasurer of Franklin County, and in 1878 and 1880 
was re-elected.  Two years later he was again elected.  February,
1887, he was elected president of the Clay manufacturing establish-
ment, and April, 1887, he was elected mayor of Washington.  Mr.
Hoffmann is a Republican in politics, and was a member of the Home
Guards during the war.  He and wife are members of the German Luther-
an Church.

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