Michael Liebel Jr.

Michael Liebel Jr. (December 12, 1870 – August 8, 1927) was the Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1906-1911, and a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from Pennsylvania, from 1915 to 1917.

Michael Liebel Jr.
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 25th district
In office
March 4, 1915 – March 4, 1917
Preceded byMilton W. Shreve
Succeeded byHenry A. Clark
30th Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania
In office
1906–1911
Preceded byRobert J. Saltsman
Succeeded byWilliam J. Stern
Personal details
Born(1870-12-12)December 12, 1870
Erie, Pennsylvania
DiedAugust 8, 1927(1927-08-08) (aged 56)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Political partyDemocratic
RelationsReinhard Liebel (uncle)
Alma materCanisius College

Early life

Liebel was born December 12, 1870, in Erie, Pennsylvania, and is the son of Michael and Clara (née Uhr) Liebel. His father, Michael Liebel Sr. was born June 17, 1843, in Germany and was the son of John and Barbara (née Hammer) Liebel, who also lived in Erie, Pennsylvania. Michael Liebel Sr. was 14 years old when his parents came to Erie, Pennsylvania, from Germany. He served an apprenticeship at the shoemaking trade, and in 1861 he started his own boot and shoe business, which he continued for five years. He invested in local realty with his brother Reinhard Liebel, which eventually became very extensive.[1] Liebel Sr. died in May 1906. Michael and Clara Liebel had three sons: Eugene Liebel, who died in 1923, Michael Liebel Jr., and Frederick W. Liebel, who died in 1896.[2]

Liebel was educated in the public and parochial schools of Erie and attended college Canisius College in Buffalo, New York, graduating in 1887.[3]

Career

After graduating from college, Liebel was an accountant in the Buffalo office of the Nickel Plate Railroad for five years. He then returned to Erie, where he was employed in the office of Jackson Koehler, at that time conducting one of the leading breweries of this section of the state, for another five years. In 1898, he organized the Cascade Brewing Company, and served as Corporate Secretary and Treasurer until 1890 when it was consolidated with the Erie Brewing Company, which operated until prohibition.[4]

Mayor of Erie

A member of the Democratic party, Liebel served as Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania, from 1906 to 1911. His first term started in September, 1906, when he received the appointment to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Mayor Robert J. Saltsman. In the subsequent election of 1907, he was chosen by the popular vote to fill the remainder of the unexpired term until April 1, 1908.[5] Liebel served in office as Mayor until 1911.

After leaving office as Mayor, Liebel organized and became President of the Vulcan Rubber Company which manufactured tires, tubes and hard rubber accessories.[6]

United States House of Representatives

Liebel ran and was elected the Democratic representative of the 25th district of Pennsylvania to the Sixty-fourth Congress serving in that office from March 4, 1915, until March 4, 1917. While in office, he served on the Naval Committee.[7] In 1916, Liebel challenged A. Mitchell Palmer of Stroudsburg to be the National Committeemean of the Pennsylvania State Democratic Party, but was defeated by Palmer.[8]

He was not a candidate for renomination and after retiring from political office in 1917, he resumed his former business activities as president of the Vulcan Rubber Company, as well as President of the Erie Reduction Company, an Erie-based fertilizer manufacturer,[9] with offices in Sandusky, Ohio.[10]

Delegate to the Democratic National Convention

Liebel was a delegate to five Democratic National Conventions. His first, while Mayor of Erie, was the 1908 Democratic National Convention followed by the 1912, and the 1916 Convention as a member of the United States House of Representatives. He continued to attend the Conventions as a delegate after leaving elected office, attending the 1920, and 1924 Conventions.[11]

Personal life and death
"Michael Liebel House" in Erie, Pennsylvania

Liebel was a lifelong member of the Catholic Church and belonged to the Elks, Eagles and Moose lodges. He was described as "an enterprising and progressive business man" who was "widely known."[12] Liebel died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1927, and is interred was at Trinity Cemetery in Erie.[13]

Liebel lived in a home built by his father in 1882 known as the "Michael Liebel House," at 139 West 21st Street in Erie, Pennsylvania.[14] The mansion is an 8,198 sq. ft.[15] Colonial Revival, centered on a large lot and constructed of buff-colored brick. It features a massive porch with Corinthian columns and a bracketed dentiled cornice.[16] Three pedimented dormers adorn the roof which is accented with a cornice matching that of the porch roof. The "Michael Liebel House" is part of the West 21st Street Historic District that was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990.[17]

The home was used as the "Merle E. Wood Funeral Home" until 1992.[18] Currently, the "Village at Luther Square," a domestic care provider, owns the building and uses is as a domestic care home that houses several elderly Erieites. VALS purportedly invested over $300,000 in refurbishing this building for its current use.[19]

See also

References
  1. Whitman, Benjamin (1896). Nelson's Biographical Dictionary and Historical Reference Book of Erie County, Pennsylvania: Containing a Condensed History of Pennsylvania, of Erie County, and of the Several Cities, Boroughs and Townships in the County Also Portraits and Biographies of the Governor's Since 1790, and of Numerous Representative Citizens. Erie County, PA: S.B. Nelson. p. 590. Retrieved 3 March 2017. Frederic Felix Curtze.
  2. Reed, John Elmer (1925). History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Volume v.1). Topeka : Historical Pub. Co. pp. 642–643. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  3. "LIEBEL, Michael, Jr., (1870 - 1927)". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  4. Reed, John Elmer (1925). History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Volume v.1). Topeka : Historical Pub. Co. pp. 642–643. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  5. "LIEBEL, Michael, Jr., (1870 - 1927)". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  6. Reed, John Elmer (1925). History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Volume v.1). Topeka : Historical Pub. Co. pp. 642–643. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  7. "LIEBEL, Michael, Jr., (1870 - 1927)". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  8. "PENROSE IS LEADING IN PENNSYLVANIA; Faction Headed by Senator Has Probably Elected 11 of 12 Delegates at Large. CLAIMS BULK OF DISTRICTS Many Ford Stickers Are Used In Philadelphia Wards ;- Democrats Re-elect Palmer". The New York Times. 17 May 1916. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  9. "Farm Chemicals Handbook". books.google.com. 1922. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  10. "Steel and Iron, Volume 48". books.google.com. 1914. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  11. "LIEBEL, Michael, Jr., (1870 - 1927)". bioguide.congress.gov. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  12. Reed, John Elmer (1925). History of Erie County, Pennsylvania (Volume v.1). Topeka : Historical Pub. Co. pp. 642–643. Retrieved 4 September 2015.
  13. "Michael Liebel, Jr". findagrave.com. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  14. "Michael Liebel House". historyandmemorabilia.link. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  15. "139 W 21st St Erie, PA 16502". homefacts.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  16. "West 21st Street Historic District". livingplaces.com. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  17. "West 21st Street Historic District". nps.gov. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  18. "Merle E. Wood. Funeral Home, Inc". merlewoodfh.com. Retrieved 7 September 2015.
  19. "Old House Not Being Demolished". Your Erie. 10 Feb 2015. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
Political offices
Preceded by
Robert J. Saltsman		 Mayor of Erie, Pennsylvania
1906–1911		 Succeeded by
Bernard Cochran
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Milton W. Shreve		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 25th congressional district
1915–1917		 Succeeded by
Henry A. Clark
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