Charles Scheffer

Charles "Carl" Scheffer (February 22, 1835 – August 7, 1875) was an American banker, businessman, and politician who served four consecutive terms as the second Minnesota State Treasurer from January 1, 1860, to January 10, 1868.

Early life Scheffer was born on February 22, 1835, in the city of Rheinberg, then part of the Kingdom of Prussia. According to the Ramsey County Historical Society Scheffer immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1848. Scheffer first lived in Milwaukee before moving to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, Scheffer later moved to Minnesota Territory in 1856. Scheffer eventually became the bank's president and merged the bank of J. E. Thompson of Stillwater to create the First National Bank of Stillwater on July 19, 1865.

Beginning in 1859 Scheffer ran for the political office of Minnesota State Treasurer as a member of the Republican Party of Minnesota against the Democratic candidate Samuel B. Abbe. Scheffer won 55.04% of the vote with a majority margin of 10.99%. Scheffer would occupy the office of Minnesota State Treasurer for four consecutive terms before being succeeded by Emil D. Munch as state treasurer in January 1868. Convinced he would never fully recover Scheffer committed suicide with a pistol in the German Lutheran Cemetery in Saint Paul on August 7, 1875. It was reported by the local Saint Paul newspaper The Anti-Monopolist that Scheffer suffered two gunshot wounds, one in the stomach and one in the heart. Scheffer's funeral was reported to be one of the largest in Saint Paul at the time, attracting hundreds of mourners, among them were state officials, business partners, and his own employees. Scheffer was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Saint Paul.

Personal life Scheffer was married twice, first to Kate Finch in 1862, and again to Jennie Goodrich in 1874. Scheffer was the older brother of Minnesota Republican state senator and American Civil War veteran Albert Scheffer.