John Michael Kohler

John Michael Kohler II (November 3, 1844 – November 5, 1900) was an Austrian American immigrant, industrialist, and politician. He most notably founded and led the Kohler Company and served as the 27th mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. He was the patriarch of the Kohler family of Wisconsin.

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center, which occupies a square block in downtown Sheboygan (containing Kohler's restored Gilded Age home along with modern buildings), is named for Kohler,

The John Michael Kohler Arts Center, which occupies a square block in downtown Sheboygan (containing Kohler's restored Gilded Age home along with modern buildings), is named for Kohler, as is John Michael Kohler State Park, established on land donated in 1966 by the Kohler family. The main highway into Sheboygan, Kohler Memorial Drive (which is routed as Wisconsin Highway 23), is also named for Kohler.

Personal life In 1871, Kohler married Elizabeth Vollrath (1848-1883), daughter of John Jacob Vollrath and Elisabeth Margaret Vollrath (née Fuchs), who both originally hailed from Rhineland-Palatinate. His father-in-law was the founder of The Vollrath Company and major steel industrialist in Sheboygan. They had six children;

Evangeline Kohler (1872–1954), remained unmarried Robert J. Kohler (1873–1905) Walter J. Kohler Sr. (1875–1940) the 26th Governor of Wisconsin and father of Walter J. Kohler Jr., the 33rd Governor of Wisconsin. Marie Christine Kohler (1876–1943), remained unmarried Lillie Babette Kohler (1878–1965), remained unmarried Carl J. Kohler (1880–1904)

In 1887, four years after his wife Lillie's death, John married Lillie's sister, Wilhelmina "Minnie" Vollrath (1852–1929), and they had one child;

Herbert Vollrath Kohler Sr. (1891–1968), became the dominant force in the Kohler Company, and presided over the longest strike in American history. He was the father of Herbert Vollrath Kohler, Ruth DeYoung Kohler and grandfather of K. David Kohler, who currently serves as the chair and chief executive officer of the Kohler Company.

The large and fashionable Kohler family home in Sheboygan was filled with music, books, and constant lessons in ethics and public service. The entire Sheboygan area mourned Kohler's 1900 death. John's three daughters remained in the Kohler house, unmarried, for the rest of their lives, frequently wearing black.