Mayors 1891 – 1932
Angus Buie 1891-1892
Angus Buie was born on July 20, 1850, in Canada to parents of Scotch origin. He came to Tomahawk in 1886 when it was just dense forest and worked for the Tomahawk Land and Boom Company, moving up until he was made superintendent of the company, with 175 men under his supervision. He was father of a son, Thomas Hawk, born on April 30, 1887, nicknamed ‘Tomahawk’ because he was the first white boy born in that city.
Angus was elected to serve as the first mayor of Tomahawk on April 14, 1891. After taking office he began at once to establish an organized system of city government with a constitution and by-laws. He laid the foundation for many of the systems that are vital to running a city.
Angus Buie died in 1907 at the age of 57.
Charles A. Ayer 1893
Charles Ayer was born in Boston, Mass. on February 28, 1854. He came from a family of ship chandlers. After graduating from high school, he went to Springfield, Mass., and learned the trade of cigar making. He worked in every state east of the Mississippi river, stayed in Chicago for five years before making his way to Tomahawk. Charles was married to Mary Smith in Rochester, N.Y. on September 10, 1878 and they came to Tomahawk together to make their home.
He was elected mayor in 1893, running against two opponents. In 1894 he was appointed city clerk by his successor. He was known for his fair dealings and systematic methods of doing business. During his one year term in office he accomplished much, including: First officers for the fire department were elected, and the five alarm system was installed, plans for a bridge across the Wisconsin River were formed, a street sprinkling system was permitted and ordinances pertaining to the control and care of animals.
Mr. Ayer left Tomahawk in later years and is believed o be buried in Stevens Point.
Edward W. Whitson 1894
Edward Whitson was born in Long Island, N.Y. on April 1, 1851. He came to Wisconsin with his parents as an infant. He attended the common schools but later in life he attended the Academy at Madison for two years. He married Ann B. Jones in 1882 and immediately entered the employ of D.J.Spaulding of Unity, Clark County, Wis. as a clerk and lumber shipper, remaining there three years. He was in the lumber business in Merrill, Lincoln County for a few years before he entered the employ of the Tomahawk Lumber Company as a foreman of their lumber yards for one year. He then went into business for himself in the mercantile business, being very successful.
He was elected mayor in 1894 and served one term. During his tenure he carried on the projects that had been started in the previous years. New water mains were laid, a sidewalk ordinance was set, more arch lights were placed in different parts of the city. The first telephone ordinance was drawn up and plans for the bridge across the Wisconsin River were let out for bids.
Mr. Whitson left Tomahawk in 1908. He died January 16, 1943 in Los Angeles, Calif. at the age of 91.
Morris C. Hyman 1895 – 1896; 1908 – 1911
Morris Hyman was born in Prussia on November 26, 1859. He received his education in the common schools in Prussia and was well versed in the Hebrew language. He came to America at the age of 16 and secured a situation in a notion store in Chicago, where he remained one year. He then went on the road selling jewelry, continuing this for five years. In the fall of 1887 he moved to Tomahawk and opened a saloon. He was a self-made man, respected for his straightforward way of doing business.
He served as one of the first aldermen of Tomahawk, being elected to serve as mayor in the spring of 1895, which was a very hot campaign. He applied his business abilities and set out to make changes where it was necessary. A city charter was adopted. This meant a change in the school system then operating. Many projects were begun, such as purchasing land for a city hall, grading of Wisconsin Avenue etc. Mr. Hyman served two terms as mayor. After leaving office he never lost interest in the city’s welfare and in April 1908 he again was elected mayor, serving four terms from 1908 through 1912. He oversaw the building of the new high school, called the Washington school, new cement sidewalks were being built on Wisconsin Ave. and throughout the city, replacing the old plank boards, the purchasing of the Bradley Park for $10,000 on April 12, 1910. The park had been called “the hog back” but in 1908 was christened Bradley Park. At the end of his term he was honored at a banquet and presented with a gold watch. It was said that he was one of the best leaders and mayors Tomahawk ever had.
Morris Hyman died of cancer at Sacred Heart hospital in Tomahawk, in March, 1915 at the age of 55.
Dr. John D. Cutter 1897 – 1898; 1918 – 1919
John Cutter was born on January 20, 1858, in Bangor, Maine. He acquired his elementary education in the public schools in Bangor, after which he entered the State College, now the State University of Maine, from which he graduated in 1879 with a bachelor degree in science. He then entered the Medical University of New York City where he received his medical degree in 1881. He began his practice in Big Rapids, Mich. and remained there until 1886, when he came to the “Forks”, now called Tomahawk, and opened an office. The village wasn’t laid out until the following year and an effort made to give an appearance of a civilized city. He was successful in his profession and built up a good practice. On August 14, 1895, Dr. Cutter was united in marriage to Helen B. Philleo, in Grand Rapids, now called Wisconsin Rapids. He served four years as superintendent of schools.
He served four terms as mayor of the city. The first two terms were 1897 and 1898. The second two terms 1918 and 1919. Dr. Cutter practiced medicine in Tomahawk until he moved to Pasadena, Calif. in 1925, where he died following a stroke on November 17, 1927, at the age of 69.
Robert C. Theilman 1899 – 1905; 1915 – 1917
Robert Theilman was born December 1, 1866 in Watertown, Wis. He acquired his education in the public schools and subsequently was a student for two terms at Northeastern University in Watertown. He came to Tomahawk to make his permanent home in 1887, the summer that the village was being laid out. With his brother Julius, he opened the Theilman Brothers meat market on Wisconsin Ave., which he later ran alone after purchasing his brothers share of the business.
He was active in other areas. He was the first man outside of Merrill to serve as chairman of the County Board. He was president of the city’s Fire and Police commission, he was president of the Park Board, and served on the County Board many years. He was mayor of Tomahawk from 1899 – 1905 and again from 1915 – 1917.
He was married to Mary Eiden on November 28, 1888 at Custer in Portgage County. He died July 11, 1926.
William T. Bradley, Jr. 1906 – 1907
William Bradley, Jr. was unanimously endorsed as a non-partisan candidate at a citizens mass meeting in March of 1906. No one ran against him and he was elected mayor in April, 1906, serving until 1908.
Albert E. Sutliff 1912 – 1914
Albert Sutliff was born in Newaygo County, Mich. on March 18, 1861. He grew up on his parents farm and attended district schools. He continued agricultural work during summers until he was 21 years old and then took a position as fireman on a logging railroad, being thus engaged for one summer. He then worked in the lumbering business, logging in the woods and working on the rivers and on the boom until 1891, when he came to Tomahawk. It was two years after the village had been started and there was plenty of building and manufacturing going on, the lumber business being the chief industry. He worked as a saw filer in the sawmill of the Crane Brothers for ten years. He had not been in Tomahawk very long before he had become widely known and had made many friends and was persuaded by them to become engaged in local politics. He was county supervisor for two terms, served as alderman from the fourth ward and also from the third ward, and was a member and president of the school board. He was elected to serve as mayor 1912 – 1914. He was married on September 1, 1886, to Jennie Purcell, at Newaygo Mich. Mr. Sutliff died in September 1941 at the age of 80 years.
Frank Theiler 1920 – 1929; 1932
Frank Theiler was born on December 9, 1884 on a farm in Marathon County, Wis. Frank had little schooling. When he was 12 years old, his father took him into the woods to give him an insight into the logging business, a business he followed most of his life. In 1902, he went to the harvest fields of South Dakota, returning home with $240, with which he bought 40 acres of timber land near Tomahawk and immediately began logging on his own. For several years he made trips during the summer months to the west and Canada to accumulate more capital through farm work, and with the land he bought, he kept busy logging through the winters. He was married on May 19, 1912 to Jennie Strong of Calumet County, Wis. When quite a young man he was elected a member of the County Board, being the youngest man to serve as supervisor. He served as alderman of four different wards of the city and in 1920 was elected mayor, a position he held for 9 years.He was elected for a second term in 1932, and died while in office on April 3, 1933, at the age of 49.
George Wetzel 1930 – 1931
George Wetzel was born in Hayton, Wisconsin on December 31, 1882. He had limited educational opportunities. He worked as a farm hand until 1900 when he began learning photography, with Ulrich Moeckli in Sheboygan, Wis, later working in Oshkosh with Harry Lyman. On leaving Mr. Lyman, he became an organizer for the “Modern Woodmen of America” in Oshkosh . Mr. Wetzel was married on June 17, 1905 to Frances Garth who was born in Plymouth, Wis. In 1920 he took possession of a studio in Tomahawk at 28 N. 4th St. The studio was well equipped with all the necessities for both portrait and commercial work. Mr. Wetzel belonged to various civic organizations and served as mayor for the city of Tomahawk in 1930 and 1931. He passed away in January of 1933 at the age of 50.