Term: Abert, George 1817 - 1890
Definition: businessman, legislator, b. Hockweiler, Soultz Sores-Forets, Alsace, France. He came to Milwaukee in 1836. For several years he was associated with Byron Kilbourn (q.v.) in making land surveys and laying out roads, but later became a general contractor and real estate dealer. He served as one of the first aldermen under the city charter (1846), and as one of the city railroad commissioners (1857). A Democrat, he was a member of the state assembly (1861-1863, 1868-1870, 1872). He was first president of the German Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Milwaukee, organized in 1860. In 1865 he established an iron foundry in Milwaukee for the manufacture of stoves and hollow ware. J. A. Watrous, Memoirs of Milwaukee Co. (2 vols., Madison, 1909); H. L. Conard, ed., Hist. of Milwaukee . . . (3 vols., Chicago [1896] ); James S. Buck, Pioneer Hist. of Milwaukee (4 vols., rev. ed., Milwaukee, 1890); Wis. Legis. Manual, 1872; Milwaukee journal, Oct. 14, 1890; Milwaukee Sentinel, Oct. 15, 1890.
[Source: Dictionary of Wisconsin biography]
