{{Short description|German-American labor organizer and politician}} '''Joseph Bauer''' (April 18, 1845 – October 12, 1938) was a German-American labor organizer and politician.
== Life == Bauer was born on April 18, 1845, in the Grand Duchy of Baden. When he was seven, he immigrated with his parents to America, settling in Rochester, New York. He began working as a shoemaker when he was fourteen, and was working in the profession when the American Civil War broke out.<ref name=":0" />
In October 1861, at the age of 16, Bauer enlisted in the 8th New York Volunteer Cavalry Regiment. He was mustered in as a private in Company K a month later.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mMZMAAAAYAAJ|title=Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York for the Year 1894|publisher=James B. Lyon|year=1895|volume=II|location=Albany|pages=777|language=en}}</ref> In June 1863, he transferred to the 5th New York Independent Light Artillery. He was mustered out with the rest of his battery in July 1865.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AhQbAQAAIAAJ&pg=PP9|title=Annual Report of the Adjutant-General of the State of New York For the Year 1898|publisher=Wynkoop Hallenbeck Crawford Co.|year=1899|series=Serial No. 15|pages=333|language=en}}</ref> He fought in a number of battles, including the Battle of Gettysburg; he intended to attend the 1938 Gettysburg reunion, but he broke his foot beforehand and had to stay home for health reasons.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=13 October 1938|title=Joseph Bauer Answers Last Call of 'Taps'|page=2-A|work=Rochester Times-Union|url=https://fultonhistory.com/highlighter/highlight-for-xml?altUrl=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252024%2FRochester%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%2FRochester%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%25201938%2FRochester%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%25201938%2520-%25207814.pdf%23xml%3Dhttps%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffe4a25460%26stgd%3Dyes%26DocId%3D3087307%26request%3DJoseph%2520Bauer%2520and%2520%2528Filename%2520contains%2520%2522%2520NY%2520%2522%2529%2520and%2520%2528Filename%2520contains%2520%25281938%257e%257e1938%2529%2529%26index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520X%26searchFlags%3D17897728%26autoStopLimit%3D1000%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fNew%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&uri=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FNewspaper%252024%2FRochester%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%2FRochester%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%25201938%2FRochester%2520NY%2520Times%2520Union%25201938%2520-%25207814.pdf&xml=https%3A%2F%2Ffultonhistory.com%2FdtSearch%2Fdtisapi6.dll%3Fcmd%3Dgetpdfhits%26u%3Dffffffffe4a25460%26stgd%3Dyes%26DocId%3D3087307%26request%3DJoseph%2520Bauer%2520and%2520%2528Filename%2520contains%2520%2522%2520NY%2520%2522%2529%2520and%2520%2528Filename%2520contains%2520%25281938%257e%257e1938%2529%2529%26index%3DZ%253a%255cDISK%2520X%26searchFlags%3D17897728%26autoStopLimit%3D1000%26SearchForm%3D%252fFulton%255fNew%255fform%252ehtml%26.pdf&openFirstHlPage=false}}</ref>
After the War, he worked as a shoemaker in a number of cities, including Buffalo, Cleveland, and Elmira, before settling for good in Rochester. He was active in organized labor and was a member of the Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor. In the 1880s, he organized a union of horsecar railway employees. He was also marshal of Rochester's first Labor Day parade.<ref name=":1" />
In 1888, Bauer was elected to the New York State Assembly as a Republican, representing the Monroe County 2nd District. He served in the Assembly in 1889.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tpMVAAAAYAAJ|title=The Argus Almanac: A Political and Financial Annual For 1889|year=1889|pages=146|language=en}}</ref> He was appointed Doorkeeper of the Assembly in 1894,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Murlin|first=Edgar L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8x80AQAAMAAJ|title=The New York Red Book|publisher=James B. Lyon|year=1894|location=Albany|pages=430|language=en}}</ref> 1895,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Murlin|first=Edgar L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=p2r9tuLnntUC|title=The New York Red Book|publisher=James B. Lyon|year=1895|location=Albany|pages=617|language=en}}</ref> 1896,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Murlin|first=Edgar L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e2cLAQAAIAAJ|title=The New York Red Book|publisher=James B. Lyon|year=1896|location=Albany|pages=272–273|language=en}}</ref> 1897,<ref>{{Cite book|last=Murlin|first=Edgar L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vNAQAAAAYAAJ|title=The New York Red Book|publisher=James B. Lyon|year=1897|location=Albany|pages=278–279|language=en}}</ref> and 1898.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Murlin|first=Edgar L.|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yW5IAAAAYAAJ|title=The New York Red Book|publisher=James B. Lyon|year=1898|location=Albany|pages=274|language=en}}</ref>
Bauer was an active member of the Grand Army of the Republic. He was elected Commander of the New York State Department in 1937. He served as grand marshal Rochester's Memorial Day parades. His first wife was Louisa Wolf of Buffalo. They had ten children together. She died in 1915. In 1934, he married Mrs. Fannie Hamman, who died in 1936.<ref name=":1" />
Bauer died in Genesee Hospital on October 12, 1938 at the age of 93. He had seven surviving children, 24 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren. He was buried in Mount Hope Cemetery.<ref name=":1" />
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * ''[http://politicalgraveyard.com/bio/battles-baxmeyer.html#051.92.10 The Political Graveyard]''
{{s-start}} {{s-par|us-ny-hs}} {{succession box | title = New York State Assembly <br>Monroe County, 2nd District | years = 1889 | before = P. Andrew Sullivan | after = P. Andrew Sullivan }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bauer, Joseph}} Category:1845 births Category:1938 deaths Category:Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Category:American trade unionists of German descent Category:Emigrants from the Grand Duchy of Baden Category:German emigrants to the United States Category:German shoemakers Category:American shoemakers Category:Politicians from Rochester, New York Category:People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Category:Union army soldiers Category:Knights of Labor people Category:American Federation of Labor people Category:Burials at Mount Hope Cemetery (Rochester) Category:Grand Army of the Republic officials Category:19th-century members of the New York State Legislature