| Title |
Kessler, Harry C. |
| Date |
March 18, 1844-September 10, 1907 |
| Description |
Harry C. Kessler, Brigadier General in the Union army and partner in the lithographic firm Breuker & Kessler, was born on
March 18, 1844 in the Northern Liberties, Philadelphia. In 1861, at the age of seventeen, he enlisted in the Union army, where
he served as first lieutenant of the 104th Pennsylvania Regiment of Volunteers, fought in the Amy of the Potomac, and oversaw
the return of confederate prisoners to Camp Curtain in Pennsylvania before resigning in 1863.
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In 1864 he clerked in Jacob Haehnlen's lithographic establishment at 125 South Third Street, where he met fellow lithographer
and future business partner George W. Breuker, Sr. Together in 1866, they established the "practical" lithographic firm of
Breuker & Kessler at Seventh and Chestnut Streets. Kessler remained with the company until the mid 1870s, at which time he
joined his brother, Charles Kessler (b. 1851), in Butte, Montana. Harry's two younger brothers, J. Millard (b. 1848) and William
S. (b. 1846), assumed Harry's portion of Breuker & Kessler.
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In Montana, Harry purchased and mined land, established a newspaper entitled the Butte Miner, married Josephine Alden Dillworth
(b. November 1846), and had two children, Josephine (b. 1878) and Harry C., Jr. (b. 1883). Kessler served as Silver Bow county
commissioner and county treasurer, and designed what would later become the state flag of Montana. In 1889 he formed the First
Montana U.S. Volunteer Infantry, now known as the National Guard. President William McKinley brevetted Kessler to the rank
of Brigadier General for his service in the Spanish-American War with the First Montana Volunteers. In August of 1903 he was
appointed junior vice commander-in-chief of the Grand Army of the Republic.
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By 1905, Harry returned to Philadelphia with his family, and served as president of Breuker & Kessler, with his son Harry,
Jr. (b 1883) as treasurer. He died two years later from complications of several diseases on September 10, 1907 at Jefferson
Hospital in Philadelphia.
|
| Is part of |
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers |
| References |
See Breuker & Kessler. |
| Call number |
Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers |
| Bibliographic citation |
American Civil War Soldiers |
|
Anaconda Standard, September 11, 1907 |
|
Census 1850, 1860, 1880, 1900 |
|
Diary of George G. Shubert, Temple University, 1866 |
|
Philadelphia Inquirer September 11, 1907 |
|
Tribute to Brigadier General Harry C. Kessler (House of Representatives - May 12, 1998), LOC |
|
U.S. Civil War Soldier Records and Profiles |
|
U.S. Passport application, January 25, 1892 |
