Edward Franz Herman Regenhardt, contractor, builder, U. S. Marshal and politician, was born at Cape Girardeau, Missouri 24 March, 1867, son of William Regenhardt and Johanna Monkopft Dormeier. His father, a native of Ahlshausen, Brunswick Province, Germany, was a mason and stone contractor. William emigrated from Germany to Cape Girardeau in 1849. He married 1 September, 1853. He served on the Cape City Council from 1 May, 1876 to around 1900. Edward was the seventh of ten children.
The son and subject received his education in Cape Girardeau. He graduated from the Normal School. He moved to St. Louis in 1891 to learn and work at the trade of bricklayer. He married Alvina Theuerkauf (also from Cape) 9 September 1891 at St. Mark's Lutheran Church in St. Louis. They moved back to Cape at the end of 1891.
He began a business career in early 1892. Edward formed a partnership with Charles Bode under the firm mane Regenhardt and Bode, Contractors for Brickwork. Their office was on the second floor over the Burgess Store on Main Street.
From 1892 he was engaged as a contractor and builder, with headquarters at Cape Girardeau. As a contractor his outstanding accomplishment was the academic building of the Southeast Missouri State Teachers' College at Cape Girardeau, admittedly one of the finest educational buildings in the United States. His other work included construction of granitoid pavement walks and curbs for the First National Bank, the Sturdivant Bank, Dr. S.S. Harris' house on Themis Street, and on the Normal School grounds (1897). He built the stone railroad depot in Kennett, MO (1897), the school house in Bonne Terre, MO (1898), a "big business house" in Greenville, MO (1895). He also contracted to build numerous brick residences in Cape, Jackson, and Sikeston. In 1901, he purchased five acres consisting of a barren hill just west of the Normal campus. He started a quarry operation on the site and was soon shipping large blocks of marble to Mephan and Kline in St. Louis. Soon after, the Normal School Regents contracted with Mr. Regenhardt to build the new science hall just northeast of the main building out of the quarried marble. After fire destroyed the old Normal, the Regents gave the contract to Mr. Regenhardt to erect a Practice Hall (now the Home Ec building), same size as the science hall, 114 X 67 and 3 stories high. In 1903 he was awarded the contract to build the new Academic Hall fronting 230 feet by 197 feet in depth and 3 stories high, for a bid of $174,840.
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Six feet, seven inches in height, built in a heroic mould, and weighing in excess of 275 pounds, Mr. Regenhardt was described by his close friend, President Taft, as "the lighthouse on the Mississippi". As a Republican politician his fame was nation-wide. He was a familiar figure at Republican Conventions. He was the acknowledged leader of his party in his section of Missouri. In 1910 President Taft made him U.S. Marshal for the eastern district of Missouri, with headquarters in St. Louis, and he held the post for four years. He had been delegate to the Republican national convention of 1908 and to other national and many state and county and congressional conventions. In 1920 he managed the campaign of Dwight F. Davis (afterwards Secretary of War) for the U.S. Senate.
He was regarded as one of southeastern Missouri's foremost citizens. He not only managed his own great business interests successfully, but he found ample time to serve the community, the state and the nation. It is paying proper tribute to his worth and work to say that he was a fine American gentleman. He was a good citizen, a valued friend and a delightful companion. He numbered his intimates by the score, and they extended from no less than three Republican presidents to the Democratic Mayor William J. Gaynor of New York City. He was a close student of political economy and of world affairs. His influence in his home community was at all times constructive and in the interest of the public welfare. He was married 9 September 1891 to Alvina Theuerkauf, daughter of William Theuerkauf, a baker, of Cape Girardeau. She survives him. They had five children: Norma Heomine, Bertha Emma (died age 3), William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and Edward William Taft Regenhardt. He died at Cape Girardeau 12 May 1926.
EDWARD F. REGENHARDT
Biographical Research
DATE: 8 Aug 1891
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 2
LOCATED: 1983
Ed Regenhardt is taking music lessons up at the College. He will graduate in about two weeks from now.
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FROM: St. Louis City Hall Marriage Records Vol. 34, Pg. 37.
EDWARD F. REGENHARDT AND ALOINE THEUERKAUF
- married 9 Sep 1891
- by Rev. Chas T. McDaniel
- at St. Marks Lutheran Church
Southwest corner Bell and Cardinal Streets
- he is listed as being from Cape, she from St. Louis
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DATE: 12 Sep 1891
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 2
LOCATED: 1983
Marriage License was granted in St. Louis last Monday to Edward Regenhardt and Miss Alvina Theuerkauf, daughter of the late Wm Theuerkauf of this city. When Mr. Regenhardt returns home he will be bringing with him as his bride one of Cape's fair daughters who is an accomplished young lady. The Democrat wishes the happy pair a world of enjoyment and a long life of happiness.
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DATE: 19 Sep 1891
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
TUESDAY: Ed Regenhardt has rented the 2nd story in the Stratman house on Spanish St. and will go to housekeeping in a few days.
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DATE: 2 Jan 1892
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 3
LOCATED: 1983
Ed F. Regenhardt and Charles Bode have formed a co partnership under the firm name of Regenhardt & Bode, Contractors for Brick Work. They have fitted up an office in a room over Burgess' Store on Main Street where they will give careful attention to calls for estimates on brick work of any kind. They are both first class mechanics, and we cheerfully recommend them to all in need of brick work of any description.
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DATE: 30 Jan 1892
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
Regenhardt and Bode, contractors for brick work, are now ready to make estimates and contract for work. They have an office over Burgess' Store on Main St., where they would be pleased to have their friends and those contemplating building call on them.
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DATE: 19 Mar 1892
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 3
LOCATED: 1983
Ed Regenhardt pulled down the big smoke stack at the ruins of the Lorimier Mills this morning (Thursday, 3/17/92). He took it down whole and without making a dent in it. Otto Buekrmann from Fayetteville, Arkansas owned the mills, destroyed by fire previous Saturday night (3/19/92).
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DATE: 9 Apr 1892
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 2
LOCATED: 1983
Ed Regenhardt is putting down a granitoid pavement in front of the First National Bank.
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DATE: 25 June 1892
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 2
LOCATED: 1983
Ed Regenhardt went down to Malden this afternoon to put in a bid for the brick work on the bank building that is to be put up there.
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DATE: 17 Sep 1892
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
E.F. Regenhardt is building a brick house for Herman Mueller in Jackson, and his partner, Chas. Bode. will go to Sikeston in a few days to build a brick house in that town.
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DATE: 21 Jan 1893
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
Ed Regenhardt is going to move up on Sprigg St.
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DATE: 25 Feb 1893
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 2
LOCATED: 1983
As soon as weather will permit Ed Regenhardt will make granitoid pavements in front of the new Sturdivant Bank building on both Main and Themis streets. The walk on Themis Street will be the longest stretch of granitoid pavement in the city.
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DATE: 25 Mar 1893
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
The granitoid curbing for the sidewalk around the Sturdivant Bank was delivered yesterday (Monday 3/20).
The granite curbing being put down around the Sturdivant Bank building will be there long after the present generations of our citizens are under the sod.
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DATE: 27 May 1893
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 2
LOCATED: 1983
Ed Regenhardt is putting in granitoid steps for the Sturdivant Bank.
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DATE: 3 June 1893
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 3 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
Ed Regenhardt is making a granitoid pavement in front of Dr.S.S. Harris's property on Themis street. When this job of work is done Themis Street will have the longest stretch of granitoid pavement in the city. <2nd house on south side of Themis west of the courthouse (Al Spradling Jr.)>
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DATE: 27 Oct 1894
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
E.F. Regenhardt returned home from Poplar Bluff. Ed says he has no notion of moving to the Bluff.
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DATE: Aug 1895
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 6 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1 Aug 1983
The contract for repairing the Meriweather Street sewer was awarded to E.F. Regenhardt by the Council.
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DATE: 5 Oct 1895
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
E. F. Regenhardt is putting in some granitoid pavement for Wilson Cramer at Jackson.
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DATE: 23 Nov 1895
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 2
LOCATED: 1 Aug 1983
Ed Regenhardt came in from Greenville, Wayne County, Saturday
night. Mr. R. has the contract to build a big business house at
Greenville and he will have work for a force of hands there for
several months.
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DATE: 16 Oct 1897
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 1
LOCATED: 25 July 1983 Ed Regenhardt was awarded the contract for the granitoid walks in the Normal grounds. The contract was for 800 yards, more or less.
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DATE: 30 Oct 1897
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 2
LOCATED: 1983
E. F. Regenhardt is down at Kennett this week building some flues in the stone railroad depot building he completed a few weeks ago for the Kennett Railroad Company.
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DATE: 6 Nov 1897
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 4
LOCATED: 1983
E. F. Regenhardt will begin work on the granitoid walks up at
the Normal next month.
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DATE: 27 Aug 1898
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 1
LOCATED: 25 July 1983
E. F. Regenhardt, who has the contract to build a big schoolhouse in Bonne Terre, came down Saturday to get some hands to work.
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DATE: 11 July 1903
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 2
LOCATED: Aug 1983
E. F. Regenhardt has the contract to build the new building for the new ice plant.
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DATE: 29 Aug 1903
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
LOCATED: 1983
PG. 5 COL. 1 :
The contract let to Temple and Slavick for plumbing the Normal building was the biggest plumbing contract ever let in S.E. Missouri.
PG. 5 COL. 2 : E. F. Regenhardt says he will begin clearing the ground for the new Normal within the next 5 or 6 days .
E. T. Maule and son, E. P., came down on the Chester this morning (Wed 4/29/03). Mr. Maule's son is associated with Mr.Regenhardt in the contract for the building of the new Normal structure. Mr. Maule says we have an extra fine quality of stone here for building purposes.
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DATE: 17 Sep 1904
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 7 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
Mr. Regenhardt invited us to take a drive to the quarries west of the Normal Campus and there showed us a solid block of marble, nine and on half feet long, six and a half broad and four and a half thick, which contained 222 cubic feet of marble, weighing 21 tons. This block was raised from the bottom of the fifty foot
level and set down at the door of the mill ready to be placed under the saws. This will be sawed into lintels 9' long, 22" broad and 13" thick for the Academic Hall. We expect to live to see the day when a Missouri new State Capitol will be built from this quarry.
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DATE: 1 Jul 1905
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
At Regenhardt's quarry Monday Mr. Regenhardt had some words with his engineer and the two came to blows. Regenhardt, who is a powerful man, struck at the engineer, missed him, hit a piece of machinery and broke his right arm just above the wrist. Dr. Ben Schultz bandaged the broken limb and Mr. Regenhardt will soon have the use of it again.
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DATE: 25 NOV 1905
NEWSPAPER: WEEKLY DEMOCRAT
PG. 5 COL. 1
LOCATED: 1983
MONDAY:
The new Academic Hall was not opened to the public Sunday as contemplated, on account of bad weather, but will be the first Sunday that the weather is fair and it is not so muddy.