Frederick J. Kiesel, 1889
Kiesel's Family
Kiesel's Home at 507 25th Street
Frederick J. Kiesel was Ogden’s first non-Mormon mayor. Born in Germany in 1841, Kiesel came to Salt Lake City in 1863. For several years he worked in and operated mercantile and freighting businesses in the intermountain west until finally settling in Corinne and Ogden in 1873.
Kiesel was also a leader in other business ventures, including Amalgamated Sugar, Ogden Packing & Provision, and Security State Bank. He also invested in construction and was involved in the building of the Alhambra Theater, the first Forest Service building on 24th Street, and the Hudson Building, which was renamed for him after his death.
In 1889 Kiesel ran for Ogden mayor as a member of the Labor Party against John Boyle, a member of the Mormon-dominated People’s Party. Kiesel believed strongly in the separation of church and state, and believed that the Mormon Church had dominated local politics for too long.
The election was deeply contested, with allegations of voter fraud on both sides. Crowds gathered in downtown Ogden after the polls closed, waiting to hear the results. Kiesel won by 391 votes, and the other Liberal Party candidates were also elected to the city council. It was a complete victory for Kiesel’s party, and a shift away from the People’s Party.
Kiesel only served one term as mayor, but during that time he focused on education and “americanizing” Ogden. He renamed Ogden’s streets in honor of American presidents, and changed the street numbering system to allow for more growth. He represented Weber County in the 1895 constitutional convention and later in the state senate. He was also the first president of the Ogden City School Board. Kiesel died in 1919.
