HESSENMUELLER, EDWARD (25 May 1811-27 Jan. 1884), lawyer, prominent German-American leader, and Democrat elected to 5 terms as justice of the peace and 2 terms as judge in police court, was born in Bettmar, Vechelde, Peine, Germany as Eduard Ludwig Hessenműller. He was educated at the University of Halle, and studied law in Gottingen before leaving the county in the early 1830s. With his wife, Minna, he arrived in Cuyahoga County in 1836. He was admitted to the bar in 1839 and in 1840 moved to Cleveland. Within 3 years he was a leader in the local German-American community, organizing that community's celebration of American independence in 1843. Later that year he was elected to his first 3-year term as justice of the peace; he became a police court judge in 1860.
Hessenmueller published GERMANIA from 1846-53, the first German newspaper published in the area. In 1850 he was on a committee investigating causes and prevention of steamboat accidents, and in 1853 was appointed U.S. commissioner and pension agent for Cleveland. In 1861 he was appointed by city council to a committee visiting troops from Cuyahoga County serving in western Virginia, helping the soldiers send money home and returning with letters to their families. He also distributed relief funds for volunteers' families, and was president of the German Central military committee which raised funds for the German 107th regiment. He was also a director of the City Infirmary. Hessenmueller was a trustee of Society for Savings and was secretary of Teutonia Insurance Co. He was president of the Cleveland Gesangverein.
Hessenmueller had 4 children: Caroline, Louisa, Andrew, and Edward. He was buried in the ERIE STREET CEMETERY.