John Carl August Koch (October 18, 1841 – November 8, 1907) was a German American immigrant, businessman, and Republican politician.

It is largely attributed to Koch that the company grew from a small retail store in 1866 to one of the largest wholesale hardware sellers in the Midwest by 1894.

[3] He ran alongside former U.S. senator John Coit Spooner, the Republican candidate for Governor, but both lost out to incumbent Democrats in the general election.

[4] The following year, in June 1893, Peter J. Somers resigned as mayor of Milwaukee after he won a special election for United States House of Representatives.

Shortly after his election, the Wisconsin Marine & Fire Insurance Company Bank was forced to halt payments, due to lack of funds.

The Marine & Fire Insurance Bank was a legendary and well-respected financial institution, opened in 1839 and led in 1893 by U.S. senator John L. Mitchell.

Koch, who also received numerous solicitations and threats from random citizens, significantly increased security at city hall.

[9] That summer, at the 1894 Republican state convention, Koch was widely supported as a candidate for Governor of Wisconsin, but he ultimately withdrew his name and pledged to serve his full term as Mayor.