Louis C. Klein was born in October 1832 in the town of Oberstein, in the principality of Birkenfeld, in the area that is now the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany.
His mother purchased a hotel and boarding house in Louisville, Kentucky, around 1850, which she operated for several years, and continued to own until it was destroyed in riots during Reconstruction.
[2][3] In Racine, Louis established a merchant business on Main Street, dealing in liquor, tobacco, toys, and other goods imported from Europe.
The Racine County Insane Asylum opened in 1889, and Klein remained involved in the maintenance of the organization for the rest of his life.
Their daughter, Leona, married Theodore K. Birkhaeuser, a Milwaukee dentist who went on to serve as a major in the United States Volunteers during the Philippine–American War.