John Christopher Rugee (January 3, 1827 – March 7, 1894) was a German American immigrant, carpenter, architect, and Republican politician from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served one term in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing the Walker's Point neighborhood of Milwaukee during the 1861 term. He later served as sheriff of Milwaukee County. As an architect, he and his partner, Stoddard Martin, were the builders of the Newhall House hotel, which was infamously destroyed in a deadly fire in 1883.
Biography John Rugee was born on January 3, 1827, in Lübeck, in what is now northern Germany. As a child, he emigrated with his family to the United States, settling initially in New York. In 1851, he moved west to the new state of Wisconsin, and settled in Milwaukee. He married Malvina C. Palmer. They had four children. Rugee died of cancer on March 7, 1894, in Redlands, California. He is buried at Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.Forest Home Cemetery History and Burials
Career Rugee was a member of the Assembly in 1861. He was also a Presidential Elector for the 1884 United States Presidential Election. In his professional life, he designed a number of churches, grain elevators, and bridges.
Some of Rugee's buildings include: Jasper Humphrey house, 634 S Third Street, Milwaukee, 1868.
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