Albert P. Stiefvater - Oakland

NAME, Years Elected to City Council

Albert P Stiefvater (usually referred to as A. P.) was on City Council in 1909.

POLITICAL AFFILIATION

Socialist?⁵

BIO

A P Stiefvater was born in San Francisco in 1867.

Stiefvater went to school in San Francisco and Alameda, college at Wesleyan College in Iowa and got a law degree at University of Iowa in 1890.

After graduating, Stiefvater worked in the mercantile business in Chicago for two years. He moved back to Alameda and worked in the newspaper business as an editor and journalist. He was the city editor for the "Encinal" and the "Argus" in Alameda, the Oakland correspondent for the San Francisco Call, worked for the Oakland Tribune and worked for the San Francisco Bulletin for seven years. He also worked in law while he was working at the newspapers.

In 1906 he organized the Civic Education League which discussed politics and current events.

Stiefvater married Wanda Marie Gernreich in 1899. They had two children

Stiefvater was appointed to City Council in 1909 by Mayor Frank K Mott to fill the vacancy left when J. F. Mullins resigned (look into this) at the end of his term then reelected at the beginning of the 1909 session.

While on council, he was involved with getting a cheaper rate for water. He was on the committee involved in decisions about the Key Route System and the settlement with Southern Pacific and the Oakland Mole.¹

He was also the head of the license committee which made a decision to ban slot machines in 1909.²

In March, 1911, Stiefvater and Harold Everhart almost came to blows in chambers when Everhart started talking about Ward 3 (Stiefvater's area) affairs. Everhart said Stiefvater strutted like a turkey, and the Call alleged that Stiefvater deserved a punch in the face.⁴

Stiefvater was a Native Son.³