Who was the last mayor of Knoxville who as an immigrant learned English as a second language?
A – Peter Staub
B – C.C. Carlos
C – Cas Walker
D – Peter Kern
E – That’s ridiculous. Knoxville’s never had an immigrant mayor.
Answer – D
A refugee from political oppression in Germany during the brutal suppression of the Revolutions of 1848, Kern moved to America as a young man and had been a popular baker here for 25 years before he was elected mayor in 1890. He was the last of at least five immigrant mayors who served the city in the 19th century. Like Peter Staub, who was also a popular mayor, Kern spoke German before he spoke English. By the way, C.C. Carlos (c.) was the 1850s Knoxville police chief of Spanish heritage; his origins are mysterious, though research indicates he was probably born in America.
