Kohler Memorial: A monument for a Gilded Age tycoon

The remains of John M. Kohler, mayor of Sheboygan from 1892 to 1893 and founder of the renowned Kohler Company, are enshrined in the John Michael Kohler Arts Center in his hometown. [1] The center is named for Kohler himself, confirming that Kohler Company Drive, the route into Sheboygan from the north, is named for this same individual. The Kohler family later donated land for John Michael Kohler State Park. The key to Kohler's successful rise was his railway company, which started out as a cable system for transporting coal up the mountainsides in Bolzano, Italy.

The system was an early test of electric wires being used for transportation, and faced numerous hurdles and setbacks that nearly put it out of business. At one point, Kohler's own cable car system was discontinued due to safety concerns, but it was eventually rebuilt and continued operation for two years. After his death, John Michael Kohler was honored with having the road connecting his hometown of Sheboygan to his company named after him, though it wasn't until 2010 that the road was completely upgraded and widened to become Kohler Memorial Drive.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons