Charles J. Bethke
Role: First Elected President of the Village of East Dundee Elected: April 17, 1888 Source: Village Record Book of the Corporation of East Dundee (original ledger, pages 62–67)
Charles J. Bethke was elected the first President of the Board of Trustees of East Dundee on April 17, 1888, receiving 108 of 114 votes cast — a near-unanimous mandate that stands as one of the most lopsided results in the village's early electoral history.
Bethke was sworn in on April 23, 1888 by Police Magistrate James O'Connell, presiding over the first formal session of the newly elected board. He immediately appointed committees (Finance, Road Commissioners, and Health), oversaw the appointment of Frank Steinwart as Treasurer (bond: $3,000), and set the new liquor license rate at $500 per year.
The signature "C.J. Bethke, Pres." appears at the bottom of meeting minutes throughout his tenure, confirming his continued role in the village's governance.