History of Michigan, / by Charles Moore. [Vol. 3]

1590

HISTORY OF MICHIGAN

Henry Behrendt was born in the city of Detroit, Michigan, May 31,
I869, and is a son of David and Tenna (Berger) Behrendt. His father
was born near Berlin, Germany, in November, 1839, and came to the
United States in I864, while the mother was born in that city in 1842,
and came to America a short time after Mr. Behrendt's arrival. They
were married in New York City, and resided there for a time, subsequently removing to St. Louis, Missouri, and after a year or more to
Detroit, coming from the latter city to Lansing in I876. Here the
mother died in I904., while the father still survives and makes his home
in Lansing. A cigarmaker by trade, he worked at that vocation in New
York, St. Louis and Detroit, and then entered business on his own
account as a manufacturer, continuing thus engaged for forty years.
He is now living practically retired from the activities of life. Nine
children were born to David and Tenna Behrendt, of whom two sons
and two daughters are living.
Henry Behrendt was a lad of seven years at the time the family came
to Lansing, and here his education was secured in the public graded and
high schools. As a youth he learned the trade of cigarmaker, under his
father's tutelage, and worked at that vocation with the elder man until
the outbreak of the late trouble between the United States and Spain. At
that time Mr. Behrendt enlisted in Company E, Thirty-first Regiment,
Michigan Volunteer Infantry, an organization with which he continued
to serve, with an excellent record, until the cessation of hostilities. Soon
after his return to Lansing, Mr. Behrendt was elected police constable of
the city, in which capacity he served for two terms, and was then
appointed chief deputy sheriff of Ingham county, holding that office for
four years. During this time, in 1904, he was the candidate of his party
for the office of sheriff of Ingham county, but met with defeat at the
polls. In July, I906, Mr. Behrendt was appointed chief of police of
Lansing, an office which he held continuously until he resigned to assume
the duties of his present high position. At the time Mr. Behrendt took
charge of the Lansing police, the department was in a deplorable condition, thoroughly disorganized and demoralized. Settling down to bring
about the reorganization of the department and to bring it to an up-todate condition of efficiency, Chief Behrendt demonstrated a marked
administrative ability, and instilled a new spirit of earnestness and
reform into the service. In an incredibly short time he had the department working smoothly and capably, its members performing their duties
efficiently and conscientiously. Mr. Behrendt's reputation during his
incumbency of this position spread rapidly all over the country, and
eventually led to his appointment, by President Wilson, May 5, I914, to
the office of United States marshal of the Eastern District of Michigan,
with official headquarters at Detroit, and residence at Lansing. Mr.
Behrendt has continually strengthened his reputation as an officer, and
upon the occasion of unusual disturbance of the public peace and in the
unraveling of complicated mysteries, his coolness and bravery as an
officer and his skill as a detective have been in high demand.
Marshal Behrendt has been prominent in Democratic politics for
many years, and for two years was chairman of the Democratic City
Committee of Lansing. He is a member of the Masonic. Odd Fellow,
Knights of Pythias and Elks fraternities, of the Royal Arcanum and of
the Arbeiters Society. For years he was a member of the International
Association of Chiefs of Police, attended all of the annual conventions
of the association, and read several papers before these bodies upon the
subjects of the causes of vice and the building up of efficient police forces.
In 1891 Mr. Behrendt was married to Miss Lena Allen, who was
born in Lansing, the daughter of G. B. Allen, a well-known carpenter.