George Tiedeman
George Tiedeman was an American politician who served three terms as mayor of Savannah, Georgia.
Biography
Tiedeman was born on September 11, 1861, in Charleston, South Carolina as the son of Amelia and Otto Tiedeman. His father had immigrated to South Carolina from Germany in 1840. His father worked as a grocer. Tiedeman had two brothers and a sister. In 1887, he moved to Savannah to work at his brother Irvin's wholesale grocery business. He became politically active and worked on the local Chamber of Commerce, the Board of Trade, and served as president of the Georgia State Savings Association.Tiedeman won an election as an alderman and was subsequently elected to three terms as mayor. During his time as mayor, he helped bring the American Grand Prize auto race to Savannah, where it ran in 1908, and 1910-1911. As a great believer in technology, he outfitted the city with electric street lights and motorized the fire department.