Known primarily as an architect, Koch also served in the Civil War. Born in Hanover, Germany, his parents brought him to the U.S. as an infant and settled in Wisconsin. He attended the German-English academy and at the age of 16 went to work for architect George Mygatt. The lessons he gained during this apprenticeship were useful for him after he enlisted in Company B of the Wisconsin 24th Regiment of Infantry. Noticing his drawing skills, he became a topographic engineer for General Philip Sheridan and was primarily assigned to create maps which were critical for any military campaign. When the war was over, he returned to Milwaukee and became partners with his former boss Mygatt.
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