USA > Wisconsin > Sauk County > A standard history of Sauk County, Wisconsin, Volume II > Part 3
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72
Many of his memories center around the old schoolhouse which stood on the line between Freedom and Westfield and half a mile east of the present cheese factory in that neighborhood. This schoolhouse was built of round logs and the clapboard roof came down very low, so that the larger boys could touch it with their hands around the eaves. There was a door on the south side at the gable end, a stove in the cen- ter, and a window in the west, north and east sides. As the roof was so low the windows were set in horizontally. Around the walls on three sides desks for writing were fastened by pins. There were also three seats or benches around the sides and three other benches around the stove. These benches had no backs, and when the boys stood up on them they could reach the ceiling in any part of the room. The ceil- ing was made of rough boards. On the south side was a blackboard, and at various places wooden pegs were driven into logs where the scholars hung up their hats and caps. The boys of course played ball, chiefly "Andy Over," and the memories of the games they played are perhaps more strongly impressed than the things they learned out of the books. One of the teachers while Philip Grubb was a student in that old time schoolhouse was Kazie Faller. She afterwards mar- ried Philip Cheek who went to the war with the Sixth Reginient. At the beginning of the war one of the boys of the school named Levi Waltz joined the army. At that time the teacher was Numan Pitts from near Logansville. After the close of the term he joined the Nineteenth Regiment, was captured and put in Libby Prison, where he died. John Faller was also captured and sent to Libby Prison, but at home the report came that he was dead. The German Methodist preacher, Rev. Mr. Backer. was preparing to preach his sermon
585
HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY
when a letter arrived from Mr. Pitts saying that Faller was with him a prisoner of war at Libby. John Faller came home a wreck after the war, and died of disease contracted in the army, and thus Rev. Mr. Backer was able to use the sermon he had prepared.
Philip Grubb, it will be understood from this brief reference to the early school he attended, had little opportunity to secure a good edu- cation. His father was a man of letters and learning, and Philip's three brothers all went to school and college and all of them were teachers. The Grubb home entertained most of the local school teach- ers as boarders during the term. His brother, George, after teaching for a time, became president of the Juneau County Bank. His brother, William, was also a teacher and was studying medicine in Rush Medi- cal College at Chicago in 1883, when he was stricken with smallpox and died. His brother, Frank, made a record as a school man, was school superintendent of Waupaca County three terms, six years, and after- wards served as mayor of Stanley in Chippewa County.
Until the end of the Civil war Philip Peter Grubb was unable to afford anything better than an ox team. The son, Philip, several times accompanied his father to Baraboo for the purpose of getting the grist ground, and going to mill afforded the boy one of his most appreciated pleasures. At the same time the mother carried eggs and butter to the county seat, selling them for 10 cents a dozen and butter for 10 cents a pound. It was eleven miles from home to Baraboo. The father and son frequently walked this distance, especially during the war, and one of the sights to be seen was the drilling of the soldiers at the county seat.
When the war was over the growing of hops came into the high tide of its popularity in Sauk County. Mr. Grubb recalls his own part as a hop picker during several seasons, in the field three miles the other side of Ableman. He boarded at home and walked back and forth every day to his work. It was the practice for the pickers to put the hops in a box containing about seven bushels, and the wages for picking was 25 cents a box.
Prior to the war there was no postoffice and the mail was sent to Baraboo in care of S. V. R. Ableman, who would make periodic trips to the county seat and bring the letters and papers back to Ableman. for distribution. At that time there were three prominent men in the community, Gen. A. W. Starks, Col. S. V. R. Ableman and Maj. Charles Williams. When hop growing became a flourishing industry Mr. Able- man enjoyed much prominence, built and conducted a saw and grist mill at his place and was a popular man throughout the state. Then prices of hops took a sudden fall and Mr. Ableman failed. He had sev- enteen acres in that crop and two large hop houses. He lost practically all of his possessions in that crash.
The hop industry was also participated in by the Grubb family. Philip Peter Grubb in 1867 had 11/2 acres in hops and was paid $1,500 for his crop. In 1868, thus encouraged, he put in more than four acres and had hop pickers from Madison and LaCrosse. Prices went down and he sold the crop at a big loss.
In 1869, when Philip Grubb was seventeen years of age, he took
586
HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY
his place as a wage earner in the harvest field and contributed his earn- ings to the family. In 1874 Philip Peter Grubb bought eighty acres of land and sold forty acres of it to his son Philip. On this forty acres Philip erected in 1876 a house for himself. Mr. Philip Grubb had his own share of hard work. For eleven seasons he did harvesting in four different states, going three times to Minnesota and remaining there until late in the fall. He was on the Mississippi River two terms, and in 1869 helped grade a portion of railroad line.
In February, 1881, Mr. Philip Grubb married Dora C. Klipp, of Westfield. Her father, William Klipp, now deceased, was a farmer in Sauk County. To their marriage were born four children, two sons and two daughters, named William, Mary, Ida and Fredie. Fredie was accidentally drowned in a pond on his father's farm.
The son William is at home with his father and together they own a place of 137 acres, a large part of which was cleared by Mr. Grubb's individual efforts and has been brought under a fine state of cultiva- tion. There are good buildings and an ample supply of farm machin- ery, including a four-roll McCormick shredder. Some years ago he built a large tile silo. They have also a silo filler, plenty of good horses, forty-five head of cattle, a drove of hogs, and hardly a season comes and goes without excellent crops from their fields. A fine Buick auto- mobile is a source of great pleasure to the entire family. The daugli- ters, Mary and Ida, are married, both of them have families, and live with their husbands on farms in Northern Wisconsin, and are on the road to substantial prosperity. Mr. Philip Grubb and his son carry more than $5,000 of fire insurance on their homes, and Mr. Grubb also has $3,000 life insurance. He has been a lodge member for a num- ber of years, being affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Mystic Workers. He also owns an interest in the public hall, in which the lodges meet at North Freedom. In politics Mr. Grubb is not as much interested as he is in matters pertaining to agriculture, on which subject he is well posted. He has always kept alert concern- ing improved methods, and with industry and good judgment has made a success of his undertakings.
To this substantial degree of prosperity he has come not without many narrow escapes. He has been kicked by a horse, has had numerous runaways, has just missed falling timbers, the accidents of drown- ing and other mishaps. But it is a long look backward to the time of his boyhood when all this region was an alteration of hill ground and swamp, crooked roads and other inconveniences that a modern com- munity would consider intolerable. In the list of evil things there have also been human factors to deal with. Mr. Grubb's father many times suffered wrong at the hands of his fellowmen. There has also been loss and inconvenience due to the slowness of the public to take up undertakings. Mr. Grubb recalls that in the October when he bought his homestead a new road was laid out over the bottomlands toward North Freedom. As the land was very swampy the town was unable to work the road and it ceased to exist merely through lack of use and improvement. After the road had thus lain practically forgot- ten for twenty years an agitation was begun in 1891 by petitions and
.
587
HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY
otherwise to get the road opened. The town board was in favor of the improvement, and after much strife it was put through, and every- one has agreed that it is a great blessing to the community.
Mr. Grubb has always lived peaceably with his fellowmen and has desired to do right to others as he would be done by them. But even to the innocent injury sometimes comes. In 1903 Mr. Grubb found his old log barn too small, its dimensions being 24 by 60 feet. Though he was somewhat in debt, he determined to build a new barn on credit, and he put up a splendid one, with a foundation wall 11 feet high and 36 by 60 feet and with 20-foot posts. In that summer the min- ing boom broke loose in Sauk County and Mr. Grubb was persuaded to entertain in his home a number of mining prospectors. All kinds of men made up this party and some evil-minded persons took advantage of his good nature and for several years made him serious trouble, financial and otherwise. From his long and varied experience Mr. Grubb is almost of the opinion that where there is a will power to do wrong, the church, bench, pulpit and all the forces of good eannot prevent it.
HENRY W. SORGE. An example of self-made manhood that should be encouraging to the youths of today who are starting out in life to make their way without financial resources or influential connections is the career of Hon. Henry W. Sorge. While he is now one of the most sub- stantial business 'men of Reedsburg, identified with large business opera- tions as the head of the Central Wisconsin Creamery Company, when he first came to Wisconsin, in 1868, he had neither means nor friends, nor had he even a working knowledge of American business customs or methods. Solely through his own initiative and persevering industry he has steadily worked his way upward not alone in a business way but in the confidence of his fellow citizens, whom he has represented in legis- lative halls as well as in other positions of honor and trust.
Mr. Sorge was born March 18, 1852, in Germany, a son of Joachim and Dorothea (Hoeverman) Sorge, natives of that country, where both passed their entire lives, dying about the year 1869, when well advanced in years. The public schools of his native land furnished Mr. Sorge with the rudiments of an education, and in May, 1868, when he was just past sixteen years of age, he immigrated to the United States and took up his residence in Reedsburg township, Sauk County. Here he secured employment as a farm hand, and what time he could spare from his agricultural duties he devoted to the gaining of an education in the English language in the country schools. It was a difficult proposition for the young man to face, but he was earnest in his efforts and deter- mined to make a success of his life, and slowly he amassed the means with which to establish himself as the proprietor of a property of his own. Eventually he became the owner of a farm, to the acreage of which he added from time to time and continued to carry on his agricultural activities until 1901. In the meantime, in 1893, recognizing an oppor- tunity, he embarked in a modest way in the creamery business. His first venture was known as the Narrows Prairie Creamery, and this proved so successful under his wise and energetie management that he was
588
HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY
encouraged to open other enterprises of the same kind until he was at the head of thirty creameries, the work of which finally became so great as to necessitate his giving his entire time to their management. In 1901 he left the farm and came to Reedsburg, where, in 1902, the business was incorporated under its present name, the Central Wisconsin Creamery Company. The company manufactures fancy Elgin creamery butter and Sorge's ice cream, and the product has a fine market all over this part of the state, where it is known for its purity and wholesomeness. The officers are : Henry W. Sorge, manager : A. O. Sorge, superintendent ; and H. A. Sorge, secretary. In recent years several of the plants have been sold, but the largest and most important have been retained.
Politically a democrat, at an early time Mr. Sorge became interested in political and public affairs, and soon became recognized as a man of worth and executive ability, the kind of material needed to straighten out civic entanglements and to govern the affairs of his fellow citizens. For twelve years he served as chairman of the Reedsburg Township Board of Supervisors, and in 1910 was elected mayor of Reedsburg, a capacity in which he served for four years, his administration being characterized by a masterly handling of the city's municipal matters and the installa- tion of improvements which contributed materially to Reedsburg's wel- fare and advancement. In 1895 he was elected to the Wisconsin Legis- lature, in which body he gave universal satisfaction. While a Lutheran in his religious belief, he is now attending the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Sorge is prominent in fraternal affairs, being a member of Reeds- burg Lodge No. 157, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Reedsburg Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; St. Johns Commandery No. 22, Knights Templar; Milwaukee Consistory, thirty-second degree; and Tripoli Shrine, Milwaukee, Ancient Arabic Order Nobles of the Mystic Shrine ; and of the Knights of Pythias, Reedsburg. He joined the Masonic Con- sistory at the Golden Jubilee, fiftieth anniversary, at Milwaukee.
On March 4, 1874, Mr. Sorge was married to Miss Rosetta Andrus, who was born in Ohio in September, 1852, daughter of Edwin and Macena Andrus, who in 1854 came to Reedsburg Township and purchased the farm which their son-in-law later owned, and on which they spent the remaining years of their lives. Mr. and Mrs. Sorge became the parents of two children. Estella married Louis Hyzer and died, the mother of three children, Arthur, Harold and Kenneth, the last named deceased. Albert, educated in the public and high schools, the dairy schools at Madison, and the school of practical experience, was elected to the Wis- consin State Legislature in 1911, and is now superintendent of the Central Wisconsin Creamery Company. He married Miss Emma Wheelen, of Reedsburg, and has three children, Rolla and Rolland, twins, and Rosetta. Mrs. Sorge died in 1881, and in 1883 Mr. Sorge married Miss Elizabeth Heffel, who was born in England, daughter of James Heffel, who was an early settler of Sauk County and died in Winfield Township in 1914, aged eighty-one years. Two sons were born to Mr. and Mrs. Sorge. Harry H., born in Reedsburg Township April 14, 1885, was educated in the public schools, in the Reedsburg High School and LaCrosse Business College. He has been for several years engaged in the creamery business as secretary of the Central Wisconsin Creamery
589
HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY
Company. He married Florence M. Cooper, who was born in Troy Township, Sauk County, and has one daughter, Elizabeth Mildred. Ralph F., born February 1, 1891, was educated in the public schools, in the Reedsburg High School and the Milwaukee Business College, and has also been identified with the creamery enterprise during his business career. He married Miss Icle Crall, and has one child, Ellen. Mrs. Henry W. Sorge died February 7, 1898, and in 1901 Mr. Sorge married for liis third wife Miss Nellie Rowe, of Washington Township, Sauk County. The Sorge home is at No. 500 South Park Street.
WILLIAM GALL has become a well-to-do citizen of Sauk County through his continued enterprise spread over a period of years in the quarry in- dustry. He operates a large business at Ableman, and for years has fur- nished much of the building stone, crushed stone and similar materials used in that section.
Though a resident of Wisconsin over thirty-five years, Mr. Gall was born in Germany December 3, 1862, son of Daniel and Paulina (Keller) Gall. His parents came to America and arrived in Sauk County March 17, 1881. They located near Ableman in Excelsior Township, where the father bought a small tract of land, and subsequently sold that and bought another place in the same township. He lived there as a contented and fairly prosperous farmer until his death on February 3, 1901, at the age of seventy-one. His wife is also deceased. Their living children are William, Augusta, Ida, Daniel, Hulda, Julius, Pauline, August, Martha and Minnie.
Mr. William Gall was nineteen years of age when he came with his parents to America. He received his education in Germany and his prin- cipal capital on starting life was a capacity for hard work. After coming to America he spent one year working in a quarry in Iowa, and then con- tinued his experience as a quarryman with the Northwestern Railway Company. In 1889 he bought the place he now owns at Ableman, and he and his brother Daniel leased a quarry in Excelsior Township several years. About six years later Mr. Gall bought a quarry near where he now lives, known as the Gall Quarry, and has continued its operation to the present time. In 1914 he bought a gravel pit near Ableman, but sold three acres of the gravel right to Sauk County. The rest of it he still owns and operates, and in 1916 he installed a stone crusher. These three branches of his industry give him a very large and extensive busi- ness. He employs a number of men, and has facilities for furnishing road and building material in almost any quantities.
Mr. Gall is also a stockholder in the Farmers State Bank of Ableman. In 1908 he built one of the finest homes in that village, and has much to show for his years of industry and well-directed efforts.
Politically he is a republican. For some years he has been a member of the town council and its president, and was also trustee of the village.
In 1887 Mr. Gall married Miss Johanna Steinharst, who was born in Germany but lived in Sauk County some time before her marriage. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Gall: Walter, William, Clara, Otto, Emil, Selmer, Hilda and Raymond, the last dying in infancy. The
590
HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY
mother of these children died February 1, 1909. On June 12, 1910, Mr. Gall married Miss Anna Meyer, who was born in Washington Township of Sauk County September 15, 1877, a daughter of Henry and Dorothy Meyer. Her parents came from Germany to Sauk County during the decade of the '60s, and located on and developed a farm in Washington Township. They both spent their last years there, where her father died in 1909 and her mother in 1907. Mrs. Gall was one of a family of eight children, named as follows: Dora, Henry, William, Fred and John, twins, the latter now deceased, August, Anna and Sophia. Mr. and Mrs. Gall have one daughter, Olga Dorothy, who was born August 29, 1913.
L. S. DREW for many years a resident of Sauk County, is member of a notable family in this state. Practically all the wholesale drug houses in the country know Mr. Drew under the familiar name "Worm- wood" Drew. The wormwood oil industry has been a business of the Drew family for several generations. The Drews were from England originally, several brothers of the name having come from that country and located on Long Island about four generations ago. They began making distilled oils from various vegetables and attempted to secure a market for the product in New York. But because the manufacture was a home industry it had to encounter much prejudice. The objection was made that the oils were too weak. Similar oils had been coming from England, and the Drew brothers finally resorted to selling their products abroad, and some of the very oils manufactured in Long Island were subsequently imported to this country bearing the stamp of English . manufacture and were readily accepted and pronounced adequate for their specific purposes.
L. S. Drew was born in New Hampshire August 18, 1841, a son of Dr. Leander and Almira (Shattuck) Drew. Dr. Leander Drew was a graduate in medicine from Dartmouth College. He practiced medicine in New Hampshire, and in 1848 brought his family to Wisconsin, locating at West Point in Columbia County. There he acquired 400 acres of land from the government, though more of his time was given to the practice of his profession than to farming. He was the only physician at West Point for a number of years and as a pioneer doctor traveled over a large scope of country. He brought most of his drugs from Milwaukee. At that time it was customary for the doctor to mix his own medicines, since there were few drug stores where prescriptions could be filled. Dr. Leander Drew had the distinction of starting the first distillery in Wis- consin to manufacture oil from wormwood. He continued that business actively until his death in 1858. The manufacture was then continued by his son, L. S. Drew, for half a century. Mr. Drew still owns the build- ing and the principal stock in enterprise.
L. S. Drew engaged actively in the wormwood business immediately after his marriage, and he kept his home on the old farm until thirteen years ago, when he sold out to G. A. Gannon, who continued the same business for several years. Mr. Drew then removed to Lodi, and after three years to Prairie du Sac, where he still has his home.
591
HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY
His father was a very influential character in his pioneer locality in Wisconsin. He was liberal to a fault and while he dispensed large sums of money he was never oppressive in demanding payment when the notes came due.
L. S. Drew was married in 1866 to Miss Hattie Riddle, who was born in Ohio. There were two children of that marriage: Harry G. Drew . and Louise. Louise is now Mrs. Steuber and lives in Prairie du Sac. Harry G. Drew still runs the wormwood business for the manufacture of oil. Mr. Drew's first wife died in 1886. He then married Irene Rings- dorf, daughter of Philip and Martha (Bartholomew) Ringsdorf. The one child of this marriage is Elizabeth, who was partly educated at Prairie du Sac and for one year was a student in the University of Wisconsin, but withdrew on account of ill health. She is now at home with her parents.
Mr. L. S. Drew served six years on the school board and has made himself a factor in the general improvement of his home community. He is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and is a member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
JOHN RIGGERT, merchant, banker and public spirited citizen, has been accumulating interests and responsibilities that make him an important citizen ever since coming to Sauk County over thirty years ago. The center of these interests have been at Loganville.
Mr. Riggert was born in Germany December 13, 1868, son of Henry and Catherine (Marquard) Riggert. His father was born August 5, 1826, and his mother June 15, 1828. They were married in Germany and they reared in that country a family of eight children, noted as follows: William, born March 13, 1852; Herman, born March 29, 1854; George, born May 20, 1856; Adolph, born February 1, 1858; Otto, born April 8, 1860; Ernest, born November 26, 1861; May, born April 20, 1864; and John, born December 13, 1868.
Mr. John Riggert acquired most of his education while a boy in Germany. In 1883, when he was fifteen years of age, he left the Father- land, crossed the ocean and came to Sauk County, Wisconsin, where he joined some of his older brothers. For one year he attended school at Loganville and acquired a familiarity with the English language. He then entered the store of his brother William as a clerk at Reedsburg, and remained steadily in his employ for nine years.
During this time he had familiarized himself with business, gained the confidence of people and was well prepared for embarking in busi- ness for himself. In February, 1893, he and his brother William estab- lished a store at Loganville, and it was started under the name Jolin Riggert & Company, a title which remains to the present time, though after four years, in 1897, Mr. John Riggert bought the entire establish- ment. For nine years the store was in the old Trexler Building, but in 1902 Mr. Riggert erected a store building of his own, 32 by 80 feet, two stories, and thoroughly stocked with merchandise of every description suited to the trade of that locality.
From handling this business Mr. Riggert's interests have gradually been spread to other affairs. In 1907 he started the Loganville Telephone Exchange, continued the management of the business until it had gained
592
HISTORY OF SAUK COUNTY
275 subscribers and in 1917 sold out to W. H. Wheeler. In 1915 Mr. Riggert organized the Loganville State Bank, an institution that furnishes adequate banking facilities to that section of Sauk County. William Riggert is president, Charles King is vice president, while Mr. John Riggert gives his personal superintendence to the bank as cashier, the assistant cashier being Conrad C. Wiesler,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.