USA > Wisconsin > Langlade County > History of Langlade County, Wisconsin, from U. S. government survey to present time, with biographical sketches > Part 52
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HARVEY GUILE, decorator and contractor, was born July 20, 1887, son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Guile. He attended the Norwood rural schools and the Antigo public schools. He has been in the painting and decor- ating business since 1901. He is an expert in his chos- en work. Mr. Guile was married to Beatrice Du Bois of Antigo, March 3, 1906. Five children were born to this union. They are Clarence, Richard and Dorothy, living, and Florence and Norma, deceased. Mr. Guile is a member of the Knights of Pythias in which lodge he is active. The Guile home is situated at 1525 Cler- mont street.
W. F. KASSON, prominent business man, was born in Ludington, Mich., October 8, 1869, son of Augusta and Robert Kasson. At age of two he moved to Yank- ton, S. D., then the capital of South Dakota. When 14 years of age he went to Sioux City, Iowa, where he began as an apprentice in the printing trade. He then was employed on the Sioux City Journal, Minneapolis Tribune, Cincinnati Enquirer and Chicago Herald in succession. In 1888 he went to Ashland, Wis., from Chicago and for seven years was in a saloon and res- taurant business, went to Neenah where for eighteen years he engaged in the same business, being proprie- tor of the Russell and Union House there. November 18, 1915, opened Hanousek Hotel in Antigo. A year later he sold to Arthur J. Koch and purchased the
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George Ottman property in Antigo township, known since as Kasson cabaret. April, 1919, took over Pick- erel Lake property from Kenosha Hunting & Fishing Club, James A. Fathers of Janesville, Wis., principal stockholder. He still owns this property, running a first class tourist resort. He was married at Liberty- ville, Illinois, in 1908 to Matilda Kempf. The Kasson famliy, Mr. and Mrs. Kasson and four boys and two girls, resides on South Superior street, in Antigo town- ship. Mr. Kasson is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose. He is a stockholder and part owner of the Antigo Herald, Langlade Printing Company pub- lication.
HARRY LA FAVE, telegraph operator, was born September 9, 1896, at Duluth, Minnesota, son of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph La Fave. He attended the public and parochial schools following which he entered the employ of the C. & N. W. Railroad Company with which he has been for the past ten years. He is now an operator in the Antigo north yards. When the World War broke out Mr. La Fave enlisted September 18, 1917, in the 311 Field Signal Battalion of the 86th Division, attaining the rank of Sergeant. He was honorably discharged May 15, 1919. Mr. La Fave is a member of the B. P. O. E. and K. of C. lodges.
SEBASTIAN BUERGER, a pioneer Antigo business man, was born in 1842 in Wald Aschbach Baiern, Germany. He came to the city of Antigo in 1882, en- gaging in the newspaper business, conducting Antigo's second News Stand. He later engaged in the grocery business. Antigo was then a little village with few business places when he came to the village. Fifth avenue was a little "hole in the woods." Mr. Buerger was a member of the old Volunteer Fire Department and a member of the Sons of Herman lodge, now ex- tinct. He was married in 1887 to Wilhelmine Seefeldt of Brown County, Wisconsin. Six children were born to this union. Mr. Buerger died in 1917 and his re- mains are buried in the city cemetery of Antigo. Dur- ing his business career he was one of Antigo's promi- nent business men.
JAMES J. HEALY. Stability of character and pur- pose and a high order of citizenship are traits which are found with a pleasing degree of frequency in the men who have witnessed the period of expansion in Langlade County from the day when the ox cart and tote road were supreme to this era of modern industrial and civic progress. James John Healy, who has spent practically all of his life in Langlade County, was born December 12, 1883, in Marathon County, Wis., the son of Angeline (Kanauf) and Richard Healy, Sr. When a child he moved with his parents to Antigo township, Langlade County, Wis. The family lived in Antigo township until 1897, when they moved to the city of Antigo, where they have been active since. Mr. Healy attended the rural schools of Antigo town- ship and then took five courses, extending over a per- iod of twenty years, in the International Correspon-
dence School. The courses were in order : High School, Telephone, Locomotive Running, Steam and Complete Steam Electric. He attended the Antigo School of Chiropractics conducted by Paul Von de Schoeppe, from which he graduated in 1912. His practice in that profession is very extensive and covers a territory far north and south of the county limits. Mr. Healy was married October 8, 1903, to Olive Strong, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Strong. J. W. Strong was a pioneer settler of Elmhurst, Wiscon- sin. Seven children bless this union. The children are Marion, Eugene, Marcella, Dorothy, Olive, Jane and Alice. Mr. Healy is a member of the Modern Wood- men of America and the Knights of Columbus. He has been connected with the Antigo Electric Company for 21 years. The 1921-22 years of that time he has been Manager of the plant. Previously he was elec- trical engineer. The Healy family resides at 214 Second avenue.
HAROLD S. MATTMILLER, Upham township farmer, was born in Chicago, Ill., December 4, 1891, the son of Mary and August Mattmiller. He attended the public schools of Chicago after which he secured employment with an electrical appliance concern for one year. He then became a bank clerk for four years and two years later went to work as an employe of the International Harvester Co. in their Chicago tractor plant. Mr. Mattmiller moved to Langlade County in July, 1912. Two years later, in 1914, he purchased eighty acres of land in Upham township in section 30, where he has since resided. He has twelve acres cleared and is improving the farm steadily. Mr. Matt- miller was married October 23, 1919, to Theresa Vaughn, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Orvis Vaughn, pio- neers of Langlade County. One child, Ruth Lorraine, was born to this union. Mr. Mattmiller was Town Clerk of Upham township in 1919-21. The Mattmiller family attend the Congregational church. Mr. Matt- miller's parents are now living in Milwaukee, Wis., at 8751/2 38th street.
FRED BEHM, retired farmer, was born in Pomen, Germany, the son of Fred and Mary (Hardwig) Behm, January 22, 1849. When twenty-two years old he left for the U. S., settling in Sheboygan County, Wis., where he stayed for a year. He then moved to Man- itowoc County on a farm, residing there about eight years. Hearing much of northern Wisconsin, he made a trip up into Langlade County and purchased eighty acres of land in Neva township in 1882. Here he set- tled. His land was purchased from Upham & Russell, Shawano, Wis., land agents, for $450. Mr. Behm clear- ed his land with difficulty. Mr. Behm was married first to Anna Sipek, who died a short time later. He remarried to Elizabeth Sipek. Mr. and Mrs. Behm had eight children -- Fred, Joseph, Frank of Bavaria P. O., Summit township; John Behm, Neva township; Fred and Joseph reside in Antigo, Wis. The girls are- Mary, now Mrs. Thomas Donohue of Manitowoc County; Anna, now Mrs. William Foucett of Manito-
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woc County; Lillian, now Mrs. Albert Winter of An- tigo, and Alvina, Mrs. Frank Schacher of Neva Town- ship. Mr. Behm held numerous offices in Neva town- ship, including School Clerk, Treasurer, Justice of the Peace, Supervisor and Township Treasurer. He was active in early Neva township affairs, was the guid- ing spirit in the erection of the first school in the Gillis District and did much for that township then. Mr. Behm moved to Antigo, Wis., residing at 327 Deleglise street, in 1918. He has lived to see a coun- ty covered with dense forests develop into one of the most productive in Wisconsin.
perity of their community, and having succeeded them- selves, are almost invariably ready to assist others to success, thus materially contributing to the public wel- fare.
Among the citizens of Langlade County who have been the architects of their own career and who have builded wisely and well, none stands higher in es- teem than William H. Wolpert, prominent clothing merchant and leader in city affairs. Mr. Wolpert was born May 24, 1879. When a boy of ten years he came to Antigo, the county-seat of Langlade County in the year 1889, but four years after that little com-
WILLIAM H. WOLPERT Pioneer Antigo clothing merchant, former member of the Na- tional Emergency Clothing Board and active public citizen. Mr. Wolpert has been a resident of Antigo since 1889.
WILLIAM H. WOLPERT. It is almost entirely upon the standing of its business men and leading citi- zens, upon their reliability, integrity, enterprise and public spirit, that the prestige of any community rests. That city or community is indeed fortunate when it can boast of a number of self-made men, for, while they have been advancing their own interests, they have at the same time been forwarding the growth and pros-
munity had been incorporated as a city. Here he attended the public schools and in 1892 he left Antigo to enter the Metropolitan Business College of Chicago, Il1. He returned to Antigo in December, 1895, and the following year became an associate of M. Krom, in the conduct of a department store, one of Antigo's first. This copartnership lasted until December 14, 1910, after which Mr. Wolpert engaged in the retail
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clothing business in Antigo alone, commencing June 15, 1911. The William H. Wolpert & Brother clothing firm has since, through the practice of honorable deal- ing, gained an enviable reputation and the confidence of the people of Langlade County.
When the World War broke out the conservation of those necessary articles of commerce vital to the win- ning of the conflict became imperative. Accordingly the President of the National Retail Clothiers of the United States appointed a board of twelve men, rep- resentative of the entire clothing industry of the nation, to devise ways and methods of regulating the style for civilian dress to the end that millions of yards of wool- en cloth be saved to the ultimate benefit of the fighting forces of the country. Wisconsin and more particu- larly Langlade County was signally honored by having as a member of that distinguished body none other than William H. Wolpert. The board acted in con- junction with the clothing manufacturers and the Com- mercial Economy Board of Washington, D. C., select- ed by President Woodrow Wilson, and it performed a distinct national service in time of stress.
In July, 1922, Mr. Wolpert was selected by the Gov- ernor of Wisconsin, John J. Blaine, to represent the Badger people at the Brazilian centennial to be held at Rio de Janeiro. It opened in September, 1922, and lasts until March, 1923.
Mr. Wolpert was united in marriage on October 23, 1909 to Gertrude Fay Butterfield, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Butterfield, prominent Antigo citizens. Four children were born to this union-Eleanore Jane, Eugene Bradley and William Butterfield Wol- pert, and Ellen, deceased. Residence 724 Clermont Street.
JOSEPH L. HELMBRECHT, proprietor of the An- tigo Grocery Co., was born July 31, 1892, son of Anna and Joseph Helmbrecht, pioneer Upham and Peck township settlers. When three years of age he moved from Summit Lake, his birthplace, to Peck township where he lived with his parents until he grew to man- hood. He attended the Peck rural schools, later en- gaging in general farming and logging business. He affiliated with the co-operative movement in Langlade County when it was first inaugurated as the old Pa- trons' Cooperative Mercantile & Produce Co. in Anti- go, Wis. The name was later changed to the Grange Cooperative Co. and then a reorganization took place in which the name was changed to the Langlade Farm- ers' Cooperative Co. In 1920 Mr. Helmbrecht was made manager of the entire business with headquar- ters in the old Citizens Brewing Co. building, Antigo, Wis. Mr. Helmbrecht enlisted in the U. S. Army July 6, 1918, serving with the 53rd Machine Gun Battalion at Camp Travis, Texas. He received his honorable discharge at Camp Grant, Ill., April 17, 1919. Mr. Helmbrecht was married to Sophia Steinfest of Ack- ley township, Langlade County, February 3, 1921. One child, Marjorie Jane, has been born to this union. The Helmbrecht family resides at 103712 Fifth Ave. Mr. Helmbrecht is a member of the Knights of Columbus, Antigo Council No. 1002. Joseph Helmbrecht, Sr.,
was very active in Upham and Peck township affairs in his time.
WALTER DASKAM. Among the members of that class of self-made men of whom Langlade County has reason to be proud, men, who without assistance, have fought the battles of life without capital and in- fluential friends, and who have worked their way to the top of the ladder by sheer force of their own ability and industry, Walter Daskam, Cashier of the Fidel- ity Savings Bank, takes a prominent place. Mr. Das- kam was born in Chilton, Calumet County, Wisconsin, on August 8, 1872, the son of John W. and Caroline (Ashdown) Daskam. When ten years of age he mov- ed with his parents to the village of Antigo, then a few buildings in a forest. The old Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad had been in this region but a few months before then. He attended the public schools of Antigo and the Antigo High School. Fol- lowing his school days Mr. Daskam was employed by A. Goldberg as a salesman, was a bank clerk and bookkeeper in the old Bank of Antigo, was a book- keeper for the J. C. Lewis (hardware) Co. He moved to Houghton, Michigan, in 1898 and conducted a gen- eral hardware business there until 1904, going then to Park Falls, Wisconsin, where he successfully conduct- ed the same line of business until 1908. Mr. Daskam then returned to Antigo and organized the Fidelity Savings Bank, with which he has been associated as Cashier ever since.
November 1, 1898, he was united in marriage to Miss Lillian Hogben, a daughter of G. H. Hogben, a pioneer Antigo manufacturer. To this union five chil- dren, Lyle, Paul, Lynn, Vivian and Gwendolyn, were born. The Daskam family resides at 920 Superior street, Antigo, Wis.
Fraternally, Mr. Daskam is a member of the Loyal Order of Moose, The Benevolent and Protective Or- der of Elks, and the Masonic Orders. When not at the bank he delights in spending his leisure with his family at home, or in an exciting game of tennis, or at some wee hour in the morning he will be off to the woods where only the babble of a fine trout stream breaks the deadly solitude.
WILLIAM PRIEM. Prominent Lily merchant, was born on January 8, 1866, in the town of Gerentz, Ger- many. He came to America in the year 1881 with his parents, who settled at Shawano, Wisconsin. As a young man Mr. Priem engaged in various occupations and first commenced work in the pineries of Langlade County in 1883. He was united in marriage on July 6, 1894, to Miss Ida Ehlers of Bonduel, Wis., to which union thirteen children were born, all of whom are liv- ing.
Mr. Priem has taken a very active interest in all matters concerning Langlade township. He has been honored with positions of public trust such as Super- visor, Treasurer of the township, and postmaster at Lily for sixteen years. He had one son, Richard, who served in the World War.
HISTORY OF LANGLADE COUNTY.
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Mr. Priem now conducts a general store at Lily and has a very profitable business. He has been in that business since June 5, 1895.
RAYMOND C. DEMPSEY. Attorney-at-Law, was born in Waukesha County, Wis., April 6, 1889, son of Ann and Edward Dempsey. Received public school education. He attended Oshkosh Normal in 1908-09 and then entered the Marquette University Law De- partment from which he graduated in 1913. The same year he was admitted to practice law in the courts of Wisconsin. Attorney Dempsey came to Antigo in January, 1915, and for one year was associated with Henry Hay in the practice of law. December 6, 1916,
THOMAS J. MALONEY. Among the first van- quard of pioneer settlers in Norwood and Antigo town- ships, Langlade County, was the Maloney family, which imigrated to the county in 1878. Thomas J. Maloney, the subject of this sketch, was born in Bay City, Michigan on December 6, 1854, the son of Michael and Bridget (Riley) Maloney. When but an infant he moved to the town of Rubicon, Dodge Coun- ty, Wisconsin, where he lived with his parents previous to their removal to Kaukauna, Outagamie County. In 1878 the family head, having heard much of the coun- try west of the Wolf river in the valley of the Eau Claire river, decided to move to what became Norwood township, later a part of Langlade County, but then
ATTORNEY RAYMOND C. DEMPSEY I'rominent democrat, world war veteran, public official and well known member of the Langlade County bar association.
he became a member of the law firm of Whiting & Dempsey. When war was declared agai .... Germany he entered the U. S. army. He attended the second R. O. T. C. at Fort Sheridan, Illinois, and on Novem- ber 27, 1917 was commissioned a 1st Lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of Captain, Infantry, on August 24, 1918. He was honorably discharged March 11, 1919. Attorney Dempsey thereupon resumed the practise of law in Antigo. He was appointed Corpora- tion Counsel of the city of Antigo in May, 1920. Po- litically he is a Democrat and in 1920 he was elected Chairman of the Democrat County Committee, which chairmanship he held until 1922. Mr. Dempsey is ac- tive in civic and commercial life of Antigo. In 1921 he was selected general chairman of arrangements for the reception of the G. A. R. and allied patriotic socie- ties of Wisconsin in convention in Antigo, June, 1921.
of Shawano County. Michael Maloney homesteaded on section 6 of Norwood township and it was here that his son, Thomas, aided him materially in clearing land and making the new home of these picturesque pioneers comfortable. He was united in marriage to Miss Alice Crooks of Big Suamico, Brown County, Wiscon- sin, on October 9, 1881. To this union ten children were born, namely: John, now a resident of Clinton- ville, Wis., who is employed as conductor for the C. & N. W. R. R. Co .; Edward, an Antigo business man, who was married to Miss Anna Niles of Wittenberg, Wis., in the fall of 1915; George, who is engaged in agricul- ture in Forest County, Wisconsin; Chester, who was accidently killed in June 28, 1920, while in the employ of the Sheboygan-Dairy Products Co. plant in Antigo; Irvin, proprietor of Maloney's Grocery at 535 Field Street, Antigo. Born in Antigo, May 2, 1894, he
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grew to manhood in his birthplace. His early educa- tion consisted of the parochial school elementary and the high school courses. He entered the employ of the Frank Cherf grocery in 1909 and for ten years was with that concern, during which time he became fami- liar with every phase of the grocery and mercantile field. He resigned to inaugurate the Maloney Gro- cery on May 12, 1919. The success he has made since is proof of his stability and is a testimonial to the con- fidence of the many citizens he has merited. He was a World War Veteran. Mr. Maloney was married on May 11, 1921 to Miss Alice Shaney of Eau Claire, Wis., the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Mathew Shaney. They reside at 53512 Field Street. Fraternally Mr. Maloney is affiliated with the Loyal Order of Moose, The Catholic Order of Foresters, the Independent Or- der of Owls, the Beavers and the St. Joseph's Benevo- lent Society.
The other children are Mae, Gordon, Roy, Durena and Gladys. Gordon served in the World War with the 107th Trench Mortar Battery, Antigo's overseas military contingent.
Thomas J. Maloney passed away on November 2, 1916, and lies at rest in the Antigo Catholic Cemetery. He lived to see the townships, which were once cover- ed with virgin tracts of timber, develop into productive farms, and where nothing but an Indian trail through the forests gave evidence of man, there grew up in the valley of the Eau Claire, the village, later the city of Antigo, dubbed by the pioneers as "Deleglise's Dream." He was survived by his wife and all of the children. Mr. Maloney was a man who had a host of friends and enjoyed the confidence and esteem of every person with whom he came in contact.
DAVID C. DEWEY. Produce and commission mer- chant, was born in Iola, Waupaca County, Wisconsin, on December 4, 1859, the son of John M. and Mary C. (Chandler) Dewey. He received a common school education at Waupaca, attended high school and then entered the Bryant and Stratton Business College of Chicago. He graduated and then entered the produce business at Waupaca as an associate of his father. When twenty-one years of age, in the winter of 1881, he went to Chicago to engage in the commission busi- ness in that city. He was still associated with his fath- er, continuing in business with him until his death. In February, 1910, Mr. Dewey came to Antigo, Wisconsin, from Chicago. He began building up a produce busi- ness in Langlade County and has since operated in the potato buying business on an extensive scale. He has sold hundreds of car lots of potatoes to wholesale distributors in Chicago and other cities.
Mr. Dewey was united in marriage to Flora A. Penney of Waupaca, Wisconsin, on December 27, 1883. To this union four children were born. They are Fred, born December 6, 1884; Edward, deceas- ed; Harold, born July 5, 1889; Robert C., born Sep- tember 22, 1894. Two sons, Robert and Harold, served as Lieutenants in the World War. Both were
overseas. Harold was wounded September 12, 1918, in the St. Mihiel offensive.
Mr. Dewey has a farm consisting of eighty-seven acres located on section 19, township 31, range 15 east.
He is now in Chicago, Ill., where he is marketing agent for the Produce Sales Co., Inc., with headquart- ers at Clark and South Water street. Langlade County potatoes are distributed from these headquart- ers in car lots.
Mr. Dewey was baptised a Baptist, which faith he still adheres to. The Dewey residence is on Second avenue, Antigo, Wis.
FRANK J. WAGNER, a pioneer Antigo resident, who is well known in all sections of the county, was born in Kewaunee County, Wisconsin, on September 12, 1874, the son of Jacob and Josephine (Nimits) Wagner. When a lad of seven years he came to Lang- lade County from his native county, settling in the village of Antigo, which then had a few rough frame buildings. Here Mr. Wagner, as a boy, attended the public schools following which he engaged as an ap- prentice in the tinner's trade and followed that trade for twenty years. He started with the J. C. Lewis Hardware Company, pioneer Antigo business. He has since been engaged sucessively for seven years with the John Hessel Hardware Company, nine years with the Antigo Hardware Company, where in both places he was an expert in gasoline engines and farm machinery. He now conducts a general automobile repair shop at 430 Freiburger avenue, Antigo, Wis.
Mr. Wagner was united in marriage to Mary Friedl on November 25, 1897. To this union nine children were born as follows: Josephine, now Mrs. Joseph Walters of Pelican, Wis .; Verones, Evelyn, Aloysius, Irvin, Arthur, Irene, Dorothy, and Alvin, all of Antigo.
The Wagner family attends St. Mary's Catholic church. Their residence is at 430 Freiburger avenue. Frank J. Wagner is a member of St. Wencel's So- ciety. He was a representative of the Third Ward as Alderman when the city was under the aldermanic system of government.
Jacob Wagner died in 1902 and five years later, 1907, his wife, Josephine Wagner, passed away. Both are at rest in the Antigo Catholic Cemetery.
ALFRED F. SCHULZ. One of the prosperous and progressive business men of his community is Alfred F. Schulz, who is engaged in the manufacture of dairy products in Phlox, Norwood township. Mr. Schulz is a man who has proven his worth to the community in no uncertain terms. He was born in Chicago, Illi- nois, on July 26, 1889, the son of Otto and Marie Schulz. When a boy of seven years of age he moved with his parents to Mauston, Juneau County, Wiscon- sin. He attended the rural schools of Marion town- ship of that county and afterwards engaged in agricul- ture on his father's farm. When twenty years old he started out into the world to seek his own fortune. He secured employment in the College of Agriculture, University of Wisconsin, and for one year was thus
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engaged. He took the dairy short course of that in- stitution the following year and in 1913 received his diploma.
Mr. Schulz then went to Guernsey, Iowa, and work- ed in a creamery four months, leaving then for Albert Lee, Minnesota, to become expert tester for a cow testing association. Six months later he came to Phlox, Norwood township, Langlade County, Wisconsin, to work for the Phlox Creamery Company. He was em- ployed by that concern from May, 1912, until May 1, 1915, when he purchased the entire institution and has since successfully conducted it under the name of the Schulz Creamery, A. F. Schulz, Prop. The business has a large and substantial patronage.
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