History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc., Part 29

Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1052

USA > Wisconsin > History of northern Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, growth, development, and resources; an extensive sketch of its counties, cities, towns and villages, their improvements, industries, manufactories; biographical sketches, portraits of prominent men and early settlers; views of county seats, etc. > Part 29

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AUGUST LANTZ, grocer, 119 Washington street. This house was established in 1863 by Charles Berner and purchased by the present proprietor in 1877. His store-room is 22x100 ; his business is retail and up-country jobbing trade, giving employment to a force of four persons. Mr. Lantz was born in Germany ; came to America in 1872, direct to Green Bay ; was engaged until 1875 as clerk and book-keeper in the First National Bank, then entered into the grocery business at Marquette, from which he returned two years later to engage in that trade in this city. He is a charter member of the K. of P. lodge in this city.

JOHN B. LEFEBERE, furniture manufacturer ; is a native of Bel- gium ; came to America in 1856, and settled in Green Bay, where he was principally engaged in the boot and shoe business until he established his furniture house. He is a member of the K. of H.

L. LEFEBERE, general grocer and dealer in flour, feed and pro- visions, Adams street near Main. The flour and feed business was es- tahlished in 1871, and the grocery and provision trade six years later. The store fronts forty-four feet on Adams street, is 100 feet deep, each business occupying twenty-two feet frontage on the street, and the whole giving employment to a force of three persons and a book-keeper. The honse handles abont fifty sacks of flour a week, and 600 tons of feed in a season. Mr. Lefebere is a native of Belgium. Came to Green Bay in 1856, and since the close of the war, he was engaged in clerking until he engaged in business for himself in 1871. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M. fraternity.

FRANK LENZ, County Treasurer, is a native of Prussia, in which country he received his education prior to his emigration to America in 1852. Seven years after his arrival, he built the Green Bay House, which he kept until 1865, when he bought a saw-mill in the town of Suamico, which he subsequently sold, and returning to Green Bay ; was engaged in mercantile business for several years, seven of them as a member of the grocery house of Lenz & Branns. In 1878, as Deputy Treasurer, he took charge of the office for Joseph Kall, whom he was elected to succeed. Mr. Lenz is a member of the Green Bay Turn Ver- ein, of the German Benevolent and the St. Bonifacias societies, and was City Treasurer during 1874.

LINDLEY & HARDER, saw repairers and furnishers, No. 114 Washington street. This industry was established by the senior partner of the present firm in 1866, and the present partnership was formed with Mr. Harder in 1878. Their business is the repairing of mill saws, and furnishing the same, and extends all over the lumber regions of North- ern Wisconsin and the upper peninsula, theirs being the only house of the kind in all that territory lying north of Oshkosh. The members of the firm are Samuel Lindley and O. L. Harder.

Samuel Lindley is a native of Sheffield, England, learned his trade in Williamsburg, N. Y. Worked in New York City twelve years, and had traveled all over the Eastern and Northern States prior to coming to Green Bay in 1866. Has been Chief Engineer of the Fire Department several years, a position to which he was again elected two years since, and which he now holds. He is also a member of the Encampment of I. O. O. F., and of the K. of H. and T. of H. beneficiary societies.

O. L. Harder is a native of Pennsylvania. Came to Green Bay in 1868. Learned his trade with his present partner, and in 1878 entered into business with him. In connection with Capt. P. F. Thrall, he built, during the season of 1881, the tug boat " P. F. Thrall." She is 66 6-10 feet over keel, 77 feet over all, 16 feet beam, and 9 feet hold, designed for bay and harbor service, and furnished with engines of 250 horse- power. Mr. Harder is a member of the K. of H. and T. of H. benefi- ciary societies.

McCORMICK & CO., shippers and dealers in flour, feed and coarse grains, in which business they have been engaged since January, 1878. Their location is on Washington street between Pine and Cherry streets,

with warehouses on the docks at the foot of Pine, which has a river frontage of 120 feet, and affords navigable water for all lake craft. The boats of the Goodrich Transportation Company, the way steamers "Hawley" and "Welcome," and the up river boat "Brooklyn," receive and discharge all their Green Bay freight at this dock. Their business is a gen- eral freight and commission, and dealing in mill products, of which they handle about 900 tons per annum. Their general freight operations it is impossible fairly to estimate, but its aggregate is large. The members of the firm are M. J. McCormick, H. Dougherty and J. Dougherty.

M. J. McCormick is a native of Brown County. Came to this city in 1870, and was book-keeper for the N. C. Foster Lumber Company before engaging in his present business.

J. McDONNELL, architect. Has been a resident of this city and engaged in his profession since 1866. The principal buildings of the city have been constructed under his supervision ; among them Cook's Hotel, The American House, Chapman's Block, St. James's Church,

Shettle Block, etc. The Presbyterian Church just erected was con- structed from plans furnished by him, and he has just executed designs for the new court-house at Grand Rapids, Wood Co. The Shawano County Court-house is also under construction from plans furnished by him last year. Mr. McDonnell is a native of New York ; came to Chi- cago in 1838; studied for his profession in that city, and completed his course in New York in 1862. Returning to Chicago, he practiced his profession four years in that city, and then came to Green Bay. His rooms are at No. 127 Washington street, where he has a very valuable library of works on architecture, ancient, modern and mediaeval. Some of his works are exceedingly rare, and of one-the " Dictionary of Archi- tecture," published by the Royal Institute of British Artists-but two other copies are found in the United States. His monography of the New Opera House at Paris, costing $250, is a volume of engravings that will better repay a day's study than many galleries of painting.

L. M. MARSHALL, descendant of an old Vermont family, was born in Poultney, in that State, April 13, 1825. His paternal grand- mother was one of the early settlers of the Green Mountain State, and was frequently driven from her home by the incursions of Tories and Indians during the Revolutionary struggles of 1776. The birth-place of young Marshall was that of his father also, who was a thrifty farmer of that vicinity, and gave his son all the educational advantages the place afforded, until he was sent to school at New York City when he was six- teen years of age, where he pursued his studies three years. Returning to Poultney, he learned the molder's trade, and worked at it both in Poultney and in Troy, N. Y., until he came West in 1851 to engage in business for himself. Settling in Green Bay, he embarked in general merchandising, to which he soon added dealing in lu nber and shingles. In November, 1853, he married Lydia F. Whidden, formerly of Maine,

130

HISTORY OF NORTHERN WISCONSIN.

and their family of two sons and two daughters a e still at home with them. That same year Mr. Marshall bought a shingle mill on Duck Creek, which he operated two years, and has been constantly engaged since then in furnishing mill supplies, and handling shingles on com- mission at this point, his operations aggregating as high as 100,000,000 shingles in a season, and gaining for him the sobriquet of the "Wiscon- sin Shingle King." In 1875 he built, in connection with Abram Taylor, the lumber and shingle mill at Chelsea, the annual product of which is 6,000,000 feet of logs converted into lumber and shingles. In 1879 he took hold of the Summit Mill, between Unity and Colby, on the Wisconsin Central Railroad, stocked it up, and has since handled it, cutting about 4,000,000 feet of logs each season. Besides the product of these mills, he is constantly purchasing both sawed and shaved shingles all along the line of the road, his operations last season reaching about 10,000,000 feet of lumber, and 50,000,000 shingles. In the Spring of 1881, in con- nection with Henry Strong, banker of this city, Mr. Marshall established the Green Bay Paint Company, and they have now in operation a mill grinding about twenty barrels of paint a day, the raw product of which is dug on the Bay shore, fifteen miles north of this city. This product mixed with pure white lead, in the proportion of one part lead to three parts product, yields the popular article known as " French Gray Paint." This industry is under the management of Herbert L. Marshall, son of L. M. Marshall, and its product finds ready market in all trade centers East, West, North and South.

XAVIER MARTIN, real estate and collection agency. This busi- ness was established in 1870, and now extends all over Northern Wiscon- sin, Southern Minnesota and the upper peninsula, but the proprietary in- terests are almost exclusively in Northern Wisconsin, within 100 miles of Green Bay. Mr. Martin is a native of Belgium. He received a thorough education in his native tongue (French) ; came to America in 1853, settling in Philadelphia, where he received instruction in the English language and literature for four years, and then came to this city, where he was engaged in teaching until 1862, in which year he was elected Register of Deeds for Brown County, holding that office by successive re-elections until 1870, the year in which he established his present business. In 1875 he was elected member of the City Council, and again in 1876. Was President of the Council during his last term, and Chairman of the Finance Committee during both. He is a member of the A. F. & A. M., I. O. O. F., and K. of H. fraternities.

MEISTER & BRAUNS, contractors and builders, established their partnership in the Spring of 1881. Christopher Meister is a native of Germany, learned the carpenter's trade there, and traveled eight years as a journeyman before coming to Green Bay in 1853. Worked at his trade until 1859, and then began business as a contractor. During the twenty-two years that he has been engaged in that business he has built no inconsiderable part of the present business blocks of this city. Among them, Cook's Hotel, Chapman's Block, the two-story block west side Washington street, the post-office block, engine house No. I, and several of the best private residences. In 1880 did the carpenter work of the Shawano County Court-house, and in 1881, with Mr. Brauns, built the Wood County Court-house at Grand Rapids. Operations last year gave employment to a force of thirty to thirty-five men. Three of his boys are working at the trade with the father. Served fourteen years in the Fire Department, and four years in the City Council.

A. Brauns, of above firm, is a native of Hanover ; completed his course of study as architect and civil engineer at the capital of that province in 1864, and, after two years' practice of his profession there, came to America, settling in Green Bay. In company with Frank Lenz he engaged, soon after his arrival here, in the grocery and provision trade. The business grew until in 1871 it was exclusively a wholesale trade, and the following year, 1872, sales aggregated $330,000. The panic of 1873 seriously crippled their business, but they continued in trade with a good prospect of weathering the storm, until 1877, when, owing to unexpected complications, business was wound up and Mr. Brauns returned to his old business of architect and contractor, in which he is now engaged. Ile was for ten years a member of the Fire Depart- ment of this city and holds his 'diploma as such ; he is also a member of the K. of H., and K. & L. of 11. societies. When the grocery house of Brauns & Lenz passed into the hands of an assignee, the claims were purchased by Mrs. M. M. Brauns from her separate estate, and the man- agement of the business entrusted to her son, E. Van den Braak. They own the store building, a two-story brick 44x100, the lower story of which is devoted to their grocery and provision trade.

J. C. MILLER, photographic and view artist, successor to C. F. Schroeder, 118 Washington street, Green Bay. Mr. Miller is a native of Germany ; came to this country in 1850; lived four years in Milwau- kee, four years in Waukesha, and twelve years in Outagamie Co., Wis. Mr. Miller traveled for seven years through the States of Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Minnesota, making views of im- portant places, etc. Flas had charge of the present business for four years. On May 3, ISSo, he bought out the entire business of C. F. Schroeder, and is now prepared to execute gallery and view photo- graphing in good style.

ALEXANDER OPPEN, business manager of the Green Bay Brewery, is a native of Westphalia. He sailed the high seas as sailor and captain for twenty-five years, and had been a resident of Green Bay nearly two years when he assumed the general management of the brewery business for Mrs. Van Deuke, shortly after the death of her husband.

REV. KARL E. G. OPPEN is a native of Westphalia, received his classical education at the Gymnasium of Hoexter, his native city, and took his theological course at the Seminary of Petershagen. Upon the completion of these studies, he came to America, and after one year spent in the Northwestern Seminary at Watertown. Wis., received and accepted a call to the pastorate of the Lutheran Church at Colum- bus, and was there ordained in 1869. After seven years pastoral service with that people he accepted a call to this city in 1876.

WASHINGTON PARISH is a native of Niagara Co., N. Y. He made his first visit to Green Bay in 1836, and became a permanent resi- dent in 1848. Prior to engaging in his present business, he was in the grocery and provision trade, with some small dealings in furs. In 1871 he erected the building known as Parish's Block, which he now occu- pies. He also built the two-story brick now owned by his son, E. P. Parish. His residence on Astor Heights is very fine. He has been Alderman of his ward several terms and was President of the City Council during 1879 and 1880.

ANDREW REIS, JR., proprietor of Reis's Hotel, Green Bay. Born in Green Bay in 1851, and married Miss Anna Kellner. She was born in Manitowoc County, 1857. They have one child, Julia, aged eighteen months. Mr. Reis's parents came to this country from Bavaria about thirty-three years ago and engaged in the hotel business. Mrs. Reis died in 1877 and is buried in Green Bay Cemetery. Mr. Reis lives with his son Andrew, who owns the hotel and can give good accommo- dations at reasonable prices. Passengers carried to and from the steam- boats and railroads. Two good stables attached to the hotel.

M. RESCH, owner and proprietor New York Saloon, 107 Wash- ington street. In 1871, the building, which is a two-story brick, stucco finish, 22XII0 feet, with back store and closets in rear, was erected at a cost of $13,460. The rooms are occupied with four billiard tables. Mr. Resch is a native of France, came to America in 1849, settling in New York City, and was for ten years engaged as courier with American families traveling in Europe. He arrived in Green Bay in 1863, and has been engaged in his present business ever since ; has served six years in the Common Council of this city, four years on the Board of Supervisors, and was a member of the Assembly in 1876.

HENRY RHODE, M. D., is a native of Germany, graduated from the College of Heiligenstadt in 1847, and from the medical department of the University of Göttingen in 1851. After three years spent in the Prussian army as surgeon, he came to America in 1854, settled in Ohio for practice, and five years later established himself in professional bus- iness in this city. In 1860 he purchased the drug store of Brinns & Burkart which he managed in connection with his medical practice until 1865 when he sold out. Dr. Rhode was for two years County Physician, and is a member of the Brown County Medical Association. Office on Jefferson street, near Main.

COL. CHARLES D. ROBINSON, senior editor of the Green Bay Advocate, was born in Marcellus, N. Y., Oct. 22, 1822. Left an orphan early in life by the death of his father in Brockport, N. Y., he received such an education in boyhood as the schools of his locality af- forded. The man, however, was soon developed in the boy ; thrown en- tirely upon his own resources in the gaining of a livelihood and a place of honor in the world, he engaged as a clerk in several mercantile establishments, but his progressive nature soon turned to other fields of labor, and as the first and important step in his life's work, he learned the printer's trade thoroughly. Remaining in Buffalo until master of his art, he looked around for a chance to establish himself and chose Green Bay as a favorable point. He and his younger brother issued the first number of the Advocate in 1846, and how they have succeeded in what was then but an enterprise is best told in the sketch of that jour- nal published elsewhere. By his long, faithful, and honorable service as an editor, Col. Robinson is best known and most admired throughout the State ; and as a journalist should be, he has been a man of affairs. He was among the first to tender his services to Gov. Randall at the breaking out of the war, and was assigned to Gen. Rufus King's staff, Ist Wis. Brigade. Col. Robinson followed the fortunes of the Army of the Potomac until ill health necessitated his return home in the latter part of 1862. His superiority as a civil engineer was quickly dis- covered and he was much of the time engaged in superintending the building of bridges, being assigned, among other important undertak- ings, to the work of throwing a bridge across the Rappahannock at Fredericksburg. Over this marched the first Northern army which oc- cupied that city. Near the close of the war, after Col. Robinson had partially recovered his health, he was tendered a commission as Colonel of the 15th Wis. I., but as the Rebellion was so nearly crushed he con- sidered that his services at home were of the first importance, and de- clined. Having not yet recovered his old-time energy, in 1868 Col.

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HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY.

Robinson went to Europe with his wife, visiting all the points of inter- est and beauty in Great Britain, France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Bel- gium and Holland. During his travels he wrote a series of letters to the Advocate which were much admired for their richness of material and graphic style. In addition to his onerous duties as editor and publisher, Col. Robinson has during his residence in Green Bay been called to sev- eral public posts of honor. He has served in the Legislature, was Sec- retary of State in 1852-3, Mayor of the city two terms, Clerk of the Court, etc., etc., As a Democratic candidate for Governor of the State, although personally one of the most popular of men, he was unsuccess- ful. Col. Robinson has been a member of the Board of Visitors of the Annapolis Naval Academy and of the Wisconsin State University. He has also been prominent in all reforms and charities, chiefly as one of the Board of Management of the Wisconsin State Hospital for the In- sane. Mr. Robinson's first wife was Miss Sarah A. Wilcox, whom he married in 1847. She died in 1852. In 1854 he married Miss Abbie C. Ballou, of Rhode Island.

SCHELLENBECK & BECK, druggists, No. 117 Washington street. This house was established in 1865 by C. V. L. Mounier, and after sev- eral business changes passed into the hands of Otto Schellenbeck in 1878, who the following year admitted H. M. Beck to a partnership in the house. While carrying the usual line of fancy and toilet goods found in drug honses. they give special attention to the compounding of prescriptions, in which they have an established reputation.

Otto Schellenbeck is a native of this State, came to Green Bay in his infancy, received his education in the schools of this city, and spent six years-four of them as prescription clerk - in the house of which he is now the head.

H. M. Beck is a native of Bavaria, received his classical training at Wurtzburg and Munich, came to America in 1876 and entered the house of which he is now a partner, as clerk. lle is pursuing a course of professional study at the Kush Medical College, Chicago, and pro- poses to finish his course at Bellevue, N. Y. the coming season.

JACOB SCHELLENBECK, dealer in leather and findings, Main street above Adams. Business established in 1857, and has been con- tinuously in operation since then. The proprietor is a native of Prussia ; came to America in 1850, and was several years engaged in tanning, prior to 1866, at which time he was burned out and discontinued manu- facturing, devoting himself exclusively to trade. He has been quite prominent in municipal affairs, having been at various times a member of the Common Council, the Board of Health and the School Board of this city.

LOUIS SCHELLER, taxidermist, corner Monroe and School streets, was born in Germany, came to Green Bay in 1849, returned to Europe in 1852, remaining one year, during which time he learned the taxidermist's art. Returning to America in 1853, he spent three years traveling in the Mississippi Valley, and then settled permanently in this city. His first cases of birds (native) were put up in 1853. From 1856 to 1872, he preserved and mounted about fifty cases, all native to this region, and these are now scattered from Denver to New York, some cases having also been sent to England. His present collection numbers twenty-eight cases, among them some rare European specimens obtained by exchange from artists in that country. He has put up over 200 varieties of native and about fifty specimens of European birds, and is of opinion that there are numerous varieties in the immediate vicinity of Green Bay which he has not yet procured. As his native specimens are all from this city and vicinity, it shows Green Bay region to be quite prolific in ornitho- logical variety. Mr. Scheller was three and one-half years a member of the City Council here, and is now serving his third term as City Repre- sentative in the County Board of Supervisors. For eight years he was president of the Green Bay Turn Verein, is also a member of the A. F. & A. M. and I. O. O. F. fraternities.

L. G. SCHILLER, grocer and packer and shipper of fresh and salt fish. The grocery house is at No. 46 Pine street. The business has been established nearly six years, and now requires the services of four men and a delivery wagon. The fish-house, 42x50 feet, is at the foot of Jefferson street, East River, and the business of the house consists of packing and shipping fresh fish, principally for the Chicago and Kansas City markets, and in curing and packing salt fish for the general trade. This business was established in 1879, and now gives employment to a force of thirteen fishermen and four packers, product ranging from 2,500 to 3,000 pounds daily. Mr. Schiller is a native of Germany, came to Green Bay direct from Europe in 1872, and was in the wholesale grocery house of Crandall & North of this city until engaged in business for him- self.

F. W. SCHNEIDER, photographic copying and viewing artist, cor- ner Pine and Washington streets, Green Bay - established 1858. Mr. Schneider is a native of Siegen, Germany, came to this country 1868, married Miss Ellemina Matilda Nuss, June 1, 1876. She was born in Pennsylvania. Have one child, Alvin. Mr. Schneider has been in business for the last seven years ; has had control of galleries in this city six years, and has owned the present gallery since 1877. He is now well prepared to furnish pictures of views on short notice. Mr. Schneider makes first class pictures in all styles.

JOHN M. SHOEMAKER, of the dry-goods house of Shoemaker & VanDyck, is a native of Holland, came to Wisconsin in 1847, and to Green Bay in 1866.

"KONRAD SILBERSDORF, proprietor Bay City House, corner Washington and Walnut streets, Green Bay. The best of accommoda- tions for the traveling public ; terms seasonable. Passengers will be carried to and from the steam-boats and railroads.

M. P. SKEELS, of the firm of Skeels & Best, wholesale dry goods, etc., is a native of Vermont, and prior to coming to this city in 1872, was Deputy United States Collector of Customs at Burlington, in his native State.

SMITH BROTHERS, gardeners and dealers in fruits and vegeta- bles. Their gardens cover an area of thirty-one acres, and are situated on the old Manitowoc road, three miles from the business center of the city, with which they are connected by a private telephone line. Opera-

Charly D. Robinson,

tions were commenced in 1873, when twenty acres of ground were pur- chased, to which eleven acres of leased Iand were added two years later. The gardens are supplied with an irrigating apparatus run by steam. Two thousand five hundred feet of iron pipe, with hydrants every 200 feet and well supplied with hose have already been laid, and as their water supply is inexhaustible, every foot of their ground can be abso- lutely insured against drought. The soil is a light loam, containing a small deposit of fine white sand. It is warm and quick and admirably adapted for early market gardening. Last year's crop was : onions, six acres ; cabbage, 75,000 to 100,000 head ; early potatoes, six acres ; peas, beans, asparagus, lettuce, etc .. etc., almost ad libitum. Shipments are regularly made from May to November all through Northern Wiscon- sin and the upper peninsula and the surplus marketed wherever the best returns are received, some lots going as far east as New York and Phila- delphia.

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Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1052

Author: Western historical co., Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1052