USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Memoirs of Milwaukee County : from the earliest historical times down to the present, including a genealogical and biographical record of representative families in Milwaukee County, Volume II > Part 103
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until he had attained his eighteenth year. Having, from his boy- hood, cherished fond dreams of a career in the land of Washington and Franklin, he now expressed a desire to emigrate to America, where his brother, Louis, had gone in 1833 and established himself in Baltimore, Md., as a piano manufacturer. Gaining the consent of his parents, he, in 1844, sailed from Bremer-Haven and landed in Baltimore, after a voyage of fifty days. Here he earned his first dollar, his mercantile apprenticeship in Giessen having netted him nothing beyond his bed and board. Though he had brought with him letters of recommendation from prominent firms in the old country, and though he also had some knowledge of the English and French languages, he failed to find employment in lines familiar to him. He now learned piano making in the factory of his brother, in which occupation he was very successful until a wider field of action found favor with him. Having acquired greater pro- ficiency in the English language and a corresponding degree of mercantile experience, he was persuaded to serve his brother as a traveling agent. The trade of the house being mainly in the South, where there were few, if any, piano stores, he personally supervised the placing of instruments in the homes of well-to-do residents, with many of whom he was soon in friendly inter- course. At a later period he began manufacturing pianos in com- pany with his brother, Daniel, an expert in that trade, who had come from Germany with his brother Ernst, and his sister Emma. Their business was transferred to Norfolk, Va., in 1856, where his brother-in-law, William Rohlfing, also a practical piano maker, became a partner. As the business was prospering to an extent that warranted him a vacation, he, in March, 1859, came to Mil- waukee as the guest of his brother, Henry. Here he soon became acquainted with the leading men of the city, among them Carl Schurz, who had just moved in from Watertown, and with whom he was ever afterward on a friendly footing, though differing with him politically. On his return to Norfolk he found the people in a turmoil over secession. All business was at a standstill or completely broken up. His brother and his brother-in-law, being married men, immediately came North, leaving him to settle the business of the firm. He made Winton, in Hertford county, N. C., his headquarters, hoping to wind up the firm's affairs before the real trouble began, though in vain, as war was at once declared and almost every man in the South was forced into the army. Thus he, like all the others, had to suffer the consequences of that unnatural and horrible civil conflict. Impoverished but not dis- couraged, he came to Milwaukee in 1866, and engaged himself as clerk to his brother, Henry. Four years later he married Dora Koch, daughter of John and Sophie (Strahlendorf.) Koch, and sister of John C. Koch, who afterward became mayor of the city. His wife carried on an extensive millinery business, supervising the store and the artistic work, whilst he devoted himself to the routine of bookkeeper, buyer, etc. This happy relation continued until the death of Mrs. Stirn, which occurred March 16, 1897, an
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affliction that weighed upon him so heavily that he disposed of the business and retired to private life. It was fortunate for Milwaukee that Mr. Stirn became identified with her interests, both as a busi- ness man and an official. He affiliated with clubs and other civic organizations soon after he became a resident of the city, through which he became known as a man of affairs. As a consequence of his growing reputation in this respect, he was called upon to stand for the aldermanship of the Second ward, then one of the more populous divisions of the city, and was elected, notwithstanding he had told the committee which informed him of his nomination that he would not spend a cent to attain the place. It was in this capacity that the writer of this sketch became acquainted with his public services. His foresight and initiative were remarkably evident through his aldermanship of seven years, when he declined a re-election to the position. He subsequently served in the school- board in the same public-spirited manner. As alderman the more conspicuous of the measures introduced by him were for the installation of a telegraph cable across Lake Michigan, between Milwaukee and Grand Haven, for the establishment of a nautical school under government supervision, for the erection of an ex- position building, for the formation of a public museum, and for the purification of the Milwaukee river, in all of which he was successful, except the cable project, which failed through the op- position of the land lines by way of Chicago. The nautical school, which he had hoped would be located at Milwaukee, was in later years founded at, or near, Evanston, Ill. His interest in providing parks and public squares led him to advocate the purchase of Quentin's park, now Schlitz park, when it could have been ac- quired for $24,000. Another of his projects was a park of seven and a half squares, between Wells and State and Fourth and Eighth streets. The owner of four of these squares had offered to sell them to the city for $80,000. When, in 1893, a bill was before the legislature to dispose of the so-called State Park in Oneida county, he sent a petition to that body protesting against the proposed transfer to private parties, and thus achieved defeat of the bill. While the project of a new city hall for Milwaukee was before the common council, he urged the purchase of the square north of its present triangular site, which could then have been secured at a cost of from $80,000 to $90,000. While not a profes- sional reformer, he sought to abolish such questionable practices as the acceptance of gifts by aldermen from corporations and contractors, and the street railway company's custom of furnishing aldermen with free passes. In lieu of the street railway privileges the city was to provide each alderman with one hundred tickets annually. Among other resolutions introduced by him was one forbidding heads of the city departments and salaried officers to engage in business other than their official duties. He also secured the adoption of a resolution instructing the mayor to institute weekly conferences with the heads of the several municipal bureaus. Mr. Stirn's record as a school commissioner is also very
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creditable to him. His advocacy of safely constructed modern schoolhouses, with ample playgrounds, of manual training, of kin- dergarten instruction, of libraries in the public schools, and of closets and baths, was earnest and insistent. Obstruction and de- lay but nerved him to greater endeavor. His public services were not entirely confined to local affairs. He framed a memorial to congress for the repeal of the compulsory legal-tender power and also appealed to the state legislature for biennial sessions of that body, for a general license law for cities, for uniform statutes for penal and charitable institutions, and for a general law for cities of over five thousand inhabitants. Mr. Stirn is still quite active despite his advanced years and their attendant infirmities. One of his many admirable traits of character is his intense loyalty to his adopted country. This we find fairly emphasized in the fol- lowing sentences from one of his speeches: "Although born in a foreign country, I am a true American. Germany I honor and respect as my mother, but America is my wife, for whom I would sacrifice all, life and honor-all but my God."
Adolph Paul Schulte, one of the most prominent residents of St. Francis, was born at Milwaukee on Oct. 22, 1846, a son of Victor and Veronica (Leity) Schulte. Both parents were born in Germany, the father in Westphalia and the mother in Baden. The father attended school in his native land until he was nine- teen years of age and then emigrated to America with some rela- tives. He located first in Pennsylvania and there mastered the trade of carpenter, at which he worked until he came to Milwaukee. Here he established himself as a contractor and supervising archi- tect, with offices on East Water street. He built the first swinging bridge across the Milwaukee river, and St. John's cathedral and many of the older Catholic churches of the city stand to-day as monuments to his skill as supervising architect. In 1857 he pur- chased a tract of land, some 100 acres in extent, in the town of Lake, and three years later removed to it with his family. There he was actively engaged in general agricultural pursuits until the time of his death, which occurred in June, 1890. His wife passed away some twelve years prior to his death. Of the family of seven children born to the parents, four of whom were sons and three daughters, five survive. The father, during the latter years of his life, was an actve member of the Old Settlers' Club. Adolph Paul Schulte, the subject of this memoir, received his scholastic training in the Seventh district public and St. Mary's parochial schools, and for a time also attended a private school maintained by the congregation of St. Gall's church. At the age of fourteen he removed with his family to the farm, and his schooling was stopped. He remained with the family until some years after he at- tained his majority, and then became apprenticed to the trade of mason. When he had mastered the vocation he was variously engaged in the trade for a period of ten years, and then opened the general mercantile store which he now conducts so success- fully. He has always been a stanch adherent of the principles of
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the Democratic party, and for a number of years served the village as postmaster, by appointment of the president. He has also been the incumbent, at different periods, of the offices of supervisor, treasurer, and assessor of the town of Lake. Mr. Schulte is a devout Catholic in his religious belief. On Feb. 20, 1871, occurred Mr. Schulte's marriage to Miss Harriet Emerson, a daughter of George and Harriet (Martin) Emerson, of the town of Lake. The children born to this union and the dates of their birth follow : Mary, May 10, 1873 ; Harriet, Oct. 20, 1875 : Veronica, July 18, 1877 : Annette, May 29, 1879; Leora, Oct. 17. 1881; Josephine, Oct. 13. 1883; Georgiana, Sept. 17, 1885; Matilda, Dec. 11, 1887; and Frances, Nov. 12, 1890. Five of the daughters are living at home and the others are married. Mr. Schulte is the grandfather of six children.
Michael Crowley, one of the trusted engineers of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, was born in Queenstown, Ireland, Jan. 6, 1867. His parents, James and Mary (Denneen ) Crowley, were both natives of Ireland and lived and died on the beloved isle, which also was the early home of our subject. What education he received during his youth was gained in Ireland, but later learning, secured in the school of life, has given him a fund of knowledge of inestimable value in his important daily avocation. At the age of fifteen years he came to America to seek his fortune. His first home was in Milwaukee. Here, wishing to supplement his meager education received in his boyhood home, he resolved to attend night school, a determination which he has never regretted. His studies there, carried on with assiduous spirit, added to his chances for success in the industrial world. Railroad life has claimed most of his energies since coming to manhood, and for a number of years he has been an engineer, to the eminent satis- faction of those above him. With his family, he is a member of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Crowley was married on April 26, 1900, to Miss Agnes Brady, daughter of James and Marguerite Brady. They have one son, James, born March 29. 1905. The family home is at 2924 Mt. Vernon avenue, Milwaukee.
Ellis F. Ellis, a well-known and trusted engineer of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, is a native of the Cream City, born there on Feb. 28, 1859, the descendant of a long line of sturdy Welshmen, as his parents, Ellis W. Ellis and Kathrine (Williams) Ellis, were both born and reared in Wales. The mother came to America when she was only twenty-one years of age and resided in New York city some time. The father landed in New York the same year as the mother, but came di- rectly to Wisconsin, where he located in Waukesha county. In Wales Mr. Ellis had been a miller, but as there were few mills in Wisconsin at that early day, he worked at many different oc- cupations for two years in Waukesha county before he came to Mil- waukee to become a fireman on the Prairie du Chien railroad. which is now a part of the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul system. Mr. Ellis was well educated and capable, and within a
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year was placed in charge of an engine, having the honor to be the first man who learned to run an engine in Wisconsin. Mr. Ellis was given charge of his first engine in 1852, and he ran No. I, of that road for twenty years. At the close of this long period of service he resigned his position and moved to Columbia county, Wis., where he lived until his death, in 1892. Mr. Ellis was mar- ried twice ; William and Margaret were born by his first wife, and Ellis F. and Elizabeth Jane, now Mrs. Jones, were his two children by his second. Ellis F., the subject of this sketch, was reared in his native city, and received his education in the public schools of Milwaukee. After finishing school he entered the employ of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad and has served that company for twenty-seven years, during eighteen of which he has held the responsible position of engineer. He is one of the oldest and most trusted of the engineers the road employs, and stands high in the esteem of the company and his fellow employes. He has a kind heart and is ever ready to help the needy or cheer the downhearted. Mr. Ellis is a supporter of the Republican party. In 1884 he was united in marriage with Margaret Rowlands, of Fox Lake, Wis. Mr. Ellis is not a member of any secret societies, but belongs to the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers. Mr. Ellis and his family are members of the First Welsh Presbyterian church of Milwaukee.
William J. Grant, of Milwaukee, president of the Grant Marble Company, was born in Rochester, N. Y., in 1850, a son of James and Calista (Pierce) Grant. His scholastic training was exceedingly limited, as both parents died before he was nine years of age and left him to fight his own way in the world. He is of Scottish descent, and his heritage of perseverence and industry has stood him in good stead in the battle of life. For several years he en- gaged in any labor that was honest and would bring him a liveli- hood. In 1872 he came to Milwaukee and secured a clerical po- sition in the freight department of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. He remained with the railroad for a period of four years, and in 1876 he entered the employ of Davidson & Son, architectural marble workers. This connection continued for a period of eleven years, and at the end of that time Mr. Grant, in connection with Le. and William Le. Breese, of Portage, Wis., pur- chased the business and from 1887 to 1893 the company was known as Grant & Breese, and was located at Fourth and Fowler streets, where the Kalamazoo Knitting Company is now operating. In 1893 he purchased the interests of his partners in the business and incorporated it as the Grant Marble Company, under which name it has since been doing a very large business. In 1897 it again became necessary to greatly enlarge the plant and it was moved to the Menomonee valley, at Twenty-seventh and Canal streets, where it is now located. Reared in the school of hardship and privation, Mr. Grant brought to bear all those traits of en- terprise and frugality which necessity had taught him, and which have made him successful in everything he has undertaken to do,
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and his every advancement has been the direct result of his own effort. In 1880 Mr. Grant was united in marriage to Miss Bebb, a daughter of David O. Bebb, of Cincinnati, Ohio. To this union were born two children : Robert L., deceased, and Alice M.
Carl A. Swigart, the popular cashier of the Bucyrus Company, of South Milwaukee, was born at Bowling Green, Ohio, June 24. 1879, being the son of Joseph R. and Augusta M. (Sweeny ) Swigart. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, born there in 1840, and the mother was born a year later at Bucyrus, Ohio. The elder Swigart came west and settled in Ohio, where he mar- ried. He was a lawyer, and some years after his marriage moved to Toledo, Ohio, and engaged in the practice of his profession. He became one of the prominent lawyers of that city and continued to reside there until he died in 1891, the same year that his help- mate also passed away. Carl received his elementary education in the public schools of Toledo and finished in the high school. He determined upon a commercial career, seeing a greater future in that line than any other. Within a short time he became associated with the Bucyrus Company of South Milwaukee, in the capacity of assistant time-keeper. From 1899 to 1905 he occupied this po- sition, and his services proved so efficient that the company ad- vanced him to general cashier, which position he has retained to the present time. Mr. Swigart is one of the progressive and rising young business men of Milwaukee, and since his residence there has made many friends. On June 5, 1902, Mr. Swigart married Jessie, the daughter of George and Jessie (Ashley) Ambridge, well- known residents of Milwaukee. Mrs. Ambridge was the daughter of Rev. Wiliam Bliss Ashley, and Mr. Ambridge was connected with the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company. Mr. and Mrs. Swigart have one child, Mary Ashley.
Stephen A. Granger is one of the younger generation of active business men in Milwaukee, engaged in the realty business. He was born in Milwaukee on March 9, 1870, a son of Stephen W. and Eliza (Bennett) Granger, the former born in New York state in 1839 and the latter in the same state in 1841. The father was for thirty-five years one of the prominent attorneys of the city. The mother came to Milwaukee when she was but two years of age, and her parents purchased land in what is now one of the most valuable parts of the city for a dollar and a quarter an acre. Stephen A. Granger, the subject of this review, attended the public schools of Milwaukee, and when he had completed the prescribed course in the high school, he matriculated at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. In 1891 he was graduated at the law department of that institution with the degree of Bachelor of Laws and returned to Milwaukee. His present business has occupied him since 1901. and ever since its inception he has been most successfully managing the business. As a whist player Mr. Granger is well-known all over the Northwest, and he is the present incumbent of the office of sec- retary of the Milwaukee Whist Club. Politically he is an adherent of the tenets of the Republican party, but has never sought public
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office. His religious associations are with the Baptist church. Mr. Granger's later life has been saddened by the death of his wife, which occurred several years ago, leaving him a son, Howard E. Granger, now in his ninth year.
Edgar E. Farrington was born in Fond du Lac, Wis., Sept. 15, 1858, the son of James B. and Clara D. Farrington, the former of whom was born at Rochester, N. H., and the latter at Bridgeton, Me. The parents came west in 1854, locating for about one year in Chicago, whence they moved to Fond du Lac and from that place in 1859, they moved to Milwaukee and lived there the remainder of their lives. The father was a physician and served as a surgeon in the Civil war for three years, but died after its close. The mother is still living, she having taught for thirty-two consecutive years in the public schools of Milwaukee. They were the parents of two children. Edgar E. was educated in the public schools of Milwau- kee and later took a course in the Spencerian Business College. After leaving school he spent three years learning the trade of a machinist. In 1892 he entered the employ of the O. L. Packard Machinery Company, as a buyer, and has remained with the com- pany in the same capacity ever since. On March 9, 1897, Mr. Far- rington was married to Miss Eleanor M. Krause, daughter of Charles and Christian A. Krause, old settlers in Milwaukee who came from Germany years ago. They have one child, Ethel E. In politics Mr. Farrington votes the Republican ticket, and in relig- ion he and his wife attend the Methodist Episcopal church.
Ralph M. Friend, investment broker and member of the Charles Schley Company, was born in Milwaukee, Wis., Aug. 12, 1864, the son of Henry and Frances (Samuels) Friend, the former of whom was born in Bavaria, Germany, and the latter in England. The father came to America in 1840, and after spending a few years in the East, located in Milwaukee. The mother came to America about 1852 and located in New York, later coming to Wisconsin as the wife of Henry Friend. He established a wholesale clothing house in Milwaukee under the name of Henry Friend & Brothers, which was afterward incorporated under the firm name of Friend Brothers Clothing Company. He continued in this business until his death, May 7, 1875, when he with his wife was drowned off the Island Scilly on the steamer Schiller. His brothers have continued in the business and the firm is still in existence. Henry Friend was a very successful business man and was regarded as one of the most prominent in Milwaukee in his time. He was president of the Temple Emanuel, a reformed Jewish church. They were the parents of eleven children, six of whom are living. Ralph M. Friend received his education at the Seventh ward school and at Markham's Academy. He left school thirty days before his gradu- ation, in 1880, and went to Colorado. Later he went to Cheyenne, Wyo .. and from there to Laramie county, where he engaged in cattle raising. In 1883 he sold his ranch in Laramie county to the Milwaukee & Wyoming Investment Company, headed by Alexan- der Mitchell, David Ferguson, John Johnson and Peter McGeogh.
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After disposing of his ranch he located at the head of Green river in Wyoming and remained there until 1903. He then returned to Milwaukee and engaged in the brokerage business as a partner in the Charles Schley Company, one of the oldest brokerage houses in the Northwest. On April 30, 1903, Mr. Friend was married to Mrs. Julia C. Kipp, formerly Miss Weide, daughter of Henry and Josephine (Nunnemacher) Weide, of Milwaukee. Her father is now deceased, but the mother is still living. They have no children. In politics Mr. Friend is an adherent of the Democratic party and was a member of the Democratic State Central Committee in Wyoming. He stands very high in Masonry, having been a charter member of the Wyoming Consistory: a charter member of the Korean Temple. Nobles of the Mystic Shrine; and is a Thirty- second degree Mason. He is also a member of the Deutscher Club and of the Woodlawn Country Club.
Charles Edgar Albright, M. D., prominent in Milwaukee for many years as a physician and later as a solicitor for the North- western Mutual Life Insurance Company, was born in Dancyville, Tenn., on Jan. 1, 1867. He is a son of George N. and Barbara (Thompson) Albright, both natives of North Carolina who spent most of their lives in Tennessee. The mother died in 1877, leaving a family of six children, five of whom are still living. The father, at the outbreak of hostilities in the Civil war, enlisted in the Seventh North Carolina infantry of the Confederate army. 11e served in all the battles of the war in which his regiment was en- gaged, including the first battle of Bull Run and the Wilderness fight. At the battle of Bull Run he came within a few yards of the guns of the Third Wisconsin. Toward the close of the war he was captured and remained for several months a prisoner in the Federal prison at Johnson's Island, in Lake Erie, off the coast of Ohio. Before he was captured he had been made a second lieu- tenant, and as such was mustered out of the Confederate service. After completing his preliminary scholastic training in the common schools in the vicinity of his home, Dr. Albright entered Rush Medical college to obtain his professional education, and graduated there in 1889. After two years of practice as an interne in the Presbyterian hospital, he became connected with the medical de- partment of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company and removed to Milwaukee. He remained with the company in this capacity until 1903, and then resigned to spend a year in study and travel in Europe. Upon his return from abroad he again entered the employ of the Northwestern Mutual, this time as a solicitor, and as such has been since actively engaged in and about Milwaukee. Fraternally the Doctor is a Thirty-second degree Mason and a noble of the Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the Milwaukee Club. the Milwaukee Country Club, the Deutscher Club. Town Club, the University Club of Milwaukee, the Midway and University clubs of Chicago, and the Union Club of Cleveland. He was formerly a Democrat in his political faith, but since Cleveland's last term he has been allied with the Republican party. He and his family are
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