USA > Wisconsin > Wisconsin, its story and biography, 1848-1913, Volume V > Part 10
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his father's death, which compelled him to withdraw in his junior year in order to assume control and direction of the large ancestral estate. He has inherited much of the business acumen of his father and grandfather, is handling the multifarious affairs of the great estate with marked ability and discrimination, and is one of the representa- tive and popular men of his native city. He is married, and the center of a happy family group, a devoted wife and two interesting children, a boy and a girl.
Mr. Plankinton's most marked characteristic was kindness of heart. Milwaukee, nor any other city for that matter, never had a man of deeper humane instinet than William Plankinton. In case of sickness of any employe, whether an obscure waiter in his hotel, a domestic in his household, or any other employe he was always first at the bed- side with his own physician, and gave personal attention to the case. A single case will illustrate.
An engineer took siek and had to give up work. Mr. Plankinton continued his full salary for over a year, and when all hope of recovery was given up, he sent him and his wife to Waukesha, where he pro- vided them a small store and paid his full wages until he died. This was only one of the many silent benefactions of William Plankinton. It is safe to say, that no case of distress ever appealed to him in vain.
His death occurred somewhat suddenly and unexpectedly on April 29, 1905, and was a deep shock to all Milwaukee. He was regretted by all, and mourned most sincerely by those who knew him best.
ANTON J. NOWOTNY. Another of the pioneer citizens of Antigo and of the county is Anton J. Nowotny, now serving his eighth consecutive term in the office of elerk of the circuit court of Langlade county. Mr. Nowotny was alected to his office on the Democratie ticket. and his service has been one of a particularly worthy nature, amply justi- fying his continued return to the office. He has been resident here since the winter of 1878-79, having come here at that time with his widowed mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Nowotny, and some two years later with her homesteading a forty acre traet in the town of Ackerly in this county. After six months' continued residence there to make good their elaim, they came to Antigo, settling here at a time when the extent of the buildings was represented by two log cabins. Mr. Nowotny and his mother had the first lumber sawed in the mill at Antigo, and with it they laid their floor scoop "shack." They came here, it should be said, from Manitowoc, Wisconsin. Mr. Nowotny was born in Milwaukee county, Wisconsin, on a small farm, on the 15th of November, 1865, and is a son of Anton and Elizabeth Nowotny.
Anton Nowotny died in Manitowoc county in 1873, to which county they had moved when the subject was a small child. and after the death of the father the mother, with the subject and an older son. came Vol. V-6
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to Antigo. The embryo town was then a dense wood, and gave little promise of reaching its present fair state of urban life. Anton J. No- wotny was then some thirteen years old and he roughed it through the years of his youth and early manhood. He performed all manner of manual labor as a boy, serving as the janitor of the first school that was built here, and he built fires and cut wood in the log school for the sum of six dollars a month. He went to school a part of the time, it should be said, and later he attended night school, still later attending St. Francis Academy at Milwaukee. He was variously employed in the saw mill in Antigo, and at one time was active in contracting for the delivery of logs on the river. He also learned the trade of a cigar maker, and for a time ran a cigar factory, but during hard times was compelled to close out the business. He then took a homestead in the town of Elcha, on which he lived for about four years, and it was then that he was elected clerk of the circuit court for Langlade county, in which office he serves today.
In 1892 Mr. Nowotny was married to Theresa Boll, of Antigo, Wis- consin, and to them were born eight children, named as follows: Irwin; Clarence; Mary; Esther; Lester; Lloyd; Glen and Dorothy. Esther and Lester, it should be noted, are twins.
Mr. Nowotny is a member of the Roman Catholic church, as are the members of his family, and he is fraternally affiliated with the Knights of Columbus and the Catholic Order of Foresters, in the latter order holding the rank of past chief ranger. Mr. Nowotny is one of the solid and substantial property owners of the town, his holdings being mostly in the nature of farm lands throughout the county.
JUDGE JOHN W. PARSONS. As county judge of Langlade county, Judge Parsons has supervision over the affairs of a county in which he and his family were among the earliest pioneer settlers more than thirty years ago, and the courthouse, in which he has his office at Antigo, stands on ground which when he first knew it, was indistinguishable by any improvement of buildings from the rest of the wilderness which covered this section of the state. Judge Parsons as a pioneer has been closely identified with the material developments of Lan- glade county, and was first elected to the office of county judge in 1901. He is now serving his fourth consecutive term, having been elected in the spring of 1913 for the extended term of six years.
Judge Parsons came to this county with his parents in 1879, be- fore Langlade county was formed and when its territory was yet a part of Oconto county. His birth occurred on a farm in Niagara county, New York, on February 11, 1861, and he is the son of Charles and Johanna (Spearbreaker) Parsons. In. 1864, when John W. was a child three years old, the family moved west, spending one year in Michigan, then living in Winnebago county, Wisconsin, until 1868,
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and then locating on a farm near Clintonville, in Waupaca county, which continued to be the home of the family until 1879. John W. Parsons was then about nineteen years old, and he went with his parents to that portion of Oconto county which has since been made Langlade county, and they all settled on a homestead of one lun- . dred and sixty acres, in what is now the town of Polar, six miles northeast of the present county seat of Antigo. The only structure that marked the site of the present city of Antigo at that time was a small log shack. On their homestead in the town of Polar, the Par- sons put up a log cabin, and the father and sons set themselves to the tremendous task of clearing out the timber and brush, and ex- posing a tract of land to the sun in preparation for further culti- vation. This old homestead has been in the Parsons family since title was obtained to it from the government, and is now occupied by Herman Parsons, a son of Judge Parsons and a grandson of Charles and Johanna Parsons, who entered the homestead from the government. The Parsons household was one of seven families that constituted the pioneer colony in the town of Polar in what is now Langlade county. Charles Parsons, the father of Judge Parsons, died on January 11, 1907, at the age of seventy-two years, and his wife passed away twelve days before, on December 31, 1906, at the age of sixty-six. One of Judge Parsons' most prized possessions is a picture of the old log house, their first home in Langlade county, showing his father and mother sitting on the steps before that prim- itive home.
Judge Parsons grew up on farms in Winnebago and Waupaca counties, and had such educational advantages as could be obtained from the country schools in those localities in that time. He is himself in every respect a pioneer of northern Wisconsin, and as he was nearly a grown man when he arrived in Langlade county, he took a man's part in the work and responsibilities incident to pioneer existence. He has made a successful record as a farmer, and his ability in that direction and his well known integrity and standing as a citizen were the facts that commended him to the population of Langlade county for his present office.
Judge Parsons was married in Waupaca county, Wisconsin, when but eighteen years of age, his marriage occurring on August 27, 1878, when Miss Amelia Schumann, a daughter of William Schu- mann, became his wife. The Schumann family was also one among the pioneer colony of the town of Polar, in Langlade county. hav- ing arrived in 1880, and the parents of Mrs. Parsons having spent the remainder of their lives there. Judge Parsons and his wife have four children : Herman, who lives on the old homestead. married Miss Lizzie Dieck, and they have children, Arthur. Roy and Freda; Ella is the wife of John Tackline, of Antigo, and their chil-
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dren are Elsie, Harvey and Edna; Clara married John Utnehmer, of Antigo, and is the mother of four children, Walter, Hattie, Oscar and Reuben; George married Anna Krause, and is without issue.
Judge Parsons is affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Modern Woodmen of America, as well as the Order of Beavers, and he and his family worship in the Evangelical Lutheran church.
FRANK J. FINUCANE. One of the leaders in the legal fraternity of Langlade county and one who has for years enjoyed the favor and patronage of a generous clientele, is Frank J. Finucane, attorney-at- law, and a citizen of the highest order. He has given a public service that is well worthy of the name, in his legal capacity, while his work in departments of civic welfare stands out in bold relief, in a notable contradistinction to the non-activities of other men not less favorably endowed in the way of talent. Mr. Finucane has practiced law in Antigo since 1889. He came to this city in its early days, in 1885, it may be stated for the sake of exactness, and he read law in the offices of Thomas Lynch here. Later he entered the University of Wisconsin and in 1889 was graduated from the law department, after which he established himself here in practice and has since continued, enjoying an unqualified success and winning a place for himself that is in every way worthy of his efforts.
Born in Calumet county, Wisconsin, on a farm, on the 9th day of October, 1859, Frank J. Finucane is a son of Andrew and Maria (Cunningham) Finucane, early pioneers of Calumet county, to which community they migrated in 1853, coming hence from Buffalo. Both were natives of Ireland, born and reared there, and there they were married. Andrew Finucane was a merchant in his native land, and when he settled in Buffalo he engaged in the business, but his unfa- miliarity with American methods was such as to result in his failure in business. He lost everything in the financial wreck, and not being sufficiently acquainted in business circles, he was unable to make another start. He thereupon came to Calumet county with his little family and took up a homestead there, continuing a resident of the place until he died in 1884. His widow survived him until 1899.
Mr. Finucane was thus reared on the home farm, and he was able to attend the high school at Chilton, Wisconsin, after which he began teaching school in his effort to earn money to prosecute his further studies. For five years he continued as a teacher, then came to An- tigo and acted as assistant principal of the high school for some time. His college career followed, and when he had finished his studies and gained admission to the bar, he saw no better field for his ener- gies and talents than Antigo and Langlade county. Mr. Finucane's career has been one of the quiet and unspectacular kind, but he has
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nevertheless accomplished a deal in his profession in the years of his activity here. He was Municipal Judge of Langlade county for four years, and is distinguished further as being the first to serve under the Municipal Judge Act, his service coming in the years from 1891 to 1895.
Mr. Finucane was a member of the school board for many years, and brought a high sense of duty to his work in that capacity. As president of the Antigo Public Library Board since it was organized, he has accomplished much in the best interests of the Library, and it is conceded that the Antigo library is one of the biggest and finest in northern Wisconsin. The library, indeed, is one of his favorite hob- bies, and the city has been fortunate in having enlisted his most capable services in a work that means so much to the development and growth of its educational spirit.
Mr. Finucane, it should be mentioned in speaking of his public service, has acted as city attorney for two different terms, and in that office he acquitted himself in a manner that was highly credit- able and indicative of his general character and integrity. He is a member of the directorate of the Langlade National Bank, and attor- ney for the institution as well.
In 1893 Mr. Finucane was married in Antigo to Miss Mary Clarke, the daughter of Eleanor Clarke, of Berlin, Wisconsin, and they have two children, Grace and Francis. The family are members of the Congregational church.
Few men in these parts may be mentioned who have taken a more worthy part in the telling activities of the city than has Mr. Finucane, and as one of the most public-spirited and conscientious citizens of the city and county, he is justly entitled to some mention in a work par- taking of the nature and purpose of this publication.
EDWARD CODY. One of the leading merchants of Antigo and one who will undoubtedly be the next postmaster of this city, is Edward Cody, who has been engaged in the shoe business here most success- fully since 1899. Coming here at that time he bought out the interests of John Dailey, and the business he thus gained control of is the oldest in Antigo, established here in 1888 by a Mr. Buckman, who sold it to Hon. John Dailey, then mayor of the city .. Mr. Cody in 1899 came into ownership of the establishment. He came here from Columbus, Ohio, and with little or no delay stepped into the owner- ship and management of one of the old and thriving business concerns of the city, which has advanced in scope and importance with the passing years, and takes rank today with the leading business houses of the county.
Edward Cody was born in New Lexington, Perry county, Ohio, on March 4, 1874, and is a son of Michael and Mary Cody. Michael
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Cody was a railroad man, passing his life in that work. The subject was reared in New Lexington and educated in the public schools, and while still quite young engaged with his brother-in-law in a mer- cantile enterprise at Corning, Ohio. Later they went to Columbus, and there Mr. Cody was identified with the grocery business, his brother-in-law becoming concerned in the shoe business in Columbus. In 1899 he gave up his grocery interests in Columbus, and coming to Antigo, he grasped the opportunity to purchase the shoe business of which he is now the sole owner and proprietor. His success here has been the result of his excellent business methods, his splendid under- standing of the importance of system in the conduct of the enterprise, and the manifestly high order of integrity that has characterized his business intercourse all through his career.
Mr. Cody was married in 1902 in Antigo to Miss Nellie Anderson, a daughter of A. H. Anderson, of Antigo, Wisconsin, who is one of the genuine pioneers of Antigo, and a retired merchant and capitalist of the place. Mr. Anderson is one of the best known and most highly esteemed men in the city and county, and has played a conspicuous part in the development and upbuilding of this city.
Mr. Cody is fraternally identified by his membership in the Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Columbus, in the latter order having served as Grand Knight of the Antigo Council, and in the former society having served in all chairs in the local order. He has membership in the Antigo Commercical Club and is a member of its directorate. An active Democrat, Mr. Cody has always taken a leading part in local politics, and he has served two terms as city treasurer, while he is now and has been for the past two years chair- man of the Langlade County Central Committee. It is anticipated and hoped by all that his appointment to the office of postmaster of Antigo will be signed in the very near future.
FERDINAND A. W. KIECKHEFER. Milwaukee has particular reason to take pride in the extraordinarily successful career of F. A. W. Kieck hefer, since he is a native son of the city, grew up here with only such advantages as thousands of other youths in the city enjoyed, started with no capital, did small things well before he attempted the larger, and many years ago "arrived" in the current sense of having attained an impregnable position among the ablest, most resourceful, and richest directors of big business in his home city or state.
Mr. Kieckhefer has been reported as claiming that in business luck is a fifty per cent factor, and that the other proportions in success comprise twenty-five per cent of brains and twenty-five per cent of common sense. If Mr. Kieckhefer had built his fortunes on specula- tive enterprises his analysis would be more convincing, as applied to the particular case, but the fact is that the two great industries with
Fau RieckRefer
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which his name is most familiarly associated are fundamentally and structurally the result of the most substantial processes of business development. His own career, like that of his business, has nothing of the meteoric, and has been rather persistent than brilliant. Those most familiar with his business life say that he has come up from the rank and file because he possessed exceptional qualities as a business builder and organizer, and his early training and the sheer force of his inherent ability fitted him well for a captain's rank in the army of industry.
The following paragraphs contain a brief outline of the principal events and moves in his career, and also introduce as interesting material for Wisconsin history, the important fact about the two monumental industries, conducted under his management as president.
Ferdinand A. W. Kieckhefer was born in Milwaukee, February 10, 1862. His parents were Carl and Justine Kieckhefer, who came to Milwaukee in 1851. The business of the father was a contractor for many years, after which he became a merchant. His death occurred in 1905, and his widow is still living. They were always actively inter- ested in the Lutheran church.
When a boy among boys Ferdinand attended school in St. John's Lutheran School, and later took a course in the Spencerian Business College. He was with a wholesale millinery house for a time, and was then clerk and cashier in the John Ritzlaff Wholesale Hardware Com- pany for five years. In 1872 he started for himself with a little hard- ware and tinware shop, located on Grand Avenue. In 1878 his brother became associated with him under the firm name of F. Kieckhefer & Brother, but after two years they sold their interests, and in 1880, began the manufacturing of tinware.
It is a significant and interesting fact concerning American in- dustry, which is now so colossal in its scope and resources, that many of the greatest corporations in the country had their beginnings in some humble shop and in many cases in out of the way places, and under most unpretentious circumstances. At the present time the National Enameling & Stamping Company is the world's largest manufacturers of enameled and tin and aluminum and various wares used in kitchen and for a great variety of purposes and as specialties of manufacture. This large national corporation, of which Ferdinand A. W. Kieckhefer is president has its various branches at Milwaukee, New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Baltimore, New Orleans, Philadelphia. and at Granite City, Illinois, the largest manufacturing plant of the company being located in the last named city, which takes its name from the industry. The most important constituent element of this great industrial corporation was the manufacturing business built by the Kieckhefer brothers, and beginning in a little shop in Milwaukee a little more than thirty years ago. Within ten years after its begin-
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ning more than twelve hundred hands were employed in the Kieck- hefer's factory, and the plant turned out a better grade and as much if not more stamped tinware than any other establishment of the kind in the country. In 1899 Mr. Kieckhefer took a prominent part in the consolidation of various plants, including his own, which resulted in the National Enameling & Stamping Company, now the largest tin- ware and enameled ware manufacturers in the world. Mr. Kieck- hefer has been president of the corporation and has full charge of the Kieckhefer plant of the company. The main office of the business in New York City is at 303-305 Fifth Avenue. Mr. Kieckhefer resides in New York City as much as in Milwaukee, and is back and forth all the time looking after the big business affairs centered in both cities.
The career of Mr. Kieckhefer is the more interesting for the fact that he has applied his splendid business energy to industries which are closely related to the simple needs of the people, and has always been engaged in supplying high class products that have their homely, daily uses in the American family. The tinware and enameling busi- ness has now for a number of years assumed the proportions of a great national enterprise, and has therefore passed somewhat beyond the horizon of Wisconsin interest. But the Edgewood farms, Inc. of which Mr. Kieckhefer is president, is a Wisconsin institution pure and simple, and one in which the citizens may take particular pride. The Edgewood Farms are located at Pewaukee, Wisconsin. An entire section of land is devoted to the uses of the business. It is one of the finest dairies in the country and the regular herd consists of three hundred cows, sixty being quartered in each stable.
A recent report of the agricultural department of the Federal gov- ernment states that milk and cream together furnish fifteen per cent of the total food of the average American family. People in all ages and in all countries have never failed to appreciate the importance of milk supply, but in recent years, through the progress of scientific knowledge and through a better understanding of the actual condi- tions surrounding milk productions, more emphasis has been placed, not only by the guardians of public health, but by those in authority in the individual households upon the necessity of good milk, meaning by that phrase not only a standard of wholesomeness and the proper proportion of milk constituency, but also purity in a bacteriological and in every other sense.
It is only a proper recognition of merit and of that splendid pub- lic spirit which consist in furnishing the best possible commodities to the American consumer to affirm that the Edgewood Farms, while they probably have their equals situated in different parts of the United States, certainly have no superior as a productive center of sanitary and wholesome milk. The one fundamental principle of Edgewood Farms is cleanliness, a principle which is insisted upon from the
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beginning to the end of each and every operation. The herd con- sisted of carefully selected dairy cattle, all of which are examined critically as to their health and tested for tuberculosis before entering the stable. This test and satisfactory guarantee precede the offering of the products to the public. The cows are supplied with the very best and most wholesome food, and nothing is fed to them but what will produce the proper solids in the milks in the correct proportions. The water which supplies the Edgewood Farms comes from a deep artesian well, and is equal in quality to the Waukesha spring water. In the handling of the cows during milking time the animals are thoroughly groomed, including careful washing of the flanks, udders and teats, and the milkers themselves are healthy men who make milking a business and their sole occupation on the farm, and who are dressed and maintain as scrupulous cleanliness as a nursemaid in a hospital. From the cow the milk is conveyed to the dairy building, and the temperature is almost immediately reduced from about one hundred degrees to thirty-eight degrees. In fifteen minutes from the time the milk leaves the cow it is bottled, sealed and placed in cold storage ready for shipment. The milk produced at the Edgewood Farms is certified milk, which costs more than the ordinary grade, but is the most economical when one considers and understands the infinite care and cleanliness which surround these productions. There are a hundred interesting features about the Edgewood Farms, but a detailed description of the plant would be too long for inclusion in this place. Among other features of the equipment is a cow hospital. and under a contract with the Milwaukee Milk Commission, the entire establishment is constructed and controlled more rigidly than any similar manufacturing enterprise in the country. Three-fourths of the output of the Edgewood Farms is shipped to Chicago for distribution, and the other fourth is sold in the city of Milwaukee. The force of employes on the Edgewood farm number fifty-five, and the plant is one which would well repay inspection, and is open to visitors at all times.
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