USA > Wisconsin > Wisconsin, its story and biography, 1848-1913, Volume V > Part 3
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The late Conrad Heim, who was a well known citizen of Madison, came to America in 1846, spending fifty-six days on a sailing vessel be- fore landing in New York. A tailor by trade, he engaged in that busi- ness at Rochester, until 1858, in which year he moved west and located in the city of Madison, the date of his arrival here being April 22nd. Up to 1863 he conducted both a general clothing and tailoring business, then became cutter for the firm of S. Klauber & Company, until 1879, when he retired and lived quietly the remainder of his long years. He was a Democrat, a Catholic, and was one of the founders of the St. Michael's Sick Benefit Society in this city.
During the first ten years of his life in Rochester, John B. Heim at- tended the German Catholic parochial school, and after the removal of the family to Madison he completed his early education at the parochial
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school of the Holy Redeemer German Catholic Church. On the twenty- eighth of June, 1861, he began his vocational training as apprentice to the book-binding trade with the firm of B. W. Suckow. In 1869 he be- came connected with the firm of William J. Park & Company at Madi- son. He rose to be manager of the book-binding department, and con- tinued in that position from April 12, 1871, to October 12, 1882.
In April, 1881, Mr. Heim, a Democrat, was elected as senior alder- man from the strongly Republican Second Ward. He was in the council during an important period of municipal improvement, being an advocate · of municipal ownership and did valuable service as chairman of the committee on construction of the city water works. October 12, 1882, he was elected the first superintendent of the city water works, and held that office for nearly seven years, until April 1, 1889, when he resigned to enter into the plumbing business. The efficiency of the water service in Madison was for many years due to Mr. Heim. By special request he again assumed his position as superintendent on October 5, 1890, and remained in charge of the plant up to January, 1911, when he finally retired. Much that is. permanently good in this branch of municipal work is the result of the long and faithful superintendence of John B. Heim. By petition of citizens, Mr. Heim became a candidate for the office of mayor, and was elected April 4, 1912, for a term of two years.
September 8, 1874, Mr. Heim married Miss Mary E. Rickenbach. Their happy union was terminated by her death on June 11. 1889. Of their children, three daughters and one son, two are living, namely : Katherine and Petronilla. Mr. Heim later married the sister of his first wife, Miss Prudence Rickenbach. They are the parents of one daughter, Marie.
Mr. Heim is one of the prominent Catholics of Madison and the state. For nearly twelve years, he was a trustee of the Holy Redeemer Catholic church. He had. charge of three bazaars conducted by this church, the receipts from these totaling $14,396. He is secretary of St. Mary's Hospital. For twenty-eight years he has been a member of St. Michael's Benevolent Society, serving as secretary for six years, and president since 1898. For seventeen years he was an executive officer of the German Catholic Benevolent Association of the State of Wisconsin, its president since 1908, and an executive officer of the national organiza- tion of the above association of the United States. He was treasurer for six or seven years and for four years served as president of the Catholic Knights of Wisconsin, Branch No. 88, and is a charter member of Mad- ison Council No. 531, Knights of Columbus.
For fifty years he has been a member of the Volunteer Fire Engine Company, No. 2, now known as Relief Association Madison No. 2, and for forty years was its secretary. He was a fire fighter in the city dur- ing the years when protection depended entirely on the efforts of the volunteer company. After the city introduced steam fire-engines, with
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a paid department, his company, No. 2, organized a sick-benefit society with a membership of seventy. The fire company organization dated from July 30, 1856, and when its service was no longer required for fighting fire and its organization continued as a benefit society, it was agreed, that no new members should be received. Thus death has been depleting its ranks, so that now only eight members are left, and one of them was among the original founders of the company. It was a notable company in its time, and won many trophies at the tournaments. These trophies and other paraphernalia are to be given to the State Historical Society when the last member has passed away.
Mr. Heim has long been an authority on Water Works and general municipal engineering. He has membership in the Wisconsin State Engineering Society, and is a charter member of the Wisconsin Munici- pal League. Few men have had a longer and more practical experience in the fire-protection and water-works service. He has been a member of the American Water Works Association since 1893, and has served in the offices of first, second and third vice president, having refused the honor of president because of lack of time for its duties. He has attended the association meetings at Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Atlanta, Denver, Buffalo, Chicago, Columbus, Detroit, New York, Boston, Tor- onto, Canada, St. Louis and Richmond, Virginia, and has been on the programs for addresses on such subjects as water mains, artesian wells, water meters, meter rates, frozen mains, lowering of mains and general water-work management. His services have been called in as appraiser of water works at Sheboygan, Appleton, Waukesha, Monroe Portage and other places, and he has officially inspected the plants at Fond du Lac, Jefferson, Evansville, Watertown, Oconomowoc, Stoughton, Avoca, ·etc.
As a specialist in water works engineering, Mr. Heim has also con- tributed to the world of invention. He is the patentee of the Heim Street Sprinkling Valve. Three hundred and eighteen cities of the United States and Canada, including some of the largest cities are now using this invention. It has a demonstrated value in eliminating repairs and in saving of water, and its use is being rapidly extended to all cities. Mr. Heim first applied his invention in Madison in 1903, and after its successful trial, secured a patent and placed the valve on the market. He also has patents on curb and valve boxes for water works service.
Mr. Heim has been a promoter and factor for the general interest of the city of Madison. He has either served as a member or as chair- man of committees to work to a successful end, always a leader, in what- ·ever enterprises he undertook or was entrusted to his care for the benefit and pride of the city of Madison.
OTTO J. SCHOENLEBER. It would be an inadequate estimate of the qualities of enterprise, public spirit, literary discrimination and financial
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abilities which have made him something more than a business man, to name Otto J. Schoenleber only in connection with Ambrosia chocolates, which are used all over the country. A man of versatile talents, he has not been satisfied to alone build up a business which justifies the use of the firm's trade phrase, "We Help to Make Milwaukee Famous, " but has entered public life as a supporter of those movements which have helped to advance and develop his native city, while business, financial and social circles have also attained distinction through his activities. Mr. Schoenleber is a native Milwaukeean, having been born at No. 291 Third street, a section of the city which was then known as Kilbourn- town, now the Second Ward, October 16, 1858. His parents, Adoph and Margaretha (Kuhnmuench) Schoenleber were sturdy pioneers who helped to build up this beautiful city on the shores of Lake Michigan, and were natives of Baden, Germany, the former having been born at Tauberbischofheim, June 16, 1825, and the latter at Werbach, Jan- uary 18, 1826.
Adolph Schoenleber was apprenticed to the trade of cabinet maker in his native city, and after completing his term of service, traveled as a journeyman all through the German states, Switzerland and France, in order to improve himself in his chosen vocation. The political revolu- tion of 1848, led by such patriots as Carl Schurz, Friederich Hecker, Gustav Struwe and Robert Blum, fighting to wrest Baden from the Prussian dominance, drew into its ranks thousands of young men inspired by these leaders, and when the revolution was finally subdued by the stronger Prussian military the patriots were forced to flee from their country. Many of these emigrated to the United States. and among these came Adolph Schoenleber, then twenty-three years of age. With the small capital which he had saved through thrift and industry in his younger days, he decided to establish a cabinet-maker's shop, and . in partnership with one Melchior Deckert, leased a vacant lot from Byron Kilbourn, the founder of the West Side and at that time the largest holder of property in that part of the city. This place is now known as 248 West Water street. On this lot Adolph Schoenleber and his partner erected a two-story building, which served as a store-room. manufactory and residence until 1854, when the partnership was dis- solved and Mr. Schoenleber purchased from the same Byron Kilbourn the lot which is now known as 293 Third street, and erected thereon a building in which he conducted a retail furniture and undertaking busi- ness for many years. This property is still in the hands of the Schoen- leber family, who possess also an interesting memento of early days. a lease written by Mr. Kilbourn to Mr. Schoenleber for the property on West Water street. Milwaukee at that time was a small and thriving city of about 10,000 inhabitants, without any railroad connections, and the elder Schoenleber's trip from New York to Milwaukee was made entirely by water. It was in 1854 that the first railroad was built to
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Milwaukee, and the sturdy pioneers viewed the coming of the steel horse with a great deal of enthusiasm. With keen foresight, and a firm faith in the future of his adopted city, Adolph Schoenleber invested his earn- ings in real estate, and became one of the substantial business men of his city.
Otto J. Schoenleber attended the public and parochial schools, and completed his education at St. Gall's Academy, located at that time on the present site of the Terminal building. Later, he laid a foundation for a business career by taking a course in Wulkow's Business College of Milwaukee, an institution which has since been discontinued. At the completion of his school years, however, Mr. Schoenleber did not give up his studies, for he was an ambitious and studious lad, and constant research and reading gave him a love of music and literature. His father was a firm believer in the old adage, that to learn a trade was to lay a golden foundation, and accordingly, under his tutorship, Otto J. gained a knowledge of the occupation of cabinet-maker. For four years he worked industriously as an apprentice and later as a fellowcraft cab- inet-maker, mastering all the fine details of this interesting work. In 1886 his father retired from the retail furniture business, and for eight years after the elder man's death, his son was engaged in the same line at No. 291-293 Third street, and also conducted a wholesale desk manu- factory at 331-333 Fifth street. In 1894 he retired from both of these lines and organized and established the Ambrosia Chocolate Company, in the premises formerly occupied by the Otto Desk Company, and this being the present site of the large chocolate factory.
It was in this venture that Mr. Schoenleber evidenced his business courage and implicit faith in his own ability, for it was a dangerous undertaking to attempt to establish a demand for an article the manu- facture of which had heretofore been confined to the East. This was the initial venture of its kind in the state, the product being the manufac- ture of chocolate and cocoa directly from the cocoa bean. It was a novelty that had not been known west of New York. The first years of this enterprise were crowded with trials and tribulations in an effort to introduce this product in the face of competition from the older and wealthier firms which left no stone unturned in their hindrance of the newcomer's business. The perseverance, indomitable will and persis- tent industry of the founder and manager, however, were sufficient to overcome every obligation, and today the Ambrosia Chocolate Company holds a recognized place among concerns which take a pride in the high quality of their product and the trade of which extends all over the Union, to the Canadian provinces, and to foreign countries. A large force of skilled chocolate makers, both men and women, are employed in the factory. The growth of the business has been almost phenomenal in its rapidity, due to the high quality of its product, and its output has doubled each year since its inception. The business is now housed in a
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large six-story building, with a combined floor space of 36,000 ft. All of its raw material is imported direct from the plantations in the West Indies, from South America, from some of the German possessions in Africa and from the islands of Ceylon and Java. The process of manu- facture, due to the improved machinery installed in this great plant, is unique and interesting, and annually attracts many students and vis- itors, especially young men and women from the various colleges and high schools, who recognize the health-giving qualities of chocolate and cocoa and are interested to know from what and how they are made. This company consumes on an average of two ear-loads of cocoa beans per week and in addition thousands of barrels of sugar and many hun- dreds of pounds of vanilla beans. Mr. Schoenleber reviews with a great deal of pardonable pride the struggles and successes of the business from its earliest days, and is delighted to show visitors the workings of the enterprise which has been built up through his perseverance and well-directed effort.
When a young man, Mr. Schoenleber was quite active in political matters, this having been one of his hobbies, especially during the first campaign in which the Hon. Grover Cleveland was a candidate for pres- ident. He was then secretary and treasurer of the Second Ward Demo- eratie Club, and represented his distriet on the eity and county commit- tees. Of late years he has grown more independent of party affiliations, although he still sympathizes with the cause of Democracy, and classing himself as an independent progressive Democrat, loyal to his party in national affairs, but exercising his prerogative in local matters of sup- porting the candidate he deems best fitted for the office, regardless of party lines. He has steadfastly refused to become a candidate for pub- lie office, although often importuned to do so by his many friends. In 1889 he accepted an appointment as school commissioner of the Second Ward, an office which he has held uninterruptedly for six years. During his term in that office he served as chairman of the executive and high school committees and also as chairman of the committee on supplies. He assisted in inaugurating many reforms in the method of conducting the public schools. The establishment of the West Division High school, the monster institution at Twenty-third and Prairie streets, was directly due to his efforts, it being necessary for him to carry it against many seemingly insurmountable obstaeles. The custom of observing Arbor Day in the publie schools, which tends to ineulcate in the youthful mind a love of nature and a desire for the beautifying of school grounds and parks, was an idea fostered and brought into its present observance by the resolution of Mr. Schoenleber. The custom is still annually cele- brated by the planting of trees and shrubbery in the public school grounds and in the publie parks of the city.
Mr. Schoenleber is especially interested in vocal musie and for many years as an active singer. In 1890 he served as president of the Mil-
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waukee Liederkranz for one term, and is still a passive member of this organization, and of the Milwaukee Musical Society. He is identified with the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, the Old Settlers' Club, the Jefferson Club, a political organization, and the American Chocolate Manufacturers' Association, and usually represents his com- pany at their meetings, this, however, being merely a trade organiza- tion. As a member of the Merchants' and Manufacturers' Association of Milwaukee, he has served on many of its important committees dur- ing the past ten years. In 1909 this association chose Mr. Schoenleber as president of the Milwaukee Home Coming Committee, an organiza- tion composed of the heads of the prominent civic bodies as well as municipal organizations, and with the aid of this committee arranged the first Home Coming Festival held in the city of Milwaukee, August 2nd to 7th of that year. This festival was pronounced by press and pub- lic as an unqualified success, but the work had been prodigious. For four months Mr. Schoenleber gave his undivided time and attention as loyal, public-spirited Milwaukeean, and donated largely of his means in order that this venture might prove a success. A fund of $26,000 was collected from the citizens of Milwaukee, this being spent for dec- orations, for grand pageants showing the events in the city's history from Indian days to the year 1909. A grand naval battle was held on Lake Michigan, and great military displays, these being witnessed not alone by thousands of Milwaukeeans but by visitors from every state in the Union. The successful celebration brought many compliments to its manager, and when all festivities were over and the bills paid, one- fourth of the original subscriptions remained on hand and were returned to the original subscribers. This was a new and unexpected feature in connection with conducting affairs of a public nature, and one which had never been heard of before, and was so pleasing to the citizens that showers of compliments were bestowed upon the committee and espe- cially upon its president.
During the same year (1909) occurred the opening of the new Audi- torium, it having been the original intention to have this opening dur- ing Home Coming Week. Unfortunately, however, the contractors were delayed and the opening did not take place until September. Mr. Schoenleber has always taken a very active interest in all measures per- taining to the welfare of the city and for the promotion of its business interests. In 1907 he served as a member of the Milwaukee Auditorium Board, the committee of enterprising citizens who succeeded in raising the necessary funds for Milwaukee's modern convention hall, which was erected to take the place of the old Exposition Building, which had been destroyed by fire during the preceding spring. Mr. Schoenleber had also served on a similar committee a quarter of a century before for the erection of the old building. In November, 1912, he was elected a mem-
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ber of the governing board of the Milwaukee Auditorium Association and has served in that capacity to the present time.
Mr. Schoenleber's particular hobby is the study of dialects, and, being of a literary turn of mind, has produced a number of humorous plays, poems, and letters, for the amusement of the public as well as of his many friends. During the years 1902 to 1907 he served as the Mil- waukee correspondent for the International Confectioner, of New York, the largest trade paper of its kind, and the letters and reports of the Cream City trade were always read with a great deal of interest. His literary work has been not only in the English language, but also in the German, of the latter of which he has always been an industrious stu- dent. Fraternally, Mr. Schoenleber is a member of Aurora Lodge, No. 30, F. & A. M., with which he has been connected for many years, and is a regular attendant at its meetings.
Mr. Schoenleber was one of the original organizers of the West Side Bank, located at Third and Chestnut streets, one of the sound financial institutions of the city, known for its conservatism and for its financial success and prosperity. This institution was organized in 1893 and Mr. Schoenleber has served on the directing board for the past fifteen years, acting as a member of the examining committee uninterruptedly. He is one of the directors and second vice-president of the Milwaukee Western Electric Railroad, a new interurban line about to be built from Milwau- kee to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.
On July 12, 1887, Mr. Schoenleber was united in marriage with Miss Emma Theede, a native of Milwaukee. This union has been blessed by the birth of three daughters: Marie, a graduate of the Milwaukee Normal school, and at present a teacher in the Twentieth District school ; Gretchen, a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and at present teacher of history at the Wauwatosa High school; and Louise, a junior at the University of Wisconsin, in the general science course. Mr. Schoenleber plans to continue his residence here and to prosecute his activities as owner and manager of the Ambrosia Chocolate Company for another five years, and then devote his time to travel and study and to assist in such publie and eivie duties as his time will permit. He is a loyal "booster" of his native city, and, while admitting the beauties and elaims of other cities, he believes that there is no city to compare with the city of his birth, and of which the poet says :
"I came from fair Milwaukee, Milwaukee on the Lake."
MILO C. JONES. The designated province of this publication is such that its principle in the treatment of its biographical department must needs be exclusive rather than inelusive. In the presentation of the brief reviews of the eareers of the various representative citizens there
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is employed no critical analysis, nor is such demanded, but a resume of genealogy and personal achievement is given in such manner as to indicate all that is necessary for the purposes of such history. In thus according consideration to Mr. Jones there are found many elements which make the review specially interesting. He is a man who "has done things," and he is to-day one of the substantial and progressive business men of Jefferson county, even as he is a progressive and highly esteemed citizen. He has had the initiative power to develop a unique and wonderfully successful industrial enterprise and in connection with the same to gain a reputation that far transcends the boundaries of his home state. He is a native of Jefferson county and has ever maintained his home within its borders. He is a scion of a family that was founded in Wisconsin in the territorial epoch of its history and one whose name has been prominently and worthily linked with the annals of develop- ment and progress in this favored commonwealth. He is a man of fine intellectuality and broad and well fortified views, and his ability along practical lines needs no further voucher than that afforded in the suc- cess which he has achieved. Mr. Jones is a native of Fort Atkinson, a large part of which thriving little city is situated on land that was originally a part of the farm obtained by his father from the govern- ment in the early pioneer days, and the family name has represented potent influence in connection with the upbuilding of the city and the civic and industrial development of this section of the state. Under such conditions it may readily be understood that Mr. Jones is emi- nently entitled to specific recognition in this publication.
Milo C. Jones was born in the village of Fort Atkinson, Jefferson county, Wisconsin, on the 14th of February, 1849, and, as previously stated, this village was on a portion of the extensive landed estate which his father had here acquired. He is a son of Milo and Sallie (Crane) Jones, both of whom were born and reared at Richmond, Chittenden county, Vermont, the respective families having been founded in New England in the colonial era of our national history. Milo Jones was a pioneer of pioneers in the section now known as the middle west, as he came to this section of our great national domain at a time when it was considered to be on the very frontier of civilization. In 1832, in the capacity of surveyor in the employ of the United States government, he came to the territory of Michigan and established his headquarters in Detroit. He did a large amount of important civil engineering work for the government and remained at Detroit until 1838, the year suc- ceeding the admission of Michigan to the Union. He then came to Wis- consin, within whose borders he had worked as a government surveyor, and in Jefferson county he entered claim to government land. He acquired about seven hundred acres, and within this tract a portion of the city of Fort Atkinson is now included ..
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