"History of Lincoln, Oneida, and Vilas Counties Wisconsin"
Compiled by George O.Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others.
Printed in 1924 by H.C.Cooper. Jr. & Co., Minneapoli-Winona MN. ill.
787 pages. The first two hundred pages are history of the three
counties, the remainder of the book is biographies.
Biography
Fries, Adam J. a railroad man of long experience, who has been station agent at Merrill for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, and has also been connected with the Merrill schools in an official capacity, was born on a farm in Washington County, Wisconsin, Oct. 25, 1859, son of Henry and Agnes FRIES. The parents came to the United States in 1856 from the Ruhr Valley on the Rhine. The family was by trade a mason and contractor, but on coming to this country he bought a small farm in Washington County, which he cultivated as he found opportunity, being engaged during the winters in logging. He finally gave up active work and took up his residence in Schleisinerville, where he and his wife spent their last years. He passed away first, in 1908 at the age of 79 years, and, she followed him to the grave in 1911 at the age of eighty-one. They had been the parents of eight children, of whom six are now living: Henry, of Omaha, Nebr.; Christina, Dora, Susie, Katherine and Adam. The two deceased are Jake and Anna. Adam J. FRIES was reared on the home farm and in his boyhood attended district school. When he was 22 years old he left home and began to learn telegraphy. He worked two years at Ripon for the C. M. & St. P. as baggage master and for the next ten years operator there. In 1893 he came to Merrill as bill clerk for the Milwaukee road and then became station agent at Babcock, Wis., where he remained for a year and a half. After that for three years he was stationed at Centralia (now a part of Wisconsin Rapids), and in 1900 came to Merrill, where he has since remained. He has now been in the employ of the C. M. & St. P. Railway for nearly 40 years and during that time has missed but one week's pay check. The first logs brought to Merrill by railroad were shipped in after he came here, being billed to the H. W. Wright Co. He has been a member of the school board for 12 years and purchasing agent for school supplies. A catholic in religion, he belongs fraternally to the Knights of Columbus. Mr. FRIES was married at Richfield, Washington County, Wis., Oct. 24, 1882, to Elizabeth LOFY, daughter of George and Elizabeth LOFY. Her parents, natives of Germany and long residents of Washington County, are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. FRIES seven children have been born, five sons and two daughters, as follows: Katherine, wife of Frank SLADEK of Woodruff, Wis., employed by the Northern Lumber Supply Co.; Elizabeth, clerk for the C. M. & St. P. Railway at Merrill; Albert, employed in the superintendent's office of the "Soo" Railway at Fond du Lac; William, treasurer of the Multnoma Lumber & Box Co. at Portland, Ore.; Carl & Joe (twins), of whom Carl is cashier and Joe bill and rate clerk with the C. M. & St. P. Railway, and Leslie, who is a general scaler in the employ of the Multnoma Lumber & Box Co. at Portland, Ore. Joe and Leslie enlisted for army service in 1917, under Capt. A. E. SMITH, in the 120th Light Field Artillery, 32d Division. They trained at Waco, Texas, and went to France in January, 1918, Joe as sergeant and Leslie in the signal corps training recruits. In May 1919 they returned home and were honorably discharged.
Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 607;
History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin;
Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others
1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co
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