History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties

"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

Schlecht, William organizer of the Minocqua Lumber Co. and one of the leading citizens of Oneida County, was born at Stevens Point, Wis., Feb. 18, 1873, son of Louis and Katherine (STANGER) SCHLECHT. The parents were natives of Germany and came from there to the United States in their youth; they were married at Stevens Point and resided there until 1882, the father, a shoemaker by trade, operating a manufacturing and retail shoe business. After selling this place in 1882 the parents removed to Wausau and were there engaged in the hotel business for eight years, after which they came to Oneida County and took up a homestead on water reserve land. They remained on this place for five years and in 1895 went to Ashland, Wis., where the father did timber cruising and scaling until his death, March 7, 1921; the mother had passed away in 1906. Six children were born to these parents; Louis, who operates a machine shop in Milwaukee; Frank X., who is a dentist in Ashland; William, subject of this sketch; George, living at Duluth, Minn.; Carl, practicing dentistry in Minocqua; and Regina, who is now Mrs. Algernon LENIKER of Pine Bluff, Ark. William SCHLECHT received his education in the schools of Wausau and at the age of 12 years went to work in the lumber woods. At the age of 18 he began cruising and log contracting and during the succeeding years he followed the lumber industry in nearly every state in the union, in Canada, and in Mexico. In 1915 he was forced to give up road work because of impaired health, and it was at that time that he entered the retail branch of the lumber industry at Minocqua, to which village he had first come in 1887 and which had been his permanent home since 1890. In the fall of 1919 he bought the interests of his partner, G. R. WILSON, and he then organized the Minocqua Lumber Co., with officers as follows: president, William SCHLECHT; vice president, R. E. SCHLECT; secretary and treasurer, C. J. HUBER. This company handles everything in lumber and building supplies, and is a distinct factor in the commercial prosperity of the village. The Minocqua Lumber Co. also operates a small sawmill in Minocqua, a planing-mill and a boat factory. Mr. SCHLECHT is vice president of the Hazelhurst Land Co. and is interested in several other corporations, and credit for a great deal of Minocqua's development must be awarded to him, his foresight and large abilities, together with his devotion to the welfare of the community, having done much to forward the interests of the village. Fraternally he is a member of the "M. W. A." and he and his family belong to the Catholic Church. Mr. SCHLECHT was married at Minocqua, June 2, 1902, to Ruth KLINE, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John KLINE. Mrs. SCHLECHT'S father is now deceased, and her mother resides in Minocqua. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. SCHLECHT: Louis W., Adeline, Marie, William Jr., and Robert.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 701; History of Lincoln, Oneida and Vilas Counties Wisconsin; Compiled by George O. Jones, Norman S. McVean and Others 1924, H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co

You are our [an error occurred while processing this directive] Visitor --Thanks for Stopping By.

© Copyright: All files on this website are protected by the US Copyright Law, Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, they are not to be copied or altered in any way for commercial use. Individuals may copy the information for their personal use. WIGenWeb Oneida and Vilas County Coordinator Judy Groh.