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

Seibel, P. F. proprietor of the Seibel Clothes Shop in Rhinelander, is not only one of the leading merchants of this city but also the owner of considerable farm and land property, all acquired by intelligent and persevering industry in spite of intial disadvantages. He was born in Manitowoc County, Wis., Sept. 23, 1863, son of Castor and Mary (WICKERT) SEIBEL. The parents, born and reared in Germany, came to the United States when young people and were subsequently married in Wisconsin. Castor SEIBEL was for some time a lumber grader in the hards at Green Bay of the Earl & Case Lumber Co., going there in 1870. The family moved to Two Rivers, Wis., and the father followed three years later and was there engaged in mill and factory work until his death; his wife is also deceased. They were the parents of nine children, those in addition to the subject of this sketch being as follows: Kate, now Mrs. Mike WIMMER of Milwaukee; John, deceased; Joseph, a patrol officer in the state penitentiary at Waupun; Jacob, who met death by drowning after reaching manhood; Frank, who is one of the proprietors of a veneer factory; William E., who owns the Williams House at Manitowoc and is also a clothing merchant in the same city; Mary, now Mrs. William KELLNER of Manitowoc; and Anton of Hibbing, Minn. P. F. SEIBEL in his boyhood had very limited educational opportunities, attending for a short time a parochial school and for an equally short time a public school at Green Bay. At the age of 14 years he went to Two Rivers and became connected with the Two Rivers Manufacturing Co. In 1881 he located in Merrill, Lincoln County, and went to work in the woods, following lumbering in its various branches, until 1890. During or as a part of that period he worked five years at Grandfather Falls for a man who conducted a station there, and it was while in his employ as bookkeeper and corresponding clerk that he considerably improved his education by study, thus better equipping himself for the battle of life. In 1890 Mr. SEIBEL came to Oneida County, taking a homestead of 160 acres of heavy timber land in the town of Pelican. Making a small clearing, he built a house and in March of the following year took up his residence in it with his family. Two years later, having logged the timber, he moved to the city and with his teams engaged in excavating and similar work. In 1897, having by that time accumulated a capital of about $8,000, he engaged in the clothing business on S. Brown Street, starting in a small way. His business grew, however, and after three years he moved to his present quarters on the same street, which are much more commodious, his store having a floor space of 60x60 feet, with a full basement, and being provided with the highest quality of fixtures and equipment. He deals in clothing, handling the Hart-Schaffner & Marx line of goods, also the Florensheim & Weber line of shoes, as well as men's furnishings, ladies' coats, hats, caps and luggage, and his success has been continuous since he first began. Aside from his store business Mr. SEIBEL owns three large farms in Oneida County, two of which he himself has developed and which are now on a good paying basis. They have a total area of 500 acres, of which 290 acres are under the plow, and he operates them by means of hired hlep, having a foreman on each and himself superintending the management. The Oneida National Bank also numbers him among its stockholders, while he is fraternally affiliated with the local lodge of Elks. Mr. SEIBEL was married Sept. 2, 1890, in Merrill, Wis., to Margaret Lapham, who was born in March, 1886. They have had three children: Katherine M., born July 2, 1891; Harry, born Jan. 20, 1894; and Ruth, born Jan. 20, 1904. Katherine M., who was graduated from the Rhinelander High School and the Milwaukee Normal School, is now a kindergarten teacher in Akron, Ohio. Harry, after completing his school studies, worked in his father's store, until June, 1917, when he entered the military service of the United States in the Heavy Artillery Motor Ordinance Repair Section. He trained at the Michigan college, spent two months at Camp Hancock, Georgia, and later sailed for France. After being stationed at Bordeaux and Anglum six months, he returned to the States March 17, 1919, and was mustered out April 17, 1919, at Camp Grant. He is now manager of the clothing department of the Oelhafen General Store at Tomahawk. Ruth, who was graduated from the local high school, took a nurse's training in both St. Mary's and St. Macy's Hospitals, at Oshkosh, Wis. She is now Mrs. Lyle GORMAN of Wausau, Wis., Mr. FORMAN being a traveling salesman for the United States Tire Company.

Transcribed by Susan Swanson, from pages 387-388 (with picture), 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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