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Some of the Pioneers of Burlington - by Francis G. Klein Friends and members of the Burlington Business Mens association--Gentlemen: Allow me to congratulate the members of the Burlington Business Mens association upon the success of your social features, which brings friends and members into closer relation. Allow me to thank the association for the good and noble work accomplished since its organization, with the hope that you will continue to labor with united efforts and sound judgment for the betterment of our famous city, for improvements and development, for morality and sound principles, and looking to the welfare of our citizens. It is well for a man, advanced in years, to stop for reflection and review the past and recall a few reminiscences of by-gone days. Burlington, with its wealth and beautiful surroundings, has found warm hearts far and near through its hospitality and generosity. But the foundation to our enterprising and thriving city was laid by men of honest character and principles. Men like Perkins, Wells, Barnes, Buell, Catton, Verhalen, Reuschlein, Rewald, Foltz, Wagner, Meinhardt, Ayers, Meadows, White, Kords, Rueter, Melcher, Prasch, Christien, Finke, Werner, Rittmann, Wackermann, Durgin, Devereux, Moestue, Riel, Brehm, Miller, Henningfield, Gill, Wambold, Muth, Weygand, Schemmer, Hegeman, Burhans, Schmidt, Diedrich, Klingele, Scheidt, Pieters, Fishman, Sheldon, Laske, Jones, Wehmhoff, Zoehrlaut, Leber, Cunningham, Chief, Foley, Gleason, Rev. Wisbauer and others, and of our day, Rev. Jacobs. The principal industries and business places were the lumber yard at the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul depot, owned by the Wilbur Lumber Co.; Melcher's saloon, which was frequented by the numerous shippers; Anthony Finke's brewery, whose successors have kept up the good old reputation for lager beer; Peter Schmidt's saloon, known as the Farmers' Home; Rittmann's grocery store; Schemmer's shoe store, where Frank Schemmer learned the cobblers trade; Bank of Burlington, safely conducted by Hall; the famous Diedrich's bakery on the hill; the malt house across the river in Canada; the woolen mills, which were twice destroyed by fire; Osterman's famous summer resort on the shore of Brown's lake; the genial ice man, Bob Davis; the flour and feed mill on Mill street; Wagner & Zwiebel's machine shop; Pieters' wagon and paint shop; Jones house, the old reliable hotel conducted by Chas. J. Jones; Nims & Voorhees, contractors; Chandler, the piano dealer; Shofield, the dentist; McCumber & Klein plow works; Ebbers, the carpet weaver; Zoehrlaut's soda water factory; Stang's boot and shoe store; Wambold & Rein's blacksmith shop; Tichlofen, the wooden shoe maker; Geheb & May's meat market; Kautsky, the cobbler; Willhoft, the undertaker and furniture dealer; Moestue, the photographer; Foltz's dry goods, still in business; and last but not least, the editor and printer, Devereux. The names of these good citizens and their commercial occupations recall to our memories many pleasant and interesting stories of the early days. One interesting feature was the building of the Wisconsin Central railroad. Many citizens raised their voices in protest against the construction of a railroad, claiming it would injure the town; but let me state that the majority were in favor, and it was not long before the railroad was of greater advantage than the fair (the Racine County Fair), which attracted so many from far and near to Burlington. As the steam road, so also the new electric railway is passing through our beautiful city, and has given us a distinct mark on the map of Wisconsin. It has brought us to the front and given us an enviable position. May the motto of this association and our business men be ever, "Onward and Forward," by honesty and integrity--forward to greater success. My friends, I thank you for the honor of speaking to you this evening. |
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Mr.
Klein was born in St. Jean, Alsace, France, February 5, 1833, and died in
Burlington on April 1, 1924. At age 7, his family came to America and
settled in Pottsville, Pennsylvania. In 1856 the family moved to Racine,
where Mr. Klein became foreman of the J. I. Case company's blacksmith shop.
Coming to Burlington in 1865, he joined Anton Zwiebel's machine shop, and in
1867 associated with Hubbard Wagner, Sr., in a foundry and machine shop.
Later, he went into partnerships known as McCumber & Klein and Klein & Leber,
which manufactured plows and agricultural implements.