Genesee-Allegan County MI Archives Biographies.....Haas, Casper J. 1845 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 22, 2007, 2:33 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

CASPER J. HAAS. Without doubt the finest merchant tailor in the city of Flint is
the gentleman whose portrait is presented on the opposite page. He was born in
Frankfort-on-the-Main, at Hesse-Cassel, Germany, November 1, 1845.

  His father, John Haas, was a shoemaker in the old Prussian city and was also
engaged in farming-near there. He still survives, a resident of his native land
and is now eighty-one years of age. He belongs to a long-lived family, his
mother being ninety-two years of age at the time of her death. During the
Revolutionary War he served as one of the Hessian mercenaries.

  Our subject's mother, Anna M. Mertz, also a native of Hesse-Cassel, died in
Oberissigheim. She was the mother of four children, there being two boys and two
girls. Susan died in Germany; Elizabeth, Mrs. D. Ellinger, died in Allegan,
Mich., in 1866; John is a weaver and farmer at Oberissigheim. Our subject was
reared in his native place and thence went to Oberissigheim, where he remained
until past fourteen years of age and then came to America, which he had from
boyhood had the greatest desire to see. He left Bremen, October 10, 1860, on the
steamer "Hamilton." The ship encountered severe storms and was almost lost; its
masts, rudder and rigging were all washed away and it drifted to the coast of
Newfoundland covered with ice. It was finally discovered by a search party which
had been sent out from New York and was taken to that city by a tug.

  Young Haas was apprenticed to a tailor for three years in New York. Thence he
came to Allegan, Mich., but after a short stay there went back to New York and
in July, 1864, he enlisted in the Forty-first New York Infantry. He was mustered
in at Poughkeepsie, but was kept as a substitute on guard in department posts
and places until the close of the war. He was mustered out in New York in 1865
and remained there until January, 1866. He had attended the evening schools and
had become proficient in the use of the English language. In January, 1866, he
returned to Allegan, and on the 5th of May came to Flint and was engaged with
Mr. Ford until 1870, when he started a merchant tailoring establishment on
Saginaw street in the Fen ton Block. He suffered in the financial crash of 1875
but immediately afterward started anew and opened an establishment at the corner
of Saginaw and First Streets. In 1882 he moved to the Eddy Block, remaining
there until April, 1888, when he removed his parlors into the line new brick
block known as the Haas Block, which comprises two stories and a basement, being
22x70 feet in dimensions and heated by steam.

  Mr. Haas carries the finest stock of clothes suitable for gentlemen's wearing
apparel and the latest assortment of goods. His patronage is not confined to
this locality, for he has customers all over the State, and all work receives
his personal superintendence. About January, 1892, he purposes to open parlors
for the manufacture of ladies' coats, mantles and tailor-made dresses, there
being but one institution of that kind in the Saginaw valley,

  Mr. Haas was married in Detroit, July 28, 1890, to Miss Katie Flynn, a native
of New York State. Our subject with John Purney and James Williams, was the
promoter of the present paid fire department, which was at first a volunteer
company. Socially he belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, is also a
Mason, and is captain of the Uniformed Division of Ivanhoe Lodge, No. 21, K. of
P. Mr. Haas is one of the most prominent business men, outside of speculative
business, in this city. He is public-spirited and enterprising and it is with
pleasure that we chronicle his success in a financial way. He is an ardent
Republican in his political views. He has ever been identified with the public
interests of the city and several of the fine residences here have been built by
him.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892


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