Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Vogtel, Charles 1867 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 23, 2014, 1:02 am Source: See Below Author: L. A. Fritsche CHARLES VOGTEL. Charles Vogtel, secretary and general manager of the Eagle Roller Mill Company at New Ulm, this county, one of the greatest flour-mills in the United States, is a native of Germany, having been born near the important fortified town of Erfurt, on the Gera, in Prussian Saxony, May 4, 1867, son of Charles and Amalia Vogtel, natives of that same state, who later came to the United States and settled in New Ulm, where their last days were spent. The elder Charles Vogtel was a sheep-herder in his native land and in 1870, attracted by the good reports sent back by the German colonists who had settled in this part of Minnesota, he and his family came to America, proceeding directly to New Ulm, where they established their new home. Mr. Vogtel engaged in teaming and became an active and useful citizen. He died in 1886, being then sixty-two years of age, and his widow survived until 1901, she being sixty-six years of age at the time of her death. Both were earnest members of the Lutheran church and their children were reared in that faith. There are five of these children, all still living, as follows: Herman, of New Ulm; Amalia, who married John Hoffman, of Lafayette township, in the neighboring county of Nicollet; Mary, wife of Charles Stoll, of New Ulm: Charles, the immediate subject of this biographical sketch, and Emma, wife of Herman Kiesling, of Minneapolis, this state. Charles Vogtel was three years old when his parents settled in New Ulm in 1870 and he grew to manhood there. Upon completing the course in the local schools he took a comprehensive course in a business college at St. Paul, after which he was for a year engaged as a clerk in a store at New Ulm. He then went to St. Paul and for five years was employed as a mercantile clerk there. At the end of that time he was employed as a bookkeeper by the Swan Lake Milling Company at Nicollet and was thus engaged for four years, or until that mill was destroyed by fire. He then returned to New Ulm and entered the employ of the Eagle Roller Mill Company as a bookkeeper and has been connected with that great industrial concern ever since. In 1894 Mr. Vogtel was promoted to the position of assistant secretary of the Eagle Roller Mill Company, and in 1900 was advanced to the position of secretary of the company, to which responsible duties were added in 1912 those of general manager of the company's enormous interests, which important position he has since held, being thus one of the most influential men of affairs in Minnesota. Mr. Vogtel is one of the best-known millers in the United States and is held in the very highest regard among the leaders of the milling business all over the country. He is one of the directors of the American Millers' National Federation and his sagacious counsels in the deliberations of that body possess much weight. Mr. Vogtel is also president of the Marshall Milling Company of Marshall, this state; vice-president of the Citizens State Bank of New Ulm and vice-president of the State Bond and Mortgage Company of the same city. Politically, he gives allegiance to the Republican party and is a valuable member of the New Ulm city park board. The great Eagle mill at New Ulm was established in pioneer days. During the siege of 1862, the original mill was destroyed by the Indians, whose incendiary torches caused the destruction of so much valuable property hereabout. After the close of the Indian war the mill was rebuilt and has gradually grown, with the passing of the years, until it now has a daily capacity of six thousand barrels of flour, with a storage capacity of two million six hundred thousand bushels of grain, including the country branch houses. The product of the mill is shipped to all parts of the United States and Europe, the superior quality of the flour causing it to be in great demand. Three hundred and fifty persons are employed by the Eagle Roller Mill Company and the huge establishment is by long odds the chief industry of New Ulm. On December 18, 1890, Charles Vogtel was united in marriage to Ida Freitag, who was born at Nicollet, in the neighboring county of Nicollet, daughter of Albert Freitag and wife, the latter of whom was a Meyer, natives of the province of Posen, in Germany, and early settlers in this section of Minnesota. To Albert Freitag and wife four children were born, Albert, Paul, Anna and Ida. The mother of these children died at Nicollet in 1874 and Mr. Freitag married again, to which second union four children were born, Emil, Bertha, Otto and William. Mr. Freitag is now living in Max, North Dakota. To Charles and Ida (Freitag) Vogtel two children have been born, sons both, Melvin, who is a student in a medical college at Chicago, and Harold, who is a student in Chicago University. Mr. and Mrs. Vogtel take an active part in the various social and cultural activities of their home town and are held in high esteem throughout the whole community. Mr. Vogtel is a member of Charity Lodge No. 98, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at New Ulm; of New Ulm Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, and of DeMolay Commandery No. 26, Knights Templar, in the affairs of which several important departments of Freemasonry he takes a warm interest. By virtue of his extensive business connections he naturally occupies a high position in the general commercial life of this section and is held in very high regard by his business associates generally. Additional Comments: Extracted from: HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY MINNESOTA ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS L. A. FRITSCHE. M. D. Editor With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records of Many of the Old Families VOLUME II B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/brown/bios/vogtel353gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 6.4 Kb