C. Buechler Biography This biography appears on pages 1222-1224 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. C. BUECHLER was born in southern Russia, on April 13, 1843, being a son of Jacob and Barbara (Krauter) Buechler, of whose thirteen children only four are now living Michael, a resident of Walworth county, this state; Barbara, the wife of Jacob Eissenbeiss; Joseph, who still remains in southern Russia; and the subject of this sketch. The father was born in France and the mother in Germany. As a young man the former left his native land to escape military service, making his way to southern Russia, where he met and married his wife. He there engaged in agricultural pursuits, in which he continued until his death, in 1866. His widow came to Freeman, South Dakota, in 1875, and resided in the home of our subject until she too was summoned into eternal rest, her death occurring in 1888. C. Buechler was reared on the homestead farm and after completing the curriculum of the common schools of his native land he entered Schritel College, at Odessa, Russia, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1865. In the following year he began teaching in a parochial school, thus continuing to be engaged until 1873, when he severed the ties which bound him to home and native land and emigrated to the United States. He came forthwith to the territory of Dakota, arriving in its capital city, Yankton, on the 1st of August. He worked one month in a lumber yard, and in the spring of the following year engaged in business for himself by opening a small grocery in Yankton. He succeeded in building up a good trade and became the owner of a house and lot in the city. In February, 1880, he removed his grocery stock to the present town of Freeman, and being unable to sell his house for a reasonable price, he showed his ingenuity and independence by having the same removed to the new town. He employed a carpenter to dismantle the building and at an expense of only eighty-five dollars removed it to Freeman, and three weeks later it was once more ready for occupancy, being used both as a store and residence. At this time Freeman was represented only by the little railroad station and one warehouse, our subject's store building being the only other structure in the embryonic village. He and his wife experienced no little loneliness on account of having no neighbors, and made an earnest effort to induce other families to settle in the town. A short time later George and John Schamber, brothers, made to Mr. Buechler a proposition to purchase his store and business on the condition that he remain in the town and engage in some other line of enterprise. After due consideration he accepted their overtures, selling his building to them for fifteen hundred dollars. Twenty years later he repurchased the building from the Schamber brothers, who had erected a modern brick building, for the nominal consideration of two hundred and twenty-five dollars, while he recently sold his house and lot for twenty-five hundred dollars, said building being now the oldest in the town. These transactions indicate the changes which have been brought about here in the lapse of years. After disposing of his store Mr. Buechler engaged in the agricultural implement business, and during the Years 1880 and 1881 he shipped in carload after carload of cattle, from Wisconsin and Iowa and Minnesota, thus giving a great impetus to the stock industry in this locality. In 1883 he erected a hotel building and conducted the business there until 1888. In the preceding year, 1887, he established the Bank of Freeman, and the institution has become one of the substantial and popular ones of the state. In February, 1902, the business was incorporated, with Mr. Buechler as president and his son Henry C. as cashier, while our subject's wife is vice-president. In 1894 Mr. Buechler engaged in the mercantile business, in which he continued until 1901, when he disposed of his interests in this line. In 1902 he established a bank at Java, Walworth county, and this is meeting with excellent support, being in charge of his son, Henry C. In 1896 Mr. Buechler purchased the grist mills of Freeman, and these he has since continued to operate, while he also owns a well-equipped elevator here and buys and ships grain upon a quite extensive scale. He is the owner of valuable farming lands in Hutchinson county, and also in Virginia and Christian county, Florida. In politics Mr. Buechler gives his allegiance to the Republican party, and while a resident of Yankton he served two terms as a member of the board of aldermen. In 1885 he was a member of the constitutional convention, as was also he of that of 1889, which framed the present admirable constitution of the state. He was a representative of his county in the first and second general assemblies of the legislature of the new state— in 1890 and 1891, giving most excellent service during these important sessions. In 1896 he was elected treasurer of Hutchinson county, being chosen as his own successor in 1898, and thus serving four consecutive years. He has also been called upon to serve in various village offices. He and his wife are members of the German Reformed church, and he is at the present time a member of the board of trustees of the church in Freeman. On the 19th of February, 1867, Mr. Buechler was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Zumbaum, who is, like himself, a native of southern Russia, where their union was solemnized. Of their live children three are now living: Maria, who is the wife of G. J. Dabler, of Kulm, Lamore county, North Dakota; August S., who is a student in the Barnes Medical College, in St. Louis, Missouri; and Henry C., who is in charge of his father's bank at Java.