Paul Wildermuth Biography


	This biography appears on pages 926-927 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	CORRECTIONS AND ADDITIONS This section was not part 
	of the original record shown below. The original 
	information is presented as published. The following
	corrections can be made:

	"Bassirabia" should be "Bessarabia" -- J. Fisher

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	PAUL WILDERMUTH, one of the leading merchants and influential 
citizens of the town of Tripp, Hutchinson county, was born in the state 
of Bassirabia, in southern Russia, on the 28th of June, 1862, a son of 
Karl and Rosa (Isler) Wildermuth, of whose six children we enter the 
following record: Frederick still continues to reside in southern 
Russia; Paul is the immediate subject of this sketch; Karl is a clerk 
in the mercantile establishment of the subject; Jacob remains in his 
native land; Christiana is the wife of Mathis Geigle, of Tripp, this 
state, and Gotlob is still a resident of Russia. The father of the 
subject was born in Germany, and when he was a lad of eight years he 
accompanied his parents on their removal across the border into 
southern Russia, where he was reared to manhood, having devoted his 
life to agricultural pursuits, and he and his worthy wife still reside 
in Russia, honored as folk of sterling character. Paul Wildermuth 
passed his youth on the homestead farm and received his early education 
in the excellent schools of his native land. On the 6th of November, 
~884, he was united in marriage to Miss Magdalena Gebhard, and on the 
same day they set forth for America, fortified by mutual confidence and 
affection and determined to wrest fortune from the hands of fate, even 
though strangers in a strange land. They came at once to what is now 
the state of South Dakota and located in Campbell county, where Mr. 
Wildermuth took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres of 
government land. The young couple continued to reside on this embryonic 
farm for two years, proving on the property in due course of time. Our 
subject then sold the farm and in the spring of 1887 he came to Tripp, 
which was then a hamlet of only a few houses, and his is now the 
distinction of, being one of the oldest citizens of the town in point 
of years of residence. Upon locating here he engaged in work at the 
carpenter trade, having served an apprenticeship in his native land, 
and he devoted his attention to the same about six years. He then 
engaged in the grain business, buying for the Hunting Company. In 1896 
he purchased an elevator and began buying and shipping on his own 
responsibility, thus continuing until the fall of 1899, when he 
disposed of his elevator and associated himself with C. C. Frederick in 
the purchase of the old established mercantile business of C. 
Frederick, one of the pioneer merchants of Tripp. About two years later 
F. F. Myer purchased the interest of Mr. Frederick, and the enterprise 
was thereafter conducted under the firm name of Meyer & Wildermuth 
until February, 1903, when Mr. Meyer sold his interest to J. M. 
Schaefer, with whom our subject has since been associated, under the 
firm name of Schaefer & Wildermuth. The firm has a well equipped 
establishment and transacts a large and constantly expanding business, 
theirs being one of the leading mercantile concerns in this section of 
the state. 

	In politics Mr. Wildermuth is a stalwart Republican and he has 
served repeatedly as delegate to state and county conventions of his 
party, being one of its influential members in this district. In 1898 
he was elected to represent his county in the state legislature, 
serving during the sixth general assembly and making an excellent 
record. He and his wife are prominent and devoted members of the 
Lutheran church and are closely identified with the best social life of 
the community. They have nine children, all of whom still remain at the 
parental home, namely: Rosa, Lena, Robert and Richard (twins), Bertie, 
Emil, Otto, William and Herhert.