Jacob Schaetzel, Jr. Biography


	This biography appears on pages 675-677 in "History of Dakota Territory" 
	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				JACOB SCHAETZEL, JR.

	By his life's labors Jacob Schaetzel, Jr., has contributed much 
toward the development of Sioux Falls, serving as its first mayor in 
1882-3-4. He is today president of the Irene State Bank, of Irene, Clay 
county, South Dakota, an institution of safe and sound principle.

	Mr. Schaetzel was born on a farm in Washington county, Wisconsin, 
May 16, 1850, a son of Jacob and Katherine (Kissinger) Schaetzel, both 
of whom were born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. The father's birth 
occurred in 1825 and he came with his parents in 1840 to America, the 
family making their way to Washington county, Wisconsin, soon after 
their arrival. In 1868 he located in Freeport, Illinois, where he 
passed away October 29, 1900 lacking only six days of being seventy-six 
years of age. His wife passed away in Freeport, November 14, 1886. The 
father, who was an agriculturist and miller by occupation, attained 
prosperity by close application and thorough methods, and was well and 
favorably known in the neighborhood in which he resided. In his family 
were eight children. 

	Jacob Schaetzel, Jr., attended country school in Washington 
county and rounded out his education with a course at Lawrence 
University in Appleton, Wisconsin. He left that institution in June, 
1868, joining his parents, who then lived near Freeport, Illinois, and 
he remained upon the farm for five months. He then secured employment 
as a clerk in a general merchandise store in Freeport, where he 
remained for a period of six years, gaining practical and valuable 
knowledge along commercial lines. In September, 1875, he came to Sioux 
Falls, South Dakota, but shortly afterward returned to his home in 
Illinois. However, he was favorably impressed with the opportunities 
which the young village of two hundred and fifty people offered, and in 
March, 1876, returned to make his permanent residence here. He is 
therefore one of the early pioneers of Sioux Falls and his active 
career is closely intertwined with its history of advancement. For a 
few years Mr. Schaetzel gave attention to the real-estate and insurance 
business and also engaged in shipping horses. For a time he conducted a 
livery and sale stable in Sioux Falls and has gradually become 
connected with a number of important business enterprises. He also owns 
valuable property and is a stockholder in a number of industries and 
financial concerns. Among other interests with which he is connected is 
the Irene State Bank, of Irene, South Dakota, of which he is president. 
He has shown himself able in all situations and impeccable in all 
business deals. While he has made his way to the fore he has always 
been considerate of the interests of others and has been a real builder 
of success, whose path to fortune has not been strewn with the wreck of 
others. He has not only built for himself but for the greatness of this 
state and for generations which now enjoy such prosperous conditions as 
he has helped to make possible. 

	The political history of Mr. Schaetzel is a chapter by itself. He 
is a republican- and that a republican Simon-pure. He does not belong 
to any of the fringes of the republican party but as a straight 
republican has always supported the principles and candidates of his 
party. He has done much toward raising the prestige of that 
organization in Minnehaha county. It was in 1881, upon the death of 
Thomas Cochran, who had been the incumbent of the office, that Mr. 
Schaetzel was elected president of the village council of Sioux Falls 
and instanter gave evidence of his progressive ideas and his initiative 
by vigorously agitating the question of securing a charter for the 
city. He call d a meeting of the citizens and in the autumn of that 
year definite steps were taken toward the accomplishment of the desired 
end. A city charter was drafted and other preliminary work was 
accomplished. The president of the village board then presented his 
claims to the legislature and a bill authorizing the incorporation was 
duly passed. At the first general election in 1882 Mr. Schaetzel was 
chosen the first mayor of the city, receiving a most gratifying support 
and continuing in office for two years. Many initiatory laws had to be 
passed and Mr. Schaetzel had much to do in forming them. It may be said 
that his administration made the life of the young city prosperous from 
the beginning. He carefully brought together antagonizing interests and 
succeeded in his effort to make the beginning of the new city a period 
auguring well for the future. The salary attached to his office was one 
dollar a year and the warrant for his first year's remuneration has 
never been cashed, it being confiscated by his friends who had it 
framed that he might keep it as a memento of his first year of 
successful city government. The warrant for the second year's salary, 
one dollar, was suitably engraved and is now in Mr. Schaetzel's 
possession. In the next year, 1884, his constituents presented him with 
a handsome gold watch, chain and charm, suitably engraved, as being a 
gift from "the boys." Mr. Schaetzel served as county commissioner from 
the fifth district during 1893-4-5, and was an influential member of 
the board. He was for four years a member of the penitentiary board and 
did valuable work in that connection. In feet he has ever been loyal in 
his support of measures and undertakings to promote the best interests 
of the state and city. 

	On September 7, 1871, in Washington county, Wisconsin, Mr. 
Schaetzel wedded Miss Catharine Brenner, who was born and grew to 
womanhood in that county. She is a daughter of Peter and Christina 
(Kissinger) Brenner. Mr. and Mrs. Schaetzel are the parents of two 
children: Marie E., who is the wife of E D. Skillman, cashier of The 
State Bank of Irene, South Dakota; and William A., the president of the 
Union County Bank, at Elk Point, South Dakota. 

	Mr. and Mrs. Schaetzel attend the Evangelical Lutheran church. 
Fraternally he is affiliated with the Masonic order, being a member of 
the lodge and chapter. For over thirty-eight years Mr. Schaetzel has 
been a resident of Sioux Falls and has proven himself in those long 
years a man of truly public spirit. He has given as much effort toward 
promoting the general welfare as he has to securing a competence, and 
there are few residents living today who have more disinterestedly 
rendered their service. In the history of Minnehaha county and Sioux 
Falls he should be given a place of honor, and the respect, confidence 
and veneration which he enjoys are but a slight token of the 
appreciation of a mall of unselfish citizenship- a man of the west who 
has worked for the growing prosperity of the west unselfishly and with 
results that show themselves in comfortable and far-advanced conditions 
of civilization.