Henry Widmann Biography


	This biography appears on page 1145 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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				HENRY WIDMANN. 

	Henry Widmann, proprietor of a hardware store at Britton, was 
born in Lowell, Dodge county, Wisconsin, November 23, 1865, a son of 
John Conrad and Margaret (Wanner) Widmann, who were natives of 
Wittenburg, Germany, and in 1841 came to the United States, settling in 
Dane county Wisconsin. The father was a butcher by trade and followed 
that business at Beaver Dam and at Lowell. He afterward took up his 
abode in Madison, Wisconsin. He was not in straightened financial 
circumstances when he came to the new world but brought with him a fair 
capital and accumulated a goodly estate here. In politics he was a 
democrat and both he and his wife were members of the Lutheran church. 
They had a family of eleven children but only two are now living, the 
elder being John G. Widmann, who is living at Prairie du Chien, 
Wisconsin. 

	The younger, Henry Widmann, pursued his education at Madison, 
Wisconsin, where he completed the work of the eighth grade in the 
public schools. Later he was connected with the drug business at 
Kendall, Wisconsin, where he built up a good trade. Subsequently he 
engaged in railroading for six months as a brakeman and in 1886 he 
arrived in Langford, South Dakota, where he followed carpentering and 
also did tin work, assisting materially in the early building of the 
town. He learned the trades of a tinner and sheet metal worker in 
Milwaukee and is a splendid mechanic. In 1889 he arrived in Britton, 
where he was employed in the hardware store of S. S. Lawrence for six 
years. He then bought out the hardware business of S. A. Bell and has 
since conducted his store, carrying a large and well selected line of 
both shelf and heavy hardware. His reasonable prices, straightforward 
dealing and earnest desire to please his customers are the qualities 
which have brought to him substantial and growing success. This enables 
him to take life somewhat easy and he teas traveled quite extensively 
over the United States. He owns a farm near Jacksonville, Florida, but 
devotes the greater part of his attention to mercantile pursuits. 

	On the 18th of June, 1906, Mr. Widmann was united in marriage to 
Miss Johanna Helseth, a native of Norway, and a daughter of Jacob 
Helseth, who was a miner of Norway and passed away in that country. Our 
subject and his wife have one child, Bernice Henrietta, who is now 
eight years of age. 

	Mrs. Widmann and her daughter are members of the Lutheran church, 
and Mr. Widmann belongs to the Elks lodge at Aberdeen. His political 
endorsement is given to the republican party, but while well informed 
on the questions and issues of the day, he has never been an office 
seeker. In 1907 he erected a beautiful residence at Britton, having one 
of the best homes in the town, and its warm-hearted hospitality is 
greatly appreciated by the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Widmann, who 
entertain for them warm regard and who accord them a prominent position 
in local social circles.