Henry Schaller Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 669-670

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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HENRY SCHALLER, tonsorial artist and public-spirited citizen of Huron, 
South Dakota, has proved by his many years of worthy citizenship and 
service to his community his claim to a prominent place in the record 
of South Dakota leading and representative local men. 

Henry Schaller is a native of Alsace, Germany- born February 26, 1853, 
while that province was under the dominion of France, though his 
parents were German people. His father, Christian Schaller, was a 
wagon-maker, and his mother bore the maiden name of Barbara Beyel. In 
1895 this worthy couple were presented to the German Emperor as the 
oldest married couple in the empire, it being the occasion of the 
sixty-sixth anniversary of their marriage. The father died shortly 
afterward at the age of ninety-six years. The mother is still living, 
at the age of eighty-seven, in Woerth, Germany. 

In his youth our subject went to Strassburg and learned the trade of 
sausage maker, and was there in 1870 during the siege of that city, and 
he has not forgotten the flavor of horseflesh to which the starving 
populace were compelled to resort before the siege was ended by the 
surrender of the city. Shortly after the German army took possession of 
the city our subject started for America. On arrival in this country he 
worked a short time in Buffalo, New York, and then went to Dubuque, 
Iowa, where he learned the business he now follows. He then located in 
Webster City, Iowa, and from that place he went to Huron, South Dakota, 
in 1881. He took a homestead near the city and farmed for one season, 
and then purchased a half-interest fin the barber shop of Mr. 
Ritschlag. His partner still resides in Huron and is a taxidermist of 
learning and skill. He and our subject made a collection of animals 
native to South Dakota, displaying much knowledge and care in the 
collecting and skill in the mounting of the specimens. The result is 
that the shop of our subject exhibits the most complete collection to 
be found in the state, of animals native to South Dakota, -mineral 
specimens, polished horns and articles of Indian art. Among them a pair 
of alligators is found, and they have become the pets of the public and 
are the recipients of much attention from strangers. The entire 
collection, together with the shop, was purchased by Mr. Schaller in 
1898. The collection is valued at two thousand dollars. 

Mr. Schaller has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Mettie 
Ramharter, to whom he was married in 1876. Her death occurred in 1893. 
She was the mother of three children, named as follows: Harry, to whom 
his father has given a half interest in the shop; Mollie, now Mrs. W. 
Cook; and Hazel. In 1895 our subject was married to Miss Augusta Klatt. 
To this union one son has been born, upon whom they have bestowed the 
name of Frederick. 

In politics Mr. Schaller is non-partisan, though favoring many of the 
principles of the Populist party. He favors high license of the liquor 
traffic, and is an anti-suffragist. He takes an active interest in 
local public affairs, and through the efforts of himself and another 
private citizen in the courts the city water works were recovered from 
sale. He represents the fourth ward in the city council, and takes a 
leading part in all measures pertaining to the welfare of the city. Few 
men have done as much for Huron, and few enjoy the degree of esteem 
that has fallen to the lot of our subject. He holds membership in the 
I. O. O. F., the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Knights of 
Pythias.