FRANCIS G. KLINE - Biography

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This biography appears on page 644 in History of Racine and Kenosha Counties, Wisconsin...
published by the Western Historical Co.: 1879.

FRANCIS G. KLINE, merchant and manufacturer, Burlington; born in St.
John, near Strasburg, Germany, in 1833; he came to Pottsville, Penn., in
1841, and remained there, working at his trade of blacksmith till 1856,
when he came to Racine city, and went to work for Skinner - in 1858, he
co menced work for J. I. Case, and, when Mr. Case took in his first
partner, he placed Mr. Kline in charge of the blacksmith department as
foreman, where he remained till 1868; came to Burlington, and entered
into partnership with Hubert Wagner, in the machine-shop; they dissolved
in 1870 Mr. Kline selling out his interest, and formed another
partnership with Mr. Frank McCumber, as manufacturers and dealers in
agricultural machinery; they afterward took in another partner, Mr.
Charles Leber, and continued business together till February, 1878, when
Mr. Kline bought out Frank McCumber's interest, and now owns two-thirds
interest in the business, and Mr. Leber the balance; they manufacture
and carry a large stock of standard and popular plows, wagons,
cultivators, buggies, etc., etc. He married, in Burlington in 1862, Mary
Ann Prasch; has had twelve children, three now dead- Barbara C., Mary
J., Adelaide F., Francis X., Philip J., Ellenora B., Lucia C., Otto G.
and Clara are living at home with parents. Mr. K. resides with his
mother-in-law, in a brick residence opposite the Catholic Church. He was
elected Supervisor in 1875, and again in 1879, and was also Secretary of
the Catholic School Board for four years. His father and mother came to
Racine in 1856, where they remained till 1866, when they moved to
Burlington; he is a shoemaker by trade, and owns the residence (a stone
building) adjoining that where his son Francis lives; they had five
children, all living- Francis G., John J., Elizabeth, Mary Ann, and
Peter B.