Biographies from The History of Columbia County,
Wisconsin, 1880 


Contributed by Carol carolann612@charter.net
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm


From The History of Columbia County, Wisconsin, 1880,
publ. by Western Historical Company, Chicago, Page
925-926

BENJAMIN SCHULZE was born June 9, 1801; in Taura,
Saxony, where, when he had reached a suitable age, he
was apprenticed to learn the art of butchering, the
mysteries of weaving, and the rudiments of music, all
from the same master; Mr. SCHULZE remembers having
seen, when he was 13 years old, Napoleon Bonaparte's
army as it passed through his native town en route to
Russia, and was soon afterward employed with the
Prussians in making fortifications for the purpose of
retaking Torgan, on the Elba - which place the French
had captured in 1810 - and was present during the
fight that followed, and saw the town set on fire; he
also witnessed the shooting by Russians of three
French soldiers for horse stealing, the victims being
placed upon the end of a lake, and pushed backward
into the water when killed; after finishing his
apprenticeship, he went to Schmannewitz, where he
engaged in his various avocations, applying himself
more particularly to the study of music.  Here it was
that he met and married Johanna Rosina WAGENKNECHT,
the matrimonial event taking place April 25, 1824;
Schunnewitz was the home of Mrs. SCHULZE's parents;
she was born Jan. 2, 1804, and also bore witness to
the French invasion; when the news was received that
the army was approaching, her father, who was a
farmer, collected his small flock of cattle and ran
them into the woods to save them from being carried
off by the advancing foe, while Johanna, then but 9
years of age, gathered together her younger brothers
and sisters, and marched them into the village of
Schmannewitz, where, a few days later, she heard the
roar of cannon in the historical battle of Leipsic. In
1830, Mr. SCHULZE removed to Tamenheim, a small Saxon
hamlet, and there engaged in hotel keeping in addition
to his three professions; in 1833, he went to
Sitzenroda, and purchased a farm and tavern for
$1,600, living there until 1850, when he came to
America, crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the sail-ship
"Amalia," and bringing with him his wife, eight sons
and one daughter, the eldest son, who was then 25
years of age, remaining in the fatherland, in the
service of the Emperor as bugler in one of the
national bands; the family arrived in Portage, by way
of Quebec, Buffalo and Milwaukee, July 28 of the same
year, stopping at the old Franklin House; a settlement
was soon after made on the east side of Silver Lake,
on a quarter section of land, which was soon placed
under cultivation; and here, for thirty years, they
have made their home; Mr. SCHULZE is 79 years of age,
and his wife but three years younger.  There have been
born to this now aged couple ten children as follows:
Frederick (now Secretary of a National Telegraph
bureau, in Bautzen, Saxony), born May 15, 1825;
Charles (drowned in the Mississippi River, April 17,
1865), born Aug. 20, 1829; Henry (now in Chicago),
born Nov. 13, 1831; Frank (died May 22, 1879), born
Jan. 14, 1833; Hermann (now living in Oregon), born
March 9, 1836; Ferdinand, born July 20, 1839;
Frederick W., born March 6, 1842; Samuel, born July
22, 1845; Minnie, born Feb. 17, 1847; Benjamin, born
Jan. 7, 1849. Mr. and Mrs. SCHULZE celebrated their
golden wedding April 25, 1874; the occasion being
appropriately observed; the famous SCHULTZE Band was,
of course, present, the old gentleman once more taking
part in the musical exercises; there were seven
children present; a very touching poem, fifty verses
in length, commemorative of the occasion, written by
the absent son in Germany, was read, also one of the
same length, composed by the family pastor, the Rev.
A. KLEIN, both were published in the Columbia County
Wecker; Mr. and Mrs. SCHULZE are apparently in as good
health as ever, and have not yet outlived their
usefulness.

Page 926

MRS. BARBARA SCHULZE, nee SCHWARTZ, widow of August
Frank SCHULZE; she was born May 1, 1840 in Wittenburg,
Germany; her deceased husband was born on the 14th of
January 1833, in Prussia; he came to the United States
in 1850, and settled in Portage, where he was for many
years a hardware merchant.  He was married Feb. 5,
1860, to the estimable lady who survives him.  From
early boyhood he was a member of "Schultze brass
band," organized by his father, and composed mainly of
the SCHULZE family.  He died on the 23d of May 1879;
they had eleven children, six of whom died in infancy;
the living are Louis, born Dec. 6, 1860; Oscar, born
Dec. 13, 1868; Herman H., born Nov. 12, 1872; August
Frank, born Feb. 2, 1875, and Samuel A., born Dec. 15,
1877.  All the children reside at home.  Louis is
salesman in the store in which Mrs. SCHULZE still
retains an interest . She has a small place of about
20 acres near Portage, and her pleasant home on corner
of Howard and De Witt streets.  Mrs. S. is a member of
the Evangelical Church, and so also was her husband.
He was a social gentleman and a good citizen.  The
family are all highly respected.

FERDINAND SCHULZE, the subject of this sketch, was
born in Saxony, Prussia, July 20, 1840; came to
America in 1850, and located at Portage, and spent his
time until 1861 on his father's farm; he then went
across the Plains to Nevada, and for five years was
engaged in mining and music business; returned to this
county in the spring of 1866, and occupied his time in
farming for two years in the town of Hampden, in this
county; then came to Portage, and engaged in the
mercantile business, which he has continued ever
since.  Mr. S. was married in Milwaukee March 2, 1880,
to Minnie A. DENT; she was born in St. Mary's Co.,
Md., near Washington, D.C.; is a daughter of Dr.
Walter Brewer and Margaret (FOWLER) DENT.  Mr. DENT
was born in Charles Co., Md.; he came to Milwaukee in
1852; returned to Maryland in 1854, and remained until
1859, when he again came to Milwaukee and came to
Portage in 1861; died July 31, 1867.  Mrs. DENT is a
native of Charlotte Hall, St. Mary's Co., Md.

FRIEDRICK W. SCHULZE, a native of Saxony, Prussia;
born March 6, 1842 and came to America with his
parents, Benjamin and Johanna R. SCHULZE, in 1850,
locating in the town of Portage, where they still
reside.  Mr. S.'s early life was spent on his father's
farm until the age of 21, then worked three years at
the carpenter and joiner's trade, when he went to
California, spending five years there.  From 1863 to
1867, while in California, his whole attention was
devoted to instrumental music and the composing of
music; returned to Portage in 1867; he was a member of
the firm of SCHUMACHER, SCHULZE & Bro., for a few
years; then, in 1873, for about ten months, he carried
on mercantile business at Minneapolis, Minn.;
afterward returned to Portage and engaged in banking
business, which he has continued ever since.  Married
in Portage, Aug. 9, 1872, to Miss Margaret A. HAERTEL;
she was born at Portage; they have three children -
Clara, Anna and Carl.  Mr. and Mrs. S. are members of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and Mr. S. is a
member of the A.F. & A.M.

LOUIS SCHULTZ was born in Portage Sept. 25, 1856, son
of Christian and Maggie SCHULTZ, both residents of
Portage; engaged in surveying, etc., on government
improvements from 1871 to September 1878, running
engine in connection with the river improvements and
Wisconsin River steamboats; engineer in HAERTEL's
brewery since September 1878.  Mr. S. was married in
Madison, Wis., Dec. 25, 1878, to Mary UPHOFF; they
have one child - Carrie Dora.  He is a member of the
Hook and Ladder Co.

Submitted by Carol