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Hamburg, Township of

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Author:
Mary Moltzan

Location:
T. 30 N. - R. 5 E.

Formallized:
February 10, 1876

Background:

Population: 1905-942, 2000-910

On February 10, 1876, Hamburg was set off from the town of Berlin and consisted of T. 30 - R. 3,4&5. On November 15, 1883, it was further divided and achieved its present size. The area was settled mainly by German emigrants from Pomerania.

First Public Official:
Carl Kleinschmidt

Biography:

Chairman

Post Office Established:
May 6, 1879

First Postmaster:
Bernhard Heneman

About The Post Office:

Originally called Hamburgh, the name was changed to Hamburg on June 19, 1893. The P.O. was discontinued on September 22, 1989 with service from Athens.

Barney P.O. was established on March 23, 1894 with Charles F. Baneck as postmaster. Located in the SE 1/4 of Section 8, the P.O. was discontinued on August 31, 1904 with service from Hamburg.

Churches:

1. St. Paul's German Evangelical Lutheran Church

2. St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church

3. St. John's German Evangelical Lutheran Church -organized in 1867 and services held in the first school.  built in 1893 

4. Salem German Evangelical Lutheran Church

Schools:

1. District #1, Maple Grove School, Section 12 - According to one source, the first school was built in 1870.  This building served  until 1903 when a frame school was built across the road, the present location of the Maple Grove School.

2. District #2, LaFollette School, Section 25

3. District #3, Blaney School, Section 8

4. District #4, Thayer School, Section 32

5. Joint District #3 W/Lincoln County, Section 6

Business:

Prochnow's Bar and Ballroom

Emmerich Saloon

Der Gefluegel-Zuechter Publishing Company - established in 1888 by Henry Voigt, this company published the only German language poultry journal in the U. S.

Industry:

Sawmills - one was the Gust Waehrlich Sawmill and Landing

Cheese factories - Hamburg had five cheese factories in the early 1900's:  Hitzke Factory, Kubitz Factory, Farmer Factory,  Hamburg Cheese Factory, and possibly, the Honey Bee Cheese Factory

Cheese box factory

Feed mill 

Lath & planing mill

Ament's Brickyard

 

 

 

 

 

Farming:

Fromm's Fur Farm & Ginseng Gardens - the first Ginseng gardens were planted in 1902. The first fox yards (six pens) were set up in 1908. The Fromm brothers were instrumental in developing Marathon County into the "fox producing capitol of the world" in the 1940's and into the major ginseng producer of the 1900's.

Family farms - The farm family worked hard.  After land was cleared, they gathered the timber into burning piles.  The seeds were harrowed in among the stumps which were a long time decaying.  Much labor was required to tend the necessary potatoes and other vegetables and wheat.  The large families supplied the labor.  The first of livestock, ox, food and feed was raised on the home farm.

They had to grow and preserve all their food for the long, cold winters.  Very early, clothing was homespun and wool was spun on the spinning wheel.  Yarn was dyed and knitted into warm socks, caps and mittens.  Mattresses were filled with straw, and wollen quilts kept them warm on cold nights.  The homes were not built too warmly.  The wood burning stove was used for cooking meals and heating their homes.  Tallow was saved, and soap was made in early spring in a large black kettle on an outdoor fire.  Kerosene lamps and lanterns were used for lighting their homes and barns.

Butter was a product which added to the income.  Growth of this beginning industry was aided by establishing cheese factories and a creamery.

Stories:

It was springtime in Hamburg in 1883. A young man from West Bend came north to call on a young lady he remembered from a party in Milwaukee.  On July 18th, 1883, Wilhelmina Nieman and Fred Fromm were married.  Her father, Joachim Nieman, gave the bride and groom a quarter section of land for a wedding gift.  This farm was later to become the famous Fromm Fur and Ginseng Ranch.