Henry Machlett, 1854

Posted4U@Charter.net on Tue, 13 Feb 2001

Surname: MACHLETT, LAND, MEYER, COX

Source: History of Clark County, Wisconsin (1918), by Franklyn, Curtiss-Wedge


                 Henry Machlett and Family

HENRY MACHLETT, who with his sons, Fred and Benjamin, under the firm name of Machlett & Sons, is conducting a profitable hardware business in the village of Curtis, was born in Germany, Aug. 14, 1854, son of Fred and Dorothy (Land) Machlett. The family came to the United States in 1873, locating in Sheboygan County, Wis., where they lived three years. They then removed to Clark County, the father buying forty acres of land in Green Grove Township, one and a half miles south of Curtis. All the land had to be cleared, for which purpose he used oxen, first building a log cabin. Twenty-five years later he sold the place and moved to Curtis, where he died at the age of 81 years, his wife dying at the age of 87. Of their children the subject of this sketch is the only one now living. Henry Machlett did not remain with his parents after arriving in America, but followed the blacksmith's trade at Plymouth, Wis., and other places, having learned it in Germany. He came to Curtis in 1877, buying a farm in Hoard Township, which he cleared, residing on it until 1883. He then sold and moved to Curtis, where he worked at the blacksmith's trade twelve years.

In 1895 he started in the hardware business here, conducted in connection with his blacksmith shop, but two years later sold the blacksmith business and confined himself to his hardware trade. He also operated the Curtis Hotel from 1889 to about 1901. He has served two terms on the local school board.

On Sept. 20, 1876, Mr. Machlett married Margaret Meyer, of Sheboygan, Wis., who was born April 17, 1856. Both her parents are now deceased. Their family consisted of six children: Peter, now of Kiel, Wis.; Nicholas, of Ironton; Matthew, deceased; Margaret, now Mrs. Machlett; Katie, who resides in Holstein, and Joe, a resident of Sheboygan, Wis. Mr. and Mrs. Machlett have had six children and fourteen grandchildren, the children being: Bertha, wife of Will Mace; Fred, who is associated, with his father; Nicholas, deceased; Rosa, wife of 0. Cox, of Sheldon, Wis.; Annie, now deceased, who married A. Hopkins; and Benjamin, who is associated with his father. The grandchildren are thus distributed: Six are the children of Bertha, one of Fred, three of Nicholas, three of Rosa and one of Annie.