----Source: 1918 History of Clark County, Wisconsin


Herman Carl and Family

HERMAN CARL, a well known farmer and popular citizen of Clark County, now residing in the village of Neillsville, was born in Pommern, Germany, Nov. 25, 1864, a son of Gustaf and Johanna (Gumz) Carl, who were natives of the same province. The father, born in 1838, was a carpenter and contractor, which vocation he followed all his life. He died in 1911 at the age of 73 years. His wife, born in 1843, is still living in Germany. They were the parents of six children: Herman, Augusta, Ernest, William, Bertha and Anna. Herman, subject of this sketch, was the eldest of the family, and was the only one that came to America.

He was educated in the public schools of Germany, and, like his father and grandfather before him, learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed in Germany until 1883. In September of that year he came to the United States, locating in the city of Chicago, where he followed his trade until July 22, 1887. In that month he came to Clark County, Wisconsin, locating in Granton, where he followed carpenter work and contracting during the summer months, working in lumber camps during the winter. 

In 1890 he purchased a tract of forty acres in section 4, Pine Valley Township, on which stood an old log shanty, 12 by 16 feet in size, and an old log barn, these being, all the improvements on the place. Into the shanty he and his good wife moved with their two children, Gustaf and Alfred. Mr. Carl at once set to work, beginning the arduous labor of clearing, grubbing and developing the tract into a farm. He also followed carpentering and contracting, erecting many of the farm houses and barns throughout the vicinity. These occupations he kept up for about ten or twelve years.

As the years passed the Carl family prospered and in time the place became well improved and increased in acreage, until it now contains 167 acres, and is considered one of the best farms in Pine Valley Township. Mr. Carl erected a fine dwelling-house of thirteen rooms, a large and commodious barn, 36 by 72 feet, a silo 14 by 33 feet, also a large machine-shed and granary combined, with basement, and two stories above, the basement and first floor being used for housing his machinery, while the upper story is the granary. Aside from this he has a number of small out-buildings for the housing of his swine, fowl and small stock. Mr. Carl always reared good stock, as well as the usual crops, and became one of the prosperous and representative men of his township.

In public life he served seven years as clerk of his school district, and did efficient work for five years as township treasurer. He was also for one year a member of the board of supervisors, and has served three times as juryman. He is a member and director of the Farmers' Co-operative Elevator Lumber Co. of Neillsville, and a stockholder in the First National Bank. of Neillsville, the Neillsville Butter Co., the Neillsville Canning Co., and the Wausau Packing Co. He is also a member of the Lynn Fire Insurance Co., and has done good work as agent for this company in this section. In 1917 Mr. Carl moved to Neillsville, purchasing a comfortable home. He still retains the farm in Pine Valley Township. Being of an active nature, he did not come to town to remain idle, but industriously follows his trade and other vocations.

On April 16, 1886, at Chicago, Ill., Mr. Carl was united in marriage to Martha Elizabeth Martin, daughter of Johannas and Anna Elizabeth (Ohlwein) Martin. Mrs. Carl was born in Germany, Dec. 17, 1866, and came to America with her parents in April, 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Carl are the parents of eight children, all of whom are living: Gustaf, born Jan. 1, 1888, now a member of the machine gun squad at Camp MacArthur, Waco, Tex. Alfred, born Feb. 10, 1890, who rents and conducts the old farm in Pine Valley Township, and who, on April 16, 1917, was married to Clara Weiting Arthur, born Nov. 18, 1892, who following the family tradition, is a carpenter in Neillsville Ervin, born Sept. 18, 1895, who is a wagon-maker and blacksmith, of Neillsville William, born Aug. 31, 1897 Harry, born Aug. 2, 1899 Ernest, born June 12, 1901 and Elizabeth, born July 28, 1906. Religiously Mr. Carl and his family are affiliated with the German Lutheran Church.