Bio: Reichenbach, Bruno E. (1852 - 1915)

Contact: Stan.

Surnames: Reichenbach, Reschka

----Source: History of Wood County, Wis. (1923) pages 559-560

Bruno E. Reichenbach was a citizen of Wood County who during the time that he resided here, a period of 11 years, from 1904 until his death in 1915, made a notable record along the lines of agricultural improvement-a record that has since been taken up and continued by his wife and sons. He was born in Dresden, Germany, March 19, 1852, his father being chief of the Dresden city police force. Until reaching the age of 14 or 15 he attended parochial school; while out of school he spent his time in learning the butcher's trade, at which he worked in Dresden until 1883, when he emigrated to the United States. Landing in New York in October, a young man of 31, he proceeded west to Chicago, where he entered the employ of the Nelson, Morris Packing Co., at the stock yards, as a meat cutter. With that concern he remained four years, or until the spring of 1888, when he changed his occupation, moving onto a small truck farm six miles out of Chicago, which he operated for six years with a satisfactory degree of success. His six years on that farm had added practical experience to his theoretical knowledge of the principles of agriculture and had also taught him how to make a business success of it, and he resolved to apply this knowledge on a larger scale. Still he must not pay too much for his land, and as it was dear in the vicinity of Chicago, he sought another location presenting favorable conditions, and, having found it in Wood County, Wis., in the spring of 1904 he bought 140 acres of wild land here, 100 of which lay in Arpin Township and the other 40 in Auburndale Township, the tract being four miles north of Arpin village. As there were no buildings on it, he erected a small farm house, 16 by 24 feet, and moved in with his family, who, while it was in process of construction, had resided at the home of near-by settlers. Mr. Reichenbach was confronted with a good-sized task, but he had a large capacity for work, and he at once attacked it. During the first season he cleared and stumped 40 acres and had it ready for the plow. To one of the pioneer settlers in the county such a feat would have seemed like magic, and would have occupied him many years, but Mr. Reichenbach had the advantages of modern machinery and appliances and knew the value of time; therefore his preparatory work was put through with a rush. Moreover, in the same season he built a frame barn, 20 by 24 feet, to afford shelter to his horse team and six cows which he had brought with him from Chicago; he also erected a hay shed 18 by 64 feet. During the winter of 1904-05 he kept equally busy. He built a dairy barn, for which he furnished the lumber himself by cutting the logs and hauling them to the sawmill, and he also cut and delivered at Arpin 248 cords of pulp wood. By 1906 he had cleared and stumped another 20 acres of land, and in that year he also built a frame dairy barn, 44 by 84 by 14 feet, with a full stone basement of eight feet; also a frame granary, which is now a well equipped milk house. In 1907 Mr. Reichenbach enlarged his dairy interests, buying four dairy cows and 15 dairy calves, the latter of which grew to be milch cows, and he also built a good poultry house, in which his wife and daughter raised 600 fowls. In the winter of 1907-08 he cut and hauled logs to the sawmill to get the lumber for a two-story addition to his house, which was erected in the fall of the following year, 1908, with an eight-foot cellar under the whole. In 1908 a second poultry house, with a capacity for 800 fowls was built, and in 1910 a concrete-block silo, 14 by 36 feet, with a capacity of 120 tons, the blocks being manufactured on the farm and all the work done by Mr. Reichenbach and his family. In the meanwhile he had added to his land, and of the last 80 he bought 65 acres are now under the plow, making 145 acres of the farm under good cultivation. Another 80 he purchased in 1912, adjoining his farm in Auburndale, of which he brushed 60 acres the first year in addition to his other work.

In these various activities Mr. Reichenbach had the assistance of his family, who, like himself were gifted with a genius for industry. He had been married in Berlin, Germany, on Oct. 3, 1886, to Bertha Reschka, who was born in Berlin, Oct. 1, 1864. The children of this marriage were: Charles J., born in Germany, Nov. 30, 1888; Minnie A., born in Chicago, July 24, 1890, now living at Evanston, Ill.; William G., born on the farm near Chicago, Feb. 7, 1893; Otto P., born Feb. 27, 1895, and Bruno E., Jr., born March 28, 1897, the two latter, like William, on the farm near Chicago. In 1915 Mr. Reichenbach entered upon. the sixty-fourth and last year of his life, as he laid down its burden on April 17, that year, greatly respected and mourned throughout the community. Since he passed away his widow, with the help of her three sons, has carried on the farm successfully along the lines laid out by him. She is, herself, a farmer's daughter, her father having been from the age of 18 to that of 79 general superintendent of a large farm in Germany, near Berlin, and it was from him that Mr. Reichenbach learned many valuable principles of agriculture. All work on the farm, including building and repairing, is done by the family, without outside assistance, and an extensive general farming and dairying business is carried on. The principal improvements that have been made since Mr. Reichenbach's death have been as follows: In 1916 a modern horse barn was erected, 20 by 52 by 14 feet, and also a blacksmith's shop; in 1917 a new granary was built, 14 by 34 by 12 feet; in 1918 a stave silo, 12 x 26 feet, with a capacity of 60 tons, a hog house 16 by 40 by 8 feet, and a double garage, 16 by 20 by 10 feet, were built. The principal addition to the buildings in 1919 was a good machine shed. In 1920 the big dairy barn was badly damaged by wind, but was rebuilt at once. The farm is well stocked with Guernsey cattle, there being now a herd of 55 with a registered sire, and a herd of 50 to 60 Poland China hogs are kept, with a pure-bred sire at the head. There are three first class teams, in addition to a caterpillar tractor, hauling a three-bottom plow. Among the other machinery are a silo filler, a J. I. Case threshing-machine, with a modern clover huller attachment, rakes, tedders, loaders, manure-spreaders, drags, cultivators, a binder and a mower; also a pleasure car and a commercial truck with a capacity of 800 pounds, and a motorcycle. In 1921 from a 41-acre tract sown to oats, an average of 38 bushels per acre were produced. The improvements made on this place by the Reichenbach family are shown by the fact that in 1914 the farm tax was only $23.17, while in 1922 it was $401.07. Mr. Reichenbach gave his children the advantages of a fair education. In politics he was a Republican and was often importuned to accept office but declined on account of being too busy on the farm. The family are members of St. John's Lutheran Congregation at Auburndale. They illustrate in a marked degree what can be accomplished by unremitting industry, being numbered as one of the prosperous families among the farming population in the northern part of the county.