Bio: Stahl, John A. (1923)

 
Contact: Stan

Surnames: Stahl, Gruenwald, Butterfield, Winebrenner, Heiss

----Source: History of Wood County, Wis. (1923) pages 548-549

John A. Stahl, who for most of the time during the last 20 years has been an active citizen of Arpin Township or village, engaged in several occupations, including land improvement, and is now manager for the Booth-Campbell Retail Lumber Co. in Arpin, was born in Waukesha County, Wis., Oct. 4, 1878, son of Gustave and Amelia (Gruenwald) Stahl. The parents settled in Waukesha County in 1873 on their arrival in this country from Germany, and were farmers in that county for over 40 years, or until a year before Gustave Stahl's death, which occurred April 16, 1916. His wife now resides at North Prairie, Waukesha County. They had a family of ten children: Henry, now a farmer in Waukesha County; Tina, who became Mrs. Guy A. Butterfield of that county, and is now deceased;. Fred, now in Milwaukee; John A. of Arpin; Albert of Harvard, Ill.; Martin of Milwaukee; Edward of Elkhorn, Wis.; George, now on the old home farm in Waukesha County; Arthur of Elkhorn; and Alma of Chicago. John A. Stahl as a boy attended district school in Waukesha County and subsequently until 1898 worked for his parents, by practical experience acquiring a good knowledge of agriculture. He then engaged in the ice business at Eagleville in his native county, being thus occupied for a year. The next two years he spent in Waukesha operating a drill press in the bridge foundry there. In 1902 he came to Wood County and during, his first winter here worked for his brother Henry. He then spent two years in the Arpin sawmill, after which he returned to Waukesha and for one year was in the employ of the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co. In 1905 he returned to Arpin and engaged in carpenter work, sometimes doing common labor, and in the same year he took and executed a contract to load 2,200 cords of wood. In 1906 Mr. Stahl returned to Waukesha County and for the next two years operated a farm there, returning to Arpin in 1908. For six months after his second arrival here he was manager for a Jewish colony. Then he took up carpenter work, which he followed until September, 1920, since which time he has been manager for the Booth-Campbell Retail Lumber Co. In addition to his activities already mentioned, in May, 1916, he bought 80 acres of wild land in Arpin Township, and subsequently improved the property as he found opportunity, erecting a house and a 'small barn. He sold the farm at a profit in 1920. Since first coming to this locality he has identified himself more or less with public affairs. He served as town assessor two years, and is now serving in his sixth year as town clerk, and is also clerk of the Arpin State Graded School. Mr. Stahl was married at Arpin, Wis., Nov. 29, 1905, to Calla P. Winebrenner, who was born at Morrison, Ill., Oct. 4, 1887, daughter of Calvin and Nora (Heiss) Winebrenner. He and his wife attend the Presbyterian Church and are popular in the social circles of the village.