Bio: Koehler, John H. (1866 - 19??)

Contact: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Koehler, Winton, Gilbert, Boettcher, Hirschmann

----Source: History of Marathon County Wisconsin and Representative Citizens, by Louis Marchetti, 1913.

Koehler, John H. (1866 - 19??)

John H. Koehler, who has been prominently identified with the lumber industry for many years and is treasurer of the Winton Lumber Company, of Wausau, with offices in the Marathon Bank Building, is probably still better known in connection with the ginseng industry, which through his interest and efforts has been developed into a business of vast volume. He was born at Hamburg, in Marathon County, Wis. in 1866, and is a son of Gotthilf and Emelia Koehler, both of whom were born in Germany and the father is deceased.

Until he was twenty-four years of age, John H. Koehler was employed on his father's farm in Marathon County, in the meanwhile having secured public school training at Hamburg. He then went to Merrill, Wis., and worked in a lumber yard for two years for $1.50 a day, and there gained his first practical knowledge of lumber. He came to Wausau, April, 1893, and worked as cruiser for the Wisconsin Land Company for a few months, later entering the sales department for the same company and established branch offices at Chicago and Milwaukee and at other points, always retaining, however, his home at Wausau. It is estimated that through his individual efforts Mr. Koehler, as land agent, has brought over 500 families to Marathon County as permanent settlers. In 1901 he became associated with C. J. Winton of Minneapolis, and C. S. Gilbert and others of Wausau, in the lumber business and this partnership has continued, and in this connection Mr. Koehler has visited many parts of the South and West, as well as parts of Canada, purchasing valuable timber tracts. Besides his local interests, which consist principally of some valuable real estate on the west side in the city of Wausau, he is financially interested in the Rose Lake Lumber Company of Rose Lake, Idaho, and is also president of the Koehler Land Company of Medford, Wis.

It was in 1901 that he began to raise ginseng, at first as a fad, for his own recreation, but later in the same year organized the Wisconsin Ginseng Garden, of which company he continues to be the head, and as the industry has been developed, through his intelligent management other companies have been organized. Mr. Koehler is also president of the Badger Ginseng Company and president of the Wausau Ginseng Gardens, the latter of which was incorporated in 1908, with a capital stock of $30,000, the Badger Ginseng Company being incorporated in 1910, with a capital stock of $50,000. The business has grown to enormous proportions, the export of the root to China being very heavy. Mr. Koehler is an authority on the growing of this valuable medicinal plant and has written a book on the subject. He is a man of pronounced public spirit and has been a valuable citizen ever since locating here in 1893.

Mr. Koehler was married first to Miss Ida Boettcher, who died in 1904, survived by four children: Emma, Elsa, Gertrude and Florence. His second marriage was to Miss Lydia Hirschmann. He was reared in the Evangelical Lutheran Church and has always remained connected with this religious body and is interested in promoting its avenues of influence and benevolence.