Bio: Manser, John (1860 - 19??)

Contact: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Manser, Kelly, Fox, Jones

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

Manser, John (16 December 1860 - 19??)

John Manser, who has been a resident of Marathon County since 1878 and of Wausau since 1902, came to this section when the principal interest was the cutting of pine timber and its disposal, the only attempts yet made of an agricultural nature being east of Wausau. He was born December 16, 1860, in County Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, and was brought to Outagamie County. Wis., in 1866, and was reared at Hortonville. He turned his attention to work as an engineer.

In the fall of 1878 Mr. Manser came to Marathon County and entered the employ of W. P. Kelly & Bros., at Kelly, where the company had mills, and later was with N. T. Kelly, also continuing with the estate after Mr. Kelly's death. In 1884 he started in business for himself and conducted a planing mill until the fall of 1892 when was formed the partnership known as the Fox-Manser Lumber Company, which lasted until the fall of 1896, since when Mr. Manser has carried on his manufacturing interests under his own name. After he had cleared his land from timber Mr. Manser became interested in dairying and in 1910 he started a creamery at Kelly, where he has conducted a general store since 1886. He owns valuable timber lands in the upper peninsula of Michigan. In July 1909, he organized the Antigo Electric Company of Antigo, Wis., of which he became and has continued as president.

In May, 1884, Mr. Manser was married to Miss Josephine Jones, who was born in Pennsylvania and was brought to Marathon county when four years old. Of their four children but one survives, Inez, who lives at home Elizabeth died when aged twenty-three years; Hazel, when aged one year, and Edna when aged three years. In his political views Mr. Manser is a Republican. He has long been identified with the Masonic fraternity, is a thirty-second degree Mason and belongs to the Blue Lodge, Chapter and Commandery at Wausau and to the Consistory and Shrine at Milwaukee.