Joseph Obermayer, one of the earliest settlers of Jefferson City, Mo., was born in Bavaria, Germany, April 8, 1823, and is the youngest of the family of eight children born to Selegman and Fannie (Zelein) Obermayer, also natives of Bavaria. The parents both died in their native country, where the father was a merchant. Of their eight children only two are living, August, in Bavaria, and Joseph. The latter was reared and educated in the country of his birth, where he engaged in the manufacture of knit goods until he came to the United States, taking passage at Havre in 1845, and after a five weeks' ocean voyage landing in New York City. He reached Jefferson City, Mo., in September, 1845, which at the time was but a small hamlet with no railroad, He engaged in merchandising for some years, and later admitted into partnership his brothers, the firm successfully continuing several years, when the brothers died, and Mr. Obermayer has since conducted the business alone. He is an enterprising citizen and one of the leading business men of the city. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge since 1849, and is one of its leaders, having been District Deputy Grand Master and Grand Patriarch, a member of the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment, and treasurer of Capital Lodge No. 37, I. O. O. F., for the past twenty-five or thirty years. He has taken an active part in building up the fraternity, and still devotes a great deal of his time and attention to the organization of which he is an honored member.

Transcribed from:
History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries, and Osage Counties, Missouri, Goodspeed Publishing Company (1889).