Untitled From the Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 659-660

HENRY MUESSE, of Lancaster, Grant county, Wis., was for many years the leading contractor and builder of this city, but is now living in retirement. He was born in Prussia June 22, 1836, a son of Philip and Eliza (RICK) MUESSE, the former of whom was born in 1806, and the latter two years later. In 1848 the MUESSE family, then consisting of the parents and four children, embarked in a sailing-vessel at Bremen (steam navigation at that time being little known on the ocean), and after a voyage of eight weeks landed at Baltimore, Md., where they went to Philadelphia, Penn., where the father, who was a weaver, found employment in a cotton-mill, and where the parents passed the remainder of their lives, the mother dying in 1864, at the age of fifty-five years, and the father in 1878, in his seventy-third year. Of the five children born to them they brought four to America and these all reached mature years, and were named Elizabeth, now Mrs. KRAMER, of Lancaster township, Grant county, Wis.; Henry and George, of the same city; and Wilhelmina, who was married to Albert WEBER, and died in Philadelphia. A twin of George died in Germany in infancy.

Henry MUESSE learned the trade of carpenter in Philadelphia, and upon his arrival in Lancaster, Wis., in 1855, actively engaged as a builder and contractor until 1895, when he retired. He erected by contract many of the better class of buildings in Lancaster, including the Congregational and the Methodist churches; Mr. BAXTER's store building; both bank buildings; besides numerous other edifices of more or less pretensions; and in addition to his contracting business conducted an extensive lumber yard.

In politics Mr. MUESSE has always been a stanch Republican, but in local politics he looks upon the best man as the person to vote for, and is never so set but that he can see right from wrong. He has been an alderman of the city of Lancaster a great many times since he resided there, and is now an alderman from his ward, having been re-elected three times to succeed himself, the office always seeking him. The citizens of the city have many times required him to run for mayor, but he has always declined. Mr. MUESSE is a model citizen, paying strict attention to his own business, leaving others to attend to their own - a quality that can not be too highly commended, especially in a small city like Lancaster.

Mr. MUEESE has joined in marriage, in Lancaster, with Miss Eliza REYNOLDS, daughter of Thomas REYNOLDS, a native of England, but who came from Cleveland, Ohio, to Lancaster, Wis., in 1852. To this marriage have been born children as follows: Olive, the wife of Prof. Emery M. WOOD, of Baldwin, Kans., where he occupies the chair of mathematics in the University; John H., who is now and for some years past has been a bookkeeper and cashier in the Lumber Exchange building in Minneapolis, Minn.; Harriet, wife of Frank NATHAN, a clothing merchant of West Superior, Wis.; Harry, who studied law with Col. CLARK, of Lancaster, Wis., afterward graduated from the law department at Baldwin University, Kansas, and is now practicing law in Ottawa, in the same State; Frank P., who is now a traveling lumber salesman, and makes his home with his father; and Susan and Ralph are still at home. Mr. MUESSE has been a member of the I.O.O.F. since 1860, and he and his family are members of the Episcopal Church.

Thomas REYNOLDS, the father of Mrs. MUESSE, was a soldier in the Union army during the war of the Rebellion, and died in Cleveland soon after its close. His widow remained in Lancaster, Wis., and for thirty years prior to her death lived with Mr. and Mrs. MUESSE.

George MUESSE, youngest brother of Henry MUESSE, whose life sketch is given in the fore-going paragraph, was born in Germany April 5, 1839, and was about nine years old when brought by his parents to America. He was reared to manhood in Philadelphia, and there learned carpentering. In 1859 he came to Lancaster, Wis., and remained one year only, came back to Lancaster, Wis., to reside permanently, and, like his brother, engaged in contracting and building, and also entered the lumber trade. He made a thorough success of both lines of business, realizing a competence, and is now enjoying the fruits of his early industry and enterprise in the quiet retirement of private life. He was also city weighmaster for many years, but was never what is known as an office-seeker.

In July, 1863, George MUESSE was married in Philadelphia to Miss Elizabeth HUMRICHOUSE, a native of Germany, who came to America with friends of the family in 1858, her parents being then deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. MUESSE eight children have been born in the following order: Anna E., wife of Leo BAUMGARTER, of South Dakota; George H., a lumberman of Clinton, Iowa; Elizabeth, wife of Adolph GRIMM, of Dubuque, Iowa; Carried M., wife of Walter KLEMPELL, of Cassville, Wis.; Fred, a druggist of Clear Lake, Iowa; Charles L., a lumberman living in Erie, Ill.; Edward (a twin of Charles) and Cornelia, still at home. Mr. and Mrs. MUESSE and the members of the family at home belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, and socially they mingle with the best circles in Lancaster, by whom they are held in the highest esteem.



This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck