Name/Title
Business, Histories, Frederick Ferdinand Zimmermann, CarriageDescription
History of Frederick Ferdinand Zimmerman. Manufacturer of wagons, carriages, sleighs of all descriptions in Waupun for many years.
He was born in Hamburg, Saxony of Germany on Oct. 13, 1838, son of Ludwig and Veronica, Johanna Zimmerman. His father Ludwig Zimmerman served in the German army for seven years and three months before he was married at the age of twenty seven years. He and his wife with three small sons and a two month old baby son made an application for a passport to America. He applied for his passport on July 5th 1841.
His sons were Wm. Frederick aged 7. Ernest Frederick aged 5 years, Ferdinand Frederick aged three years besides the baby son age two months. He had not been christened so had no name. The babe died on their journey and was buried at sea. At that time it was compulsory to name all male children after the ruler of their province, therefore King Frederick King of Saxony was their ruler. Perhaps that was the reason the baby had not been christened, they did not want any more Fredericks. They had another son Edward, who died at the age of seventeen, and an only daughter Agnes who was born in Wisconsin at Mequon, 14 miles from Milwaukee were they engaged in farming.
When Ferdinand was seventeen years of age he learned wagons making trade in Milwaukee, later working in Stoughton, Wisconsin and in 1859 went to Waupun to work for Jacob Bloedel, as a wagon maker.
In 1866, Ferdinand Zimmerman and Martin Geidel bought the business from Mr. Bloedel. They carried on a successful and increasing business, his work was well known thoughout the surrounding country. His sales throughout were not confined to the immediate neighborhood, shipping largely to other states especially in northern Michigan. The business was then located on the corner of W. Main and Zimmerman Street where Ernest Lenze's home is located.
In a few years he and Martin Geidel dissolved partnership and he continued business alone and manufactured wagons, drags, buggies, hacks, sleighs of all kinds. They had the big show room for ready made vehicles across the street for display.
In 1883, he moved the shope from the corner of W. Main and Zimmerman St. Across the street next to his show room and built a new two story stone blacksmith shop onto the other shope.
The blacksmith shop had three anvils and three fire places or forges. Mr. Obi Morse (father of Mrs. Edith Kuechenberg) was foreman of the blacksmith shop for thirty one years. Mr. James Viall (father of Mrs. Harry Fletcher) was foreman of the paint shop for over thirty years. Mr. Dickerson was foreman of the upholstering shop but later when Lewis Zimmerman, son of Ferdinand was 18 yrs. He took charge of the upholstering. Mr. Zimmerman was his own salesman and would go to Northern Michigan and Wisconsin twice a year for orders. There were many large livery stables in Ashland, Superior, Marquette, Ishpeming, Escanaba and many other cities and he had a wonderful business up there often was snowed in too for his biggest orders he would get in January and would spend the whole month there.
In later years he took his sons Lewis and Alfred in partnership with him and the plant was then known as F. F. Zimmerman and Sons.
They employed about thirty men. After 1900 when automobiles came into use for all purposes their business slowed down and they made bodies for the Knesl-Kar Car Co. of Hartford and the Holliday Car Company of Sterling, Illinois and the Aper Car Company of Chicago. The Aper was not very successful and soon was forced to close as did the Halliday Co.
They also built bodies for the Seaman Co. of Milwaukee.
Mr. Zimmerman never had much of an education and a number of young men in the city started an evening school which he attend for some time and was a great help to him in his business. He was very civic minded and helped to promote any move to help the town.
He was married to Ernestine Geidel, sister of his partner on Aug. 10, 1862. They had four daughters and four sons. In his early married life, he and maybe 25 o5 30 other business men organized a German school society. Some of the men as I can remember were older settlers, Rank, Manz, Meyer, J Bausch, Seifert, Haneisen, Fred Amthor Sr. Chas. Hanisch Sr., Fred Schnassee, Weidner and several others built a school house on the corner of N. State and W. Franklin St.. They raised the money by putting on dances and their wives put on big dinners for the dances and they soon had enough money to hire teachers.
The first teachers were Prof. Bogisch and wife, both taught German in the morning and English in the afternoon. Prof. Bogisch and wife then left town and was succeeded by Prof. Schoen and wife. Other schools were then enlarged and the school was discontinued and the school Society granted the Lutherans the use of the building for there first church which was stated in 1889 or 1890 after World Was I. The building was vacant and the American Legion was instituted and the have used the building ever since.
Mr. Zimmerman was also much interested in the public schools. He was on the school board for many years of the Old West Ward School which was on the site of the beautiful new Union Cong. Church. At that time many of the tax payers were so against nine or nine and a half months of school only wanting six months school. Their school meetings were a long session every year. One year the one faction won out, and only had six months school and most of the older students went to the North and South Ward schools for the spring term and had to pay $1.25 tuition per month. After that the one faculty worked harder and it didn't happen again to have six months school per year.
There was only one lamp in the school, so he had his sons collect lanterns to hang up, and after women could vote sent his sons out with the horse and surry to bring many women to the meeting.
Mr Z. Was also alderman of the ward for 13 years, Mayor of the city one year and a member of the Fond du Lac C. Board of supervisors for several years. He and his wife observed their silver wedding in 1887 and their golden wedding Aug. 10, 1912. He died July 16, 1913 at the age of 75 yrs. He was survived by his wife and all of his children. Ida Grebel, Ermma Hanisch, Flora Amthor, Louis, Alfred, Oscar, Richard Zimmerman and Clara Grebe, one brother Ernest Frederick Zimmerman of Chicago.
He was a kind and devoted husband and father, a good neighbor and a good selfmade man.
May he rest in Peace. He will be remembered by many. There is now only one surviving member of his family. (Clara Grebe.
