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Past and
Present of Greene County, Iowa W Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton. The firm of Wahl Brothers is one of the most prominent and best known, not only in Paton but in Greene county. They own and control a general mercantile enterprise and the estent and importance of their business would make their establishment a credit to a city of much larger size. The business was established about 1874 by Griffin & Thompson in the first store building erected in Paton, and after clerking in the store for a time W. H. Wahl purchased an interest in the business. The next change in the ownership led to the establishment of the firm of Wahl Brothers, the partners being Otto and W. H. Wahl. Another change and O. A. Wahl became proprietor, but later he sold out to W. H. Wahl and subsequently the present firm of Wahl Brothers was formed, with W. H. and George F. Wahl as partners. Under the control of the Wahl Brothers the business has fully merited the liberal patronage it has been accorded, for they have ever followed the most honorable methods, have put forth earnest effort to please their customers and have carried a large and attractive line of goods. George F. Wahl was born on the 18th of October, 1878, in Paton, acquired a good common school education and eventually secured a clerkship in the store in which he now owns a half interest. He has since been connected with the business and in its control displays a spirit of enterprise and progress which is most commendable and which insures success. The firm handles dry goods, boots and shoes, groceries, butter, poultry, eggs and cream, and their business has been developed along substantial lines, bringing to them a good financial return annually. George F. Wahl has never married and makes his home with his parents. In politics he is a republican, but without aspiration for public office, preferring to concentrate his time and energies upon his business affairs. William H. Wahl was born in Muscatine, Iowa, December 19, 1867, a son of Christian Wahl, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. During the period of his boyhood and youth he attended the common schools, wherein he acquired a good English education. He accompanied his parents on their removal to Paton, where he has since made his home. At the age of thirteen years he began clerking in a store and upon attaining his majority he engaged in business in connection with his brother Otto, who later sold his interst to his brother, George F. Wahl, so that through more than a quarter of a century Mr. Wahl has been identified with the mercantile interests of Iowa, and during this time has attained to a high degree of prosperity. In 1900 William H. Wahl was united in marriage to Miss Ella Lang, who was born in Muscatine county, Iowa. Their marriage has been blessed with an interesting little son, Harold. The parents are members of the German Evangelical church, while Mr. Wahl has served as mayor of Paton and as a member of the village council, while for the past eighteen years he has filled the office of township clerk, discharging the duties of these various official positions with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents. There is no citizen of Paton who isheld in higher regard and esteem than William H. Wahl. Christian Wahl is now practically living retired in Paton, occupying a beautiful residence which he recently erected. He was born August 13, 1836, in Niedermollrich, Kurhessen, Germany, and the days of his boyhood and youth were spent in that country, where he remained until he attained the age of thirty-one years. Having arrived at adult age he wedded Anna Gertrude Hoehmann, who was born October 9, 1832, at Ihringshausen, near Cassel, Kurhessen, Germany. Their marriage was celebrated in 1863, and for four years they remained residents of the fatherland, coming to America in 1867, in the hope that they might enjoy better business opportunities in the new world. They chose Muscatine, Iowa, as a favorable location and there remained for twelve years. Mr. Wahl was a shoemaker by trade and followed that pursuit in Muscatine. In 1878 he decided to go still further west and with his family removed to Greene county. He settled at Paton, which could hardly be called a town at that time, so few were its residents, and as there was not enough work to keep him busy at his trade, he also engaged to some extent in farming. As the population grew, however, his business increased and he enjoyed a liberal patronage until the time came when machine-made shoes took the place of hand-made ones. Indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his nature, and not being content to have no business interests, he works at shoe repairing largely as pastime, and it would be difficult to find a neater and better "doctor of shoes." In all of his business life Mr. Wahl has been known for his strict probity and reliability and has ever commanded the respect and confidence of those with whom he has come in contact. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Wahl were born twelve children, of whom one died in infancy in Germany. Elizabeth, the eldest, is the wife of John Hahn, a prosperous farmer, living near Wilton, Iowa; William and Otto, who follow in order of birth, are merchants, well known in Greene county, the former being located at Paton and the latter in Churdan. Matilda, Lydia and Emilie were teachers in the schools of Greene county after their graduation from the Paton high school and proved capable educators of the districts in which they were employed. Matilda is now the wife of J. C. McKean, and resides upon a ranch near Ivanhoe, Oklahoma, but they expect soon to remove to the vicinity of Galveston, Texas. Lydia and Emilie are wives of ministers, the former being Mrs. J. M. Krafft, of Sheffield, Iowa, and the latter Mrs. S. E. Meyer, living in Tampa, Kansas. George is the junior partner in the firm of Wahl Brothers, at Paton. Eva, after teaching school in Greene county for several years, became the wife of Rev. David Lang, and their home is now hear Shell Rock, Iowa. Edith has been a student of music and art in Northwestern College and is now at home with her parents. Harry is head clerk in Wahl Brothers' general store. Carl is at present attending Northwestern College, at Naperville, Illinois, pursuing a college course. Matilda, Lydia, Emilie, Eva, Edith, Harry and Carl are all graduates of the Paton high school. The Wahl family have always been interested in the growth and improvement of Paton, to the extent of giving hearty co-operation to many movements for the public good. The parents expect to spend their remaining days in their beautiful residence, which has recently been erected in Paton. They are both highly esteemed in the community where they make their home, their many good qualities having won for them the confidence and good will of all with whom they come in contact. The commercial interests of Churdan find a worthy representative in Otto A. Wahl, who is engaged in merchandising, conducting a well appointed establishment. He is a young man of enterprise and determination, who is resolute in carrying forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes. He was born in Muscatine, Iowa, on the 27th of March, 1871, and is one of a family of twelve children, of whom the eldest died in infancy. The others are Mrs. Lizzie Hahn, who resides in Moscow, Iowa; W. H., a resident of Paton, this state; Otto A.; Mrs. Matilda McKane, who is living in Texas; Mrs. Lydia Kraft, whose home is in Sheffield, Iowa; Mrs. Emily Myers, located in Kansas; George F. and Harry C., who are in Paton; Mrs. Eva Long, a resident of Iowa; and Edith and Carl, also of Paton. The parents still reside in Paton, where the firm of Wahl Brothers - the partners being brothers of our subject - is well known, being closely associated with the business interests of that town. As the name indicates, Otto A. Wahl is of German descent and possesses many of the sterling characteristics of his German ancestry. He was but seven years of age at the time of the removal of the family from Muscatine, Iowa, to Paton, where he was educated in the common schools, pursuing his studies to the age of fourteen years, when he started out in business life, securing a clerkship in a hardware store. He thus received his mercantile training and gradually he worked his way upward as he mastered the elements of business and advanced in efficiency and ability as a salesman. Ambitious to engage in business on his own account, he carefully saved his earnings and in 1892 he and his brother, W. H. Wahl, purchased a general mercantile store at Paton, which they conducted until 1899. They were quite successful in the management of that concern and Otto A. Wahl was thus connected with the business interests of Paton for seven years, when he sold out and went to Churdan. Here he established a general mercantile store, in which he handles dry goods, boots, shoes, groceries, poultry, butter and eggs. He has secured a good patronage and at the same time his store furnishes a good market to the farmers of the locality from whom he purchases supplies from the dairy and from the poultry yard. His earnest desire to please his patrons, his reliable business methods and his unfaltering energy constitute the basis of the very desirable success which he is now enjoying. On the 5th of June, 1900, Mr. Wahl was married to Miss Caroline Munzenmaier, who was born in Germany in 1874. They have three children: Arthur M., born October 15, 1901; Raymond C., August 19, 1903; and Anna D., January 29, 1906. The family occupy a nice residence which Mr. Wahl owns, and he and his wife are well known socially in the community, having many warm friends here. They hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church and are interested in all that pertains to public progress and improvement. Mr. Wahl is also identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and in politics is a republican. He is now serving for the second term as a member of the city council and he exercises his official prerogatives in support of many movements for the general good. |