1875 A. T. Andreas Atlas
1880 Dubuque County History
Honorable William B. Allison
Eugene Anderson
Sanford A. Atherton
Honorable Isaac W. Baldwin
Dickson Beatty
F. E. Behrens
Henry Bockenstedt
John Bomacke
General Caleb Hoskins Booth
Nicholas Bray, M. D.
William Bray, M. D.
Edward Brown
John D. Bush
Edward Butler
Cascade Biographies
Dr. Rodolphus Clark
Bernhard Claus, Jr.
Frank W. Coates
Honorable Dennis Nelson Cooley
Reverend Mark Cooney
Hugh Corrance
Patrick F. Cunningham
Mell H. Cushing
Peter Dawson
John Driscoll
Charles Henry Eighmey
Jesse P. Farley
George Fengler
Mrs. Catherine Fries
Albert Gasser
Henry Gehrig
A. P. Gibbs
Theodor Goerdt
John R. Goldthorp
Honorable Julius Graves
Charles H. Gregoire
Ezra Gregory
Daniel Hallahan
Nicholas Hansen
Honorable Thomas Hardie
Henry Henkels
Rev. James Hill
Nancy R. Hill, M. D.
Asa Horr, M. D.
James Howie
Edward R. Jackson, M. D.
Francis Jaeger
Henry J. Jecklin
Reverend Clement Johannes
Evan E. Jones
General George Wallace Jones
John Kantlehner
Joseph K. Kaufmann
James Kelly
John Kleinschmidt
F. H. Klostermann
A. R. Knight
Honorable Frederick M. Knoll
Paul Lattner
Honorable Wendelin Lattner
Thomas Lochner
Christian Loetscher
Norton J. Loomis
Delos E. Lyon
J. E. Maguire, M. D.
W. A. Manhart
George Marshall
M. H. Martin
Honorable James McCann
Benjamin McCluer, M. D.
Susan Ann McCraney
A. S. McDermott
James and Martha McGee
James McGrath
M. F. McNamara
Jacob Michel
Charles Miller
Adam Mink
George Mollart
William J. Morgans
James Mullin
Dorrance Dixon Myers
Nicholas P. Nicks
Frederick R. Nitzsche, M. D.
J. J. E. Norman
Honorable Peter Olinger
Bernard J. O'Neill
John P. Page
Frank Paley
John Palmer
Rev. Frederick William Pape
Thomas Phillips
Joseph Platz
Andrew Rahe
Honorable James Rowan
Reverend Roger Ryan
George Salot
Colonel C. J. W. Saunders
John Sauser, Jr.
Joseph Schemmel
George Schmitt
Short Biographies
Joseph Simones
John F. Sloan
Charles F. Smyth
Johanna (Baker) Specht
Ralph Spensley
Daniel Stallard
J. Peter Stendebach
Honorable William W. Stewart
Oren Stuart, M. D.
James Sweeney
John Tibey
Paul Traut
Matthew Tschirgi
Hon. Christian Anton Voelker
Chester H. Walker
William Watson, M. D.
F. W. Wieland
Louis Witter
Jacob Zollicoffer

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Logo by Ginger Cisewski

JACOB MICHEL, a retired merchant of Dubuque, for some years was connected with the business interests of this city, but as the result of a steadfast purpose, careful attention to details and systematic business methods be acquired the capital which now enables him to retire from further labor. We take great pleasure in presenting to our readers this record of his life.

Mr. Michel is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in Hesse-Darmstadt on the 12th of October 1824. His parents were Johannus and Catherine (Nonkassar) Michel, and they too were natives of Germany. Their family numbered six children, four sons and two daughters. The father was a farmer by occupation and followed that pursuit throughout his entire life, Our subject attended the public schools of his native land until his fourteenth year, when his father died, and a week later his mother passed away. He was thus left an orphan. After the death of his parents he began learning the shoemaker's trade, serving a three years' apprenticeship to the same in Offenbach. After completing the term of service he traveled through southern Germany, and in France and Switzerland, working as a journeyman, but did not find a place which seemed to him to offer the attractions and advantages which were attributed to the New World. This led him to seek a home in the United States, and in 1847 he took passage on a westward bound sailing-vessel, which a few weeks later dropped anchor in the harbor of New York. He went at once to St. Louis, Mo., where he spent two year's working at the shoemaker's trade, and in 1850 he carne to Dubuque, where he has since made his home. Here he embarked in the manufacture of shoes on his own account. He began operations on a small scale, hut as time passed his business increased and he employed a force of twenty-five workmen. The work was all done by hand until 1859. In that year Mr. Michel added a stock of ready made boots and shoes, and as his business increased he enlarged his facilities until he was at the head of a lucrative trade. In this line he continued until 1893, when he retired, having in the meantime acquired a comfortable competence. He owns two good store buildings, which he rents out to other parties, and in addition has other valuable city property.

Turning from the public to the private life of Mr. Michel, we note that in the year 1852 he was united in marriage with Miss Louisa Krakow, of Dubuque. To their union were born the following children; Katie; Sophia, deceased; F. William, who now resides in California; Henry, a well known attorney of Dubuque; Benjamin, who is engaged in the practice of medicine, and Philip, who is a salesman. In his political views Mr. Michel is a Republican, and is a member of the Universalist Church. His life has been well and worthily passed, and all who know him esteem him highly for his sterling worth. It was a fortunate day for him when he sailed for America, and his brightest hopes have been realized. He has found not only a comfortable home, but has also made many friends and gained a handsome competence, which supplies him with all the necessities and many of the luxuries of life.