- MICHAEL KOHL, who owns one of the finest farms in Grand Chute township, a tract of 200 acres of well-cultivated land, on which he carries on general farming, dairying and cattle raising, is a native of this township, having been born on the School Section Road, November 14, 1870, a son of John and Elizabeth (Friese) Kohl, the former born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, in February, 1849, and the latter in Luxemburg in 1851. John Kohl came to the United States with his parents when he was only four years of age, and the family during the next twelve years resided in Milwaukee. During the Civil War they came to Appleton, where John Kohl grew to manhood on the farm occupied by his parents on the School Section Road, and he was reared to the occupation of a farmer, becoming one of the prominent men of his district and the owner of 340 acres of land. In the fall of 1908 he sold all of this property except forty acres and retired to Appleton, his home now being at No. 1167 Packard street. For a number of years Mr. Kohl also operated a threshing outfit throughout this township. He and his wife were the parents of twelve children, of whom seven are now living: Michael; Joseph, residing on School Section Road, a farmer; Theresa, the wife of Gustave Schultz, a mason contractor of State street, Appleton; Louisa, the wife of Emil Heidman, a cigarmaker, residing on the Sherman place; Magdalena, a teacher in the Fifth Ward school, Appleton, residing with her parents; Charles, a farmer of Grand Chute township; and Emma, a graduate of Bush Business College, Appleton, who makes her home with her parents .
Michael Kohl attended the school on School Section road for some time, and later was at St. Joseph's school for one term and the Third Ward school for a like period. At the age of eighteen years he went to Seattle, Washington, working as driver of a six-horse team for a grading and freighting company, and went thence to Tacoma, Olympia and Centralia, in that state, being engaged in construction work. Later he was located at Grays Harbor, Washington, and then went to North Dakota, working as second feeder with a threshing outfit for two years, and during that winter came home. During the following summer he had charge of the separator of the same outfit, and then spent the winter at home, but during the following spring became a railroad fireman on the Ashland Division of the Northwestern Railroad, a position which he held for two years. Mr. Kohl was then married and engaged in carpentering until the following fall, when he bought his present property at that time a badly run down and unimproved property, with delapidated buildings. At about the same time Mr. Kohl purchased a threshing outfit with his brother Joseph, and this they operated together for fourteen years, Mr. Kohl in the meantime gradually improving his property until he had made it one of the finest in the township. In 1898 he built a barn 40x96 feet, and ten years later erected his residence, one of the best in Grand Chute township, thoroughly equipped with hot and cold water and all modern conveniences, which would be a credit to any community. The other buildings on the property are up to the standard in comparison, and the whole property shows that the owner is an industrious and enterprising man. Modern machinery and a gasoline engine are used on this farm, and Mr. Kohl's versatility may be seen when it is known that he built all of his buildings himself. He carries on general farming, dairying and stockraising, and has been eminently successful in his undertakings .
On September 28, 1893, Mr. Kohl was married to Elizabeth Weiland, who was born on the Freedom Road, Grand Chute township, June 16, 1868, daughter of John and Eva (Schmitz) Weiland . John Weiland was born June 16, 1838, in Prizen, Germany, and came to America when about eighteen years of age with his mother, his father having died in Germany. They located in Granville township, Milwaukee county, and several years later came to Grand Chute township, where Mr. Weiland became the owner of 180 acres of land on the Freedom Road. There his wife, who was born December 25, 1842, died aged about fifty years, and about one year later Mr. Weiland was married again and moved to Appleton, locating near the Third Ward school, where he is now living retired. Mr. and Mrs. Weiland had the following children: Elizabeth, who married Mr. Kohl; Bernhardt, who is living on the Freedom Road; Nicholas, who makes his home on the old homestead; Frederick, a farmer residing near Kaukauna; Agnes, who married John Kettenhafen, residing on Erie street, Appleton; and Henrietta, a sister in the Notre Dame Convent. Mr. and Mrs. Kohl have seven children, all living at home, as follows:
John P., born May 2, 1894; Mary, September 6, 1895; Laura, February 10, 1898; Margaret, February 17, 1901; Henrietta, November 7, 1903; Edward, October 25, 1905; and Helen, September 21, 1910. The family are members of St. Joseph's Catholic Church, at Appleton. Mr. Kohl is independent in politics, and has never aspired to public office, although he has served in the capacity of road overseer of Grand Chute township. He has recently purchased a new five-passenger, thirty-horsepower "Clark" automobile and enjoys life as a man of his temperament can properly .
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1870 - 1951 (80 years)
1880 Census
