- JOSEPH GRIESBACH, who is a well-known representative of one of Outagamie county's old and honored pioneer families, is engaged in cultivating a fa rm in Center township. His grandfather, Frederick Griesbach, was born in Prussia and came to the United States in 1856 with his wife, Margaret, and four children, and after landing at New York the family made their way to Chicago, where the father's means became exhausted. He was compelled to go on without the rest of the family, but on reaching Waukesha, Wisconsin, he sent his son-in-law, Conrad Baler, who had married one of Griesbach's daughters some time before coming to this country, back to the Windy City to bring the little family on. With this same son-in-law, Mr. Griesbach rented a farm, which they operated together for two years, and Mr. Griesbach then purchased eighty acres of school land in Center township, Ou tagamie county, hiring a team of oxen and a wagon with which to move his family into the woods. On the way from Neenah, the drivers of the ox team lost their way, the ground being covered with a foot of snow, and refused to go further, and the family eventually took possession of a log schoolhouse east of Appleton, into which the household goods were moved while the men started out to find the new land they had bought. It was finally found fourteen miles northwest of the camping place, by this time the snow having fallen so fast that there were four feet on the ground. Although they had known something of farming in the old country, these German lads knew little of conditions here, and Frederick Griesbach, who was a mason, could not see how a house was to be built without the use of nails, but was soon instructed as to that by the McGillan boy, a resident of then eighborhood, who showed Mr. Griesbach how to cut the logs to build his cabin. When the house was built, the family was brought to it, and all hands started in to clear a farm from the wilderness. That this was accomplished is found to be so when Frederick Griesbach's career is perused, as he died a prosperous and highly respected farmer.
Sebastian Griesbach, father of Joseph, was born May 3, 1846, in Germany, and his schooling was started in the old country, he being eight years of age when the family left for the United States . He attended scho ol in Center township, and at the age of ten years began to work by the day, helping to clear land at three dollars per month and board. During the second summer he received five dollars a month, the third summer made im the possessor of a cow, and during his fourth and final summer with this farmer he was given a pair of young, unbroken steers. When he had reached the age of fifteen years, Mr. Griesbach went to work by the month at ten dollars. and at the end of the season had saved 'fifty dollars, which he invested in sixty-eight acres of land, the price for this unimproved property being $350. Each morning he would walk from his father's home, a distance of three miles, work hard all day, clearing his land, and returning home at night utterly exhausted would assist in whatever duties presented themselves at his father's place. He built a log cabin, and when he was but nineteen years old was married to Frances Bauer, daughter of -Michael Bauer. He had made all the furniture for this little home out of bass-wood logs, including bedstead, tables and chairs, and here he brought his young wife. He cleared all of this property, residing on the farm for eighteen years, and then sold out and purchased a property in Freedom township, but inside of seven months sold that place and bought another Center township property, only to trade this after three years for a farm near Twelve Corners. Here he resided for twenty-eight years. Mr. Griesbach is not in good health physically, being troubled by rheumatism, but he is exceptionally bright mentally and is one of the best informed men of his locality. His wife, who like Mr. Griesbach was a member of S t. Edward's Catholic Church, died in 1904, having been the mother of eleven children, as follows: Anna,; Theresa,; Barbara; Frederick, who died when eight years old; Casper, who died aged fifteen years; Frank, who was seven years old at the time of his death; Katherine, who passed away aged twenty years; and Joseph, Nicholas, Agnes and John.
Joseph Griesbach was born March 6, 1876, in Grand Chute township, Outagamie county, Wisconsin, and he received his education in the district schools of the neighborhood of his father's farm, on which he worked until he was twenty-five years old, at which time his father presented him with the farm he now operates as a reward for the years of faithful work he performed on the old home place. He has made various improvements on the tract having a good set of buildings, neat fences, good water and fine pasture land, and raises good crops and feeds fine cattle. In 1901 he was married to'Mary Striegel, daughter of Martin Striegel, a prominent agriculturist of Center township, and to this union there have been born seven children, namely: Hilda, who died at the age of two years, four months; Francis, who was born in 1902; Josephine in 1903; Arnold, in 1906; Oscar in 1908; George, in 1909; and Delia, in 1910. Both Mr. and Mrs. Griesbach are me mbers of St. Edward's Catholic Church, at Mackville.
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1876 - 1949 (73 years)
1910 Census
