SHEBOYGAN HISTORY

Edward Newhouse, Page 272

EDWARD NEWHOUSE, a merchant and farmer residing at Edwards, Herman Township, is a well-known business man in that part of the county.  He was born in Peine, Hanover, Germany, December 5, 1821.  His parents, Carl and Louise Newhouse, both died in the Old Country, the former when Edward was three years of age, and the latter when he was six years old.  for some five years he lived with his sister, and the succeeding two years with an aunt.

    Until fourteen years old our subject had good opportunities for acquiring an education.  At that time he began to learn the business of merchandising in his native place, where he remained for some six years.  The next two years were spent in the office of a manufacturing establishment at Altona, near Hamburg.  The next year he was stationed at Schwerin, but at the expiration of that time returned to Hamburg, from which city he sailed on the vessel "Pawtucket" for New York.  To make the voyage required sixty-seven days, during which time the passengers suffered much from bad food and water.  From New York to Albany, he came on a steamer, thence to Buffalo on an old wooden-track railroad.  The engine was so heavily loaded that a part of the train had to be left behind.  The place where it was left was far away from any town, and all night long the passengers had to guard their goods with guns to prevent them from being stolen.

    The year 1848 witnessed the arrival of Mr. Newhouse at Sheboygan.  In company with two friends, a miller and a carpenter, he started out to find a suitable place to establish a water-power mill.  After a long search, and many miles of travel, they decided to establish themselves at Centreville, Manitowoc County, which was then but a small place.  Much of the lumber of which their mill was built was taken by raft from Manitowoc, and the balance was taken from the vessel "76," which stranded about five miles south of Centreville, Wis.  Near by they also erected a sawmill.  Later Mr. Newhouse disposed of his interest in the mills and tried to get a clerkship in Chicago, but not able to do so, on account of the dullness of the times, he went to Muskegon, Mich., where he was employed for a short time in a sawmill.  Returning to Centreville, he opened a small store, which burned about a year later, proving a severe loss, as his financial condition was not of the best.

    In 1853 Mr. Newhouse purchased eight acres where he now lives, on section 2, Herman Township.  Having built a storehouse, he put in a small stock of goods, and for forty-two years he has carried on merchandising, being without doubt the oldest merchant in the county.  The house in which he now does business is the third he has built on that site.  Mr. Newhouse does an extensive business, and through careful investment of his savings has become well off.  In addition to his store he owns one hundred and twenty acres of rich farming land.  For a few years he kept a hotel, and for some thirty years he has been Postmaster of Edwards.

    In Milwaukee Mr. Newhouse was married, in 1861, to Miss Margaret Forrer, niece of Mrs. Philip Best, Wife of the well-known brewer.  Mrs. Newhouse was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, and when a young lady came to the United States with her uncle, Mr. Best, her parents having died in her native land.  Of this marriage two children were born.  Oscar, a native of the town of Herman, is a competent young business man, being the main dependence of his father in the conduct of his extensive business affairs.  Emilie married John A. Lohmann, a native of Germany, who also assists Mr. Newhouse in business.  Mr. Newhouse has two bright little grandchildren, Erna and Alfa Lohmann.  All the family belong to the German Evangelical Church.

    Mr. Newhouse is in the best sense a self-made man.  When he came to the United States he had but $200, but notwithstanding drawbacks and misfortunes he has pushed forward, achieving a success of which he may well be proud.  Having little capital of his own when he started in business, and being compelled to borrow, he had to pay as high as thirty per cent, for the use of money.  By honesty and fair dealing he has secured not only the patronage, but also the esteem and utmost confidence, of the people among whom he has done business for so many years.  When he located in this county, Indians, deer and wolves were plentiful.  Their haunts in the unbroken forest have now been converted into homes, and into farms as fertile as any to be found in the State.