Gustav C. Franck
For many years Gustav C. Franck has been successfully engaged
as a carriage and wagon maker, later taking up contracting and
building and also engaging in the coal business, but since 1912
he has been connected with agricultural pursuits in Linton
township, although he is still interested in his former line of
business. He has turned to agriculture in order to give his sons
the benefit of an outdoor life and healthful farm surroundings.
Born at Carondelet, Missouri, August 4, 1860, Gustav C. Franck is
a son of Martin and Mary (Arpe) Franck. The father was born in
Bavaria, May 2, 1827, and the mother at Dobberan, grand duchy of
Mecklenburg-Schwerin, December 9, 1837. The father crossed to
America in the spring of 1850, first locating in New York city,
where he engaged as a cabinet-maker and carpenter. Later he went
to Clinton, Iowa and Dubuque, subsequently removing from there to
St. Louis and thence to Springfield, Illinois. After remaining
here for a time he went to Kankakee that state and lastly to
Chicago, where ended his active career, passing away in 1909,
being engaged in his business until a week before his death,
despite his advanced age of eighty-two years. The mother passed
away in 1903. The were the parents of five children, of whom our
subject is the second in order of birth.
Gustav C. Franck attended school in Springfield and Kankakee,
Illinois. At the age of seventeen, in 1877, he was apprenticed to
a carriage and wagon maker for four years and then followed that
trade for any equal period of time in Chicago. He then engaged in
the coal business until 1912, when he came to his present farm in
order to afford his sons a better opportunity for leading an
outdoor life and to realize some ideas and ideals which he had
formed in the city. Although he is now largely interested in
farming, he is still connected with his former business in
partnership with his son, Walter C. Franck, their establishment
being in Oak Park, Illinois.
On August 27, 1883, Mr. Franck married Miss Hulda Gueneman, who
was born in Westphalia, Germany, March 17, 1863. Her mother died
when she was but six years of age and she was reared by an uncle
in the old country. Mrs. Franck came to America in 1881 and until
her marriage made her home in Chicago. By her marriage she became
the mother of four children: Walter C., who was born June 21,
1884, and who is engaged in the contracting business at Oak Park,
Illinois; Arthur L., who was born September 20, 1887, and who
resides with his father; Hulda, who was born July 5, 1889, and
who married J. L. Berger, a cutter in the employ of Hart,
Schaffner & Marx of Chicago; and Elmer, who was born January
29,1898, and who resides at home.
Mr. Franck is a member of the Evangelical Association and his
family has also been reared in that faith. He gives his adherence
to the republican party but has never cared for public office.
Fraternally he is a member of the blue lodge of Masons Of Oak
Park. Mr. Franck is a progressive and aggressive business man and
no doubt will be as successful along agricultural lines as he has
been in commercial life. He has distinctive ideas of his own and
intends to try out some of them which have occurred to him as
practical. His advent among the farming fraternity of Linton
township, Allamakee county, must be considered fortunate as no
doubt he will take a leading part in promoting agricultural
development in the section and in establishing new standards and
in contributing to the prosperous conditions that prevail.
-source: Past & Present of Allamakee County; by
Ellery M. Hancock; S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.; 1913
-transcribed by Diana Diedrich
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