Stamm, J. F. T.

STAMM, TODSEN, INGWERSEN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 2/14/2003 at 16:04:04

J. F. T. STAMM 

The subject of this sketch is the junior member of the firm of Ingwersen & Borbeck, which was organized August 23, 1897, and commenced business at that time. The firm consists of N. E. Ingwersen, J. Borbeck and J. F. T. Stamm, all residents of Lyons. They are dealers and manufacturers of lumber, making a specialty of flooring, ceiling, moulding and everything in the planing mill line, which they manufacture, while they deal in sash, doors and blinds, besides heavy lumber of all kinds. The first year the firm did only a retail business, but has since built up a large wholesale trade, having doubled their business, which now amounts to about two hundred thousand dollars annually. They buy all their lumber at Stillwater, Minnesota, and raft it down the Mississippi, their mill being located about one-half mile north of the bridge at Lyons. The logs which they buy, however, are manufactured into lumber in the north before shipment and are here made into specialties, about forty men being employed in this work. The office of the company is located at the corner of Main and Eighth streets, Lyons, and is in charge of Mr. Stamm, while Mr. Borbeck has general supervision of the retail trade; and Mr. Ingwersen is in charge of the work around the mill. They constitute a very strong and reliable firm, and have built up what is to-day one of the important industries of the city.

Mr. Stamm was born in London, England, April 2, 1872, a son of Hermann and Cornelia (Todsen) Stamm, both natives of Germany and now residents of Hamburg, where the father is living retired. While living in London he was a live-stock commission merchant and followed that occupation during his active business life. In 1879 he came to America on a visit.

Our subject, who is the only son in the family of three children, was reared in London, where he attended school until fifteen years of age, and then accompanied his parents on their removal to Eiderstedt, Germany, where he spent about a year and a half in gaining a practical knowledge of farming, and then entered the University Kiel, where he took an agricultural course. In 1893 Mr. Stamm came to America for the purpose of attending the World's Fair in Chicago, and later attended the Mid-Winter Fair in San Francisco. He next went to Hawaii, where he spent six weeks, and on his return to the United States settled in Chicago, where he worked in the stock yards during the winter and on farms in summer. In 1897 he came to Clinton, Iowa, and has since engaged in the lumber business with the firm of which he is now a member.

Mr. Stamm was married in 1897 to Miss Agnes Ingwersen, a daughter of N. E. Ingwersen, one of his partners, and to them were born twin boys in 1898, Hermann and Claus, but the former died the following year. Having traveled extensively, Mr. Stamm is an exceedingly well informed man, possessing the broad general knowledge of men and events which only travel can bring. His social, genial nature makes him quite popular, and he is a stanch and loyal friend, fond of good fellowship.
Source: The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.