Greve, Hans

GREVE, JENS, OBRIEN, TRAGER, HANSEN

Posted By: Volunteer Transcribers
Date: 2/10/2003 at 22:33:13

Source: "The 1901 Biographical Record of Clinton Co., Iowa, Illustrated" published: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co., 1901.

HANS GREVE.

One of Clinton’s most progressive and energetic business men is Hans Greve, a president of Greve, Hansen & Company, manufacturers of the celebrated Standard bunch kindling wood, and wholesale and retail dealers in wood, hard and soft coal, and everything else along that line. Mr. Greve, the founder of this enterprise, was born in Germany, on the 20th of September, 1851, a son of John Henry Greve, also a native of that country, but who never came to America. The mother is still living and continues to reside in Germany. Our subject is one of a family of five children. He was reared and educated in the land of his birth and in 1879 came to the new world, locating first in Calumet county, Wisconsin, where he spent four years engaged in farming. At the end of that time he removed to Clinton, Iowa, where he has since made his home, and was in the employ of C. Lamb & Sons until he embarked in his present business.

It was in 1888 that Mr. Greve established the kindling wood business on Eighteenth avenue, one block south of his present location, and was alone in business until the 1st of November, 1899, when the concern became incorporated under the present style of Greve, Hanson & Company, Mr. Hansen becoming connected with the enterprise at that time. The factory was destroyed by fire the year previous. The present officers of the company are Hans Greve, president; George Trager, vice-president; and L. J. Hansen, secretary and treasurer, while these with Hans L. Hansen constitute the directors. Although Mr. Greve started the business on a small scale, all necessary machinery was made according to his own ideas, models and patents and proved far superior to the high priced machines of eastern make and of much greater capacity. His ability, energy and inventive genius have placed him at the head of one of the important industries of the city, and the firm now employs from twenty to twenty-four men. Their factory, which is located on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, has a capacity of three carloads per day, and the product is mostly all shipped to Chicago, although they sell quite a large amount in other cities, including Omaha and Des Moines.

Mr. Greve was married in 1847 to Miss Katherine Jens, of Calumet county, Wisconsin, and to them were born eight children, namely: Minnie, now the wife of John O’Brien, of Clinton; Pauline and Josephine, twins, the latter now the wife of George Trager, an engineer on the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, and also vice-president of Greve, Hansen & Company; Martha, wife of Lorenz J. Hansen, secretary and treasurer of the company; Clara; Margaret; Oscar; and John.

Socially Mr. Greve is a member of the German Society of Clinton, Wallahala Lodge, No. 150, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Clinton Encampment, No. 196, the Fraternal Brotherhood of the World, and the Mystic Workers of the World. He has made for himself an honorable record in business, and his success is due entirely to his own industry, perseverance and good management, for he came to America without capital. His prosperity is therefore well deserved, and his life has ever been such as to commend him to the confidence and respect of all with whom he has come in contact either in business or social circles.