Nicholas C. Bisdorf
BISDORF, GLADE, JOHNAS, ELMER, WIDEMAN, STAMES, ETTING
Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 8/31/2010 at 07:31:10
History of Jackson County, Iowa, 1910, J. W. Ellis
NICHOLAS C. BISDORF.
Iowa numbers among her native sons Nicholas C. Bisdorf, a progressive and enterprising merchant, of Bellevue, whose birth occurred in Black Hawk county on the 2d of May, 1872. His parents, Nicholas and Eva (Johnas) Bisdorf, were natives of Germany, the former born on the 27th of September, 1838, and the latter September 26, 1835. They were reared and married in the old country, after which they came to the United States, landing in New York on the day of Lincoln's assassination. The father was a farmer by occupation and followed that pursuit until his retirement from active life. He still survives and makes his home in Bellevue, but his wife has now passed away, her death occurring on the 24th of December, 1907. Their family consisted of eight children, one of whom died in infancy. The others are: Bertha, the wife of John Faxon, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Anna, the deceased wife of Sam Elmer, of Dubuque, Iowa, by whom she had three children; Mary, who wedded Henry Wideman, after whose death she became the wife of Ben Stames, of Milwaukee; Jacob, a farmer of Bellevue township; Nicholas C., of this review; Tony, residing in Bellevue; and Eva, the wife of George Saunders, of Chicago. The two oldest members of this family were born in Germany.
When the subject of this sketch was but a year old he was brought by his parents to Bellevue and here continued to reside until seven years of age. He then accompanied his parents on their removal to Dubuque, where he remained until fifteen years of age, when the family again took up their abode in this city. His education was acquired in the public schools of Dubuque and Bellevue, remaining a student therein until sixteen years of age. He completed his training by a course in the high school, although he did not graduate from that institution. After laying aside his text books he started out in the business world on his own account, being employed in the capacity of clerk in the general store of A. C Sieverding for six years. At the expiration of that period he succeeded Mr. Sieverding in business, which had originally been established by Matt Mosler, one of the pioneer merchants of this district, who sold the business to Mr. Sieverding, who in turn disposed of it to Mr. Bisdorf on the 2yth of January, 1896. Since that time the latter has concentrated his energies on its management, carefully planning for the expansion of the trade, working out his plans in such a manner that his efforts have been crowned with most gratifying success, and he today is the proprietor of one of the most extensive and important mercantile enterprises of the community. In 1898 he erected his present store building, which in architecture and appointment is one of the finest in the entire county. It is a brick structure, thirty-three by ninety feet, consisting of two stories and a basement, and he also has a warehouse forty by fifty feet, the entire space in both buildings being utilized for the conduct of a general mercantile business. Not only is the store modern and up to date in point of equipment but he carries a well selected line of goods valued at thirty-five thousand dollars. The Weis wardrobe system in use in the store was the first to be introduced in the state. It extends the entire length of the store and was installed at a cost of eighteen hundred dollars. The safe and reliable policy which Mr. Bisdorf has instituted in the control of his business has gained the confidence of the public, while the extensive trade which is carried on over the counters of his store is due in large measure to the fact that, realizing that satisfied customers are the best advertisement, he has closely studied the needs of the public and endeavors in every way to meet the demands of his patrons.
Wise investment of his money has also been one of the salient features in Mr. Bisdorf's success. He is a stockholder in the Bellevue Piano Company, one of the most important industrial enterprises in the community, and, realizing that there is no safer investment than real estate, he has from time to time purchased land in the Dakotas, Kansas and Wisconsin, until today he is the owner
of eleven hundred and sixty acres in those states, constituting him one of the extensive property owners in this region.
On the 24th of October, 1895, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. Bisdorf and Miss Minnie L. Glade, a native of Jackson county and a daughter of John Henry and Minnie (Etting) Glade, natives of Germany and Jackson county respectively. The mother has now passed away but the father still survives and makes his home in Bellevue. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bisdorf have been born two children: Dorothea Glade, whose birth occurred on the 4th of January, 1905; and Clarence Corinthian, born on the 28th of December, 1906.
Mr. Bisdorf has been a member of the Commercial Club since its organization, and although he is deeply interested in all matters pertaining to the general welfare and does all in his power to further the best interests of the community, he has no desire for public office. He prefers rather to concentrate his energies upon the management of his business affairs, which, carefully conducted, are proving a source of gratifying success. Placing his dependence upon the safe and substantial qualities of energy and industry, his close application and sound judgment have advanced him rapidly in the business world and the prosperity which he today enjoys has come to him as the legitimate and logical result of intelligence and well directed effort.
Nicholas Bisdorf Grave
Jackson Biographies maintained by Lynn McCleary.
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