Stang, A. J., born 1865

STANG, ENGLEHART, KOHLER

Posted By: Linda Mohning, volunteer (email)
Date: 5/27/2012 at 06:33:52

One of the best-known citizens of Plymouth county is A. J. Stang, formerly county treasurer and for many year a progressive merchant, who is now living in retirement in Le Mars. He is a public-spirited man, who has long had the interests of his county at heart and has not withheld his support from any laudable movement looking toward the betterment of the same.
A. J. Stang was born in Benton county, Iowa, February 27, 1865, and there he grew up and was educated, later attending school in Plymouth county. He lived a home until he was twenty-one years old, then rented his father's far’ for two years, after which he engaged in the grain and implement business at Remsen seven and one-half years; then traded for land, but had charge of another implement stock for eighteen months. In the fall of 1897 he was elected treasurer of Plymouth county, serving three terms with credit to himself and satisfaction to all concerned. Later he was in the employ of the International Harvester Company for three years, and since then he has lived retired in Le Mars. He owns three hundred and twenty acres in Lyon county and once hundred and sixty acres in Plymouth county, all valuable land. He has been very successful in a business way.
A. J. Stang is a son of Clement and Margaret (Englehart) Stang, both natives of Germany, he of Baden and she of Bavaria. They came to America when young. He located in Baltimore, Maryland, where he worked at the blacksmith’s trade. He was also a mechanic. He helped build the Baltimore & Ohio railroad from Baltimore to Wheeling, West Virginia, and later moved to the latter city. In 1856 he came down the Ohio River in a boat and up the Mississippi, bound for St. Paul, Minnesota, but while enroute cholera broke out on the boat and he arranged with the captain to land him at Muscatine, Iowa. In the spring of 1856 he drove overland to Benton county, Iowa and became the first blacksmith in that part of the country, the settlers showing their appreciation of his coming by building him a comfortable home and a small shop. He lacked proper material in that pioneer place, but he was resourceful and made a success of his work nevertheless. Later he bought one hundred and twenty acres in that county and started farming. On April 7, 1882, he located one mile south of Remsen, in this county, where he owned two hundred and forty acres. In 1888 he sold the farm and moved to Remsen, where he lived until his death on April 15, 1914. His wife died in 1891. They were parents of six children, namely: Louise, who lives at Remsen; William A., who lives in Carroll county, Iowa; Mrs. P. H. Peters, who lives at Long Beach, California; Mrs. F. Ebrecht , who lives in Sioux City, Iowa; Mrs. M. Lemberty, who lives in Glendale, California, and A. J. , the subject of this sketch, who owns the homestead near Remsen.
On May 23, 1888, A. J. Stang was married to Lydia Kohler, a daughter of Nick and Mary (Lang) Kohler, and to this union five children have been born, namely: Levi C., who is an electric engineer and lives in Le Mars; Walter A., who lives in Sioux City; Hilton A., who is attending the State University; Ray, who is a high school student at Le Mars, and Floyd, who is attending grade school at Le Mars. Mr. Stang is a Republican. Fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, of which he is past ? .

Source: The History of Plymouth County, Vol. II, edited by W. S. Freeman, 1917