IAGenWeb Project - Clayton co.

"Our Friends on the Acres"
Mr. & Mrs. August Schultz


A pioneer couple who have progressed through persistency and hard work, live one mile north of Postville on highway 51. They are Mr. and Mrs. August Schultz. Mr. Schultz was born Aug. 28, 1867, in Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Germany, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Dietrich Schultz.

When he was eight years old he hired out as a farm laborer, spending his summers on the farm, and attending school during the winter months. This early experience proved to be valuable to him as he learned the farming "business" from A to Z. "My parents passed away when I was eight years old, so I lived with my older brother, John," Mr. Schultz explained to the Herald reporter. "I had two brothers, Henry and William, who were located in Postville and in their letters they would describe the advantages of this country. They stated that they were earning from $200 to $240 a year working on farms near Postville. As I was working for $12 a year, that sounded like big money to me, so I decided to leave Germany.

In July of 1884, my brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. John Schultz, and my sister (Mrs. John Renzman), and I boarded a ship on the Elbe river. After a long voyage we crossed the Atlantic ocean, landed at New York City, then traveled to Chicago and finally arrived in Postville. We got off the midnight train at Postville, but as we could not speak English, we were considerably handicapped. My brother finally made the station agent understand who we wanted by showing him a letter addressed to a cousin of ours, Henry Schultz. He was running a store in Postville at the time and was supposed to meet us at the train. He wasn't on hand when we got off the train, but the agent finally found him for us. We stayed with Henry that night, then I went to the Charles Schultz farm northwest of Gunder the next day, where I found work. Charles was my cousin. John and his wife located in Postville where John worked as a mason."

August Schultz worked for Charles Schultz near Gunder for two years, receiving $12 a month. He worked the next two years for another cousin, Fred Schultz, who had an adjoining farm. "My wages were increasing then as I had been here for four years," Mr. Schultz remarked. "Although I hated to move from farm to farm, I hired out to William Palas and worked for him two years." Mr. Schultz then moved to the Wm. Brandt farm near Frankville, where he worked until Thanksgiving day in the year 1895. He had purchased a 90 acre farm five miles northeast of Postville in the Bethel community from Louis Schroeder some time before that, so he moved to his property.

On Christmas day of 1895 he was married to Miss Dora Schultz, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Schultz. Although her name was the same as her husband's, she was not related to him. Dora Schultz was born in Grand Meadow township near Postville, on August 14, 1877. She too had spent her early days on a farm. Mr. and Mrs. Schultz are the parents of 11 children. They are: Velma (Mrs. Chas. Ohloff) of Postville; Bertha (Mrs. Joe Wirsching) of Reno, Nev.; Lawrence of Luana; Roy of Lombard, Ill.; Mrs. Milda Waters of Postville; Elmer of Postville; Harry of Frankville; Kenneth who lives on the home property; Gertrude (Mrs. Ed Kohl) of Blooming Prairie, Minn.; Mardella Schultz of Twin Falls, Idaho; and Doris Schultz of Decorah.

After making many improvements on their farm, they sold the property to George Schultz in 1911. They immediately purchased 200 acres of land from J.B. Hart just north of Postville, on which they are living today. They didn't take immediate possession as the farm buildings were not adequate. The house was only a one room affair and as they had eight children, they did not occupy the place until the following year. In the meantime Mr. Schultz constructed a large house and a granary. In 1912 a dairy barn, 72X34 feet was constructed. An additional good sized barn was built in 1915. Mr. and Mrs. Schultz continued to improve their property by erecting new buildings and installing farm equipment until today it is one of the most valuable properties in Allamakee county.

During the World War they purchased 90 acres near the Stone House, a few miles from their farm. It is quite heavily wooded, with considerable pasture land. there are no buildings on this property. "Everybody seemed to be better satisfied before the war," Mr. Schultz remarked. "People aren't as satisfied today. Of course, labor was cheaper in the old days. Why, in the old days a carpenter would work for $2.00 per day. The barn which was built on this place in 1912 cost me only $100 for labor. I don't want you to think that I'm dissatisfied with the present times, because I am satisfied. But it is the present generation which seems to have changed."

In 1927 Mr. Schultz went into the dairy business, buying out W.L. Meyer. His business prospered and further improvements and changes were made: the barn was remodeled, the milk house was repaired, and needed machinery was installed. Kenneth Schultz became a partner in 1933. He lives with his family in a house constructed that year, just to the east of the parents' home. They have 40 cows of which 35 are being milked at the present time. Last year their herd of 34 cows each averaged 412 pounds of butterfat. For the 1937-38 season the Schultzes owned the high herd, according to the report of the Elkader-Monona cow testing association. Their herd is now made up of approximately one-half Guernseys and one-half Holsteins to supply a mixed milk for a retail dairy business in Postville. They realize that good cows plus proper care and management are necessary for a profitable dairy business.

Alfalfa is the main crop on the farm. Two silos and an abundant supply of alfalfa hay furnish winter roughage for the herd. Ample summer forage is provided by a permanent blue grass pasture alternated with alfalfa.

~Postville Herald, February 21, 1940

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