Herman Katschkowsky, one of the citizens of prominence, wealth and influence, whose home is upon a large and finely equipped farm in Boardman Township, Clayton County, bears the reputation of being one of the most sagacious, practical and progressive of the farmers and stockmen of his neighborhood. He is one of the solid moneyed men of the county and rightly ttributes his prosperity to attention to business, to thrifty and economical management, and to the judicious methods that have characterized his manner of conducting agriculture operations. Although he has resided on his present property but a comparatively few years, he has succeeded in bringing the land under good cultivation and has the farm well supplied with buildings for every needed purpose.

The parents of our subject, Ludwig and Augusta ( Taddy ) Katschkowsky, were born in Reisenkirch, Germany, and emigrated to this country, becoming residents of Iowa and residing in Elkport until they died.

Herman was born in Reisenkirch on March 22, 1857, and came alone to the United States, taking passage on a steamer at Bremen and landing at Baltimore after a voyage of about thirteen days. From that city he went direct to Chicago, reaching there with but $8 in his possession. For four weeks he worked for his board, and then was employed by the month. Soon, however, he removed to Beloit, Wis., and near that place hired out on a farm, receiving $6 per month in return for his services. One year latter he came to Iowa, being sixteen years old when he settled in Clayton County. His first employment was that of grubbing and clearing the land, and he also worked in the harvest fields. From Iowa he went to Missouri, where he spent a year, going thence to Cincinnati, Ohio, and from there to Minnesota, where he was also employed in harvesting. The ensuing year found him in Elkader, and from that city he went to Cleveland, Ohio, to meet his mother and step-father, who had just crossed the ocean from their native land. With a brother he worked on a farm near Chicago for a short time, but the following year came back to Clayton County, where for one season he worked by the day and month. For eleven years following he worked in a brewery in Elkader.

While a resident of Elkader, at the age of twenty-three years, Mr. Katschkowsky was united in marriage with Miss Paulina Schmidt, who was born in Clayton County and is a daughter of J. B. Schmidt, whose sketch is presented on another page of this volume. They have six children, of whom four are living, all at home, viz.: George, Fritz, William and Carrie.

Our subject continued to reside in Elkader until 1885, when he removed to his present property lying in Boardman Township. The farm consists of two hundred and forty acres, and as above stated, contains first-class improvements. The land is devoted to general farming, and in connection with the raising of cereals, our subject also makes a specialty of stock raising, in which department of agriculture he is meeting with success. He is a man who is loyally devoted to the interests of his adopted country, and the Union has no citizen more faithful than he in political principles he believes in the Democracy, and never fails to cast his ballot at the elections in support of its candidates. With his family he holds membership in the Evangelical Lutheran Church.

~source: Portrait and Biographical Record of Dubuque, Jones and Clayton Counties; Chicago: Chapman Pub. Co., 1894; pg 475-476
~transcribed by Suzanne Terrell