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         GEORGE ERBES, wagon and carriage manufacturer, of Wapello, Iowa, established business at this place in March, 1867, in a small way, and has extended and increased his facilities as his trade increased, until he now has an extensive establishment. His factory covers 3, 172 square feet, ground floor, and a greater part of it is two stories in height. He employs from eight to fourteen hands, and turns out 150 new jobs annually, besides a large amount of repairs, which is an important part of his business. He employs steam-power machinery, has a sixteen horse-power engine, and a boiler of twenty horse-power capacity. His trade lies largely in Louisa, Des Moines, and Muscatine Counties, but he has made several shipments to Nebraska and Kansas. By doing none but the best of work, Mr. Erbes has made a reputation that gives him the controlling trade in a large portion of the Iowa counties named. He receives a large trade from the immediate neighborhood of other factories, owing to the superiority of his work. Recently he has nearly monopolized the wagon trade in Louisa County and the northern part of Des Moines County.

Mr. Erbes was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, March 16, 1842, and is the son of Ludwig and Katharina (Boetz) Erbes. He was educated in his native country, and served a regular apprenticeship to the wagon-maker’s trade. By the advice of his maternal grandfather, who was a retired government officer, he emigrated to America in 1863, reaching this country in the midst of the late war. He worked at his trade in Albany, N. Y., until July, 1864, when he enlisted in the Quarter-master’s department, was detailed on mechanical work, and stationed at Nashville, Tenn., and later at Vicksburg, Miss., where he remained until the 2d of August, 1865, when he was mustered out of service. He then came to Iowa, and worked at his trade at Burlington until March, 1867, when he took up his residence in Wapello, and began his present business.

On the 14th of April, 1866, at Burlington, Iowa, the union of George Erbes and Miss Mary Strothmann, daughter of John and Hannah Strothmann, was celebrated. Mrs. Erbes was born in Little York, Pa., Aug. 20, 1849. They are the parents of eight children, six sons and two daughters, all of whom are living except one daughter, and all were born in Wapello except the eldest, Lewis Charles, who was born at Burlington, Iowa, Feb. 2, 1867, and is now in Los Angeles, Cal.; George Edward was born Nov. 20, 1868; John H., Nov. 2, 1870; Martha Rosa, born Aug. 22, 1872, died Oct. 15, 1873; Philip Arthur, born Aug. 11, 1874; William Oscar, May 15, 1877; Omer Frank, April 26, 1879; Emma Ardena, June 18, 1884.

Mr. Erbes is a Republican in politics, and is a member of the I. O. O. F., Louisa Lodge No. 19, of Wapello. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Erbes is an industrious, hard-working man, a thorough master of . . .

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. . . his business, and conscientiously particular that his work shall be of the very best in every instance, and one job sold in a neighborhood always brings more, for the people have learned that a wagon from Erbes’ shop will not drop its tires, or fail in the first two or three years of use. The wagon and carriage shops of Mr. Erbes constitute the most important manufacturing interest of Louisa County, and its proprietor is esteemed one of the leading business men of town, and one of the most respected citizens. Many of Mr. Erbes’ wagons have been in use for upward of twenty years, and are still in perfect order.