Biographies For Muscatine County Iowa 1889

Source: Portrait and Biographical Album, Muscatine County, Iowa, 1889, page 364
HERMAN SCHMIDT, junior partner of the firm of G. Schmidt & Bro., book-binders, and dealers in books, stationery, music and musical instruments, at Muscatine, was born in Nassau, Germany, Nov. 11, 1843, and is a son of Christian and Christiane ( Pfaff ) Schmidt. He attended schol in his native country until 1854, when he came to America with his parents, the family settling at Muscatine, where our subject first learned the book-binding trade and later that of a cigar manufacturer. In the month of August 1862, he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting as a private in Company C, 35th Iowa Infantry,and served in that company until October, 1863, when he was transferred to the band and appointed principal musician, in which position he served until August, 1865. After the close of the war he was mustered out, and immediately returned to Muscatine. At once joining his brother Gustav in the book-binding business, for seventeen years he worked at the bench. In 1871, they added books, stationery and music to their business,and later bought a supply of musical instruments. For the last four years our subject has had charge of the book-binding and the sale of the mucical instruments their business having increased to that extent that these branches occupy his entire time.

On Oct. 17, 1868, at Muscatine, Iowa, Mr. Schmidt was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Hoehl, a daughter of J. G. Hoehl, a native of Bavaria, Germany. By their union eight children were born, six sons and two daughters : Ernst, Amalie and Julius are all musicians ; Adolph died at the age of six years ; Carl and Eddie are the next younger ; Bertha, the second daughter, died at the age of ten months ; and Herman is the youngest of the family. Mr. Schmidt is a Democrat in politics, but was formerly a Republican. He is a member of the Shelby Norman Post No. 231, G. A. R., and of the Turner Society, also of the Knights of Honor. He is a prominent musician, possessing great talent, and is a member of Eichoff's City Cornet Band, in which he plays the tenor horn or baritone, and double bass in the orchestra. He has been connected with that band for twenty-nine years, and is the only one left of the original members who still plays in it. His family inherited a talent of music from their father, and are developing marked musical ability, being quite proficient in the use of various instruments. Mr. Schmidt and three of his family are members of the Musical Union of Muscatine.

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