Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2025 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== History of Buffalo & Pepin Counties, Wisconsin - Vol. 1 pub. H. C. Cooper, Jr. & Co., Winona, MN - 1919 [page 159-160] ANDREW DRESSENDOERFER, a prominent business man of Fountain City, Buffalo county, proprietor of a garage, machine-shop and wagon-shop, who has also served in public office, was born in a log house, in the lower end of this city - then but a small settlement - on Sept. 9, 1855. His parents were LAWRENCE and MARY (SCHNEIDER) DRESSENDOERFER, natives of Bavaria, who came to the United States with a colony in 1851, landing at New Orleans. From that city they came up the river to Galena, Ill., the trip taking three months, as they came by easy stages. Both were then single. At Galena MARY SCHNEIDER found work in the Melzler Hotel, while LAWRENCE DRESSENDOERFER and JOHN HEISS- ENGER hired out to CAPT. HARRIS of the steamer "War Eagle," and came to Wild's Landing, near Fountain City, where they met CASPER WILD, who was then the only settler there. They hired out to cut wood at fifty cents a cord, working for CAPTAIN HARRIS summer and winter for four years. About this time MR. DRESSENDOERFER and MARY SCHNEIDER were married, and MR. HEISSENGER having also provided himself with a wife, either then or previously, the two men built a house of logs to accommodate two families, which is now the HEISSENGER home. They also got a yoke of steers from Dubuque to haul wood to the landing, and began farming a little. CAPT. HARRIS would leave provisions in the fall to last them through the winter. MR. DRESSENDOERFER took up his farming close to Foun- tain City. He had served in the German army, in 1848, but hired a substitute when drafted for service in the American Civil War. In time he became one of the leading men of Foun- tain City, holding the position of trustee and will officer. He took the principal part in organizing the Lutheran church, of which he was an elder for many years, and before the church edifice was erected services were often held in his log house. He and his wife had a family of eight children - four sons and four daughters - whose names were respectively: JOHN, ANDREW, FRED, MARY, LIZZIE, LAWRENCE, BARBARA and ANNA, the last mentioned of whom, however, died in infancy. MR. DRESS- ENDOERFER died in 1914, and his wife died in 1898. ANDREW DRESSENDOERFER, the date of whose nativity has been already given, in is boyhood attended school at Fountain City. Afterwards he took up the blacksmith's trade with JOHN CLARK, for whom he worked eleven years. He then built a wagon-shop and machine-shop for himself, and engaged in that line of business, carrying it on successfully. On July 22, 1906, the shop burned down, causing him a loss of ten thousand dollars. He rebuilt it, however, and has since added to it a garage and auto-repairing establishment. He is a director in the Fountain City Brewery, and also helped to start the creamery and the telephone company, of which latter company he is one of the directors. As one of the leading business men here he has naturally been called upon to take part in public affairs and aid in local government. Accordingly he served six years as alderman, and was for three years mayor of the city. Reared a member of the Lutheran church, he has never changed his faith, and has been president of the Sun- day school for 38 years. MR. DRESSENDOERFER was married in 1881, to LIZA WESTERCAMP, daughter of FRED and ANGELINE WESTERCAMP, her father being a pioneer of Fountain City. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. DRESSENDOERFER, namely: WILMA, wife of LOUIS BARTLES; ELMER, a plumber, re- siding in Durand, Wis., and ALPHA, wife of ALLEN SCHAFFNER, who is a business partner of MR. DRESSENDOERFER. ===========================================================================