Jacob Wackerbarth

Jacob Wackerbarth, president of the Wackerbarth & Blamer Lumber Company of Independence, is a business man of marked energy, identified with various corporations which feature largely in the development, upbuilding and material progress of Independence. Tireless energy, keen perception and ability to plan and perform are salient factors in his life record and he possesses in large measure the quality of common sense, which is too often lacking in the business world, its absence being the cause of the great majority of failures. A native of Germany, he was born in Hesse-Cassel on the 30th of May, 1855. His father, Heinrich Wackerbarth, and mother, Anna E. Kaiser Wackerbarth, were both natives of Hesse-Cassel. His mother died when her son Jacol) was only eighteen months old. In his native country Heinrich Wackerbarth followed farming, owning extensive lands, and he was also mayor of the village in which he lived. He was a prominent and influential citizen of the connnunity in which he made his home. He never neglected the higher, liolier duties of life in meeting the demands of a inorc material character which were made upon him, but Avas ever an active and faithful member of the Reformed church.

Jacob Wackerbarth was the fifth in order of hii-th in a family of six children. He attended school in Germany and when sixteen years of age came to the United States, arriving in Indepeiulence on the 3d of May, 1872. He made his way direct to this city from New York and here engaged in the trade of cari'iage making, wliicli he had previously learned in Germany. This pursuit he followed a])Out one year, at the expiration of which time he went to Chicago and worked in a sash and door factory nearly one year, when he returned to Independence and again engaged in the manufacture of carriages, which he followed about two years. In the month of July. 1876, he returned to the old country, where he remained about four months, settling up his father's estate. Immediately after his return he went into the retail boot and shoe business in Independence. With him in this business, G. A. Steinmetz was engaged, which connection finally led to the formation of the firm of Steinmetz & Wackerbarth. In 1881 Mr. Wackerbarth engaged in the lumber business under the firm style of Zinn & Wackerbarth. That connection was maintained for seven years, at the end of which time Mr. Zinn sold out to Mr. Thomas Blamer, leading to the organization of the present firm, known as the Wackerbarth & Blamer Company. Of this corporation Mr. Wackerbarth is the president and is active in the control of an extensive and growing enterprise. This by no means indicates the limit of his ))business activity, however, for he is the president and was one of the organizers of the Independence Canning Corporation, is president of the Independent Ice Company and president of the Gedney Company, which owns and manager the hotel and opera house at Independence and also controls a similar business at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and at Atkinson, Nebraska, as a company ranch and business property. The ranch comprises thirteen hundred and twenty acres of land and on it the company is extensively engaged in raising cattle and horses. In addition Mr. Wackerbarth is a stockholder in the Commercial State Bank, is president of the Kelley Canning Company of Waverly, Iowa, and is a stockholder of the Sherman Smith Manufacturing Company. He is preeminently a business man and one who has wielded a wide influence in commercial, industrial and agricultural circles.

On Christmas Eve, 1879, occurred the marriage of Mr. Wackerbarth and Miss Pauline Zinn, a native of this county and a daughter of Eckhardt and Mary Zinn, both of whom were natives of Hesse-Cassel, Germany. Mr. Zinn came to Iowa in 1850, being one of the pioneers of this county and carried on business as architect and contractor for some 3'ears. Later he turned his attention to the lumber trade, taking into partnership with him his son-in-law, Jacob Wackerbarth. Mrs. Wackerbarth, who was the third in a family of seven children, died on the first of February, 1893, leaving four children. The eldest, Fred J., was born October 8, 1881, graduated from the Independence High School in 1900, and is now vice president of the Wackerbarth & Blamer Lumber Company and is assistant treasurer of the Independence Canning Corporation. In July, 1913, he married Maud Stephens Volk of Rock Island, Illinois. The three daughters, Minnie P., born July 6, 1883, Carrie E., born November 9, 1885, Neva R., born February 16, 1891, are all residing in Independence. They are all graduates of the Independence High School, Carrie E. also graduating from the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago, and Neva R. from Northwestern University at Evanston, Illinois.

In 1897 occurred the second marriage of Mr. Wackerbarth, this union being with Miss Minnie Wolters, a native of Wisconsin. Her father was born in Germany and became an early settler of Allamakee County, Iowa, where he had large land holdings. To Mr. and Mrs. Wackerbarth have been born two children: Carl A., who was born December 25, 1898, and Erwin II., born December 13, 1900. The parents are active members of the German Presbyterian church. Having ever concentrated his energies upon his business affairs, Mr. Wackerbarth has a wide circle of friends in the business world. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world, for here he has found the opportunities which he sought and in their improvement has made steady advancement, ranking today as one of the representative business, men of the county,.strong, forceful and resourceful, ready to meet any emergency and controlling his interests with the clear judgment and sagacity that ultimately win success.

As printed in History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people (1914). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.