HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



killed, one on each side of him, by pieces of an exploding shell and he was
only
saved through the protection of his helmet.
   Peter J. Coyle, founder of the Coyle Electric Co., Marshfield, was born
in Cov-
ington, Ky., Aug. 18, 1881, son of Nicholas L. and Ada Coyle. The father
died in
1893 at Logan, Iowa, and the mother is now living at Granby, Colo. They were
of Scotch-Irish stock and by occupation Mr. Coyle was a railroad man. The
chil-
dren in the family were four: Ella, Fred, Jack and Peter J. Peter J. Coyle,
after
attending the common school, left home at the age of 14 and went to work
for an
electric company at Logan, Iowa. When 17 years old he went to Denver, Colo.,
where he was employed for three years for the Denver Light & Power Co.
After
that for awhile he followed the same occupation in Iowa. In 1909 Mr. Coyle
went into the same business for himself at Carlton, Minn., where he remained
two
years, going in 1911 to Fergus Falls, Minn. In the latter place he worked
three
years for the W. D. Wright Electric Co. His next move was to Pierre, S. D.,
where
he was given the job of wiring the new state capitol. That accomplished,
he went to
Woodville, Wis., where he spent a year as proprietor of an electric shop
until 1915.
For three years thereafter he was electric superintendent at Black River
Falls,
Wis., whence in 1918 he came to Marshfield, Wood County, and established
his
present business. He finds ample employment and is making good financial
prog-
ress, his wife being president of the company. He is also a stockholder in
Kessel
Bros.' store in Marshfield. The local Chamber of Commerce numbers him among
its useful members, and he is affiliated by membership with the fraternal
orders
of Eagles and Owls. Formerly he was a member of the Marshfield Guards. Mr.
Coyle was married at Logan, Iowa, March 7, 1901, to Laura V. Hunter, daughter
of Philo and Ella (Clark) Hunter. Her father is deceased and her mother is
now
living at Dunlap, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Coyle are the parents of eight children:
Erma E., now Mrs. Joseph Rafferty of Duluth, Minn.; and Hazel, Pearl, Irene,
Llovd, Dorothy, Marion and Thelma, who are at home. Pearl, Irene, Lloyd,
Dorothy and Marion are attending school.
   Lorenz Hartl, for many years a prominent and highly respected business
man
of Marshfield, was born in 1841, in a small village in Austria. He was married
to
Anna Wolf, in that country. He was the father of nine children, all born
in Aus-
tria; they were: Barbara, born Feb. 15, 1861, who became Mrs. Matthew Peterson
and who is now deceased: Lorenz, born April 28, 1865, who passed away in
Marsh-
field; Anna, born Nov. 8, 1867, now Mrs. Wm. Schroder of Milwaukee; Emelia,
now Mrs. Ignatz Frisch of Merrill, Wis.; Henry, born Dec. 22, 1869, who died
in
Marshfield; Alois, born May 12, 1871, now living in Milwaukee; Cecelia, born
Dec.
29, 1872, now Mrs. William Schimmelpfenig of Marshfield; John, born Dec.
20,
1876, who is now in Milwaukee; and Louis, born Oct. 1, 1879, whose leadership
in
Marshfield's development is related in this volume, and who is still a prominent
figure in that city. In 1881 the father sold his holdings in Austria and
with his
wife and children and his widowed mother came to America, settling in Marshfield.
The 27,000 marks he had received for his property in Austria was practically
all
consumed by the expense of the trip, and the prosperity he achieved in Marshfield
was due solely to his enterprise. He assumed at first the local agency of
a Mil-
waukee concern and continued in that capacity for several years, at the expiration
of which he built a residence and business property at West Second and Chestnut
Streets. In 1887 he started the construction of a large barn to be used in
connec-
tion with his hotel business, and drove the last nail in it a few hours before
the
start of the great fire which destroyed most of Marshfield, and in which
his new
barn and all his other buildings were consumed. Not discouraged by this loss,
he
built on the site of his former buildings a two story brick building which
he suc-
cessfully operated as a hotel until he retired some years later on account
of ill
health. He passed away in Marshfield, Nov. 8, 1913; Mrs. Hartl also died
in
Marshfield, Feb. 8, 1905. Mr. Hartl's political beliefs were with the Democratic
party. He was a prominent member of St. John's Catholic Parish of Marshfield,
and was liberal in financial support of the church. He was a charter member
of



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