HISTORY OF WOOD COUNTY



the Catholic Knights and of St. Joseph's Society. His broad vision and his
in-
terest in the affairs of his community caused his passing to be most keenly
felt.
    Louis A. Hartl, a prominent figure in the development of the city of
Marshfield,
 was born in Austria, Oct. 1, 1879, son of Lorenz and Anna (Wolf) Hartl.
His
 parents removed to the United States soon after his birth, and settled in
Marsh-
 field when he was but two years of age. He attended school in Marshfield,
and at
 the age of 13 entered the employ of Volmer & Voelker, grocers.  Three
years later
 he took over his father's business, at West Second and Chestnut Streets.
While
 his usefulness in the community has extended to many other lines, he has
always
 retained ownership of this property and still conducts a business there.
His first
 broad enterprise was the reorganization, in 1909, of the Marshfield Brewing
Co.;
 he was made president of the new organization and has held this office permanently.
 In 1917 he organized the Marshfield Brick & Tile Co., with a plant having
a capac-
 ity of 36,000 per day, located one mile north of the city limits of Marshfield.
This
 company has specialized in the production of a face brick of such exceptionally
 high quality that it is becoming widely celebrated. Mr. Hartl has been president
 and treasurer of this enterprise from the time he founded it. In addition
to these
 activities he conducts a real estate business, is a director and stockholder
in the
 American National Bank of Marshfield, and served four years as alderman.
Po-
 litically he is liberal. He has been a member of the Marshfield Fire Department
 for 25 years, and is at present its treasurer. In 1910 he married Theckla
Backus,
 daughter of August F. and Caroline (Speigel) Backus, of Kewaskum, Wis.,
bring-
 ing his bride to the fine home they still own and occupy at 202 North Central
 Avenue. Marshfield. Mrs. Hartl was born at Kewaskum, in 1880. Their only
 child, Caroline Anna, born in 1912, is now attending school. Mr. Hartl was
for a
 number of years secretary of the Catholic Knights organization-; he is also
a mem-
 ber of the Catholic Foresters, the B. P. 0. E., the Eagles, St. Joseph's
Society,
 and the state organization of the Travelers' Protective Association. The
family
 formerly were members of St. John's Parish, Marshfield. Besides the industries
 he has built up, the Armory building, built by him in 1909, will stand as
a monu-
 ment to Mr. Hartl's influence for progress.
   Herbert W. Burt, president of the Marshfield Hardware & Auto Co.,
and one
of the successful business men of this city, was born in Gibson Township,
Mani-
towoc County, Wis., May 2, 1869, son of Milo and Caroline (Peck) Burt. Both
parents were natives of the United States, the father having been born in
Ver-
mont June 5, 1842, and the mother in Pennsylvania May 27, 1850. They were
married in Two Rivers July 1, 1868, and settled in Manitowoc County when
it was
but thinly settled, undergoing the usual hardships of pioneers but working
hard
and finally succeeding in developing a farm from wild land. In the winters
Milo
Burt also worked at logging in order to earn ready money for running expenses.
Three of his brothers, Pierre, Charles and George came to Wisconsin with
him.
After a long and industrious career he died on his farm in Manitowoc County
April 25, 1895, and his wife, who survived him, is now living at Two Rivers,
that
county, with her daughter, Mrs. Walter Clarke. The children of Mr. and Mrs.
Milo Burt were: Herbert W., of Marshfield; Frank B., a farmer in Gibson Town-
ship, Manitowoc County, whose place is just across the road from the old
home
farm; Edwin D., now of Seattle, Wash.; Sadie, who married Louis Trossen and
is
now deceased; Cory L., of Marshfield, connected with the Marshfield Hardware
& Auto Co.; Jesse, of Niles, Mich.; and Ella, wife of Walter Clarke of
Two Rivers,
Manitowoc County. Herbert W. Burt in his boyhood attended district school
-until the age of 16, having to walk two miles to reach it. His attendance,
however,
after the age of 12 was only during the winters, as in summer his help was
needed
on the farm. After he was 19 he went to Cato in the same county and worked
four years as a farm hand for William P. Noyes. At the end of that time he
rented
the Noyes farm, which he operated for four and a half years. After that he
spent
two years on the Gibson Township farm, owned by his Uncle Pierre, in Manitowoc
County, and then came to Marshfield, Wood County. Here he entered the em-
ploy of the Upham Manufacturing Co., subsequently remaining with that concern



515