HISTORY OF MANITOWOC COUNTY


citizen and one who gave active and helpful support to various measures for
the
public good. He died in the year 1905 after a connection of almost four decades
with the business affairs of the city.
Edward W. Sixta, to whom we are indebted for the material furnished con-
cerning his father, was born August i6, 187I, in Manitowoc, and the public
schools afforded him his educational privileges, acquainting him with such
branches of learning as are deemed essential in the preparation for life's
practi-
cal and responsible duties. As he approached manhood he became associated
with his father in business and for twenty-three years has continued in the
same
line of trade. The growth of the house has been continuous and the firm has
enjoyed a constantly increasing patronage.
Mr. Sixta was united in marriage to Miss Olga M. Sousthagen of Manitowoc,
and they are well known in social circles here. He votes with the republican
party but is not interested in politics as an office seeker. He desires only
that
the best interests of citizenship and of good government shall be conserved
by
the party which he supports and is content to leave office holding to others,
while
he gives his time and energies to the capable control of the business in
which he
is now engaged.
CHARLES E. SPINDLER.
Charles E. Spindler, one of Manitowoc's retired business men, than whom
no man is better known in the type foundry business, was for many years connected
with the firm of Barnhart Bros. & Spindler, and is still a director of
the company
which bears his name, although he has been retired from active participation
in
the work of the concern for a long period. Mr. Spindler was born June 25,
I841, in Germany, and is a son of John and Johanna Spindler, who came to
the
United States in i849 and located at Northampton, Massachusetts, one year
later
going to Winchester, New Hampshire, and from there, after one year, to Jones-
ville, Massachusetts. In I855 the family came to Wisconsin, where the father
purchased the old Williams farm, situated six miles from Manitowoc, in Newton
township, but after three years he sold his land and moved to Manitowoc,
where
he died in 1877, his wife having passed away in i868. They had a family of
four daughters and one son, all of whom are still living. Charles E. Spindler
received a public-school education, and in i859 went to Champaign, Illinois,
in
the vicinity of which city he worked on a farm until his enlistment, in i86i,
in
Company A, First Illinois Cavalry. He was taken prisoner at the battle of
Lexington, and was mustered out of the service in the fallof i86i, when he
returned to the Illinois farm and continued to work for two years. He then
went
to Otter River, Massachusetts, where he learned the trade of machinist, and
afterward to Winchendon, Massachusetts, and later to Keene, New Hampshire,
from whence, in i866, he made his way to Chicago. He was in the type foundry
business from i866 until i869, being connected with the Chicago Type Foundry
Company for three years, and he then built machinery for Carl Toepfer &
Sons,
who in i869 sold out to the newly organized firm of Barnhart Bros. &
Spindler,
which was destined to become the largest independent type foundry concern
in


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