SHEBOYGAN HISTORY

Peter Baltz, Page 607

PETER BALTZ, wholesale dealer in cheese at Sheboygan, is one of the wide-awake business men of this place.  His parents, Andrew and Clara (Dorr) Baltz, were born near Frankfort, on the River Main, Germany, and when young came to the United States, locating in Jefferson County, N. Y., where they were married, and spent the remainder of their days.  The mother died in 1852, leaving six children, three sons and three daughters.  The father died August 17, 1891, aged eighty-one years.  Both parents were members of the German Evangelical Church; and, in politics, the father was a Republican.

    Peter Baltz is the youngest of the above family.  Until fifteen years of age he attended district schools and a preparatory school.  At that time he was taken sick, which resulted, after protracted suffering, in lameness for life.  Mr. Baltz was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., February 5, 1850.  Having made that place his home until 1877, he came to Chicago, and for three years worked in the office of his brother, who was a cheese-dealer of that city.  The succeeding three years, he traveled, purchasing cheese in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin.  Seeing that Sheboygan would make a good distributing point for that product, he began dealing in cheese in this place in 1883.  Prior to that time, nearly all of the cheese produced in this section was shipped to Chicago and St. Louis; now it is distributed to the trade generally throughout the United States.  He began business in a small way, but by close attention to his trade and fair treatment of his customers, he has extended it, now handling about sixty thousand boxes per year, a portion  of which is exported to foreign countries.  He has a commodious wareroom, 60 x 140 feet, located at No. 1204 Pennsylvania Avenue.  He also deals to some extent in eggs.

    Mr. Baltz was one of the prime movers in organizing the Sheboygan Cold Storage Company, in 1891, of which he is President.  The company has a large warehouse, which is of inestimable value for storing cheese, eggs, butter, etc.

    Mr. Baltz is a Republican in politics, and is now serving as Alderman from the First Ward.  His marriage to Miss Emma A. Telgener was solemnized January 26, 886, in Sheboygan, of which place Mrs. Baltz is a native.  They have one child, Glenora Jessica.  Both husband and wife are members of the Episcopal Church, of which the former is Senior Warden.  The business career of Mr. Baltz has been a successful one.  When he began at Sheboygan he had little more than good credit, but by untiring energy he has worked up a good business and become possessed of some valuable real estate, notwithstanding the fact that in 1892 fire destroyed about half of his warehouse and a part of the stock.