Henry Ausman, one of the most notable of the pioneers of Dunn County, for many years a resident of Elk Mound, who in various ways was a driving force in business and agricultural development, religious growth, and the machinery of local government, was born in Germany, Oct. 20, 1836, son of John H. and Anna M. (Weigand) Ausman. The father was a miller by occupation. In 1848, owing to revolutionary troubles in Germany, he emigrated with his family to the United States, first settling in Venango County, Pennsylvania, or, to be more exact, in that part of it now known as Forest County. There he followed farming until 1860, when the family moved to Dunn County, Wisconsin, and here Mr. and Mrs. John H. Ausman resided with their children until their death, he passing away in 1882, and she in 1891. These children were seven in number, several of whom had preceded the rest of the family to Dunn County. All of them are now deceased.

Henry, the subject of this sketch, who was the third in order of birth, had attended school in Germany and was 12 years old when he left his native land. Up to the end of his life, 76 years later, he could remember the long voyage of six weeks in a sailing vessel and the joy with which the passengers hailed the sight of land. In Venango County, Pennsylvania, he assisted his father on the farm, being thus occupied until he attained his majority, at which time he set out to earn some money for himself as a lumberman on one of the tributaries of the Allegheny River.

On Aug. 4, 1855 he was married in Venango County to Martha Sipple, a native of Germany who had come to America with her parents in 1847, locating in that county. There, or in that vicinity, he remained, engaged in the same occupation, until 1860, and then, with his wife, father, mother and youngest sister, he came to Dunn County, Wisconsin, joining other members of the family who had preceded them and settled in the town of Spring Brook. Here, Henry Ausman took a government claim of somewhat less than a quarter section, and for one year worked for Knapp, Stout & Co., whereby he earned enough money to buy the lumber for a frame house which he built on his land, doing all the work himself. Subsequently he erected other buildings and in time cleared about 125 acres of the land, continuing his residence on the farm until 1884, though his own personal work on it ceased when he entered into mercantile business in the village of Elk Mound, which he did in 1877, leaving the care of the farm to other members of the family.

On beginning his mercantile career, Mr. Ausman purchased a building in the village on March 1, 1878; and put in a good stock of hardware, farm machinery, and general merchandise. For 32 years thereafter he conducted this business on a profitable basis, becoming known as one of the leading merchants in the county-one whose goods were reliable, whose prices were fair, and whose word could always be trusted. But even before he engaged in it he had become so well and favorably known throughout this region that in the fall of 1878-the year in which he opened his store-he was elected to the state assembly, in which he served with credit to himself and benefit to his constituents. Indeed he might have had further political honors, as he was strongly urged by his friends to run for congress, but declined. He did, however, accept the office of postmaster, to which he was appointed in 1878, under President Hayes' administration, and in which he served for 37 years, when he resigned. He also served as station agent, notary public and town treasurer, and took the leading part in the organization and incorporation of the village, being its first president. Another business enterprise which he took a prominent part in establishing was the Elk Mound Cooperative Creamery, of which he was president for several years; and he also organized the Bank of Elk Mound and served as its first president, remaining one of its stockholders for the rest of his life.

That life covered the period of 88 years and he was active until the day before his death, which took place at 5:15 on Thursday afternoon, Dec. 4, 1924. He had gone to bed and passed peacefully into his last long sleep. In the same year he had spent five months at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Charles Goehring at Naperville, Ill., celebrating his eighty-eighth birthday there on October 20.

In 1862 he became a full member of the Evangelical Church through confirmation, and in 1865, after suitable preparation was ordained to its ministry, in which for many years he served without pay, as local preacher, or in other capacities. In course of time, as his sons grew to manhood, three of them-Edward, Albert B. and Benjamin A.-were made co-partners in the Ausman business, which on Mr. Ausman's retirement, was turned over to them, and is now conducted under the firm name of H. Ausman & Sons.

The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Ausman, eleven in number, were Catherin E., Martha, John Frederick, Minnie, HIenry W., Edward, Magdelina, Emma Caroline, Albert Benjamin, Benjamin Albert and Laura Rebecca.

SOURCE: Curtiss-Wedge, F.; Jones, Geo. O. (ed.) / "History of Dunn County, Wisconsin" (1925) pages 347-349