Old Check Reveals Interesting Chapter in Marshfield’s Past

Baumann Hall. Photo courtesy of NWCHS.

An old check reveals an interesting chapter in Marshfield’s past and more about one of its lesser-known celebrities.

A German American Bank check discovered clinging to the side of an old box by an antiques collector was written out to the amount of $25 by Louis Baumann on Feb. 15, 1900.

Baumann, an early business pioneer and leader, held such a place in the community that newspaper reports of his death of cancer at age 51 on New Years Day, 1917, described it as a shock. He operated the German social hub Baumann’s Hall, was vice-president of the Marshfield Brewery Company and involved in numerous societies, and served as 6th alderman.

His obituary reports: “Louie, as he was familiarly known, was of a kind, charitable, and sympathetic disposition. As a neighbor and friend, none could ask for a better one. He attended strictly to his own affairs and though he had many business cares, he always found time to lend a helping hand or do a kindly act.

“He was true to all who dealt with him and never harbored any ill will because anyone opposed or differed with him in opinion. He was a firm believer in honesty and the golden rule, which principles guide him in all his dealings and rewarded him with success.”

Baumann was born in Bavaria in 1863 and emigrated to Wisconsin with his parents as a small child. He later moved to a farm north of Hewitt in 1885, and then purchased property on North Central Ave. to build Sanger Hall and saloon, which would become the all-important Baumann’s Hall.

American National Bank

Baumann Hall was located on the corner of Central Ave. and Depot Street on the site of the present-day Kwik Trip, which opened in November 2004 after demolition of the historic 100 block. Its importance to local German settlers, for whom socializing in beer gardens was a regular part of life, led to business success for Baumann. The hall would be a meeting place for singing societies and its upstairs even acted as City Hall for several years.

With wife Anne Meidl, the family grew to nine children. In 1909 he drew up a claim in South Dakota and moved with Anna and three of his children the following fall to “prove up” on it. After Anna died in January 1911 of gallstones at age 44, Baumann married Amelia Vogel in April 1912.

That year, he won a lottery for another homestead in the Dakotas and traveled with two of his sons by train, then stagecoach, then foot, to help them establish a house and farm on the 172-acre property.

As for the German American Bank, it would put in an application to Washington to change its name to American National Bank in June 1900, not long after Baumann wrote out his check in February. By becoming a national institution, the bank could increase capital stock to give old patrons the chance to purchase shares, according to an April newspaper report.

1940 Marshfield Downtown. Photo courtesy of North Wood County Historical Society.

An interesting side fact: The bank was robbed on July 30, 1921 when a “bandit” held up the bank at noon and went away with $1,700.

The American National Bank would continue until a government moratorium on March 2, 1933 suspended operations of the nation’s banks, and was not allowed to reopen.

Housed in a brownstone building in downtown Marshfield, today the building with its large arched window is unrecognizable due to renovations that took place in the late 1940s to transform the exterior.

A distinctive decorative feature includes cast aluminum panels on the second floor made in the 30’s expressionistic sculpture style. These panels artistically feature activities important to the local economy: farming, logging, dairy, and industry.

The site of the bank can be found next to the Deming Building (home to Mojo’s restaurant) as the Moneywise Center at 211 S. Central Ave.

Kwik Trip on Central Ave.