Diehl Farm, LLC

Fox and Winke Roads, Sauk City, Wisconsin

History of the Diehl Farm

A House Without Nails
John Peter Diehl, born in 1830, came to America from Germany in 1858. He married Elizabeth Rudolph, and they settled in the side valley where the old Winke farm is located. Their first house had the distinction of being built without nails. Wooden pegs took the place of nails. The floor was	made of split logs laid, round side down, and so was what is called a puncheon floor. The roof was laid in much the same way and covered with hand hewn shingles, anchored with wooden pegs. This house and a second one, which they built near the highway leading up the Patterson Valley, have both been abandoned.

. . from Cassell Prairie, a Wisconsin Neighborhood, by Robert S. Babbington, 1950.

John H. Diehl

That some of the best farms in Sauk County have been developed from wild land within the pat thirty years into a state of rich fertility and general improvement is a remarkable fact when one remembers the tremendous amount of labor such development required. The clearing of 140 acres, as comprises the valuable farm of John H. Diehl, one of Troy Township's most representative and substantial citizens, was alone a stupendous undertaking, but it was accomplished, and practically with out help, by its present owner, who also did the entire sum of improving and put up all the substantial farm structures. Mr. Diehl is yet in the prime of life, his strenuous activities have been crowded into a short period, comparitively speaking, and what he has accomplished through his industry may also be credited to a large measure of good judgement and managing ability.

John H. Diehl was born in Troy Township, Sauk County, Wisconsin, in 1867, on the first farm north of where he now lives. His parents were John Peter and Elizabeth (Rudolph) Diehl, who were born in Germany. John Peter Diehl came to the United States and to Wisconsin in the'50's and for a short time remained on a place near Harrison with his brothers. He then came to Sauk County and bought a small tract of land in Troy township, in what was then known as the Patterson Pocket. This was heavily timbered, and Mr. Diehl worked early and late to grub out the roots after the timber was cut on his place, in the meanwhile building himself a log ouse, in which he used wooden pegs in the place of nails, his German ingenuity providing him with the necessary fastenings for his logs. He also built a barn in the same way, and thus had a home ready when he was married in 1859 to Elizabeth Rudolph, who had come to Sauk at a later date.

They settled on this farm of eighty acres and to this tract he continued to add until he owned 214 acres and lived on the same place until his death, which occurred Septemer 23, 1883. Although for thirty years his wife had been in poor health, she survived him a long time, her death taking place June 7, 1916. There were the following children in their family: John H; Lizzie, who is the wife of Fred Schweppy and lives in Troy township; Kate, who is the wife of Conrad Leykauf and lives in Troy Township; Matilda, who is the wive of George Gasser; Amelia, who is the wife of Martin Mohley; John Peter, a first lieutenant in the present war with Germany; and Caroline, who is the widow of William Hoppe and lives in Troy Township.
John Peter Diehl, the sixth born in the above family, is married and lives at Fortress Monroe, being a soldier in the United States army and now is stationed there. He has a fine record of service in the Spanish-American war and was the brave artillery man who placed the first American Flag on San Juan Hill. He has been in the artillery division since 1899. Previously he spent five years in the infantry.

John H. Diehl grew to manhood in Troy Township and attended school here in boyhood. The assistance he gave his father in clearing and developing land proved useful when his time came to do paractically the same work. He worked on the farm he now owns for six years before he was married and for two years afterword rented the property, and in the third year purchased it from the estate of Henry Patterson. It is a fine property, and Mr. Diehl is justified in feeling proud of the fact that he not only developed it, but paid for it without any assistance. He has always carried on general farmin and has raised good stock and done dairying, making a specialty of Holstein cows for this purpose. He has grown many hogs and, in comparison with present prices on all hog products, it seems almost unbelievable that at one time he had to accept a price of 2 1/2 cents per pound.

Although Mr. Diehl has devoted himself quite closely to his own affairs, he has somehow managed to find time to perform public duties and has served acceptably for nine years on the school board and three years on the township board, elected to these offices on the Republican ticket, of which party he is a staunch adherent. He is a stock holder in the Cassel cheese factory. In addtion to his farm in Troy Township, Mr. Diehl own 514 acres in Sumpter township, Sauk County and 1280 acres, two sections in Texas.

Mr. Diehl was married in 1887 to Miss Henrietta Schweppey, who is the daugher of William and Elizabeth (Yage) Schweppy, who were born in Switzerland and Germany, respectively, and they have had children as follows: Minnie, who is the wife of Fred Braun and lives in Troy Township;Luella, who is the wife of John Bernhard and lives at Eu Claire; Richard, who now lives with his family in Sherman County, Texas; and Ray, James, Harold, and Violet, all of whom live with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Diehl and their children all belong to the Evangical association and the older members have always attended church at Black Hawk.

. . . from Cole's "A Standard History of Sauk County, 1919," p 917.

e-mail: diehlfarm@comcast.net


John H. Diehl
That some of the best farms in Sauk County have been developed from wild land within the pat thirty years into a state of rich fertility and general improvement is a remarkable fact when one remembers the tremendous amount of labor such development required. The clearing of 140 acres, as comprises the valuable farm of John H. Diehl, one of Troy Township's most representative and substantial citizens, was alone a stupendous undertaking, but it was accomplished, and practically with out help, by its present owner, who also did the entire sum of improving and put up all the substantial farm structures. Mr. Diehl is yet in the prime of life, his strenuous activities have been crowded into a short period, comparitively speaking, and what he has accomplished through his industry may also be credited to a large measure of good judgement and managing ability. John H. Diehl was born in Troy Township, Sauk County, Wisconsin, in 1867, on the first farm north of where he now lives. His parents were John Peter and Elizabeth (Rudolph) Diehl, who were born in Germany. John Peter Diehl came to the United States and to Wisconsin in the'50's and for a short time remained on a place near Harrison with his brothers. He then came to Sauk County and bought a small tract of land in Troy township, in what was then known as the Patterson Pocket. This was heavily timbered, and Mr. Diehl worked early and late to grub out the roots after the timber was cut on his place, in the meanwhile building himself a log ouse, in which he used wooden pegs in the place of nails, his German ingenuity providing him with the necessary fastenings for his logs. He also built a barn in the same way, and thus had a home ready when he was married in 1859 to Elizabeth Rudolph, who had come to Sauk at a later date. They settled on this farm of eighty acres and to this tract he continued to add until he owned 214 acres and lived on the same place until his death, which occurred Septemer 23, 1883. Although for thirty years his wife had been in poor health, she survived him a long time, her death taking place June 7, 1916. There were the following children in their family: John H; Lizzie, who is the wife of Fred Schweppy and lives in Troy township; Kate, who is the wife of Conrad Leykauf and lives in Troy Township; Matilda, who is the wive of George Gasser; Amelia, who is the wife of Martin Mohley; John Peter, a first lieutenant in the present war with Germany; and Caroline, who is the widow of William Hoppe and lives in Troy Township.	John Peter Diehl, the sixth born in the above family, is married and lives at Fortress Monroe, being a soldier in the United States army and now is stationed there. He has a fine record of service in the Spanish-American war and was the brave artillery man who placed the first American Flag on San Juan Hill. He has been in the artillery division since 1899. Previously he spent five years in the infantry. John H. Diehl grew to manhood in Troy Township and attended school here in boyhood. The assistance he gave his father in clearing and developing land proved useful when his time came to do paractically the same work. He worked on the farm he now owns for six years before he was married and for two years afterword rented the property, and in the third year purchased it from the estate of Henry Patterson. It is a fine property, and Mr. Diehl is justified in feeling proud of the fact that he not only developed it, but paid for it without any assistance. He has always carried on general farmin and has raised good stock and done dairying, making a specialty of Holstein cows for this purpose. He has grown many hogs and, in comparison with present prices on all hog products, it seems almost unbelievable that at one time he had to accept a price of 2 1/2 cents per pound. Although Mr. Diehl has devoted himself quite closely to his own affairs, he has somehow managed to find time to perform public duties and has served acceptably for nine years on the school board and three years on the township board, elected to these offices on the Republican ticket, of which party he is a staunch adherent. He is a stock holder in the Cassel cheese factory. In addtion to his farm in Troy Township, Mr. Diehl own 514 acres in Sumpter township, Sauk County and 1280 acres, two sections in Texas. Mr. Diehl was married in 1887 to Miss Henrietta Schweppey, who is the daugher of William and Elizabeth (Yage) Schweppy, who were born in Switzerland and Germany, respectively, and they have had children as follows: Minnie, who is the wife of Fred Braun and lives in Troy Township;Luella, who is the wife of John Bernhard and lives at Eu Claire; Richard, who now lives with his family in Sherman County, Texas; and Ray, James, Harold, and Violet, all of whom live with their parents. Mr. and Mrs. Diehl and their children all belong to the Evangical association and the older members have always attended church at Black Hawk.