FEIGL, R. W.

History of Northern Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1881, p 166

R. W. FEIGL, Notary Public and proprietor of billiard and dancing hall 
[Fountain City, Cross Township (1878 Atlas), Buffalo County, Wisconsin], was 
born 11 February 1828 in Bohemia. On 14 November 1850 he landed in New York 
City. Schenectady [Schenectady County, New York] was his first location; in 
1855 he removed from there here [to Fountain City, Wisconsin] and engaged in 
merchandising until 1866. For a few years he was engaged in buying grain. 
In 1872 he began his present business. He has held several important town 
offices; was Town Clerk sixteen years, and has also been Chairman of town 
[Fountain City].

R. W. FEIGL married [Miss?] Maria HELLBEBER, of Baden. They have four 
children: William, Paulina, Annie, and Ferdinand. [This family is 
enumerated in the 1880 census of Fountain City, Buffalo County, Wisconsin: 
R. W., age fifty-two, saloon keeper, born in Austria (from his census age 
about 1828, which agrees with the year of birth given in the biography) in 
Austria, to parents also born there; his wife, Maria, age forty-two, born in 
Baden (from her census age about 1838) to parents also born in Baden; and 
three children, all born in Wisconsin: Pauline, a seamstress, age nineteen, 
born about 1861; Annie, sixteen, born about 1861; and son Ferdinand, age 
thirteen, born about 1867 by his census age. The son, William FEIGL is not 
enumerated with the family in the 1880 census. No religious affiliation is 
given for the subject or his family. Perhaps the subject has Hebrew roots? 
The Yiddish "FEIGL" becomes the German "VOGEL" or "FOGEL." A similar 
pronunciation of "v" as "f" is seen in the Swiss surname "VOEGELI" found in 
Buffalo County, but more commonly in Green County, Wisconsin, where "VOEGELI" 
is pronounced "Fay-glee." Bracketed material added by submitter, who is not 
researching FEIGL, to support and clarify information given in the biography 
and to raise questions.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly