HECK, William

History of Northern Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical, 1881, p 167

William HECK, engineer of the steamer "Robert Harris" [Fountain City, Cross 
Township (per 1878 Atlas), Buffalo County, Wisconsin], was born 30 August 
1843 in Germany [son of Eustach HECK?], and came to the United States with 
his parents, landing at New Orleans, where they remained but a short time. 
They then moved to Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri [which borders on the 
Mississippi River]. In 1855 he came up the Mississippi River with his father 
to Reed's Landing [Wabasha County], Minnesota, where they remained for two 
years working in a saw mill, and in 1857 moved to Buffalo County [Wisconsin] 
and engaged in farming. In the fall of 1858 William HECK went back to 
Missouri and worked at teaming in the Iron Mountains until 1861, at which 
time he returned to Wisconsin and commenced farming again with his father in 
Buffalo County. [Biographies of other individuals of this period note 
removals from Missouri due to belief in the Union cause, which conflicted 
with the views held by residents of Missouri sympathetic to the Confederacy. 
Was Mr. HECK's removal in 1861, the year the Civil War began, partly or 
wholly due to a similar conflict of beliefs?]

In 1875 he [William HECK] was married to Barbara FUCHES [FUCHS?], who was 
born in Germany, and they then moved into Fountain City [Buffalo County, 
Wisconsin], where he engaged in a saw mill for Frank MAULTAUCH [MATTAUSCH?] 
for seven years, and then started engineering on the Mississippi, and in 1875 
formed a partnership with Peter J. SCHNEIDER to run a daily boat between 
Winona [Winona County, Minnesota, directly across the Mississippi River from 
Buffalo County] and Fountain City, and he is now engineer and partner of the 
same. [See also the Buffalo County, Wisconsin, biography of Peter J. 
SCHNEIDER.] Mr. HECK is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
Steuben Lodge No. 280.

[William HECK is enumerated in the 1880 census of Fountain City, Buffalo 
County, Wisconsin: William, age thirty-six, engineer, born in Baden, by his 
census age about 1844, which does not dispute the year of birth given in the 
biography, to parents both born in Baden; wife Barbara (Mary Barbara?), age 
thirty, born in Baden (a daughter of Sebastian FUCHS?), about 1850 from her 
census age, to parents also born there; and two sons: (1) William HECK, age 
twelve, born in Wisconsin, about 1868, to parents born in Baden; and (2) 
Hugo, age nine, born in Wisconsin, by his census age about 1871, to parents 
both born in Baden.]

[Hugo HECK was married on 12 August 1889 to Amelia NICK, daughter of Martin 
NICK and his wife, Dorothea PFUND. The NICK family is also enumerated in the 
1880 Census, of Fountain City, Buffalo County, Wisconsin, p 297: Martin 
NICK, age fifty-one, hotel keeper, born in Switzerland, about 1829 by his 
census age, to parents also born in Switzerland; his wife, Dorothea, age 
forty-eight, born in Switzerland, about 1832, to parents who were also born 
there; and the following children of Martin NICK, all of whom were born in 
Wisconsin to parents both born in Switzerland: (1) Simon NICK, age 
twenty-two, laborer in a warehouse, born about 1858 by his census age; (2) 
Nina NICK, age twenty, at home, born about 1860; (3) George NICK, age 
eighteen, thus born about 1862, a hostler; (4) Anna NICK, age sixteen, at 
home, born about 1864; (5) Maria NICK, age thirteen, who attends school, 
born about 1867; (6) Elsbeth NICK, age eleven, attends school, born about 
1869; (7) Margaretha NICK, age eight, attends school, born about 1872; and 
(8) Emilia NICK, age seven, also attending school, born about 1873 by her 
census age, who appears to be the Amelia who married Hugo HECK. Also in the 
household are four single males, unrelated to Martin NICK, apparently borders 
in Martin NICK's hotel: Charles KUEDERLY, age thirty-seven, a Swiss 
carpenter; John HAUSINGER, age twenty-one, a Bavarian-born blacksmith; 
Charles CARSCH, age forty-four, a Prussian stone mason; and Gadfrin DESIERY, 
age twenty-nine, a Belgian house painter. Hugo and Amelia (NICK) HECK had 
two children, both born in Fountain City, Buffalo County, Wisconsin: (1) 
Romeo HECK; and (2) George HECK, born in 1891. There is a Romeo HECK, who 
was a resident of Fountain City, listed in the Social Security death Index: 
born on 16 August 1889 and died in December 1967. Submitter did not view 
social security records, death certificate or seek obituary to aid in 
verification.]

[On 01 September 1869 at LaCrosse, Wisconsin, where the nearest land office 
was located, a William HECK purchased 120 acres on Section 29 of Town 21 
North, 12 West, in Buffalo County, Wisconsin, a parcel not far from the 
Mississippi River. On an 1878 map this land is shown to be in Belvidere 
Township, southeast of the Village of Alma, a village unusual in shape, being 
long and narrow, built along the eastern bank of the Mississippi. On 10 
October 1871, at the same land office, Eustach HECK purchased forty acres on 
Section 28, adjacent to Section 29. (Submitter did not check a plat map to 
determine if the two parcels actually abutted each other.) Twenty years 
later, on 08 June 1891, at the Eau Claire land office, a John HECK purchased 
eighty acres on Sections 14 and 23 of Town 19 North, 9 West, northwest of 
Galesville, in Trempeauleau County, Wisconsin, not far from Buffalo County. 
[How was John related to William or Eustach HECK? This biography will be 
updated when submitter accesses the 1888 History of Buffalo County, which 
contains (p 582) a biographical sketch of Eustach HECK, likely the father of 
William of this biography. Bracketed material added by submitter (who is not 
researching these surnames) to support and clarify information given in the 
biography and to raise questions.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly