WI BIO - Dodge Co - ALTHOUSE, M. J.
History of Dodge County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Western Historical Company, 
1880, p 618 

M. J. ALTHOUSE [City of Waupun, Dodge County, Wisconsin], of Althouse, 
Wheeler & Company, was born in Pennsylvania on 10 August 1828, and was most 
of his early days in Tompkins County, New York, where he used to work out 
part of the day and run a saw mill all night. In this way he earned enough 
money to start for the Great West, and came to Waupun [Dodge County, 
Wisconsin] in the fall of 1849. [Dodge County was formed in 1836. Part of 
Michigan Territory became the Territory of Wisconsin on 20 April 1836. The 
State of Wisconsin was created 29 May 1848.]

He [M. J. ALTHOUSE] had 50 cents in his pocket when he reached here. He 
worked at 50 cents per day at any work he could get hold of, took land on 
shares, sat up nights making baskets, and turned the baskets over for labor 
on his farm. The first winter he lived here he walked miles every morning to 
chop wood for three shillings a cord. He used to work into the night 
sometimes, and pile the wood by moonlight. He was "pegging away" while other 
men slept. Mr. [M. J.] ALTHOUSE owes his success in a large degree to his 
own hard exertions. He always was busy, no time was wasted. In 1852 he went 
to drilling wells and running thrashing machines, and in 1855 he made his 
first pump. He went out into the woods and cut his own timber, and worked 
away and improved it, until now he has the finest wood pump manufactured in 
the United States.

In 1873 he commenced making wind mills. This branch of the business has 
grown to an enormous extent. These windmills are superior to any 
manufactured, and are shipped to all parts of the United States and to 
foreign countries; 300 were annually sent to India, and were transported to 
different places on the backs of mules. They have also made large shipments 
to New Zealand. As business increased, Mr. [M. J.] ALTHOUSE had to look 
around for suitable men for partners, to assume a share of the cares and 
responsibilites, and the business is now successfully carried on under the 
firm name of Althouse, Wheeler & Company.

The success of Mr. [M. J.] ALTHOUSE is a brilliant example of the fruits of 
persistent effort, strict attention to one line of business, and sturdy 
integrity. There was no loafing in his younger days, and there is nothing in 
the nature of the gentleman to indicate that he will ever depart from his 
first and well fixed principles; thus true merit gains its own reward.

Submitted by: Cathy Kubly