- CHARLES FREDERICK RAU was born August 4, 1845 at Gross Bottwar,
Wurttemberg,
- Germany. His parents, Charles Frederick Rau and Rosina BROSI,
were born in 1804 at Gross Bottwar. The father was a cabinetmaker
by trade. His parents, with their six children - three sons
and three daughters - came to America in the spring of 1853.
The first year was spent at Newark, N.J. In June, 1854, the
family removed to Beloit, Wis., which has ever since been the
family home. The father died in 1876 and the mother in 1886.
- At the age of six years C. F. RAU, Jr., was placed in the
German schools, where he remained for
- two years, and then came to America. Here he attended the
public schools until 1861, when he entered the printing office
of the Beloit "Journal" as an apprentice for three
years. At the close of that apprenticeship he was made foreman
of the office. In 1865 he returned to the Beloit high school,
then in the charge of Prof. Alexander KERR. In 1866 he left
school and became a clerk in the book store of Joseph BRITTAN.
After a year's work he went to Chicago, where he was employed
by Mr. John R. WALSH in the Western News Company. In 1868 he
returned to Beloit and opened the Enterprise Furniture Store,
which was a success from the start to its close. In 1871 he
built a substantial brick building at 326 State street which
was finished on the day of the Chicago fire. This building was
his business home till 1892, when he retired from active merchandising.
- Mr. RAU has always been deeply interested in the development
of Beloit and in its manufacturing
- interests, having been a holder of stocks in several of the
manufacturing companies. He is at present a director of the
Second National Bank of Beloit.
- He was a member of the Wisconsin National Guards from 1877
to 1882.
- Mr. RAU has always been an ardent Republican from the days
of Fremont and Lincoln through
- the years of Blaine, McKinley and Roosevelt. While never
seeking office for himself, he was always active in securing
the best men for office.
- In 1866 he became a member of the Second Congregational church
of Beloit, with which church
- he was connected during the twenty-five years of Dr. H. P.
HIGLEY's pastorate. Later he has identified himself with the
First Congregational church.
- In 1881 he was married at Dubuque, Iowa, to Miss Sarah M.
BELDEN, daughter of Dr. C. W.
- BELDEN. They have three children - Belden Brosi, a member
of the office force of the United States Steel Specialty Company,
New York city; Irene Fredericka, who was graduated from Beloit
College in 1907 and is now (1908) attending Simmons College at
Boston; and Edward Ritsher, who is attending Beloit high school.
By industry, economy, integrity and perseverance he has surrounded
himself with some of the comforts of life - a home among the
trees and flowers with an outlook over the beautiful Rock River
valley.
- Proud as Mr. RAU is of being a German, his is first and foremost
a loyal American citizen.
-
- Taken from "Rock County, Wisconsin, Vol. II"
by William Fiske Brown, (c)1908, pp. 822-823.
-
- Courtesy of Carol
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