RACINE BELLE CITY OF THE LAKES AND RACINE COUNTY WISCONSIN-ILLUSTRATED

VOLUME II Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and Achievement

FANNY S. STONE Supervising Editor CHICAGO:
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1916
Contributed by Diane Kaye


William C. Hansche
William C. Hansche, who became one of the early residents of Racine county and figured for many years as a highly respected and worthy citizen of his locality, was born in Germany in June, 1827, and after completing the public school course learned the wagonmaker’s trade in the fatherland. In 1840 he accompanied his parents on their emigration to America. The family took passage on a sailing vessel which was completely wrecked off the island of Haiti and all of the passengers were compelled to stay in San Domingo for twenty-one weeks. In the fall the family succeeded in reaching New York and thence went to Cleveland, Ohio, where they spent five years. While living there they met Huron Beebe, who had a farm near Racine, Wisconsin, and who induced them to settle in Racine county. William Hansche, the father of our subject, successfully engaged in farming here until his demise, which occurred in 1873, when he was sixty-eight years old. He was survived until 1874 by his wife. They were the parents of three sons and one daughter. William C. Hansche, the father of Fred C. And Louis A. Hansche became the owner of land in Racine county and gained recognition as one of the most practical and efficient agriculturists of his locality. His political allegiance was given to the republican party. He was well known and his death, which occurred in 1892, was deeply regretted.

In 1860 he was united in marriage to Miss Mary Heck, a daughter of Philip Heck, and five children were born to their union, namely: William F.; Fred; Louis; Katie, who married Ernest Sheckler; and Sophia, the wife of Augustus J. Piper.