Charles Wachter facts for kids

Gottlieb Charles Wachter (1865–1928) was a German-born businessman and city leader in Bismarck, North Dakota, USA. He is remembered as the head of one of the most important families in Bismarck's early history.

A Life of Business and Community Service

Early Life and New Beginnings

Gottlieb Charles Wachter was born in 1865 in Bernstein, Germany, near Stuttgart. When he was a teenager, around 1880, he moved from Germany to the United States.

He first worked as a meat cutter in Philadelphia for almost a year. Then, in 1881, he settled near Bismarck in the Dakota Territory. He continued working as a meat cutter until he saved enough money. In 1885, he started his own company, the Wachter Dray and Transfer Company.

Growing a Business Empire

The Wachter Dray and Transfer Company was the first of many family businesses in Bismarck. Gottlieb Wachter started with just one dray (a cart for hauling goods). His business grew into a large company with more than 50 teams of horses. He also owned farmland to support the horses.

His company did many things. They cut and delivered ice from the Missouri River. They hauled and sold coal and wood for heating homes. They also did excavation work and offered warehouse space for storage.

On April 27, 1892, Gottlieb Charles Wachter married Annie Clotier Robidou (1866-1941). They had three children: Emma Louise, Eugene Charles, and Paul August Wachter.

In July 1923, Gottlieb Wachter handed over his businesses to his sons.

Serving the Community

Gottlieb Charles Wachter was also active in his community. He served on the local school board. He helped make sure an elementary school was built on the south side of Bismarck. In 1918, the city honored him by naming this elementary school after him.

Wachter also served on the city commission from 1925 until his death in 1928.

A Lasting Family Legacy

Gottlieb Charles Wachter passed away in March 1928 at 62 years old.

After his death, his sons, Eugene (who died in 1960) and Paul August (who died in 1961), took over the family businesses. Eugene managed the Wachter Ranch. Paul oversaw the other businesses in and around Bismarck. In 1929, the family created Wachter's, Incorporated. This company helped manage their growing business empire. They also planned for development in the south side of the city.

The Wachter family was involved in big construction projects. In 1936, the Wachter-O'Neil construction company helped build a dam in Montana. They also helped build the Fort Peck Dam. This experience helped them understand how the Garrison Dam would affect Bismarck. The Garrison Dam changed the flow of the Missouri River, creating Lake Sakakawea and Lake Oahe.

Farming and ranching remained very important to the family. At one time, the Wachter Ranch covered 28,800 acres in Morton and Oliver Counties. It was the largest privately owned ranch in North Dakota.

The Wachter family also ran Dakota Sand and Gravel. They operated a Mayflower moving company franchise. As cars became popular, the family bought and ran Missouri Valley Motors for a while.

Other businesses run by Charles Wachter's heirs included Kirkwood Motor Inn, Kirkwood Plaza shopping center, and the Bank of Kirkwood Plaza.

Paul H. Wachter (who died in 1973) was a very important member of the third generation of the Wachter family. He was the son of Paul August. Paul H. Wachter was well known for his businesses and land developments in Bismarck. He managed the Kirkwood Plaza Shopping Center (now Kirkwood Mall), Wachter Real Estate Trust, and Dakota Sand and Gravel, among other companies.

Besides being a businessman, Paul H. Wachter was an inventor and a generous giver to charity. He is remembered for his patents, including one for a spatula.

The Wachter family is well known for donating land to the city of Bismarck. Some of their notable donations include land for parking lots near the Bismarck Civic Center. They also gave land for the Wachter Aquatic Center and Schaumberg Ice Arena. Part of the land for Wachter Junior High School and Dorothy Moses School also came from them.

Beyond their businesses, the Wachter family helped develop several neighborhoods in Bismarck. Some of these include areas south of Lincoln, Cottonwood Lake Estates, and River Place First Addition in Mandan.