Henry Fruechte, the founder of one of the best farms on Portland Prairie, Winnebago township, but now deceased, was born in Hanover, Germany, April 21, 1838, son of John H. and Dorothy (Meyer) Fruechte. He was educated in his native land, attending the common and parochial schools and also an agricultural college, coming to America in the spring of 1860 a trained farmer. For one year he worked as a farm hand at Bensonville, Ill., a suburb of Chicago. In the spring of 1861 he came to Houston county and bought 160 acres of wild land, partly grubbed and part prairie in section 33, Winnebago township. During the summer of that year, however, he worked for a Mr. Evans. In the fall he returned to Bensonville where he attended English school during the winter of 1861-62. In the spring of 1862 he returned to Houston County and did some grubbing on his land, also building a small frame house. Thus prepared for domestic life he again returned to Bensonville, where he was married, Oct. 9, 1862, to Sophia Franzen, daughter of John H. and Elizabeth Franzen. Immediately after his marriage he brought his bride to his Houston county farm, and together they began the work of developing the land and building a home. Though beginning with few resources, they made gradual progress and in time became prosperous. Before his death, which occurred April 21, 1915, Mr. Fruechte had acquired 450 acres of land--the present area of the farm--and was also the owner of two other farms in the western part of the state, each of 320 acres. On his home farm he had erected a fine set of buildings, including three frame barns, one 33 by 104 by 14 feet, with full stone basements for horses and cattle; another 24 by 60 by 12, for cattle, and the third 24 by 50 by 10, for stock. Among his other buildings were a machine shed, 22 by 60 fee, a granary 16 by 24; a hog house, with cement feeding floor, 20 by 50, and a poultry house 16 by 24 feet, together with corn cribs and other outbuildings. He also erected a comfortable house of two stories, and beautified the grounds about it. The farm is well tilled, about 300 acres being under the plow, and the land being very productive. Mr. Fruechte marketed his products at New Albin. He was a breeder of high grade Shorthorn cattle, Poland-China hogs and graded Percheron horses. He was a man of sturdy physique and his last sickness was very brief. In addition to his direct farming and landed interests, he was a stockholder in various local enterprises, including the New Albin Stock & Grain Co., the New Albin Savings Bank, the State Bank of Eitzen, and the Eitzen Co-operative Creamery. In politics he was a Republican and served his town in various official capacities for a number of years. He was also prominent in church work, with his family belonging to the German Evangelical congregation at Eitzen. Mr. Fruechte was survived by his wife, who was born Jan. 28, 1843, and who is still active and in good health. They had ten children, whose record in brief is as follows: Herman H. , born Jan. 7, 1864, now a farmer in Allamakee county, Iowa; Rosina, born Aug. 30, 1865, who is the wife of William L. Korthauer, of Verdi, [Lincoln County--north of Pipestone County,] Minn.; Otto H., a farmer in section 31, Winnebago township; Henry W., born Oct. 23, 1871, who is farming in Allamakee county, Iowa; Louisa, born July 25, 1873, now Mrs. Frank Thies of Wilmington township; Louis H., born March 31, 1875, who died Aug. 26, 1877; August, a farmer in section 33, Winnebago township; Emma, born Feb. 1, 1881, now Mrs. William Wiegrefe of Wilmington township; Franklin, born Nov. 18, 1884, who is cashier of the Eitzen State Bank; and Martha, born Sept. 8, 1887, who died March 18, 1892.