Frederick W. Schmidt

NJGenWeb ~ Morris County, New Jersey

Source: History Morris County New Jersey, Volume II, Lewis Publishing Co., 1914

Frederick Wilhelm SCHMIDT, a resident of Morristown, New Jersey, was born in Millington, New Jersey, August 27, 1865. His ancestry is German, John and Martha (FIEMONN) SCHMIDT, his grandparents, having been lifelong residents of Germany. John Henry SCHMIDT, one of their sons, came to America in 1850, and ten years later married Margaret Ann NISHWITZ, the daughter of Peter NISHWITZ, also from Germany. Frederick W. was the first son of the union.

He received his early education in the public schools of Madison, New Jersey, where his parents had removed during his infancy. At sixteen years of age he returned to Millington, his birthplace, and was employed in the harrow factory of his uncle, Frederick NISHWITZ, where he remained until 1888. At his father’s request, he moved to Morristown to assist in his carriage business, which had grown to large proportions. He organized in 1893, the John H. SCHMIDT Company, and managed its affairs for a score of years.

In 1895, the good roads movement was agitated in Morris county, and Mr. SCHMIDT bought a tract of fifty acres of land in Millington, New Jersey, underlaid with trap rock. He then organized the Morris County Crushed Stone Company, for the purpose of quarrying this trap rock for road building purposes. He built and equipped and extensive plant, which is now one of the best quarries in the country. At various points in northern New Jersey and New York, Mr. SCHMIDT acquired interests in other quarries, and from stockholders and director in same, he rapidly arose to a position of controlling power. The extensive operations of these several industries being all under his direction, he organized the North Jersey Quarry Company to continue same. Of this, Mr. SCHMIDT is the president and controlling owner. The main offices of his business interests are located in the SCHMIDT Building, Nos. 15-17 South street, Morristown.

Mr. SCHMIDT’s ancestry deserves a word. His great-grandfather, Peter NISHWITZ, a Polish gentleman of rank and family, was a refugee during the troublous times before the fall of Warsaw, and removed to Darmstadt, Hesse. His grandfather, Jonathan Peter NISHWITZ, was an officer in Napoleon’s bodyguard on the disastrous march to Moscow. One John Henry SCHMIDT acted as aide-de-camp to Rochambeau during the American Revolution. A chronometer with the SCHMIDT coat-of-arms is in the permanent collection of the museum at Independence Hall, Philadelphia.

Frederick W. SCHMIDT married in 1891, Effie Louise TAFF, the daughter of Daniel Willis and Wilhelmina (NISHWITZ) TAFF of Millington. They have three children – a daughter, Louise; and two sons: Frederick Wilhelm Jr., and John Henry SCHMIDT. Mr. SCHMIDT is a member of the Washington Association of New Jersey, also Morristown Lodge No. 815, B. P. O. E. Mr. SCHMIDT is a man six feet three inches in height, weighing 240 pounds, all expressive of a strong personality, affable, courteous, and one of Morristown’s leading business men.

Transcribed by John Cresseveur (1949-2003)