The town of Mosel located in the northeast corner of the county is the smallest township. Haven, located on the North Western railroad about six miles north of the city of Sheboygan, is the only village in it.

The town originally was a precinct of Town Sheboygan, but in the spring of 1853 was organized by the county board under the present name, which name was suggested by Julius WOLFF of the town of Rhine and adopted by the county board. William WIPPERMANN was elected the first chairman and Robert ALTHORP the first town clerk.

The first school district was organized in October 1849 and taught by Miss Tryphine TAYLOR. The first school house, which was built of logs, was located on Manitowoc road a short distance south of the present village of Haven; but after the district was divided it was moved south nearer the center of the township. At the time the school house was moved August H. HAMANN was the teacher. He came in 1855 and taught the school for four years. Later he came to Sheboygan and for a number of years taught in the old Red School which then stood near where the present Sheridan school house stands. Other teachers who taught in the town of Mosel school were Miss Anna SCHEELE and a man named PIERCE. Town Mosel now has three district schools with a total enrollment of 218 pupils.

The first post office was established in 1869 and A. C. FESTERLING was appointed the first postmaster.

The first church erected in the town was during the early 50's, to serve the spiritual needs of the residents of the Reformed church denomination. It was located on the THOMAS farm on the Union road and for a number of years was referred to as the THOMAS Church.

The first Lutheran church erected in the town was later replaced by the present edifice located about five and on-half miles north of the city of Sheboygan. Rev. Mr. DENNINGER has been resident pastor of this church for a number of years.

The first birth recorded in the town of Mosel was a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. Peter BRUST, and the first death was Jacob DEMAND, who lived in Section 5, which occurred in 1848. George THOMAS and Margaret FUCHS were the first couple married in the town.

At the time of settlement the only road to the city of Sheboygan was over the Green Bay road to Sheboygan Falls, thence over the plank road. During the early years green peas were raised in large quantities.

In 1875 the population of the town, all German with the exception of one Englishman and two Irishmen, was 1,100.

The first settlers to arrive in the town in 1847 were Nicholas FELD on Section 5; Peter BRUST on Section 5; Jacob DEMAND on Section 5; Henry and Christopher WELSCH on Sections 5 and 6; Joseph and Fritz WEISKOPF on Section 7; Peter BAST and Charles LAUTERBACH on Section 28. Later Jacob WEISKOPF entered into a partnership with Mr. DIECKMANN and established a saloon at the southeast corner of the intersection of Center avenue and N. Eighth street.

Other early settlers and the chronological order of their arrival in the town, follows:

1848 - Peter WAGNER (farmer and machine agent) on Section 8; Theodore WUNSCH on Sections 9 and 10; P. CONRAD on Section 8; Fred FESTERLING on Section 20; A. C. FESTERLING (first postmaster and hotel keeper) on Section 28; Henry CONRAD on Section 15; Nicholaus and Ernst TRUTTSCHELL on Section 34; and F. and C. TRUTTSCHELL on Section 20.

1849 - William LULOFF on Section 16; Henry KEPPLER on Section 33(?); Thomas DOYLE on Section 32; and Daniel LEAHY on Section 31.

1851 - Charles TOEPEL on Section 9; and Joseph SOMMERSBURGER on Section 34.

1852 - George SITZEL on Section 4; Peter WEBER on Section 18; Charles ERBSTOESZER on Section 33; Henry ERBSTROESZER on Section 32; William SCHUMANN on Section 29; and Gottlieb SCHREIBER on Section 29.

1853 - H. H. LIMPRECHT on Section 16 (Later he operated a Mosel cheese factory)

1854 - Nicholaus SALM on Sections 4 and 5; Christian and Leo FISCHER on Section 9.

1855 - Heinrich FISCHER on Section 16.

1856 - Franz SCHMIDT on Section 7.

1857 - William and Charles WIPPERMANN on Sections 5 and 8.

1858 - Peter AUGUSTINE on Section 18.

1859 - J. H. DICKHOFF on Section 8; and Albert KRAUSE on Sections 27 and 28.

1861 - Peter CONRAD on Sections 8 and 16.

1865 - Albert ERDMANN on Section 32.

1867 - Julius BERGER on Section 29.

A nearly complete list of settlers and others who owned land in the town in 1870, follows:

Henry and Christ Welsch; J. Dhein; J. Fox; J. Pfeiffer; Nick Salm; Michael Wagner; Christ Ahrens; J. Hertsinger; Peter and Nick Feld; P. and F. Schmidt.

M. Gutenberger; J. Klemm; Peter Wagner; P. and J. Bersch; J. H. Dickhoff; Charles and William Wippermann; Leo Fischer; Carl Toepel; Theodore Wunsch; G. Sommer; F. Steinhaus; Peter Conrad; H. Oswald; H. and William Gosse; Carl and F. Pieper.

H. Engelhardt; E. Schaff; C. Schmidt; A. Moersch; P. P. Alt; Paul Ulrich; G. Jahn; G. Lormann; E. Limprecht; Henry Schuette; A. Toepel; H. Fischer; Henry Conrad; F. Krause; A. Klueger; A. Wilke; William Luloff; F. Trautmann; H. Ohse; P. Bast; Peter Augustine; Julius Ochs; and Julius Engelmann.

A. and Conrad Knoener; R. Althorp; A. H. Halwachs; C. Schloek; M. Oehl; L. Lummerding; Fred Festerling; B. Franz; M. Liebe; C. Gutknecht; Henry Arndt; J. N. Truttschell; F. Schumacher; John Augustine; Gottlieb Gerbing; William Seifert; J. Fuhrmann; A. Gesch; E. Wilke; G. Eisner; and M. Landgraf.

A. Glatz; H. and Albert Kammer; August Rowe; G. Grube; J. Roggensack; John and Gottlieb Schreiber; D. Mauer; Adolph and Clemens Penzig; G. and E. Seifert; Frank Schilling; William Schumann; Julius Berger; George Ramming; C. Nagel; F. Schulz; G. Johns; William Baetz; A. C. Festerling; Nicholaus August and Ernst Truttschell; J. Richter; William Buechel; F. Penselin; R. and Louis Illig; H. Herwig; and V. Herzog.

D. Brauer; Henry and Christ Harms; H. Strassburger; F. Werthmann; E. Meves; P. Schaller; Dan Leahy; Thomas Doyle; E. A. Poppe; H. Hopf (Mr. Hopf cut all the stones used in the construction of the Holy Name church); William Marold; C. Stecker; F. Thomas; Albert Erdmann; Michael Wilbert; C. and Henry Erbstoeszer; Fred Koellmer; August Thiel; William Ehrlich; H. and William Ludwig; E. Keppler; C. and Henry Herzog; Henry Siekmann; August Illig; Gottholdt Sommer; C. Corthaus; J. Klinger; J. Sommersburger; and Thomas Blackstock who owned a large tract of land in the southeastern part of the township, where he had a pier from which wood and lumber were shipped in lake vessels.

Haven, the only village of Mosel, is situated on the Chicago & North Western railroad, about seven miles north of the city of Sheboygan. It contains a bank, church and school house, a farmers' co-operative warehouse, besides several other business houses. It boasts of transacting more business than any other town of its population in the country. The farmers' organization handles on an average four carloads monthly, while A. L. WAGNER & Co. total twenty-five or more cars each month.

The first merchant to locate in the village was F. W. FRANZMEIER, who erected a building and started a general store in 1895. This store is now being conducted by H. W. EWALD. Mr. FRANZMEIER also erected a building now occupied by the State Bank of Haven. It was his intention to open a general store in this building, but in the meantime the banking company was organized and leased the property from Mr. FRANZMEIER.

Originally, Haven was known as Seven Creeks, and the settlement was located a short distance north of the present village site. F. W. FRANZMEIER and E. L. FRAMZ, petitioned for the roadway now running from Highway 17 to Haven, and on September 22, 1895, the formal opening of this road was celebrated in Haven by one of the largest crowds which ever gathered at one time in that village. A barbecue was one of the features of the auspicious occasion, the residents of Haven and vicinity joining in a grand celebration in gratitude over the advent of a badly needed highway leading in and out of the village.

On the same day, the first sale of goods was made at the store which was also formally opened by FRANZMEIER Bros.

The first school house was built in 1859, the same year in which the only church located in the town of Mosel was built. The first school house was built of logs, but eight years later the classes were taught in the church. In 1904, the original house of worship was replaced by the present structure, known as St. Peter's, Rev. Mr. DENNINGER the pastor. For many years the school has been taught in the basement of this church. The Rev. Mr. DENNINGER holds the enviable record of having been the pastor of this church for 48 years.

The first postmaster appointed was F. W. FRANZMEIER, who served from July 16, 1897 to July 13, 1915, when he was succeeded to the office by the present day incumbent, H. C. EWALD.

The first creamery and cheese factory was built by Herman EICHE. This building was later razed and another and larger factory was erected on Highway 17, a short distance north of the village, where it is now being operated by Erwin WUNSCH.

The first ticket agent for the North Western railroad at Haven was F. F. FRANZMEIER.

The Farmers' Equity was organized in 1919, with about 85 stock holders. The warehouse which it now owns and operates, was built the same year. The Equity has about 250 regular patrons and Victor HALLWACHS is in charge of the plant.

The first chairman of the town was Fred FESTERLING, and he was followed in regular order of succession by Charles AUGUSTINE; Bernard SCHREIBER; Fred FRANZMEIER; William SCHREIBER; and Bernard SCHREIBER who is now serving for the second time.

The first town clerk was Otto WIPPERMANN.

The State Bank of Haven was organized on July 20, 1916, with a capital of $10,000. The first officers chosen were: H. C. EWALD, President; Edward WUNSCH, Vice-President; A. H. BANDLOW, Cashier.

From the start, this bank has been a growing institution and fills an important position in the life of the village and surrounding country.

In 1923, the capital stock was increased from $10,000 to $15,000. A recent report of the institution shows that a surplus and undivided profits amount to $5,000, while the total assets are $204,000.

The present officers of the bank are as follows:

Arthur WAGNER - President
Fred HALLWACHS - Vice President
John P. HAUCH - Cashier.

H. C. EWALD has been engaged in the general mercantile business in the village of Haven since 1913, at which time he bought the business established by F. W. FRANZMEIER and brother, Herman FRANZMEIER.

Mr. EWALD was born in Manitowoc county, and for four years prior to his coming to Haven, was employed in the Manitowoc post office. He was one of the organizers of the State Bank of Haven, and was chosen the first president of the institution, which post he continued to fill for seven successive years.

Mr. EWALD deals in a general line of merchandise, including dry goods, groceries, furnishings, footwear, etc. He has been the postmaster of the village for the past twelve years.

Another enterprising firm in Haven is REINEMANN Bros., dealers in a general line of hardware. This firm has been established in Haven for a number of years and has built up a substantial business. The REINEMANN Bros. who conduct a similar store on Michigan avenue, this city, served their apprenticeship in the business with their brothers at Haven.

Since 1913 the retail firm of A. L. WAGNER & Co. of Haven has supplied to a large extent the requirements of lumber, coal, feed, cement, grain, seeds, tile, and salt to the farmers in the northeastern section of the county, comprising the towns of Herman and Mosel, with he exception of that period from 1917 to 1924 when the EBENREITER Lumber company of Sheboygan carried on the business.

Arthur L. WAGNER founded the business and erected the first building, comprising a grain elevator, feed warehouse, and gristmill. He conducted business as sole proprietor and did a flourishing business in all departments, specializing in seeds which were both bought from and sold to farmers of an extensive trading radius. In 1917 he disposed of the business to EBENREITER Lumber Co. with the exception of the seed and grain business, due to his desire to take over the homestead farm, whence he moved the following spring.

His father, the late William WAGNER, conducted the seed and grain business along with the duties as manager for the EBENREITER Lumber Co. branch until his death in 1924 when the present corporation of A. L. WAGNER & Co. was organized to purchase the entire business again and to conduct it on its present basis. During this time a large warehouse was also added to the property.

Alfred WAGNER acts as active yard manager and Arthur L. WAGNER as general manager. In addition several employees are engaged in caring for the needs of the surrounding community. A delivery service is also maintained on lumber, coal, and building supplies.

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