When Jacob (spelled Jakob in German) Jung came to Sheboygan in 1854, at the age of 23 years, he soon found employment at his trade as wagonmaker (which he had thoroughly learned in Germany) in a small factory operated by a firm of native Americans, Brothers & Jones, who not long thereafter sold out to him, and he continued and prospered in its operation until he passed away, in 1905. This wagon factory was situated at the south-east corner of Pennsylvania avenue and North 9th street, where the Mullen Tire shop is now located.

Jacob Jung was as skilled as he was industrious, and his thorough intellectual, religious and craftsman training in the Fatherland served him well in the "new" country. He was born in 1831 in Noettingen, Grand Duchy Baden near which town his father, (Jakob) owned and operated a farm until the latter's death in 1846, and the widow, after disposing of the farm emigrated to America together with her son, Jacob and his sister, Margaretha, in 1853. They first went to Cleveland, Ohio, where Jacob found employment at his trade as wagonmaker, but the following year they proceeded to Sheboygan.

In 1855 Jacob here married the widow of John Nack, this her first husband having accidentally drowned in the Sheboygan river within three months after their marriage, soon after her coming here, when she was twenty years of age.

To Jacob and Eleonore Jung were born six sons and daughters in the following order: Eleonore Clara (widow of Theodore F. Kuechle, residing in the Jung homestead at the south-east corner of Center avenue and North Ninth street), Jacob (who died last spring), William, Henry, Otto and Alfred. All the sons following and surviving Jacob are or have been prominently identified with Sheboygan's industrial and commercial life, and their sons are numerous enough to carry on the name Jung for generations to come in the roster of Sheboygan's business leaders, among whom the figure of Jacob Jung, the pioneer wagonmaker, will continue to stand forth prominently through the years to come.

At the time when Jacob Jung acquired ownership of Brothers & Jones' property at Ninth street and Pennsylvania avenue there was no bridge crossing the Sheboygan river on that avenue, the only one connecting the east with the west side of town being then located on Wisconsin avenue, which was later carried away in an ice jam. In the deed of sale of the wagon shop it was stipulated that if a bridge was built on Pennsylvania avenue within a certain period of time Jacob Jung was to pay $100.00 more for the property, and the bridge was built within that time, had he faithfully "forked over" the stipulated extra hundred, and he thus had good cause to realize that the "Shanghai" bridge was fittingly so named. The wagon shop was a two-story frame building, and it is still standing near its original location. The Jungs lived for several years in this wagon shop building, and here was born their first children, Clara and Jacob. Later they moved into a small three-room house south of the wagon shop on the alley and here was born William and Henry. Then the family moved into a new frame house facing Center avenue at Ninth street which was later moved to the alley on the south, and the thus vacated corner was built the substantial brick dwelling now occupied by Mrs. Kuechle. Otto and Alfred were born in the frame house before it was moved to the alley, where it also still stands.

Jacob Jung, the pioneer wagonmaker, was a man of stocky build of dark complexion short trimmed chin bead, sober of habit, very industrious, and religiously inclined affiliating with the Trinity Lutheran church, all his activities being in harmony with his religious training and convictions.

Mr. and Mrs. Otto Jung made an extended trip to Europe lately, in the course of which they visited the ancestral Jung homestead in Noettingen, Germany, and they took advantage of the opportunity to view the old home, both outside and inside, and they saw the rooms and furniture as Otto's father, Jacob Jung, had left them when he turned his face toward America. They also enjoyed the privilege of visiting with the former Kaiser in Doorn, Holland where he lives in exile on one of his many estates. Both the former Kaiser and his second wife, Hermine greeted the American couple cordially, he engaging Otto Jung in an extended conversation on world topics in fluent English, inquiring especially about American economic affairs and customs, and his consort, Hermine, immediately taking Mrs. Jung in charge and conducting her through the wonderful floral conservatory maintained by their host in connection with the palatial building owns and occupied by him and his amiable consort. The host astonished Mr. Jung with his knowledge of American conditions and activities, the slight physical infirmity of a somewhat shortened right arm being not conspicuous enough to embarrass any party to the meeting. It is anything but reckless to say that Mr. and Mrs. Jung will never forget this interesting meeting, though they may live long enough to become centenarians.

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