labesc

Transcribed from "An Illustrated History of The Big Bend Country, embracing Lincoln, Douglas, Adams and Franklin counties, State of Washington", published by Western Historical Publishing Co., 1904.

     CHARLES LABES. Foremost among the business men of Lind is Charles Labes, dealer in hardware and implements. He is a native of the province of Pommern, Prussia, born December 9, 1856, and the son of Charles and Augusta (Blank) Labes, both natives of Germany. The parents came to America in 1883, locating at Fort Atkinson, Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where the father died two years later. The mother still lives, and makes her home in Milwaukee. They were the parents of six children, Charles, William, Fred, Augusta, Hermine, and August, who is dead. The father was a veteran of the war of 1866 against Austria.
     Until arriving at the age of twenty Charles Labes attended school and assisted his father, when he enlisted in the German army with which he served for two and a half years. He came to America in 1881 and located at Oakland, Wisconsin, where he lived seven years as a farmer. He then came to Ritzville in 1888 and filed a homestead twelve miles west from Ritzville, where he farmed twelve years. He accumulated land, meanwhile, until he owned nine hundred and sixty acres of agricultural land, and all under fence, nine hundred of which was under cultivation. He started a general merchandise store in Lind in 1897, which he conducted together with his farm until 1901, when he rented his land and sold his store. He then opened the hardware and implement business in which he is engaged at this writing. He carries complete lines, about twenty thousand dollars' worth of goods, and is doing an immense business, especially where the size of his city is taken into consideration. He owns the brick building he occupies, fifty by one hundred and forty feet, with basement, and also a fine modern residence.
     On December 20, 1876, in Prussia, Mr. Labes was married to Minnie Wadeward, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Wadeward, natives of Germany, in which country both died. They were the parents of seven children, Caroline, August, William, Minnie, Augusta, Henrietta and Carl.
     Charles Labes is at the present time a member of his city council, and is an active and aggressive Republican in politics. Both Mr. and Mrs. Labes are members of the German Lutheran church.
     As a business man, Mr. Labes is progressive, straightforward and enterprising, and the business interests of Lind look to him as a leader in affairs of importance affecting the town.

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