Today in Wheeling History: March 13—Johann Ludwig Stifel, founder of the J.L. Stifel & Sons calico works and a prominent figure in Wheeling's industrial history, was born (1807).
Johann Ludwig Stifel, born on March 13, 1807, in Neuffen, Württemberg, Germany, was a pioneering industrialist who significantly impacted Wheeling, West Virginia's textile industry. Stifel immigrated to the United States in 1833, initially settling in Baltimore, Maryland. He later moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he worked in a wool mill and learned the textile trade. In 1835, Stifel walked to Wheeling, where he established a small dyeing shop in a log cabin with just a $10 investment and a piece of cotton cloth. His business quickly grew, and he opened a larger calico shop on the southeast corner of 9th and Main Streets. Stifel's company, J.L. Stifel & Sons, became one of the nation's largest calico printing establishments, known for its indigo-dyed prints. The company played a crucial role during both World Wars, providing textiles for France and khaki for American soldiers. Stifel was also an active citizen, serving on the boards of various businesses, helping to found Wheeling's first German newspaper, and attending the second Wheeling Convention, which helped establish the state of West Virginia. Johann Ludwig Stifel passed away on December 1, 1881, in Wheeling and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery. His legacy as an industrial pioneer and community leader continues to be remembered in Wheeling.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV (https://tinyurl.com/ytsc5h69); Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/y5cw29et), Archiving Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/3pvyzx2j)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV; Find a Grave
Johann Ludwig Stifel, born on March 13, 1807, in Neuffen, Württemberg, Germany, was a pioneering industrialist who significantly impacted Wheeling, West Virginia's textile industry. Stifel immigrated to the United States in 1833, initially settling in Baltimore, Maryland. He later moved to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he worked in a wool mill and learned the textile trade. In 1835, Stifel walked to Wheeling, where he established a small dyeing shop in a log cabin with just a $10 investment and a piece of cotton cloth. His business quickly grew, and he opened a larger calico shop on the southeast corner of 9th and Main Streets. Stifel's company, J.L. Stifel & Sons, became one of the nation's largest calico printing establishments, known for its indigo-dyed prints. The company played a crucial role during both World Wars, providing textiles for France and khaki for American soldiers. Stifel was also an active citizen, serving on the boards of various businesses, helping to found Wheeling's first German newspaper, and attending the second Wheeling Convention, which helped establish the state of West Virginia. Johann Ludwig Stifel passed away on December 1, 1881, in Wheeling and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery. His legacy as an industrial pioneer and community leader continues to be remembered in Wheeling.
To learn more: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV (https://tinyurl.com/ytsc5h69); Find a Grave (https://tinyurl.com/y5cw29et), Archiving Wheeling (https://tinyurl.com/3pvyzx2j)
Photo credits: Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV; Find a Grave
RSS Feed
