Omar Gold Mining and Tunnel Co. - Colorado Springs, Co Mining Stock Certificate

Stock and letter from share holder, Geo. B. Van Norman. Printed by Goes.

VAN NORMAN, George Bosworth, one of Milwaukee’s most stirring and progressive businessmen, has his residence at 966 National Avenue. He is descended in the fourth generation from a family that immigrated to this country from Holland and settled in Pennsylvania. He is the son of Jacob Van Norman, who was born in Harrisburg, and who was by occupation a farmer. In 1855 he sold his farm in Chemung County, New York, and with his family removed to Wisconsin, settling on a farm in Moscow, Iowa County. Here he resided until his death in 1872. He had prospered in the things of this world and left his family in comfortable circumstances.

The maiden name of Mr. Van Norman’s mother was Polly Parks, who was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, her grandparents coming from Yorkshire, England. She was the mother of ten children, and one of those women who are never weary of well-doing for family and friends, living a most active life of eighty-six years, and dying in 1886, at the home of a son near Moville, Iowa.

G. B. Van Norman was born on a farm near Chemung, Chemung County, New York, on the 25th of November, 1842. He was thirteen years of age when he came with the family to Iowa County, Wisconsin. He was sent to the district school three months in the year, the rest of the time he was expected to do his share of the work on the farm. The practical knowledge of farming and stock raising thus gained has been of no little advantage to him in this subsequent career.

Though not the son of a poor man he was brought up to earn every dollar he spent in boyhood; and he often did an extra day’s work for a neighbor to add to the sum laid by for a holiday. By the time he was eighteen years old, he had a few head of stock and a small sum of money which he had earned, but which he gave to his father when he enlisted in the army.

During the four years of his army life, no opportunity for making a dollar was lost sight of and his income from pay and trade was sent home to his father for safe keeping. Upon his return to Wisconsin at the close of the war, he immediately cast about for an opportunity for investing his savings, and making a start in some business. Not desirous of following farming, with little business experience and a limited education, the problem before him was not one of easy solution.

His first venture in the business world was in partnership with Edward Maher of Mazomanie, who knew something of the hardware trade, and with his knowledge and three thousand dollars which Mr. Van Norman furnished, a store was opened in Spring Green, Wisconsin. In the spring of 1866 Mr. Van Norman sold his interest in the store, retaining the horse and wagon, with which he continued to go the rounds of the farm houses, selling those articles so necessary in the household, but so difficult to obtain in a scattered farming community, yet by the sale of which the notion peddler picks up many dollars. This second venture was of short duration.

A better opening was found in the purchase of an established meat trade at Spring Green, and later combining with it the shipping of stock to Milwaukee and Chicago. In this business Mr. Van Norman continued until 1874, when he moved to Milwaukee, and entered the live stock commission business at the Union Stock yards. After nineteen years at the yards, the increase in business was such as to warrant the opening of an office at the Union Stock yards at Chicago. This now being his main office, Mr. Van Norman makes Chicago his headquarters four days each week, the Milwaukee office being in charge of A. L. Nickey, an old and trusted employee, who has been given an interest in the business.

By his indomitable energy and business tact and unceasing labor, Mr. Van Norman has built up a mammoth business, of which he is justly proud. In 1891 he helped to organize the South Milwaukee company, and was elected its president; this office he still holds. He is also president of the Eagle Horseshoe company of Milwaukee. In 1893 he entered the packing business with Wm. Plankinton, F. R. Burrows, D. D. Booth, O. F. Mason and J. M. Quinn, the company operating the old packing plant of the Plankinton estate. Mr. Van Norman is also interested in other industrial enterprises to which he gives more or less of his time and thought.

In August, 1861, Mr. Van Norman enlisted in Company H, Eighth Wisconsin infantry, Captain Stephen Estee. He was soon promoted to first duty sergeant, and held the office until 1863. Re-enlisting in that year, he was commissioned second lieutenant and given command of all veterans of his company at Madison, Wisconsin, and with them he reported at Memphis,  Tennessee. As the captain and orderly had failed to recruit sufficient men to allow the full number of company officers, he was appointed by Col. Britton. drill master of all recruits assigned to his regiment, and in this capacity he served until the close of the war. His record as a soldier is a long and honorable one, as he participated in every battle and skirmish in which the regiment was engaged, seventy-two in all.

Among the more noted battles in which he took part were Nashville, Corinth, Iuka, Jackson, Champion Hills, Vicksburg and many others in Missouri, Mississippi and Louisiana. He was twice wounded, but did not leave his regiment on that account. He served in the Fifteenth, Sixteenth and Seventeenth army corps, under Grant, Sherman and A. J. Smith. After four years of constant service, except for a short furlough on account of illness, he was mustered out at Uniontown, Alabama, and returned home with his regiment. He is a member of the E. B. Wolcott Post, No. 1, of the Grand Army.

In politics Mr. Van Norman is a Republican from principle, but has never gone actively into campaign work. He has been many times solicited to become a candidate for some of the more important city offices, but has always refused on account of the demands of his business.

1902 calendar from GB Van Norman-Shattuck-Paxson & Co Live Stock Commission. Chicago and Milwaukee.

His connection with clubs and societies has been, for the most part, merely nominal, although he was an active member of the Commercial club during its existence, and he was one of the charter and active members of the Light Horse Squadron, and for some time second lieutenant of the organization.

Brought up a Methodist, and for a number of years in his youth a member of that church, Mr. Van Norman’s relations with that denomination were broken by his removal from the paternal roof. While not, of late years, directly connected with any church, he has been an occasional attendant with his family upon religious services wherever it was most convenient, irrespective of creed or denomination.

In the fall of 1865, Mr. Van Norman was married to Miss Elizabeth Atkinson, a native of North Anson, Maine, who had come west as a teacher, but who, at the time he met her, was in Madison, Wisconsin, nursing a sick soldier brother. After ten years of married life, she died, leaving three daughters, Jane Ella, now Mrs. Robert C. Brown; Alma, now Mrs. James T. Stewart, and Lizzie, now Mrs. Burton C. Waite– all of Milwaukee.

Mr. Van Norman was married a second time, to Miss Cornelia Parsons, a native of Connecticut, but at the time a resident of Spring Green. She died seventeen months after, leaving an infant son that survived her but a few days.

Mr. Van Norman’s present wife was Miss Minnie A. Booth, a native of Albany, N. Y., but who, for a number of years prior to her marriage had been a resident of Milwaukee. (From haskerj.wordpress.com)

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