Wernicke, Otto Heinrich Louis, 1862-1930

Otto Heinrich Louis Wernicke was born on a farm in Calumet County, Wisconsin, On June 18, 1862. He joined the Altman Miller Company as a salesman, repairman and field agent working with harvesting machinery. He designed a stackable bookcase and manufactured it under the name Globe-Wernicke Sectional Book Case, In Minneapolis, Grand Rapids and finally Norwood, Ohio. He started the first suburban bank in Norwood and became active in advertising. He later returned to Grand Rapids and took over the Macy Company, a furniture manufacturer. On December 22, 1887, he married Ida E. Darby. After her death he married Loula Abbey, December 1, 1889. In 1894 he came to Gull Point, Florida, where in 1904, he started a wood pulp plant, and moved to Gull Point in 1918. He was also a campaign manager for Chase Osborne, Governor of Michigan; head of the Michigan State Penology System; he organized the Pine Institute of America; invented numerous wood-related tools and machines; and was a member of the United States Naval Stores Commission to France and Spain in 1924.

From the guide to the Wernicke, Otto Heinrich Louis, Papers, 1928-1931, (University of West Florida Libraries)

...