Welcome to the Correspondence Page. You can participate with the author and publishers on any topic you want to share about Farley & Loetscher Manufacturing. Share photos, too! If you have some memorabilia, we would love to see it. Snap a photo with your handheld device and attach it to your correspondence so we can share it with our community.

Early 20th Century engraving of the Farley & Loetscher Manufacturing Company

Letters

Hello Gary, Carole, and whole group!

Just received the new Millwork History.... very well done!

I am learning a lot of new information, quite the piece of history. Thanks for putting it all together. My Grandfather, Joseph P. Kasel was a foreman of the staircase department, as shown in your photo on the correspondence page. I have a print of that photo on the wall, along with some of the spiral stair case projects. Attaching J. Loetscher’s payroll rates for 1914 in Grandpa’s notebook. The foreman was highest paid at 35 cents. Joe’s dad, John Kasel, worked under his son; only earned 27.5 cents an hour! Couple of clips from the Re-Saw with Grandpa’s photo in them, retirement in 1953, after 46 years there. Don’t know why he did not make it an even 50 years. Grandpa died in 1988 at age 96, always spoke well of Farley and Loetscher’s.

Thanks again,

Karl Kasel kkasel@cox.net
Vista, Calif.

Click on individual items below to view enlargements.

The Staircase Design and Engineering Department (exact date unknown)

Dear Carole:

I just finished reading "Wood".  I would appreciate it if you would pass along my email to Carole Loetscher as she and Dick both know my Mom and Dad well (Jim and Bette Burch both of whom are now deceased).  Carole may recall me as Kendall Burch as my parents always eschewed the nickname Ken.

I am the great grandson of J. M. Burch (F&L President 1922 to 1927).  I am attaching scanned copies of the Re-Saws from 1927 and 1928 that include the obits for both my Great Grandfather and Grandfather both of whom work and F&L prior to my father doing so.

Ken Burch (j.k.burch@gmail.com)

Click on items to reveal enlargements or other graphic elements.

Dear Creators of WOOD:

My name is Justin Buol. I'm originally from Wisconsin, and currently live in Minneapolis. I have spent a lot of time researching my family history over the past decade or so, and I am closely related to the Loetscher families of Dubuque. In fact, Christian Loetscher's mother was Margreth Buol, the sister of my 3x-great-grandfather, Christian Buol. Christian Buol was himself married to a Loetscher (Dorothea Loetscher, a 2nd cousin of Christian Loetscher).

I've recently been assisting a Swiss scholar, Andreas Heege, who is doing a project on the Loetscher family in St. Antönien and the pottery business their family ran for over 100 years, and I came across a book recently published by Carole Loetscher on the history of the Farley & Loetscher company. Andreas is interested in being in contact with either Carole Loetscher or the producer of the project, who I believe is Gary Olsen.  Andreas is also interested in acquiring a copy of the book.

Thanks for your time and for your research! I'm interested in learning more about the project!

Justin Buol (vonbuol@gmail.com)

Dear Carole:

I am researching the „prehistory“ of the Loetscher-Potters in St. Antönien. Attached please find my knowledge of the Lötscher-Family-tree. Christian is nearly bottom right.

I am really interested, if there are possibly more family pictures with you.

Possibly you know the picture of Christian Lötscher (1821-1880) the potter from St. Antönien and his two sons, which I posted on „findagrave“. The two boys Peter (1846-1894) and Andreas (1857-1933) are true cousins of Christian Lötscher.

Christians father Hans Lötscher (1819-1857) was the brother oft he potter Christian 8older man in the middle). His mother Margreth Buol (1823-1892) was the sister of his brothers wife Magdalena Buol (1825-1901), to his left.

Before Christian went to California in 1868 he lived in this home in St. Antönien-Ascharina, which was built in 1849 by his father.

You find more information by clicking here.

or

https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Ant%C3%B6nien-Keramik

Kind regards from Switzerland with a view of the valley oft he Prättigau Switzerland from where Christian came, and whereto he returned on two journeys in 1889 and 1911

Dr. Andreas Heege

Click on items to reveal enlargements or other graphic elements which will download to your browser..