History of the Columbia River Valley from The Dalles to the Sea, Vol. II, Illustrated. Chicago, The S.J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1928. p. 86 JOSEPH STADELMAN Although a native of the east, Joseph Stadelman has spent practically his entire life in Oregon, becoming one of the leading merchants of The Dalles, and his success has been commensurate with his industry and ability. He was born on Hempstead, Long Island, and when a child made the journey to the west with his parents, Joseph and Mary (Rath) Stadelman, who settled on a donation land claim near The Dalles in 1881. Here the father engaged in farming until his death in 1923 and the mother still lives in The Dalles. Joseph Stadelman, Jr., attended the public schools of this city until he reached the age of twelve years, when he became a wage earner, obtaining work in the produce store of Seufert Brothers, local merchants. His next position was that of messenger boy for the Western Union Telegraph Company, with which he spent about six months, afterward becoming a clerk in the D. Herbring dry goods store. In the shop of Maier & Benton he learned the trade of tinsmith, working for the firm for three years, and later was employed for six months in the hardware store of Mays and Crowe. In 1898 he became associated with his brother, P.J. Stadelman, a dealer in fruit and ice, acquiring a third of the stock. They also handled coal and wood and in 1909 erected a large plant for the manufacture of ice, afterward constructing a cold storage building, likewise of extensive proportions. In 1925 Joseph Stadelman disposed of his holdings in the Stadelman Ice Company and his brother has since been the! owner of the business. On June 24, 1914, Joseph Stadelman and N.A. Bonn had purchased the hardware business of the Walther-Williams Hardware and Implement Company on Second street but did not take over the stock of implements. The store was established in 1887 by Grant Mays and L.E. Crowe. It was afterward conducted by the firm of Sexton & Walther and on the retirement of the senior partner the business was reorganized, at which time the style of the Walther-Williams Hardware & Implement Company was adopted. The firm of Stadelman & Bonn carries a complete line of hardware and the stock includes paint and oil, house furnishings, stoves and ranges, plumbers' supplies and glassware, as well as guns, ammunition, fishing tackle and other articles used by sportsmen. The stock is valued at thirty thousand dollars and the firm handles goods of the highest quality. This is one of the best hardware stores in eastern Oregon and its patronage is drawn from a wide territory. Throughout ! his residence in Oregon, a period of forty years, Mr. Bonn has been connected with this establishment and knows every phase of the trade. The partners are experienced business men of mature judgment and their commercial transactions have always balanced up with the principles of truth and honor, which constitute the foundation of success in every line of endeavor and without which no commercial organization can long endure. Mr. Stadelman was married October 8, 1909, to Miss Nellie M. Gilhousen, a native of Kahokia, Missouri, and a daughter of John and Julia Gilhousen. For many years the father was engaged in farming in Missouri and since his retirement has resided at The Dalles. He has reached the eighty-eighth milestone on life's journey and his wife is eighty-four years of age but as alert and active as most women of fifty. To Mr. and Mrs. Gilhousen were born seven children, two of whom died in infancy. Those who survive are William, who lives at The Dalles; Charles of New York city; Paxton, a resident of Des Moines, Iowa; Ernest of Portland, Oregon; and Nellie M. All are natives of Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Stadelman have a daughter, Joan Catherine, who was born February 14, 1914, at The Dalles and is attending high school. The Stadelman residence was erected a few years ago and ranks with the finest in the county. It is a pressed brick structure of attractive design and has nine rooms in addition to a full basement. The house contains hardwood floors and is supplied with all modern conveniences. Mr. Stadelman is an accomplished musician as well as a capable business man and in 1891 played corner in the Third Regiment Band of the Oregon National Guard. Resolute and energetic, he has converted his opportunities to tangible assets and is esteemed for the qualities to which he owes his success. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- p. 152 PETER JOHN STADELMAN At an early age Peter John Stadelman manifested that spirit of energy and self-reliance which spurs the individual ever onward and upward and for thirty-five years he has been an outstanding figure in business circles of The Dalles. He is also a financier of high standing and for a decade has been mayor of the city, which has made notable progress during that period. He was born in Hempstead, New York, and his father, Joseph Stadelman, was a native of the Austrian Tyrol. In 1869 he sailed for the United States, settling on Long Island, and for a time followed the trade of carpenter at Hempstead. Next he purchased a tract of land and raised garden truck, which he marketed in New York city. Learning of the opportunities afforded in the west, he sold the property and in 1881 came to The Dalles, Oregon. He leased the old Catholic mission donation land claim of six hundred and forty acres and devoted the remainder of his life to the cultivation of the farm. His wife, Mary (Rath) ! Stadelman, was born in the state of New York and they became parents of two sons, Peter John and Joseph, whose biographies are published in this volume. The father's demise occurred in March, 1923, but the mother still resides at The Dalles. Peter J. Stadelman attended the public schools of this city until he was twelve years of age, when he became a newsboy, and carried the Oregonian, Portland's leading paper. At the same time he obtained a position in The Dalles post office, in which he spent about four years, serving under Michael Nolan, who was then postmaster and also mayor of the city. Much of the work devolved upon Mr. Stadelman, who acted as assistant postmaster before he reached the age of sixteen. In 1893 he ventured in business for himself, opening a fruit and vegetable store at The Dalles, and a year later broadened the scope of his activities. During the winter he cut ice from the nearby lakes and with the assistance of his brother peddled it in the summer. In 1898 the business was expanded to a wholesale and retain fruit and ice company, in which P.J. Stadelman owned two-thirds of the stock, and the remainder was held by Joseph Stadelman. They handled Oregon and California fruits for the eastern ma! rkets, also supplying the western markets with fruit from the east and the south, and likewise became dealers in coal and wood. In 1909 they completed a large plant for the manufacture of ice and later erected a cold storage building provided with ten large rooms supplied with facilities for keeping perishable fruit. The building is usually filled with apples, which are secured in the fall and kept in cold storage until spring. In 1925 Joseph Stadelman withdrew from the concern and the business is now controlled by Peter J. Stadelman, who has admitted his sons, Wilbur and George P., to a partnership. To the Stadelman Company belongs the distinction of having the largest ice and cold storage plant in eastern Oregon. In 1927 the firm shipped over one hundred thousand dollars worth of cherries alone and in addition sent out peaches, pears, apricots, strawberries, apples and vegetables in large quantities. The cars are iced at The Dalles plant and the shipments extend throughout! the eastern states. Each step in the development of this large enterprise has resulted from carefully matured plans and tireless effort, and in its conduct Mr. Stadelman brings to bear unerring judgment and marked administrative power. These characteristics are also displayed in the control of the Citizens National Bank, a local institution, of which he is the president. In 1920 he was one of the organizers of the bank, of which Dr. J.A. Reuter is vice president, and H.E. Green serves as cashier. Their associates on the board of directors are John Van Dellen, John Heimrich, Arthur Seufert, Dr. B.C. Olinger, H.L. Huck and George Abarr. The bank is capitalized at one hundred and sixty thousand dollars and its resources amount to more than one million dollars. This is a reliable, prosperous moneyed institution and the spirit behind its service is one of helpfulness. In 1907 Mr. Stadelman and his brother purchased from their father the old mission farm, which adjoins the city, ! and they still own the property, which they have converted into one of the finest ranches in Wasco county. In 1904 Peter J. Stadelman married Mrs. May Hicks, a native of Wasco county and a daughter of Robert Kelly, who served as sheriff of the county for many years. Mrs. Stadelman passed away July 10, 1924, leaving two sons, Wilbur and George Peter, both natives of The Dalles and graduates of the local high school. Wilbur Stadelman attended the University of Oregon at Eugene for one and a half years and has charge of the fruit department of his father's business. His brother is a sophomore at the State University and a member of its football team, taking a prominent part in athletic sports. The sons are keenly interested in the business and give every promise of being able to continue it successfully when their father is ready to retire. Mr. Stadelman is affiliated with the Chamber of Commerce and the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In 1910 he became a member of the city council, with which he was identified for four years, and made an excellent record. On November 4, 1918, he was elected mayor of The Dalles and has since been retained in that office. The welfare of the city has ever been his first concern and his administration has been beneficially resultant. He is an earnest advocate of good roads and schools and his personality has been an inspiration to progress. Mr. Stadelman has never deviated from the course sanctioned by conscience and honor and belongs to that desirable class of citizensw who constitute the strength and motive power of every community in which they are found.