| Summary: | August Joseph Wenzel (1856-1945) was born in Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, and moved to Seattle in 1888 with his wife Maria and their 8 children. He opened a blacksmith and cooper shop on Pike Street between Fourth Avenue and Fifth Avenue. Next door to the blacksmith shop he owned a wagon works shop and next to that a meat market. After the Great Seattle Fire of 1889 destroyed these buildings August moved his blacksmith shop to the southwest corner of Pike Street and Seventh Avenue at 1427 Seventh Avenue. When gold was discovered in the Yukon, August became one of the original "Sourdough" miners joining the Klondike Stampede of 1897-1898. He divided his time between Alaska and Seattle for the rest of his life. Pictured here in front of the 7th and Pike location are August (fourth from left), two of his employees in blacksmith's aprons, and three other unidentified men in suits. Handwritten underneath image: Mr. August Wenzel & shop. He is leaning against door & his two helpers Handwritten on verso: Mr. August Wenzel (or Wengel) - year 1889. New shop at Seventh and Pike Street. His old blacksmith shop was just upstairs of the paint shop where the fire started that burned down, all he saved was one wagon. He passed away in 1945-Sept-17, age 90 years old and in perfect condition and health. Caption information source: The Seattle Daily Times, March 3, 1923, page 11 Caption information source: The Seattle Daily Times, September 28, 1945, page 29 1 photographic print mounted on cardboard: b&w; 4.5 x 7.5 in.
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