The 1880 United States census showed Christian Casper (age 19, born in Wisconsin, miller) living with his parents Mathias (age 45, born in Prussia, miller) and Gertrude (age 44, born in Prussia) in Marshfield, Wisconsin. His other siblings were John (age 20, born in Wisconsin), Mary (age 17, born in Wisconsin), Katie (age 16, born in Wisconsin), Anna (age 14, born in Wisconsin), Joseph (age 12, born in Wisconsin), Lizzie (age 10, born in Wisconsin), Peter (age 8, born in Wisconsin), Amelia (age 6, born in Wisconsin), William (age 4, born in Wisconsin), and Lena (age 2, born in Wisconsin).
Christ J. Casper married Clara Riedele on May 3, 1892, in Chaska, Minnesota.
The 1895 Minnesota census showed Christian Casper (age 33, born in Wisconsin, miller) married to Clara (age 24, born in Minnesota) and living in Lake Crystal, Blue Earth County, Minnesota. A son, Millard (age 2, born in Minnesota), also lived with the couple.
The 1900 United States census showed Christian J. Casper (age 39, born in February 1861 in Wisconsin, miller) married to Clara A. (age 28, born in November 1871 in Minnesota) and living in Atwater, Minnesota. Children Millard A. (age 7, born in March 1893 in Minnesota) and Clarence H. (age 4, born in September 1895 in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
The 1905 Minnesota census showed Christ Casper (age 44, born in Wisconsin, brick manufacturer) married to Clara (age 33, born in Minnesota) and living in Chaska, Minnesota. Children Millard (age 12, born in Minnesota) and Clarens (age 10, born in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
The 1910 United States census showed Christ J. Casper (age 49, born in Wisconsin, brick manufacturer) married to Clara (age 37, born in Minnesota) and living in Chaska, Minnesota. Children Miller Ande (age 17, born in Minnesota), Clarence H. (age 14, born in Minnesota), and Philip Conrad (age 4, born in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
The 1920 United States census showed Christian Casper (age 58, born in Wisconsin, springs manufacturer) married to Clara (age 47, born in Minnesota) and living in Los Angeles, California. Children Millard (age 26, born in Minnesota) and Philip C. (age 13, born in Minnesota) also lived with the couple.
Page 608. Christian J. Casper is president of the Cambria Spring Company, operating one of the large plants which are giving a new industrial character to Los Angeles as a metropolitan city. This business was established in 1911 at 913-921 Santee Street. It has chiefly specialized in the manufacture of automobile truck and coil springs, wheels and bumpers. They also manufacture tire racks and have a special department in the plant for spring repairing. The automobile industry knows the quality of the product, especially through the "Cambria Patent Spring" and the "Spring Steel Bumper." The business has grown and prospered, and today its plant includes three buildings, each 150x50 feet, running from Los Angeles Street to Santee Street, between Ninth and Tenth. The business has in fact double within two years. The plant is equipped with the most modern machinery, and sixty persons are on the payroll. Christian J. Casper is president and general manager; Robert W. Sheldon is vice president; Millard A. Casper is secretary and treasurer, and J. N. Nordon is assistant secretary.
Page 609. Christian J. Casper is a veteran in the flour milling industry, but his extensive experience has also brought him an exceptional knowledge and skill in the general iron and steel working business. He was born in Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, February 14, 1861, son of Mathias and Gertrude Casper. His father was also a flour miller. Up to the age of fourteen Christian J. attended public schools, and then worked steadily in his father’s flour mill to the age of nineteen. He then went to Milwaukee and got a position in a large flour mill to take up the new process of milling from the Burr system to the Roller process. Satisfied he had acquired sufficient knowledge he went back home to his father’s mill to remodel same to the new system and it became one of the best known flour mills in the state. He operated same until his twenty-third year. Going out into the world he was employed in a flour mill at Dodge City, Kansas, until 1886, and during that time helped grind many of the pioneer crops of the western prairie. For two and a half years he was located at Junction City, Kansas, being identified with flour milling and also doing special work for the Allis-Chalmers Company, of Milwaukee, machinery manufacturers.
Then for six and a half years Mr. Casper operated a flour mill at Chaska in Carver County, Minnesota, was in the same business two and a half years at Lake Crystal, Minnesota, and was then elected by the directors of Milwaukee Street Railway Joint Welding Company as superintendent of the new process of welding rail joints, in which he was very successful. After this he was chosen by the Allis-Chalmers Company, manufacturers at Milwaukee, to take up some expert machinery operations, taking up the then new process of milling for said Allis-Chalmers Company as indirect expert under the general agent, J. F. Harrison, located at Minneapolis, at that time. Mr. Casper was sent to Melrose, Minnesota, to take charge of a large flour mill which was at that time converted into the Universal Bolting System of Milling. The change was made and the successful operation of the new process was brought about in the short period of four months. From Melrose he went to Atwater, Minnesota, starting a new mill there for the Atwater Milling Company, of which Marcus Johnson was president. Two years or more he spent there and then removed to North Branch, Minnesota, where under his own exclusive methods and management he took over for a large corporation, a flour mill which has been operated there and which was on the verge of bankruptcy. In six months time Mr. Casper had put the mill on a paying basis and its stock which has been actually depreciated had been restored to its normal market value.
Mr. Casper had in the meantime purchased an interest in the mill. He then selected for the company a competent general manager and then after two and a half years of successful operation he severed his connection with the company. In 1902 he returned to Chaska, Minnesota, where he had formerly lived and purchased an interest in a large brick manufacturing plant, and continued in this business for nine years. In 1911 one of the partners sold out and Mr. Casper continued the business with Klein Brothers until 1913. He came to Los Angeles for a visit and pleased with the Southwest returned to Minnesota and soon after sold out his interest to Klein Brothers and came to Los Angeles and purchased one-half interest in the Cambria Spring Company. Since 1915 Mr. Casper has been president and general manager of the company. In this industry he has been greatly assisted and has the active co-operation of his two sons Millard A. and Clarence H. Mr.
Page 610. Casper is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Los Angeles Commercial Board. At Chaska, Minnesota, May 4, 1892, he married Miss Clara Riedele. They have three sons, Millard A., born in 1893, secretary and treasurer of the company; Clarence H., born in 1895, assistant manager; and Philip K., born in 1906, a student in the St. Agnes parochial school. (Los Angeles, From the Mountains to the Sea, Volume III, John Steven McGroarty, The American Historical Society, Chicago and New York, 1921)
Death of C. J. Casper. A message was received here this (Wednesday) morning, announcing the death at Los Angeles, Cal., at nine o’clock that morning [July 23, 1924] of Christ J. Casper, former Chaska resident, president of the Cambria Spring Co., of that city, and former business associate of the late Philip Riedele, who passed away in April. We hope to have further particulars for an extended notice in next week’s Herald. (Weekly Valley Herald, Thursday, July 24, 1924, Volume LXII, Number 39, Page 1)