Among the young men of Walworth County who have forged to the front no better or worthier example than that of John Henry Snyder. Jr., the present efficient and popular postmaster of Elkhorn and one of our representative business men, could be found. He is known to be a man of excellent judgment. Careful in his calculations, resourceful in his dealings and eminently honorable in his relations with others, people have always reposed confidence in his word and his integrity has been above criticism.
Mr. Snyder was born in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, March 7. 1871. He is the son of John H., Sr., and Eliza R. (Munson) Snyder. The father was born in the town of Claverack, Columbia County, New York, December 24, 1834. The Snyder family came originally to this country from Holland and settled in the state of New York in an early day.
John H. Snyder, Sr., was left an orphan when eighteen months of age, and he came with his grandfather to Mukwonago, Wisconsin, in 1846, and there resided until 1869. While living there he was married, in 1857, to Eliza R. Munson, daughter of Edwin and Mary (Carpenter) Munson. She was born near Rochester, New York, and came to Vernon, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, with her parents when was a young girl, and lived in Vernon until her marriage. She was descended from Thomas Munson, who came from England to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1634. She is a direct descendant of Medad Munson, who was in the Revolutionary Connecticut troop, with Benedict Arnold’s expedition to Canada.
The parents of the subject of this sketch came to Elkhorn in the spring of 1869: they retained their farm at Mukwonago for some time after coming here. John Snyder, Sr., became proprietor of the Central House in Elkhorn, the pioneer hotel of the city, which was finally torn down, making place for the present Elkhorn Hotel at the southeast corner of the courthouse square. He retired from the hotel business in 1884. He had sold his farm at Mukwonago and purchased another at the east edge of Elkhorn, within the city limits, the old Latham farm, where the founders of Elkhorn pitched their tents upon their arrival here. He still owns this valuable farm and lives in Elkhorn.
Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John H. Snyder, Sr., named as follows: Fred H., proprietor of the Frederick Hotel, St. Paul, Minnesota; Clifford F., now living in Munich, where he has an art studio, being a very talented portrait painter; John Henry, of this sketch; Maude E. is the wife of William J. Riddell, of Des Moines, Iowa.
John H. Snyder, of this review, grew to manhood in Elkhorn and here he attended the high school, later took a course in the law department of Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, from which he was graduated in the year 1893. He then went to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where he practiced law successfully for four years. Prior to this time his brother, Fred H., had become proprietor of the Cataract Hotel at Sioux Falls, and in 1899 he terminated his connection with the same and was succeeded by the subject, who conducted the business until the lease expired in 1903.
In 1904 occurred the marriage of John H. Snyder, Jr., and Gertrude H. Harrison, of Sioux Falls. She was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts, and from there moved with her parents, William Harrison and wife, to St. Paul, Minnesota, later to Helena, Montana. She came to Sioux Falls as a teacher of music in All Saints School, an Episcopal school of that city, her parents remaining at Helena the meantime, where they still reside. In 1904 Mr. Snyder and wife came back to his old home in Elkhorn, and here he went into the newspaper business as a partner of F.H. Eames, succeeding M.T. Park in the office of the Elkhorn Independent, the pioneer newspaper of the county, and he has continued in the business ever since.
Politically, Mr. Snyder is a Republican and has long been active in party affairs. He served two terms in the city council, being president of the same, and he was also a member of the municipal water and light commission, he was elected president of the Progressive Republican legislative campaign in Walworth county and at the primaries was elected a member of the Republican county committee, and at its organization was unanimously elected chairman of the county organization, he was appointed postmaster at Elkhorn in February, 1911. assuming his official duties in March following and he is the present incumbent of the same, discharging its duties in a manner that reflects credit upon himself and gives satisfaction to the people and the department. As a public servant he has been true to every trust reposed in him and has shown his fidelity to correct ideals and sound principles in all his relations with the public. For two terms he was secretary of the Walworth County Old Settlers’ Society and is now secretary of the Walworth County Historical Society.
Fraternally, Mr. Snyder belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Knights of Pythias, being past chancellor of the latter. He has been interested in the local band for the past twenty-five years, with the exception of the time when he was away, and for the past four years he has been its director.
The death of Mr. Snyder’s first wife occurred on September 29, 1909. She was the mother of two children. Theodosia Munson Snyder, born at Sioux Falls on May 21, 1902, and John Silvernale Snyder, born in Elkhorn on December 6, 1903. The subject was again married on November 15, 1911, to Louise B. Winter, of Elkhorn, daughter of Fred Winter and wife. She was born in Lafayette township, on her father’s farm, not far from Elkhorn. Mr. Winter was born in Germany, from which country he emigrated to Cleveland, Ohio, when a young man, about 1870. His wife was also a native of Germany and she came to Chicago when young and from that city to Walworth County, Wisconsin.
Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are communicants of the Episcopal church, of which he is junior warden, having held that position over eight years.
Mr. Snyder has been successful in a business way in whatever he has turned his attention to, and he has been the Independent one of the most influential papers in southern Wisconsin. A plain, straightforward, public-spirited gentleman, he enjoys the esteem of all who know him.
From: Beckwith, A.C. (1912). History of Walworth County Wisconsin