HENRY VENNEMANN was born in Westphalia, Germany, 1804, and came to the United States with his family in 1838, locating in Washington township. During the next two years he worked on the canal whenever he could leave his farm. His first venture in trade consisted of the sale of a barrel of whiskey in 1840, on which he lost $4. His second barrel about equalized the previous loss. About this time his friends persuaded him to add dry goods to his stock, which they proposed to furnish. His store consisted of a small room in his dwelling, with chests he had brought from Germany for counters. The shelving consisted of planks laid upon pins placed in the logs. He knew so little about English, that when called upon for articles he was as likely to say he had none, as to say he had, although it might be the article of which he had most. He purchased the first shipping butter and eggs in the county, the former at 2½ cents per lb., the latter at 2 cents per dozen. These shipments were made to Cincinnati and Toledo, and sold at about four times their first cost. His wife died in 1864. They have but one surviving child. Although advanced in years, Mr. Vennemann still gives the store his daily attention.
Source: History of Auglaize County, Ohio - with the Indian History of Wapakoneta, and the First Settlement of the County. - Wapakoneta: Robert Sutton, Publisher - 1880 - Page