Hoeppner & Bartlett was a building contractor business that was founded in 1896 by Frederick Julius Hoeppner and William W. Bartlett. On April 1st, 1904, the Hoeppner & Bartlett Company filed articles of incorporation with the secretary of state. In 1905, it was incorporated as Hoeppner-Bartlett Company and capitalized at $50,000. The company specialized in buildings such as factories, stores, office buildings, banks, schools, houses, and more.

William W. Bartlett was born on January 23, 1861, in Presque Isle, Maine. At the age of six, Bartlett’s father, Rueben C. Bartlett, moved the family to Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Bartlett married Clara Towner on August 1, 1890, and eventually they had five children: Ruth Margaret, Harry Owen, Gertrude Clara, Cora Louise, and Arthur William. Today, Bartlett is best known as a local historian; though, he worked as a building contractor and in other similar business ventures. In 1896, he partnered with Frederick Julius Hoeppner and formed the Hoeppner & Bartlett Company. It was short lived, however; in 1914, the company was building a brewery for John Walter when Walter found out that Bartlett had held a prohibition meeting in the company’s offices. When Walter threatened to take his business elsewhere, Bartlett left the firm but the company retained “Bartlett” in its name.

Frederick Julius (F.J.) Hoeppner was born in Germany on February 5th, 1854. F.J. Hoeppner received his education in Germany and in 1880 came to the United States and settled in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The next year, 1881, he married Miss Bertha Krueger and they had three children: Hedwig (Hattie), Margaret, and Edmund. F.J. Hoeppner worked for several years as a carpenter before becoming involved in the contracting and building business.

In 1880, Frank W. Paul, son of Wenzel Paul, was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. He married F.J. Hoeppner’s daughter Margaret and together they had three children: Dr. F.W. Paul, Dr. J.H. Paul, and Grant Paul. Frank Paul was employed at Hoeppner-Bartlett Company for 30 years and was the company’s vice president at the time of his death in 1941.

After F.J. Hoeppner’s death in 1917, his son, Edmund G. Hoeppner, took over the business as president. Edmund G. Hoeppner married Mae, daughter of H.L. Moore, in 1916. Together, Edmund and Mae had three children: Dorothy, John, and Frances. Dorothy married Robert E. Davenport; John married Maurine, daughter of John L. Richardson; and Frances married Richard Kerns. After 52 years of being President of the Hoeppner-Bartlett Company, Edmund Hoeppner retired at 80 years of age in July 1969. John F. Hoeppner, Edmund’s son, took over the company after his retirement.

John F. Hoeppner was born October 22, 1917, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. In 1942, John Hoeppner joined the U.S. Navy and also married his wife of 65 years, Maurine May Richardson. Together, John and Maurine had two sons, John and Jim, and three daughters, Jo Ann, Jacqueline, and Judy. John Hoeppner served as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II. In 1946, John Hoeppner was released from active duty from the 111th CB Amphibious Battalion. After this, he returned to Eau Claire and became Vice-President of the Hoeppner-Bartlett Company. John Hoeppner retired as president of the company in 1982.

Maurine May Hoeppner was born on May 4, 1914, in Withee, Wisconsin to Alice May and John Luther Richardson. She married John F. Hoeppner on September 6, 1942. Maurine Hoeppner was an active member in various organizations including being a member of the Board of the E.G. Hoeppner Charities and being the Vice-President of the Hoeppner-Bartlett Company from the late 1970s to the early 1980s.

After John F. Hoeppner’s retirement in 1982, the Hoeppner-Bartlett Company was reorganized under the name Hoeppner Building Corporation as an employee-owned firm with Steve Thompson being the company’s president. Steve Thompson retained that position until the company went out of business during bankruptcy proceedings in the early 2000s.