An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL. 1893

DIEDRICH ROHLFS, of the firm of Rohlfs & Schoder, manufacturers of furniture and
office fixtures at Seattle, was born in Bremen, Germany, September 29, 1846. He
was educated in the schools of Bremen, and at the age of sixteen years was
apprenticed for four years, without salary, to learn the trade of
cabinet-making. Completing his apprenticship, he was asked to make a piece of
furniture to prove his ability and then received a certificate as a finished
workman. He thereafter continued in the same factory, under engagement, for
about six months, when, to escape the military service of Germany, he decided to
come to America and left the country of his birth in the spring of 1867. Duly
landing in Baltimore, Maryland, he proceeded thence to Cincinnati, by reason of
its being a manufacturing center, arriving on the 5th of July, without friends
in the city, unable to speak the English language and with but $3 in cash.
Business being dull, there was little opportunity for employment, but with small
wages and strict economy he worked along until the spring of 1868, when he
secured a position in the furniture factory of Mitchell & Rammelsberg and
remained four years, securing good wages and laying up money. In the spring of
1872 he visited the land of his nativity, spending four months among old and
familiar scenes. Then returning to Cincinnati he continued at his trade. He was
married in Cincinnati, in 1874, to Miss Elizabeth Placke, of German descent, and
in 1875 removed to San Francisco, California, and followed cabinet work until
the spring of 1877, when he engaged in an outside enterprise. Being unfamiliar
with the business, loss followed loss, until after eighteen months' experience
he sold out and came to Seattle. The city being but a small hamlet offered
little inducement to a manufacturer, so Mr. Rohlfs went to Whidby island,
purchased 100 acres of land and tried farming. Having no practical knowledge of
agriculture the experiment proved disastrous, completely exhausting his small
resources. He then decided to resume his trade, of which he was master, and,
returning to Seattle, he found employment with the Hall & Paulson Furniture
Company, at $3 per day, and after his continued financial losses, he states,
"That was one of the happiest days of my life." Continuing up to 1886 business
became dull, and Mr. Rohlfs went to Victoria for a few months; then, returning
to Seattle, formed a co-partnership with his old friend, Herman Schoder, and
started a small hand repair shop, which after one year was burned out. They then
purchased the interest of Hall, in the old firm of Hall & Paulson, and continued
that business, employing about forty hands and receiving an extensive patronage
from the Sound district, manufacturing household, bank and office furniture.
Continuing until the great fire in June, 1889, their factory and stock were
destroyed, thus entailing a heavy financial loss. After the fire Rohlfs &
Schoder leased the factory site and with a small capital resumed the business,
employing but four hands. Increasing their capacity with the growth of their
business, they now employ fifty to sixty hands, in the manufacture of bank and
office furniture, interior hardwood finish, and in the building of street cars.
The firm supplied and put in place the interior finish of the New York block,
Dexter Horton Bank building, the King county courthouse, and many buildings of
lesser prominence. Mr. and Mrs. Rohlfs have two children: Adolph and Otto.
Socially Mr. Rohlfs affiliates with the I.O.O.F., the Turn Verein and other
German societies. He has long been a citizen of the United States, but gives
little attention to politics, devoting his time and energies to the upbuilding
of business of the success of which he justly feels very proud.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.