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GENEALOG  r    COLLECTION 


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-OF- 


St.  Clair  Couotv, 

— ILLIJVOIS,*- 

CONTAINING 

Biographical  Sketches  of  Prominent  and  Representative  Citizens, 

TOGETHER  WITH  BIOGRAPHIES  AND  PORTRAITS  OF  ALL  THE 

©Presidents  of  the  United  states.® 


CHICAGO: 
CI3:-A.F3S^A.3Sr    BROS- 


pi^Ep/^i^E. 


1148911 


[IE  greatest  of  English  historians,  Macaulay,  and  one  of  the  most  brilliant  writers  of 
the-  present  century,  has  said:  "The  history  of  a  country  is  best  told  in  a  record  of  the 
ives  of  its  people."  In  conformity  with  this  idea  the  Poutrait  and  Biographical 
Record  of  this  county  has  been  prepared.  Instead  of  going  to  musty  records,  and 
taking  therefrom  dry  statistical  matter  that  can  be  appreciated  by  but  few,  our 
corps  of  writers  have  gone  to  the  people,  the  men  and  women  who  have,  by  their 
enterprise  and  industry,  brought  the  county  to  rank  second  to  none  among  those 
comprising  this  great  and  noble  State,  and  from  their  lips  have  the  story  of  their  life 
struggles.  No  more  interesting  or  instructive  matter  could  be  presented  to  an  intelli- 
gent public.  In  this  volume  will  be  found  a  record  of  many  whose  lives  are  worthy  the 
imitation  of  coming  generations.  It  tells  how  some,  commencing  life  in  poverty,  by 
industry  and  economy  have  accumulated  wealth.  It  tells  how  others,  with  limited 
advantages  for  securing  an  education,  have  become  learned  men  and  women,  with  an 
influence  extending  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.  It  tells  of  men  who 
have  risen  from  the  lower  walks  of  life  to  eminence  as  statesmen,  and  whose  names  have 
become  famous.  It  tells  of  those  in  every  walk  in  life  who  have  striven  to  succeed,  and 
records  how  that  success  has  usually  crowned  their  efforts.  It  tells  also  of  many,  very 
many,  who,  not  seeking  the  applause  of  the  world,  have  pursued  "the  even  tenor  of  their  way,"  content 
to  have  it  said  of  them  as  Christ  said  of  the  woman  performing  a  deed  of  mercy— "they  have  done  what 
they  could."  It  tells  how  that  many  in  the  pride  and  strength  of  young  manhood  left  the  plow  and  the 
anvil,  the  lawyer's  office  and  the  counting-room,  left  every  trade  and  profession,  and  at  their  country's 
call  went  forth  valiantly  "to  do  or  die,"  and  how  through  their  efforts  the  Union  was  restored  and  peace 
once  more  reigned  in  the  laud.  In  the  life  of  every  man  and  of  every  woman  is  a  lesson  that  should  not 
be  lost  upon  those  who  follow  after. 

Coming  generations  will  appreciate  this  volume  and  preserve  it  as  a  sacred  treasure,  from  the  fact 
that  it  contains  so  much  that  would  never  find  its  way  into  public  records,  and  which  would  otherwise  be 
inaccessible.  Great  care  has  been  taken  in  the  compilation  of  the  work  and  every  opportunity  possible 
given  to  those  represented  to  insure  correctness  in  what  has  been  written,  and  the  publishers  flatter  them- 
selves that  they  give  to  their  readers  a  work  with  few  errors  of  consequence.  In  addition  to  the  biograpb 
ical  sketches,  portraits  of  a  number  of  representative  citizens  are  given. 

The  faces  of  some,  and  biographical  sketches  of  many,  will  be  missed  in  this  volume.  For  this  the 
publishers  are  not  to  blame.  Not  having  a  proper  conception  of  the  work,  some  refused  to  give  the 
information  necessary  to  compile  a  sketch,  while  others  were  indifferent.  Occasionally  some  member  of 
the  family  would  oppose  the  enterprise,  and  on  account  of  such  opposition  the  support  of  the  interested 
one  would  be  withheld.  In  a  few  instances  men  could  never  be  found,  though  repeated  calls  were  made 
at  their  residence  or  place  of  business. 

December,  1H'J2.  CHAPMAN  BROS. 


i 


AND.r 


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X(4^^I-DvS' 


-1- 


FIRST  PRESIDENT. 


GEDBSE  'WASHII^GTON, 


'■  \.'<^^?^>^?^<s&^';^^^?  \ 


^^^^) 


HE  Father  of  our  Country  was 
born  in  Westmorland  Co.,  Va., 
Feb  2  2,  1732.  His  parents 
were  Augustine  and  Mary 
(Ball)  Washington.  The  family 
to  which  he  belonged  has  not 
been  satisfactorily  traced  in 
England.  His  great-grand- 
father, John  Washington,  em- 
igrated to  Virginia  about  1657, 
and  became  a  prosperous 
planter.  He  had  two  sons, 
Lawrence  and  John.  The 
former  married  Mildred  Warner 
and  hid  three  children,  John, 
Augustine  and  Mildred.  Augus- 
tine, the  father  of  George,  first 
married  Jane  Butler,  who  bore 
him  four  children,  two  of  whom, 
Lawrence  and  Augustine,  reached 
maturity.  Of  six  children  by  his 
second  marriage,  George  was  the 
eldest,  the  others  being  Betty, 
Samuel,  John  Augustine,  Charles 
and  Mildred. 
Augustine  Washington,  the  father  of  George,  died 
in  1743,  leaving  a  large  landed  property.  To  his 
eldest  son,  Lawrence,  he  bequeathed  an  estate  on 
the  Patomac,  afterwards  known  as  Mount  Vernon, 
and  to  George  he  left  tlie  parental  residence.  George 
received  only  such  education  as  the  neighborhood 
schools  afforded,  save  for  a  short  time  after  he  left 
school,  when  he  received  private  instruction  in 
Biathematxs.      His    spelling  was  rather  'Jefectiv*, 


Remarkable  stories  are  told  of  his  great  physica: 
strength  and  development  at  an  early  age.  He  was 
an  acknowledged  leader  among  his  companions,  and 
was  early  noted  for  that  nobleness  of  character,  fair- 
ness and  veracity  which  characterized  his  whole  life. 

When  George  was  14  years  old  he  had  a  desire  to  go  to 
sea,  and  a  midshipman's  warrant  was  secured  for  him, 
but  through  the  opposition  of  his  mother  the  idea  was 
abandoned.  Two  years  later  he  was  appointed 
surveyor  to  the  immense  estate  of  Lord  Fairfax.  In 
this  business  he  spent  three  years  in  a  rough  frontier 
life,  gaining  experience  which  afterwards  proved  very 
essential  to  him.  In  1751,  though  only  19  years  of 
age,  he  was  apixDinted  adjutant  with  the  rank  of 
major  in  the  Virginia  militia,  then  being  trained  for 
active  service  against  the  French  and  Indians.  Soon 
after  this  he  sailed  to  the  West  Indies  with  his  brother 
Lawrence,  who  went  there  to  restore  his  health  They 
soon  returned,  and  in  the  summer  of  1752  Lawrence 
died,  leaving  a  large  fortune  to  an  infant  daughter 
who  did  not  long  survive  him.  On  her  denuse  the 
estate  of  Mount  Vernon  was  given  to  George. 

Upon  the  arrival  of  Robert  Dinwiddle,  as  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor of  Virginia,  in  1752,  the  militia  was 
reorganized,  and  the  province  divided  into  four  mili- 
tary districts,  of  which  the  northern  was  assigned  to 
Washington  as  adjutant  general.  Shortly  after  this 
a  very  perilous  mission  was  assigned  him  and  ac- 
cei)ted,  which  others  had  refused.  This  was  to  pro- 
ceed to  the  French  post  near  Lake  Erie  in  North- 
western Pennsylvania.  The  distance  to  be  traversed 
was  between  500  and  600  miles.  \\  inter  was  at  hand, 
and  the  journey  was  to  be  made  without  military 
escort,  through  a  territory  occupied  by  Indians-   ,Th« 


GEORGE   WASHINGTON. 


irip  was  a  perilous  one,  and  several  limes  he  came  near 
losing  his  life,  yet  he  returned  in  safety  and  furnished 
a  full  and  useful  report  of  his  expedition.  A  regiment 
of  300  men  was  raised  in  Virginia  and  put  in  com- 
mand of  Col.  Joshua  Fry,  and  Major  Washington  was 
commissioned  lieutenant-colonel.  Active  war  was 
then  begun  against  the  French  and  Indians,  in  which 
Washington  took  a  most  important  part.  In  the 
memorable  event  of  July  9,  1755,  known  as  Brad- 
dock's  defeat,  Washington  was  almost  the  only  officer 
of  distinction  who  escaped  from  the  calamities  of  the 
day  with  life  and  honor.  The  other  aids  of  Braddock 
were  disabled  early  in  the  action,  and  Washington 
alone  was  left  in  that  capacity  on  the  field.  In  a  letter 
to  his  brother  he  says:  "I  h.id  four  bullets  thrcugli 
my  coat,  and  two  horses  shot  under  me,  yet  I  escaped 
unhurt,  though  death  was  levclin  ■  my  companions 
on  every  side."  An  Indian  sharpshooter  said  he  was 
not  born  to  be  killed  by  a  bullet,  for  he  had  taken 
direct  aim  at  him  seventeen  times,  and  failed  to  hit 
him. 

After  having  been  five  years  in  the  military  service, 
and  vainly  sought  promotion  in  the  ro)  al  aimy,  lie 
took  advantage  of  the  talU.f  Fort  Duiiuesnc  and  llie 
expulsion  of  the  French  trom  the  vjlley  of  the  Oliio, 
10  resign  his  commission.  Soon  after  he  entered  the 
Legislature,  where,  although  not  a  leader,  he  took  an 
active  and  important  part.  January  17,  1759,  he 
married  Mrs.  Martha  (Dandridge)  Custis,  the  wealthy 
widow  of  John  Parke  Custis. 

When  the  British  Parliament  had  closed  the  port 
■)f  Boston,  the  cry  went  up  throughout  the  provinces 
that  "The  cause  of  Boston  is  the  cause  of  us  all  " 
It  was  then,  at  the  suggestion  of  Virginia,  that  a  Con 
gress  of  all  the  colonies  was  called  to  meet  at  Phila- 
delphia.Sept.  5,  1774,  to  secure  their  tomnion  liberties, 
peaceably  if  possible.  To  this  Coiiiivess  Col.  Wash- 
ington was  sent  as  a  delegate.  On  May  10,  1775,  the 
Congress  re-assembled,  when  the  hostile  intentions  of 
England  were  plainly  apparent.  The  battles  of  Con- 
cord and  Lexington  had  been  fought.  Among  the 
first  acts  of  this  Congress  was  the  election  of  a  com- 
mander-in-chief of  the  colonial  forces.  This  high  and 
responsible  office  was  conferred  upon  Washington, 
who  was  still  a  member  of  the  Congress.  He  accepted 
it  on  June  r9,  but  upon  the  express  condition  that  he 
receive  no  salary.  He  would  keep  an  exact  account 
of  expenses  and  expect  Congress  10  pay -them  and 
nothing  more.  It  is  not  the  object  of  this  sketch  to 
trace  the  military  acts  of  Washington,  to  whom  the 
fortunes  and  liberties  of  the  people  of  this  country 
were  so  long  confided.  The  war  was  conducted  by 
him  under  ever}-  possible  disadvantage,  and  while  his 
forces  often  met  with  reverses,  yet  he  overcame  every 
obstacle,  and  after  seven  years  of  heroic  devotion 
and  matchless  skill  he  gained  liberty  for  the  greatest 
n.ition  of  earth.  On  Dec.  23,  1783,  Washington,  in 
a  parting  address  of  surpassing  beauty,  resigned  his 


commission  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  army  10 
to  the  Continental  Congress  sitting  at  Annapolis.  He 
retired  immediately  tj  Mount  Vernon  and  resumed 
his  occupation  as  a  farmer  and  planter,  shunning  all 
connection  with  public  lite. 

In  February, 1789,  Washington  was  unanimously 
elected  President.  In  his  presidential  career  he  was 
subject  to  the  peculiar  trials  incidental  to  a  new 
government ;  trials  from  lack  of  confidence  on  the  part 
of  other  governments;  trials  from  want  of  harmony 
between  the  difierent  sections  of  our  own  country; 
trials  from  the  impoverished  condition  of  the  country, 
owing  to  the  war  and  want  of  credit;  trials  from  the 
beginnings  of  party  strife.  He  was  no  partisan.  His 
clear  judg.uent  could  discern  the  golden  mean;  and 
wliile  perha[)S  this  alone  kept  our  government  from 
sinking  at  the  very  outset,  it  -  left  him  exposed  to 
attacks  from  both  sides,  which  were  often  bitter  and 
very  annoying. 

At  the  expiration  of  his  first  term  he  was  unani- 
mously re-elected.  At  the  end  of  this  term  many 
were  anxious  that  he  be  re-elected,  but  he  absolutely 
refused  a  third  nomination.  On  the  fourth  of  Marc  h, 
1797,  at  the  expiraton  of  his  second  term  as  Presi- 
dent, he  returned  to  his  home,  hoping  to  pass  there 
his  few  remaining  years  free  from  the  annoyances  of 
public  life.  Later  in  the  year,  however,  his  repose 
seemed  likely  to  be  interrupted  by  war  with  France- 
At  the  prospect  of  such  a  war  he  was  again  urged  to 
take  command  of  the  armies.  He  chose  his  sub- 
ordinate officers  and  left  to  them  the  charge  of  mat- 
ters in  the  field,  which  he  superinter.ded  from  his 
home.  In  accepting  the  command  he  made  the 
reservation  that  he  was  not  to  be  in  the  field  until 
it  was  necessary.  In  the  midst  of  these  preparations 
h's  life  was  suddenly  cut  off.  December  r2,  he  took 
ii  seveie  cold  from  a  ride  in  the  rain,  which,  settling 
in  h's  throat,  produced  inflammation,  and  terminated 
fatally  on  the  night  of  the  fourteenth.  On  the  eigh- 
teenth his  body  was  borne  wi'h  military  honors  to  its 
final  resting  place,  and  interred  in  the  family  vault  at 
Mount  Vernon. 

Of  the  character  of  Washington  it  is  impossible  to 
speak  but  in  terms  of  the  highest  respect  and  ad- 
miration. The  more  \\e  see  of  the  operations  of 
our  government,  and  the  more  deeply  we  feel  the 
difficulty  of  uniting  all  opinions  in  a  common  interest, 
the  more  highly  we  must  estimate  the  force  of  his  tal- 
ent and  character,  which  have  be-^n  able  to  challenge 
the  reverence  of  all  parties,  and  principles,  and  na- 
tions, and  to  win  a  fame  as  extended  as  the  limits 
of  the  globe,  and  which  we  cannot  but  believe  will 
be  as  lasting  as  the  existence  of  man. 

The  person  of  Washington  was  unusally  tan,  erect 
and  well  proportioned.  His  muscular  strength  was 
great.  His  features  were  of  a  beautiful  symmetry. 
He  commanded  re-^pert  without  any  appearance  of 
haughtiness,  and  ever  serious  without  Keing  dull. 


J(>^^'^/^  J^^mld 


SECOND  PRESIDENT. 


)HN    ADAMS,     the     second 
President  and  the    first    Vice- 
^     President  of  the  United  States, 
5    was    born    in   Braintree     (  now 
(^uincy  ),Mass.,  and  about  ten 
imies    from    Boston,    Oct.     19, 
17,^    His  great-grandfather,  Henry 
Adams,   emigrated    from    England 
about  1 640,  with  a  family  of  eight 
sons,  and  settled  at  Braintree.  The 
parents   of  John    were   John    and 
Susannah  (Boylston)  Adams.     His 
father   was    a    farmer    of    limited 
means,  to  which  he  added  the  bus- 
iness of  shoemaking.      He  gave  his 
eldest  son,  John,  a  classical  educa- 
'  tion    at   Harvard    College.      John 

graduated  in  1755,  and  at  once  took  charge  of  the 
school  in  Worcester,  Mass.  This  he  found  but  a 
'school  of  affliction,"  from  which  he  endeavored  to 
gain  lelief  by  devoting  himself,  in  addition,  to  the 
study  of  law.  For  this  purjxjse  he  placed  himself 
under  the  tuition  of  the  only  lawyer  in  the  town.  He 
had  thought  seriously  of  the  clerical  profession 
but  seems  to  have  been  turned  from  this  by  what  he 
termed  "  the  frightful  engines  of  ecclesiastical  coun- 
jils,  cf  diabolical  malice,  and  Calvanistic  good  nature,'' 
of  the  operations  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness  in 
his  native  town.  He  was  well  fitted  for  the  legal 
profession,  possessing  a  clear,  sonorous  voice,  being 
ready  and  fluent  of  speech,  and  having  quick  percep- 
tive powers.  He  gradually  gained  practice,  and  in 
1764  married  Abigail  Smith,  a  daughter  of  a  minister, 
and  a  lady  of  superior  intelligence.  Shortly  after  his 
marriage,  (i7(''5),  the  attempt  of  Parliamentary  taxa- 
tion turned  him  from  law  to  politics.  He  took  initial 
steps  toward  holdir.j,  a  town  meeting,  and  the  resolu- 


tions he  offered  on  the  subject  became  very  populai 
throughout  the  Provmce,  and  wei'e  adopted  word  for 
word  by  over  forty  different  towns.  He  moved  to  Bos 
ton  in  1768,  and  became  one  of  the  most  courageous 
and  prominent  advocatesof  the  popular  cause,  and 
was  chosen  a  member  of  the  General  Court  (the  Leg- 
lislature)  in  1770. 

Mr.  Adams  was  chosen  one  of  the  first  delegate.s 
from  Massachusetts  to  the  first  Continental  Congress, 
which  ir.et  in  1774.  Here  he  distinguished  himselt 
by  his  capacity  for  business  and  for  debate,  and  ad- 
vocated the  movement  for  indeper.dence  against  th  = 
majority  of  the  members.  In  May,  1776,  he  moved 
and  carried  a  resohition  in  Congress  that  the  Colonies, 
should  assume  the  duties  of  self-government.  He> 
was  a  prominent  member  of  the  committee  of  nve 
appointed  June  11,  to  prepare  a  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. This  article  was  drawn  by  Jefferson,  but 
on  Adams  devolved  the  task  of  battling  it  through 
Congress  in  a  three  days  debate. 

On  the  day  after  the  Declaration  of  Independence- 
was  passed,  while  his  soul  was  yet  warm  with  th! 
glow  of  e.xcited  feeling,  he  wrote  a  letter  to  his  wife 
which,  as  we  read  it  now,  seems  to  have  been  dictated 
by  the  spirit  of  prophecy.  "Yesterday,"  he  says,  "the 
greatest  question  was  decided  that  ever  was  debated 
in  .'\nierica;  and  greater,  perhaps,  never  was  or  wil 
be  decided  among  men.  A  resolution  was  passed 
without  one  dissenting  colony,  '  that  these  United 
States  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  inde- 
pendent states'  The  day  is  passed.  The  fourth  of 
July,  1776,  will  be  a  memorable  epoch  in  tlie  history 
of  America,  f  am  apt  to  believe  it  will  be  celebrated 
by  succeeding  generations,  as  the  great  anniversaryi 
festival.  It  ought  to  be  commemorated  as  the  day  ofi 
deliverance  by  solemn  acts  of  devotion  to  Almighty 
God.     It  ought  to  be  solemnized  with  pomp,  shows 


JOHN  ADAMS. 


games,  six)rts,  guns,  bells,  bonfires,  and  illuminations 
trom  one  end  of  the  coniinejit  to  the  other,  from  this 
lime  forward  for  ever.  You  will  think  me  transported 
with  enthusiasm,  but  I  am  not.  I  am  well  aware  of 
the  toil,  and  blood  and  treasure,  that  it  will  cost  to 
maintain  this  declaration,  and  support  and  defend 
these  States;  yet,  through  all  the  gloom,  I  can  see  the 
rays  of  light  and  glory.  I  can  see  that  the  end  is 
warth  more  than  all  the  means;  and  that  posterity 
will  triumph,  although  you  and  I  may  rue,  which  I 
hope  we  shall  not." 

In  November,  1777,  Mr.  Adams  was  appointed  a 
deilegate  to  France  and  to  co-operate  with  Benijamin 
Franklin  and  Arthur  Lee,  who  were  then  in  Paris,  in 
the  endeavor  to  obtain  assistance  in  arms  and  money 
from  the  French  Government.  This  was  a  severe  trial 
to  his  patriotism,  as  it  separated  him  from  his  home, 
compelled  him  to  cross  the  ocean  in  winter,  and  ex- 
posed him  to  great  peril  of  capture  by  the  British  cruis- 
ers, who  were  seeking  him.  He  left  France  June  17, 
1779.  In  September  of  the  same  year  he  was  again 
cnosen  to  go  to  Paris,  and  there  hold  himself  in  readi- 
ness to  negotiate  a  treaty  of  peace  and  of  commerce 
with  Great  Britian,  as  soon  as  the  British  Cabinet 
might  be  found  willing  to  listen  to  such  piojxjsels.  He 
sailed  for  France  in  November,  from  there  he  went  to 
H  lUand,  where  he  negotiated  important  loans  and 
formed  important  commercial  treaties 

Finally  a  treaty  of  peace  with  England  was  signed 
Jan.  21,  1783.  The  re-action  from  the  excitement, 
toil  and  anxiety  through  which  Mr.  Adams  had  passed 
threw  him  into  a  fever.  After  suffering  from  a  con- 
tinued fever  and  becoming  feeble  and  emaciated  he 
was  advised  to  go  to  England  to  drink  the  waters  of 
Bath.  While  in  England,  still  drooping  anddespond- 
ing,  he  received  dispatches  from  his  own  government 
urging  the  necessity  of  his  going  to  Amsterdam  to 
negotiate  another  loan.  It  was  winter,  his  health  was 
delicate,  yet  he  immediately  set  out,  and  through 
storm,  on  sea,  on  horseback  and  foot, he  made  the  trip. 

February  24,  1785,  Congress  appointed  Mr.  Adams 
envoy  to  the  Court  of  St.  James.  Here  he  met  face 
to  face  the  King  of  England,  who  had  so  long  re- 
garded him  as  a  traitor.  As  England  did  not 
condescend  to  apix)int  a  minister  to  the  United 
States,  and  as  Mr.  Adams  felt  that  he  was  accom- 
plishing but  little,  he  sought  permission  to  return  to 
.nis  own  country,  where  he  arrived  in  June,  1788. 

When  Washington  was  first  chosen  President,  John 
.\dams,  rendered  illustiious  by  his  signal  services  at 
home  and  abroad,  was  chosen  Vice  President,  .\gain 
at  the  second  election  of  Washington  as  President. 
Adams  was  chosen  Vice  President.  In  1796,  Wash- 
ington retired  from  public  life,  and  Mr.  Adams  was 
elected  President, though  not  without  much  opposition. 
Serving  in  this  office  four  years.he  was  succeeded  by 
Mr.  Jefferson,  his  opponent  in  politics. 

While  Mr.  Adams  was  Vice  President  the  great 


French  Revolution  shook  the  continent  of  Europe, 
and  it  was  upon  this  point  which  he  was  at  issue  with 
the  majority  of  his  countr)'men  led  by  Mr.  Jefferson. 
Mr.  Adams  felt  no  sympathy  with  the  French  people 
in  tiieir  struggle,  for  he  had  no  confidence  in  their 
power  of  self-government,  and  he  utterly  abhored  the 
classof  atheist  philosophers  who  he  claimed  caused  it. 
On  the  other  hand  Jefferson's  sympathies  were  strongly 
enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  French  people.  Hence  or- 
iginated the  alienation  between  these  distinguished 
men,  and  two  powerful  parties  were  thus  soon  organ- 
ized, Adams  at  the  head  of  the  one  whose  sympathies 
were  with  England  and  Jefferson  led  the  other  in 
sympathy  with  France. 

The  world  has  seldom  seen  a  spectacle  of  more 
moral  beauty  and  grandeur,  than  was  presented  by  the 
old  age  of  Mr  Adams.  The  violence  of  party  feeling 
had  died  away,  and  he  had  begun  to  receive  that  just 
appreciation  which,  to  most  men,  is  not  accorded  till 
after  death.  No  one  could  look  upon  his  venerable 
form,  and  think  of  what  he  had  done  and  suffered, 
and  how  he  had  given  up  all  the  prime  and  strength 
of  his  life  to  the  public  good,  without  the  deepest 
emotion  of  gratitude  and  respect.  It  was  his  peculiar 
good  fortune  to  witness  the  complete  success  of  the 
institution  which  he  had  been  so  active  in  creating  and 
supporting.  In  1824,  his  cup  of  happiness  was  filled 
to  the  brim,  by  seeing  his  son  elevated  to  the  highest 
station  in  the  gift  of  the  people. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  which  completed  the  half 
century  since  the  signing  of  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, arrived,  and  there  were  but  three  of  the 
signers  of  that  immortal  instrument  left  upon  the 
earth  to  hail  its  morning  light.  And,  as  it  is 
well  known,  on  that  day  two  of  these  finished  their 
earthly  pilgrim?ge,  a  coincidence  so  remarkable  as 
to  seem  miraculous.  For  a  few  days  before  Mr. 
Adams  had  been  rapidly  failing,  and  on  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  he  found  himself  too  weak  to  rise  from 
his  l)ed.  On  being  requested  to  name  a  toast  for  the 
customary  celebration  of  the  day,  he  exclaimed  "  In- 
dependence FOREVER."  When  the  day  was  ushered 
in,  by  the  ringing  of  bells  and  the  firing  of  cannons, 
he  was  asked  by  one  of  his  attendants  if  he  knew 
what  day  it  was?  He  replied,  "O  yes;  it  is  the  glor- 
ious fourth  of  July — God  bless  it — God  bless  you  all." 
In  the  course  of  the  day  he  said,  "  It  is  a  great  and 
glorious  day."  The  last  words  he  uttered  were, 
"Jefferson  survives."  But  he  had,  at  ore  o'clock,  re- 
signed his  spirit  into  the  hands  of  his  God. 

The  personal  appearance  and  manners  of  Mr. 
Adams  were  not  particularly  preposses^inp.  His  face, 
as  his  portrait  manifests.was  intellectual  ard  expres 
sive,  but  his  figure  was  low  and  ungraceful,  and  h'K 
manners  were  frequently  abrupt  and  unronrteous. 
He  had  neither  the  lofty  digrity  of  Washington,  nor 
the  engaging  elegance  and  gracefulness  which  marked 
the  manners  and  address  of  Jefferson, 


i-'7<^Sf€y/:y^'a/l^^ 


THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


HOMAS  JEFFERSON  was 

burn  April  2,  1743,  at  Shad- 
i^'>\vell,  Albermarle  county,  Va. 
Y  His  parents  were  Peter  and 
'•^(Randolph)  JefTerson, 
the  former  a  native  of  Wales, 
and  the  latter  born  in  Lon- 
don. Tu  them  were  born  six 
daughters  and  two  sons,  of 
whom  Thomas  was  the  elder. 
When  14  years  of  age  his 
father  died.  He  received  a 
most  liberal  education,  hav- 
ing been  kept  diligently  at  scliool 
from  the  time  he  was  five  years  of 
age.  In  1760  he  entered  William 
end  Mary  College.  Williamsburg  was  then  the  seat 
of  the  Colonial  Court,  and  it  was  the  obode  of  fashion 
a.id  splendor.  Young  Jefferson,  who  was  then  17 
years  old,  lived  somewhat  expensively,  keeping  fine 
horses,  and  much  caressed  by  gay  society,  yet  he 
was  earnestly  devoted  to  his  studies,  and  irreproacha- 
able  in  his  morals.  It  is  strange,  however,  under 
sucli  inlluences,that  he  was  not  ruined.  In  the  sec- 
ond year  of  his  college  course,  moved  by  some  un- 
explained inward  impulse,  he  discarded  his  horses, 
society,  and  even  his  favorite  violin,  to  which  he  had 
previously  given  much  time.  He  often  devoted  fifteen 
hours  a  day  to  haid  study,  allowing  himself  for  ex- 
ercise only  a  run  in  the  evenirg  twilight  of  a  mile  out 
of  the  city  and  back  again.  He  thus  attained  very 
high  intellectual  culture,  alike  excellence  in  philoso- 
phy and  the  languages.  The  most  difficult  Latin  and 
Greek  authors  he  read  with  facility.  A  more  finished 
scholar  has  seldom  gone  forth  from  college  halls;  and 


there  was  not  to  be  found,  perhaps,  in  all  Virginia,  a 
more  pureminded,  upright,  gentlemanly  young  man. 

Immediately  upon  leaving  college  he  began  the 
study  of  law.  For  the  shoft  time  he  continued  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  he  rose  rapidly  and  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  energy  and  accuteness  as  a 
lawyer.  But  the  times  called  for  greater  action. 
The  policy  of  England  had  awakened  the  spirit  of 
resistance  of  the  American  Colonies,  and  the  enlarged 
views  which  Jefferson  had  ever  entertained,  soon  led 
him  into  active  political  life.  In  1769  he  was  choser. 
a  member  of  the  Virginia  House  of  Burgesses  In 
1772  he  married  Mrs.  Martha  Skelton,  a  very  beauti- 
ful, wealthy  and  highly  accomplished  young  widow 

Upon  Mr.  Jefferson's  large  estate  at  Shadwell,  thsre 
was  a  majestic  swell  of  land,  called  Monticello,  which 
commanded  a  prospect  of  wonderful  extent  and 
beauty.  This  spot  Mr.  Jefferson  selected  lor  his  new 
home;  and  here  he  reared  a  mansion  of  modest  ye* 
elegant  architecture,  which,  next  to  Mount  Vernon 
became  the  most  distinguished  resort  in  our  land. 

In  1775  he  was  sent  to  the  Cdonial  Congress, 
where,  though  a  silent  member,  his  abilities  as  a 
writer  and  a  reasoner  soon  become  known,  and  he 
was  placed  uiwn  a  number  of  important  committees, 
and  was  chairman  of  the  one  appointed  for  the  draw- 
ing up  of  a  declaration  of  independence.  This  com- 
mittee consisted  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  Adams, 
Benjamin  Franklin,  Roger  Sherman  and  Robert  R. 
Livingston.  Jefferson,  as  chairman,  was  appointed 
to  draw  up  the  paper.  Franklin  and  Adams  suggested 
a  few  verbal  changes  before  it  was  submitted  to  Con- 
gress. On  June  28,  a  few  slight  changes  were  made 
in  it  by  Congress,  and  it  was  passed  and  signed  July 
4,  1776.     What  must  have  been  the  feelings  of  that 


28 


THOMAS  JEFFERSON. 


man — what  the  emotions  that  swelled  his  breast — 
who  was  charged  with  the  preparation  of  that  Dec- 
laration, which,  while  it  made  known  the  wrongs  of 
America,  .vas  also  to  publish  her  to  the  world,  free, 
BOVciign  and  independent.  It  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
markable papers  ever  written  ;  and  did  no  other  effort 
of  the  mind  of  its  author  exist,  that  alone  would  be 
sufficient  to  stamp  his  name  with  immortality. 

In  1779  iMr  Jefferson  was  elected  successor  to 
Patrick  Henry,  ;.s  Governor  of  Virginia.  At  one  time 
the  British  officer,  Tarleton,  sent  a  secret  expedition  to 
Moniicello,  to  capture  the  Governor.  Scarcely  five 
minutes  ela[)sed  after  the  harried  escape  of  Mr.  Jef- 
ferson and  his  family,  ere  his  mansion  was  in  posses- 
sion of  the  British  troops.  His  wife's  health,  never 
very  good,  was  much  injured  by  this  excitement,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1782  she  died. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1783. 
Two  yeirs  later  he  was  appointed  Minister  Plenipo- 
tentiary to  France.  Returning  to  the  United  States 
in  September,  1789,  he  became  Secretary  of  State 
in  Washington's  cabinet.  Tiiis  position  he  resigned 
Jan.  I,  1794.  In  1797,  he  was  chosen  Vice  Presi- 
dent, and  four  years  later  was  elected  President  over 
Mr.  Adams,  with  Aaron  Burr  as  Vice  President.  In 
1804  he  was  re-elected  with  wonderful  unanimity, 
and  George  Clinton,   ^■K;e  I'lc^dent. 

The  early  part  of  Mi.  JelTcr.Mn':,  second  adminstra- 
tion  was  disturbed  by  an  event  wr.ich  threatened  the 
tranquility  and  peace  of  the  Union;  this  was  the  con- 
spiracy of  Aaron  Burr.  Defeated  in  the  late  election 
to  the  Vice  Presidency,  and  led  on  by  an  unprincipled 
amljition,  this  extraordinary  man  formed  the  plan  of  a 
military  expedition  intc  the  Spanish  territories  on  our 
southwestern  frontier,  for  the  pnrpose  of  forming  there 
1  new  republic.  This  has  been  -■j:^.era!ly  supposed 
was  a  mere  pretext ;  and  althonuli  it  has  not  been 
generally  known  what  his  real  plans  wcie,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  they  were  of  a  far  more  dangerous 
character. 

In  r8o9,  at  the  expiration  of  the  second  term  for 
which  Mr.  Jefferson  had  be'^n  elected,  he  determined 
to  retire  from  political  life.  For  a  period  of  nearly 
forty  years,  he  had  been  continually  before  the  pub- 
lic, and  all  that  time  had  been  employed  in  officjes  of 
the  greatest  trust  and  responsibility.  Having  thus  de- 
voted the  best  part  of  his  life  to  the  service  of  his 
country,  he  now  felt  desirous  of  that  rest  which  his 
declining  years  required,  and  upon  the  organization  of 
the  new  administration,  in  March,  1809,  he  b'd  fare- 
well forever  to  public  life,  and  retired  to  Monticellu. 

Mr.  Jefferson  was  profuse  in  his  hospitality.  Whole 
families  came  in  their  coaches  with  their  horses, — 
fathers  and  mothers,  boys  and  girls,  babies  and 
nurses, — and  remained  three  and  even  six  months. 
Life  at  Monticello,  for  years,  resembled  that  at  a 
fashionable  watering-place. 

The  fourth  of  July,  1826,  being  the  fiftieth  anniver-  i 


sary  of  the  Declaration  of  American  Independence, 
great  preparations  were  made  in  every  part  of  th« 
Union  tur  ^^  celclirnlion,  as  the  nation's  jubilee,  and 
the  citizens  of  Washington,  to  add  to  the  solemnity 
of  the  occasion,  invited  Mr.  Jefferson,  as  the  framer, 
and  one  of  the  few  surviving  signers  of  the  Declara- 
tion, to  partici).iate  in  their  festivities.  But  an  ill- 
ness, w  hieh  had  been  of  several  weeks  duration,  and 
had  been  continually  increasing,  compelled  him  to 
decline  the  invitation. 

On  llie  second  of  July,  the  disease  under  which 
he  was  laboring  left  him,  but  in  such  a  reduced 
state  that  his  medical  attendants,  entertained  nc 
hope  of  his  recovery.  From  this  time  he  was  perfectly 
sensible  that  his  last  hofir  was  at  hand.  On  the  next 
day,  wiiich  was  Monday,  he  asked  of  those  around 
him,  the  day  of  the  month,  and  on  being  told  it  was 
the  third  of  July,  he  expressed  the  earnest  wish  tha 
he  might  be  permitted  to  breathe  tie  air  of  the  fit'tietf 
anniversary.  His  prayer  was  heard — that  day,  whose 
dawn  was  hailed  witn  such  rapture  through  our  land, 
burst  uiion  his  eyes,  and  then  they  were  closed  for- 
ever. And  what  a  noble  consummation  of  a  noble 
life!  To  die  on  that  day, — the  birthday  of  a  nation,-  - 
the  day  v/hich  his  own  name  and  his  own  act  had 
rendered  glorious;  to  die  amidst  the  rejoicings  and 
festivities  of  a  whole  nation,  who  looked  up  to  him, 
as  the  author,  under  God,  of  their  greatest  blessings, 
was  all  that  was  wanring  to  fill  up  the  record  his  life. 

Almost  at  the  same  hour  of  his  death,  the  kin- 
dred spirit  of  the  venerable  Adams,  as  if  to  bear 
him  company,  left  the  scene  of  his  earthly  honors. 
Hand  in  hand  they  had  stood  forth,  the  champions  of 
freedom;  hand  in  hand,  during  the  dark  and  desper- 
ate struggle  of  the  Revolution,  they  had  cheered  and 
animated  their  desponding  countrymen;  for  half  a 
century  they  had  labored  together  for  tne  good  of 
the  country;  and  now  hand  in  hand  they  depart. 
In  their  lives  they  had  been  united  in  the  same  great 
cause  of  liberty,  and  in  their  deaths  they  were  not 
divided. 

In  person  Mr.  Jefferson  was  tall  and  thin,  rather 
above  six  feet  in  height,  but  well  formed;  his  eyes 
were  light,  his  hair  originally  red,  in  after  life  became 
white  and  silvery;  his  coiii|ilc-xion  w:is  t.iir,  his  fore 
head  broad,  and  his  whole  coui  'en.iin  e  intelligent  and 
thoughtful.  He  possessed  great  fortitr.de  of  mind  as 
well  as  personal  courage ;  and  :.':s  command  of  tem- 
per was  such  that  his  oldest  and  most  intimate  friends 
never  recollected  to  have  seen  him  in  a  passion. 
His  manners,  though  dignified,  were  simple  and  un- 
affected, and  his  hosiiitalitv  was  so  unbounded  that 
all  found  at  his  house  a  re.idy  welcome.  In  conver- 
sation he  was  fluent,  eloquent  and  enthusiastic;  and 
his  language  was  reniaikalily  pure  and  correct.  He. 
was  a  finished  classical  srlmlar,  and  in  his  writings  is 
discemable  the  care  with  which  he  formed  his  style 
upon  the  best  models  of  antiquity. 


^  ^ 


..    -^ 


^t_M'^1  ip'k 


FOURTH  PRhSIDENT. 


-K^psjpriQES  npDisoi].«$||: 


I    \MES    MADISON,    "Father 
J   ol  the  Constitution,"  and  fourth 
Pie-iideni  of  the  United  States, 
f    \aihorn  March  i6,  1757,  and 
lied   It  his   home  in  Virginia, 
/  '—    Jiuie  28,   1836.     The  name  of 
g    James  Madison  is  inseparably  con- 
nected with  most  of  the  important 
events  in  that  heroic  period  of  our 
I     country  during  which  the  founda- 
tions of   thid  great    republic   were 
laid.   He  was  the  last  of  the  founders 
of   the    Constitution    of   the    United 
States   to    be    called    to    his    eternal 
reward. 

The  Madison  family  were  among 
the  early  emigrants  to  the  New  World, 
landing  upon  the  shores  of  the  Chesa- 
peake but  15  years  after  the  settle- 
ment of  Jamestown.  The  father  of 
James  Madison  was  an  opulent 
planter,  residing  uixm  a  very  fine  es- 
tate called  "Montpelier,"  Orange  Co., 
Va.  The  mansion  was  situated  in 
the  midst  of  scenery  highly  pictur- 
esque and  romantic,  on  the  west  side 
of  South-west  Mountain,  at  the  foot  of 
Blue  Ridge.  It  was  but  25  miles  from  the  home  of 
Jefferson  at  Monticello.  The  closest  personal  and 
political  attachment  existed  between  these  illustrious 
men,  from  their  early  youth  until  death. 

The  early  education  of  Mr.  Madison  was  conducted 
mostly  at  home  under  a  private  tutor.  At  the  age  of 
18  he  was  sent  to  Princeton  College,  in  New  Jersey. 
Here  he  applied  himself  to  study  with  the  most  im- 


prudent zeal;  allowing  himself,  for  months,  but  three 

hours'  sleep  out  of  the  24.  His  health  thus  became  so 
seriously  impaired  that  he  never  recovered  any  vigor 
of  constitution.  He  graduated  in  177  i,  with  a  feeble 
body,  with  a  character  of  utmost  purity,  and  with  a 
mind  highly  disciplined  and  richly  stored  with  learning 
which  embellished  and  gave  proficiency  to  his  subsf' 
quent  career. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  commenced  the  study  of 
law  and  a  course  of  extensive  and  systematic  reading. 
This  educational  course,  the  spirit  of  the  times  in 
which  he  lived,  and  the  society  with  which  he  asso- 
ciated, all  combined  to  inspire  him  with  a  strong 
love  of  liberty,  and  to  train  him  for  his  life-woik  o! 
a  statesman.  Being  naturally  of  a  religious  turn  of 
mind,  and  his  frail  health  leading  him  to  think  that 
his  life  was  not  lo  be  long,  he  diiected  especial  atten- 
tion to  theological  studies.  Endowed  with  a  mmd 
singularly  free  from  passion  and  prejudice,  and  with 
almost  unequalled  powers  of  reasoning,  he  weighed 
all  the  arguments  for  and  against  revealed  religion, 
until  his  faith  became  so  established  as  never  to 
be  shaken. 

In  the  spring  of  1776,  when  26  years  of  age,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia  Convention,  lo 
frame  the  constitution  of  the  State.  The  next  year 
(1777),  he  was  a  candidate  for  the  General  Assembly. 
He  refused  to  treat  the  whisky-lovir.g  voters,  and 
consequently  lost  his  election  ;  but  those  who  had 
witnessed  the  l.ilent,  energy  and  public  spirit  of  the 
modest  young  man,  enlisted  themselves  in  his  behalf, 
and  he  was  appointed  to  tlic    Executive  Council. 

Both  Patrick  Henry  and  Thomas  Jefferson  were 
Governors  of  Virginia  while  Mr.  Madison  remained 
member  of  the  Council ;    and  their  appreciation  of  his 


JAMES  MADISON. 


mtclleciual,  social  and  moral  worth,  contributed  not 
a  little  to  his  subsequent  eminence.  In  the  year 
1780,  he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress.  Here  he  met  the  most  illustrious  men  in 
our  laud,  and  he  was  immediately  assigned  to  one  of 
the  most  cons|)icuous  positions  among  them. 

For  three  jears  Mr.  Madison  continued  in  Con- 
gress, one  of  its  most  active  and  influential  members. 
In  tne  year  1784,  his  term  having  e.xpired,  he  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  Virginia   Legislature. 

No  man  felt  more  deeply  than  Mr.  Madison  the 
utter  inefficiency  of  the  old  confederacy,  with  no  na- 
tional government,  with  no  power  to  form  treaties 
which  would  be  binding,  or  to  enforce  law.  There 
was  not  any  State  more  prominent  than  Virginia  in 
the  declaration,  that  an  efficient  national  government 
must  be  formed.  In  January,  1786,  Mr.  Madison 
carried  a  resolution  through  the  General  Assembly  of 
Virginia,  inviting  the  other  States  to  ajjpoint  commis- 
sioners to  meet  in  convention  at  Annapolis  to  discuss 
this  subject.  Five  States  only  were  re|>resented.  The 
convention,  however,  issued  another  call,  drawn  up 
by  Mr.  Madison,  urgmg  all  the  States  to  send  their 
delegates  to  Philadelphia,  in  May,  1787,  to  draft 
a  Constitution  for  the  United  States,  to  take  the  place 
of  tnat  Confederate  League.  The  delegates  met  at 
the  time  appointed.  Every  State  but  Rhode  Island 
was  represented.  George  Washington  was  chosen 
president  of  the  convention;  and  the  present  Consti- 
tution of  the  United  States  was  then  and  there  formed. 
There  was,  perhaps,  no  mind  and  no  pen  more  ac- 
tive in  framing  this  immortal  document  than  the  mind 
and  the  pen  of  James  Madison. 

The  Constitution,  adopted  by  a  vote  81  to  79,  was 
to  be  presented  to  the  several  States  for  acceptance. 
But  grave  solicitude  was  felt.  Should  it  be  rejected 
we  should  be  left  but  a  conglomeration  of  independent 
States,  with  but  little  power  at  home  and  little  respect 
abroad.  Mr.  Madifon  was  selected  by  tne  conven- 
tion to  draw  up  an  address  to  the  people  of  the  United 
States,  expounding  the  principles  of  the  Constitution, 
and  urging  its  adoption.  There  was  great  op[X)sition 
to  it  at  first,  but  it  at  length  triumphed  over  all,  and 
went  into  effect  in  1789. 

Mr.  Madison  was  elected  to  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  first  Congress,  and  soon  became  the 
avowed  leader  oi  the  Repubhcan  party.  While  in 
New  York  attending  Congress,  he  met  Mrs  Todd,  a 
young  widow  of  remarkable  jwwer  of  fascination, 
whom  he  married.  She  was  in  person  and  character 
queenly,  and  probably  no  lady  has  thus  far  occupied 
so  prominent  a  position  in  the  ve'y  peculiar  society 
which  has  constituted  our  republican  court  as  Mrs. 
Midison. 

Mr.  Madison  served  as  Secretary  of  State  under 
Jefferson,  and  at  the  close  of  his  administiation 
was  chosen  President.  At  this  time  the  encroach- 
ments of  England  had  brought  us  to  the  verge  of  war.  , 


British  orders  in  council  destioyed  our  commerce,  and 
our  flag  was  exposed  to  constant  insult.  Mr.  Madison 
was  a  man  of  peace.  Scholarly  in  his  taste,  retiimg 
in  his  disposition,  war  had  no  charms  for  him.  But  the 
meekest  spirit  can  be  roused.  It  makes  one's  blood 
boil,  even  now,  to  think  of  an  American  ship  brought 
to,  ui)on  the  ocean,  by  the  guns  of  an  English  cruiser. 
A  young  lieutenant  steps  on  board  and  orders  the 
crcw  to  be  paraded  before  him.  With  great  nonchal- 
ance he  selects  any  number  whom  he  may  please  to 
designate  as  British  subjects;  orders  them  down  the 
ship's  side  into  his  boat;  and  places  them  on  the  gun- 
deck  of  his  man-of-war,  to  fight,  by  compulsion,  the 
battles  of  England.  This  right  of  search  and  im- 
pressment, no  efforts  of  our  Government  could  induce 
the  British  cabinet  to  relinquish. 

On  the  1 8th  of  June,  181 2,  President  Madison  gave 
his  appioval  to  an  act  of  Co.igress  declaring  war 
against  Great  Britain.  Notwithstanding  the  bitter 
hostility  of  the  Federal  party  to  the  war,  the  country 
in  general  approved;  and  Mr.  Madison,  on  tlie  4th 
of  March,  i8'3,  was  re-elected  by  a  large  majority, 
and  entered  upon  his  second  term  of  offi  e.  This  is 
not  the  place  to  describe  the  various  adventures  of 
this  war  on  the  land  and  on  the  water.  Our  infan. 
navy  then  laid  tlie  foundations  of  its  renown  in  grap- 
pling with  the  most  formidable  power  which  ever 
swejjt  the  seas.  The  contest  commenced  in  earnest 
by  the  appearance  of  a  British  fleet,  early  in  February, 
1813,  in  Chesapeake  Bay,  declaring  nearly  the  whole 
coast  of  the  United  States  under  blockade. 

The  Emperor  of  Russia  offered  his  services  as  me 
ditator.  America  accepted;  England  refused.  A  Brit- 
ish force  of  five  thousand  men  landed  on  the  banks 
of  the  Patuxet  River,  near  its  entrance  into  Chesa- 
peake Bay,  and  marched  rapidly,  by  way  of  Bladens- 
burg,  upon  Washington. 

The  straggling  little  city  of  Washington  was  thrown 
into  consternation.  The  cannon  of  the  brief  conflict 
at  Bladensburg  echoed  through  the  streets  of  tlie 
metropolis.  The  wliole  population  fled  from  the  city. 
The  President,  leaving  Mrs.  Madison  in  the  White 
House,  with  her  carriage  drawn  up  at  the  doer  to 
await  his  speedy  return,  hurried  to  meet  the  officers 
in  a  council  of  war  He  met  our  troops  utterly  routed, 
and  he  could  not  go  back  without  danger  of  being 
captured.  But  few  hours  elapsed  ere  the  Presidential 
Mansion,  the  Capitol,  and  all  the  public  buildings  in 
Washington  were  in  flames. 

The  war  closed  after  two  years  of  fighting,  and  on 
Feb.  13,  i8i5,the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Ghent. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  his  second  term  of 
office  expired,  and  he  resigned  the  Presidential  chair 
to  his  friend,  James  Monroe.  He  retired  to  his  beau- 
tiful home  at  Montpelier,  and  there  passed  the  re- 
mainder of  his  days.  On  June  28,  1836,  then  at  the 
age  of  85  years,  he  fell  asleep  in  death.  Mrs.  Madi 
son  died  July  12,  1849. 


y(^i:it-^)^ ')^  i.^   y      /'2'^^.c^    /t   ^   (;^r—. 


^ FIFTH'  FJiESlD'S^rr. 


>^M 


^^  pri]Es  n]oi]ROE.  mm 


AMES    MONROE,   the   fifth 
^residentof  Tlie  United  States, 
vas  born  in  Westmoreland  Co., 
Va.,  April  28,  1758.    His  early 
life  was  passed  at  the  place  of 
nativity.  His  ancestors  had  for 
many  years    resided  in  the  prov- 
ince in  which  he  was  born.    When, 
at  17  years  of  age,  in  the   process 
'»'   of  completing   his    education    at 
William  and  Mary  College,  the  Co- 
lonial Congress  assembled  at  Phila- 
delphia to  deliberate  upon  the  un- 
^X^     just   and    manifold   oppressions    of 
ffijl      Great  Britian,  declared  the  separa- 
y       tion  of  the   Colonies,  and  promul- 
gated the  Declaration  of  Indepen- 
dence.  Had  he  been  born  ten  years  before  it  is  highly 
prolmble  that  he  would  have  been  one  of  the  signers 
of  that  celebrated  instrument.     At   this  time   he  left 
school  and  enli.,ted  among  the  patriots. 

He  joined  the  army  when  everything  looked  hope- 
less and  gloomy.  The  number  of  deserters  increased 
from  day  to  day.  The  invading  armies  came  pouring 
in  ;  and  the  tories  not  only  favored  the  cause  of  the 
mother  country,  but  disheartened  the  new  recruits, 
who  were  sufficiently  terrified  at  the  prospect  of  con- 
tending with  an  enemy  whom  they  had  been  taught 
to  deem  invincible.  To  such  brave  spirits  as  James 
Monroe,  who  went  right  onward,  undismayed  through 
difficulty  and  danger,  the  United  States  owe  their 
polilical  emancipation.  The  young  cadet  joined  the 
ranks,  and  espoused  the  cause  of  his  injured  country, 
'  with  a  firm  determination  to  live  o.  iie  with  her  strife 


1148911 

for  liberty.  Firmly  yet  sadly  he  shared  in  the  mel- 
anclioly  retreat  from  Harleam  Heights  and  White 
Plains,  and  accompanied  the  dispirited^army  as  it  fled 
before  its  foes  througli  New  Jersey.  In  four  months 
after  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  the  patriots 
had  been  beaten  in  seven  battles.  At  the  battle  of 
Trenton  he  led  the  vanguard,  and,  in  the  act  of  charg- 
ing upon  the  enemy  he  received  a  wound  in  the  left 
shoulder. 

As  a  reward  for  his  bravery,  Mr.  Monroe  was  pro- 
moted a  captain  of  infantry;  and,  having  recovered 
from  his  wound,  he  rejoined  the  army.  He,  however, 
receded  from  the  line  of  promotion,  by  becoming  an 
officer  in  the  staff  of  Lord  Sterling.  During  the  cam- 
paignsof  1777  and  1778,  in  the  actions  of  Brandy 
wine,  Germantown  and  Monmouth,  he  continued 
aid-de-camp;  but  becoming  desirous  to  regain  his 
position  in  the  army,  he  exerted  himself  to  collect  a 
regiment  for  the  Virginia  line.  This  scheme  failed 
owing  to  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  State.  Upon 
this  failure  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  at 
that  period  Governor,  and  pursued,  with  considerable 
ardor,  the  study  of  common  law.  He  did  not,  however, 
entirely  lay  aside  the  knapsack  for  the  green  bag: 
but  on  the  invasions  of  the  enemy,  served  as  a  volun 
teer,  during  the  two  years  of  his  legal  pursuits. 

In  17S2,  he  was  elected  from  King  George  county, 
a  member  of  the  Leglislature  of  Virginia,  and  by  that 
body  he  was  elevated  to  a  seat  in  the  Executive 
Council.  He  was  thus  honored  with  the  confidence 
of  his  fellow  citizens  at  23  years  of  age  ;  and  having 
at  this  early  period  displayed  some  of  that  ability 
and  aptitude  for  legislation,  which  were  afterward.^ 
employed  with  unremittipg  energy  for  the  public  good, 


36 


JAMES  MONROE. 


he  was  in  the  succeeding  year  chosen  a  member  of 
ihe  Congress  of  the  Uniltd  States. 
UeeplyasMr.  Monioefclt  the  imperfections  of  the  old 
Confederacy,  he  was  opi)osed  to  the  new  Constitution, 
'.hinking,  with  many  others  of  Mie  Republican  party, 
'.hat  it  gave  too  much  power  to  the  Central  Government, 
and  not  enough  to  the  individual  States.  Still  he  re- 
tained the  esteem  of  his  friends  who  were  its  warm 
supporters,  and  who,  notwithstanding  his  opposition 
secured  its  adoption.  In  1789,  he  became  amember 
of  the  United  States  Senate;  which  office  he  held  for 
four  years.  Every  month  the  line  of  distinction  be- 
tween the  two  great  parties  which  divided  the  nation, 
the  Federal  and  the  Republican,  was  growing  more 
distinct.  The  two  prominent  iaeas  which  now  sep- 
arated them  were,  that  the  Republican  party  was  in 
sympathy  with  France,  and  also  in  favor  of  such  a 
strict  construction  of  tlie  Constitution  as  to  give  the 
Central  Government  as  little  power,  and  the  State 
Governmcii!-  1-  in  i<  b  i  lower, as  the  Constitution  would 
warrant.  T.i  I  i  1:  '.  sympathized  with  England, 
and  were  in  1  .  n  ■  1  ,;  lilicral  construction  of  the  Con- 
stitution, wliii  h  u'.juld  give  as  much  power  to  the 
Central  Government  as  tnat  document  could  possibly 
authorize. 

The  leading  Federalists  and  Republicans  were 
alike  noble  men,  consecrating  all  their  energies  to  the 
good  of  the  nation.  Two  more  honest  men  or  more 
pure  patriots  than  John  Adams  the  Fedeinlist,  and 
James  Monroe  the  Republican,  never  breathed.  In 
\building  up  this  nuijeslic  nation,  which  is  destined 
to  eclipseall  Grecian  and  Assyrian  greatness,  the  com- 
bination of  their  antagonism  was  needed  to  create  the 
light  equilibrium.  And  yet  each  in  his  day  was  de- 
nounced as  almost  a  demon. 

Washington  was  then  President.  England  had  es- 
poused the  cause  of  the  Bourbons  against  the  princi- 
ples of  the  French  Revolution.  All  Europe  was  drawn 
into  the  conflict.  We  were  feeble  and  far  away. 
Washington  issued  a  proclamation  of  neutrality  be- 
tween these  contending  powers.  France  had  helped 
us  in  the  struggle  for  our  liberties.  All  the  despotisms 
of  Europe  were  now  combined  to  ])revent  the  French 
from  escaping  from  a  tyranny  a  thousand-fold  worse 
thai',  that  which  we  had  endured  Col.  Monroe,  more 
magnanimous  than  prudent,  was  nnxiuus  that,  at 
whatever  hazard,  we  should  help  our  old  allies  in 
their  extremity.  It  was  the  impulse  of  a  generous 
and  noble  nature.  He  violently  opposed  the  Pres- 
ident's proclamation  as  ungrateful  and  wanting  in 
magnanimity. 

Washington,  who  could  appreciate  such  a  character, 
developed  his  calm,  serene,  almost  divine  greatness, 
by  appointing  that  very  James  Monroe,  who  was  de- 
nouncing the  policy  of  the  Government,  as  the  minister 
of  that  Government  to  the  Republic  of  France.  Mr. 
Monroe  was  welcomed  by  the  National  Convention 
in  France  witii  the  most  enthusiastic  demonstK«-tions. 


Shortly  after  his  return  to  this  countrv,  Mr.  Mon- 
roe was  elected  Governor  of  Virginia,  and  held  tlie 
office  for  three  yeais.  He  was  again  sent  to  Prance  tu 
co-operate  with  Chancellor  Livingston  in  obtaining 
the  vast  territory  then  known  as  the  Province  of 
Louisiana,  which  France  had  but  shortly  before  ob- 
tained from  Spain.  Tneir  united  efforts  were  suc- 
cessful. For  the  comparatively  small  sum  of  fifteen 
millions  of  dollars,  the  entire  territory  of  Orleans  and 
district  of  Louisiana  were  added  to  the  United  States. 
This  was  |)robably  the  largest  transfer  of  real  estate 
which  was  ever  made  in  all  the  history  of  the  world. 

From  France  Mr.  Monroe  went  to  England  to  ob- 
tain from  that  country  some  recognition  of  our 
rights  as  neutrals,  and  to  remonstrate  against  those 
odious  impressments  of  our  seamen.  But  Eng- 
land was  unrelenting.  He  again  returned  to  Eng- 
land on  the  same  mission,  but  could  receive  no 
redress.  He  returned  to  his  home  and  was  again 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia.  This  he  soon  resigned 
to  accept  the  position  of  Secretary  of  State  unde:- 
Madison.  While  in  this  office  war  witii  England  was 
declared,  the  Secretary  of  War  resigned,  and  during 
these  trying  times,  the  duties  of  the  \Var  Deixartmen: 
were  also  put  upon  him.  He  was  truly  the  armor- 
bearer  of  President  Madison,  and  the  most  efficient 
business  man  in  his  cabinet.  Upon  the  return  of 
peace  he  resigned  the  Department  of  War,  but  con- 
tinued in  the  office  of  Secretary  of  State  until  the  ex- 
piration of  Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  At  the  elec- 
tion held  the  previous  autumn  Mr  Monroe  himself  had 
been  chosen  President  with  but  liule  Ojjposition,  and 
upon  March  4,  t8i7,  was  inaugurated.  Four  year? 
later  he  was  elected  for  a  second  term. 

Among  the  important  measures  of  his  Presidency 
were  the  cession  of  Florida  to  the  United  States;  the 
Missouri  Compromise,  and  the    "  Monroe  doctrine.' 

This  famous  doctrine,  since  known  as  the  "  Monroe 
doctrine,"  was  enunciated  by  him  in  1823.  At  that 
time  the  LTnited  States  had  recognized  the  independ- 
ence of  the  South  American  states,  and  did  not  wish 
to  have  European  powers  longer  attempting  to  sub 
due  portions  of  the  American  Continent.  The  doctrine 
is  as  follows:  "That  we  should  consider  any  nitenipt 
on  the  part  of  European  powers  to  extend  their  sys- 
tem to  any  portion  of  this  hemisphere  as  dangerous 
to  our  peace  and  safety,"  and  "that  we  could  not 
view  any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing 
or  controlling  American  governments  or  provinces  in 
any  other  light  than  as  a  manifestation  by  Eurojieai: 
powers  of  an  unfriendly  disposition  toward  the  United 
States."  This  doctrine  immediately  affected  the  course 
of  foreign  governments,  and  has  become  the  approved 
sentiment  of  the  United  States. 

At  the  end  of  his  ? econd  term  Mr  Monroe  retired 
to  his  home  in  Virginia,  where  he  lived  until  1830 
when  he  went  to  New  Vork  to  live  with  his  son-in- 
law.     In  that  city  he  died, on  the  4th  of  July,  1831 


5,  At 


C<jrr^ 


SIXTH  PRF.SIDRNT. 


^^mL/rs:s>  M^ 


)H\  QUINCY  ADAMS,  the 
\th  President  of  the  United 
les,  was   born  in  the   rural 
lie  of  his    honored   father. 
1  n  Adams,  in  Qnincy,  Mass  , 
the  nth  cf  July,  1767.  His 
mother,   a   woman   of  exalted 
woith  watched  over  his  childhood 
during    the   almost    constant    ab- 
sence of   his  father.      When    but 
eight  )ears  of  age,  he  stood  with 
■■    hib  mother  on  an  eminence,  listen- 
ing to  the  booming  of  the  great  bat- 
tle on  Bunker's  Hill,  and  gazing  on 
upon  the  smoke  and  flames  billow- 
ing up  from    the    conflagration    of 
Charlestown. 

When  but  eleven  years  old  he 
took  a  tearful  adieu  of  his  mother, 
to  sail  with  his  fatner  for  Europe, 
through  a  fleet  ot  hostile  British  cruisers.  The  bright, 
..nimated  boy  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in  Pan's,  where 
nis  father  was  associated  with  Franklin  and  Lee  as 
iuinister  plenipotentiary.  His  intelligence  attracted 
he  notice  of  these  distinguished  men,  and  he  received 
from  them  flattering  marks  of  attention. 

Mr.  John  Adams  had  scarcely  returned  to  this 
-on,  try,  in  1779,  ere  he  was  again  sent  abroad  Again 
o,.ii  Quincy  accompanied  his  father  At  Paris  he 
ipi)lied  himself  with  great  diligence,  for  six  months, 
to.-.'udy;  then  actom]>ained  his  fatlier  to  Holland, 
vnere  he  entered,  first  a  school  in  .\msterdam,  then 
the  I'n'versity  at  Peyden.  i^bout  a  year  from  this 
time,  in  17S1,  when  the  manl\  1  oy  was  but  fourteen 
yea-s  of  age,  he  was  selected  liy  Mr.  Dana,  our  min- 
ister to  the  Russian  court,  as  his  private  secretary. 

Tn  this  school  of  incessant  labor  and  of  enobling 
f-ulture  he  spent  fourteen  months,  and  then  returned 
to  Holland  thiough  Sweden,  Denmark,  Hamburg  and 
Bremen.  This  long  journey  he  took  alone,  in  the 
winter,  w]ien  in  iiis  sixteenth  year.  Again  he  resumed 
ais  studies,  under  a  pn"ate  tutor,  at  Hague.   Thence, 


in  the  spring  of  1782,  he  accompanied  his  father  L' 
Paris,  travehng  leisurely,  and  toniiing  acquaiiuanct 
witlr  liie  most  distiiigui--hcd  men  on  the  Con;incnt 
e.xamiuin:;  ircnitccliiial  remains,  galleries  of  paintings 
and  all  rciiuwiiLtl  V, inks  of  art.  At  Paris  he  agaiii 
became  a^-(  i  i.itcd  wiih  the  most  illustrious  men  ol 
all  lands  m  tiic  contemplations  of  the  loftiest  temporal 
themes  which  i  an  engross  the  human  mind.-  Afte' 
a  short  visit  to  England  he  returned  to  Paris,  ana 
consecrated  all  his  energies  to  study  until  May,  1785, 
when  he  rcturiicd  tc  .'vmcri' a.  To  a  brilliant  young 
man  of  eighteen,  v.  Im  h.id  seen  much  of  the  world, 
and  'vlio  was  taiiiiliarwuh  the  etiquette  of  courts,  a 
residence  with  his  father  in  London,  under  such  cir- 
cumstances, must  have  been  extremely  attractive 
but  with  judgment  very  rare  in  one  of  his  age,  he  pre- 
ferred to  return  to  America  to  complete  his  education 
in  an  American  college.  He  wished  then  to  study 
law,  that  with  an  honorable  profession,  he  might  be 
able  to  obtain  an  independent  support. 

Upon  leaving  Harvard  College,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
he  studied  law  for  three  years.  In  June,  1794,  be- 
ing then  but  tv/enty-seven  years  of  age,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  Washington,  resident  minister  at  the 
Netheilands.  Sailing  from  Boston  in  July,  he  reached 
London  in  October,  where  he  was  immediately  admit- 
ted to  the  deliberations  of  Messrs.  Jay  and  Pinckney. 
assisting  them  in  negotiating  a  commercial  treaty  with 
Gieat  Britian.  After  thus  spending  a  fortnight  i. 
London,  he   proceeded  to  the  Hague. 

In  July,  1797,  he  left  the  Hague  to  go  to  Portugal  as 
minister  plenipotentiary.      On   his   way  to  Portugal. 


upfin   arnvinc 


London,  he   met   with   despatches 


directing  him  to  the  court  of  Beilm,  but  requesting 
him  to  remain  in  London  until  he  should  receive  his 
instructions.  While  writing  he  was  married  to  ar 
Amencan  lady  to  whom  he  had  been  previously  en- 
gaged,— Miss  Louisa  Catherine  Johnson,  daughte 
of  Mr.  Joshua  Johnson,  American  con;ul  in  london 
a  lady  endownd  with  that  beauty  and  those  accom- 
plishment which  eminently  fitted  her  to  move  in  X\A 
elevated  sphere  for  which  she  w;is  ^^'ined- 


JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMk 


He  reached  Berlin  with  his  wife  in  November,  1797  ; 
where  he  remained  until  July,  1799,  when,  having  ful- 
filled all  the  purixjses  of  his  mission,  he  solicited  his 
recall. 

Soon  after  his  return,  in  1802,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  Senate  of  Massachusetts,  from  Boston,  and  then 
was  elected  Senator  of  the  United  States  for  six  years, 
from  the  4th  of  March,  1804.  His  reputation,  his 
ability  and  his  experience,  placed  him  immediately 
among  the  most  prominent  and  influential  members 
ofthat-body.  Especially  did  he  sustain  the  Govern- 
ment in  its  meas  ires  of  resistance  to  the  encroach- 
ments of  England,  destroying  our  commerce  and  in- 
sulting our  flag.  There  was  no  man  in  America  more 
familiar  with  the  arrogance  of  the  British  court  upon 
these  points,  and  no  one  more  resolved  to  present 
a  firm  resistance. 

In  rSog,  Madison  succeeded  Jefferson  in  the  Pres- 
idential chair,  and  he  immediately  nominated  John 
Quincy  Adams  minister  to  St.  Petersburg.  Resign- 
ing his  professorship  in  Harvard  College,  he  embarked 
at  Boston,  in  August,  1809. 

While  in  Russia,  Mr.  Adams  was  an  intense  stu- 
dent. He  devoted  his  attention  to  the  language  and 
history  of  Russia;  to  the  Chinese  trade;  to  the 
European  system  of  weights,  measures,  and  coins  ;  to 
the  climate  and  astronomical  observations;  while  he 
Kept  up  a  familiar  acquaintance  with  the  Greek  and 
Latin  classics.  In  all  the  universities  of  Europe,  a 
more  accomplished  scholar  could  scarcely  be  found. 
All  tlirough  life  the  Bible  constituted  an  importart 
Ipart  of  his  studies.  It  was  his  rule  to  read  five 
.chapters  every  day. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1817,  Mr.  Monroe  took  the 
Presidential  chair,  and  immediately  apix)inted  Mr. 
Adams  Secretary  of  State.  Taking  leave  of  his  num- 
erous friends  in  public  and  private  life  in  Europe,  he 
sailed  in  June,  iSrg,  for  the  United  States.  On  the 
i8th  of  August,  he  again  crossed  the  threshold  of  his 
home  in  Quincy.  During  the  eight  years  of  Mr.  Mon- 
roe's administration,  Mr.  Adams  continued  Secretary 
of  State. 

Some  time  before  '.he  close  of  Mr.  Monroe's  second 
term  of  office,  new  candidates  began  to  be  presented 
for  the  Presidency.  The  friends  of  Mr.  Adams  brought 
forward  his  name.  It  was  an  exciting  campaign. 
Party  spirit  was  never  more  bitter.  Two  hundred  and 
sixty  electoral  votes  were  cast.  Andrew  Jackson  re- 
ceived ninety  nine;  John  Quincy  Adams,  eighty-four; 
William  H.  Crawford,  forty -one;  Henry  Clay,  thirty- 
sevren.  As  there  was  no  choice  by  the  people,  the 
question  went  to  the  House  of  Representatives.  Mr. 
Clay  gave  the  vote  of  Kentucky  to  Mr.  Adams,  and 
he  was  elected. 

The  friends  of  all  the  disappointed  candidates  now 
:ombined  in  a  venomous  and  persistent  assa\ilt  upon 
Mr.  Adams.  There  is  nothing  more  disgraceful  in 
tb«  past  history  of  our  country  than  the  abuse  which 


was  iMured  in  oae  uninterrupted  stream,  upon  this 
high-minded,  upright,  patriotic  man.  There  never  was 
an  administration  more  pure  in  principles,  more  con- 
scientiously devoted  to  the  best  interests  of  the  coun- 
try, than  that  of  John  Quincy  Adams;  and  never,  per- 
haps, was  there  an  administration  more  unscrupu- 
lously and  outrageously  assailed. 

Mr  Adams  was,  to  a  very  remarkable  degree,  ab- 
stemious and  temperate  in  his  habits;  alwa)s  rising 
eady,  and  taking  muih  exercise.  W  hen  at  his  home  in 
Quincy,  he  has  been  known  to  walk,  before  breakfast, 
seven  miles  to  Boston.  In  Washington,  it  was  said 
that  he  was  the  first  man  up  in  the  city,  lighting  his 
own  fire  and  applying  himself  to  work  in  his  library 
often  long  before  dawn. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1829,  Mr.  Adams  retired 
from  the  Presidency,  and  was  succeeded  by  Andrew 
i  Jackson.  John  C.  Calhoun  was  elected  Vice  Presi- 
dent. The  slavery  question  now  began  to  assume 
portentous  magnitude.  Mr.  Adams  returned  to 
Quincy  and  to  his  studies,  which  he  pursued  with  un- 
abated zeal.  But  he  was  not  long  permitted  to  re- 
main in  retirement.  In  November,  1830,  he  was 
elected  representative  to  Congress.  For  seventeen 
years,  until  his  death,  he  occupieU  the  post  as  repre- 
sentative, towering  above  all  his  peers,  ever  ready  to 
do  brave  battle' for  freedom,  and  winning  the  title  of 
"the  old  man  eloquent."  Upon  taking  his  seat  in 
the  House,  he  announced  that  he  should  hold  him- 
self bound  to  no  party.  Probably  there  never  was  a 
member  more  devoted  to  his  duties.  He  was  usually 
the  first  in  his  place  in  the  morning,  and  the  last  to 
leave  his  seat  in  the  evening.  Not  a  measure  could 
be  brought  forward  and  escape  his  scrutiny.  'I  he 
battle  which  Mr.  Adams  fought,  almost  singly,  against 
the  proslavery  party  in  the  Government,  was  sublime 
in  its  moral  dating  and  heroism.  For  persisting  in 
presenting  petitions  for  the  aljolition  of  slavery,  he 
was  threatened  with  indictment  by  the  grand  jury 
with  expulsion  from  the  House,  with  assassination 
but  no  threats  could  intimidate  him,  and  his  final 
triumph  was  complete. 

It  has  been  said  of  President  Adams,  that  when  his 
body  was  bent  and  his  hair  silvered  by  the  lapse  of 
fourscore  years,  yielding  to  the  simple  faith  of  a  little 
child,  he  was  accustomed  to  repeat  every  night.,  before 
he  slept,  the  prajer  which  his  mother  taught  him  in 
his  infant  years. 

On  the  2ist  of  February,  1848,  he  rose  on  the  floor 
of  Congress,  with  a  paper  in  his  hand,  to  address  the 
speaker.  Suddenly  he  fell,  again  stricken  by  paraly 
sis,  and  was  caught  in  the  arms  of  those  aiound  him 
For  a  time  he  was  senseless,  as  he  was  conveyed  to 
the  sofa  in  the  rotunda.  With  reviving  conscious- 
ness, he  opened  his  eyes,  looked  calmly  around  ai.d 
said  "  T/iis  is  the  end  of  earth  ;"lhen  after  a  moment's 
pause  he  added,  ^' I  am  eontent"  These  were  the 
last    words  of    the    grand    "Old    Man     Eloquent." 


<;^^-V/ 


^--c^ 


r)  ^, 


^iL^^^ 


\E  -- 


S£  VENTH  PRESIDENT. 


.A-. 


? -^iL!lCi2/©-^-«<^J^, 


NDREVV     JACKSON,     the 
^L\enth    President    of     the 
^  L  Lilted    States,  was  born   in 

'^L^©)^^  \    \\  axhaw  settlement,  N.    C, 
March  15,  1767,  a  few  days 
ifter  his  father's  death.     His 
parents  were  poor  emigrants 
from    Ireland,   and  took  up 
their  abode  in  Waxhaw  set- 
tle iient,  where  they  lived  in 
deepest  poverty. 
Andrew,  or  Aiidy,  as  he  was 
universally  called,  grew  up  a  very 
rough,  rude,  turbulent  boy.      His 
features  were  coarse,  his  form  un- 
gainly;   and  there  was  but  very 
little  in  his  character,    made  visible,  which   was  at- 
tiactive. 

When  only  thirteen  years  old  he  joined  the  volun- 
teers of  Carolina  against  the  British  invasion.  In 
17S1,  he  and  his  brother  Robert  were  captured  and 
imprisoned  for  a  time  at  Camden.  A  British  officer 
ordered  him  to  brush  his  mud-spattered  boots.  "  I  am 
a  [irisoner  of  war,  not  your  servant,"  was  the  reply  of 
the  dauntless  boy. 

The  brute  drew  his  sword,  and  aimed  a  desperate 
Dlow  at  the  head  of  the  helpless  young  prisoner. 
Andrew  raised  his  hand,  and  thus  received  two  fear- 
ful gashes, — one  on  the  hand  and  the  other  upon  the 
head.  The  officer  then  turned  to  his  brother  Robert 
with  the  same  demand.  He  also  refused,  and  re- 
ceived a  blow  from  the  keen-edged  sabre,  which  quite 
disabled  hiai,  and  which  probably  soon  after  caused 
his  death.  They  suffered  much  other  ill-treatment,  and 
were  finally  stricken  with  the  small-pox.  Their 
mother  «'as  successful  u>   Molaining   their  exchange. 


and  took  her  sick  boys  home.  After  a  long  illnjsi 
Andrew  recovered,  and  the  death  of  his  mother  soon 
left  him  entirely  friendless. 

Andrew  supported  himself  in  various  ways,  siihas 
working  at  the  saddler's  trade,  teaching  school  and 
clerking  in  a  general  store,  until  1784,  when  he 
entered  a  law  office  at  Salisbury,  N.  C.  He,  however, 
gave  more  attention  to  the  wild  amusements  of  the 
times  than  to  his  studies.  In  1788,  he  was  appointed 
solicitor  for  the  western  district  of  North  Carolina,  of 
whicli  Tennessee  was  then  a  part.  This  involved 
many  long  and  tedious  jcurneys  amid  dangers  of 
every  kind,  but  Andrew  Jackson  never  knew  fear, 
and  the  Indians  had  no  desire  to  repeat  a  skirmisbl 
witn  tlie  Sharp  Knife. 

In  1791,  Mr.  Jackson  was  married  to  a  woman  who 
supposed  herself  divorced  from  her  former  husband. 
Great  was  the  surprise  of  both  parties,  two  years  later, 
to  find  that  the  conditions  of  the  divorce  had  just  been 
definitely  settled  by  the  first  husband.  The  marriage 
ceremony  was  performed  a  second  time,  but  the  occur- 
rence was  often  used  by  his  enemies  to  bring  Mr. 
Jackson  into  disfavor. 

During  these  years  he  worked  hard  at  his  profes 
sion,  and  frequently  had  one  or  more  duels  on  hand, 
one  of  which,  when  he  killed  Dickenson,  was  espec- 
ially disgraceful. 

In  January,  1796,  the  Territory  of  Tennessee  then 
containing  nearly  eighty  thousand  inhabitants,  the 
people  met  in  convention  at  Knowille  to  frame  a  con- 
stitution. Five  were  sent  from  each  of  the  eleven, 
counties.  Andrew  Jackson  was  one  of  the  deleeafes.' 
The  new  State  was  entitled  to  but  one  member  is 
the  National  House  of  Representatives.  Andrew  Jaclc- 
son  was  chosen  that  member.  Mounting  his  horse  he 
rode  to  Philedelphia,  where  Congress  then    held  its 


ANDREW  JACKS'ON. 


sessions, — ^a  distance  of  about  eight  hundred    miles. 

Jackson  was  an  earnest  advocate  of  the  De.iio- 
cratic  party.  Jefferson  was  his  idol.  He  admired 
Bonaparte,  loved  France  and  hated  England.  As  Mr. 
Jackson  took  his  seat,  Ci/ii.  W  i^hiiij;ton,  whose 
second  term  of  office  was  tlicn  c^pi  ii.:^,  delivered  his 
last  speech  to  Congiess.  A  coniniiuce  drew  up  a 
complimentary  address  in  reply.  Andrew  Jackson 
did  not  approve  of  the  address,  and  was  one  of  the 
twelve  who  voted  against  it.  He  was  not  willing  to 
say  that  Gen.  Washington's  adminstration  had  been 
"  wise,  firm  and  patriotic." 

Mr.  Jackson  was  elected  to  the  United  States 
Senate  in  1797,  but  soon  resigned  and  returned  home. 
Soon  after  he  was  chusen  Judge  ^^\  the  S  ipreuie  Court 
of  his  Slate,  which  position  he  held  f-^r  six  years. 

Wlien  the  war  of  1812  with  tlreat  Britian  com- 
menced, Madison  occupied  the  Presidential  chair. 
Aaron  Bjrr  sent  word  to  the  President  that  there  was 
an  unknown  man  in  the  West,  .\ndrew  Jacksun,  who 
would  do  credit  to  a  commission  if  one  were  con- 
ferred uix)n  him.  Just  at  tliat  time  Clen.  Jackson 
jffeied  his  services  and  those  of  twenty-five  hurdred 
volunteers.  His  offer  was  accepted,  and  the  troops 
were  assembled  at  Nashville. 

As  the  British  were  hourly  e.xperied  to  make  an  at- 
tack upon  New  Orleans,  where  Gen  Wilkinson  was 
in  command,  he  was  ordered  to  descend  the  river 
with  fifteen  hundred  troops  to  aid  Wilkinson.  The 
expedition  reached  Natchez;  and  after  a  delay  of  sev- 
eral weeks  there,  without  accomplishing  anything, 
die  men  were  ordered  hack  to  their  homes.  But  the 
energy  Gen.  Jackson  had  displayed,  and  his  entire 
devotion  to  the  comrfort  of  his  scjldiers,  won  him 
golden  opinions;  and  he  became  the  most  popular 
man  in  the  State.  It  was  in  this  expedition  that  his 
toughness  gave  him  the  nickname  of  "  Old  Hickory." 

Soon  after  this,  while  attempting  to  horsewhip  Col. 
Thomas  H.  Benton,  for  a  remark  that  gentleman 
made  about  his  taking  a  part  as  second  in  a  duel,  in 
which  a  younger  brother  of  Benton's  was  engaged, 
he  received  two  severe  pistol  wounds.  While  he  was 
lingering  upon  a  bed  of  suffering  news  came  that  the 
Indians,  who  had  combined  under  Tecumseh  from 
Florida  to  the  Lakes,  to  exterminate  the  white  set- 
tlers, were  committing  the  most  aufiil  ravages.  De- 
cisive action  became  necessary.  Clen.  Jackson,  with 
his  fractured  bone  just  lieginning  to  heal,  his  arm  in 
;i  sling,  and  unable  to  mount  his  horse  without  assis- 
tance, gave  his  amazing  energies  to  the  raising  of  an 
army  to  rendezvous  at  FayettesviUe,  Alabama. 

The  Creek  Indians  had  established  a  strong  fort  on 
one  of  thebendsof  theTallauoosa  River,  near  the  cen- 
ter of  Alabama,  about  fifty  miles  below  Fort  Slrother. 
With  an  army  of  two  thousand  men.  Gen.  Jackson 
traversed  the  pathless  wilderness  in  a  march  of  eleven 
days.  He  reached  their  fort,  called  Tohopeka  or 
Horse-shoe,  on  the  27th  of  March.  1814.     The  bend 


of  the  river  enclosed  nearly  one  hundred  acres  oi 
tangled  forest  and  wild  ravine.  Across  the  narrow- 
neck  the  Indians  had  constructed  a  formidable  breast- 
work of  logs  and  brush.  Here  nine  hundred  warriors, 
with  an  ample  suplyof  anus  were  assembled. 

The  fort  was  stormed.  The  fight  was  utterly  des- 
perate. Not  an  Indian  would  accept  of  quarter.  When 
bleeding  and  dying,  they  would  fight  tliobc  who  en- 
deavored to  spare  their  lives.  Fioni  ten  in  the  morn- 
ing until  dark,  the  battle  raged.  The  carnage  was 
awful  and  revolting.  Some  threw  themselves  into  the 
river;  but  the  unerring  bullet  >trui  k  their  heads  as 
they  swam.  Nearly  everyone  of  the  nine  lumdred  war- 
rios  were  killed  A  few  probably,  in  the  night,  swam 
the  river  and  escaped.  This  ended  the  war.  The 
power  of  the  Creeks  was  broken  forever.  This  bold 
plunge  into  the  wilderness,  with  its  terriffic  slaughter, 
so  appalled  the  savages,  that  the  haggard  remnants 
of  the  bands  caiue  to  the  camp,  begging  for  peace. 

This  closing  of  the  Creek  war  enabled  us  to  con- 
centrate all  our  militia  upon  the  British,  who  were  the 
allies  of  the  Indians  No  man  of  less  resolute  will 
than  Gen.  Jackson  could  have  conducted  this  Indian 
cain[)aign  to  so  successfid  an  issue  Immediately  he 
was  appointed  major-general. 

Late  in  August,  with  an  army  of  two  thousand 
men,  on  a  rushing  march,  Gen.  Jackson  came  to 
Mobile.  A  British  fleet  came  from  Pensacola, landed 
a  force  upon  tlje  beach,  anchored  near  the  little  fort, 
and  from  both  ship  and  shore  commenced  a  furious 
assault  The  battle  was  long  and  doubtful.  At  length 
one  of  the  shi[)s  was  blown  up    and  the  rest  retired. 

Garrisoning  Mobile,  where  he  had  taken  his  little 
army,  he  moved  his  troops  to  New  Orleans, 
And  the  battle  of  New  Orleans  which  soon  ensued, 
was  in  reality  a  very  arduous  campaign.  This  won 
for  Gen.  Jackson  an  imperishable  name.  Here  his 
troops,  which  numbered  about  four  thousand  men, 
won  a  signal  victory  over  the  British  army  of  about 
nine  thousand.  His  loss  was  but  thirteen,  while  the 
loss  of  the  British  was  two  thousand  six  hundred. 

The  name  of  Gen.  Jackson  soon  began  to  be  men- 
tioned in  connection  with  the  Presidency,  but,  in  T824, 
he  was  defeated  by  Mr.  Adams.  He  was,  however, 
successful  in  the  election  of  1828,  and  was  re-elected 
for  a  second  term  in  1S32.  In  1829,  just  before  he 
assumed  the  reins  of  the  government,  he  met  with 
the  most  terrible  affliction  of  his  life  in  the  death  of 
his  wife,  whom  he  had  loved  with  a  devotion  which  has 
perhaps  never  been  surpassed.  From  the  shock  of 
her  death  he  never  recovered. 

His  administration  was  one  of  the  most  niimorabie 
in  the  annals  of  our  country;  applauded'  oyone  party, 
condemned  by  the  other.  No  man  had  more  bitter 
enemies  or  wanner  friends.  At  the  expiration  of  his 
two  terms  of  office  he  retired  to  the  Hermitage,  where 
he  died  Tune  8,  1845.  The  last  years  of  Mr.  Jack- 
son's  life  were  that   of  a   devoted  Christian    man. 


-w> 


■>  /yU^"^  ^^<^/.J  u<_.^^^ 


EIGHTH  PRESIDENT. 


\RTIN  VAN  BUREN,  the 
eighth      President     of     the 
United  States,  was  born  at 
Kmderhook,  N.  Y.,  Dec.   5, 
1782.     He  died  at  the  same 
ice,  July    24,    1862.      His 
body  rests  in   the  cemetery 
at  Kinderhook.     Aljove  it  is 
a  plam  gianite    shaft  fifteen   feet 
high,  bearing  a  simple  inscription 
about  half  way  up   on   one    face. 
The  lot  is  unfenced,  unbordered 
or  unbounded  by  shrub  or  fluwer. 

There  --  out  little  in  the  life  of  Martin  Van  Bureii 
of  ruman'  1;  interest.  He  fought  no  battles,  engaged 
in  no  wild  adventures.  Though  his  life  was  stormy  in 
political  and  intellectual  conflicts,  and  he  gained  many 
signal  victories,  his  days  passed  uneventful  in  those 
incidents  which  give  zest  to  biography.  His  an- 
cestors, as  his  name  indicates,  were  of  Dutch  origin, 
and  were  among  the  tariiest  emigrants  from  Holland 
to  the  banks  of  the  Hudson.  His  father  was  a  farmer, 
residing  in  tjie  old  town  of  Kinderhook.  His  mother, 
also  of  Dutch  lineage,  was  a  woman  of  superior  intel- 
ligence and  exemplary  piety. 

Ai  was  decidedly  a  precocious  boy,  developing  un- 
usual activity,  vigor  and  strength  of  mind.  At  the 
age  of  fourteen,  he  had  finished  his  academic  studies 
in  his  native  village,  and  commenced  the  study  of 
,aw.  As  he  had  not  a  collegiate  education,  seven 
years  of  study  in  a  law-office  were  required  of  him 
Jjefore  he  could  be  ad  iiitted  to  the  bar.  Inspired  with 
d  lofty  ambition,  and  conscious  of  his  powers,  he  pur- 
sued liis  studies  with  indefatigable  industry.  After 
spending  six  yenrs  in  an  office  in  '-is    native  village. 


he  went  to  the  city  of  New  York,  and  prosecuted  his 
studies  for  the  seventh  year. 

In  1803,  Mr.  VanBuren,  then  twenty-one  yeais  ol 
age,  commenced  the  practice  of  law  in  his  native  vil-  " 
lage.  The  great  conflict  between  the  Federal  and 
Republican  party  was  then  at  its  height.  i\lr.  Van 
Buren  was  from  the  beginning  a  politician.  He  had, 
perhaps,  imbibed  that  spirit  while  listening  to  the 
many  discussions  which  had  been  carried  on  in  his 
father's  hotel.  He  was  in  cordial  sympathy  with 
Jefferson,  and  earnestly  and  eloquently  espoused  the 
cause  of  State  Rights;  though  at  thai  lime  the  Fed- 
eral party  held  the  supremacy  both  in  his  Iowa 
and  State. 

His  success  and  increasing  ruputation  led  liim 
after  six  years  of  practice,  to  remove  to  Hudson,  th.^ 
county  seat  of  his  county.  Here  he  spent  seven  years, 
constantly  gaining  strf.ngtii  by  contending  in  ths 
courts  with  some  of  the  ablest  men  who  have  adorned 
the  bar  of  his  State. 

Just  before  leaving  Kinderhook  for  Hudson,  Mi. 
Van  Buren  married  a  lady  alike  distinguished  for 
beauty  and  accomi)lishments.  After  twelve  short 
years  she  sank  into  the  grave,  the  victim  of  consurop. 
lion,  leaving  her  husband  and  four  sons  to  weep  ovei 
her  loss.  For  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Van  Buren  waa 
an  earnest,  successful,  assiduous  lau'yer.  The  record 
of  those  years  is  barren  in  items  of  public  interest. 
In  181  2,  when  thirty  years  of  age,  he  was  chosen  to 
the  State  Senate,  and  gave  his  strenuous  support  to 
Mr.  Madison's  adminstration.  In  1S15,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Attorney-General,  and  the  next  jear  moyed 
to  Alljany.  the  capital  of  tlie  State. 

While  he  was  ackno^Vbdged  as  one  of  the  most 
p. ominent  leaders  of  the  Democratic   party,   he   had 


48 


MARTIN  VAN  BUREN. 


the  moral  courage  to  avow  that  true  democracy  did 
not  require  th.it  "  universal  suffrage"  which  admits 
the  vile,  the  degraded,  the  ignorant,  to  the  right  of 
governing  the  State.  In  true  consistency  with  his 
democratic  principles,  he  contended  that,  while  the 
path  leading  to  the  privilege  of  voting  should  be  open 
to  every  man  without  distinction,  no  one  should  be 
invested  with  that  sacred  prerogative,  unless  he  were 
in  some  degree  qualified  for  it  by  intelligence,  virtue 
and  some  property  interests  in  the  welfare  of  the 
State.        * 

In  182  I  he  was  elected  :,  member  of  the  United 
States  Senate;  and  in  the  same  year,  he  took  a  seat 
m  the  convention  to  revise  the  constitution  of  his 
native  State.  His  course  in  thii  convention  secured 
the  approval  of  men  of  all  parties.  No  one  could 
doubt  the  singleness  of  his  endeavors  to  promote  the 
interests  of  all  classes  in  the  community.  In  the 
Senate  of  the  United  States,  he  rose  at  once  to  a 
-onspicuous  position  as  an  active  and  useful  legislator. 

In  1827,  John  Quincy  Adams  beirg  then  in  the 
Presidential  chair,  Mr.  Van  Buren  was  re-elected  to 
.he  Senate.  He  had  been  from  the  beginning  a  de- 
ermined  opposer  of  the  Administration,  adopting  the 
'State  Rights"  view  in  opposition  to  what  was 
deemed  the  Federal  proclivities  of  Mr.  Adams. 

Soon  after  this,  in  1828,  he  was  chosen  Governorof 
the  State  of  New  York,  and  accordingly  resigned  his 
^eat  in  the  Senate.  Probably  no  one  in  the  United 
States  contributed  so  much  towards  ejecting  John  Q. 
•\dams  from  the  Presidential  chair,  and  placing  in  it 
.\ndrew  Jackson,  as  did  Martin  Van  Buren.  Whether 
entitled  to  the  reputation  or  not,  he  certainly  was  re- 
garded througiiout  the  United  States  as  one  of  the 
most  skillful,  sagacious  and  cunning  of  politicians. 
It  was  supix)sed  that  no  one  knew  so  well  as  he  how 
!o  touch  the  secret  spiings  of  action;  how  to  pull  all 
;he  wires  to  put  his  machinery  in  motion;  and  how  to 
organize  a  political  army  which  would,  secreily  and 
stealthily  accomplish  the  most  gigantic  results.  By 
these  powers  it  is  said  tliat  he  outv^-itted  Mr.  Adams, 
Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Webster,  and  secured  results  which 
few  thought  then  could  be  accomplished. 

VVhen  Andrew  Jackson  was  elected  President  he 
apix/inted  Mr.  Van  Buren  Secretary  of  State.  This 
position  he  resigned  in  1831,  and  was  immediately 
appointed  Minister  to  England,  where  he  went  the 
same  autumn.  The  Senate,  however,  when  it  met, 
refused   to   ratify  the  nomination,   and  he  returned 


home,  apparently  untroubled;  was  nominated  Vice 
President  in  the  place  of  Calhoun,  at  the  re-election 
of  President  Jackson ;  and  with  smiles  for  all  and 
fiowns  for  none,  he  took  his  place  at  the  head  of  that 
Senate  which  had  refused  to  confirm  his  nomination 
as  ambassador. 

His  rejection  by  the  Senate  roused  all  the  zeal  of 
President  Jackson  in  behalf  of  his  repudiated  favor- 
ite ;  and  this,  probably  mure  than  any  other  cause, 
secured  his  elevation  to  the  chair  of  the  Chief  E.'iecu 
tive.  On  the  20th  of  May,  1836,  Mr.  Van  Buren  re- 
ceived the  Democratic  nomination  to  succeed  Gen. 
Jackson  as  President  of  the  United  States.  He  was 
elected  by  a  handsome  majority,  to  the  delight  of  the 
retiring  President.  "  Leaving  New  York  out  of  the 
canvass,"  says  Mr.  Parton,  "the  election  of  Mr.  Van 
Buren  to  the  Presidency  was  as  much  the  act  of  Gen. 
Jackson  as  though  the  Constitution  had  conferred 
upon  him  the  power  to  appoint  a  successor. ' 

His  administration  was  filled  with  exciting  events- 
'Ihe  insurrection  in  Canada,  which  threatened  to  in- 
volve this  country  in  war  with  England,  the  agitation 
of  the  slavery  question,  and  finally  the  great  commer- 
cial panic  which  spread  over  the  country,  all  were 
trials  to  his  wisdom.  The  financial  distress  was  at- 
tributed to  the  management  of  the  Democratic  party, 
and  brought  the  President  into  such  disfavor  that  he 
failed  of  re  election. 

With  the  exception  of  being  nominated  for  the 
Presidency  by  the  "Free  Soil"  Democrats,  in  1848, 
Mr.  Van  Buren  lived  quietly  ufxin  his  estate  until 
his  death. 

He  had  ever  been  a  prudent  man,  of  frugal  liabits. 
and  living  within  his  income,  had  now  fortunately  a 
competence  for  his  declining  years.  His  unblemished 
character,  his  commanding  abilities,  his  unquestioned 
patriotism,  ard  the  distinguished  positions  which  he 
had  occupied  in  the  government  of  our  country,  se- 
cured to  him  not  only  the  hamage  of  his  party,  but 
the  respect  ot  the  whole  community.  It  was  on  the 
4th  of  March,  1841,  that  Mr.  Van  Buren  retired  from 
the  presidency.  From  his  fine  estate  at  LindenwaM, 
he  still  exerted  a  powerful  influence  uixm  the  politics 
of  the  country.  From  this  time  until  his  death,  on 
the  24th  of  July,  1862,  at  the  age  of  eighty  years,  he 
resided  at  Lindenwald,  a  gentleman  of  leisure,  of 
culture  and  of  wealth;  enjoyirg  in  a  healthy  old 
age,  probably  far  more  happiness  than  he  had  before 
experienced  amid  the  stormy  scenes  of  his  active  life- 


^  /^^G^lA^n 


NINTH  PRESIDENT. 


ILLIAM  HENRY  HARRI- 
SON, the  ninth   President  of 
tlie   United  States,  was  born 
at  Berkeley,  Va.,  Feb.  9,  1773. 
His  father,    Benjamin    Harri- 
son, was  in  comparatively  op- 
ulent circumstances,  and  was 
one  of  the  most  distinguished 
men  of  his  day.      He  was  an 
intimate    friend    of     George 
Washington,  \\  as  early  elected 
a  member  of  the  Continental 
Congress,    and  was    conspicuous 
among  the  patriots  of  Virginia  in 
resisting  the  encroachments  of  the 
British  crown.     In  the  celebrated. 
Congress  of  1775,  Benjamin  Har- 
rison   and    John    Hancock   were 
both  candidates  for  the  office  of 
speaker. 

fMr  Harrison  was  subsequently 
chosen  Governor  of  Virginia,  and 
was  twice    re-elected.       His   son, 
i  William  Henry,  of  course  enjoyed 

in  childhood  all  the  advantages  which  wealth  and 
intellectual  and  cultivated  society  could  give.  Hav- 
ing received  a  thorough  conin.on-school  education,  he 
entered  Hampden  Sidney  College,  where  he  graduated 
with  honor  soon  after  the  death  of  his  father.  He 
chen  repaired  to  Philadelphia  to  study  medicine  under 
the  instructions  of  Dr.  Rush  and  the  guardianship  of 
Jobert  Morri^,  both  of  whom  were,  with  his  father, 
signers  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

Jpon  the  outbreak  of  the  Indian  troubles,  and  not- 
withstanding the  -emonsttances  of  his  friends,  he 
abandoned  his  medical  studies  and  entered  the  army, 
.laying flbtj^ined  n  ronimission  of  Ensign  from  Presi^ 


dent  Wabhington.  He  was  then  but  19  years  old. 
From  that  time  he  passed  gradually  upward  in  rank 
until  he  became  aid  to  General  Wayne,  after  whose 
death  he  resigned  his  commission.  He  was  then  ap- 
pointed Secretary  of  the  North-western  Territory.  This 
Territory  was  then  entitled  to  but  one  member  in 
Congress  and  Capt.  Harrison  was  chosen  to  fill  that 
position. 

In  the  spring  of  1800  the  North-western  Territory 
was  divided  by  Congress  into  two  portions.  The 
eastern  portion,  comprising  the  region  now  embraced 
in  the  State  of  Ohio,  was  called  '"  The  Territory 
north-west  of  the  Ohio."  The  western  portion,  which 
included  what  is  now  called  Indiana,  Illinois  and 
Wisconsin,  was  called  the  "Indiana  Territory."  Wil. 
liam  Henry  Harrison,  then  27  years  of  age,  was  ap 
pointed  by  John  Adams,  Governor  of  the  Indiana 
Territory,  and  immediately  after,  also  Governor  of 
Upper  Louisiana.  He  was  thus  ruler  over  almost  as 
extensive  a  realm  as  any  sovereign  upon  the  globe.  He 
was  Superintendent  of  Indian  Affairs,  and  was  in- 
vested with  powers  nearly  dictatorial  over  the  now 
rapidly  increasing  white  population.  The  ability  and 
fidelity  with  which  he  discharged  these  responsible 
duties  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact  that  he  was  four 
times  appointed  to  this  office — first  by  John  Adams, 
twice  by  Thomas  Jefferson  and  afterwards  by  Presi- 
dent Madison. 

When  he  "began  his  adminstration  there  were  but 
three  white  settlements  in  that  almost  boundless  region, 
now  crowded  with  cities  and  resounding  with  all  the 
tumult  of  wealth  and  traffic.  One  of  these  settlements 
was  on  the  Ohio,  nearly  opposite  Louisville;  one  at 
Vincennes,  on  the  Wabash,  and  the  third  a  French 
settlement. 

The  vast  wilderness  over  which  Gov.  Harrisoi. 
reigned  was  filled  with  many  tribes  of  Indians.  Ah  .!• 


WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 


the  year  1806,  two  extraordinary  men,  twin  brothers, 
of  the  Shawiiese  tribe,  rose  among  them.  Or.e  of 
these  was  called  Tecumseh,  or  "  The  Crouching 
Panther;"  the  other,  OUiwacheca,  or  "The  Prophet." 
Tecumseh  was  not  only  an  Indian  warrior,  but  a  man 
of  great  sagacity,  far-reaching  foresight  and  indomit- 
able perseverance  in  any  enterprise  m  which  he  might 
engage.  He  was  inspired  with  the  highest  enthusiasm, 
and  had  long  regarded  with  dread  and  with  hatred 
the  encroachment  of  the  whites  upon  the  hunting- 
grounds  of  his  fathers.  His  brother,  the  Prophet,  was 
anorator,  who  could  sway  the  feelings  of  the  untutored 
Indian  as  the  gale  tossed  the  tree  tops  beneath  which 
they  dwelt. 

But  the  Prophet  was  not  merely  anorator:  he  was, 
ill  the  superstitious  minds  of  the  Indians,  invested 
with  the  superhuman  dignity  of  a  medicine-man  or  a 
magician.  With  an  enthusiasm  unsurpassed  by  Peter 
the  Hermit  rousing  Europe  to  the  crusades,  he  went 
from  tribe  to  tribe,  assuming  that  he  was  specially  sent 
by  the  Great  Spirit. 

Gov.  Harrison  made  many  attempts  to  conciliate 
the  Indians,  but  at  last  the  war  came,  and  at  Tippe- 
canoe the  Indians  were  routed  with  great  slaughter. 
October  28,  18 12,  his  army  began  its  march.  When 
near  the  Prophet's  town  three  Indians  of  rank  made 
their  appearance  and  in(]uired  why  Gov.  Harri.on  was 
approaching  them  in  so  hostile  an  attitude.  After  a 
short  conference,  arrangements  were  made  for  a  meet- 
ing the  next  day,  to  agree  upon  terms  of  peace. 

But  Gov.  Harrison  was  too  well  acquainted  with 
the  Indian  character  to  be  deceived  by  such  protes- 
tations Selecting  a  favorable  sjMt  for  his  night's  en- 
campment, he  took  every  precaution  against  surprise 
His  troops  were  jxjsted  in  a  liollow  square,  and  slept 
upon  their  arms. 

The  troops  threw  themselves  upon  the  ground  for 
rest;  but  every  man  had  his  accourtrements  on,  his 
loaded  musket  by  his  side,and  his  bayonet  fixed.  The 
wakeful  Governor,  between  three  and  four  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  had  risen,  and  was  sitting  in  conversa- 
tion with  his  aids  by  the  embers  of  a  waning  fire.  It 
was  a  chill,  cloudy  morning  with  a  drizzling  rain.  In 
the  darkness,  the  Indians  had  crept  as  near  as  possi- 
ble, and  i'lst  then,  with  a  savage  yell,  rushed,  with  all 
the  desperation  which  superstition  and  passion  most 
highly  inflamed  could  give,  upon  the  left  flank  of  the 
little  army.  The  savages  had  been  amply  provided 
with  guns  and  ammunition  by  the  English.  Their 
war-whoop  was  accompained  by  a  shower  of  bullets. 

The  camp-fires  were  instantly  extinguished,  as  the 
light  aided  the  Indians  in  their  aim.  With  hide- 
(lus  yells,  the  Indian  bands  rushed  on,  not  doubting  a 
speedy  and  an  entire  victory.  But  Gen.  Harrison's 
troops  stood  as  immovable  as  the  rocks  around  them 
until  day  dawned  :  they  then  made  a  simultaneous 
charge  with  the  bayonet,  and  swept  every  thing  be- 
fore   them,    and    completely    routing    th^    foe. 


Gov.  Harrison  now  had  all  his  energies  tasked 
to  the  utmost.  The  British  descending  Ironi  the  Can  - 
adas,  were  of  themselves  a  very  Ibrmidable  force  ;  but 
with  their  savage  allies,  rushing  like  wolves  from  the 
forest,  sear.hing  out  every  remote  farm-house,  burn- 
ing, [)luadering,  scalping,  torturing,  the  wide  frontier 
was  plunged  into  a  state  of  consternation  which  even 
the  most  vivid  imagination  can  but  faintly  conceive. 
The  war-whoop  was  resounding  everywhere  in  the 
forest.  The  horizon  was  illuminated  with  the  conflagra- 
tion of  the  cabins  of  the  settlers.  Gen  Hull  had  made 
the  ignominious  surrender  of  his  forces  at  Detroit. 
Under  these  despairing  circumstances,  Gov.  Harrison 
was  appointed  by  President  Madison  commander-in- 
chief  of  the  North-western  army,  with  orders  to  retake 
Detroit,  and  to  protect  the  frontiers. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  place  a  man  in  a  situation 
demanding  more  energy,  sagacity  and  courage;  but 
General  Harrison  was  found  equal  to  the  position, 
and  nobly  and  triumphantly  did  he  meet  all  the  re 
sponsibilities. 

He  won  the  love  of  his  soldiers  by  always  sharing 
with  them  tlieir  fatigue.  His  whole  baggage,  while 
pursuing  the  foe  up  the  Thames,  was  carried  in  a 
valise;  and  his  bedding  consisted  of  a  single  blanket 
lashed  over  his  saddle  Thirty-five  British  officers, 
his  prisoners  of  war,  supped  with  him  after  the  battle. 
The  only  fare  he  could  give  them  was  beef  roasted 
before  the  fire,  without  bread  or  salt. 

In  1816,  Gen.  Harrison  was  chosen  a  member  of 
the  National  House  of  Representatives,  to  represent 
the  District  of  Ohio.  In  Congress  he  proved  an 
active  member;  and  whenever  he  spoke,  it  was  with 
force  of  reason  and  power  of  eloquence,  which  arrested 
the  attention  of  all  the  members. 

In  1819,  Harrison  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of 
Ohio;  and  in  1824,  as  one  of  the  presidential  electors 
of  that  State,  he  gave  his  vote  for  Henry  Clay.  The 
same  year  he  was  chosen  to  the  United  States  Senate. 

In  1836,  the  friends  of  Gen.  Harrison  brought  him 
forward  as  a  candidate  for  the  Presidency  against 
Van  Buren,  but  he  was  defeated.  At  the  close  of 
Mr.  Van  Buren's  term,  he  was  re-nominated  by  his 
party,  and  Mr.  Harrison  was  unanimously  nominated 
by  the  Whigs,  with  John  Tyler  for  the  Vice  Presidency. 
The  contest  was  very  animated.  Gen  Jackson  gave 
all  his  influence  to  prevent  Harrison's  election  ;  but 
his  triumph  was  signal. 

The  cabinet  which  he  formed,  with  Daniel  Webster 
at  its  head  as  Secretary  of  State,  was  one  of  the  most 
brilliant  with  which  any  President  had  ever  been 
surrounded.  Never  were  the  prospects  of  an  admin- 
istration more  flattering,  or  the  hopes  of  the  country 
more  sanguine.  In  the  midst  of  these  bright  and 
joyous  prospects,  Gen.  Harrison  was  seized  by  a 
pleurisv-fever  and  after  a  few  days  of  violent  sick- 
ness, died  on  tlie  4th  of  April ;  just  one  month  after 
his  inauguration  as  President  of  the  United  States. 


J^rhyyz    It/^y 


TENTH  PRESIDENT. 


IM^  JOHN  TYIEH.^F-:^ 


OHN    TYLER,     the    tenth 
,  Presidentof  the  United  States. 
He  was  born  in  Charles-city 
Co.,  Va.,  March  29, 1790.  He 
WHS  the  favored  child   of  af- 
fluence and  high    social    po- 
sition.    At  the   early  age   of 
twelve,  John  entered  William 
and    Mary  Col'ege  and  grad- 
uated with  much  honor  when 
but  seventeen  years  old.  After 
"^        graduating,  he  devoted   him- 
self with    great   assiduity  to    the 
study    of    law,    partly   with    his 
father   and   partly  with   Edmund 
Randolph,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished lawyers  of  Virginia. 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  ne 
commenced  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  was  rapid  and  aston- 
ishing. It  is  said  that  three 
months  had  not  elapsed  ere  there 
was  scarcely  a  case  on  the  dock- 
i  et  of  the  court  in  which   he  was 

1.  jt  retained.  When  but  twenty-one  years  of  age,  he 
was  almost  unanimously  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  State 
Legislature.  He  connected  himself  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  warmly  advocated  the  measures  of 
Jefferson  and  Madison.  For  five  successive  years  he 
was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  receiving  nearly  the 
unanimous  vote  or  his  county. 

When  but  twenty-six  years  of  age,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Here  he  acted  earnestly  and 
ably  wi;h  the  Dcn-.ocratic  party,  opposing  a  national 
bank,  interr'-'i  improvements  by  the  General  <^overn- 


ment,  a  protective  tariff,  and  advocatmg  a  strict  con- 
struction of  the  Constitution,  and  the  most  careful 
vigilance  over  State  rights.  His  labors  in  Congress 
were  so  arduous  that  before  the  close  of  his  second 
term  he  found  it  necessary  to  resign  and  retire  to  his 
estate  in  Charles-city  Co.,  to  recruit  his  health.  He, 
however,  soon  after  consented  to  take  his  seat  in  the 
State  Legislature,  where  his  influence  was  powerful 
in  promoting  public  works  of  great  utility.  With  a 
reputation  thus  canstantly  increasing,  he  was  chosen 
by  a  very  large  majority  of  votes.  Governor  of  his 
native  State.  His  administration  was  signally  a  suc- 
,cessful  one.     His  popularity  secured  his  re-election. 

John  Randolph,  a  brilliant,  erratic,  half-crazed 
man,  then  represented  Virginia  in  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.  A  portion  of  the  Democratic  party 
was  displeased  with  Mr.  Randolph's  wayward  course, 
and  brought  forward  John  Tyler  as  his  op|X)nent, 
considering  him  the  only  man  in  Virginia  of  sufficient 
popularity  to  succeed  against  the  renowned  orator  of 
Roanoke.     Mr.  T\ler  was  the  victor. 

In  accordance  with  his  professions,  upon  taking  his 
seat  in  the  Senate,  he  joined  the  ranks  of  the  opposi- 
tion. He  opposed  the  tariff;  he  spoke  against  and 
voted  against  the  bank  as  unconstitutional ;  he  stren- 
uously opposed  all  restrictions  upon  slavery,  resist- 
ing all  projects  of  internal  improvements  by  the  Gen- 
eral Government,  and  avowed  his  sympathy  with  Mr. 
Calhoun's  view  of  nullification  ;  he  declared  that  Gen. 
Jackson,  by  his  opposition  to  the  nullifiers,  had 
abandoned  the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party. 
Such  was  Mr.  Tyler's  record  in  Congress, — a  record 
in  perfect  accordance  with  the  principles  which  be 
had  always  avowed. 

Returning  to  Virginia,  he  resumed  the  practice  of 
his  profession.     Ther?  was  a  :plit  in  the  Deniocr^tic 


56 


JOHN  TYLER. 


>x\Vj.  His  friends  still  regarded  him  as  a  true  Jef- 
fersonian,  gave  him  a  dinner,  and  sliowered  compli- 
ments upon  him.  He  had  now  attained  the  age  of 
forty-six.  His  career  had  been  very  brilliant.  In  con- 
sequence of  his  devotion  to  public  business,  his  pri- 
vate affairs  had  fallen  into  some  disorder;  and  it  was 
not  without  satisfaction  that  he  resumed  the  practice 
of  law,  and  devoted  himself  to  the  cuhuie  of  his  plan- 
tation. Soon  after  this  ho  remo\  ed  to  Williamsburg, 
for  the  better  education  of  his  children  ;  and  he  again 
look  his  seat  in  the  Legislature  ot  Viiginia. 

By  the  Southern  Whigs,  he  was  sent  to  the  national 
convention  at  Hanisburg  to  nominate  a  President  in 
T839.  The  maioiity  of  votes  were  given  to  Gen.  Har- 
rison, a  genuine  Whig,  much  to  the  disappointment  of 
the  South,  who  wished  for  Henry  Clay.  To  concili- 
ate the  Southern  Whigs  and  to  secure  their  vote,  the 
convention  then  nominated  John  Tyler  for  Vice  Pres- 
ident. It  was  well  known  that  he  was  not  in  sympa- 
thy with  the  Whig  party  in  the  Noith  :  but  the  Vice 
President  has  but  very  little  power  in  the  Govern- 
ment, his  main  and  almost  only  duty  being  to  pre- 
side over  the  meetings  of  the  Senate.  Thus  it  hap- 
pened that  a  Whig  President,  and,  in  reality,  a 
Democratic  Vice  President  were  chosen. 

In  1841,  Mr.  Tyler  was  inaugurated  Vice  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  In  one  short  month  from 
that  time,  President  Harrison  died,  and  Mr.  Tyler 
thus -;und  himself,  to  his  own  surprise  and  that  of 
the  whole  Nation,  an  occuiiant  of  the  Presidential 
chair.  This  was  a  new  test  of  the  stability  of  our 
institutions,  as  it  was  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  our 
country  that  such  an  event  had  occured.  Mr.  Tyler 
was  at  home  in  Williamsburg  when  he  received  the 
une.\pected  tidings  of  the  death  of  President  Harri- 
son. He  hastened  to  Washington,  and  on  the  6th  of 
/^"ril  v.-as  inaugurated  to  the  high  and  responsible 
ortice.  He  was  placed  in  a  position  of  e.^ceeding 
delicacy  and  difficulty.  All  his  longlife  he  had  been 
opposed  tc  the  main  principles  of  the  party  which  had 
brought  him  into  power.  He  had  ever  been  a  con- 
sistent, hone:t  man,  with  an  unblemished  record. 
Gen.  Harrison  had  selected  a  Whig  cabinet.  Should 
he  retain  them,  and  thus  suiround  himself  with  coun- 
sellors whose  views  were  antagonistic  to  his  own?  or, 
on  the  other  hand,  should  he  turn  against  the  party 
which  had  elected  him  and  select  a  cabinet  in  har- 
n-.ony  with  himself,  and  which  would  oppose  all  those 
views  which  the  Whigs  deemed  essential  to  the  pub- 
lic welfare?  This  was  his  fearful  dilemma.  He  in- 
vited the  cabinet  which  President  Harjison  had 
selected  to  retain  their  seats.  He  reccomm  .'nded  a 
day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  that  God  would  guide  and 
bless  us. 

The  Whigs  carried  through  Congress  a  bill  for  the 
incorporation  of  a  fiscal  bank  of  the  United  States. 
The  P'-esident,  after  ten  days'  delay,  returned  it  with 
r.:s  v-'ij.      H^  suggested,  however.  th»t  he  >vould 


approve  of  a  bill  drawn  up  upon  such  a  plan  as  he 
proposed.  Such  a  bill  was  accordingly  prepared,  and 
privately  submitted  to  him.  He  gave  it  his  approval. 
It  was  passed  without  alteration,  and  he  sent  it  back 
with  his  veto.  Here  commenced  the  open  rupture. 
It  is  said  that  Mr.  Tyler  was  provoked  to  this  meas- 
ure by  a  published  letter  from  the  Hon.  John  M. 
Botts,  a  distinguished  Virginia  Whig,  who  severely 
touched  the  pride  of  the  President. 

The  opposition  now  exultingly  received  the  Presi- 
dent into  their  arms.  The  party  which  elected  him 
denounced  him  bitterly.  All  the  members  of  his 
cabinet,  excepting  Mr.  Webster,  resigned.  The  Whigs 
of  Congress,  both  the  Senate  and  the  House,  held  a 
meeting  and  issued  an  address  to  the  people  of  the 
United  States,  proclaiming  that  all  political  alliance 
between  the  Whigs  and  President  Tyler  were  at 
an  end. 

Still  the  President  attempted  to  conciliate.  He 
appointed  a  new  cabinet  of  distinguished  Whigs  and 
Conservatives,  carefully  leaving  out  all  strong  party 
men.  Mr.  Webster  soon  found  it  necessary  to  resign, 
forced  out  by  the  pressure  of  his  Whig  friends.  Thus 
the  four  years  of  Mr.  Tyler's  unfortunate  administra- 
tion passed  sadly  away.  No  one  was  satisfied.  The 
land  was  filled  with  murmurs  and  vituperation.  Whigs 
and  Democrats  alike  assailed  him.  More  and  more, 
however,  he  brought  himself  into  sympathy  with  his 
old  friends,  the  Democrats,  until  atthe  close  of  his  term, 
he  gave  his  whole  influence  to  the  support  of  Mr. 
Polk,  the  Democratic  candidate  for  his  successor. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  he  retired  from  the 
harassments  of  office,  tothe  regret  of  neitherparty,  and 
probably  to  his  own  unspeakable  lelief  His  first  wife, 
Miss  Letitia  Christian,  died  in  Washington,  in  1842; 
j  and  in  June,  1844,  President  Tyler  was  again  married, 
at  New  York,  to  Miss  Julia  Gardiner,  a  young  lady  of 
many  personal  and  intellectual  accomplishments. 

The  remainder  of  his  days  Mr.  Tyler  passed  mainly 
in  retirement  at  his  beautiful  home, — Sherwood  For- 
est, Charies  city  Co.,  Va.  A  polished  gentleman  in 
his  manners,  richly  furnished  with  information  from 
books  and  experience  in  the  world,  and  possessing 
brilliant  powers  of  conversation,  his  family  circle  was 
the  scene  of  unusual  attractions.  With  sufficient 
means  for  the  exercise  of  a  generous  hospitality,  he 
might  have  enjoyed  a  serene  old  age  with  the  few 
friends  who  gathered  around  him,  were  it  not  for  the 
storms  of  civil  war  which  his  own  principles  and 
policy  had  helped  to  introduce. 
_  When  the  great  Rebellion  rose,  which  the  State, 
rights  and  nullifying  doctrines  of  Mr.  John  C.  Ca\- 
houn  had  inaugurated.  President  Tyler  renounced  his 
allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and  joined  the  Confed- 
erates. He  was  chosen  a  member  of  their  Congress- 
and  while  engaged  in  active  measures  to  destroy,  b" 
force  of  arms,  the  Government  over  which  he  had 
once  presided,  he   was  taksn  sick  ^nd  si>oii  di^d. 


ELE  VENfff-pRES'l'^E^-Tr' 


JAMES  Ko  PDI/3^, 


Wex^\ 


m 


AMES  K.  POLK,  the  eleventh 

President  of  the  United  States, 
WIS  born  in  Mecklenburg  Co., 
N  C.,Nov.  2,  1795.     His  par- 
ents were   Samuel   and    Jane 
(Knox)  Polk,  the  former  a  son 
of  Col  Thomas  Polk,  who  located 
at  the  above  place,  as  one  of  the 
irst  pioneers,  in  1735. 

In  the  year  1006,  with  his  wife 
and  children,  and  soon  after  fol- 
lowed by  most  of  the  members  of 
the  Polk  famly,  Samuel  Polk  emi- 
grated some  two  or  three  hundred 
miles  farther  west,  to  the  rich  valley 
of  the  Duck  River.  Here  in  the 
midst  of  the  wilderness,  in  a  region 
which  was  subsequently  called  Mau- 
ry Co.,  they  reared  their  log  huls, 
and  established  their  homes.  In  the 
hard  toil  of  a  new  farm  in  the  wil- 
derness, James  K.  Polk  spent  the 
early  years  of  his  childhood  and 
youth.  His  father,  adding  the  pur- 
suit of  a  surveyor  to  that  of  a  farmer, 
gradually  increased  in  wealth  until 
he  became  one  of  the  leading  men  of  the  region.  His 
mother  was  a  superior  woman,  of  strong  common 
sense  and  earnest  piety. 

Very  early  in  life,  James  developed  a  taste  for 
reading  and  expressed  the  strongest  desire  to  obtain 
a  liberal  education.  His  mother's  training  had  made 
him  methodical  in  his  habits,  had  taught  him  punct- 
uality and  industry,  and  had  inspired  him  with  lofty 
principles  of  morality.  His  health  was  frail ;  and  his 
father,  fearing  that  he  might  not  bf?  able  to  endure  a 


sedentary  life,  got  a  situation  for  him  behind  the 
counter,  hoping  to  fit  him  for  commercial  pursuits. 

This  was  to  James  a  bitter  disappointment.  He 
had  no  taste  for  these  duties,  and  his  daily  tasks 
were  irksome  in  the  extreme.  He  remained  in  this 
uncongenial  occupation  but  a  few  weeks,  when  at  his 
earnest  solicitation  his  father  removed  him,  and  made 
arrangements  for  him  to  prosecute  his  studies.  Soon 
after  he  sent  him  to  Murfreesboro  Academy.  With 
ardor  which  could  scarcely  be  surpassed,  he  pressed 
forward  in  his  studies,  and  in  less  than  two  and  a  half 
years,  in  the  autumn  of  1S15,  entered  the  sophomore 
class  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina,  at  Chapel 
Hill.  Here  he  was  one  of  the  most  exemplary  of 
scholars,  punctual  in  every  exercise,  never  allowing 
himself  to  be  absent  from  a  recitation  or  a  religious 
service. 

He  graduated  in  1818,  with  the  highest  honors, be- 
ing deemed  the  best  scholar  of  his  class,  both  in 
mathematics  and  the  classics.  He  was  then  twenty- 
three  years  of  age.'  Mr.  Polk's  health  was  at  this 
time  much  impaired  by  the  assiduity  with  which  he 
had  prosecuted  his  studies.  After  a  short  season  of 
relaxation  he  went  to  Nashville,  and  entered  the 
office  of  Felix  Grundy,  to  study  law.  Here  Mr.  Polk 
renewed  his  acquaintance  with  Andrew  Jackson,  who 
resided  on  his  plantation,  the  Hermitage,  but  a  few 
miles  from  Nashville.  They  had  probably  been 
slightly  acquainted  before. 

Mr.  Polk's  father  was  a  JefTersonian  Republican, 
and  James  K.  Polk  ever  adhered  to  the  same  politi- 
cal faith.  He  was  a  popular  public  speaker,  and  was 
constantly  called  upon  to  address  the  meetings  of  his 
party  friends.  His  skill  as  a  speaker  was  such  that 
he  was  popularly  called  the  Napoleon  of  the  stump. 
He  was  a  man  of  unblemished    morals,   genial   and 


/AMES  K.  POLK. 


courterus  in  his  bearing,  and  with  that  sympathetic 
nature  in  the  jo}  s  and  griefs  of  others  which  ever  gave 
him  troops  of  friends.  In  1823,  Mr.  Polk  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  of  Tennessee.  Here  he  gave  his 
strong  influence  towards  the  election  of  his  friend, 
Mr.  Jackso;i,  to  the  Presidency  of  the  United  States. 

In  January,  1824,  Mr.  Polk  married  Miss  Sarah 
Childress,  of  Rutherford  Co.,  Tenn.  His  bride  was 
altogether  worthy  of  him, — a  lady  of  beauty  and  cul- 
ture. In  the  fall  of  1825,  Mr.  Polk  was  chosen  a 
member  of  Congress.  The  satisfaction  which  he  gave 
to  his  constituents  may  be  inferred  from  the  fact,  that 
for  fourteen  successive  years,  undl  1839,  he  was  con- 
tinuec  in  that  office.  He  then  voluntarily  withdrew, 
only  that  he  might  accept  the  Gubernatorial  chair 
of  T'^nnessee.  In  Congress  he  was  a  laborious 
mero'ier,  a  frequent  and  a  popular  speaker.  He  was 
always  in  his  seat,  always  courteous  ;  and  whenever 
he  spoke  it  was  always  to  the  point,  and  without  any 
ambitious  rhetorical  display. 

During  five  sessions  of  Congress,  Mr.  Polk  was 
Speaker  of  the  House  Strong  passions  were  roused, 
and  stormy  scenes  were  witnessed  ;  but  Mr.  Polk  per- 
formed his  arduous  duties  to  a  very  general  satisfac- 
tion, and  a  unanimous  vote  of  thanks  to  him  was 
passed  by  the  House  as  he  withdrew  on  the  4th  of 
March,  1839. 

In  accordance  with  Southern  usage,  Mr.  Polk,  as  a 
candidate  for  Governor,  canvassed  the  State.  He  was 
elected  by  a  large  majority,  and  on  the  14th  of  Octo- 
ber, 1839,  took  the  oath  of  office  at  Nashville.  In  184 1, 
his  term  of  office  expired,  and  he  was  again  the  can- 
didate of  the  Democratic  party,  but  was  defeated. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1845,  Mr.  Polk  was  inaugur- 
ated President  of  the  United  States.  The  verdict  of 
the  country  in  favor  of  the  annexation  of  Texas,  exerted 
its  influence  upon  Congress  ;  and  the  last  act  of  the 
administration  of  President  Tyler  was  to  affix  his  sig- 
nature to  a  joint  resolution  of  Congress,  passed  on  the 
3d  of  March,  approving  of  the  annexation  of  Texas  to 
the  American  Union.  As  Mexico  still  claimed  Texas 
as  one  of  her  provinces,  the  Mexican  minister, 
Almonte,  immediately  demanded  his  passports  and 
left  the  country,  declaring  the  act  of  the  annexation 
to  be  an  act  hostile  to  Mexico. 

In  his  first  message.  President  Polk  urged  that 
Texas  should  immediately,  by  act  of  Congress,  be  re- 
ceived into  tlie  Union  on  the  same  footing  with  the 
Other  States.  In  the  meantime,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent 


with  an  army  into  Texas  to  hold  the  country.  He  was 
sent  first  to  Nueces,  which  the  Mexicans  said  was  the 
western  boundary  of  Texas.  Then  he  was  sent  :iearly 
two  hundred  miles  further  west,  to  the  Rio  Grande, 
where  he  erected  batteries  whicli  commanded  the 
Mexican  city  of  Matamoras,  which  was  situated  on 
the  western  banks. 

The  anticipated  collision  soon  took  place,  and  wai 
was  declared  against  Mexico  by  President  Polk.  The 
war  was  pushed  forward  by  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
with  great  vigor.  Gen.  Taylor,  whose  army  was  first 
called  one  of  "observation,"  then  of  "occupation," 
then  of  "  invasion,  "was  sent  forward  to  Monterey.  The 
feeble  Mexicans,  in  every  encounter,  were  hopelessly 
and  awfully  slaughtered.  The  day  of  judgement 
alone  can  reveal  the  misery  which  this  war  caused. 
It  v/as  by  the  ingenuity  of  Mr.  Polk's  administration 
that  the  war  was  brought  on. 

'To  the  victors  belong  the  sppils."  Mexico  was 
prostrate  before  us.  Her  capital  was  in  our  liands. 
We  now  consented  to  peace  upon  the  condition  that 
Mexico  should  surrender  to  us,  in  addition  to  Texas, 
all  of  New  Mexico,  and  all  of  Upper  and  Lower  Cal- 
ifornia. This  new  demand  embraced,  exclusive  of 
Texas,  eight  hundred  thousand  square  miles.  This 
was  an  extent  of  territory  equal  to  nine  States  of  the 
size  of  New  York.  Thus  slavery  was  securing  eighteen 
majestic  States  to  be  added  to  the  Union.  There  were 
some  Americans  who  thought  it  all  right :  there  were 
others  who  thought  it  all  wrong.  In  the  prosecution 
of  this  war,  we  expended  twenty  thousand  lives  and 
more  than  a  hundred  million  of  dollars.  Of  this 
money  fifteen  millions  were  paid  to  Mexico. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1849,  Mr.  Polk  retired  from 
office,  having  served  one  term.  The  next  day  was 
Sunday.  On  the  5th,  Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated 
as  his  successor.  Mr  Polk  rode  to  the  Capitol  in  the 
same  carriage  with  Gen.  Taylor;  and  the  same  even- 
ing, with  Mrs.  Polk,  he  commenced  his  return  to 
Tennessee.  He  was  then  but  fifty-four  years  of  age. 
He  had  ever  been  strictly  temperate  in  all  his  habits, 
and  his  health  was  good  With  an  ample  fortune, 
a  choice  library,  a  cultivated  mind,  and  domestic  ties 
of  the  dearest  nature,  it  seemed  as  though  long  years 
of  tranquility  and  happiness  were  before  him.  But  the 
cholera — that  fearful  scourge — was  then  sweeping  up 
the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi.  This  he  contracted, 
and  died  on  the  15th  of  June,  1849,  in  the  fifty-fourth 
year  of  his  age,  greatly  mourned  by  his  countrymen. 


/ 


Ci^<::>/z.4::::c.^^,  __y^ 


TWELFTH  PRESIDENT. 


'■^i®y  1i  WIS  born  on  the  24th  of  Nov., 
®J^\_    \    1784,  in  Orange  Co.,  V;i.     His 


i  uhcr.  Colonel  Taylor,  was 
a  Virginian  of  note,  and  a  dis- 
:^  tinguished  patriot  and  soldier  of 
the  Revolution.  When  Zachary 
wa',  an  infant,  his  father  with  his 
wife  and  two  children,  emigrated 
to  Kentucky,  where  he  settled  in 
the  pathless  wilderness,  a  few 
from  Louisville.  In  this  front- 
home,  away  from  civilization  and 
all  its  refinements,  young  Zachary 
could  enjoy  but  few  social  and  educational  advan- 
tages. When  six  years  of  age  he  attended  a  common 
school,  and  was  then  regarded  as  a  bright,  active  boy, 
rather  remarkable  for  bluntness  and  decision  of  char- 
acter He  was  strong,  feailess  and  self-reliant,  and 
manifested  a  strong  desire  to  enter  the  army  to  fight 
the  Indians  who  were  ravaging  the  frontiers.  There 
is  little  to  be  recorded  of  the  uneventful  years  of  his 
childhood  on  his  father's  large  but  lonely  plantation. 
In  1808,  his  father  succeeded  in  obtaining  for  him 
the  commission,  of  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
army  ;  and  he  joined  the  troops  which  were  stationed 
at  New  Orleans  under  Gen.  Wilkinson.  Soon  after 
this  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Smith,  a  young  lady 
from  one  of  the  first  families  of  Maryland. 

Immediately  after  the  declaration  of  war  with  Eng- 
land, in  18 1 2,  Capt.  Taylor  (for  he  had  then  been 
promoted  to  that  rank)  was  put  in  command  of  Fort 
Harrison,  on  the  Wabash,  about  fifty  miles  above 
Vincennes.  This  fort  had  been  built  in  the  wilder- 
ness by  Gen.  Harrison, on  his  inarch  to  Tippecanoe. 
It  was  one  of  the  first  points  of  attack  by  the  Indians, 
led  by  Tecumseh.     Its  garrison  consisted  of  a  broken 


company  of  infantry  numbering    fifty  men,    many  of 
whom  were  sick. 

Early  in  the  autumn  of  1812,  the  Indians,  stealthily, 
and  in  large  numbers,  moved  ujMn  the  fort.  Their 
ap[)roach  was  first  indicated  by  the  murder  of  two 
soldiers  just  outside  of  the  stockade.  Capt.  Taylor 
made  every  possible  preparation  to  meet  the  antici- 
pated assault.  On  the  4th  of  September,  a  band  of 
forty  painted  and  plumed  savages  came  to  the  fort, 
waving  a  white  flag,  and  informed  Capt.  Taylor  that 
in  the  morning  their  chief  would  come  to  have  a  talk 
with  him.  It  was  evident  that  their  object  was  merely 
to  ascertain  the  state  of  things  at  the  fort,  and  Capt. 
Taylor,  well  versed  in  the  wiles  of  the  savages,  kept 
them  at  a  distance. 

The  sun  went  down;  the  savages  disappeared,  the 
garrison  slept  upon  their  arms.  One  hour  before 
midnight  the  war  whoop  burst  from  a  thousand  lips 
in  the  forest  around,  followed  by  the  discharge  of 
musketry,  and  the  rush  of  the  foe.  Every  man,  sick 
and  well,  sprang  to  his  post.  Every  man  knew  thaj 
defeat  was  not  merely  death,  but  in  the  case  of  cap- 
ture, death  by  the  most  agonizing  and  prolonged  tor- 
ture. No  pen  can  describe,  no  immagination  can 
conceive  the  scenes  which  ensued.  The  savages  suc- 
ceeded in  setting  fire  to  one  of  the  block-houses- 
Until  si.v  o'clock  in  the  morning,  this  awful  conflict 
continued.  The  savages  then,  baffled  at  every  point, 
and  gnashing  their  teeth  with  rage,  retired.  Capt. 
Taylor,  for  this  gallant  defence,  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  major  by  brevet. 

Until  the  close  of  the  war,  MajorTaylor  was  placed 
in  such  situations  that  he  saw  but  little  more  of  active 
service.  He  was  sent  far  away  into  the  depths  of  the 
wilderness,  to  Fort  Crawford,  on  Fox  River,  which 
empties  into  Green  Bay.  Here  there  was  but  little 
to  be  done  but  to  wear  away  the  tedious  hours  as  one 
best  could.     There  were  no  books,  no  society,  no  in- 


64 


ZACHARY  TAYLOR. 


tellectual  stimulus.  Thus  with  him  the  uneventful 
years  rolled  ou  Gradually  he  rose  to  the  rank  of 
colonel.  In  the  Black  Hawk  war,  which  resulted  in 
the  capture  of  that  renowned  chieftain,  Col  Taylor 
took  a  subordinate  but  a  brave  and  efficient  part. 

For  twenty-four  years  Col.  Taylor  was  engaged  in 
.the  defence  of  the  frontiers,  in  scenes  so  remote,  and  in 
jemployments  so  obscure,  that  his  name  was  unknown 
'beyond  the  limits  of  his  own  immediate  acquaintance. 
In  the  year  1836,  he  was  sent  to  Florida  to  com|jel 
the  Seminole  Indians  to  vacate  that  region  and  re- 
tire beyond  the  Mississippi,  as  their  chiefs  by  treaty, 
liac'  prouiised  they  should  do.  The  services  rendered 
heie  secured  for  Col.  Taylor  the  high  appreciation  of 
ihe  Government ;  and  as  a  reward,  he  was  elevated 
!c  ;he  rank  of  brigadier-general  by  brevet ;  and  soon 
ifter,  in  May,  1838,  was  appointed  to  the  chief  com- 
nand  of  the  United  States  troops  in  Florida. 

After  two  years  of  sucn  wearisome  employment 
jmidst  the  everglades  of  the  peninsula.  Gen.  Taylor 
obtained,  at  his  own  request,  a  change  of  command, 
jid  was  stationed  over  the  Department  of  the  South- 
Acst.  This  field  embraced  Louisiana,  Mississippi, 
vllabama  and  Georgia.  Establishing  his  headquarters 
•■A  Fort  Jessup,  in  Louisiana,  he  removed  his  family 
fo>  a  plantation  which  he  purchased,  near  Baton  Rogue. 
Tl,;re  he  remained  for  five  years,  buried,  as  it  were, 
fi(,m  the  world,  but  faithfully  discharging  every  duty 
juposed  upon  him. 

In  1846,  Gen.  Taylor  was  sent  to  guard  the  land 
between  the  Nueces  a.nd  Rio  (ira.nde,  the  latter  river 
being  the  boundary  of  Texas,  which  was  then  claimed 
by  the  United  States.  Soon  the  war  with  Mexico 
wr, ;  brought  on,  and  at  Palo  Alto  and  Resaca  de  la 
Pa  !ma.  Gen.  Taylor  won  brilliant  victories  over  the 
^[l,•xicans.  The  rank  of  major-general  by  brevet 
was  then  conferred  upon  Gen.  Taylor,  and  his  name 
was  received  with  enthusiasm  almost  everywhere  in 
tiie  Nation.  Then  came  the  liattles  of  Monterey  and 
Euena  Vista  in  which  he  won  signal  victories  over 
f(  i'ces  much  larger  than  he  commanded. 

His  careless  habits  of  d^ess  and  his  unaffected 
si/nplicity,  secured  for  Gen.  Taylor  among  his  troops, 
\\ e.  sobriquet  of  "Old  Rough  and  Ready.' 

Tlie  tidings  of  the  brilliant  victory  of  Buena  Vista 
■I'read  the  wildest  enthusiasm  over  the  country.  The 
n.  line  of  Gen.  Taylor  was  on  every  one's  lii)s.  The 
H  hig  party  decided  to  take  advantage  of  this  wonder- 
fu/  popularity  in  bringing  forward  the  unpolished,  un- 

'' "'•ed,  honest  soldier  as  their  candidate  for  the 
I'l  esidency.  Gen.  Taylor  was  astonished  at  the  an- 
ncuncement,  and  for  a  time  would  not  listen  to  it;  de- 
cl.iringthat  he  was  not  at  al!  qualified  for  such  an 
oflice.  So  little  interest  had  he  taken  in  politics  that, 
foi  forty  years,  he  had  not  cast  a  vote.  It  was  not 
wiihout  chagrin  that  several  distinguished  statesmen 
v/ho  had  been  long  years  in  the  public  service  found 
*j,  ar  claims  set  aside  in  behalf  of  one  whose   name 


had  never  been  heard  of,  save  in  connection  with  Palo 
Alto,  Resaca  de  la  Palma,  Monterey  and  Buena 
Vista.  It  IS  said  that  Daniel  Webster,  in  his  haste  re- 
marked, "  It  is  a  nomination  not  fit  to  be  made." 

Gen.  Taylor  was  not  an  eloquent  speaker  nor  a  fine 
writer  His  friends  took  possession  of  him,  and  pre- 
pared such  few  communications  as  it  was  needful 
should  be  presented  to  the  public.  The  popularity  of 
the  successful  warrior  swept  the  land.  He  was  tri- 
umphantly elected  over  two  opposing  candidates, — 
Gen.  Cass  and  Ex-President  Martin  Van  Buren. 
Thougli  he  selected  an  excellent  cabinet,  the  good 
old  man  found  himself  in  a  very  uncongenial  position, 
and  was,  at  times,  sorely  perplexed  and  harassed. 
His  mental  sufferings  were  very  severe,  and  probably 
tended  to  hasten  his  death.  The  pro-slavery  party 
was  pushing  its  claims  with  tireless  energy,  expedi- 
tions were  fitting  out  to  capture  Cuba  ;  California  was 
pleading  for  admission  to  the  Union,  while  slavery 
stood  at  the  door  to  bar  her  out.  Gen.  Taylor  found 
the  political  conflicts  in  Washington  to  be  far  more 
trying  to  the  nerves  than  battles  with  Mexicans  or 
Indians. 

In  the  midst  of  all  these  troubles,  Gen.  Taylor, 
after  he  had  occupied  the  Presidential  chair  but  little 
over  a  year,  took  cold,  and  after  a  brief  sickness  of 
but  little  over  five  days,  died  on  the  9th  of  July,  1850. 
His  last  words  were,  "  I  am  not  afraid  to  die.  I  am 
ready.  I  have  endeavored  to  do  my  duty."  He  died 
universally  respected  and  beloved.  An  honest,  un- 
pretending man,  he  had  been  steadily  growing  in  the 
affections  of  the  people;  and  the  Nation  bitterly  la- 
mented his  death. 

Gen.  Scott,  who  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
Gen.  Taylor,  gave  the  following  graphic  and  truthful 
description  of  his  character: — "  With  a  good  store  of 
common  sense,  Gen.  Taylor's  mind  had  not  been  en- 
larged and  refreshed  by  reading,  or  much  converse 
with  the  wodd.  Rigidity  of  ideas  was  the  conse- 
quence. The  frontiers  and  small  military  posts  had 
been  his  home.  Hence  he  was  quite  ignorant  for  his 
rank,  and  quite  bigoted  in  his  ignorance.  His  sim- 
plicity was  child-like,  and  with  innumerable  preju- 
dices, amusing  and  incorrigible,  well  suited  to  the 
tender  age.  Thus,  if  a  man,  however  respectable, 
chanced  to  wear  a  coat  of  an  unusual  color,  or  liishal 
a  little  on  one  side  of  his  head;  or  an  officer  to  leave 
a  corner  of  his  handkerchief  dangling  from  an  out- 
side pocket, — in  any  such  case,  this  critic  held  the 
ofifender  to  be  a  coxcomb  (perhaps  something  worse), 
whom  he  would  not,  to  use  his  oft  repeated  phrase, 
'touch  with  a  pair  of  tongs.' 

"Any  allusion  to  literature  beyond  good  old  Dil- 
worth's  spelling-book,  on  the  part  of  one  wearing  a 
sword,  was  evidence,  with  the  same  judge,  of  utter 
unfitness  for  heavy  marchings  and  combats.  In  shorf 
few  men  have  ever  had  a  more  comfortab'lc.  '"•^'it. 
saving  contempt   for  learning  of  every  kind." 


'''M^c£Oj-^rZ     fi&ux^ocru) 


THIRTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


I  ^'MILLftRn  FILLfflnHE,^^         |  i 


ILLARD  FILLMORE,  thir- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
states,    was  born  at  Summer 
Hill,  Cayuga  Co.,   N.  Y  .,  on 
J       thi,  yth  of  January,  1800.   His 
I  ither  was  a  farmer,  and  ow- 
ing to  misfortune,  in  humble  cir- 
cumstances.    Of  his  mother,   the 
daughter  of  Dr.  Abiathar  Millard, 
of  Pittsfield,  Mass.,  it   has  been 
said  that  she  jx)ssessed  an  intellect 
of  very  high  order,  united  with  much 
personal  loveliness,  sweetness  of  dis- 
position, graceful  manners  and   ex- 
quisite sensibilities.      She   died   in 
1831  ;  having  lived"  to  see  her  son  a 
'         young  man   of  distinguished    prom- 
ise, Lhough  she  was  not  permitted  to  witness  the  high 
dignity  which  he  finally  attained. 

In  consequence  of  the  secluded  home  and  limited 
means  of  his  father,  Millard  enjoyed  but  slender  ad- 
vantages- for  education  in  his  early  years.  The  com- 
mon schools,  which  he  occasionally  attended  were 
very  imperfect  institutions;  and  books  were  scarce 
and  expensive.  Tliere  was  nothing  then  in  his  char- 
acter to  indicate  the  brilliant  career  upon  which  he 
was  about  to  enter.  He  was  a  plain  farmer's  boy; 
intelligent,  good-looking,  kind-hearted.  The  sacred 
influences  of  home  had  taught  him  to  revere  the  Bible, 
and  had  laid  the  foundations  of  an  upright  character. 
When  fourteen  years  of  age,  his  father  sent  him 
some  hundred  miles  from  home,  to  the  then  wilds  of 
Livingston  County,  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  clothier. 
Near  the  mill  there  was  a  small  villiage,  where  some 


enterprising  man  had  commenced  the  collection  of  a 
village  library.  This  jtroved  an  inestimable  blessing 
to  young  Fillmore.  His  evenings  were  spent  in  read- 
ing. Soon  every  leisure  moment  was  occupied  with 
books.  His  thirst  fur  knowledge  became  insatiate 
and  the  selections  which  he  made  were  continually 
more  elevating  and  instructive.  He  read  history, 
biography,  oratory ,  and  thus  gradually  there  was  en- 
kindled in  his  heart  a  desire  to  be  something  more 
than  a  mere  worker  with  his  hands;  and  he  was  be- 
coming, almost  unknown  to  himself,  a  well-informed, 
educated  man. 

The  young  clothier  had  now  attained  the  age  0/ 
nineteen  years,  and  was  of  fine  personal  appearance 
and  of  gentlemanly  demeanor.  It  so  happened  tha' 
there  was  a  gentleman  in  the  neighborhood  of  ample 
pecuniary  means  and  of  benevolence, — Judge  Walter 
Wood, — who  was  struck  with  the  prepossessing  ap- 
pearance of  young  Fillmore.  He  made  his  acquaint- 
ance, and  was  so  much  imjiressed  with  his  ability  and 
attainments  that  he  advised  him  to  abandon  his 
trade  and  devote  himself  to  the  study  of  the  law.  The 
young  man  replied,  that  he  had  no  means  of  his  own. 
no  friends  to  help  him  and  that  his  previous  educa- 
tion had  been  very  imperfect.  But  Judge  Wood  had 
so  much  confidence  in  him  that  he  kindly  offered  to 
take  him  into  his  own  office,  and  to  loan  him  such 
money  as  he  needed.  Most  gratefully  the  generous 
offer  was  accepted. 

There  is  in  many  minds  a  strange  delusion  about) 
a  collegiate  education.  A  young  man  is  supposed  to 
be  liberally  educated  if  he  has  graduated  at  some  col-' 
lege.  But  many  a  boy  loiters  through  university  hall - 
«ind  then  enters  a  law  office,  who  is  by  no  means  as 


MiLLARD  FILlMOHM. 


well  prepared  to  prosecute  his  legal  studies  as  was 
Millard  Fillmore  when  he  graduated  at  the  clothing- 
mill  at  the  end  of  four  years  of  manual  labor,  during 
which  every  leisure  moment  had  been  devoted  to  in- 
tense mental  culture. 

In  1823,  when  twenty-three  years  of  age,  he  v/as 
admitted  to  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas.  He  then 
went  to  the  village  of  Aurora,  and  commenced  the 
practice  of  law.  In  this  secluded,  peaceful  region, 
his  practice  of  course  was  limited,  and  there  was_  no 
opportunity  for  a  sudden  rise  in  fortun?  or  in  fame. 
Here,  in  the  year  1826,  he  married  a  lady  of  great 
moral  worth,  and  one  capable  of  adorning  any  station 
she  might  be  called  to  fill, — Miss  Abigail  Powers. 

His  elevation  of  character,  his  untiring  industry, 
his  legal  acquirements,  and  his  skill  as  an  advocate, 
gradually  attracted  attention  ;  and  he  was  invited  to 
enter  into  partnership  under  highly  advantageous 
circumstances,  with  an  elder  member  of  the  bar  in 
Buffalo.  Just  before  removing  to  Buffalo,  in  1829, 
he  took  his  seat  in  the  House  of  Assembly,  of  the 
State  of  New  York,  as  a  representative  from  Erie 
County.  Though  he  had  never  taken  a  very  active 
part  in  politics,  his  vote  and  his  sympathies  were  with 
the  Whig  party.  The  State  was  then  Democratic, 
and  he  found  himself  in  a  helpless  minority  in  the 
Legislature  ,  still  the  testimony  comes  from  all  parties, 
that  his  courtesy,  ability  and  integrity,  won,  to  a  very 
unusual  degree  the  respect  of  his  associates. 

In  the  autumn  of  1832,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in 
the  United  States  Congress  He  entered  that  troubled 
arena  in  some  of  the  most  tumultuous  hours  of  our 
national  history.  The  great  conflict  respecting  the 
national  bank  and  the  removal  of  the  deposits,  was 
then  raging. 

His  term  of  two  years  closed  ;  and  he  returned  to 
his  profession,  which  he  pursued  with  increasing  rep- 
utation and  success.  After  a  lapse  of  two  years 
he  again  became  a  candidate  for  Congress;  was  re- 
elected, and  took  his  seat  in  1837.  His  past  expe- 
rience as  a  representative  gave  hmi  stiength  and 
confidence.  The  first  term  of  service  in  Congress  to 
any  man  can  be  but  little  more  than  an  introduction. 
He  was  now  prepared  for  active  duty.  All  his  ener- 
gies were  brought  to  bear  upon  the  public  good.  Every 
measure  received  his  impress. 

Mr.  Fillmore  was  now  a  man  of  wide  repute,  and 
his  popularity  filled  the  State,  and  in  the  year  1847, 
he  was   elected  Comptroller  of    the   State. 


Mr.  Fillmore  had  attained  the  age  of  forty-seven 
years.  His  labors  at  the  bar,  in  the  Legislature,  in 
Congress  and  as  Comptroller,  had  given  him  very  con- 
siderable fame.  The  Whigs  were  casting  about  to 
find  suitable  candidates  for  President  and  Vice-Presi- 
dent at  the  approaching  election.  Far  away,  on  the 
waters  of  the  Rio  Grande,  there  was  a  rough  old 
soldier,  who  had  fought  one  or  two  successful  battles 
with  the  Mexicans,  which  had  caused  his  name  to  be 
proclaimed  in  tiumpet-tones  all  over  the  land.  But 
it  was  necessary  to  associate  with  him  on  the  same 
ticket  some  man  of  reputation  as  a  statesman. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  considerations,  the 
namesof  Zachary  Taylor  and  Millard  Fillmore  became 
the  rallying-cry  of  the  Whigs,  as  their  candidates  for 
President  and  Vice-Peesident.  The  Whig  ticket  was 
signally  triumphant.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1849, 
Gen.  Taylor  was  inaugurated  President,  and  Millard 
Fillmore  Vice-President,  of  the  United  States. 

On  the  9th  of  July,  1850,  President  Taylor,  but 
about  one  year  and  four  ^months  after  his  inaugura 
tion,  was  suddenly  taken  sick  and  died.  By  the  Con- 
stitution, Vice-President  Fillmore  thus  became  Presi- 
dent. He  appointed  a  very  able  cabinet,  of  which 
the  illustrious  Daniel  Webster  was  Secretary  of  State. 

Mr.  Fillmore  had  very  serious  difficulties  to  contend 
with,  since  the  opposition  had  a  majority  in  both 
Houses.  He  did  everything  in  his  power  to  conciliate 
the  South;  but  the  pro-slavery  party  in  the  South  felt 
the  inadequacy  of  all  measuresof  transient  conciliation. 
The  population  of  the  free  States  was  so  rapidly  in- 
creasing over  that  of  the  slave  States  that  it  was  in- 
evitable that  the  power  of  the  Government  should 
soon  pass  into  the  hands  of  the  free  States.  The 
famous  compromise  measures  were  adopted  under  Mr, 
Fillmore's  adminstration,  and  the  Japan  Expedition 
was  sent  out.  On  the  4th  of  March,  1853,  Mr.  Fill- 
more, having  served  one  term,  retired. 

In  1856,  Mr.  Fillmore  was  nominated  for  the  Pres- 
idency by  the  "  Know  Nothing  "  party,  but  was  beaten 
by  Mr.  Buchanan.  After  that  Mr.  Fillmore  lived  in 
retirement.  During  the  terrible  conflict  of  civil  war, 
he  was  mostly  silent.  It  was  generally  supposed  Iha' 
his  sympathies  were  rather  with  those  who  were  en- 
deavoring to  overthrow  our  institutions.  President 
Fillmore  kept  aloof  from  the  conflict,  without  any 
cordial  words  of  cheer  to  the  one  party  or  the  other. 
He  was  thus  forgotten  by  both.  He  lived  to  a  ripe 
old  age,  and  died  in  Buffalo.  N.  Y.,  March  8,    1874. 


M' 


POURTEENTIi  PRESIDEJSft 


;.  afet.:.t.ri&.-!«  A,->^fe»  jfe.ta.ife  j}-^ji,,t.^>.  ,fefet.aMyv&' 


RANKLIN     PIERCE,   the 
fourteenth   President  of  the 
'  United  States,  was  born  in 
Hillsborough,    N.    H.,    Nov. 
23,  1804.     His  father  was  a 
Revolutionary  soldier,   who, 
with   his   own    strong    arm, 
hewed   out  a    home   in    the 
wilderness.     He  was  a  man 
of    inflexible    integrity;     of 
strong,  though    uncultivated 
mind,  and  an  uncompromis- 
ing Democrat.      The    mother  of 
Franklin  Pierce  was  all  that  a  son 
could  desire, — an  intelligent,  pru- 
dent, affectionate,  Christian  wom- 
an.    Franklin  was  the  sixth  of  eight  children. 

Franklin  was  a  very  bright  and  handsome  boy,  gen- 
erous, warm-hearted  and  brave.  He  won  alike  the 
love  of  old  and  young.  The  boys  on  the  play  ground 
loved  him.  His  teachers  loved  him.  The  neighbors 
looked  upon  him  with  pride  and  affection.  He  was 
by  instinct  a  gentleman;  always  speaking  kind  words, 
doing  kind  deeds,  with  a  peculiar  unstudied  tact 
which  taught  him  what  was  agreeable.  Without  de- 
veloping any  precocity  of  genius,  or  any  unnatural 
devotion  to  books,  he  was  a  good  scholar ;  in  body, 
in  mind,  in  affections,  a  finely-developed  boy. 

When  sixteen  years  of  age,  in  the  year  rSzo,  he 
entered  Bowdoin  College,  at  Brunswick,  Me  He  was 
one  of  the  most  jxjpular  young  men  in  the  college. 
The  purity  of  his  moral  character,  the  unvarying 
courtesy  of  his  demeanor,  his  rank  as  a  scholar,  and 


genial  nature,  rendered  him  a  universal  favorite. 
There  was  something  very  peculiarly  winning  in  his 
address,  and  it  was  evidently  not  in  the  slightest  de- 
gree studied:  it  was  the  simple  outgushing  of  his 
own  magnanimous  and  loving  nature. 

Upon  graduating,  in  the  year  1824,  Franklin  Pierce 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Judge 
Woodbury,  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  of 
the  State,  and  a  man  of  great  private  worth.  The 
eminent  social  qualities  of  the  young  lawyer,  his 
father's  prominence  as  a  public  man,  and  the  brilliant 
political  career  into  which  Judge  Woodbury  was  en- 
tering, all  tended  to  entice  Mr.  Pierce  into  the  faci- 
nating  yet  perilous  path  of  political  life.  With  all 
the  ardor  of  his  nature  he  espoused  the  cause  of  Gen. 
Jackson  for  the  Presidency.  He  commenced  the 
practice  of  law  in  Hillsborough,  and  was  soon  elected 
to  represent  the  town  in  the  State  Legislature.  Here 
he  served  for  four  yeais.  The  last  two  years  he  was 
chosen  speaker  of  the  house  by  a  very  large  vote. 

In  1833,  at  the  age  of  twenty-nine,  he  was  elected 
a  member  of  Congress.  Without  taking  an  active 
part  in  debates,  he  was  faithful  and  laborious  in  duty 
and  ever  rising  in  the  estimation  of  those  with  whom 
he  was  associatad. 

In  1837,  being  then  but  thirty-three  years  of  age, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States; 
taking  his  seat  just  as  Mr.  Van  Buren  commenced 
his  administration.  He  was  the  youngest  member  in 
the  Senate.  In  the  year  1834,  he  married  Miss  Jane 
Means  Appleton,  a  lady  of  rare  beauty  and  accom- 
plishments, and  one  admirably  fitted  to  adorn  every 
station  with  wiiich  her  husband  was  honored.    Of  the 


h  RANK  LIN  PIERCE. 


three  sons  who  were  born  to  them,  all  now  sleep  with 
their  parents  in  the  grave. 

In  the  year  1838,  Mr.  Pierce,  with  growing  fame 
and  increasing  business  as  a  lawyer,  took  up  his 
residence  in  Concord,  the  capital  of  New  Hampshire. 
President  Polk,  uix)n  his  accession  to  office,  appointed 
Mr.  Pierce  attorney-general  of  the  United  States ;  but 
the  offer  was  declined,  in  consequence  of  numerous 
professional  engagements  at  home,  and  the  precariuos 
state  of  Mrs.  Pierce's  health.  He  also,  about  the 
same  time  declined  the  nomination  for  governor  by  the 
Democratic  party.  The  war  with  Mexico  called  Mr. 
Pierce  in  the  army.  Receiving  the  appointment  of 
brigadier-general,  he  embarked,  with  a  portion  of  his 
troops,  at  Newport,  R.  I.,  on  the  27th  of  May,  1847. 
He  took  an  important  part  in  this  war,  proving  him- 
self a  brave  and  trite  soldier. 

When  Gen.  Pierce  reached  his  home  in  his  native 
State,  he  was  received  enthusiastically  by  the  advo- 
cates of  the  Mexican  war,  and  coldly  by  his  oppo- 
nents. He  resumed  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
very  frequently  taking  an  active  part  in  political  ques- 
tions, giving  his  cordial  support  to  the  pro-slavery 
wing  of  the  Democratic  party.  The  compromise 
iiieasures  met  cordially  with  his  approval;  and  he 
strenuously  advocated  the  enforcement  of  the  infa- 
mous fugitive-slave  law,  which  so  shocked  the  religious 
sensibilities  of  the  North.  He  thus  became  distin- 
guished as  a  "Northern  man  with  Southern  principles.'' 
The  strong  partisans  of  slavery  in  the  South  conse- 
quently regarded  him  as  a  man  whom  they  could 
safely  trust  in  office  to  carry  out  their  plans. 

On  the  1 2th  of  June,  1852,  the  Democratic  conven- 
tion met  in  Baltimore  to  nominate  a  candidate  for  the 
Presidency.  For  four  days  they  continued  in  session, 
and  in  thirty-five  ballotings  no  one  had  obtained  a 
two-thirds  vote.  Not  a  vote  thus  far  had  been  thrown 
for  Gen.  Pierce.  Then  the  Virginia  delegation 
brought  forward  his  name.  There  were  fourteen 
more  ballotings,  during  which  Gen.  Pierce  constantly 
gained  strength,  until,-  at  the  forty-ninth  ballot,  he 
received  two  hundred  and  eighty-two  votes,  and  all 
other  candidates  eleven.  Gen.  Winfield  Scott  was 
the  Whig  candidate.  Gen.  Pierce  was  chosen  with 
great  unanimity.  Only  four  States — Vermont,  Mas- 
sachusetts, Kentucky  and  Tennessee  —  cast  their 
electoral  votes  against  him  Gen.  Franklin  Pierce 
was  therefore  inaugurated  President  of  the  United 
States   on    the  4th  of  March,    1853. 


His  administration  proved  one  of  the  most  stormy  our 
country  had  ever  experienced.  The  controversy  be 
tween  slavery  and  freedom  was  then  approaching  its 
culminating  [wint.  It  became  evident  that  there  was 
an  "irrepressible  conflict"  between  them,  and  that 
this  Nation  could  not  long  exist  "  half  slave  and  half 
free."  President  Pierce,  during  the  whole  of  his  ad- 
ministration, did  every  thing  he  could  to  conciliate 
the  South  ;  but  it  was  all  in  vain.  The  conflict  every 
year  grew  more  violent,  and  threats  of  the  dissolution 
of  the  Union  were  borne  to  the  North  on  every  South- 
ern breeze. 

Such  was  the  condition  of  affairs  when  President 
Pierce  approached  the  close  of  his  four-years'  term 
of  office.  The  North  had  become  thoroughly  ;ilien- 
ated  from  him.  The  anti-slavery  sentiment,  goaded 
by  great  outrages,  had  been  rapidly  increasing;  all 
the  intellectual  ability  and  social  worth  of  President 
Pierce  were  forgotten  in  deep  reprehension  of  his  ad- 
ministrative acts.  The  slaveholders  of  the  South,  also, 
unmindful  of  the  fidelity  with  which  he  had  advo- 
cated those  measures  of  Government  which  they  ap- 
proved, and  perhaps,  also,  feeling  that  he  had 
rendered  himself  so  unpopular  as  no  longer  to  be 
able  acceptably  to  serve  them,  ungratefully  dropped 
him,  and  nominated  James  Buchanan  to  succeed  him. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1857,  President  Pierce  re- 
tired to  his  home  in  Concord.  Of  three  children,  two 
had  died,  and  his  only  surviving  child  had  been 
killed  before  his  eyes  by  a  railroad  accident ,  and  his 
wife,  one  of  the  most  estimable  and  accomplished  of 
ladies,  was  rapidly  sinking  in  consumption.  The 
hour  of  dreadful  gloom  soon  came,  and  he  was  left 
alone  in  the  world,  without  wife  or  child. 

When  the  terrible  Rebellion  burst  forth,  which  di- 
vided our  country  into  two  parties,  and  two  only,  Mr. 
Pierce  remained  steadfast  in  the  principles  which  he 
had  always  cherished,  and  gave  his  sympathies  to 
that  pro-slavery  party  with  which  he  had  ever  been 
allied.  He  declined  to  do  anything,  either  by  voice 
or  pen,  to  strengthen  the  hand  of  the  National  Gov- 
ernment. He  continued  to  reside  in  Concord  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  October, 
1869.  He  was  one  of  the  most  genial  and  social  of 
men,  an  honored  communicant  of  the  Episcopni 
Church,  and  one  of  the  kindest  of  neighbors.  Gen  - 
erous  to  a  fault,  he  contributed  liberally  for  the  al- 
leviation of  suffering  and  want,  and  many  of  his  towns  ■ 
people  were  often  gladened  by  his  material   bounty. 


/^' 


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ZL^/77.^J  a''^U^-/£^Zy72^€^y?^ 


I'IFTEENTH  PRESIDENT 


:,\  iKii f  ri^S6     M  I JC. ■  (r  (  A  l^f  A l^f , 


AMES  BUCHANAN,  the  fif- 
teenth President  of  the  United 
States,   was  born    in   a   small 
roniier  town,  at  the  foot  of  the 
eastern  ridge  of  the    Allegha- 
nies,  in  Franklin  Co.,  Penn,  on 
the  23d  of  April,  1791.  The  j^lace 
where    the  humble    cabin    of   his 
father    stnod    was     called     Stony 
Batter.     It   was    a    wild    and    ro- 
mantic spot  in  a  gorge  of  the  moun- 
tains, with  towering  summits  rising 
grandly    all     around.       His    father 

fwas  a  native  of  the  north  of  Ireland ; 
a  poor  man,  who  had  emigrated  in 
t  lySj,  with  little   pro|>erty   save    his 

own  strong  arms.  Five  years  afterwards  he  married 
Elizabeth  Spear,  the  daughter  of  a  respectable  farmer, 
and,  with  his  young  bride,  plunged  into  the  wilder- 
ness, staked  his  claim,  reared  his  log-hut,  opened  a 
clearing  with  his  axe,  and  settled  down  there  to  per- 
form his  obscure  part  in  the  drama  of  life.  In  this  se- 
cluded home,  where  James  was  born,  he  remained 
for  eight  years,  enjoying  but  few  social  or  intellectual 
advantagi  s.  VVlien  James  was  eight  years  of  age,  his 
father  removed  to  the  village  of  Mercersburg,  where 
his  son  was  placed  at  school,  and  commenced  a 
course  of  study  in  English,  Latin  and  Greek.  His 
jirogress  was  rapid,  and  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  he 
entered  Dickinson  College,  at  Carlisle.  Here  he  de- 
veloped remarkable  talent,  and  took  his  stand  among 
the  first  scholars  in  the  institution.  His  application 
to  study  was  intijnse,  and  yet  \i\%  native  powers    en- 


••r/K 


abled  him  to  master  the  most  abstnise  subjects  wi  '- 
facility. 

In  the  year  1809,  he  graduated  with  tlie  highest 
honors  of  his  clas^.  He  was  then  eighteen  years  of 
age;  tall  and  graceful,  vigorous  in  health,  fond  of 
athletic  sport,  an  unerring  shot,  and  enlivened  with 
an  exuberant  flow  of  animal  spirits.  He  immediately 
commenced  the  study  of  lavv  in  the  city  of  Lancaster, 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  181 2,  when  he  was 
but  twenty-one  )ears  of  age.  Very  rapidly  he  rose 
in  his  profession,  and  at  once  took  undisputed  stand 
with  the  ablest  law)  ers  of  the  State.  When  but 
twenty-six  years  of  age,  unaided  by  counsel,  .he  suc- 
cessfully defended  liefore  the  State  Senate  01  e  of  the 
judges  of  the  State,  who  was  tried  upon  articles  01 
impeachment.  At  the  age  of  thirty  it  was  generally 
admitted  that  he  stood  at  the  head  of  the  bar;  and 
there  was  no  lawyer  in  the  State  who  had  a  more  lu- 
crative practice. 

In  1820,  he  reluctantly  consented  to  run  as  a 
candidate  for  Congress.  He  was  elected,  and  foi 
ten  years  he  remained  a  member  of  the  Lower  House 
During  the  vacations  of  Congress,  he  occasionally 
tried  some  important  case.  In  1831,  he  retired 
altogether  from  the  toils  of  his  profession,  having  ac- 
quired an  ample  fortune. 

Gen.  Jackson,  ui)on  his  elevation  to  ihe  Presidenc/, 
appointed  Mr.  Buchanan  minister  to  Russia.  The 
duties  of  his  mission  he  performed  with  ability,  whicl, 
gave  satisfaction  to  all  parties.  Upon  his  return,  ir, 
1833,  he  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  United  States 
Senate.  He  there  met,  as  his  associates,  Webster. 
Clay,  Wright  and  Calhoun.  He  advocated  the  irieas- 
ures  proposed  by  President  Jackson,  of  v?.:^'i\\^  repn- 


7B 


JAMES  BUCHANAN. 


sals  against  France,  to  enforce  the  payment  of  our 
claims  against  that  country  ;  and  defended  the  course 
of  the  President  in  his  unprecedented  and  wholesale 
removal  from  office  of  those  who  were  not  the  sup- 
porters of  his  adiiiinistration.  Upon  this  question  he 
was  brought  into  direct  collision  with  Henry  Clay. 
He  also,  with  voice  and  vote,  advocated  expunging 
from  the  journal  of  the  Senate  the  vote  of  censure 
against  Gen.  Jackson  for  removing  the  deposits. 
Earnestly  he  opposed  the  abolition  of  slavery  in  the 
District  of  Columbia,  and  urged  the  prohibition  of  the 
circulation  of  anti-slavery  documents  by  the  United 
States  mails. 

As  to  petitions  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  he  advo- 
cated that  they  should  be  respectfully  received;  and 
that  the  reply  should  be  returned,  that  Congress  had 
no  power  to  legislate  upon  the  subject.  "  Congress," 
said  he,  "  might  as  well  undertake  to  interfere  with 
slavery  under  a  foreign  government  as  in  any  of  the 
States  where  it  now  e.\ists." 

Upon  Mr.  Polk's  accession  to  the  Presidency,  Mr. 
Buchanan  became  Secretary  of  State,  and  as  such, 
took  his  share  of  the  responsibility  in  the  conduct  of 
the  Mexican  War.  Mr.  Polk  assumed  that  crossing 
the  Nueces  by  tlie  American  troops  into  the  disputed 
territory  was  not  wrong,  but  for  tlie  Mexicans  to  cross 
the  Rio  Grande  into  that  territory  was  a  declaration 
of  war.  No  candid  man  can  read  with  pleasure  the 
account  of  the  course  our  Government  pursued  in  that 
movement 

Mr.  Buchanan  identified  himself  thoroughly  with 
the  party  devoted  to  the  perpetuation  and  extension 
of  slavery,  and  brought  all  the  energies  of  his  mind 
to  bear  against  the  Wilmot  Proviso.  '  He  gave  his 
cordial  approval  to  the  compromise  measures  of  TS50, 
which  included  the  fugiiive-slave  law.  Mr.  Pierce, 
upon  his  election  to  the  Presidency,  honored  Mr. 
Buchanan  with  the  mission  to  England. 

In  the  year  1856,  a  national  Democratic  conven- 
tion nominated  Mr.  Buchanan  for  the  Presidency.  The 
political  conflict  was  one  of  the  most  severe  in  which 
our  country  has  ever  engaged.  All  the  friends  of 
slavery  were  on  one  side;  all  the  advocates  of  its  re- 
striction and  final  aliohtion,  on  the  other.  Mr.  Fre- 
mont, the  candidate  of  the  enemies  of  slavery,  re- 
leived  114  electoral  votes.  Mr.  Buchanan  received 
174,  and  was  elected.  The  popular  vote  stood 
1,340,618,  for  Fremont,  1,224,750  for  Buchanan.  On 
March    4th.    1857,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  inaugurated. 

Mr.  Buchanan  was  far  advanced  in  life.  Only  four 
vears  were  wanting  to  fill  up  his  threescore  years  and 
ten.  His  own  friends,  those  with  whom  he  had  been 
allied  in  political  principles  and  action  for  years,  were 
saeking  the  destruction  of  the  Government,  that  they 
might  rear  upon  the  ruins  of  our  free  institutions  a 
nation  whose  corner-stone  should  be  human  slavery. 
In  this  emergency,  Mr.  Buchanan  was  hopelessly  be- 
wildered     He  could  not,  with  his  long-avowed  prin- 


I  ciples,  consistently  oppose  the  State-rights  party  in 
their  assumptions.  As  President  of  the  United  Stares, 
bound  by  his  oath  faithfully  to  administer  the  laws, 
he  could  not,  without  perjury  of  the  grossest  kind, 
unite  with  those  endeavoring  to  overthrow  the  repub- 
lic.    He  therefore  did  nothing. 

The  opponents  of  Mr.  Buchanan's  administration 
nominal  ed  Abraham  Lincoln  as  their  standard  bearer 
in  the  next  Presidential  canvass.  The  pro-slavery 
party  declared,  that  if  he  were  elected,  and  the  con- 
trol of  the  Government  were  thus  taken  from  their 
hands,  they  would  secede  from  the  Union,  taking 
with  them,  as  they  retired,  the  National  Capitol  at 
VVasliington,  and  the  lion's  share  of  the  territory  of 
the  United  States. 

Mr.  Buchanan's  sympathy  with  the  pro-slaver)' 
party  was  such,  that  he  had  been  willing  to  offer  them 
far  more  than  they  had  ventured  to  claim.  All  the 
South  had  professed  to  ask  of  the  North  was  non- 
intervention upon  the  subject  of  slavery.  Mr.  Bu- 
chanan had  been  ready  to  offer  them  the  active  co- 
operation of  the  Government  to  defend  and  extend 
the  institution. 

As  the  storm  increased  in  violence,  the  slaveholders 
claiming  the  right  to  secede,  and  Mr.  Buchanan  avow- 
ing that  Congress  had  no  power  to  prevent  it,  one  of 
the  most  pitiable  exhibitions  of  governmental  im- 
becility was  exhibited  the  world  has  ever  seen.  He 
declared  that  Congress  had  no  power  to  enforce  its 
laws  in  any  State  which  had  withdrawn,  or  which 
was  attempting  to  withdraw  from  the  Union.  This 
was  not  the  doctrine  of  Andrew  Jackson,  when,  with 
his  hand  upon  his  sword  hilt,  he  exclaimed.  "  The 
Union  must  and  shall  be  preserved!" 

South  Carolina  seceded  in  December,  i860;  nearly 
three  months  before  the  inauguration  of  President 
Lincoln.  Mr.  Buchanan  looked  on  in  listless  despair. 
The  rebel  flag  was  raised  in  Charleston  ;  Fort  Sumpter 
was  besieged;  our  forts,  navy-yards  and  arsenals 
were  seized;  our  depots  of  military  stores  were  plun- 
dered ;  and  our  custom-houses  and  post-oflfices  were 
appropriated  by  the  rebels. 

The  energy  of  the  rebels,  and  the  imbecility  of  our 
Executive,  were  alike  marvelous.  The  Nation  looked 
on  in  agony,  waiting  for  the  slow  weeks  to  glide  away, 
and  close  the  administration,  so  terrible  in  its  weak- 
ness At  length  the  long-looked-for  hour  of  deliver- 
ance came,  when  Abraham  Lincoln  was  to  receive  the 
scepter. 

The  administration  of  President  Buchanan  was 
certainly  the  most  calamitous  our  country  has  ex- 
perienced. His  best  friends  cannot  recall  it  with 
pleasure.  And  still  more  deplorable  it  is  for  his  fame, 
that  in  that  dreadful  conflict  wliich  rolled  its  billows 
of  flame  and  blood  over  our  whole  land,  no  word  came 
from  his  lips  to  indicate  his  wish  that  our  country's 
banner  should  trium|)h  over  the  flag  of  the  rebellion 
He  died  at  his  Wheatland  retreat,  June   i.   i868. 


/I, 


>'^f 


^^^ 


:T^C^ 


SIXTEENTH  P RES/DENT. 


% 


^1  <  ABRAHAM  >  ^i>«-Klp  <  LINCOLN.  >  1^ 


•OK^^Ma?^^ 


BRAHAM    LINCOLN,    the 
sixteenth    President     of     the 

^United   States,   was   born    in 

Hardin    Co.,  Ky.,    Feb.     12, 

9.     About  the  year  1 7  So,  a 

man  by  the  name  of  Abraham 

Lmcohi  left  Virginia  with   his 

family  and  moved   into    the  then 

wildsof  Kentucky.  Only  two  years 

after  this  emigration,  still  a   young 

man,  while  working  one  day  in  a 

field,  was  stealthily  appro;;ched  by 

an  Indian  and  shot  dead.   His  widow 

was  left  in  extreme  poverty  with  five 

ittle  children,  three  boys  and    two 

f  girls.  Thomas,  the  youngest  of  the 
boys,  was  four  years  of  age  at  his 
father's  death.  This  Thomas  was 
J  the  father  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  the 
'  President  of  the  United  States 
whose  name  must  henceforth  fo-'ever  be  enrolled 
with  the  most  prominent  in  the  annals  of  our  world. 
Of  course  no  record  has  been  kept  of  the  life 
of  one  so  lowly  as  Thomas  Lincoln.  He  was  among 
the  [X)orest  of  the  poor.  His  home  was  a  wretched 
log-cabin;  his  food  the  coarsest  and  the  meanest. 
Education  he  had  none;  he  could  never  either  read 
or  write.  As  soon  as  he  was  able  to  do  anything  for 
himself,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  cabin  of  his 
starving  mother,  and  push  out  into  the  world,  a  friend- 
,ess,,  wandering  boy,  seeking  work.  He  hired  him- 
self out,  and  thus  spent  the  whole  of  his  youth  as  a 
?iborer  in  the  fields  of  others. 

Vv'hen  twenty-eight  years  of  age  he  buill  a  log- 
(abin  of  bis  own,  and  married  Nancy  Hanks,  the 
daughter  of  another  family  of  poor  Kentucky  emi- 
grants, who  had  also  come  from  Virginia.  Their 
second  child  was  Al)raham  Lincoln,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  The  mother  of  Abraham  was  a  noble 
woman,  gentle,  loving,  pensive,  created  to  adorn 
a  palace,  doomed  to  toil  and  pine,  and  die  in  a  hovel. 
"All  'hat  I  am,  or  hope  to  be,"  e.xclaims  the  grate- 
ful son  "  I  owe  to  my  angel-mother. 

When  he  vvas  eight  years  of  age,  his  father  sold  his 


cabin  and  small  farm,  and  moved  to  Indiana    VVherii 
two  years  later  his  mother  died. 

Abraham  soon  became  the  scribe  of  the  uneducated 
community  around  him.  He  could  not  have  had  3 
better  school  than  this  to  teacli  him  to  put  thoughts 
into  words.  He  also  became  an  eager  reader.  The 
books  he  could  obtain  were  few ;  but  these  he  "ead 
and  re-raad  until  they  were  almost  committed  tc 
memory. 

As  the  years  rolled  on,  the  lot  of  this  lowly  faroilj 
was  the  usual  lot  of  humanity.  There  were  joys  and 
griefs,  weddings  and  funerals.  Abraham's  sistcx 
Sarah,  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  attached,  was  mai 
ried  when  a  child  of  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  and 
soon  died.  The  family  was  gradually  scattered.  Mr 
Thomas  Lincoln  sold  out  his  squatter's  claim  in  1830 
and  emigrated  to  iMacon  Co.,  111. 

Abraham  Lincoln  vvas  then  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
With  vigorous  hands  he  aided  his  father  in  rearing 
another  log-cabin.  Abraham  worked  diligently  at  this 
until  he  saw  the  family  comfortably  settled,  and  theii 
small  lot  of  enclosed  prairie  phnitcd  with  corn,  when 
he  announced  to  his  father  his  intention  to  leave 
home,  and  to  go  out  into  tlie  world  and  seek  his  for- 
tune. Little  did  he  or  his  friends  imagine  how  bril- 
liant that  fortune  was  to  be.  He  saw  the  value  ol 
education  and  was  intensely  earnest  to  improve  his 
mind  to  the  utmost  of  his  power.  He  saw  the  ruin 
which  ardent  spirits  were  causing,  and  I  e<  ame 
strictly  temperate;  refising  to  allow  a  drop  of  intoxi- 
cating liquor  to  pass  his  lips.  And  he  had  read  in 
God's  word,  "Thou  shalt  r.ot  take  the  name  of  thft 
Lord  thy  God  in  -'  .1..;"  and  a  profane  expression  ht 
was  never  heard  to  utter.  Religion  he  revered.  Hiii 
morals  were  pure,  and  he  was  uncontaminated  by  a 
single  vice. 

Young  Abraham  woiked  for  a  time  as  a  hired  labora 
among  the  farmers.  Then  he  went  to  Springfield 
where  he  was  employed  in  building  a  large  flat-boal 
In  this  he  took  a  herd  of  swine,  floated  them  dow> 
the  Sangamon  to  the  Illinois,  and  thence  by  the  Mia 
sissippi  to  New  Orleans.  Whatever  Abraham  Lin 
coin  undertook,  he  performed  so  faithfully  as  to  giv^. 
great  satisfacticn  to  his  employers.      In  this  adven 


8o 


ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 


ture  his  employers  were  so  well  pleased,  that  upon 
his  retura  tiiey  placed  a  store  and  mill  under  his  care. 

In  1832,  at  the  outbreak,  of  the  Black  Hawk  war,  he 
enlisted  and  was  chosen  captain  of  a  company.  He 
returned  to  Sangamon  County,  and  although  only  23 
years  of  age,  was  a  candidate  for  the  Legislature,  but 
was  defeated.  He  soon  after  received  from  Andrew 
Jackson  the  appointmentof  Postmaster  of  New  Salem, 
His  only  post-office  was  his  hat.  .\11  the  letters  he 
received  he  carried  there  ready  to  deliver  to  those 
he  chanced  to  meet.  He  studied  surveying,  and  soon 
made  this  his  business.  In  1834  he  again  became  a 
candidate  for  the  Legislature,  and  was  elected  Mr. 
Stuart,  of  Springfield,  advised  him  to  study  law.  He 
walked  from  New  Salem  to  Springfield,  borrowed  of 
Mr.  Stuart  a  load  of  books,  carried  them  back  and 
began  his  legal  studies.  When  the  Legislature  as- 
sembled he  trudged  on  foot  with  his  pack  on  his  back 
one  hundred  miles  to  Vandalia,  then  the  capital.  In 
1836  he  was  re-elected  to  the  Legislature.  Here  it 
was  he  first  met  Stephen  A.  Douglas.  In  1839  he  re- 
moved to  Springfield  and  began  the  practice  of  law. 
His  success  with  the  jury  was  so  great  that  he  was 
coon  engaged  in  almost  every  noted  case  in  the  circuit. 

In  1854  the  great  discussion  began  between  Mr. 
Lincoln  and  Mr.  Douglas,  on  the  slavery  question. 
In  the  organization  of  the  Republican  party  in  Illinois, 
in  1856,  he  took  an  active  part,  and  at  once  became 
one  of  tlie  leaders  in  that  party.  Mr.  Lincoln's 
speeches  in  opposition  to  Senator  Douglas  in  the  con- 
test in  1858  for  a  seat  in  the  Senate,  form  a  most 
notable  part  of  his  history.  The  issue  was  on  the 
ilavery  question,  and  he  took  the  broad  ground  of 
;he  Declaration  of  Independence,  that  all  men  are 
created  equal.  Mr.  Lincoln  was  defeated  in  this  con- 
test, but  won  a  far  higher  prize. 

The  great  Republican  Convention  met  at  Chicago 
on  the  i6th  of  June,  i860.  The  delegates  and 
strangers  who  crowded  the  city  amounted  to  twenty- 
five  thousand.  An  immense  building  called  "The 
Wigwam,"  was  reared  to  accommodate  the  Conven- 
tion. There  were  eleven  candidates  for  whom  votes 
were  thrown.  William  H  Seward,  a  man  whose  fame 
as  a  statesman  had  long  filled  the  land,  was  the  most 
orominent.  It  was  generally  supposed  he  would  be 
the  nominee.  Abraham  Lincoln,  however,  received 
the  nomination  on  the  third  ballot.  Little  did  he  then 
dream  of  the  weary  years  of  toil  and  care,  and  the 
bloody  death,  to  which  that  nomination  doomed  him: 
and  as  little  did  he  dream  that  he  was  to  render  services 
to  his  country,  which  would  fi.K  upon  him  the  eyes  of 
the  whole  civilized  world,  and  which  would  give  him 
a  place  in  tire  affections  of  his  countrymen,  second 
cnly,  if  second,  to  that  of  W'ashington. 

Election  day  came  and  Mr.  Lincoln  received  180 
electoral  votes  out  of  203  cast,  and  was,  therefore, 
constitutionally  elected  President  of  the  United  States. 
The  tirade  of  abuse  that  was  poured  upon  this    good 


and  merciful  man,  especially  by  the  slaveholders,  was 
greater  than  upon  any  other  man  ever  elected  to  this 
high  position.  In  February,  186 1,  Mr.  Lincoln  started 
for  Washington,  stopping  in  all  the  large  cities  on  his 
way  making  speeches.  The  whole  journey  was  trought 
with  much  danger.  Many  of  the  Southern  States  had 
already  seceded,  and  several  attempts  at  assassination 
were  afterwards  brought  to  light.  A  gang  in  Balti- 
more had  arranged,  upon  his  arrival  to"  get  up  a  row," 
and  in  the  confusion  to  make  sure  of  his  death  with 
revolvers  and  hand-grenades.  A  detective  unravelled 
the  plol.  A  secret  and  special  train  was  provided  t(j 
take  him  from  HarrisL'urg,  through  Baltimore,  at  ar 
unexpected  hour  of  the  night.  The  train  started  at 
half-past  ten  ;  and  to  prevent  ai;y  possible  communi- 
cation on  the  part  ol  the  Secessionists  with  their  Con- 
federate gang  in  Baltimore,  as  soon  as  the  train  haa 
started  the  telegraph-wires  were  cut.  Mr.  Lincoln 
reached  W'ashingion  in  safety  and  was  inaugurated, 
although  great   an.xiety  was  felt  by  all  loyal  people 

In  the  selection  of  his  cabinet  Mr.  Liiicoln  gave 
to  Mr  Seward  the  Department  of  State,  and  to  other 
prominent  opponents  before  the  convention  he  gave 
important  positions. 

During  no  other  administration  have  the  duties 
devolving  upon  the  President  been  so  manifold,  and 
the  responsibilities  so  great,  as  those  which  fell  to 
the  lot  of  President  Lincoln.  Knowing  this,  and 
feeling  his  own  weakness  and  inability  to  meet,  and  in 
hi.s  own  strength  to  cope  with,  the  difficulties,  he 
learned  early  to  seek  Divine  wisdom  and  guidance  in 
determining  his  plans,  and  Divine  comfort  in  all  his 
trial-,  bo'h  personal  and  national  Contrary  to  his 
own  estimate  of  himself,  Mr.  Lincoln  was  one  of  the 
most  courageous  of  men.  He  went  directly  into  the 
rebel  capital  just  as  the  retreating  foe  was  leaving, 
with  no  guard  but  a  few  sailors.  From  the  time  he 
had  left  Springfield,  in  i86r,  however,  plans  had  been 
made  for  his  assassination, and  he  at  last  fell  a  victim 
to  one  of  them.  April  14,  1865,  he,  with  Gen.  Grant, 
was  urgently  invited  to  attend  Fords'  Theater.  It 
was  announced  that  they  would  Le  present.  Gen. 
Grant,  however,  left  the  city.  President  Lincoln,  feel- 
ing, witn  his  characteristic  kindliness  of  heart,  that 
it  would  be  a  disappointment  if  he  should  fail  them, 
very  reluctantly  consented  to  go.  While  listening  to 
the  play  an  actor  by  the  name  of  John  "Wilkes  Booth 
entered  the  box  where  the  President  and  family  were 
seated,  and  fired  a  bullet  into  his  brains.  He  died  the 
next  morning  at  seven  o'clock. 

Never  before-,  in  the  history  of  the  world  was  a  nation 
plunged  into  such  deep  gnefby  the  death  of  its  ruler. 
Strong  men  met  in  the  streets  and  wept  in  speechless 
anguish.  It  is  not  too  much  to  say  that  a  nation  was 
in  tears.  His  was  a  life  which  will  fitly  become  a 
model.  His  name  as  the  savior  of  his  country  -will 
live  with  that  of  Washington's,  its  father;  his  country- 
men being  unable  to  cjecidf   whiih  is   t' e   greater. 


>^^_ 


^^^^-^-M^^y^ 


SEVENTEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


■^      Ji  i¥  o  u  w,  m  mm^i  I  i^f  ^5  Qii< 


NDREVV  JOHNSON,  seven- 
teenth  President  of  the  United 
1^  States.  The  early  life  of 
Andrew  Johnson  contains  but 
the  record  of  poverty,  destitu- 
tion and  friendlessness.  He 
was  born  December  29,  180S, 
in  Raleigh,  N.  C.  His  parents, 
belonging  to  the  class  of  the 
'poor  whites  "  of  the  South,  were 
in  such  circumstances,  that  they 
could  not  c?nf;r  ^/er.  the  slight- 
est advantages  of  education  upon 
their  child.  When  Andrew  was  five 
years  of  age,  his  father  accidentally 
lost  his  life  while  heiorically  endeavoring  to  save  a 
friend  from  drowning,  ^''ni.il  ten  years  of  age,  Andrew 
was  a  ragged  boy  abour  the  streets,  supixirted  by  the 
labor  of  his  mother,  who  obtained  her  living  with 
her  own  hands. 

He  then,  having  never  attended  a  school  one  day, 
and  being  unable  either  to  read  or  write,  was  ap- 
prenticed to  a  tailor  in  his  native  town.  A  gentleman 
was  in  the  habit  of  going  to  the  tailor's  shop  occasion- 
ally, and  reading  to  the  boys  at  work  there.  He  often 
read  from  the  speeches  of  distinguished  British  states- 
men. Andrew,  who  was  endowed  with  a  mind  of  more 
than  ordinary  native  ability,  became  much  interested 
in  these  speeches ;  his  ambition  was  roused,  and  he 
was  inspired  with  a  strong  desire  to  learn  to  read. 

He  accordingly  applied  himself  to  the  alphabet,  and 
with  the  assistance  of  some  of  his  fellow- workmen, 
■jearned  his  letters.  He  then  called  upon  the  gentle- 
man to  borrow  the  book  of  speeches.     The  owner, 


I  pleased  with  his  zeal,  not  only  gave  him  the  book 
but  assisted  him  in  learning  to  combine  the  letters 
into  words.  Under  such  difficulties  he  pressed  01. 
ward  laboriously,  spending  usually  ten  or  twelve  hours 
at  work  in  the  shop,  and  then  robbing  himself  of  rest 
and  recreatior  to  devote  such  time  as  he  could  to 
reading. 

He  went  to  Tennessee  in  1826,  and  located  af: 
Greenville,  where  he  married  a  young  lady  who  pos 
sessed  some  education.  Under  her  instructions  he 
learned  to  write  and  cipher.  He  became  prominent 
in  the  village  debating  society,  and  a  favorite  with 
the  students  of  Greenville  College.  In  1828,  he  or- 
ganized a  working  man's  party,  which  elected  him 
alderman,  and  in  1830  elected  him  mayor,  which 
position  he  held  three  years. 

He  now  began  to  take  a  lively  interest  in  political 
affairs ;  identifying  himself  with  the  working-classes, 
to  which  he  belonged.  In  1835,  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  House  of  Representatives  of  Tennes- 
see. He  was  then  just  twenty-seven  years  of  age. 
He  became  a  very  active  member  of  the  legislature 
gave  his  adhesion  to  the  Democratic  party,  and  in 
1840  "stumped  the  State,"  advocating  Martin  1"an 
Buren's  claims  to  the  Presidency,  in  opposition  to  thosv 
of  Gen.  Harrison.  In  this  campaign  he  acquired  much 
readiness  as  a  speaker,  and  extended  and  increased 
his  reputation. 

In  1841,  he  was  elected  State  Senator;  in  1843,  he 
was  elected  a  member  of  Congress,  and  by  successive 
elections,  held  that  important  post  for  ten  years.  In 
1853,  he  was  elected  Governor  of  Tennessee,  and 
was  re-elected  in  1855.  In  all  these  resijonsible  posi- 
tions, he  discharged  his  duties  with  distinguished  abi, 


ANDREW  JOHNSON. 


ity,  and  proved  himself  the  warm  friend  of  the  work- 
ing classes.  In  1857,  J.Ir.  Johnson  was  elected 
United  States  Senator. 

Years  before,  in  1845,  he  had  warmly  advocated 
the  annexation  of  Texas,  stating  however,  as  his 
reason,  that  he  thought  this  annexation  would  prob- 
ably prove  "  to  be  the  gateway  out  of  which  the  sable 
50ns  of  Africa  are  to  pass  from  bondage  to  freedom, 
ftnd  become  merged  in  a  population  congenial  to 
themselves."  In  1850,  he  also  supported  the  com- 
promise measures,  the  two  essential  features  of  which 
were,  that  the  white  people  of  the  Territories  should 
be  permitted  to  decide  for  themselves  whether  they 
would  enslave  the  colored  people  or  not,  and  that 
the  ^'ree  States  of  the  North  should  return  to  the 
SouLh  persons  who  attempted  to  escape  from  slavery. 

Mr.  Johnson  was  never  ashamed  of  his  lowly  origin: 
on  the  contrary,  he  often  took  piide  in  avowing  that 
he  owed  his  distinction  to  his  own  exertions.  "Sir,'" 
said  he  on  the  floor  of  the  Senate,  "  I  do  not  forget 
that  I  am  a  mechanic ;  neither  do  I  forget  that  Adam 
was  a  tailor  and  sewed  fig-leaves,  and  that  our  Sav- 
ior was  the  son  of  a  carpenter." 

In  the  Charleston- Baltimore  convention  of  i8gj,  iie 
pas  the  choice  of  the  Tennessee  Democrats  for  the 
"Presidency.  In  1861,  when  the  purpose  of  the  South- 
2rn  Democracy  became  apparent,  he  took  a  decided 
stand  in  favor  of  the  Union,  and  held  that  "  slavery 
must  be  held  subordinate  to  the  Union  at  whatever 
cost."  He  returned  to  Tennessee,  and  repeatedly 
imperiled  his  own  life  to  protect  the  Unionists  of 
Tennesee.  Tennessee  having  seceded  from  the 
Union,  President  Lincoln,  on  March  4th,  1862,  ap- 
pointed him  Military  Governor  of  the  State,  and  he 
established  the  most  stringent  military  rule.  His 
numerous  proclamations  attracted  wide  attention.    In 

1864,  he  was  elected  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mr.  Lincoln,  April   15, 

1865,  became  President.  In  a  speech  two  days  later 
he  said,  "  The  American  people  must  be  taught,  if 
they  do  not  already  feel,  that  treason  is  a  crime  and 
must  be  cunished;  that  the  Government  will  not 
always  beai  with  its  enemies;  that  it  is  strong  not 
only  to  protect,  but  to  punish.  *  *  The  people 
must  understand  that  it  (treason)  is  the  blackest  of 
crimes,  and  will  surely  be  punished."  Yet  his  whole 
administration,  the  history  of  which  is  so  well  known, 
was  \n  utter  inconsistency  with,  and  the  roost  violent 


opposition  to,  the  principles  laid  down  in  that  speech. 

In  his  loose  policy  of  reconstruction  and  general 
amnesty,  he  was  opposed  by  Congress ;  and  he  char- 
acterized Congress  as  a  new  rebellion,  and  lawlessly 
defied  it,  in  everything  possible,  to  the  utmost.  In 
the  beginnirig  of  1868,  on  account  of  "high  crimes 
and  misdemeanors,"  the  principal  of  which  was  the 
removal  of  Secretary  Stanton,  in  violation  of  the  Ten- 
ure of  Office  Act,  articles  of  impeachment  were  pre- 
ferred against  him,  and  the    trial   began    March   23. 

It  was  very  tedious,  continuing  for  nearly  three 
months.  A  test  article  of  the  impeachment  was  at 
length  submitted  to  the  court  for  its  action.  It  was 
certain  that  as  the  court  voted  upon  that  article  so 
would  it  vote  upon  all.  Thirty -four  voices  pronounced 
the  President  guilty.  As  a  two-thirds  vote  was  neces- 
sary to  his  condemnation,  he  was  pronounced  ac- 
quitted, notwithstanding  the  great  majority  against 
him.  The  change  of  one  vote  from  the  not  guilty 
side  would  have  sustained  the  impeachment. 

The  President,  for  the  remainder  of  his  term,  was 
but  little  regarded.  He  continued,  though  impotently, 
his  conflict  with  Congress.  His  own  party  did  not 
think  it  expedient  to  renominate  him  for  the  Presi- 
dency. The  Nation  rallied,  with  enthusiasm  unpar- 
alleled since  the  day  s  of  Washington,  around  the  name 
of  Gen.  Grant.  Andrew  Johnson  was  forgotten. 
The  bullet  of  the  assassin  introduced  him  to  the 
President's  chair.  Notwithstanding  this,  never  was 
there  presented  to  a  man  a  better  opportunity  to  im- 
mortalize his  name,  and  to  win  the  gratitude  of  a 
nation.  He  failed  utterly.  He  retired  to  his  home 
in  Greenville,  Tenn.,  taking  no  very  active  part  in 
politics  until  1875.  On  Jan.  26,  after  an  exciting 
struggle,  he  was  chosen  by  the  Legislature  of  Ten- 
nessee, United  States  Senator  in  the  forty-fourth  Con- 
gress, and  took  his  seat  in  that  body,  at  the  special 
session  convened  by  President  Grant,  on  the  5th  of 
March.  On  the  27  th  of  July,  1875,  the  ex-President 
made  a  visit  to  his  daughter's  home,  near  Carter 
Station,  Tenn.  When  he  started  on  his  journey,  he  was 
apparently  in  his  usual  vigorous  health,  but  on  reach- 
ing the  residence  of  his  child  the  following  day,  was 
stricken  with  paralysis,  rendering  him  unconscious. 
He  rallied  occasirnally,  but  finally  passed  away  at 
2  A.M.,  July  31,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  His  fun- 
eral was  attended  at  Geenville,  on  the  3d  of  August, 
with  every  demonstration  of  respect 


^  /^^^::t:' 


EIGHTEENTH  PRESIDEJSTT. 


LYSSES  S.  GR.A.NT,  the 
eighteenth  President  of  the 
■■''United  States,  was  born  on 
V  the  29th  of  April,  1822,  of 
r  Christian  parents,  in  a  humble 
home,  at  Point  Pleasant,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio.  Shortly  after 
his  father  moved  to  George- 
town, Brown  Co.,  O.  In  this  re- 
mote frontier  hamlet,  Ulysses 
received  a  common-school  edu- 
cation. At  the  age  of  seven- 
teen, in  the  year  1839,  he  entered 
'il^  the  Military  Academy  at  West 
I  Point.  Here  he  was  regarded  as  a 
solid,  sensible  young  man  of  fair  abilities,  and  of 
sturdy,  honest  character.  He  took  respectable  rank 
as  a  scholar.  In  June,  T843,  he  graduated,  about  the 
middle  in  his  class,  and  was  sent  as  lieutenant  of  in- 
fantry to  one  of  the  distant  military  posts  in  the  Mis- 
souri Territory.  Two  years  he  past  in  these  dreary 
solitudes,  watching  the  vagabond  and  exasperating 
Indians. 

The  war  with  Me.xico  came.  Lieut.  Grant  was 
sent  with  his  regiment  to  Corpus  Christi.  His  first 
battle  was  at  Palo  Alto.  There  was  no  chance  here 
for  the  exhibition  of  either  skill  or  heroism,  nor  at 
Resaca  de  la  Palnia,  his  second  battle.  At  the  battle 
of  Monterey,  his  third  engagement,  it  is  said  that 
He  performed  a  signal  service  of  daring  and  skillful 
horsemanship.  His  brigade  had  exhausted  its  am- 
munition. A  messenger  must  be  sent  for  more,  along 
a  route  exposed  to  the  bullets  of  the  foe.  Lieut. 
Grant,  adopting  an  expedient  learned  of  the  Indians, 
grasped  the  mane  of  his  horse,  and  hanging  upon  one 
side  of  the  aniraal,  r^  the  gauntlet  in  entire  safety. 


From  Monterey  he  was  sent,  with  the  fourth  infantry, 
to  aid  Gen.  Scott,  at  the  siege  of  Vera  Cruz.  In 
preparation  for  the  march  to  the  city  of  Mexico,  he 
was  appointed  quartermaster  of  his  regiment.  At  the 
battle  of  Molino  del  Rey,  he  was  promoted  to  a 
first  lieutenancy,  and  was  brevetted  captain  at  Cha- 
pultepec. 

At  the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  Capt.  Grant  re- 
turned with  his  regiment  to  New  York,  and  was  again 
sent  to  one  of  the  military  posts  on  the  frontier.  The 
discovery  of  gold  in  California  causing  an  immense 
tide  of  emigration  to  flow  to  the  Pacific  shores,  Capt. 
Grant  was  sent  with  a  battalion  to  Fort  Dallas,  in 
Oregon,  for  the  protection  of  the  interests  of  the  im- 
migrants. Life  was  wearisome  in  those  wilds.  Capt. 
Grant  resigned  his  commission  and  returned  to  the 
States;  and  having  married,  entered  upon  the  cultiva- 
tion of  a  small  farm  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  had  but 
little  skill  as  a  farmer.  Finding  his  toil  not  re- 
munerative, he  turned  to  mercantile  life,  entering  into 
the  leather  business,  with  a  younger  brother,  at  Ga- 
lena, 111.  This  was  in  the  year  i860.  As  the  tidings 
of  the  rebels  firing  on  Fort  Sumpter  reached  the  ears 
of  Capt.  Grant  in  his  counting-room,  he  said, — 
"Uncle  Sam  has  educated  me  for  the  army;  though 
I  have  served  him  through  one  war,  I  do  not  feel  that 
I  have  yet  repaid  the  debt.  I  am  still  ready  to  discharge 
my  obligations.  I  shall  therefore  buckle  on  my  tword 
and  see  Uncle  Sam  through  this  war  too." 

He  went  into  the  streets,  raised  a  company  of  vol- 
unteers, and  led  them  as  their  captain  to  Springfield, 
the  capital  of  the  State,  where  their  services  were 
offered  to  Gov.  Yates.  The  Governor,  impressed  by 
the  zeal  and  straightforward  executive  ability  of  Capt. 
Grant,  gave  him  a  desk  in  his  office,  to  assist  in  the 
volunteer  organization  that  was  being  formed  in  the 
State  in  behalf  of  the  Government.     On  the  \%*^  oi 


VZySSES  S.  GRANT. 


)une,  1861,  Capt.  Grant  received  a  commission  as 
Colonel  of  the  Twenty-first  Regiment  of  Illinois  Vol- 
unteers. His  merits  as  a  West  Point  graduate,  who 
had  served  for  15  years  in  the  regular  army,  were  such 
that  he  was  soon  promoted  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier- 
General  and  was  placed  in  command  at  Cairo.  The 
rebels  raised  their  banner  at  Paducah,  near  the  mouth 
of  the  Tennessee  River.  Scarcely  had  its  folds  ap- 
peared in  the  breeze  ere  Gen.  Grant  was  there.  The 
rebels  fled.  Their  banner  fell,  and  the  star  and 
stripes  were  unfurled  in  its  stead. 

He  entered  the  service  with  great  determination 
and  immediately  began  active  duty.  This  was  the  be- 
ginning, and  until  the  surrender  of  Lee  at  Richmond 
he  was  ever  pushing  the  enemy  with  great  vigor  and 
effectiveness.  At  Belmont,  a  few  days  later,  he  sur- 
prised and  routed  the  rebels,  then  at  Fort  Henry 
won  another  victory.  Then  came  the  brilliant  fight 
at  Fort  Donelson.  The  nation  was  electrified  by  the 
victory,  and  the  brave  leader  of  the  boys  in  blue  was 
Immediately  made  a  Mnjor-General,  and  the  military 
district  of  Tennessee  was  assigned  to  him. 

Like  all  great  captains,  Gen.  Grant  knew  well  how 
to  secure  the  results  of  victory.  He  immediately 
pushed  on  to  the  enemies'  lines.  Then  came  the 
terrible  battles  of  Pittsburg  Landing,  Corinth,  and  the 
siege  of  Vicksburg,  where  Gen.  Pemberton  made  an 
unconditional  surrender  of  the  city  with  over  thirty 
thousand  men  and  one-hundred  and  seventy-two  can- 
non. The  fall  of  Vicksburg  was  by  far  the  most 
severe  blow  which  the  rebels  had  thus  far  encountered, 
and  opened  up  the  Mississippi  from  Cairo  to  the  Gulf. 

Gen.  Grant  was  next  ordered  to  co-operate  with 
Gen.  Banks  in  a  movement  upon  Te.xas,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  New  Orleans,  where  he  was  thrown  from 
his  horse,  and  received  severe  injuries,  from  which  he 
was  laid  up  for  months.  He  then  rushed  to  the  aid 
of  Gens.  Rosecrans  and  Thomas  at  Chattanooga,  and 
by  a  wonderful  series  of  strategic  and  technical  meas- 
ures put  tlie  Union  Army  in  fighting  condition.  Then 
followed  the  bloody  battles  at  Chattanooga,  Lo&kout 
Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge,  in  which  the  rebels 
were  routed  witli  great  loss.  This  won  for  him  un- 
bounded praise  in  the  North.  On  the  4th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1864,  Congress  revived  the  grade  of  lieutenant- 
general,  and  the  rank  was  conferred  on  Gen.  Grant. 
He  repaired  to  Washington  to  receive  his  credentials 
.-iiid  enter  upon  th^  duties  of  his  new  office 


Gen.  Grant  decided  as  soon  as  he  took  charge  ol 
ihe  army  to  concentrate  the  widely-dispersed  National 
troops  for  an  attack  upon  Richmond,  the  nominal 
capital  of  the  Rebellion,  and  endeavor  there  to  de- 
stroy the  rebel  armies  which  would  be  promptly  as- 
sembled from  all  quarters  for  its  defence.  The  whole 
continent  seemed  to  tremble  under  the  tramp  of  these 
majestic  armies,  rushing  to  the  decisive  battle  field. 
Steamers  were  crowded  with  troops.  Railway  trains 
were  burdened  with  closely  packed  thousands.  His 
plans  were  comprehensive  and  involved  a  series  of 
campaigns,  which  were  executed  with  remarkable  en- 
ergy and  ability,  and  were  consummated  at  the  sur- 
render of  Lee,  April  9,   1865. 

The  war  was  ended.  The  Union  was  saved.  The 
almost  unanimous  voice  of  the  Nation  declared  Gen. 
Grant  to  be  the  most  prominent  instrument  in  its  sal. 
vation.  The  eminent  services  he  had  thus  rendered 
the  country  brought  him  conspicuously  forward  as  the 
Republican  candidate  for  the  Presidential  chair. 

At  the  Republican    Convention    held  at   Chicago^- 
May  21,  1868,  he  was  unanimously  nominated  for  the 
Presidency,  and  at  the  autumn  election  received    a 
majority  of  the  popular  vote,  and    214   out   of  294 
electoral  votes. 

The  National  Convention  of  the  Republican  party 
which  met  at  Philadelphia  on  the  5th  of  June,  T872, 
placed  Gen.  Grant  in  nomination  for  a  second  term 
by  a  unanimous  vote.  The  selection  was  emphati- 
cally indorsed  by  the  people  five  months  later,  292 
electoral  votes  being   cast   for  him. 

Soon  after  the  close  of  his  second  term.  Gen.  Grant 
started  upon  his  famous  trip  around  the  world.  He 
visited  almost  every  country  of  the  civilized  world, 
and  was  everywhere  received  with  such  ovations 
and  demonstrations  of  respect  and  honor,  priv.-xte 
as  well  as  public  and  official,  as  were  never  before 
bestowed  upon  any  citizen  of  the  United   States. 

He  was  the  most  prominent  candidate  before  the 
Republican  National  Convention  in  1880  for  a  re- 
nomination  for  President.  He  went  to  New  York  and 
embarked  in  the  brokerage  business  under  the  firm 
nanieof  Grant  &  Ward.  The  latter  proved  a  villain, 
wrecked  (Grant's  fortune,  and  for  larceny  was  sent  to 
the  penitentiary.  The  General  was  attacked  with 
cancer  in  the  throat,  but  suffered  in  his  stoic-like 
manner,  never  complaining.  He  was  re-instated  as 
General  of  the  Army  and  retired  by  Congress.  The 
cancer  soon  finished  its  deadly  work,  and  July  23, 
1885,  the  nation  went  in  mourning  over  the  death  of 
the  illustrious  General. 


0  (-.'L^.^  oA- 


NINETEENTH  PRESIDENT. 


.'syr/'Wcj..^.- 


I'^'i^t^a'^t^t^'^tgjjt.;. 


UTHERFORD  B.  HAYES, 
the  nineteenth  President  of 
the  United  States,  was  born  in 
Delaware,  O.,  Oct.  4,  1822,  al- 
most three  months  after  the 
death  of  his  father,  Rutherford 
Hayes.  His  ancestry  on  both 
the  paternal  and  maternal  sides, 
was  of  the  most  honorable  char- 
acter. It  can  be  traced,  it  is  said, 
as  far  back  as  1280,  when  Hayes  and 
Rutherford  were  two  Scottish  chief- 
tains, fighting  side  by  side  with 
Baliol,  William  Wallace  and  Robert 
Bruce.  Both  families  belonged  to  the 
nobility,  owned  extensive  estates, 
and  had  a  large  following.  Misfor- 
cane  ovw<aking  the  family,  George  Hayes  left  Scot- 
land in  16S0,  and  settled  in  Windsor,  Conn.  His  son 
George  was.,  born  in  Windsor,  and  remained  there 
during  his  liJe.  Daniel  Hayes,  son  of  the  latter,  mar- 
ried Sarah  Lee,  and  lived  from  the  time  of  his  mar- 
riage until  his  death  in  Simsbury,  Conn.  Ezekiel, 
son  of  Daniel,  was  born  in  1724.  and  was  a  manufac- 
turerof  scythea  at  Bradford,  Conn.  Rutherford  Hayes, 
son  of  Ezekiel  ai/d  grandfather  of  President  Hayes,  was 
born  in  New  Haven,  in  August,  1756.  He  was  a  farmer, 
blacksmith  and  tavern-keeper.  He  emigrated  to 
Vermont  at  an  unknown  date,  settling  in  Brattleboro, 
where  he  established  a  hotel.  Here  his  son  Ruth- 
erford Hayes    the  father  of  President  Hayes,  was 


born.  He  was  married,  in  September,  1813,  to  Sophia 
Birchard,  of  Wilmington,  Vt.,  whose  ancestors  emi- 
grated thither  from  Connecticut,  they  having  beeti 
among  the  wealthiest  and  best  famlies  of  Norwich. 
Her  ancestry  on  the^ale  side  are  traced  back  to 
1635,  to  John  Birchard,  one  of  the  principal  founders 
of  Norwich.  Both  of  her  grandfathers  were  soldiers 
in  the  Revolutionary  War. 

The  father  of  President  Hayes  was  an  industrious 
frugal  and  opened-hearted  man.  He  was  of  a  me- 
chanical turn,  and  could  mend  a  plow,  knit  a  stock- 
ing,  or  do  almost  anything  else  that  he  choose  to 
undertake.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Church,  active 
in  all  the  benevolent  enterprises  of  the  town,  and  con- 
ducted his  business  on  Christian  principles.  After 
the  close  of  the  war  of  181 2,  for  reasons  inexplicable 
to  his  neighbors,  he  resolved  to  emigrate  to   Ohio. 

The  journey  from  Vermont  to  Ohio  in  that  day 
when  there  were  no  canals,  steamers,  not  railways, 
was  a  very  serious  affair.  A  tour  of  inspection  was 
first  made,  occupying  four  months.  Mr.  Hayes  deter 
mined  to  move  to  Delaware,  where  the  family  arrived 
in  1817.  He  died  July  22,  1822,  a  victim  of  malarial 
fever,  less  than  three  months  before  the  birth  of  the 
son,  of  whom  we  now  write.  Mrs.  Hayes,  in  her  sore  be- 
reavement, found  the  support  she  so  much  needed  in 
her  brother  Sardis,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the 
household  from  the  day  of  its  departure  from  Ver~ 
mont,  and  in  an  orphan  girl  whom  she  had  adopted 
some  time  before  as  an  act  of  charity. 

Mrs.  Hayes  at  this  period  was  very  weak,  and  the 


92 


RUTHERFORD  B.  HAYES. 


subject  of  this  sketch  was  so  feeble  at  birth  that  he 
^Yas  not  expected  to  live  beyond  a  month  or  two  at 
most.  As  the  months  went  by  he  grew  weaker  and 
weaker,  so  that  the  neighbors  were  in  the  habit  of  in- 
quiring from  time  to  time  "  if  Mrs.  Hayes'  baby  died 
last  night.'  On  one  occasion  a  neighbor,  who  was  on 
fimiliar  terms  with  the  family,  after  alluding  to  the 
iboy's  big  head,  and  the  mother's  assiduous  care  of 
nim,  said  in  a  bantering  way,  "  That's  right!  Stick  to 
him.  You  have  got  him  along  so  far,  and  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  he  woald  really  come  to  something  yet." 

"  You  reed  not  laugh,"  said  Mrs.  Hayes.  "  You 
vait  and  see.  You  can't  tell  but  I  shall  make  him 
Pre:.ident  of  the  United  States  yet."  The  boy  lived, 
in  spite  of  the  universal  predictions  of  his  speedy 
death;  and  when,  in  1825,  his  older  brother  was 
drowned,  he  became,  if  possible,  still  dearer  to  his 
mother. 

The  boy  was  seven  years  old  before  he  w<;nt  to 
school.  His  education,  however,  was  not  neglected. 
He  probably  learned  as  much  from  his  mother  and 
sister  as  he  would  have  done  at  school.  His  sports 
were  almost  wholly  within  doors,  his  playmates  being 
his  sister  and  her  associates.  These  circumstances 
tended,  no  doubt,  to  foster  that  gentleness  of  dispo- 
sition, and  that  delicate  consideration  for  the  feelings 
of  others,  which  are  marked  traits  of  his  character. 

His  uncle  Sardis  Bircliard  took  the  deepest  interest 
in  his  education  ;  and  as  the  boy's  health  had  im~ 
■proved,  and  he  was  making  good  progress  in  his 
studies,  he  proposed  to  send  him  to  college.  His  pre- 
paration commenced  with  a  tutor  at  home;  bit  he 
was  afterwards  sent  for  one  year  to  a  professor  in  the 
Wesleyan  University,  in  Middletown,  Conn.  He  en- 
tered Kenyon  College  in  1838,  at  the  age  of  sixteen, 
and  was  graduated  at  the  head  of  his  class  in   1842. 

Immediately  after  his  graduation  he  began  the 
study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Thomas  Sparrow,  Esq., 
in  Columbus.  Finding  his  opportunities  for  study  in 
Columbus  somewhat  limited,  he  determined  to  enter 
the  Law  School  at  Cambridge,  Mass.,  where  he  re- 
mained two  years. 

In  1845,  after  graduatmg  at  the  Law  School,  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  at  Marietta,  Ohio,  and  shortly 
afterward  went  into  practice  as  an  attorn ey-at-law 
with  Ralph  P.  Buckland,  of  Fremont.  Here  he  re- 
mained three  years,  acquiring  but  a  limited  practice, 
and  apparently  unambitious  of  distinction  in  his  pro- 
fession. 

Xn  1849  he  moved  to  Cincinnati,  where  his  ambi- 
tion found  a  new  stimulus.  For  several  years,  how- 
ever, his  progress  was  slow.  Two  events,  occurring  at 
this  period,  had  a  powerful  influence  upon  his  sul)se- 
quent '.ife.  One  of  these  was  his  marrage  with  Miss 
'Lucy  Ware  Webb,  daughter  of  Dr.  James  Webb,  of 
Chilicothe;  the  othev  was  his  introduction  to  the  Cin- 
cinnati Literary  Club,  a  body  embracing  among  its 
members  such  men  as'^hief  Justice  Salmon  P.  Chasej 


Gen.  John  Pope,  Gov.  Edward  F.  Noyes,  and  many 
others  hardly  less  distinguished  in  afterlife.  The 
marriage  was  a  fortunate  one  in  every  respect,  as 
everybody  knows.  Not  one  of  all  the  wives  of  our 
Presidents  was  more  universally  admired,  reverenced 
and  beloved  than  was  Mrs.  Hayes,  and  no  one  did 
more  than  she  toreflect  honor  upon  American  woman 
hood.  The  Literary  Cluu  brought  Mr.  Hayes  into 
constant  association  with  young  men  of  high  char- 
acter and  noble  aims,  and  lured  him  to  display  the 
qualities  so  long  hidden  by  his  bashfulne.s  and 
modesty. 

In  1856  he  was  nominated  to  the  office  of  Judge  of 
the  Court  of  Common  Pleas;  but  he  declined  to  ac. 
cept  the  nomination.  Two  years  later,  the  office  o( 
city  solicitor  becoming  vacant,  the  City  Council, 
elected  him  for  the  unexpired  term. 

In  1S61,  when  the  Rebellion  iiroke  out,  he  was  ai 
tne  zenith  of  his  professional  Vf,.  His  rank  at  the 
bar  was  among  the  the  first.  But  the  news  of  the 
attack  on  Fort  Sunipter  found  him  eager  to  take  id 
arms  for  the  defense  of  his  country. 

His  military  record  was  bright  ard  illustrious.  In 
October,  186 1,  he  was  made  Lieutenant-Colonel,  and 
in  August,  1862,  promoted  Colonel  of  the  79tli  Ohio 
regiment,  but  he  refused  to  leave  his  old  comrades 
and  go  among  strangers.  Subsequently,  however,  h-; 
was  made  Colonel  of  his  old  regiment.  At  the  battle 
of  South  Mountain  he  received  a  wound,  and  while 
faint  and  bleeding  displayed  courage  and  fortitude 
that  won  admiration  from  all. 

Col.  Hayes  was  detached  from  his  regiment,  after 
his  recovery,  to  act  as  Brigadier-General,  and  ph^ced 
in  command  of  the  celebrated  Kanawha  division, 
and  for  gallant  and  meritorious  services  in  the  battles 
of  Winchester,  Fisher's  Hill  and  Cedar  Creek,  he  was 
promoted  Brigadier-General.  He  was  also  brevetted 
Major-General,  "forgallant  and  distirguished  services 
during  the  campaigns  of  1864,  in  West  Virginia."  In 
the  course  of  his  arduous  services,  four  horses  were 
shot  from  under  him,  and  he  was  wounded  four  times 

In  1864,  Gen.  Hayes  was  elected  to  Congress,  from 
the  Second  Ohio  District,  which  had  long  been  Dem- 
ocratic. He  was  not  present  during  the  campaign, 
and  after  his  election  was  importuned  to  resign  his 
commission  in  the  army  J  but  he  finally  declared,  "  I 
shall  never  come  to  Washington  until  I  can  come  1  y 
the  way  of  Richmond."  He  was  re-elected  in  1866. 

In  1867,  Gen  Hayes  was  elected  Governor  of  Ohio, 
over  Hon.  Allen  G.  Thurman,  a  popular  Democrat. 
In  1869  was  re-eiected  over  George  H.  Pendleton. 
He  was  elected  Governor  for  the  third  term  in   1875. 

]n  1876  he  was  the  standard  bearer  of  the  Repub- 
lican P.irty  in  the  Presidential  contest,  and  after  n 
hard  long  contest  was  chosen  President,  and  was  in 
ausjurated  Monday,  March  5,  1875.  He  served  his 
full  term,  not,  h.  wever,  with  satisfaction  to  his  party^ 
but  his  admin  Utrafioh  was  an  average  o^> 


.1-^ 


v^x^^^. 


TiVENTIETH  PRESIDENT. 


^^m. 


/^a. 


♦^  «♦$  $♦*  *«*  $*$  ^*$  «**  ^**  -*-   -9.--^        ^*-^-.#^-«^A 


«»^$#$»$*$  ^*$ 


\J.IES  A.  GARFIELD,  twen- 
tieth President  of  the  United 
States,    was    born    Nov.    19, 
1S31,  ia  the  woods  of  Orange, 
L  lyahoga  Co.,  O      His    par- 
ents were  Abram  and    Eliza 
(Ballou)   Garfield,   both   of  New 
England  ancestry  and  from   fami- 
ies  well  known  in  the  early  his- 
tory of  that  section  of  our  coun- 
try, but  had  moved  to  the  Western 
Reserve,  in  Ohio,  early  in  its  settle- 
ment. 

The  house  in  which  James  A.  was 
born  was  not  unlike  the  houses  of 
poor  Ohio  farmers  of  that  day.  It 
.dc  about  20  X30  feet,  built  of  logs,  with  tlie  spaces  be- 
.^/een  the  logs  filled  with  clay.  His  father  was  a 
.lard  working  farmer,  and  he  soon  had  his  fields 
jleared,  an  orchard  planted,  and  a  log  barn  built, 
fhe  household  comprised  the  father  and  mother  and 
heir  four  children — Mehetabel,  Thomas,  Mary  and 
"ames.  In  May,  1823^  the  father,  from  a  cold  con- 
.racted  in  helping  to  put  out  a  forest  fire,  died.  At 
(his  time  James  was  about  eighteen  months  old,  and 
Thomas  about  ten  years  old.  No  one,  perhaps,  can 
(ell  how  niucli  James  was  indebted  to  his  b'other's 
[cil  and  self  sacrifice  during  the  twenty  years  suc- 
ceeding his  father's  death,  but  undoubtedly  very 
much.  He  now  lives  in  Michigan,  and  the  two  sis- 
ters live  in  Solon,  O.,  near  their  birthplace. 

The  early  educational  advantages  young  Garfield 
enjoyed  were  very  limited,  yet  he  made  the  most  of 
them.  He  labored  at  farm  work  for  others,  did  car- 
penter work,  chopped  wood,  or  did  anything  that 
would  bring  in  a  few  dollars  to  aid  his  widowed 
mother  in  he'  =tinggles  to  keep  the  little  jamjly  to- 


gether. Nor  was  Gen.  Garfield  ever  ashamed  of  his 
origin,  and  he  never  forgot  the  friends  of  his  strug- 
gling childhood,  youth  and  manhood,  neither  did  they 
ever  forget  him.  When  in  the  highest  seats  of  honor 
the  humblest  fiiend  of  his  boyhood  was  as  kindly 
greeted  as  ever.  The  poorest  laborer  was  sure  of  the 
sympathy  of  one  who  had  known  all  the  bitterness 
of  want  and  the  sweetness  of  bread  earned  by  the 
sweat  of  the  brow.  He  was  ever  the  simple,  plain, 
modest  gentleman. 

The  highest  ambition  of  young  Garfield  until  hi 
was  about  sixteen  years  old  was  to  be  a  captain  of 
a  vessel  on  Lake  Erie.  He  was  anxious  to  go  aboard 
a  vessel,  which  his  mother  strongly  opposed.  She 
finally  consented  to  his  going  to  Cleveland,  with  the 
understanding,  however,  that  he  should  try  to  obtair 
some  other  kind  of  employment.  He  walked  all  the 
way  to  Cleveland.  This  was  his  first  visit  to  the  city 
Afier  making  many  applications  for  work,  and  trying 
to  get  aboard  a  lake  vessel,  and  not  meeting  with 
success,  he  engaged  as  a  driver  for  his  cousin,  Amos 
Letcher,  on  the  Ohio  &:  Pennsylvania  Canal.  He  re- 
mained at  this  work  but  a  short  time  wlien  he  wen'; 
home,  and  attended  the  seminary  at  Chester  for 
about  three  years,  when  he  entered  Hiram  and  the 
Eclectic  Institute,  teaching  a  few  terms  of  school  in 
the  meantime,  and  doing  other  work.  This  school 
was  started  by  the  Disciples  of  Christ  in  1850,  of 
which  church  he  was  then  a  member.  He  became 
janitor  and  bell-ringer  in  order  to  help  pay  his  way 
He  then  became  both  teacher  and  pupil.  He  soon 
"  exiiausted  Hiram  "  and  needed  more  ;  hence,  in  the 
fall  of  1854,  he  entered  Williams  College,  from  which 
he  graduated  in  1856,  taking  one  of  the  highest  h(^.- 
ors  of  his  class.  He  afterwards  returned  to  Hiram 
College  as  its  President.  As  above  stated,  he  early 
united  with  the  Christian  or  Diciples  Church  at 
Hiram,  and  was  ever  after  a  devoted,  zealous  mem- 
ber, often  preaching  in  its  pulpit  and  places  where 
he  liappened  to  be.  Dr.  Noah  Porter,  President  of 
Yale  College,  says  of  him  in  reference  to  his  religion; 


JAMES  A.  GARFIELD. 


"  President  Garfield  was  more  than  a  man  of 
strong  moral  and  religious  convictions.  His  whole 
history,  from  boyhood  to  the  last,  shows  that  duty  to 
man  and  to  God,  and  devotion  to  Christ  and  life  and 
faith  and  spiritual  commission  were  controlling  springs 
of  his  being,  and  to  a  more  than  usual  degree.  In 
my  jadgmeni.  there  is  no  more  interesting  feature  of 
his  character  than  his  loyal  allegiance  to  the  body  of 
Christians  in  which  he  was  trained,  and  the  fervent 
sympathy  which  he  ever  showed  in  their  Christian 
communion.  Not  many  of  the  few  'wise  and  mighty 
and  noble  who  are  called'  show  a  similar  loyalty  to 
the  less  stately  and  cultured  Christian  communions 
in  which  they  have  been  reared.  Too  often  it  is  true 
that  as  they  step  upward  in  social  and  political  sig- 
nificance they  step  upward  from  one  degree  to 
another  in  some  of  the  many  types  of  fashionable 
Christianity.  President  Garfield  adhered  to  the 
:;hurch  of  his  mother,  the  church  in  which  he  was 
trained,  and  in  which  he  served  as  a  pillar  and  an 
evangelist,  and  yet  with  the  largest  and  most  unsec- 
^arian  charity  for  all  'who  loveour  Lord  in  sincerity.'" 

Mr.  Garfield  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Lucretia  Rudolph,  Nov.  ii,  1858,  who  proved  herself 
worthy  as  the  wife  of  one  whom  all  the  world  loved  and 
mourned.  To  them  were  born  seven  children,  five  of 
whom  are  still  living,  four  boys  and  one  girl. 

Mr.  Garfield  made  his  first  political  speeches  ini856, 
in  Hiram  and  the  neighboring  villages,  and  three 
years  later  he  began  to  speak  at  county  mass-meet- 
ings, and  became  the  favorite  speaker  wherever  he 
was.  During  this  year  he  was  elected  to  the  Ohio 
Senate.  He  also  began  to  study  law  at  Cleveland, 
and  in  x86i  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  The  great 
Rebellion  broke  out  in  the  early  part  of  this  year, 
and  Mr.  Garfield  at  once  resolved  to  fight  as  he  liad 
talked,  and  enlisted  to  defend  the  old  flag.  He  re- 
ceived his  commission  as  Lieut. -Colonel  of  the  Forty- 
second  Regiment  of  Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry,  Aug. 
14,  i86i.  He  was  immediately  put  into  active  ser- 
vice, and  before  he  hadeverseen  agun  fired  in  action, 
was  placed  in  command  of  four  regiments  of  infantr)' 
and  eight  companies  of  cavalry,  charged  with  the 
work  of  driving  out  of  his  native  State  the  officer 
(Humphrey  M^irshall)  reputed  to  be  the  ablest  of 
those,  not  educated  to  war  whom  Kentucky  had  given 
to  the  Rebellion.  This  work  was  bravely  and  speed- 
ily accomplished,  although  against  great  odds.  Pres- 
ident Lincoln,  on  his  success  commissioned  him 
Brigadier-General,  Jan.  10,  1862;  and  as  "he  had 
been  the  youngest  man  in  the  Ohio  Senate  two  years 
before,  so  now  he  was  the  youngest  General  in  the 
army."  He  was  with  Gen.  Buell's  army  at  Shiloh, 
in  its  operations  around  Corinth  and  its  march  through 
Alabama.  He  was  then  detailed  as  a  member  of  the 
General  Coutt-Martial  for  the  trial  of  Gen.  Fitz-John 
Porter.  He  was  then  ordered  to  report  to  Gen.  Rose- 
crans,  and  was  assigned  to  the  "Chief  of  Staff." 

The  military  history  of  Gen.  Garfield  closed  with 


his  brilliant  services  at  Chickamauga,  where  he  won 
the  stars  of  the  Major-General. 

Without  an  effort  on  his  part  Ge?  Garfield  was 
elected  to  Congress  in  the  fall  of  1862  from  the 
Nineteenth  District  of  Ohio.  This  section  of  Ohio 
had  been  represented  in  Congiess  for  sixty  year* 
mainly  by  two  men — Elisha  \Vhittlesey  and  Joshui. 
R.  Giddings.  It  was  not  without  a  struggle  that  he 
resigned  his  place  in  the  army.  At  the  time  he  en- 
tered Congress  he  was  the  youngest  member  in  that 
body.  Thert;  he  remained  by  successive  re- 
elections  until  he  was  elected  President  in  1880. 
Of  liis  labors  in  Congress  Senator  Hoar  says  :  "  Since 
the  year  1864  you  cannot  think  of  a  questiori  whicii 
has  been  debated  in  Congress,  or  discussed  before  & 
tribunel  of  the  American  people,  in  regard  to  whicL 
you  will  not  find,  if  you  wish  instruction,  the  argu^ 
ment  on  one  side  stated,  in  almost  every  instance 
better  than  by  anybody  else,  in  some  speech  made  in 
the  House  of  Representatives  or  on  the  hustings  by 
Mr.  Garfield." 

Uix)n  Jan.  14,  1880,  Gen.  Garfield  was  elected  to 
the  U.  S.  Senate,  and  on  the  eighth  of  June,  of  the 
same  year,  was  nominated  as  the  candidate  of  his 
party  for  President  at  the  great  Chicago  Convention. 
He  was  elected  in  the  following  November,  and  on 
March  4,  1881,  was  inaugurated.  Probably  no  ad- 
ministration ever  opened  its  existence  under  brighter 
auspices  than  that  of  President  Gaifield,  and  every 
day  it  grew  in  favo.'  with  the  peo])le,  and  by  the  first 
of  July  he  had  completed  all  the  initiatory  and  pre- 
liminary work  of  his  administration  and  was  prepar- 
ing to  leave  the  city  to  meet  his  friends  at  Williams 
College.  Wliile  on  his  way  and  at  the  depot,  in  com- 
pany with  Secretary  Blaine,  a  man  stepped  behind 
him,  drew  a  revolver,  and  fired  directly  at  his  back. 
The  President  tottered  and  fell,  and  as  he  did  so  the 
assassin  fired  a  second  shot,  the  bullet  cutting  the 
left  coat  sleeve  of  his  victim,  but  in.licting  no  further 
injury.  It  has  been  very  truthfully  said  that  this  was 
"  the  shot  that  was  heard  round  the  world  "  Never 
before  in  the  history  of  the  Nation  had  anything  oc- 
curred whfch  so  nearly  froze  the  blood  of  the  peop't 
for  the  moment,  as  this  awful  deed.  He  was  smit- 
ten on  the  brightest,  gladdest  day  of  all  his  life,  and 
was  at  the  summit  of  his  power  and  hope.  Foreighty 
days,  all  during  the  hot  months  of  July  and  August, 
he  lingered  and  suffered.  He,  however,  remained 
master  of  himself  till  the  last,  and  by  his  magnificent 
bearing  was  teaching  the  country  and  the  world  the 
noblest  of  human  lessons — how  to  live  grandly  in  the 
very  clutch  of  death.  Great  in  life,  he  was  surpass- 
ingly great  in  death.  He  passed  serenely  away  Sept. 
19,  1883,  at  Elberon,  N.  J  ,  on  the  very  bank  of  the 
ocean,  where  he  had  been  taken  shortly  previous.  The 
world  wept  at  his  death,  as  it  never  had  done  on  the 
death  of  any  other  man  who  had  ever  lived  upon  it. 
The  murderer  was  duly  tried,  found  guilty  and  exe- 
cuted, in  one  year  after  he  committed  the  foul  deed.  ' 


TWRJSITY.FIRST  PRESIDENT. 


CMC  fi'/'^sa'  n;  \i  ^«    m^»Mm 


HESTER      A.      ARTHUR, 

twenty-first    Presi'^.^m   of  the 

*^*  United    States,    was    born    in 

Franklin  Courty,  Vermont,  on 

thefifthof  Oc'ober,  1830,  and  is 

the  oldest   of  a    family    of  two 

sons  and    five   daughters.     His 

father  was  the  Rev.  Dr.  William 

Arthur,  a  Baptist  cJ'.rgyman,  who 

emigrated  to  tb'.s  country  from 

the  county  Antnm,   Ireland,   in 

his  1 8th  year,  and  died  in  1875,  in 

Newtonville,   neai    Albany,   after  a 

long  and  successful  ministry. 

Young  Arthur  was  educated  at 
Union  College,  S(  henectady,  where 
he  excelled  in  all  his  studies.  Af- 
ter his  graduation  he  taught  school 
in  Vermont  for  two  years,  and  at 
the  expiration  of  that  time  came  to 
New  York,  with  $500  in  his  jwcket, 
and  eiitered  the  office  of  ex- Judge 
E.  D.  Culver  as  student.  After 
I  being  admitted  to  the  bar  he  formed 
a  partnership  with  his  intimate  friend  and  room-mate, 
Henry  D.  Gardiner,  with  the  intention  of  practicing 
in  the  West,  and  for  three  months  they  roamed  about 
in  the  Western  States  in  search  of  an  eligible  site, 
but  in  the  end  returned  to  New  York,  where  they 
hung  out  their  shingle,  and  entered  upon  a  success^ 
ful  career  almost  from  the  start.  General  Arthur 
icon  afterward  raaxpfd  the  daughter  of  Lieutenant 


Herndon,  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  was  lost  at 

sea.  Congress  voted  a  gold  medal  to  his  widow  in 
recognition  of  the  bravery  he  displayed  on  that  occa- 
sion. Mrs.  Arthur  died  shortly  before  Mr.  Arthur's 
nomination  to  the  Vice  Presidency,  leaving  two 
children. 

Gen.  Arthur  obtained  considerable  legal  celebrity 
in  his  first  great  case,  the  famous  Lemmon  suit, 
brought  to  recover  possession  of  eight  slaves  who  had 
been  declared  free  by  Judge  Paine,  of  the  Superior 
Court  of  New  York  City.  It  was  in  1852  that  Jon, 
athan  Lemmon,  of  Virginia,  went  to  New  York  with 
his  slaves,  intending  to  ship  them  to  Texas,  when 
they  were  discovered  and  freed.  The  Judge  decided 
that  they  could  not  be  held  by  the  owner  under  the 
Fugitive  Slave  Law.  A  howl  of  rage  went  up  from 
the  South,  and  the  Virginia  Legislature  authorized  the 
Attorney  General  of  that  State  to  assist  in  an  appeal. 
Wm.  M.  Evarts  and  Chester  A.  Arthur  were  employed 
to  represent  the  People,  and  they  won  their  case, 
which  then  went  to  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United 
States.  Charles  O'Conor  here  espoused  the  cause 
of  the  slave-holders,  but  he  too  was  beaten  by  Messrs 
Evarts  and  Arthur,  and  a  long  step  was  taken  toward 
the  emancipation  of  the  black  race. 

Another  great  service  was  rendered  by  General 
Arthur  in  the  same  cause  in  1856.  Lizzie  Jennings, 
a  respectable  colored  woman,  was  put  off  a  Fourth 
Avenue  car  with  violence  after  she  had  paid  her  fare. 
General  Arthur  sued  on  her  behalf,  and  secured  a 
verdict  of  $500  damages.  The  next  day  the  compa- 
ny issued  an  order  to  admit  colored  persons  to  ride 
on  their  cars,  and  the  other  car  companies  quickly 


CHESTER  A.  ARTHUR. 


followed  their  example.  Before  that  the  Sixth  Ave- 
nue Company  ran  a  few  special  cars  for  colored  per- 
sons and  the  other  lines  refused  to  let  them  ride  at  all. 

General  Arthur  was  a  delegate  to  the  Convention 
at  Saratoga  that  founded  the  Republican  party. 
Previous  to  the  war  he  was  Judge-Advocate  of  the 
Second  Brigade  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and  Gov- 
ernor Morgan,  of  that  State,  appointed  hmi  Engineer- 
in-Chief  of  his  staff.  In  1861,  he  was  made  Inspec- 
tor General,  and  soon  afterward  became  Quartermas- 
ter-General. In  each  of  these  offices  he  rendered 
great  service  to  the  Government  during  the  war.  At 
the  end  of  Governor  Morgan's  term  he  resumed  the 
practice  of  the  law,  forming  a  partnership  with  Mr. 
Ransom,  and  then  Mr.  Phelps,  the  District  Attorney 
of  New  York,  was  added  to  the  firm.  The  legal  prac- 
tice of  this  well-known  firm  was  very  large  and  lucra- 
tive, each  of  the  gentlemen  composing  it  were  able 
lawyers,  and  possessed  a  splendid  local  reputation,  if 
not  indeed  one  of  national  extent. 

He  always  took  a  leading  part  in  State  and  city 
politics.  He  was  appointed  Collector  of  the  Port  of 
New  York  by  President  Grant,  Nov.  21  1872,  to  suc- 
ceed Thomas  Murphy,  and  held  the  office  until  July, 
20,  1878,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Collector  Merritt. 

Mr.  Arthur  was  nominated  on  the  Presidential 
ticket,  with  Gen.  James  A.  Garfield,  at  the  famous 
National  Republican  Convention  held  at  Chicago  in 
June,  1880.  This  was  perhaps  the  greatest  political 
convention  that  ever  assembled  on  the  continent.  It 
was  composed  of  the  hading  politicians  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  all  able  men,  and  each  stood  firm  and 
fought  vigorously  and  with  signal  tenacity  for  their 
respective  candidates  that  were  before  the  conven- 
tion for  the  nomination.  Finally  Gen.  Garfield  re- 
ceived the  nomination  for  President  and  Gen.  Arthur 
for  Vice-President.  The  campaign  which  followed 
was  one  of  the  most  animated  known  in  the  history  of 
our  country.  Gen.  Hancock,  the  standard-bearer  of 
the  Democratic  party,  was  a  popular  man,  and  his 
party  made  a  valiant  fight  for  his  election. 

Finally  the  election  came  and  the  country's  choice 
(vas  Garfield  and  Arthur.  They  were  inaugurated 
March  4,  1 88 1,  as  President  and  Vice-President. 
A  few  months  only  had  passed  ere  the  newly  chosen 
President  was  the  victim  of  the  assassin's  bullet.  Then 
came  terrible  weeks  of  suffering, — those  moments  of 
anxious  suspense,  wher  the  hearts  of  all  civilized  na- 


tions were  throbbing  in  unison,  longing  for  the  re- 
covery of  the  noble,  the  good  President.  The  remark- 
able patience  that  he  manifested  during  those  hours 
and  weeks,  and  even  months,  of  the  most  terrible  suf- 
fering man  has  often  been  called  upon  to  endure,  was 
seemingly  more  than  human.  It  was  certainly  God- 
like. During  all  this  period  of  deepest  anxiety  Mr. 
Arthur's  every  move  was  watched,  and  be  it  said  to  his^ 
credit  that  his  every  action  displayed  only  an  earnest 
desire  that  the  suffering  Garfield  might  recover,  to 
serve  the  remainder  of  the  term  he  had  so  auspi' 
ciously  begun.  Not  a  selfish  feeling  was  manifested 
in  deed  or  look  of  this  man,  even  though  the  most 
honored  position  in  the  world  was  at  any  moment 
likely  to  fall  to  him. 

At  last  God  in  his  mercy  relieved  President  Gar- 
field from  further  suffering,  and  the  world,  as  nevei 
before  in  its  history  over  the  death  of  any  othei 
man,  wept  at  his  bier.  Then  it  became  the  duty  0/ 
the  Vice  President  to  assume  the  responsibilities  ol 
the  high  office,  and  he  took  the  oath  in  New  York, 
Sept.  20,  1881.  The  position  was  an  embarr.issing 
one  to  him,  made  doubly  so  from  the  facts  that  all 
eyes  were  on  him,  anxious  to  know  what  he  would  do, 
what  policy  he  would  pursue,  and  who  he  would  se- 
lect as  advisers.  The  duties  of  the  office  had  been 
greatly  neglected  during  the  President's  long  illness,' 
and  many  important  measures  were  to  be  immediately 
decided  by  him ;  and  still  farther  to  embarrass  him  he 
did  not  fail  to  realize  under  what  circumstances  he 
became  President,  and  knew  the  feelings  of  many  on 
this  ix)int.  Under  these  trying  circumstances  President 
Arthur  took  the  reins  of  the  Government  in  his  owi, 
hands ;  and,  as  embarrassing  as  were  the  condition  of 
affairs,  he  happily  surprised  the  nation,  acting  so 
wisely  Ihat  but  few  criticisea  \iis  administration. 
He  served  the  nation  well  and  faithfully,  until  the 
close  of  his  administration,  March  4,  1885,  and  was 
a  popular  candidate  before  his  party  for  a  second 
term.  His  name  was  ably  presented  before  the  con- 
vention at  Chicago,  and  was  received  with  great 
favor,  and  doubtless  but  for  the  personal  popularity 
of  one  of  the  opposing  candidates,  he  would  have 
been  selected  as  the  standard-bearer  of  his  party 
for  another  campaign.  He  retired  to  private  life  car- 
tying  with  him  the  best  wishes  of  the  American  peo- 
ple, whom  he  had  served  in  a  manner  satisfactory 
to  them  and  with  credit  to  himself. 


CXl^^rL^^^  CZ-C^L^CyCCc^iy^A! 


TWENTY-SECOND  PRESIDPNT. 


^V^ 
,:\//<\>i 


♦^;  s<*#  $<^  ^^^  s<^  s*»i   -^  »-  $«>$^e«^  $#$  '-^^  g^^;.: 


TEPHEN  GROVER  CLEVE- 
LAND, the  twenty  second  Pres- 
ident of  the  United  States,  was 
^^  born  in  1837,  in  tlie  obscure 
£  town  of  Caldwell,  Essex  Co., 
N.  J.,  and  in  a  little  two-and-a- 
h  ilfotory  white  house  which  is  still 
standing,  characteristically  to  mark 
the  huinble  birth-place  of  one  of 
America's  great  men  in  striking  con 
trast  with  the  Old  World,  where  all 
men  high  in  office  must  be  high  in 
origiti  and  born  in  the  cradle  of 
wealth.  When  the  subject  of  this 
sketch  was  three  years  of  age,  his 
father,  who  was  a  Presbyterian  min- 
ister, with  a  large  family  and  a  small  salary,  moved, 
by  way  C-  the  Halson  River  and  Erie  Canal,  to 
Fayetteville,  in  search  of  an  inc-eased  income  and  a 
larger  field  of  work.  Fayetteville  was  then  the  most 
straggling  of  country  villages,  about  five  miles  from 
Pompey  Hill,  where  Governor  Seymour  .was  born. 

At  the  last  mentioned  place  young  Grover  com- 
menced going  to  school  in  the  "good,  old-fashioned 
way,"  and  presumably  distinguished  himself  after  the 
manner  of  all  village  boys,  in  doing  the  things  he 
ought  not  to  do.  Such  is  the  distinguishing  trait  of 
all  geniuses  and  independent  thinkers.  When  he 
arrived  at  the  age  of  14  years,  he  had  outgrown  the 
capacity  of  the  village  school  and  expressed  a  most 


emphatic  desire  to  be  sent  to  an  academy.  To  this 
his  father  decidedly  objected.  Academies  in  those 
days  cost  money;  besides,  his  father  wanted  him  to 
become  self-supporting  by  the  quickest  possible 
means,  and  this  at  that  time  in  Fayette 'ille  seemed 
to  be  a  position  in  a  country  store,  where  his  father 
and  the  large  family  on  his  hands  had  considerable 
inflaence.  Grover  was  to  be  paid  $50  for  his  services 
liie  first  year,  and  if  he  proved  trustworthy  he  was  to 
receive  |too  the  second  year.  Here  the  lad  com- 
menced his  career  as  salesman,  and  in  two  years  he 
had  earned  so  good  a  reputation  for  trustworthiness 
that  his  employers  desired  to  retain  him  for  an  in- 
definite length  of  time.  Otherwise  he  did  not  ex- 
hibit as  yet  any  particular  "  flashes  of  genius  "  or 
eccentricities  of  talent.  He  was  simply  a  good  boy. 
Bat  instead  of  remaining  with  this  firm  in  Fayette- 
ville, he  went  with  the  family  in  their  removal  to 
Clinton,  wh:;re  he  had  an  opportunity  of  attending  a 
high  school.  Here  he  industriously  pursued  his 
studies  until  the  fami'y  removed  with  him  to  a  point 
on  Black  River  known  as  the  "  Holland  Patent,"  a 
village  of  500  or  600  people,  15  miles  north  of  Utica, 
M.  Y.  At  this  place  his  father  died,  after  preaching 
but  three  Sundays.  This  event  broke  up  the  family, 
and  Grover  set  out  for  New  York  City  to  accept,  at  a 
small  salary,  the  position  of  "  under-teacher  "  in  an 
asylum  for  the  blind.  He  taught  faithfully  for  two 
years,  and  although  he  obtained  a  good  reputation  in 
this  capacity,  he  concluded  that  teaching  was  not  his 


S.   GkOVER  CLEVELAND. 


calling  for  life,  and,  reversing  the  traditional  order, 
ne  left  the  d'ty  to  =eek  his  fortune.  ?npt="''  o*"  crr.;ng 
to  a  city.  He  tirsc  mougnt  ot  Cleveland,  Utiio,  as 
there  was  some  charm  in  that  name  for  him;  but 
before  proceeding  to  that  place  he  went  to  Buffjlo  to 
jsk  the  advice  of  his  uncle,  Lewis  F.  Allan,  a  noted 
stock  breeder  of  that  place.  The  latter  did  not 
speak  enthusiastically.  "What  is  it  you  want  to  do, 
my  boy?"  he  asked.  "Well,  sir,  I  want  to  study 
lav,"  was  the  reply,  "Good  gracious!"  remarked 
ih«  old  gentleman  ;  "  do  you,  indeed  ?  What  ever  put 
that  into  your  head?  How  much  money  have  you 
got?"  '"Well,  sir,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  haven't  got 
any." 

After  a  long  consultation,  his  uncle  offered  liim  a 
place  temporarily  as  assistant  herd-keeper,  at  $50  a 
year,  w'rille  iic  could  "  look  around."  One  day  soon 
afterward  he  boldly  walked  into  the  office  of  Roger-;, 
Bowen  &  Rogers,  of  Buffalo,  and  told  ihem  what  he 
wanted.  A  number  of  young  men  were  already  en- 
gaged in  the  office,  but  Grover's  persistency  won,  aid 
ne  was  finally  permitted  to  come  as  an  office  boy  and 
Have  the  use  of  the  law  library,  for  the  nominal  sum 
of  $3  or  $4  a  week.  Out  of  this  he  had  to  pay  for 
his  board  and  washing.  The  walk  to  and  from  his 
uncle's  was  a  long  and  rugged  one;  and,  aUhougli 
the  first  winter  was  a  memorably  severe  one,  his 
shoes  were  out  of  repair  and  his  overcoat — he  had 
none — yet  he  was  nevertheless  prompt  and  regular. 
On  the  first  day  of  his  service  jiere,  his  senior  em- 
ployer threw  down  a  copy  of  Blackstone  before  him 
with  a  bang  tliat  made  the  dust  fly,  saying  "Thai's 
where  they  all  begin."  A  titter  ran  around  the  little 
circle  of  clerks  and  students,  as  they  thought  that 
was  enough  to  scare  young  Grovcr  out  of  his  plans  ; 
Dut  in  due  time  he  mastered  that  cumbersome  volume. 
Then,  as  ever  afterward,  however,  Mr.  Cleveland 
exhibited  a  talent  for  executiveness  rather  than  for 
chasing  principles  through  a!l  their  metaphysical 
possibil'ties.  "  Let  us  quit  talking  and  go  and  do 
it,"  was  practically  hi^  motto. 

The  first  public  office  to  which  Mr.  Cleveland  was 
ejected  was  tliat  of  Sheriff  of  Erie  Co.,  N.  Y.,  in 
which  Buffalo  is  situated;  and  i:i  such  capacity  it  fell 
to  his  duty  to  inflict  capital  pi'-.ishment  upon  two 
cjiminals.  In  1881  he  was  elected  Mayor  of  the 
City  of  Buffalo,  on  the  Democratic  ticket,  with  es- 
pecial reference  to  the  bringing  about  cer'.am  r^.-forros 


ill  the  administration  of  the  municipal  affairs  of  that 
rih'  Tr  ^hi?  office,  a?  w»1I  as  that  of  Sheriff,  his 
periormatice  01  duty  tias  generally  been  considered 
fair,  with  possibly  a  few  exceptions  which  were  fer- 
reted out  and  magnified  during  the  last  Presidential 
campaign.  As  a  specimen  of  his  plain  language  in 
a  veto  message,  we  quote  fiom  one  vetoing  an  ini^ui 
tous  street-cleaning  contract:  "This  is  a  time  fo\ 
plain  speech,  and  my  objection  to  your  action  shall 
be  plainly  stated.  I  regard  it  as  tlie  culmination  of 
a  mos  bare-faced,  impudent  and  shameless  scheme 
to  betray  the  interests  of  the  peo|)la  and  to  worse 
than  squander  the  people's  money."  The  New  York 
Sun  afterward  very  highly  commended  Mr.  Cleve- 
land's administration  as  Mayor  of  Buffalo,  and  there- 
upon recommended  him  for  Governor  of  the  Emijir? 
State.  To  the  latter  office  he  was  elected  in  1882, 
and  his  administration  of  the  affairs  of  State  was 
generally  satisfactory.  The  mistases  he  made,  if 
any,  were  made  very  public  tiiroughout  the  nation 
after  he  was  nominated  for  President  of  the  United 
States.  For  this  high  office  he  was  nominated  July 
ir,  1884,  by  the  National  Democratic  Convention  at 
Chicago,  when  other  competitors  were  Thomas  F. 
Bayard,  Roswell  P.  Flower,  Thomas  A.  Hendricks, 
Benjamin  F.  Butler,  Allen  G.  Thurman,  etc.;  and  he 
was  elected  by  the  people,  by  a  majority  of  al>uut  a 
thousand,  over  the  brilliant  and  long-tried  Repub- 
lican statesman,  James  G.  Blaine.  President  Cleve- 
land resigned  his  office  as  Governor  of  New  York  in 
January,  1885,  in  order  to  prepare  for  his  duties  as 
the  Chief  Executive  of  die  United  States,  in  which 
cai>acity  his  term  commenced  at  noon  on  the  4th  ot 
March,  18S5.  For  his  Cabinet  officers  he  selected 
tlie  following  gentlemen:  For  Secretary  of  State, 
Thomas  F.  Bayard,  of  Delaware ;  Secretary  of  the 
Treasury,  Daniel  Manning,  of  New  York  ;  Secretary 
of  War,  William  C.  Endicott,  of  Massachusetts ; 
Secretary  of  the  Navy,  William  C.  Whitney,  of  New 
York;  Secretary  of  the  Literior,  L.  Q.  C.  Lamar,  of 
Mississippi ;  Postmaster-General,  William  F.  Vilas, 
of  Wisconsin ;  Attorney-General,  A.  H.  Garland,  of 
Arkansas. 

The  silver  question  precipitated  a  controversy  be- 
tween those  who  were  in  favor  of  the  continuance  of 
silver  coinage  and  those  who  were  opposed,  Mr. 
Cleveland  answering  for  the  latter,  even  before  his 
inauguration. 


^^^t^Z>^y-~'-ry^t-^-^^(^-'^^ 


TWENTY-THIRD  PRESIDENT. 


•">*e.'^^</^o4o.   .  ■    V^ 


rNJAMIN   HARRISON,  the 

twenty-third  President,  is 
the  descendant  of  one  of  the 
historical  families  of  this 
country.  The  head  of  the 
family  was  a  Major  General 
Harrison,  one  of  Oliver 
Cromwell's  truated  follow- 
ers and  fighters.  In  the  aenith  of  Crom- 
well's power  it  became  the  duty  of  this 
Harrison  to  participate  vn  tne  trial  of 
Charles  I,  and  afterward  tc  sign  the 
deif.ch  warrant  of  the  king.  He  subse- 
quently paid  for  this  with  his  life,  being 
hung  Oct.  13,  16G0.  His  descendants 
came  to  America,  and  the  next  of  the 
family  that  appears  in  history  is  Benja- 
min Harrison,  of  Virginia, great-grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  and 
after  whom  he  was  named.  Benjamin  Harrison 
was  a  member  of  the  Continental  Congress  during 
the  years  1 774-5-6,  and  was  one  of  the  original 
signers  of  the  Declai-ation  of  Independence.  He 
wa  three  times  elected  Governor  of  Virginia 
Gen    William  Henry  Harrison,  the  son  of  the 


distinguished  patriot  of  the  Revolution,  after  a  sue 
cessful  career  as  a  soldier  during  the  War  of  1812, 
and  with -a  clean  record  as  Governor  of  the  North- 
western Territory,  was  elected  President  of  the 
United  States  in  1840.  His  saraer  was  cut  short 
by  death  within  one  month  ifter  liis  in-uguration. 
President  Harrison  wi-  bcrn  at  North  Bond, 
Hamilton  Co.,  Ohio,  Aug.  "0,  18s3  His  life  up  to 
the  time  of  his  graduation  by  the  Miami  University, 
at  Oxford,  Ohio,  was  the  uneventful  one  of  a  coun- 
try lad  of  a  family  of  small  means.  His  father  was 
able  to  give  him  a  good  education,  and  nothing 
more.  He  became  engaged  while  at  college  to  th3 
daughter  of  Dr.  Scott,  Principal  of  a  female  schoo 
at  Oxford.  After  graduating  he  determined  to  en- 
ter upon  the  study  of  the  law.  He  went  tc  Cin 
cinnati  and  then  read  law  for  two  years.  At  tht 
expiration  of  that  time  young  Harrison  received  tt:; 
only  inheritance  of  his  life ;  his  aiint  dying  left  him 
a  lot  valued  at  1800,  He  regarded  this  legacy  as  a 
fortune,  and  decided  to  get  married  at  once,  taks 
this  money  and  go  to  some  Eastern  town  an  '.  oe- 
gin  the  practice  of  law.  He  sold  his  lot,  and  with 
the  money  in  his  pocket,  he  started  out  witu  his 
young  wife  to  fight  for  a  place  in  the  world.     He 


108 


BENJAMIN  HARRISON. 


decided  to  go  tx3  Indianapolis,  which  was  even  at 

ihat  time  a  town  of  promise.  He  met  with  slight 
encouragement  at  first,  making  scarcely  anything 
tlie  first  year.  He  workerl  diligently,  applying  him- 
self closely  to  his  calling,  built  up  an  extensive 
practice  and  toolt  a  leading  rank  in  the  legal  pro- 
i^ssiou.     He  is  the  father  of  two  children. 

In  1860  Mr.  Harrison  was  nominated  for  tlie 
position  of  Supreme  Court  Reporter,  and  then  be- 
gan his  experience  as  a  stump  speake;  He  can- 
vassed the  State  thoroughly,  and  was  elected  by  a 
handsome  majority.  In  1862  he  raised  the  17th 
Indiana  Infantry,  and  was  chosen  its  Colonel.  His 
regiment  was  composed  of  '^he  rawest  of  material, 
out  Col.  Harrison  employed  all  his  time  at  first 
mastering  military  tactics  and  drilling  his  men, 
when  he  therefore  came  to  move  toward  the  East 
with  Sherman  his  regiment  was  one  of  the  best 
'irilled  and  organized  in  the  army.  At  Resaca  he 
ospecially  distinguished  himself,  and  for  his  bravery 
nt  Peachtree  Creek  he  was  made  a  Brigadier  Gen- 
eral, Gen.  Hooker  speaking  of  him  in  the  most 
lomplimentary  terms. 

During  the  absence  of  Gen.  Harrison  in  the  field 
lie  Supreme  Court  declared  the  office  of  the  Si>- 
preme  Court  Reporter  vacant,  and  another  person 
was  elected  to  the  position.  From  the  time  of  leav- 
irg  Indiana  with  his  regiment  until  the  fall  oi  1864 
he  had  taken  no  leave  of  absence,  but  having  been 
nominated  that  year  for  the  same  office,  he  got  a 
thirty-day  leave  of  absence,  and  during  that  time 
made  a  brilliant  canvass  ot  the  State,  and  was  elected 
for  another  terra.  He  then  started  to  rejoin  Sher- 
man, but  on  the  way  was  stricken  down  with  scarlet 
'.ever,  and  after  a  most  trying  siege  made  his  way 
to  the  front  in  time  to  participate  in  the  closing 
incidents  of  the  war. 

In  1 868  Gen.  Harrison  declined  '  re-election  as 
reporter,  and  resumed  the  practice  of  law.  In  1876 
ne  was  a  candidate  for  Governor.  Although  de- 
eated,  the  brilliant  campaign  hi-  irade  won  it)rbim 
a  National  reputation,  and  he  was  much  sought,  es- 
pecia^.y  in  the  East,  to  make  speeches.  In  1880, 
as  usua!,  he  took  an  active  par*-  in  i,ae  campaign, 
^-nd  wi.'  elected  to  the  "^Jnited  States  Senate.  Here 
ue  sei-ved  six  years,  and  ras  known  as  one  c  tlie 
tblest  men,  best  lawyer'  »ad  strongest  debaters  iii 


that  body.  With  the  expiration  of  his  Senatorial 
term  he  returned  to  the  practice  of  his  profession, 
becoming  the  head  of  one  of  the  strongest  firms  in 
the  State. 

The  political  campaign  of  1888  was  one  of  the 
most  memorable  in  the  history  of  our  country.  The 
convention  which  assembled  in  Chicago  in  Jnne  and 
named  Mr.  Harrison  as  the  chief  standard  bearer 
of  the  Republican  party,  was  great  in  everj'  partic- 
ular, and  on  this  account,  and  the  attitude  it  as- 
sumed upon  the  vital  questions  of  the  day,  chief 
among  which  was  the  tariff,  awoke  a  deep  interest 
in  the  campaign  throughout  the  Nation.  Shortly 
after  the  nomination  delegations  began  to  visit  Mr. 
Harrison  at  Indianapolis,  his  home.  This  move- 
ment became  popular,  and  from  all  sections  of  the 
country  societies,  clubs  and  delegations  journeyed 
thither  to  pay  their  respects  to  the  distinguished 
statesman.  The  popularity  of  these  was  greatly 
increased  on  account  of  the  remarkable  speeches 
made  by  Mr.  Harrison.  He  spoke  daily  all  through 
the  summer  and  autumn  to  these  visiting  delega- 
tions, and  so  varied,  masterly  and  eloquent  were 
his  speeches  that  they  at  once  placed  him  in  the 
foremost  rank  of  American  orators  and  statesmen. 
;  On  account  of  his  eloquence  as  a  speaker  and  hi;? 
power  as  a  debater,  he  was  called  upon  at  an  un- 
commonly early  age  to  take  part  in  the  discussion 
of  the  great  questions  that  then  began  tj  agitate 
the  country.  He  was  an  uncompromising  ant: 
slavery  man,  and  was  matched  against  some  of  fs-e 
most  eminent  Democratic  speakers  of  his  Statu 
No  man  who  felt  the  touch  of  his  blade  ds:  'red  ti 
be  pitted  with  him  again.  "With  all  his  e'oq-ence 
as  an  orator  he  never  spoke  for  oratorica'i.  effect, 
but  his  words  always  went  like  bullets  to  the  mark 
He  is  purely  American  in  his  ideas  and  is  a  spier 
did  type  of  the  American  statesman.  Gifted  witl; 
quick  perception,  a  logical  mind  and  a  ready  tongue, 
he  is  one  of  the  most  distinguished  impromptu 
speakers  in  the  Nation.  Many  of  these  speeches 
sparkled  with  the  rarest  of  eloquence  and  contained 
arguments  of  greatest  weight.  Many  of  his  terse 
statements  have  already  become  aphorisms.  Origt- 
nal  in  thought  precise  in  logic,  terse  in  statement, 
ye^  withal  faultless  in  eIoC;uence,  he  is  recogTiiz;ed  as 
the  sound  statesman  and  brU'lan   orator  c    tn^  claj 


I 


®' 


^^■s 


St.  Clair  County, 


ILLINOIS. 


<s^    .     ^-^^^^^.^=. 


««  INTRODUCTORY 


'iJj^HE  time  has  arrived  when  it 
becomes   the    duty    of   the 
people  of  this  county  to  per- 
petuate the  names  of  their 
pioneers,  to  furnish  a  record 
of   their    early     settlement, 
and  relate  the  story  of  their 
progress      The  civilization  of  our 
day,  the  enlightenment  of  the  age 
and  the  duty  that  men  of  the  pres- 
ent time  owe  to  their  ancestors,  to 
themselves  and  to  their  posterity, 
demand  that  a  record  of  their  lives 
and  deeds  should  be  made.  In  bio- 
graphical history  is  found  a  power 
^  »«;>/»  Y.         to  instruct  man   by  precedent,  to 
*W  V^W**        enliven   the  mental   faculties,  and 
^  ^  to  waft  down  the  river  of  time  a 

safe  vessel  in  which  the  names  and  actions  of  the 
people  who  contributed  to  raise  this  country  from  its 
primitive  state  may  be  preserved.  .Surely  and  rapidly 
the  great  and  aged  men,  who  in  their  jirime  entered 
the  wilderness  and  claimed  the  virgin  soil  as  their 
heritage,  are  passing  to  their  graves.  The  number  re- 
maining wlio  can  relate  the  incidents  of  tlie  first  days 
of  settlement  is  becoming  small  indeed,  so  that  an 
actual  necessity  exists  for  the  collection  and  preser- 
vation of  events  without  delay,  before  all  the  early 
settlers  are  cut  down  by  the  scythe  of  Time. 

To  be  forgotten  has  been  the  great  dread  of  mankind 
from  remotest  ages.  All.  will  be  forgotten  soon  enough, 
in  spite  of  their  iiest  works  and  the  most  e.irnest 
efforts  of  their  friends  to  perserve  the  memory  of 
their  lives.  The  means  employed  to  prevent  oblivion 
and  to  perpetuate  their  memory  has  been  in  propor- 
tion to  the  amount  of  intelligence  they  possessed. 
ThT  pyramids  of  Egypt  were  built  to  perpetuate  the 
names  and  deeds  of  their  great  rulers.  -  Tlie  exhu- 
mations made  by  the  archeologists  of  Egypt  from 
buried  Memphis  indicate  a  desire  of  those  people 


to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  their  achievements. 
The  erection  of  the  great  obelisks  were  for  the  same 
purpose.  Coming  down  to  a  later  period,  we  find  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  erecting  mausoleums  and  monu- 
ments, and  carving  out  statues  to  chronicle  their 
great  achievements  and  carry  them  down  the  ages. 
It  is  also  evident  that  the  Mound-builders,  in  piling 
up  their  great  mounds  of  earth,  had  but  this  idea — 
to  leave  so:iictliing  to  show  that  they  had  lived.  All 
these  works,  though  many  of  them  costly  in  the  ex- 
treme, give  but  a  faint  idea  of  the  lives  and  charac- 
ters of  those  whose  memory  they  were  intended  to 
perpetuate,  and  scarcely  anything  of  the  masses  of 
the  people  that  then  lived.  The  great  pyramids  and 
some  of  the  obelisks  remain  objects  only  of  curiosity; 
the  mausoleums,  monuments  and  statues  are  crum- 
bling into  dust. 

It  was  left  to  modern  ages  to  establish  an  intelli- 
gent, undecaying,  immutable  method  of  perpetuating 
a  full  history — immutable  in  that  it  is  almost  un- 
limited in  extent  and  perpetual  in  its  action;  and 
this  is  through  the  art  of  printing. 

To  the  present  generation,  however,  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  introduction  of  the  admirable  system 
of  local  biography.  By  this  system  every  man,  thougl 
he  has  not  achieved  what  the  world  calls  greatness, 
his  the  meani  to  perpetuate  his  life,  his  history, 
ihrough  the  coming  ages. 

The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  all ;  nothing  of  the 
physical  man  is  left.  The  monument  which  his  chil- 
dren or  friends  may  erect  to  his  memory  in  the  ceme- 
tery will  crumble  into  dust  and  pass  away;  but  his 
life,  his  achievements,  the  vvork  he  has  accomplished, 
which  otherwise  would  be  forgotten,  is  perpetuated 
by  a  record  of  this  kind. 

To  preserve  the  lineaments  of  our  companions  we 
engiave  their  portraits,  for  the  same  reason  we  col- 
lect the  attainable  facts  of  their  history.  Nor  do  we 
thi;,k  it  necessary,  as  we  speak  only  truth  of  them,  to 
wait  until  they  are  dead,  or  until  those  who  know 
them  are  gone:  to  do  this  we  are  ashamed  only  to 
publish  to  the  world  the  history  of  those  whose  live? 
are  unworthy  of  public  record. 


# 


jl/_^ON.  CHARLES  BECKER,  ex-Statc  Treas- 
Ifjl  urer.  It  is  difficult  in  few  words  to  accu- 
/^^^  rately  describe  a  character.  Only  the  most 
(^)  salient  features  can  be  fitly  expressed — the 
lights  and  shades  can  be  understood  onl}-  by  those 
who  come  in  contact  with  the  man  under  various 
circumstances.  It  is  difficult,  also,  to  point  out  the 
exact  traits  to  which  a  man  owes  his  success;  suffice 
it  to  say  that  tenacity  of  purpose,  energy  and  un- 
deniable intellectual  ability  have  been  Mr.  Beck- 
er's most  distinguishing  traits,  and  were,  without 
doubt,  his  stepping  stones  to  success.  Despite  ob- 
stacles which  to  many  would  seem  insurmountable, 
he  pushed  his  undertakings  to  a  successful  issue, 
and  in  the  political  arena  his  unerring  judgment 
and  fine  intellectual  powers  iiave  found  full  scope. 
Mr.  Becker  was  born  in  Rockenhausen,  Rhenish- 
Bavaria,  Germany,, Tune  24, 1840.  His  father.  Urban 
Becker,  was  an  architect  and  builder  of  more  than 
ordinary  abilit3\  had  !i  large  and  lucrative  business, 
and  many  are  the  handsome  structures  that  stand 
as  monuments  to  liis  skill.  His  wife,  whose  maiden 
name  was  Mary  Spross,  bore  him  a  family  of  thir- 
teen children,  and  with  them  he  emigrated  to 
America,  and  settled  in  Belleville,  111.,  in  1851, 
crossing  the  stormy  Atlantic  in  order  to  secure  a 
home  for  himself  and  family.  He  at  once  identi- 
fied himself  with  American  interests,  and,  being  an 
honorable  business  man  and  of  a  genial  and  kindly 
disposition,  he  won  the  friendsliip  and  esteem  of 
all  who  knew  him  cither  in  a  business  or  social 
way.  He  followed  his  calling  of  an  architect  in 
this   section    until    his   death,   wiiicli    occurred    in 


1874.  His  widow  survived  him  until  March  2.5, 
1881,  when  she,  too,  passed  awa}-. 

Charles  Becker  inherited  from  his  parents  quick 
mental  perception,  steadfastness  of  purpose,  and 
uncompromising  determination,  which  overcomes 
every  obstacle  in  the  way  of  success.  He  passed 
an  uneventful  boyhood  attending  the  public  schools 
of  Belleville  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age,  at 
which  time  he  laid  aside  his  books  to  enter  Harri- 
son's Machine  Works  of  Belleville,  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  molder.  He  remained  with  that  com- 
pany until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age.  The 
war,  which  overturned  everything  in  the  United 
States  except  the  fundamental  principles  of  indis- 
soluble union  and  universal  liberty,  called  a  halt 
to  the  various  kinds  of  labor,  and  Mr.  Becker 
left  the  workshop  to  enlist  in  the  Union  service, 
becoming  a  member  of  Company  B,  Twelfth  Jlis- 
souri  Infantr}^  Marcii  8,  1862,  he  was  wounded  in 
the  right  thigh  and  leg  at  Pea  Ridge,  and  while 
he  lay  on  the  battlefield  his  leg  was  amputated 
above  the  knee.  He  received  his  discharge  the 
following  December,  and  when  able  to  travel  re- 
turned home  and  attended  school  for  a  short  time. 
He  took  a  commercial  course,  but  continued  to 
work  in  Harrison's  shop  until  he  was  married,  Jan- 
uary 2.3,  1864,  to  Miss  Louisa  Fleischbein,  a  native 
of  Belleville,  and  a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Louisa 
Fleischbein,  who  came  to  the  county  in  1832. 

Soon  after  his  marriage  Mr.  Becker  removed  to 
West  Belleville,  where  he  kept  an  hotel  until  1866. 
At  that  time  he  was  elected  to  the  position  of 
Countv  Sheriff,  which  he  filled  with  ahilitv  for  two 


m 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD, 


years.  Succeeding  that,  he  became  the  proprietor, 
in  connection  with  Mr.  Erhardt,  of  a  brewery,  the 
firm  being  Icnown  as  Erhardt  it  Beclier.  In  1872, 
Mr.  Becker  was  elected  Circuit  Clerk  and  Recorder, 
being  the  only  Republican  elected  at  that  time. 
In  1876,  upon  his  re-election,  although  his  party 
was  defeated  by  eleven  hundred  and  eighty-tliree 
votes,  he  was  elected  bj'  eight  hundred  majority, 
two  thousand  in  excess  of  his  part3'  vole.  He  was 
Chairman  of  the  Republican  Central  Committee 
for  one  j'ear,  and  to  him  the  party  owes  much  of 
its  success.  In  the  capacity  of  State  Treasurer,  to 
which  responsible  and  honoralile  position  he  was 
elected  in  1888,  he  showed  himself  capable,  con- 
scientious, painstaking  and  efficient.  His  duties 
were  discharged  in  a  manner  highl}' satisfactory  to 
those  concerned,  and  to  his  own  honor  and  credit. 
For  a  number  of  years  he  has  been  connected  with 
the  Belleville  Stove  AVorks,  and  is  now  President 
of  the  same. 

In  disposition,  Mr.  Becker  is  cordial,  hospitable, 
kind  and  generous,  but  very  unassuming  and  un- 
pretentious, and  what  honors  he  has  received  in 
the  way  of  oflicial  position  have  been  unsought  by 
him,  but  have  come  to  him  as  the  natural  reward 
of  deserved  merit.  He  belongs  to  several  social 
and  musical  German  societies,  and  for  the  past 
twenty  five  years  has  been  a  member  of  the  Phil- 
harmonic society.  His  surviving  children  are 
Bertha,  Casimir,  Gustave.  Arthur  Carl  and  Ray. 
Fred  is  deceased. 


JOHN  K.  WHITE  owns  and  occupies  a  well- 
developed  farm  in  Marissa  Township,  which 
consists  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
_^  and  is  tillable  througliout  its  entire  ex- 
tent. It  is  a  portion  of  the  old  homestead,  and 
since  it  came  into  his  possession  he  has  bj^  well- 
directed  efforts  brought  it  to  a  good  condition,  it 
now  being  supplied  with  neat  fences,  good  stock 
of  various  kinds,  and  all  the  needful  machinery 
used  in  its  cultivation. 

Our  suhiect  was  born  in  this  county,  near  where 


he  is  at  present  residing,   in   1860,  and  is  the  son 
of  John  K.  and  INIargaret  (Hamilton)  White.    The 
father  was  born  in  Chester  County,  S.  C,  and  the 
j   mother  in  Randolph  County,  111.    The  father,  who 
was    born    in    182.5,  was  the   son    of  John  White, 
who  was  born  about  1790,  also  in  South  Carolina. 
I   The  grandfather    was    reared   on    a  farm   and  re- 
I    mained  in   his  native  State  throughout  his  entire 
!   life.     He  fought   in  the  War   of   1812,  acting  as  a 
substitute  for  his  father.     He  was  very  much  op- 
posed to  slavery  and,  although  living  in  a  South- 
ern State,  never  owned  a  slave.  The  maiden  name 
of  his  wife  was  Margaret  Kennedy;  she  was  the 
daughter  of  .lohn  Kennedy,  who  was  of  Irish  de- 
scent.    To  them  was  born  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren,  of    whom     our   subject's    father    was    the 
youngest. 

The  great-grandparents  of  our  subject,  AVilliam 
and  JMargaret  White,  were  born  in  the  North  of 
Ireland,  and  soon  after  marriage  came  to  Amer- 
ica, locating  in  Chester  District,  S.  C,  several 
years  prior  to  the  Revolutionarj-  War,  in  which 
struggle  the  former  participated  from  beginning 
to  end.  William  White's  father  bore  the  name  of 
John,  and  on  coming  to  America  departed  this  life 
in  South  Carolina,  thus  making  three  generations 
of  the  White  family  who  are  buried  in  Chester 
District.  They  were  all  Presbyterians  religiously, 
.and  people  greatly  respected  in  their  community. 
.John  K.  White,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
married  in  1854  to  Margaret,  daughter  of  John 
and  Sarah  (Elder)  Hamilton.  He  came  to  this 
county  in  1849,  having  the  year  previous  accom- 
panied his  parents  on  their  removal  to  Indiana. 
As  a  farmer,  which  calling  he  followed  through- 
out life,  he  was  very  successful  and  left  at  his  de- 
cease, which  occurred  in  1866,  a  valuable  estate, 
comprising  two  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Of  the 
six  children  born  to  him,  the  three  living  are 
Margaret,  now  Mrs.  J.  AV.  T.  Dixon;  our  subject, 
I  and  Elizabeth,  who  married  Samuel  Boyle.  Those 
deceased  are  AVillie,  wlio  died  in  infnncy:  Jennie, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Ritcliir;  Snnili.  Mrs.  James 
i  Wylie.  The  motlier  of  our  sul.jccl,  wlio  is  .still  liv- 
[  ing,  makes  her  home  with  Mi-.  Wylie  and  cares  for 
his  three  children. 

He    whose  name   heads    this  sketch    liei>an    life 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


for  himself  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years,  taking 
charge  of  the  home  farm,  in  which  he  now  has  one 
hundred  and  eight_y  acres.  His  fields  yield  abun- 
dantly of  the  various  grains  and  are  a  source  of 
sufficient  income  to  surround  the  family  with  the 
comforts  and  man.y  of  the  luxuries  of  life.  The 
lady  to  whom  he  was  married  in  1889  was  Miss 
Elizabeth  A.,  daughter  of  George  W.  and  Rebecca 
Guthra.  To  them  has  been  born  one  child,  a 
son,  Joseph  G.  The  principles  of  Democracy  meet 
witli  the  hearty  approbation  of  Mr.  White,  who 
never  fails  to  cast  his  vote  for  the  party  of  his 
choice.  He  is  an  active  worker  in  the  United 
Presbj-terian  Church,  and,  as  a  reliable  citizen  and 
an  intelligent  man,  wins  respect  from  those  about 


1^4-^1 


(|;  ,^ILLIAM  P.  RITTEXnOUSE,  the  subject 
\oJjl  of  the  present  sketch,  resides  upon  survey 
w4'  381 ,  Smithton  Township,  St.  Clair  County, 
whose  attractive  and  homelike  residence  is  almost 
hidden  from  the  highway  by  a  row  of  beautiful 
shade  trees,  which  make  the  place  very  pictur- 
esque. Our  subject  was  the  son  of  Elijah  Rittenhouse, 
who  was  born  in  the  Keystone  State  in  1801,  came 
to  St.  Clair  County  in  1805  with  his  parents  and 
settled  on  the  place  where  our  subject  now  resides. 
The  grandfather,  Peter  Rittenhouse,  was  one  of 
the  earliest  settlers  of  this  township  and  entered 
Government  land  here.  The  father  of  our  subject, 
Elijah,  married  Leah  Walker,  the  daughter  of  an 
old  sea-captain,  who  spent  his  last  days  as  a  farmer 
in  Illinois.  After  his  marriage,  Elijah  settled  on 
the  place  where  our  subject  now  lives,  and  re- 
mained there  until  his  death  in  1870.  He  reared 
a  family  of  four  daughters  and  two  sons,  all  of 
whom  grew  to  maturit}'.  They  were  Elizabeth, 
Sarah,  Fileanor,  Caroline,  Elisha  and  our  subject. 
The  father  was  in  the  Indian  campaigns  of  the 
early  days  and  fought  in  the  war  against  the  Win- 
nebago Indians. 

Our  subject  was  born  April  9,  184 1,  on  the  place 
of  his  present  residence;  here  he  was  reared  and 
attended  the  district  school  and    was    married,    in 


1870,  to  Miss  Sarah  Hill,  daughter  of  Peter  and 
Emily  (Thrift)  Hill;  her  father  was  born  and 
reared  in  this  county  and  still  lives  near  Freeburg, 
111.,  and  her  mother  first  saw  the  light  in  the  State 
of  Kentuck3\  After  his  marriage,  our  subject  be- 
gan liousekeeping,and  on  the  home  place  his  three 
children  were  born,  two  of  whom  are  living, 
George  E.  and  Charles  D.,  William  having  died  on 
the  13th  of  February,  1892.  William  Ritten- 
house and  his  wife  have  two  hundred  and  seven 
acres  of  good  land,  all  of  which  is  well  im- 
proved, a  great  deal  of  it  in  the  locality  of  the 
richest  beds  of  coal,  upon  which  is  raised  grain, 
principally,  but,  there  is  also  kept  up  a  flrst-class 
variety  of  stock.  The  husband  is  a  member  of  the 
Grange,  and,  politically,  a  Republican.  The  home 
of  Mr.  Rittenhouse  is  so  beautifully  located  that 
we  can  understand  his  affection  for  it,  hidden 
away  behind  the  shade  of  the  trees  and  concealed 
from  the  prying  eye  of  curiosit}'.  A  place  of  con- 
tentment it  is.  whose  inmates  have  won  the  regard 
of  neiizhlMJisMiid  friends  on  account  of  their  mental 
and  social  qualities.  One  of  the  oldest  families  of 
that  region,  its  members  preserve  and  cherish  the 
good  name  handed  down  to  them,  and  their  lives 
point  the  moral  that  good  .and  honest  living  ever 
brings  with  it,  the  approval  of  friends  as  well  as  of 
one's  conscience. 


^.^NDREW  J.  McCULLEY.  The  subject  of 
Wpl  the  present  sketch,  born  July  12,  1814, 
I  lii  within  three  miles  of  the  "Hermitage,"  in 
<^  Tennessee,  was  the  son  of  William  and 
Mary  (Phillips)  McCulley,  who  moved  to  Tennes- 
see from  North  Carolina.  The  father  was  born  on 
the  sea  when  his  parents  were  coming  from  Scot- 
land,and  became  a  soldier  under  Jackson  during  the 
Indian  AVarand  the  War  of  1812.  While  fighting  the 
Indians,  he  was  struck  on  the  edge  of  the  forehead  by 
a  ball,  but  tied  his  head  up  in  a  han<lkerchief  and 
continued  the  fight.  Seeing  an  Indian's  head  peer 
over  the  log  behind    which    lie    was   lying,   a  sharp 


120 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


report  rang  out  and  soon  there  was  one  savage 
less.  The  illustrious  ften.  .Jackson  and  the  father 
were  great  friends  and  our  subject  was  named  for 
their  hero  neighbor.  According  to  custom,  a 
negro  slave  was  to  have  been  given  as  a  present, 
but  events  prevented  the  gift. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  brought  him  to  Illi- 
nois when  very  young  to  live  with  his  grand- 
father, David  Phillips,  who  then  lived  two  miles 
south  of  Belleville.  This  old  gentleman  onl^'  lived 
until  Andrew  was  twelve  years  of  age  and  then,  as 
he  says  of  himself,  he  had  to  do  the  best  he  could. 
The  exact  events  of  those  far-off  daj's  we  may  not 
know,  but  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  our  subject 
entered  the  employ  of  Thomas  Harrison  cfc  Co., 
millers,  managed  an  engine  for  them  until  1830, 
and  remained  with  them  until  he  was  of  age.  He 
then  went  into  partnership  with  William  H.  Gale 
in  the  business  of  putting  up  milling  machiner3' 
in  different  parts  of  the  State.  He  soon  became 
not  only  a  practical  miller,  but  also  a  milling  ma- 
chinist. Afterward  be  was  associated  with  Julius 
Wright,  who  was  killed  at  Pittsburg  Landing 
during  the  late  war.  In  the  year  1845,  our  sub- 
ject bought  fifty-five  and  one-half  acres  of  land, 
on  which  he  still  lives,  but  never  has  engaged  in 
farming  himself,  renting  the  land  out  until  his 
own  boys  were  old  enough  to  manage  it,  when  they 
took  charge  of  it. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  McCulley  took  place  March 
18, 1844,  just  before  the  great  flood.  His  wife.  Miss 
Clarinda  Fisher,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  Fisher,  was 
born  in  New  Hampshire,  and  died  September  11, 
1877,  aged  about  fifty  jears.  Their  children 
were  as  follows:  .John,  an  engineer,  is  married 
and  lives  at  HoUister,  Cal.,  and  has  one  daugh- 
ter; Ellen  Amelia,  who  died  in  the  year  1878,  was 
the  wife  of  Walter  Craft,  who  lives  in  Belleville 
and  has  two  daughters,  Ada  and  Ella;  William  has 
lived  in  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  since  1886,  a  carpenter 
and  builder;  .Julia,  who  married  Thomas  White  and 
resides  in  Los  Angeles,  where  her  husband  and 
brother  are  in  business  together,  has  one  child; 
Sarah,  wife  of  Adam  Harshey,  lives  in  Stookey 
Township  and  has  one  boy;  Thomas,  married  to 
Sadie  Rider,  lives  in  Belleville  and  lias  one  child; 
Elmer  lives  in  IScllevillc  and  is  an  engineer.     Our 


subject  married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Louisa 
Clemma,  February  9,  1884,  whose  parents  died  when 
she  was  very  young.  Mr.  McCulley  has  been  a  very 
industrious  man  all  his  life  and  followed  his  milling 
business  until  a  few  j-ears  since.  He  is  a  Repub- 
lican but  a  great  admirer  of  Gen.  .Jackson,  and  has 
never  desired  office,  as  he  has  always  found  his 
business  required  all  his  time  and  attention. 


^i«ii-^"i^ii®^i^ 


J  I  ULIUS  W.  STOFFEL.  One  of  the  leading 
I  merchants  in  the  flourishing  little  city  of 
]  Mascoutah  is  the  original  of  this  sketch,  a 
__  dealer  in  stoves,  tinware,  hardware,  lamps, 
wringers  and  all  the  usual  accompaniments  of  the 
trade.  Mr.  Stoffel  is  a  native  of  this  city  and  has 
seen  it  grow  with  his  growth,  and  has  found  here 
a  very  pleasant  home  and  a  business  in  which  he  is 
very  successful. 

The  father  of  our  subject  w.ns  one  of  the  self- 
made  and  progressive  business  men  of  Mascoutah 
in  its  early  days.  I^ouis  Stoffel  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  came  to  this  country  at  an  early  day  to 
"make"  his  fortune,  as  one  used  to  say,  but  in 
these  days  we  put  it  to  "earn"  his  fortune.  After 
coming  and  settling  in  Mascoutah,  he  engaged  in 
the  salotm  business  and  followed  that  occupation 
until  his  death.  He  was  a  pleasant  man,  who  made 
many  friends,  and  was  acquainted  with  every  one 
in  those  days,  and  the  father  of  a  family  of  twelve 
children,  all  of  whom  still  survive  as  respected 
and  useful  citizens.  Of  these  children,  the  subject 
of  our  sketch  was  the  third.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  still  lives  and  finds  a  pleasant  home  in 
Mascoutah. 

Julius  W.  Stoffel  was  born  July  12,  1858.  He 
was  reared  here  in  his  native  place,  and  was  given 
every  advantage  of  a  full  course  in  the  excellent 
schools.  After  he  had  completed  his  course  here, 
he  went  to  work  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  tinsmith 
with  Fred  Hottes,  and  after  finishing  his  work, 
made  a  trip  into  the  world,  trying  his  luck  in  St. 
Louis.  Being  a  good  workman,  he  had  no  difH- 
cullv  in  securing  employment,  and  so  remained  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


that  city  for  five  or  six  yeai-s,  when  he  returned  and 
bought  out  Mr.  Hottes,  and  for  a  few  months  car- 
ried on  the  business  at  the  old  stand;  he  then  re- 
moved farther  up  the  street,  and  later  bought  the 
building  where  he  is  now  located.  Here  was  the 
beginning  of  a  most  successful  career. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  took  place  October 
25,  1880,  with  Miss  Anna  Weber  the  daughter  of 
Phillip  Weber,  of  AVest  Belleville,  111.,  as  bride. 
Mr.  Weber  is  an  old  settler  of  that  place.  The 
children  who  now  compose  the  household  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stoflfel,  happy,  if  noisy,  are  four  bright 
lads,  that  promise  to  be  very  smart  men  some  day, 
unless  their  looks  woefully  belie  them.  The}'  are 
Frank,  Walter,  Hugo  and  Otto.  Mr.  Stoffel  is  a 
prominent  member  of  Lodge  No.  361,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order 
of  Mutual  Aid. 

This  gentleman  has  done  much  for  the  advance- 
ment of  the  town  and  is  much  interested  in  all  edu- 
cational affairs,  having  been  an  intelligent  member 
of  the  Board  of  Education  for  many  vears.  In 
the  political  field,  Mr.  Stoffel  stands  an  ardent  Re- 
publican, always  voting  with  this  party,  which  he 
believes  will  best  earrj'  out  the  principles  of  good 
government.  The  business  in  which  our  subject 
is  engaged  is  a  very  necessary  one  and  requires 
close  attention,  that  the  different  branches,  such  as 
roofing,  spouting,  guttering,  etc., are  properly  done. 
In  this,  as  in  everything  else, "knowledge  is  power." 


-♦^^^^^1  s  <@  sl^^-^ 


ifpTT?  RUBACII,  M.  D.  Prominent  among  the 
ll^^'j  successful  ph^'sicians  of  the  city  of  Belle- 
!^  "^  ville  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  heads 
this  brief  sketch.  Dr.  Rubach  is  one  of  the  good, 
sterling  men  that  Germany  has  given  us,  having 
been  born  in  Nassau,  German^',  November  29, 
1837,  being  the  son  of  Augustus  Rubach.  This 
last-named  gentleman  received  his  education  in 
the  military  schools  of  his  native  land  and  served 
his  country  as  an  officer  in  the  armj'. 

In  1841,  the  father  of  our  subject  emigrated  to 
America  and  settled  in   Philadelphia,  where  he  re- 


mained for  two  years,  then  came  West  to  St.  Clair 
County  to  engage  in  farming,  subsequently  remov- 
ing to  Belleville,  entered  mercantile  pursuits  and 
continued  to  reside  in  this  citj'  until  1871.  His 
wife  was  of  a  distinguished  family,  being  the 
j'oungest  daughter  of  President  Sclienck,  of  the 
Duchy  of  Nassau,  and  her  name  was  Wilhelmina 
Schenck.  Both  are  now  dead.  She  bore  her  hus- 
band two  children,  sons,  who  lived  to  maturity. 
The  youngest,  William  R.,  was  a  soldier  in  the  late 
war  and  acquitted  himself  with  credit  in  the 
Twelfth  Missouri  Volunteers;  he  re-enlisted  for 
three  years  at  the  end  of  his  three  months'  service, 
and  was  promoted  to  be  Adjutant. 

Ferdinand,  our  subject,  received  his  primary 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Belleville,  sup- 
plementing the  instruction  received  there  by 
private  instruction.  AVhen  he  was  only  eighteen, 
he  entered  the  office  of  D.  A.  Hammer,  of  St.  Louis, 
to  read  medicine  under  his  tuition.  In  addition 
to  his  studies  with  Dr.  Hammer,  he  took  two  full 
courses  of  lectures  at  the  Humboldt  College,  and 
then  attended  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College  and 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  in  1858.  In 
the  May  following,  he  went  to  German}'  and  en- 
tered the  medical  department  of  the  University  of 
Wurtzburg,  where  he  remained  for  eighteen 
months,  going  thence  to  Prague  and  then  to 
Vienna,  where  he  received  special  instruction  from 
Prof.  Arlt,  thence  to  Berlin,  where  he  studied  dis- 
eases of  the  eye,  under  the  celebrated  Von  Graefe. 
Then  he  returned  home  after  an  absence  of  three 
years  spent  in  fitting  himself  for  general  pi'actice. 

Dr.  Rubach  commenced  his  practice  in  Belleville 
and  has  continued  it  here  ever  since,  building  up 
so  large  a  practice  that  he  is  overtaxed  in  comply- 
ing with  the  demands  made  upon  him.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  enormous  practice,  he  was  appointed 
United  States  Examining  Surgeon  in  1862,  and  still 
holds  that  office;  he  was  County  Physician  from 
1866  to  1888,  and  is  Treasurer  for  the  County 
Medical  Association,  having  held  that  office  for 
many  years.  Dr.  Rubach  was  married.  May  4, 
1866,  to  Miss  Sophia  Mans,  daughter  of-  John 
Maus,  this  union  being  blessed  with  four  chil- 
dren, namely:  Johanna,  wife  of  Dr.  C.  H.  Starkel, 
of  this  city;  Jennie,  Otto  and   Ferdinand,  Jr.     Dr. 


122 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Rubach  possesses  a  most  agreeable  manner,  wbich 
makes  bira  a  favorite  among  all  classes,  and  tbis 
pleasant  quality  coupled  witb  bis  skill  and  knowl- 
edge of  bis  profession  renders  bim  one  of  tbe  most 
popular  and  successful  pbysicians  in  tbe  country, 
wbere  be  bas  practiced  for  a  lliii'd  of  a  century. 


OHN  JOSEPH.  Tbe  gentleman  wbosesketcb 
now  occupies  our  attention  is  tbe  prosper- 
ous  farmer  wbo  lives  on  section  16,  New 
i^//  Atbens  Townsbip,  St.  Clair  County.  Tbe 
German  Fatberland  was  tbe  birtbplace  of  bis 
fatber.  Clans  Josepb,  who  was  born  in  Baden  in 
1802,  was  reared  tbere,and  in  tbe  same  country 
married  Marj^  Ann  Vagtlin.  Following  tbe  great 
company  of  relatives  and  friends  wbo  had  already 
found  a  home  in  tbis  country,  Claus  Joseph  came 
to  America  in  1837  and  located  in  St.  Clair 
County,  choosing  land  one  and  one-half  miles 
north  of  Freeburg,  where  be  lived  for  two  years. 
He  then  removed  to  the  place  on  which  our 
subject  now  lives,  and  in  tbe  year  1871  died 
tbere,  leaving  four  children:  Mary  Magdalene,  wbo 
married  George  Buecbler, and  has  since  died;  John, 
our  subject;  Claus,  wlio  died  at  the  age  of  ten 
years;  and  Catherine,  who  died  at  tiie  age  of  six 
months.  • 

The  subject  of  tbis  sketch  is  tbe  only  one  of  tbe 
family  left.  His  fatber  was  a  successful  farmer, 
and  both  be  and  his  wife,  wbo  died  in  1886,  were 
faithful  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  being 
liberal  supporters  of  it.  John  Joseph,  born  De- 
cember 28, 1827.  in  Baden,  Germany,  was  ten  years 
old  when  bis  parents  brought  bim  to  this  country, 
lie  was  reared  and  educated  in  tbis  county,  and 
acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  English  language 
with  remarkable  quickness.  He  became  acquainted 
with  the  family  of  John  Lortz,  an  earl3' settler  in 
this  county,  jind  in  18.50  tbe  daughter,  Caroline, 
became  bis  wife.  After  the  ceremony,  he  brought 
bis  bride  to  the  place  where  they  now  live,  and 
where  four  children   have  been  I)orn    to  them,  one 


of  whom  died  in  infancy';  George  died  when  a 
bright  little  fellow  of  four  3"ears.  Louis  was  born 
in  January,  1860,  is  married,  and  lives  in  New 
Athens  in  tbis  townsbip;  and  Edward,  born  in 
1861,  is  married  and  lives  upon  bis  father's  farm, 
which  he  operates. 

Our  subject  has  made  all  the  improvements  upon 
tbis  place,  and  has  a  good  brick  house  and  all 
tbe  modern  improvements.  The  farm  is  a  fine 
piece  of  land  of  five  hundred  and  sixty-one  acres, 
all  of  which  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  His 
principal  crop  is  of  wheat,  and  sometimes  tbe  yield 
is  wonderful.  Mr.  Joseph  and  family-  belong  to 
the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  they 
are  devoted  members.  In  his  political  convic- 
tions, he  prefers  tbe  principles  of  tbe  Dem- 
ocratic party,  and  be  has  held  the  office  of 
School  Director  in  several  districts.  He  has 
lived  a  bard,  work-a-day  life,  which  bas  been 
crowned  witb  success  in  a  worldly  sense,  and,  what 
is  better,  with  the  reward  of  an  approving  con- 
science and  tbe  approbation  and  esteem  of  bis 
neighbors.  His  estiinalilc  wife  and  himself  are 
among  the  most  piominent  people  of  the  town- 
ship, whom  all  deem  it  a  happy  privilege  to  know. 


ENRY  REIS.  The  gentleman  whose  name 
appears  at  tbe  head  of  this  sketch  is  a 
member  of  the  prominent  lumber  firm  of 
M.  iV  H.  Reis,  wbo  have  carried  cm  their 
large  and  successful  business  in  tbis  city  for  tbe 
past  twenty -six  years. 

Mr.  Henry  Reis,  the  junior  partner  of  this  firm, 
is  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  born 
there  September  24,  1839,  being  tbe  son  of  Val- 
entine Reis,  also  a  native  of  tbe  Fatberland, 
who  came  to  America  in  1849,  bringing  his  wife 
and  family.  He  stopped  in  St.  Louis,  where  he 
remained  until  1857,  and  then  removed  to  Scott 
County.  ^linn.,  and  carried  on  his  business  of  lum- 
berman. Mr.  Reis  had  married  Catherine  Freehaut 
in  German}'  and  they  reared  nine  children,  of 
whom  four  sons  are  located  in  St.  Clair  County, 
namely:     Michael,  Valentine,  George  and   Ilcnrv. 


i 


i'ORTRAIT  AND  BIOGKAPHICAL   RECORD. 


123 


Henry  received  his  education  in  tlie  excellent 
schools  of  St.  Louis.  Removing  with  his  father  to 
Minnesota,  he  remained  for  one  year,  but  not  lik- 
ing that  State  he  returned  to  St.  Louis,  residing 
there  for  some  time;  he  then  went  back  to  Shakopee, 
Minn.,  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  business 
until  1866,  when  he  came  to  Belleville  to  en- 
gage permanentl}'  in  the  lumber  business  with  his 
brother,  M.  Keis.  The  3\ard  is  situated  on  AVest 
Main  Street,  has  a  frontage  of  one  hundred  feet 
and  is  the  full  depth  of  the  block.  This  firm  is  the 
second  oldest  of  its  kind  in  the  city,  and  carries 
on  an  extensive  business.  In  addition  tolusotlier 
interests,  Mr.  Reis  is  a  Director  in  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank  of  Belleville,  and  owns  a  one-third  in- 
terest in  the  nail  mill,  which  carries  on  a  very 
flourishing  trade,  giving  employment  to  a  large 
force  of  men. 

AViien  Mr.  Reis  chose  a  wife,  lie  selected  one  of 
the  maidens  of  this  citj-,  namely,  Miss  Elizabeth 
Kissel,  who  was  born  in  Belleville  in  August,  1845,  a 
daughter  of  Valentine  Kissel,  the  marriage  occur- 
ring in  Jul3>  1866.  To  this  couple  have  been  given 
ten  children,  namely:  Mary,  wife  of  Jarob  Reis, 
of  Shakopee,  Minn.;  Valentine;  Henry;  Michael; 
Louise;  Lizzie;  George;  Herman;  Adelhied  and 
Charles.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reis  are  prominent  mem- 
bers of  St.  Peter's  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral 
and  Mr.  Reis  is  Treasurer  of  St.  Peter's  Cath- 
olic Benevolent  Society.  The  pleasant  home  of 
this  entertaining  family  is  on  the  corner  of  Race 
and  Second  South  Streets,  where  Mr.  and  Jlrs. 
Reis  receive  their  large  circle  of  friends  in  a  truly 
hospitable  manner. 


••• .  <wi  "'jS  !• 


jL  ERMAN  MOOTZ.  The  gentleman  whose 
ijfjll  name  opens  this  brief  notice  is  the  accom- 
^>^  modating  pharmacist  located  on  the  corner 
(^  of  Fourth  Street  and  Brady  Avenue,  in 
East  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Mootz  was  born  in  Hoheneggel- 
sen,  August  5,  1848.  He  was  reared  and  educated  in 
Germanyand  attended  the  gymnasium  at  Gifhorn, 
near  Brunswick;  ho  was  graduated  there,  and  then 


entered  upon  the  study    of   pharmacy    with    the 
,    Commissary,  Dr.  Proellius,  at  the  Raatz  Apotlicke, 
in  Hanover. 

In  1867,  our  subject  came  to  America  to  escape 
military  oppre.ssion  after  finishing  his  course, 
leaving  Bremen  in  December,  1866,  in  the  sailing- 
vessel  "Atlanta,"  for  New  York,  and  was  almost 
drowned  on  the  passage,  as  on  the  25th  of  De- 
j  cember  the  vessel  ran  upon  a  cliff  on  the  English 
I  Coast  during  a  terrible  storm.  There  were  twelve 
hundred  passengers,  all  of  whom,  February  18. 
1867,  had  to  be  put  upon  half  rations  and  reduced 
to  four  ounces  of  water  a  day.  At  New  York, 
he  went  upon  the  steamer  "Livingston,"  bound 
for  Savannah,  Ga.,  and  took  the  position  of  hos- 
pital steward  under  Dr.  Sayers,  who  was  just 
starting  a  German  colony  on  a  large  rice  plantation 
seventeen  miles  south  of  Savannah;  but  he  only  re- 
mained there  until  March  18,  1867,  when  the  col- 
ony proved  a  failure,  as  the  plantation  had  been 
so  run  down  that  it  was  impossible  to  make  the 
venture  a  success. 

Our  subject  then  enlisted  in  the  regular  army 
in  the  Sixteenth  Regiment, Ignited  States  Infantry. 
He  was  made  Hospital  Steward,  sent  from  pillar  to 
post,  and  was  in  the  midst  of  the  trouble  occur- 
ring from  the  Klu-Klux  at  Louisville,  Ga.  When 
his  time  was  out,  he  was  glad  to  get  his  discharge. 
In  1870,  Mr.  Moots  became  a  pharmacist  at  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  remaining  there  until  1871,  when  he 
went  to  Memphis  and  took  charge  of  a  prescrip- 
tion store  for  Robert  Battier,  going  theuce  in 
1872  to  Providence,  La.,  as  clerk  for  Dr.  L.  B. 
Bernard.  In  the  fall  of  1873,  our  subject  pur- 
chased a  stock  of  drugs  and  medicines  from  Col. 
F.  Pennington,  and  did  a  veiy  successful  business 
until  the  crisis  of  1873  broke  it  up. 

Mr.  Mootz  then  collected  what  he  could  and 
went  to  Greenville,  Miss.,  and  opened  a  store. 
Eight  months  later  a  fire  started  in  a  building- 
three  blocks  away  and  a  third  of  the  city  was 
burned  before  it  could  be  controlled,  and  our  un- 
fortunate subject  was  the  loser  of  all  his  stock, 
upon  which  there  was  no  insurance.  This  was  dis- 
couraging, indeed,  but  in  the  spring  of  1876  Mr. 
Mootz  came  to  East  St.  Louis  and  took  charge  of 
the  drug  store  of  Dr.  E.  Vanquist,  conducting   his 


124 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


business  until  1877,  and  then  bought  the  stock, 
continuing  in  the  place  on  Collinsville  Avenue  for 
twelve  years.  In  1888,  our  subject  sold  the  store 
to  Drs.  Wood  and  Carr,  and  in  May,  1889,  started 
a  store  with  an  entirely  new  stock,  on  the  corner 
of  Fourth  and  Brady,  building  up  a  very  fine  pre- 
scription trade. 

The  miuriaae  of  ^Ir.  Mootz  took  place  in  Lake 
Providence,  La..  February  3,  1873,  to  Mrs.  Sarah 
(Menges) Bernstein.  She  was  born  in  London,  Eng- 
land, but  was  reared  from  tlie  age  of  two  years  in 
New  Orleans.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mootz  have  had  three 
children:  Albertine  and  Canielia;  and  Dora,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  five  years.  The  two  daughters 
of  Mrs.  Mootz  by  her  former  marriage  were  Emily 
and  Rosa,  both  deceased.  Mr.  Mootz  is  a  member 
of  the  Ancient,  Free  &  Accepted  Masons  and 
Modern  Woodmen.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  be- 
lief, but  is  not  active  in  politics. 


^^m®' 


'Jl^-^  M.  NEEDLES.  One  of  the  most  efficient 
[f)V  officers  of  the  law  in  the  city  of  Belleville 
i^^  is  the  gentleman  whom  we  have  named 
(i^  above.  Born  in  Brown  County,  111.,  Octo- 
ber 9,  1853,  he  is  the  son  of  James  B.  and  Christiana 
(Mace)  Needles.  The  father  was  born  in  Balti- 
more, Md.,  and  went  when  a  young  man  to  Monroe 
County,  being  one  of  the  pioneers  in  what  was 
then  the  Far  West;  he  began  farming,  and  con- 
tinued at  that  until  elected  Sheriff  for  several 
terms.  He  married  Miss  Mace,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Mace,  a  pioneer  of  this  county.  The  grand- 
mother of  this  lady  had  a  thrilling  experience. 
Her  name  was  Andrews,  and  she  was  taken  cap- 
tive and  held  by  the  Indians  for  some  time,  all  of 
the  family  being  killed  but  her;  she  was  ransomed  by 
the  French  traders  who  bought  and  paid  for  her 
and  restored  her  to  her  fi'iends.  (See  sketch  of 
Dr.  Mace.) 

The  father  of  our  siiliject  removed  to  Brown 
County  and  tlien  to  tliis  county,  but  finally  ended 
his  days  in  Washington  County,  leaving  a  family 
of  tliree    sons  and  one    daughter:  T.  B.,  living  in 


Nashville,  111.;  Mrs.  >Sarah  E.  Cooper;  Edward  and 
our  subject.  The  latter  was  educated  in  the  com- 
mon schools;  then  went  to  McKendree  College  at 
Lebanon,  in  this  county,  and  graduated  a  B.  S.  in 
the  Class  of  '73.  After  attending  the  law  depart- 
ment of  the  Wisconsin  University,  he  graduated  an 
LL.  B.  in  1876,  and  was  admitted  to  practice;  he 
returned  to  Illinois  in  1877,  was  admitted  to  prac- 
tice liere,  and  located  in  Belleville,  where  he  has 
had  a  fine  growing  practice  ever  since. 

Dr.  Needles  was  made  Public  Administrator  for 
one  term  of  four  years,  and  was  tendered  a  re- 
appointment. He  has  been  an  active  politician, 
and  has  been  interested  in  various  real-estate  in- 
vestments, whicii  his  good  judgment  has  made 
profitable;  and  he  also  has  been  collector  for  the  in- 
surance companies  of  the  city,  giving  satisfaction  in 
all  cases.  He  is  a  member  of  the  orders  of  Ma- 
sonry and  Knights  of  Pythias,  in  both  of  which 
he  is  highly  esteemed.  Our  subject  was  married 
to  Miss  Clarissa  V.  Scott,  daughter  of  Isaac  Scott, 
one  of  the  early  pioneers  here.  The  marriage 
took  place  May  9,  1875,  and  four  interesting  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  our  subject  and  his  esti- 
mable wife:  Homer,  Martin,  Fred  and  Elmer.  Dr. 
Needles  holds  the  office  of  Police  Magistrate  for 
tiie  city,  his  re-election  dating  from  April.  1892. 


JOHN  J.  McLEAN.  Among  the  many  note- 
worthy lines  of  business  which  have  made 
East  St.  Louis  a  verj'^  important  commercial 
centre  may  be  mentioned  the  building  and 
loan  associations.  Probably  that  which  has  best 
carried  out  the  wislies  of  its  founders  is  the  one 
bearing  the  name  of  tlie  Safety  Homestead  and 
Loan  Association,  of  wliich  our  subject  is  the  effici- 
ent Secretary.  He  is  also  interested  in  the  real- 
estate  business  of  the  city,  and  is  connected  with 
some  enterprises  in  Hillsboro. 

The  grandparents  of  our  subject  many  years 
ago  moved  from  Scotland  into  Kings  County,  Ire- 
land, earned  on  farmins:  there,  and  in  that  countv 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


125 


our  subject's  father  first  saw  the  light.  From 
there  when  still  .a  young  man,  Martin  McLean 
came  to  the  I'nited  States,  settled  in  the  fertile 
county-  of  Westcliester,  N.  Y.,  and  there  married. 
For  some  reason  not  known  to  the  biographer,  he 
removed  from  there  and  went  to  Paterson,  N.  J.,  and 
was  connected  with  the  locomotive  machine  shops 
some  time;  thence  went  to  Metuchen,  N.  J.,  and 
engaged  in  farming,  bu3'ing  one  hundred  and  sixty 
.acres  of  Land  five  miles  from  the  sea  coast.  In 
1864,  Mr.  McLean  came  to  Illinois  and  located  in 
Montgomery  County,  near  Litchfield,  where  he 
bought  a  farm  of  over  one  thousand  acres.  On 
that  place  he  now  resides  and  has  been  arr  exten- 
sive stock-raiser.  Politically,  he  has  affiliated  witli 
the  Democratic  party.  The  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Mary  Carj',  who  was  born  and  reared  in  Ire- 
land, emigrating  thence  to  New  York,  where  she 
met  her  husband.  Her  death  occurred  in  1878; 
during  her  life  she  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Metuchen,  N.  J., 
April  4,  1850.  He  was  one  of  three  children,  the 
others  being  William  II.,  who  is  on  the  home  farm, 
and  Margaret,  who  is  Mrs.  M.  K.  McAnarney,  of 
Montgomery  County. 

Mr.  McLean  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  at- 
tended the  common  school  of  his  neighborhood 
until  he  came  to  Illinois.  In  1870-71-72,  he  at- 
tended the  Christian  Hrothers*  College  in  St. 
Louis,  then  took  a  course  in  a  celebrated  commer- 
cial college  and  graduated  from  it.  After  gradu- 
ating, he  taught  school  in  Montgomerj^  County 
for  one  year,  but  in  1873  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  Treasurer  of  Montgomery-  County,  and 
held  the  office  until  December,  1875,  when  he  be- 
gan the  real-estate  business  in  Hillsboro.  In  1882, 
he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Court  and 
County  Recorder  by  the  Democrats,  and  in  1886  was 
re-elected,  serving  two  terms  in  both  offices.  During 
this  time,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Illinois  Bar,  and 
in  1890,  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  office,  still 
continued  at  Hillsboro.  In  1891,  he  located  in 
East  St.  Louis  and  opened  a  real-estate  business, 
dealing  in  city  property.  In  1891  he  organized  the 
Safety  Homestead  and  Loan  Association,  was 
made  Secretary,  and  has  continued  in  this  posi. 
tJOf)    eyer   since,     Mr.   McLean   \yas  one    of   the 


organizers  of^the  First  National  Bank  of  Litch- 
field and  is  still  a  Director.  He  also  helped  to 
organize  the  First  National  Bank  of  Hillsboro,  and 
is  jet  a  Director'of  that  institution. 

Mr.  McLean  was  married  in  Montgomery  County, 
in  1877,  to  Miss  Amanda  Thomas,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  R.  Thomas,  a  prominent  stock- 
man of  this  same  county.  Two  children  have 
been  added  to  this  household,  Edgar  M.  and  Irene 
N.  Our  subject  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Catholic  Church  of  Hillsboro,  and  the  family  takes 
a  very  important  position  in  the  social  life  of  the 
city.  He  is  a  generous,'  libe'rarii^au,'"ver'r kind- 
hearted.  He  is  devoted  to  the  jjrinciples  of  the 
Democratic  party  and  a  great  admirer  of  ex-Pres- 
ident Cleveland. 


m>^^<B 


jilLLIAM  GREBE,  M.  I).  The  subject  of 
the  following  short  sketch,  a  practicing 
physician  of  Freeburg,  111.,  is  the  son  of 
Henry  Grebe,  who  still  remains  at  his  old  home  in 
Germany.  The  birth  of  our  subject  was  at  Trier, 
Germany,  in  1862,  where  he  made  his  home  until 
the  age  of  eighteen  years  and  where  he  attended 
excellent  schools,  closing  with  a  course  in  phar- 
macy. In  1881  Mr.  Grebe  came  to  the  United 
States.  He  first  entered  a  drug  store  in  Philadel- 
phia as  clerk,  remaining  there  until  1883;  he  then 
went  to  the  College  of  Pharmacy  in  that  city,  w.as 
graduated  and  then  visited  Geimany,  returning  to 
Philadelphia  in   1884. 

During  his  absence,  he  served  one  ye.ar  in  the 
army  and  studied  medicine  under  a  German  physi- 
cian. After  his  return.  Dr.  Grebe  became  a  student 
at  the  University  of  Pcnnsylv.ania,  graduated  from 
the  medical  department  in  Septembei-,  1889,  then 
came  West,  looking  for  a  location  where  his  educa- 
tion and  abilities  would  be  appreciated,  and  finally 
decided  to  locate  in  the  pleasant  town  of  Freeburg. 
He  made  this  place  his  home  two  years  ago  and 
has  lived  here  ever  since.  We  do  not  declare  that 
people  here  get  sick  in  order  that  the  Doctor  may 
make  them  well;  but  it  is  not  exaggeratioii  to  sa^ 


126 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIUCAL   RECORD. 


that  when  serious  illness  comes,  the  desire  of  the 
friends  of  the  sufferer  is  that  the  brilliant  }Oung 
phj-sician  maj'  exercise  his  skill  upon  them.  He 
conducts  a  drug  store  in  connection  with  liis  prac- 
tice. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  (ireije  took  place  June  23, 
1891,  the  bride  being  Miss  Helen  Barthel,  the 
charming  daughter  of  Henry  Barthel,  a  prominent 
merchant  of  Freebnrg.  Tliey  have  one  bi'ight 
little  one  named  William  Henry,  an  infant.  Dr. 
Grebe  belongs  to  the  lodge  of  Ancient  Free  and 
Accepted  Masons  at  this  place  and  has  held  several 
offices  in  the  order;  also  belongs  to  the  Harugariof 
this  place  and  the  Athletic  Club.  By  the  time  the 
next  Recoiu)  of  St.  Clair  County  is  written  we  pre- 
dict that  the  name  of  this  young  and  progressive 
l)hysician  will  be  known  l)eyond  the  borders  of 
niinois. 


^^m^-^'^^m^< 


^ippKEDEUlCK  WILLIAM  WOLPERT.  Our 
irr^iS)]  subject  is  one  of  the  many  representatives 
/L,  ~"  of  the  Teutonic  race  in  this  country,  who 
have  brought  into  American  life  the  patience  and 
industry  which  are  sometimes  lacking  in  the  Ameri- 
can artisan.  He  was  bora  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  May 
1,  18.30,  and  is  the  son  of  Frederick  William  Wol- 
pert.  His  mother  died  when  he  was  very  young, 
and  his  father  when  he  was  eight  years  old. 

Our  subject  went  to  school  until  he  was  fourteen 
and  was  then  apprenticed  for  four  years  to  cutlery 
manufacturers  at  Oppenheim,  German}'.  Here  he 
remained  until  he  was  eighteen  years  old  as  an  ap- 
prentice, and  then,  not  being  satisfied  with  what 
he  had  learned,  he  remained  with  them  until  he 
was  twenty  years  old,  thus  receiving  a  very  thor- 
ough education  in  his  trade.  Being  an  orphan, 
with  few  home  ties,  he  concluded  to  try  his 
fortune  across  the  ocean;  hence  June  5,  18,51, 
he  landed  in  New  York  City,  and  started  out 
to  find  employment.  He  first  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  shears,  in  Newark,  N.  J.,  whore  he 
remained  one  year.  His  next  removal  was  to 
Cornwall,  Conn.,  where   )]i'   ivnijiincd    nnlil    18(;]. 


In  1862,  be  came  to  Belleville  and  opened  a  shop 
of  his  own.  It  is  one  of  the  largest  and  most  con- 
venient anywhere  in  this  county,  and  has  trade 
from  St.  Louis  and  both  East  and  West.  Mr.  Wol- 
pert  is  an  expert  workman,  and  with  so  many 
years  of  practice,  will  only  turn  out  the  very  best 
work.  He  has  with  him  his  son,  who  has  learned 
the  business,  and  will  succeed  him. 

Mr.  Wolpert  was  married  in  Cornwall,  Conn.,  to 
Miss  Maria  Heberer,  of  German  birth.  She  was  a 
good  wife,  and  left  her  husband  five  children, 
namely:  Clara,  wife  of  Jules  Cottert,  of  Spring- 
field, 111.;  Louisa,  wife  of  Peter  Wermels,  of  St. 
Louis;  Rosa,  wife  of  Jacob  Lange,  of  Pittsburgh, 
Tex.;  Henry,  living  with  his  father;  and  Gustav 
who  is  living  in  Columbus,  Ohio.  Our  subject  mar- 
ried for  his  second  wife.  ^Mrs.  Elizabeth  Rauschkolb, 
of  this  place,  also  of  German  lin  th.  To  them  have 
been  born  nine  children:  Elizabeth,  widow  of  Philip 
Hoener;  William,  a  carriage-maker  of  Carlinville, 
111.;  Anna,  wife  of  C.  Brandt,  of  St.  Louis;  Louis, 
of  St.  Louis:  Louisa,  of  St.  Louis;  Otli.i  and  (ieorge 
at  home;  John,  a  mail  carrierof  St.  Louis;  and  Ma- 
tilda, wife  of  Eiitz  Schermer,  of  this  city. 

The  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  Wolpert  is  at  No.  301 
Walnut  Street.  He  is  a  member  of  the  German 
Methodist  j;piscopal  Church  of  this  city,  and  is 
one  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  His  son  Ileniy 
has  inherited  his  father's  tastes  and  talents,  and 
bids  fair  to  carry  on  his  business  with  suc- 
cess. He  was  born  in  Belleville,  September  3, 
1867  and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools.  He  has 
learned  the  trade  with  his  father,  having  been  in 
the  shop  since  he  was  fourteen  years  old. 


ICHAEL  F.  (tE.\RY.  The  State  of  Pcnii- 
\  sylvania  contributed  quite  extensively  to 
11.  the  upbuilding  of  Illinois,  and  among 
the  honest  men  who  came  here  and  have 
aken  an  active  interest  in  everything  of  value  to 
his  beautiful  cily  may  be  mentioned  with  truth 
he  name    of  Mr.    M.    F.  (iearv.     Ili.s  father  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


born  in  Pennsylvania,  owned  a  farm  on  the  hanks 
of  the  Susquehanna,  and  was  a  very  prominent 
man  in  his  neighborliood,  having  acceptably  filled 
the  ofHces  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  Road  Over- 
seer, and  Supervisor  for  many  years.  He  was  of 
the  Democratic  faith  in  politics,  lived  to  be  nearly 
eighty  years  of  age,  and  died  at  his  home.  The 
mother  of  our  subject,  Mary  Kern,  was  a  native  of 
the  Emerald  Isle,  and  died  a  few  3'ears  after  her  hus- 
band, a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church.  She  had 
been  the  mother  of  sixteen  children. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Friendsville,  Susque- 
hanna County,  Pa.,  August  28,  1840,  the  eldest 
of  his  father's  family.  He  was  reared  in  Friendsville 
among  the  Quakers,  went  to  school  and  worked 
on  the  farm  among  this  kind  and  orderly  people, 
and  remained  until  seventeen  years  of  age:  he  then 
thought  he  would  like  railroad  life,  and  worked  as 
brakesman  for  one  day.  Mr.  Geary  was  made 
Yardmasterat  Titusville,  Pa.,  on  the  Oil  City  Kail- 
road,  and  later  was  conductor  on  tlie  passenger 
train  between  Titusville  and  Corry  for  about  four 
years.  In  1867,  he  went  West  through  East  St. 
Louis  to  Kansas  City  for  the  Missouri  Pacific  Rail- 
road as  Yardmaster,  and  in  1871  served  as  con- 
ductor between  Sedalia,  Mo.,  and  Kansas  City, 
which  was  then  only  a  small  village. 

In  1871,  he  came  to  the  IronMountain  Railroad 
and  ran  a  mixed  train  from  Fredericktown  to  Bel- 
mont until  1873;  tiien  in  December  came  to  East 
St.  Louis  in  charge  of  the  yards  of  the  Cairo  Short 
Line  Railroad,  remaining  until  1881,  when  he  went 
to  Indianapolis  in  charge  of  the  Indianapolis, 
Bloomington  &  Western  and  the  Indianapolis,Deca- 
tur  &  Springfield  for  two  years  as  Yardmaster.  That 
ended  his  railway  career.  In  1883,  our  subject  re- 
turned here.  He  had  been  very  fortunate,  for  in  his 
whole  railroad  career  no  accidents  have  befallen 
him.  Mr.  Geary  was  made  Superintendent  of  the 
Helms  Brewery  in  1883,  and  continued  with  them 
until  they  sold  out  in  .June,  1888.  He  then 
bought  Trauble  Hall,  and  has  been  in  tiie  liquor 
business  since  that  time.  In  October,  18;)  1,  Mr. 
Geary  bought  thesite,  on  which  he  built  Geary  Hall. 
This  building  is  used  by  fourteen  different  socie- 
ties, and  is  occupied  all  of  the  time,  Althougli  it 
was  raised  and  l)uilt.  in  fifteen  days,  it  has  some  of 


the  finest  work  upon  it  to  be  found  in  the  city;  is 
33x60  feet,  three  stories  high  with  basement,  and 
has  all  the  latest  improvements.  Mr.  Geary  owns 
considerable  real  estate  in  the  city,  and  speculates 
with  it;  is  a  partner  in  the  firm  of  Hill  Bros,  in 
the  ownership  of  twenty-five  acres  in  the  city 
limits,  which  they  will  soon  l.ay  out;  has  built  up 
some  residences  here,  and  owns  other  property-. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  took  place  in  Titus- 
ville, Pa.,  March  4, 1867,  to  Miss  Carrie  B.  Spear. 
))orn  in  Salem,  Mass.  They  have  but  one  child, 
Frank,  living  at  home.  Mr.  Geary  is  a  member  of 
many  fraternal  societies  and  an  officer  in  some  of 
them;  is  Treasurer  of  Illinois  Lodge  Ko.  268,  K.  of 
II.;  Treasurerof  the  Chevalier  Commandery,  K.  of 
II.;  Trustee  of  Eureka  Lodge  No.  81, K.  of  P.;  and 
Trustee  of  Rathbone  Division  No.  17,  U.  K.  and  K. 
of  P.,  and  also  is  Grand  Assistant  Dictator  of  the 
Knights  of  Honor  of  Illinois.  The  gentleman  of 
whom  we  write  has  been  a  Republican  all  his  life, 
a  delegate  to  the  county  and  State  conventions, 
and  also  to  the  judicial  and  congressional  conven- 
tions, and  is  now  Chairman  of  the  Republican  com- 
mittee. In  1892,  he  was  elected  School  Trustee 
on  the  Citizens'  ticket,  and  is  President  of  tlic 
Board  of  Trustees  for  four  clisUic  ts. 


J(  AMES  J.  RAFTER,  A.  B.,  A.  M.  The  pres- 
ent practice  of  law  requires  the  possession 
of  a  very  liberal  general  education  besides 
^^  a  knowledge  of  the  principles  elucidated 
by  Coke  and  Blackstone.  The  gentleman  whose 
name  opens  this  sketch  has  proved  that  he  has  con- 
quered all  the  difficulties  in  the  way,  and  is  now  en- 
joying a  very  successful  practice  in  a  pleasant 
office  at  No.  119  North  Third  Street,  East  St. 
Louis. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Michael  Rafter, 
brought  his  family  from  Ireland  to  America  in 
1818  and  located  on  a  farm  near  Augusta,  Me., 
where  he  passed  the  rest  of  ids  life.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  named  Martin,  and  was  born  in 
County  Wexford,  Ireland,  in  1806.     When  twelve 


128 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAnilCAL  RECORD. 


years  of  age,  his  parents  came  to  America,  and,  at 
the  age  of  maturity,  he  married  into  one  of  the 
oldest  families  of  the  State  of  Maine.  His 
wife  was  Susan  Joyce,  who  had  been  born 
in  the  same  State.  Her  mother,  the  grandmother 
of  our  subject,  was  an  Erskin,  of  an  old  pioneer  fam- 
il\-.  Its  founder  was  with  Gen.  "Washington  in  the 
Revolutionary  War,  and  after  its  close  moved 
into  the  wilderness  of  Maine.  The  maternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject  came  when  a  boy  from 
Ireland  and  engaged  in  the  fishing  business  in 
Newfoundland.  Going  in  a  schooner  to  Boston 
with  his  fish,  he  then  settled  in  Lincoln  Countj', 
Me.,  there  went  to  farming  and  married. 

In  1848,  the  father  of  our  subject  came  to  Illi- 
nois and  settled  in  Springfield  Township,  Sanga- 
mon County,  and  there  bought  a  farm,  thirty  acres 
of  which  were  in  the  corporation  and  sixty-five  of 
it  were  adjoining.  He  farmed  there  and  laid  out 
the  Martin  Rafter  Addition  to  Springfield,  be- 
came a  very  wealth}^  man  by  his  foresight,  and 
closed  his  life  there  in  1881.  He  had  adhered  to 
the  principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Catholic  Church.  Our 
subject's  mother,  now  seventy-six  years  of  age,  re- 
sides upon  a  ranch  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  in  Nelson  County,  N.  Dak.,  to  which  she 
removed  after  her  husband's  death. 

Our  subject  is  the  fourth  oldest  of  ten  children, 
and  was  born  in  Augusta,  Me.,  March  15,  1846; 
was  brought  to  Springfield  wlien  less  than  two 
years  old,  was  reared  in  that  place,  and  attended 
school  there,  graduating  from  the  High  School 
in  1865.  Mr.  Rafter  then  went  to  Niagara  Uni- 
versity in  New  York,  and  graduated  in  1868  with 
the  degree  of  li.  A.,  and  later  received  the  de- 
gree of  M.  A.  In  September,  1868,  he  became 
Principal  of  the  Pleasant  School  in  Sangamon 
County,  111.,  and  in  April.  1869,  came  to  East  St. 
Louis  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  one  of  the  schools,  hold- 
ing that  position  until  June,  1872,  when  he  went 
back  to  Springfield  and  began  the  st\idy  of  law 
with  Stewart,  Edwards  A  Brown. 

Mr.  Rafter  was  admitted  to  practice  in  Septem- 
ber, 1874,  when  he  returned  here,  opened  an  office, 
and  has  had  several  partners,  but  is  now  conducting 
liis  business  aloi)e,     In  1H75,  he  was  elected  Sc))00l 


Trustee  for  three  years.  During  the  spring  of 
1883,  when  there  -was  much  trouble  arising  from 
the  dual  governments,  he  was  Acting  Mayor,  and 
was  engaged  in  much  legal  work  incident  to  that 
disturbing  time.  Mr.  Rafter  engages  in  a  regular 
law  practice  and  has  had  many  important  cases; 
he  was  the  attorney  for  the  Minnie  Bowman  estate 
and  laid  out  and  sold  Rose  Hill,  besides  managing 
much  valuable  real  estate.  He  owns  property  on 
CoUinsville  Avenue  and  in  other  parts  of  the  city. 
Our  subject  has  been  a  very  active  worker  in 
the  Democratic  ranks,  and  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Democratic  Central  Committee  since  1884. 
Mr.  Rafter  was  married  in  Cairo,  III.,  August  30, 
1877,  to  Miss  Bibbie  M.  Crowley,  who  was  born  in 
Pennsj'lvania,  but  was  reared  in  Cairo.  She  was 
removed  by  death  in  1887,  and  left  two  interest- 
ing children,  Rose  and  Gerald,  both  of  whom  are 
at  the  academy  at  Grand  Forks,  N.  Dak.  Our 
subject  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  the  National 
Union  and  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians, 
and  he  supports  the  Catholic  Church,  of  which 
he  has  long  been  a  communicant. 


\^^ 


\l^x^llILIP  L.  WEBER,  a  prominent  insurance 
I  Jl)  agent  of  Belleville,"  with  his  office  at  No- 
\f^  6  High  Street,  has  been  a  resident  of  Belle- 
1\  ville  since  1871.  He  was  born  in  Bremen, 
Germany,  July  7,  1854,  and  is  the  son  of  George 
and  Sophia  (Bruns)  Weber.  Our  subject  received 
his  early  education  at  his  birthplace;  then  learning 
the  mercantile  business,  working  in  a  wholesale 
office,  and  beginning  first  as  an  apprentice,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  for  four  years  before  he  was  pro- 
moted to  the  position  of  book-keeper. 

Mr.  Weber  remained  with  this  house  until  he 
came  to  America  in  1871,  engaging  first  in  St. 
Louis  in  the  dry-goods  business,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year.  He  then  came  to  Belleville  and 
engaged  in  the  sewing-machine  business  here.  The 
position  of  book-keeper  for  William  Ekhart,  Jr., 
next  claimed  his  .attention,  after  which,  ih  1883,  lie 
engaged  in  the  insurance  business.  Ip  this  departure 


r 


^i#  ^^ 


^ 


c^  /a^J/7^'''^ 

^  — ^,^''- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


lie  built  up  a  prominent  and  successful  business 
with  a  partner,  under  the  firm  name  of  Weber  & 
Sikkama,  and  their  office  is  headquarters  for  the 
Germans  of  Freeport.  Tlie.v  do  business  in  ten  ad- 
joining counties,  and  they  have  about  seventy 
agencies  under  them. 

Mr.  Weber  has  been  President  of  the  ( Jermania 
Turnverein,  and  was  Secretary  of  the  Liederkranz, 
which  is  the  leading  song  society  here,  four  years. 
Our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Delia  Enwright, 
of  St.  Charles,  Mo.,  where  she  was  born.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  James  Enwright,  a  prominent  rail- 
road contractor  of  tli«t  place.  The  marriage  oc- 
curred December  1,  1886,  and  they  have  three  chil- 
dren: Oscar,  John  and  Ella.  Mr.  Weber  had  been 
previously  married  to  Miss  Rosa  Iloner,  of  this  city, 
who  at  her  death  left  five  children:  Arthur,  Erail, 
Irwin,  Walter  and  Louise.  Our  subject  bought  a 
l)leasant  place  for  a  residence,  which  he  has  remod- 
eled, and  lie  has  in  front  of  the  house  a  large  and 
beautifully  kept  lawn. 


^^ 


^yn^jENJAMIN  J.  VAN  COURT,  who  is  now 
r^v  ^^'^'"S  I'etired  on  section  29, 0'Fallon  Town- 
I'^Ml))  ship,  is  one  of  the  prominent  and  honored 
^&^'  pioneers  of  this  county.  He  comes  of  a 
family  of  Dutch  origin,  his  grandfather,  Job 
Van  Court,  having  been  born  in  Holland.  He  em- 
igrated to  America  with  the  Van  Stuy  vesants,  and 
settled  in  New  Jersey  and  engaged  in  farming.  His 
death  occurred  in  1820,  at  the  age  of  eighty-five. 
He  had  previously  removed  to  Bradford  with  the 
Holland  Company,  consisting  of  large  land-owners, 
and  died  leaving  a  valuable  estate,  lie  left  four 
children,  John,  Benjamin,  Lucy  and  Hannah,  all 
of  whom  married  and  had  families. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Benjamin  Van  Court, 
was  born  in  New  Jersey,  in  1782.  After  acquir- 
ing a  common-school  education,  he  learned  the 
cabinet-maker's  trade  and  later  became  a  house 
and  boat  builder,  Hp  wedded  Mary,  daughter  of 
Dr.  James  Lindsey,  and  re»)ov'ed  to  Mc^'eyto^vll 


on  the  Juniata  River  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
liecame  a  large  grain  dealer  and  extensive  mer- 
chant. He  made  several  trips  to  the  West  pros- 
pecting, and  finally  removed  to  Illinois,  locating 
first  on  a  farm  in  Prophetstown,  Whiteside  County. 
He  spent  his  declining  years  in  St.  Louis,  and  at  a 
good  old  age,  Januarj^  5,  1850,  passed  away  at  his 
residence  on  Collins  Street.  His  wife  survived 
him  only  a  few  years  and  died  May  14,  1855.  at 
the  age  of  seventy-one. 

In  the  Van  Court  family  were  live  children: 
Eliza,  born  December  14,  1810,  died  at  the  home 
of  our  subject  August  18,  1881.  Alexander,  born 
Februaiy  27,  1812,  was  married  in  1852  to  Miss 
Chambei'lain,  who  died  in  June,  1862,  on  their 
farm  near  Litchfield,  leaving  two  children;  Mar\', 
who  is  now  the  wife  of  William  Kelle}',  of  Texas; 
and  Benjamin,  who  is  married  and  makes  his  home 
in  Texas.  In  1849,  Alexander  started  across  the 
lilains  to  California,  where  our  subject  joined  him 
in  1853.  They  spent  about  five  years  engaged  in 
cattle-raising  and  in  the  sawmill  business.  Re- 
turning to  Illinois,  Alexander  bought  a  farm  in 
Macoupin  County,  where  he  remained  ten  years. 
In  1865,  he  went  to  Texas,  locating  near  San  An- 
tonio, where  he  engaged  in  farming  and  cattle- 
raising  until  his  death,  which  occurred  February 
19,  1881.  Maria,  the  third  child  of  the  family,  was 
born  November  19,  181G,  and  in  1847,at  St.  Louis, 
married  John  Cormack,  a  steamboat  pilot  on  the 
Mississippi.  She  died  August  28,  1884,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight,  leaving  one  son,  Alex.ander.  Ma- 
hala,  born  June  18,  1818,  died  at  St.  Louis,  in 
1854. 

Benjamin  Jackson  Van  Court,  whose  name  heads 
this  record,  was  born  December  20,  1820,  in  Mc- 
Veytown,  Pa.,  and  ac(iuired  his  education  in  the 
common  schools,  assisting  his  father  when  not  in 
the  school  room.  He  went  into  business  with  his 
brother  Alexander,and  at  the  age  of  nineteen  came 
West  with  the  family,  the  father  having  preceded 
them.  He  and  his  brother  built  a  boat  called  the 
"A.  and  B.  J.  V.an  Court,"  and,  embarking  at 
Johnstown,  floated  it  down  the  canal  to  Pitts- 
burgh, thence  down  the  Ohio  to  the  Mississippi. 
There  the  boat  was  attached  to  tho  steamer 
'"Smelter,"  which  was  to  tow  it  to  St,  Louis,  bwt 


132 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


before  getting  fairly  started  the  boat  sank,  in  con- 
sequence of  the  strong  current.  The}'  lost  all  of 
their  possessions  and  barel.y  escaped  with  their 
lives. 

With  his  brother,  our  subject  went  to  Rock 
Island  and  leased  the  Rock  Island  House,  con- 
ducting the  same  with  excellent  success  for  about 
two  years.  In  the  fall  of  1841,  they  sold,  and 
went  to  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  where  they  were  pro- 
prietors of  the  American  House  for  about  two 
years.  They  then  went  to  St.  Louis,  where,  in 
connection  with  T.  V.  Cannon,  they  leased  the 
National  Hotel  on  the  southwest  corner  of  Third 
and  Market  Streets,  successfully  conducting  the 
same  until  July,  1846.  They  then  leased  the  old 
Missouri  Hotel,  which  they  had  charge  of  until 
1850.  Our  subject  then  engaged  in  real-estate 
dealing  until  his  marriage  on  the  17th  of  January, 
1853,  to  Miss  Amelia  Mittnacht,  of  Baltimore, 
daughter  of  George  Mittnacht,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many. She  was  born  December  6,  1829,  and  the 
wedding  ceremony  was  performed  by  Rev.  Dr. 
Spring. 

The  wedding  journey  of  Mr.  and  Jlrs.  Van 
Court  was  a  trip  to  California,  where  he  remained 
until  the  spring  of  1854,  engaged  in  ranching  and 
in  the  sawmill  business.  He  raised  the  first  crop  of 
wheat  in  the  neighborhood  of  Sacramento  and  cut 
the  same  witli  a  McCormick  reaper.  He  employed 
ten  Indians  in  the  harvest  field,  for  the  labor  of 
white  men  was  worth  from  $8  to  $10  per  day.  Selling 
his  property  on  the  Pacific  Slope,  he  returned  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  remained  until  1856.  While  there, 
he  was  identified  with  the  public  affairs  of  the  city, 
was  a  member  of  the  City  Council,  and  at  one 
time  was  a  candidate  on  the  Democratic  ticket 
for  City  Treasurer.  On  the  12th  of  July,  1856, 
he  came  to  O'Fallon,  bought  a  farm  of  one  liun- 
dred  and  thirty-seven  acres  and  built  his  present 
residence.  In  1865,  he  sank  a  coal  shaft  upon  his 
farm,  and  tlie  mine  is  still  in  operation,  supplying 
all  the  coal  for  the  electrical  plants,  as  well  as  the 
City  Light  Company  of  St.  Louis.  The  mine  is 
now  leased  to  the  Consumers"  Coal  Company  of 
St.  Louis. 

ITnto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  \':in  Court  liavc  lieen  F)orn 
nine   children:   Benjaniin  .',  died  in  Culifornin  in 


infancy;  Hallie,  born  March  26,  1856,  is  the  wife 
of  Edwin  Poindexter,  manufacturer  of  varnishes, 
of  Chicago;  Kate  Eliza,  born  March  6,  1858,  died 
in  infancy;  Amelia  M.,  born  September  11,  1860, 
is  the  wife  of  Dr.  D.  K.  Reinhold,  of  New  York, 
by  whom  she  has  three  children,  Carrie,  Edgar  and 
Bessie,  aged  six,  three  and  one  year,  respectively; 
Carrie  Virginia,  born  July  29,  1865,  is  the  wife  of 
H.  G.  Finley,  a  merchant  of  St.  Louis,  and  they 
have  two  cliildren,  Benjamin  and  Hallie;  Benja- 
min J.,  born  September  29,  1862,  died  at  the  age 
of  seven  years;  George,  born  May  25,  1867,  died 
in  infancy;  and  Belle,  born  August  10,  1869,  also 
died  in  inf.ancy. 

Mr.  \n»  Cdurl  is  a  member  of  the  Congrega- 
tional Church.  He  has  been  connected  with  tlie 
Masonic  fraternity  since  1842,  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  Aurora  Lodge  No.  48,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  at 
Portsmouth,  Ohio.  He  is  a  charter  member  of  St. 
Louis  Commandery  No.  1,  K.  T.,  and  one  of  the 
founders  of  O'Fallon  Lodge  No.  576,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. 
He  was  first  Master  of  the  latter  lodge,  and  filled 
that  position  for  about  fifteen  years  altogether.  He 
is  a  Democrat  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  the 
success  of  his  party,  but  has  never  been  an  oflHce- 
seeker.  In  his  business,  he  has  been  very  success- 
ful and  won  a  handsome  property.  He  is  now  a 
wealthy  citizen,  living  retired,  and  is  liighly  re- 
spected by  all  who  know  him. 


ASHINGTON  WEST,  M.  D.  To  attain 
distinction  in  any  of  the  learned  profes- 
sions is  the  proud  ambition  of  many  a 
struggling  man,  who  looks  forward  to  the  prize  to 
be  gained  toward  the  end  of  the  race,  and  which 
when  gained  is  accounted  as  having  been  worth  the 
struggle.  We  occasionally  know  of  an  instance 
when  a  man  still  young  has  attained  to  a  high  ]io- 
sition,  and  his  success  is  certainly  worthy  of  a|)- 
plause  and  emulation.  Gratif3'ing  has  been  the 
results  of  the  life  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
in    Ills    practice    of   surgery  .nnd   medicine  in   tlie 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


133 


beautiful  city  of  Belleville,  where  he  is  one  of  the 
prominent  ph^ysicians. 

The  Doctor  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  lliileary  West, 
and  first  saw  the  light  on  the  West  farm  near  Belle- 
ville, Feljruary  9,  1847.  He  was  well  fitted  by  na- 
ture and  education  for  his  chosen  life  worlc,  as  he 
attended  the  city  schools,  finishing  liis  literarj' 
course  at  tlic  city  universitj-  at  St.  Louis;  from 
tiiere  lie  entered  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1868.  He  was  then  Acting 
Assistant  Surgeon  in  the  arra3-  for  two  years,  being 
with  Maj.-Gen.  William  S.  Harney  in  the  Sioux 
Indian  District,  in  Dakota,  remaining  at  the  front 
during  those  two  years  of  his  service,  and  being 
located  at  the  Cheyenne  River  Agency. 

Dr.  West  was  married  on  the  30th  of  June,  1870, 
to  Miss  Mary  Agnes  AVolfc,  of  St.  Louis,  daughter 
of  Thomas  Wolfe,  one  of  the  leading  stockmen  in 
the  St.  Louis  Pacific  Stock^^ards.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
West  are  the  happy  parents  of  six  children,  namely: 
Basmath  Ariadne,  Mary  Agnes,  Washington,  Maria 
Catherine,  Waj'  and  Ruth  Wolfe.  The  children 
are  all  single,  and  at  home,  except  Basmath 
Ariadne,  who  was  married  the  30th  of  June,  1892, 
to  David  Stainrook  Booth,  a  physician  of  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and  a  Professor  of  Barnes  Medical  College  of 
.St.  Louis.  They  have  an  elegant  home  at  No. 
4622  Page  Avenue. 

After  his  marriage,  Dr.  West  settled  in  Belle- 
ville, where  he  has  since  been  in  active  practice, 
with  the  exception  of  six  months  spent  in  Phila- 
del|)hia  at  the  time  of  the  Centennial,  when  he 
was  correspondent  for  a  number  of  papers,  and 
also  attended  the  clinic  at  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania. With  this  exception,  he  has  been  in 
active  practice  here  ever  since,  and  now  enjoys  so 
large  a  patronage  that  it  is  difficult  for  him  to  an- 
swer all  the  demands  made  upon  his  time  and  skill. 

Dr.  West  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Clair  County 
and  State  Medical  Societies  and  American  Jledical 
Association;  lie  also  was  Assistant  Surgeon  at  the 
County  Farm  for  twelve  years.  In  ,'uldition  U> 
his  other  duties,  he  served  as  President  vf  tlie 
Eagle  Foundry  for  some  years.  Mrs.  West,  an  in- 
telligent, refined  lady,  is  a  member  of  Dr.  Brook's 
Presbyterian  Church  of  St.  Louis,  and  is  a  descen- 
dant of  the  great  Diuiiei  P.ooiie,  <if  Kentucky.     Dr. 


AVest  belongs  to  no  political  party,  preferring  to 
cast  his  vote  for  the  man  his  judgment  pronounces 
to  be  the  best,  regardless  of  party  distinctions.  So- 
cially, he  is  connected  with  no  orders,  the  duties 
of  his  profession  being  too  heavy  to  admit  of  any 
such  relaxation. 


JULR'S  J.  HEIDINGER.  The  gentleman 
whose  name  appears  upon  this  page  is  one 
of  the  representative  railroad  men  of  this 
section,  holding  the  responsible  position  of 
agent  for  the  St.  Louis,  Alton  &  Terrc  Haute  Rail- 
road and  attending  to  the  freight  and  ticket  busi- 
ness of  this  road,  which  does  more  business  than 
all  the  other  lines  entering  the  city. 

Julius  Heidingeris  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Magda- 
lena  (Schmidt)  Heidinger,  and  was  born  in  this 
city  September  18,  18.53.  His  parents  were  of 
German  ancestry,  and  were  natives  of  Rastadt, Ba- 
den, Germany,  where  the  father  was  born  June  19, 
1807,  and  the  mother  in  1811.  These  honest  peo- 
ple came  to  this  country  in  1848,  and,  after  a  long 
and  tiresome  journey,  located  at  Belleville.  Here 
the  father  worked  at  his  trade  of  machinist,  faith- 
fully following  it  through  life.  The  five  children 
who  were  born  to  them  were  as  follows:  Hugo, 
now  at  CoUinsville;  Rudolph,  who  here  conducts 
a  tin  and  hardware  store;  Hermine,  wife  of  II. 
Mason,  of  Paducah,  Ky.,  now  deceased;  and  Quido 
B.,  :i  conductcir  on  the  Air-line  Accommodation. 

At'ter  <iiu'  siiliject  had  received  his  education  in 
the  i)ublic  sehiKilsdl'  this  city,  he  learned  the  har- 
ness-making trade,  and  later  entered  a  nail  mill; 
later  he  became  agent  for  the  old  Illinois  A-  St. 
Louis  Railroad  for  five  years,  having  previously 
learned  telegraphy.  Mr.  Heidinger  then  kept  a 
set  of  books  for  the  B.  F.  Switzer  ife  Co.  flouring 
mill  lor  two  years.  Then  he  took  the  Short  Line 
agency,  and  has  given  such  satisfaction  that  there 
is  no  prospect  of  any  change  unless  for  a  still 
higher  position.  He  has  made  this  line  highly  re- 
spected, and  his  services  are  appreciated.  He  is 
interested  in  other  matters    besides    i-ailrond    Imsi- 


134 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ness,  and  has  found  time  to  invest  largely  and 
wisely  in  real  estate  in  this  cit_v  and  in  St.  Louis. 
Mr.  Heidinger  gave  up  single  blessedness  May 
9,  1882,  wiien  occurred  his  marriage  to  Miss  C'atii- 
crine  Iloldner,  daughter  of  Fred  Iloldner.  of  this 
city,  who  was  born  December  7,  1857.  Four 
bright  children  have  blessed  this  home,  but  tlie 
Death  Angel  took  the  eldest,  little  .Julius,  when 
only  three  mouths  old.  The  living  are  Roy  Reu- 
ben, Milo  Drew  and  Magdalena.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Heidinger  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Cliurch,  and  are  most  highly  valued  as  neighbors 
and  friends.  Mr.  Heidinger  possesses  those  quali- 
ties which  go  to  maice  a  leader,  and  manages  the 
twelve  men  under  his  charge  without  any  friction 
ami  to  the  interest  of  his  employers. 


|^:DWAK1)  FK.\NK  SCIIOENING.  Proml- 
|-<j  nent  among  the  industries  of  St.  Clair 
/A' — -i:  County  are  its  milling  enterprises,  and  the 
men  who  have  worked  in  that  line  have  contribu- 
ted effectively  to  the  advancement  of  their  commu- 
nities. The  firm  of  Hirsch  <fe  Schoening,  merchant 
millers  at  Millstadt,  h.as  established  and  success- 
fully conducted  a  flourishing  business,  wliich  has 
gained  a  reputation  for  progressive  methods  and 
reliable  dealings.  The  junior  member  of  this  firm 
is  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  a  youug  gentleman  of 
enterprise  and  perseverance,  and  a  worthy  re|)re- 
sentative  of  a  thrifty  German  family. 

•Tohn  Schoening,  father  of  our  suljject,  as  his 
name  indicates,  was  a  German,  and  was  born  in 
Holstein,  where  he  was  reared  to  manhood.  Farm- 
ing w!4S  his  occupation,  his  entire  life  being  thus 
spent  in  his  native  country.  He  married  M. 
Brahms,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  twelve 
children,  of  whom  seven  are  now  living,  The  fa- 
ther was  a  man  of  honor  and  industrious  habits, 
highly  esteemed  by  his  neighbors  and  acquaint- 
ances until  death. 

In  Holstein, Germany,  the  subject  of  tliis  sketcii 
n;i-  born  November  11,  1853,  where  lie  passed   his 


childhood  years,  receiving  excellent  educational 
advantages  in  the  common  schools  of  that  prov- 
ince. Having  resolved  upon  emigrating  to  Amer- 
ica, lie  left  his  parental  home  in  186(5,  when_aboiil 
thirteen  years  old,  in  company  with  the  family. 
Landing  in  New  York  City,  they  proceeded  to 
Buffalo,  where  our  subject  learned  the  trade  of  a 
miller.  From  there  he  removed  to  Rock  Island 
County,  III.,  to  follow  milling  for  about  one  year. 
Afterward  Mr.  Schoening  took  the  long  trip  across 
the  plains  to  California,  where  he  followed  his 
trade  in  the  S.aeramento  Mills  for  nine  months. 
Thence  the  journey  was  made  to  Washington,  and 
through  that  State  and  Oregon  to  Laramie  City, 
Wyo. 

By  this  time,  tired  of  traveling,  our  subject  went 
to  St.  Louis,  ]Mo.,  to  engage  with  the  East  St. 
Louis  Milling  Company.  He  w.is  suited  here,  and 
his  work  gave  satisfaction,  and  he  remained  until 
the  fall  of  1876,  when  he  came  to  Millstadt,  111.,  and 
started  Frank  Bowers'  mill,  and  kept  on  here  until 
the  summer  of  1877,  when  he  went  to  the  mill  of 
Baker  &  Stern.  Mr.  .Schoening  remained  here  un- 
til 1884,  when  he  wentto  Columbia,  III.,  and  became 
head  miller  in  the  mill  there.  With  such  a  wide  ex- 
perience, he  thought  the  time  had  come  to  make  a 
l>ermanent  business,  so  in  1885  the  present  partner- 
ship was  formed,  which  has  existed  ever  since.  The 
lady  whom  our  subject  selected  as  his  bride  was 
Miss  Lena  Brucker,  the  accomplished  daughter  of 
George  Brucker,  a  prominent  coal  dealer  of  the 
cit}'  of  Belleville,  III.  Five  children,  two  sons  and 
three  daughters,  have  come  to  brighten  the  home 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shoening;  they  bear  the  names  of 
Lena,  George,  Arthur,  Olga  and  Minna. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  the  important  members  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  is  Mas- 
ter of  the  lodge  of  the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons  at  this  place,  and  has  represented  that  or- 
der in  the  Grand  Lodge  of  the  State.  Politically, 
Mr.  Schoening  is  a  Republican  and  upholds  the 
banner  of  a  protective  tariff.  Mr.  Schoening  has 
taken  an  active  interest  in  educational  matters, 
and  hence  has  been  called  upon  to  serve  the  dis- 
trict on  the  School  Board  for  the  past  seven  years. 
Ho  was  one  of  the  princiiiiil  .agitators  in  tiic  build- 
ing of  the  new  school   building  in   Millstadt,  and 


1 


^nA. .  ^/^-2^,->^d^c^ 


lJiyv^<^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


has  aided  all  the  eflPorts  of  the  Board  to  obtain  the 
best  of  instructors.  His  is  a  progressive  township, 
and  he  has  done  much  to  push  on  the  car  of  pro- 
gress. Socially,  Mr.  .Schoening  and  family  are 
among  the  first  peflple  in  Millstadt,  and  his  admir- 
able wife  assists  in  dispensing  the  hospitalities  of 
thoir  iileasant  home. 


:^^ 


jlL^^ON.  M.  M.  STEPHENS.  Many  of  the  men 
jTjV  connected  with  the  city  government  of 
/l^^  East  St.  Louis  in  various  capacities  have 
if^  achieved  distinction  in  the  higher  ranks  of 
official  life,  but  none  more  so  than  Hon.  M.  M.  Steph- 
ens, the  capable  and  enteri)rising  Mayor  of  East  St. 
Louis.  He  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  her  busi- 
ness intellect;  is  a  man  of  public  spirit,  fine  ex- 
ecutive ability,  and  correctness  in  fulfilling  any 
duties  intrusted  to  him,  and  is  well  known  for  a 
high  degree  of  integrity  in  his  general  relations. 
As  the  Mayor  of  East  St.  Louis,  he  is  praised  by 
every  one,  for  he  has  done  more  for  the  city  than 
any  other  man. 

Mr.  Stephens  was  elected  to  his  present  respon- 
sible position  in  April,  1877,  with  a  reform  city 
council.  Upon  assuming  the  office,  he  found  a 
lamentable,  complicated  and  embarrassed  condition 
of  affairs.  By  mal-administration  and  corruption, 
the  cit}^  had  been  plunged  into  an  indebtedness  of 
*8.'j0,000,  with  nothing  to  show  for  the  greater 
part  of  it.  The  city  had  no  credit.  The  only  cur- 
rency it  had  been  for  years  dealing  out  for  labor, 
material,  etc.,  was  worthless  -'script,"  and  the  city 
was  flooded  with  that.  The  revenue  had  been  col- 
lected for  months  in  advance  and  squandered.  In 
fact,  everything  was  in  a  chaotic  state.  But  Mayor 
Stephens  had  assumed  office  with  a  well-defined 
policy.  With  the  assistance  of  those  with  whom 
he  had  associated  and  labored  for  the  regeneration 
of  the  city,  he  determined  to  enforce  and  carry 
out  that  policy.  He  courageously  addressed  him- 
self to  the  task.  He  appointed  good  men  to  the 
official  positions.  A  majority  of  the  city  council 
voted  with  and  sustained  him.     Thev  restored  law 


and  order;  abolished  "script"  and  instifuted  the 
payment  of  cash  for  what  the  city  procured;  in- 
stalled a  good  police  force  under  courageous  and 
competent  officers;  organized  an  effective  fire  de- 
partment, and  accomplished  numerous  other  pre- 
liminary reforms  and  changes  before  undertaking 
the  gigantic  improvements  which  have  made  East 
St.  Louis  a  cit3'  of  wonderful  progress  and  magic 
growth  and  thrift. 

Few  men  could  have  succeeded  so  well  in  re- 
deeming the  city  from  the  evils  which  confronted 
it  as  Mr.  Stephens  has  done.  He  was  not  a  man 
trained  for  leadership  or  statesmanship  when  he 
undertook  the  responsible  duties  of  the  mayoralty. 
He  was  a  plain  man  of  the  people,  with  no  preten- 
sion not  justified  bj'  the  confidence  and  compli- 
ments of  his  fellow-citizens.  From  the  very  in- 
ception of  the  reform  movement  to  the  present 
date,  Mayor  Stephens  has  displayed  the  rarest  ex- 
ecutive abilit3',  and  has  at  the  same  time  demon- 
strated his  capacity  for  public  affairs  to  an  extent 
which  marks  him  as  a  coming  man  in  the  larger 
sphere  of  Slate  government;  for  he  is  quite  apt  to 
be  called  from  the  service  of  his  city  to  the  service 
of  his  State  in  the  near  future.  He  has  not  been 
offensive,  dictatorial  or  presumptuous  in  dealing 
with  his  subordinates,  his  critics  or  his  friends. 
During  the  recent  flood  (1892)  he  worked  almost 
night  and  day  to  defend  the  city,  and  his  efforts 
were  rewarded.  He  is  one  of  the  most  agreeable 
of  men,  has  a  heart  of  gold,  and  is  ever  ready  to 
extend  a  helping  hand  to  the  needy  and  suffering. 

M.  M.  Stephens  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  near 
Scranton,  Luzerne  County,  on  the  7th  of  Febru- 
ary, 1847.  His  father,  Ziba  Stephens,  was  also  a 
native  of  the  Keystone  State,  born  in  Wyoming 
County.  The  grandfather,  William  Stephens,  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he  followed  farming, 
and  passed  his  entire  life.  Ziba  Stephens  was  a 
large  contractor  and  builder  on  railroads,  and 
builtmilesof  the  Delaware,  Lackawanna  iSr  Western 
Railroad.  For  a  time  he  engaged  in  merchandis- 
ing and  later  kept  an  hotel  at  Abington  Centre, 
then  at  Providence,  now  a  part  of  Scranton.  After 
residing  there  for  many  years,  he  returned  to 
Philadelphia.  He  affiliated  with  the  Democratic 
party  and  was  a  worthy  and  much  respected  man. 


138 


POETEAIT  AKD  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


fiis  wife,  wliose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Travis, 
was  born  near  Scran  ton.  She  came  to  East  St. 
Louis  and  made  her  liome  with  our  subject  until 
her  death.  She  was  an  exemplary  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Two  of  the  five  children  born  to  his  parents  are 
living,  and  our  subject  was  the  eldest  in  order  of 
birth.  In  1853,  he  moved  with  his  parents  to 
Providence  and  pursued  his  sturJies  until  twelve 
years  of  age,  when  his  schooling  was  terminated. 
He  filled  the  position  of  brakeman  on  the  Dela- 
ware, Lackawanna  (fe  Western  Railroad,  and  was  in 
the  machinery  department  of  the  Delaware  it  Hud- 
son Canal  Railroad  for  three  years.  He  had  one 
year's  experience  as  fireman,  and  served  as  en- 
gineer three  or  four  3'ears.  In  the  fall  of  18G4,  he 
offered  his  services  to  his  country,  but  was  refused. 
Previous  to  this,  in  1862-63,  he  was  in  New  York 
City  during  the  riots  in  the  machine  shops,  etc. 
In  September,  1866,  he  came  to  Murphysborough, 
Jackson  County,  111.,  and  was  in  the  machine  de- 
partment. Later,  he  run  an  engine  on  the  railroad 
from  Carbondale  to  Grand  Tower,  and  in  1868  he 
came  to  East  St.  Louis  as  engineer  on  the  Ohio  & 
Mississippi  Railroad,  and  was  thus  engaged  until 
1874.  He  met  with  very  few  accidents  and  none 
of  a  serious  nature.  He  abandoned  that  business 
in  1874,  and  opened  the  Fourth  Ward  House, 
which  he  bought  after  renting  four  and  a-half 
years.  Later,  it  became  known  as  the  Stephens 
House,  and  was  located  on  CoUinsville  and  Sum- 
mit Avenues. 

In  1884,  ISIr.  Stephens  was  elected  Alderman  of 
the  Fourth  AVard,  and  held  that  position  for  two 
years.  In  1887,  he  was  elected  Mayor,  and 
is  now  serving  his  third  term,  which  in  itself 
is  an  eloquent  proof  of  his  popularity.  In  Jan- 
uary, 1872,  he  married  Mrs.  Mary  Elizabeth 
(Tompkins)  Beam,  a  native  of  France,  who  came 
to  America  with  her  mother.  Three  children  have 
been  born  of  the  marriage:  Lillie,  now  Mrs.  Cud- 
dington,  who  resides  in  East  St.  Louis;  Emma, 
Mrs.  Jackiesch;  and  Leonora  Frances.  Mr.  Steph- 
ens is  a  Knight  Templar  in  the  Masonic  lodge. 
He  is  an  honorary  member  of  the  Local  Brother- 
hood of  Locomotive  Engineers  and  their  Insur- 
ance Agent  for  the  St.  Clair  Division  No.  49,  and 


served  as  Chief  Engineer  and  First  Assistant  En- 
gineer. He  has  served  as  delegate  for  the  Demo- 
cratic ])arty  to  many  of  the  National  Conventions 
and  also  county  and  State  conventions. 


1^^ 


^r^EORGE  R.  TATE,  J.  P.  This  prominent 
i||  ;— ,  farmer  and  public  oHicial  lives  upon  sec- 
y^Jf^]  tion  19,  Smithton  Township,  and  is  the  son 
of  Edward  Tate,  who  was  one  of  tlie  early  settlers, 
having  come  here  before  the  Indians  had  left,  in 
181><.  Our  subject  was  born  on  the  old  place, 
where  his  brother  now  lives,  on  the  30th  of  Aug- 
ust, 1840,  and  was  reared  there.  In  1864,  he  made 
a  trip  overland  to  Oregon  and  California  and  re- 
turned by  way  of  Panama  and  New  York.  The 
trip  from  St.  Joseph,  Mo.,  clear  through  to  Port- 
land, Ore.,  was  made  in  a  wagon  drawn  bj-  four 
mules.  He  remained  away  almost  two  years  and 
engaged  in  teaching  in  the  public  schools  there. 
After  his  return,  he  taught  school  in  this  county. 
His  marriage  occurred  in  1866  with  Sarali  C. 
Smith,  daughter  of  Robert  J.  Smith,  of  this  county, 
who  was  horn  in  ]\Iaine,  and  came  here  when  very 
small. 

After  his  marriage,  our  subject  continued  teach- 
ing in  the  district  where  he  resides,  and  only  left 
it  from  1873  to  1877  when  he  was  the  Principal  of 
the  public  schools  of  Freeburg.  He  taught  until 
1890,  making  a  period  of  twenty-five  years  in  the 
school-room.  Our  subject  lias  been  blessed  with  the 
following  children:  E.  Clara,  who  is  the  wife  of  N. 
0.  Phillips;  John  J.,  who  died  in  1891;  Matilda  C. 
Hallie  M.,  Adelaide  and  David,  all  living  at  home 
except  the  first  named.  Our  subject  has  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  aci'es  of  land,  all  well  improved, 
and  raises  on  it  a  great  deal  of  grain,  besides  an 
abundance  of  berries,  which  have  yielded  a  gof)d 
income;  also  a  fine  peach  orchard  of  budded  fruit, 
perhaps  the  finest  in  the  county.  All  of  the  im- 
provements are  of  the  verj'  best  and  every  part  of 
the  farm  is  in  the  best  order  and  finely  cultivated. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Ancient 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  No.  418.  of   Freeburg, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


139 


and  of  Belleville  Chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons; 
lias  been  Master  of  the  lodge,  and  has  filled  the 
office  of  Junior  Warden.  .Justice  Tate  also  be- 
longs to  the  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  and  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Gi-ange  for  twenty  years  and  of  its 
State  executive  committee  for  six  years.  In  his 
political  opinions,  Mr.  Tate  is  a  Prohibitionist  and 
has  been  put  forward  by  the  appreciative  citizens 
of  his  county  as  a  candidate  for  Probate  .Judge. 
He  has  served  acceptably  two  terms  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that 
there  is  no  man  in  Smithton  Township  who  stands 
liigher  socially  than  liimself. 


<^  LBERT.  E.  WILDERMAN.  It  is  not  given 
^/   |i    ^"  mau3'  to  see  the  wilderness  blossom  like 

jj  (i  the  rose,  as  has  been  the  lot  of  the  geutle- 
^jfl  man  whose  name    appears  ."vt  the   opening 

of  this  sketch.  From  a  wild  prairie,  where  savage 
beasts,  and  Indians,  a  thousand  times  more  danger- 
ous than  any  animal,  roamed,  he  has  seen  this  vast 
State  develop  into  the  great  commonwealth  of 
to-daj'. 

Our  subject  was  the  sou  of  George  Wilderman, 
a  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  who  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  the  earlj-  part  of  this  centurj^,  thus  becom- 
ing one  of  the  early  pioneers  of  this  county.  Here 
his  four  children  were  born,  namely:  Alfred,  Cal- 
vin, Albert  and  Margaret,  all  living.  The  last- 
named  child  is  now  the  wife  of  William  Sebert,  a 
prominent  musician.  George  Wilderman  was  a 
very  large  land-owner  in  the  county,  and  defended 
it  from  the  encroachments  of  the  Indians  during 
the  Black  Hawk  and  minor  wars  with  the  savage 
tribes  of  red  men.  He  was  a  ver}'  prominent  man 
and  worthy  citizen  of  the  county  where  he  lived, 
taking  an  active  part  in  all  affairs  of  public  concern. 

Our  subject  can  claim  tlie  honor  of  being  a  na- 
tive son  of  section  6,  Freeburg  Township,  St.  Clair 
County,  where  he  still  resides.  His  birth  occurred 
October  25,  1828,  and  he  has  lived  on  the  home 
place  during  the  sixty-four  years  of  his  life.  Mr. 
Wilderman  can    relate  many  interestiiii;   incidents 


which  took  place  in  the  early  days  of  the  countj', 
and  these  stories  are  told  in  a  most  entertaining 
manner,  and  one  that  wins  for  him  manj-  hearers. 
After  growing  to  manhood,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Sophronia,  daughter  of  Elijah  and  Mary 
Hill,  by  whom  he  had  the  following  children: 
George  R.,  who  resides  in  this  township;  Ada,  wife 
of  Louis  Sheetz,  of  New  Athens  Township;  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Julius  Wilderman,  residing  in  Free- 
burg Township. 

Mr.  Wilderman  married  again,  this  union  being 
with  Miss  Melissa  Thompson,  daughter  of  Abel 
Thompson,  of  Twelve  Mile  Prairie.  This  lady 
bore  him  five  children,  all  of  whom  are  living,  as 
follows:  Luella,  Hallie  R.,  Calvin,  Carrie  B.  and 
Leroy  A.  Mr.  Wilderman  is  the  owner  of  seven  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  at  present,  although  he  has  owned 
much  more  at  different  periods,  which  he  disposed 
of  at  good  figures.  On  this  land  he  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  stock-raising,  and  has  one  of  the 
finest  farms  in  the  county.  Mrs.  Wilderman  and 
daughter  are  members  of  the  Grange,  plajing  an 
important  part  in  the  doings  of  that  body.  Our 
subject  is  a  strong  Democrat  in  politics,  and  holds 
the  important  oltice  of  School  Director  in  his  dis- 
trict. 


Jt — ^  ENRY  HUBER.  The  gentleman  whose  name 
Wjfj  opens  this  sketch  is  the  senior  member  of 
(4^^  the  firm  of  Huber  &  Son,  dealers  in  general 
(^  mercliandise  in  the  town  of  Freeburg,  111. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  Valentine  Huber, 
who  was  born  in  Germany,  and  came  to  America 
about  the  year  1837.  He  located  in  Twelve  Mile 
Prairie,  but  soon  after  made  a  change  and  going  to 
Tamaroa,  on  the  edge  of  Twelve  Mile  Prairie,  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  the  time  of  his  demise. 
He  had  a  family  of  six  children,  all  spared  to 
their  parents  until  maturity,  and  four  are  yet  liv- 
ing. Mary  is  the  wife  of  George  Gareyhcr;  Mar- 
garetta,  first  married  George  Klos,  who  died; 
later  she  married  Mr.  Wagner,  who  is  also  dead; 
after  his  death  she  married  for  a  third  time,  but  is 
now  a  widow. 


140 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPmCAL  RECORD. 


Our  subject  made  his  home  with  his  good  mother 
until  his  marriage  with  Miss  Susanna  Jaimet,  wiio 
was  tiie  daughter  of  Charles  Jaimet.  Her  life  was 
short,  and  after  her  death  Mr.  Huber  married  lier 
sister,  Catherine.  After  tliis  event  he  located  in 
Tamaroa  and  lived  there  twenty-four  _vears,  en- 
gaged in  farming;  he  then  went  to  Freeburg  and 
worked  at  tlie  trade  of  cooper  for  about  five  years, 
when  an  opening  for  good  mercantile  trade  pre- 
sented itself.  He  has  had  seven  children,  five 
of  whom  are  living:  Gustavus,  junior  member 
of  the  firm;  Jacob,  who  follows  the  excellent  trade 
of  a  tinner;  Louisa,  who  is  the  wife  of  Philip  Wolf, 
a  cooper  of  this  jjlaee;  Peter  Pitts  and  Mary,  both 
at  iiome. 

When  the  Adams  Express  Company  desired  to 
obtain  some  reliable  representative  in  Freeburg, 
Mr.  Huber  was  selected  as  its  agent,  and  has  man- 
aged its  affairs  here  to  the  general  satisfaction  since 
1879.  The  religious  connection  of  the  family  is 
with  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  and  they 
are  members  much  esteemed  in  that  relationship. 
In  political  matters,  Mr.  Huber  is  and  has  always 
been  an  ardent  Republican,  and  has  held  the  of- 
fice of  Supervisor.  Our  subject  owned  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  acres  of  land  in  this  county, 
but  recently  sold  it,  as  his  large  and  increasing 
business  demands  all  of  his  attention.  Socially, 
the  family  of  INIr.  Huber  is  highly  legarded,  and 
their  home    is  one  of    the  pleasantest  in  Freeburg. 


li^^i  ^  i  ^  ^i^^ap 


'^f  DAM  PFAFF.    The  gentleman  whose  name 
(MlJIj    opens  this   article  is  well    known  in  the 
]/ni\    city  of  Maseoutah,  where  he  has  done  an 
<^  honorable  business  for  many  years,  and  is 

now  the  senior  member  of  the  old  established  firm 
of  Draser  &  Pfaff,  dealers  in  lumber,  shingles,  lath, 
nails  and  all  furnishings  for  the  trade.  Our  sub- 
ject first  saw  the  liglit  in  a  country  far  from  this, 
and  no  doubt  he  still  lias  fond  memories  of  the 
Fatherland.  Born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany, 
September  18.    183G,  he   was  a  boy  of  seventeen 


years  upon  landing  on  American  shores,  leaving 
old  liome  faces  and  old  ways  behind  him. 

The  lad  came  poor,  as  so  many  of  his  country- 
men did,  and  scarcely  knew  what  first  to  under- 
take in  this  strange  land.  However,  a  willing  pair 
of  hands  served  him  well,  and  he  had  not  been 
long  in  St.  Louis  before  some  one  desired  their 
aid.  I\Ir.  Pfaff  eng.aged  as  a  painter,  at  the  muni- 
ficent wages  of  ^4  per  month,  and  worked  away 
diligently  for  some  time,  eventually  learning 
enough  of  the  tr.ide  to  be  considered  an  artist  of 
tiie  paint  brush,  if  his  canvas  happened  to  be  a 
house,  barn  or  building  of  any  kind.  In  18.')9, 
he  came  to  Illinois,  located  at  Turkey  Hill  in  St. 
Clair  County,  and  there  worked  at  his  trade 
until  the  country  of  his  adoption  was  convulsed 
by  the  Civil  War,  when  lie  was  among  the  first  to 
spring  to  her  defense. 

Our  subject  enlisted  in  Company  B,  Ninth  Illinois 
Infantry,  and  on  the  19tli  of  April,  1861,  the  com- 
pany was  sent  to  Camp  Butler.  After  serving  the 
three  months  for  which  he  had  enlisted,  he  came 
back  and  worked  at  his  trade  until  August,  1861, 
when  he  re-enlisted  in  tlie  Forty-third  Illinois  In- 
fantry, took  part  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh,  and  for 
bravery  on  that  bloody  field  was  raised  from  the 
rank  of  Corporal  to  that  of  Second  Lieutenant. 
His  term  of  service    having  expired  in    October, 

1864,  he  was  honorably  discharged,  and  returned  to 
Maseoutah,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  foi-  a  space 
of  two  years.  August  1,  1881,  our  subject  entered 
into  partnership  with  Mr.  George  Draser,  Sr.,  in 
the  lumber  business,  and  he  has  continued  in  that 
ever  since.  Having  had  practical  experience  in 
some  departments  of  the  business,  and  his  present 
partner,  George  Draser,  Jr.,  understanding  other 
departments  in  the  same  way,  together  they  make 
a  strong  firm,  as  theory  is  all  right,  but  experience 
is  the  best  assurance  of  success. 

Lieut.  Pfaff   was  married  on  the  25th  of   July, 

1865,  to  Miss  Margaret  Ileberer,  daughter  of  George 
H.  Heberer,  an  old  settler  of  the  county.  An  in- 
teresting family  of  nine  children  has  grown  up 
about    them,    who    are    as    follows:    Mary,    who 

I  married  Carl  Montag,  and  has  a  home  of  her 
own;  Anna,  Amelia,  Henry  J.,  George,  Charles, 
Adam,   Ernest  and  Irwin,  who  are   still  at   home. 


^^^ 


U^'^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHTCAL   RECORD. 


143 


The  children  with  whom  our  subject  and  his  wife 
had  to  part  were  two  little  ones,  Katie  and  Lena, 
and  Belle,  wlio  was  taken  away  at  the  age  of  fif- 
teen years.  Our  subject  is  a  very  prominent  man 
in  tlie  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  holding  tlie 
-position  of  Quartermaster  of  the  post.  Politi- 
cally, he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  believes  in 
upholding  the  principles  for  which  he  fought.  He 
has  served  his  district  on  the  Board  of  Education 
for  a  term  of  twelve  years. 


"jj^^T.  REV.  .JOHN  .TAN.SSEN,  Bishop  of  Belle- 
lU^  ville,  was  born  in  Keppeln,  Rhenish  Prussia, 
di  iV  March  3, 1835.  He  was  educated  in  the  Bish- 
op's  college  at  Gaesdonck  and  at  Munster, 
and  took  a  theological  course  at  the  latter  jilace. 
The  bishopric  of  Alton,  111.,  had  been  erected  in 
1857,with  Bishop  Henry  I).  .Juiicker,  presiding,  and 
while  this  gentleman  was  looking  for  material  to 
use,  he  visited  the  University  of  Munster  and 
arranged  with  several  priests  and  theological  stu- 
dents to  come  to  his  diocese,  John  Janssen  being 
one  of  the  number.  Upon  completing  his  course 
of  study  in  18;')8,  he  at  once  joined  Bishop  Juncker 
at  Alton,  and  on  the  19th  of  November  of  that 
year  he  was  ordained  priest.  Immediately  after 
his  ordination,  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  Ger- 
man Catholic  Church  at  Springfield,  and  also  had 
charge  of  the  German  Catholics  in  Sangamon, 
Morgan  and  Menard  Counties.  At  that  time  there 
was  one  English  priest  at  Springfield  and  one  at 
Jacksonville. 

Bishop  Janssen  continued  his  connection  with 
Springfield  and  the  above-mentioned  counties 
until  1863,  when  he  was  selected  as  Secretary  to 
the  Bishop,  a  position  he  accepted  and  ably  filled 
for  five  years,  or  until  1868,  when  Bishop  Juncker 
died.  He  was  also  made  Chancellor  of  the  diocese 
and  so  acted  until  Bishop  Baltes  was  consecrated, 
in  January-.  1870.  He  was  then  made  Vicar- 
General  to  Bishop  Baltes  and  as  such  continued 
for  sixteen    rears,  or  until    the   latter  was  called 


from  life  in  1886,  serving,  however  as  rector  of  St. 
Boniface's  Church  at  Quincy,  111.,  through  1878-79, 
When  Bishop  Baltes  realized  the  approach  of  dis- 
solution, he  appointed  Father  Janssen  his  admin- 
istrator, and  our  subject  conducted  the  affairs  of 
the  diocese  until  its  divison  in  January,  1887. 
His  appointment  as  Bishop  of  the  Belleville  Dio- 
cese, comprising  twent}--eight  eounties,was  received 
February  28,  1888.  He  continued  to  administer 
the  affairs  of  the  diocese  until  the  appointment  of 
Father  James  Ryan  as  Bishop  of  Alton,  and  on  the 
23d  of  April,  1888,  he  surrendered  the  office. 

On  the  2.5th  of  the  same  month.  Bishop  Janssen 
was  consecrated  in  the  Belleville  Cathedral  by  Arch- 
bisop  Feehan,  assisted  b3-  Bishop  Hogan,of  K.ansas 
City;  Bishop  Fink,  of  Leavenworth;  Bishop  Spaul- 
ding,  of  Peoria;  Bishop  Chatard,  of  Vincenues; 
Bishop  Bonaeum,  of  Lincoln;  and  Bishop  Ryan, 
of  Alton.  The  diocese  of  which  he  has  control 
contains  twenty-eight  counties,  and  he  has  under 
him  seventy-one  priests,  eigtit3--seven  churches,  one 
orphan  asylum  at  Belleville,  and  a  hospital  in  each 
of  the  following  cities:  Belleville,  East  St.  L<uiis, 
Cairo  and  Aviston. 


\f^RANK  SCHMISSEUR.  The  subject  of  this 
|[^^  sketch  was  born  August  10,  1843,  in  n  log 
/1\  cabin  which  stood  in  the   front  yard  of  his 

present  residence,  being  the  son  of  Joseph  and 
Elizabeth  (Chenot)  Schmisseur.  The  father  was 
born  May  6,  1810,  in  Lorraine,  France,  and  the 
mother  November  19,  1817,  at  the  same  place. 
They  came  to  America  in  1830,  landed  in  New 
York,  and  then  went  to  Zanesville,  Oliio,  wlieio 
they  lived  for  a  time,  going  thence  to  St.  Louis. 
The  father  conducted  a  restaur.ant  in  the  latter 
city  in  connection  with  his  father-in-law,  Joseph 
Chenot,  at  the  old  market.  The  parents  remained 
in  St.  Louis  until  September,  IM41,  wlien  they  set- 
tled on  this  place,  which  contained  one  hundred 
and  four  acres.  Some  of  the  land  lias  been  sold 
since.  The  father  died  Novemlier  25,  1880,  the 
mother  having  preceded  him  by   four  years.     This 


144 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


couple  were  good  and  kind  parents  to  the  follow- 
ing children:  Louise,  who  married  Domiuick 
Dekuni  (see  sketch);  John  J.  married  RosaDekum, 
and  is  a  carpenter  in  Belleville,  with  three  cliil- 
dren;  Charles  was  married  to  Emily  Phillips,  and 
is  proprietor  of  the  West  Belleville  Custom  Flour- 
ing Mill;  Eugene,  a  farmer  living  near  Richland, 
married  Lizzie  Battre. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  tlie  home  place,  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  and  afterward  went 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  took  a  course  in  tlie  excel- 
lent Catliolic  college  of  the  Christian  'Brothers. 
He  was  married  September  15,  1874,  to  Madeline 
Russell,  daughter  of  Nicliolas  and  Rosa  Russell, 
ller  parents  were  natives  of  France  and  came  to 
America  wlien  she  was  three  years  old.  Five  liv- 
ing children  have  been  born  tliem  and  make  a 
merry  household.  They  are  Mary,  Clara,  Russell, 
Walter  and  Harrison. 

The  gentlemen  of  whom  we  write  has  followed 
general  farming,  and  derives  a  good  revenue  from 
the  coal  which  is  beneath  liis  land.  In  his  opin- 
ion Ins  underground  farm  does  better  tlian  that 
upon  the  surface.  Mr.  Schmisseur  has  held  no 
public  position  except  that  of  School  Director,  as 
he  is  no  office-seeker,  but  a  business  man,  and  withal 
a  very  pleasant  gentleman,  liiglily  esteemed  by  all 
who  know  him. 


^jtpS)  RNEST  R.  IIAGIST.  The  union  of  families 
l|U]  in  their  business  enterprises  has  often  proven 
If — ^  the  truth  of  the  old  saying  tliat  "In  union 
is  strength,"  and  in  this  case;  where  the  tastes  of 
both  father  and  son  have  been  in  the  same  direc- 
tion, the  formation  of  the  mercantile  firm  of  E. 
Hagist  cfe  Son  caused  no  surprise.  The  subject  of 
our  sketch  is  the  younger  member  of  the  above- 
named  firm,  which  does  business  in  tlie  flourishing 
little  city  of  Mascoutah,  in  St.  Clair  County,  III. 
Me  is  the  son  of  P^rnest  Hagist,  whose  birth  occurred 
in  a  land  far  removed  and  very  different  from 
llii-j,  his    adopted  country. 

Ernest  Hagist,  Sr.,  was  boi  u  in  Baden,  Germany, 


in  the  year  1828,  was  reared  there  and  received  his 
education  in  the  excellent  schools  which  offer  learn- 
ing in  Gerraanj-,  and  then  compel  her  children,  if 
the  gift  is  disregarded,  to  attend.  He  came  to  this 
country  in  1851,  and  located  on  a  farm  near  Belle- 
ville, 111.,  where  he  remained  about  one  year;  he 
then  came  to  a  fine  piece  of  land  near  Mascoutah, 
and  bought  a  farm  one  mile  west  of  this.  There  he 
continued  and  carried  on  the  business  of  farming, 
but  his  mind  was  too  acute,  and  demanded  a  bus- 
ier life,  so  in  18G0  he  moved  into  Mascoutah, 
and  engaged  in  the  general  merchandise  business, 
but  did  not  part  with  his  land,  as  he  rented  it  ad- 
vantageously, and  still  carries  on  his  agricultural 
pursuits  in  connection  with  his  business  here. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hagist,  Sr.,  took  place  in 
1853,  when  he  was  united  to  Miss  Elizabeth, 
the  daughter  of  Mr.  J.  F.  Frey,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  America,  and  settled  in  St. 
Clair  Countjr  in  1852.  Two  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hagist,  Sr. :  our  subject,  and  Minnie, 
the  wife  of  H.  Sautcr,  who  has  her  home  in  Mascou- 
tah. The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  August  17, 
1857,  on  the  old  home  farm  of  his  father,  west  of 
Mascoutah.  He  was  sent  to  the  best  schools  in  the 
county,  and  when  he  had  completed  the  course 
there  he  was  taken  by  his  father  as  a  clerk  in  the 
store,  and  was  taught  the  immense  difference  be- 
tween debit  and  credit;  he  was  an  apt  pu)jil, 
and  his  father  could  not  desire  one  more  faithful 
in  the  discharge  of  his  duties.  Mr.  Hagist  soon 
gave  such  evidence  of  the  true  spirit  of  the  mer- 
chant that  his  father  took  him  into  partnership 
with  him  in  1880,  and  now  the  firm  stands  E.  Ha- 
gist &  Son. 

Our  subject  showed  his  affection  for  his  native 
city  in  the  selection  of  the  presiding  genius  of  his 
household,  for  it  was  a  resident  of  Mascoutah  who 
became  his  bride  in  1880.  She  was  Miss  Mary  Ricli- 
ter,  the  daughter  of  Fred  E.  Richter,  who  lives  in 
this  cit3',  being  a  retired  farmer  of  the  county, 
and  one  of  the  first  settlers  in  the  township.  Our 
subject  has  five  children,  and  their  names  are  Os- 
car, Alma,  Arthur,  Herman  and  Theodore.  They 
are  all  bright,  happy  children,  and  have  the  prom- 
ise of  a  successful  future  before  them.  Mr.  Hagist, 
of  this   notice,  has  always    Ijeen    interested   in  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


145 


educational  affairs  of  his  town,  and  now  is  serving 
a  term  on  the  Board  of  Education.  The  business 
carried  on  by  the  (irm  of  Hagist  tt  Son  is  a  very 
prosperous  one,  and  the  members  of  this  firm  are 
wide-awake  men,  who  not  only  work  for  their 
own  advancement,  but  also  for  the  advantage  of 
the  beautiful  little  city  of  their  horn  ■.  Sueli  cit- 
izens make  the  success  of  a  town. 


"ll  MECHIN  &  SON.  The  firm  which  this 
I  name  represents  is  made  up  of  John  Mechin 
j^  jj  and  his  talented  son,  Armand  J.  Mechin, 
(J^^  A.  B.  They  do  the  largest  and  most  suc- 
cessful trade  in  fine  jewelry  in  the  city.  The  fam- 
ily of  our  subject  is  an  old  and  highly  connected 
one  in  France,  and  in  the  city  of  Tours  Jean 
Mechin,  the  father  of  John  Mechin,  was  bor».  He 
became  a  farmer,  was  with  the  French  army  under 
Napoleon  in  1812  and  passed  his  last  days  in 
sunny  France. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Tours,  I'rance,  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1822.  When  f<jurteen  years  of  age,  he 
was  apprenticed  to  a  jeweler  in  Paris  for  three 
years,  then  traveled  through  France  and  crossed 
tiie  Channel  three  times.  lie  was  in  the  Revolution 
of  1848,  and  then  went  to  London,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade  for  eighteen  years,  and  was 
foreman  for  Sir  John  Bennett's  jewelry  establish- 
ment, which  IS  one  of  the  largest  in  that  metropolis. 
In  187.S,  Mr.  Mechin  took  the  family  to  London 
and  there  embarked  on  the  steamer  "Canada,"  of 
the  Wiiite  Star  Line.  In  fourteen  days  lie  arrived  in 
New  York  and  then  came  on  to  St.  Louis.  Our  sub- 
ject carried  on  a  jeweler's  business  on  Third  Street 
in  .St.  Louis,  and  in  1876  located  in  East  St.  Louis, 
in  the  Workingmen  's  Bank  Block,  continuing  there 
until  1891,  when  he  took  the  fine  location  now 
occupied  by  the  firm  at  No.  31.5  Broadwa3',  carry- 
ing a  regular  line  of  jewelry,  regulating  and  re- 
pairing all  time-pieces,  having  a  valuable  stock 
and  keeping  all  the  novelties  of  the  most  delicate 
pattern  and  finest  workmanship.  Mr.  Mechin  is 
also  inspector  of  watches  for  the  Cliicago.  Cleve- 


land, Cincinnati  &  St.  Louis,  Cairo  Short  Line, 
Louisville  &  Nashville,  Mobile  &  Ohio,  and  Chi- 
cago, Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroads. 
I  Our  subject  was  married  in  France  to  Mademoi- 
.selle  Valentine  Mardell,  who  was  born  in  France 
and  was  the  daughter  of  M.  Valentine,  a  fine 
pastry  baker  and  conductor  of  a  restaurant.  Our 
subject's  wife  was  a  devout  membei  of  the  Catholic 
Church,  and  died  under  its  ministrations,  March  8, 
1892.  Mr.  Mechin  was  left  with  the  comfort  of 
four  children,  as  follows:  Gus.  V.  R.,  Secretary  of 
eight  different  building  and  loan  associations  and 
Pul)lic  Administrator,  is  located  in  St.  Louis;  Jane, 
now  Mde.  Darenberg,  resides  in  France;  Juliette, 
now  Mrs.  Kelly,  and  Armand,  Jr.,  reside  in  East 
St.  Louis.  The  record  of  the  firm  would  not  be 
complete  without  a  short  sketch  of  the  life  of  this 
latter  most  promising  young  man,  who  was  born  in 
London,  England,  May  15th,  1870,  and  was  reared 
in  St.  Louis,  first  attending  the  public  schools  there; 
he  then  entered  the  St.  Louis  University  at  the 
unusual  age  of  twelve  years,  where  he  was  a  student 
for  two  years,  and  then  attended  St.  Mary's  Col- 
lege, in  Kansas,  for  two  years.  Afterward,  he  went 
to  the  St.  Vincent's  College,  at  Cape  Girardeau, 
Mo.,  graduating  from  there  in  1889  with  the  degree 
of  A.  B. 

This  was  not  education  enough  for  this  ambi- 
tious j'oung  man,  who  then  took  a  trip  to  Europe, 
via  New  York  to  Paris,  to  attend  the  World's  Ex- 
position, and  remained  there  for  three  months, 
breathing  the  air  of  the  home  of  his  ancestors. 
W'hen  he  returned,  with  his  polish  of  manner  and 
superior  education,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  secur- 
ing a  position  with  a  large  firm,  but  left  it  in 
1891  to  become  a  partner  with  his  father.  With 
natural  aptitude,  the  J'oung  man  has  already  be- 
come proficient  in  the  business,  and  will  no  doubt 
stamp  liis  name  indelibly  on  the  commercial 
circles  of  East  St.  Louis.  Armand  is  a  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  tlie 
Knights  of  Pythias;  American  Legion  of  Honor; 
and  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor;  and  is  also  a 
member  of  St.  Patrick's  Church.  While  at  Cape 
Girardeau,  he  took  quite  a  prominent  part  in  the 
literary  exercises  of  the  college,  belonged  to  a 
dramatic  society,  in   which  he  took  loading  parts. 


I4G 


poutrait  akd  biographical  record. 


and  was  manager  of  the  base-ball  club.  Politically, 
he  has  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party,  but  is 
no  radical  in  his  views.  Mr.  Mechin  takes  great 
pride  in  this  talented  young  son  and  feels  that  the 
business  so  carefully  liuilt  up  will  he  entirely  safe 
in  Armand'.s  hands. 


^-i^^l<^^- 


,ir^  E(  )RGE 
!|(  (- —  gentleir 
U(   Sketch. 


C.  REBIIAN.  The  brilliant  legal 
leman  whose  name  introduces  this 
Jl  sketch,  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and 
successful  lawyers  of  the  city  of  Belleville,  is  No- 
tary Public,  and  employed  in  the  Abstract  Office  as 
manager,  but  his  main  business  is  in  chancery 
and  the  administration  and  settling  up  of  es- 
tates. 

Mr.  Rebhan  was  bora  in  Jefferson  City,  Mo., 
Jul}'  25,  1856,  and  was  the  son  of  t^mil  and  Cath- 
erine (Miller)  Rebhan.  The  father  of  our  sul)ject 
was  a  native  of  Germany  and  was  born  in  Saxony, 
that  country.  Coming  to  this  country  in  1848, 
he  first  settled  in  Missouri,  and  there  married  into 
the  family  of  a  ne:ir  neighbor  and  intimate  friend. 
AVhen  the  Civil  War  broke  out  Mr.  Rebhan 
raised  Company  F,  Second  Missouri  United 
States  Troops,  and  was  Captain  of  the  com- 
pany. After  the  war  was  over  he  came  here  and 
built  the  Mascoutah  Plank  Road,  being  a  civil  en- 
gineer by  profession ;  lie  continued  in  that  employ- 
ment, then  settled  in  Sliiloii,  and  was  given  the 
postofflce,  in  connection  with  which  he  kept  a 
store,  and  also  did  some  farming.  Captain  Reb- 
han has  been  very  prominent  in  local  affairs,  is  a 
Republican,  has  been  Supervisor  of  Roads,  and 
took  the  census  of  Shiloh  in  1870-80-90.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  still  lives. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  sent  to  school  in 
Shiloh,  where  he  improved  his  opportunities,  and 
then  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  acted  as  clerk  in 
a  drug  store  during  the  day  and  went  to  school  at 
night.  Returning  home  in  1872,  he  engaged  in 
fanning  until  1880,  when  he  decided  to  make  a 
change  in  his  life.  Therefore  he  went  to  Belle- 
ville and  was  fortunate  in    being  able  to  read  law 


with  Gen.  Kueffner,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of 
being  admitted  to  the  Bar  by  the  Appellate  Court 
at  ]\It.  Vernon,  May  1,  1885.  and  after  reading  for 
five  years  passed  at  the  head  of  his  class.  lie  then 
returned  to  the  office  of  Gen.  Kueffner  as  clerk, 
and  also  practiced  with  him. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  married 
February  22,  1889,  to  Miss  Lizzie  Gundlach, 
daughter  of  Jacob  Gundlach,  Sr.,  and  they  have 
one  daughter,  Estelle.  Mr.  Rebhan  has  been  a  Di- 
rector in  the  Belleville  Pump  Works  for  some  years, 
ami  lins  ^.lock  in  different  business  enterprises.  Our 
MiKjcci  l.-fi  (Mil.  Kueffner  in  the  fall  of  1889,  and 
bdiiylil  nut  the  Alistraet  OtHce  of  S.  Fietsam,  but 
in  April,  1890,  sold  it  to  the  Donavan-Guignon 
Land  Title  Company,  still  retaining  an  interest 
and  managing  the  company  at  Belleville.  Since 
then  he  has  given  his  attention  to  the  buying  and 
selling  of  real  estate  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  owns  a 
great  deal  of  valuable  property.  As  he  has  the 
confidence  of  the  people,  he  is  very  much  occu- 
pied in  the  settling  of  estates  in  this  vicinity,  and 
has  proven  his  ability  and  honesty  in  many  cases. 
He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Sons  of  'S'eterans 
and  at  present  is  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  tlie  Illi- 
nois Division.  Mr.  Rebh.an  is  a  consistent  mem- 
ber of  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Catliedral. 


■il?  UCirs  C.  SIIAWHAN.  Tiie  art  studio. 
I  (^  where  nature  is  not  only  faithfully  pic- 
jj^^.  turod,  but  often  improved  upon,  to  the 
satisfaction  of  those  who  do  not  wish  to  be  too 
trutlif  uUy  mirrored,  is  conducted  on  Missouri  Ave- 
nue under  the  artistic  eye  of  the  original  of  our 
sketch.  Mr.  Shawhan  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
June  2,  1848.  The  father  was  Harvey  Shawhan,  a 
native  of  Harrison  County,  Ky.,  who  was  veiy 
proud  of  his  father,  David,  an  old  Indian  fighter 
of  Kentucky.  The  latter  located  in  later  years  in 
Warren  County,  Ohio,  and  was  one  of  tlie  earliest 
settlers  there,  where  he  passed  the  remainder  of  his 
life. 

Tlie  father  of  our  subject  was  a    contractor  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOftRAPlilCAL   RECORD. 


147 


builder,  who,  after  working  at  different  places,  re- 
lumed to  the  home  of  his  father,  and  died  in 
Morrow,  Warren  County,  in  the  year  1850,  at 
tlie  age  of  thirty-live  years.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  was  Phoebe  Green,  born  in  New  Haven, 
Conn.,  her  mother  being  a  typical  New  England 
woman  from  Martha's  Vineyard.  Mrs.  Shawhan 
lived  in  Maineville,  Ohio,  where  she  died  in  1890. 
Our  subject  was  one  of  two  children,  his  brother, 
.1.  W.,  living  in  Morrow.  This  brother  was  in  the 
same  regiment  and  company  as  himself  during  the 

Mr.  Sliawlian  was  reared  about  eight  miles  from 
the  Shalver  settlement,  and  was  educated  m  tlie  com- 
mon schools  of  the  district.  When  fourteen  years 
of  age  the  call  came  resounding  through  the  land, 
for  defenders  of  the  country,  and  among  the  first 
to  respond  was  this  young  lad,  who  ran  away  from 
liome  and  made  his  way  to  Camp  Chase,  where  he 
enlisted  in  Company  A,  Eight}--sixth  Ohio  In- 
fantry, was  mustered  'in  June  3,  18G2,  and  was 
sent  to  Virginia.  He  was  at  the  battle  of  Buchan- 
nan,  Va.;  was  then  sent  to  guard  railroad  tracks  at 
Parkersburg;  was  then  put  on  detail  duty  to 
[iliotograph  maps,  going  tlirough  from  Memphis 
to  Corinth  under  Rosecrans,  and  afterwards  was  at 
Shiloh,  luka,  Tuscurabia,  Vicksburg  and  up  the 
Black  River,  thence  to  Memphis  and  back  to  Camp 
Dennison.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  Mr.  Shawhan, 
still  a  youth,  was  mustered  out  at  Delaware,  Ohio, 
in  ,Iunc,  1865,  being  only  seventeen  yeai's  old,  and 
yet  a  veteran  soldier. 

After  his  return  from  the  life  of  a  soldier,  Mr. 
Shawhan  went  right  to  work  at  photogi-aph3-  in 
co-partnership  witli  the  man  he  had  been  associa- 
ted witii  in  tlie  army,  the  partnership  I)eingfor  one 
year  in  Cincinnati,  when  he  opened  a  galier}-  of 
his  own.  Tlie  young  man  remained  at  his  busi- 
ness there  for  two  years  and  then  tried  his  luck 
two  years  in  Newport,  Ky.,  thence  back  to  Cin- 
cinnati. In  the  meantime,  JMr.  Shawhan  opened 
a  gallery  at  Lebanon,  and  took  views  of  the 
Shaker  buildings.  Remaining  in  Ohio  until  1890, 
he  came  to  East  St.  Louis  and  located,  winning 
the  reputation  of  turning  out  the  best  work 
ever  done  in  this  city,  Oui'  subject  is  a  man  of 
ineaus.  owning   real-estate  in  Cincinnati,  ajjd  is  a 


Republican  of  no  uncertain  kind,  believing  in  the 
righteousnesi  of  his  favorite  part3',  whether  it  lie 
victorious  or  defeated. 

Mr.  Sliawhan  was  married  at  Lebanon,  Oliio,  in 
1874,  to  Miss  Nancy  Thompson,  who  was  born  in 
Warren  Count}',  but  died  at  Piqua,  Ohio,  wliere  she 
went  for  her  health.  She  departed  this  life  May 
30,  1888,  leaving  one  son,  C.  B.,  who  lives  with  his 
grandfather  at  Madison,  Ind.  Our  subject  is  very 
popular,  and  probably  the  youngest  member  of 
Alexander  Post,  G.  A.  R.,of  Piqua.  Mr.  Shawhan 
is  an  indefatigable  worker,  and  a  conscientious, 
painstaking  and  artistic  photographer. 


JACOB  GUNDLACH,  .Ti;.,  a  farmer  who  re- 
sides on  the  northwest  corner  of  section  3, 
Smithton  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  the 
^_^  subject  of  the  present  sketch,  is  the  eldest 
son  of  Philip  John  Gundlach,  who  resides  in  St. 
Clair  Township.  The  later  was  born  in  Nassau,  Ger- 
many, in  October,  1820,  and  came  to  this  country  in 
1842.  He  first  located  on  the  land  where  he  is 
now  living,  and  married  Margaret  Biebel,  daughter 
of  John  Biebel,  by  whom  he  had  eight  children, 
all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  and  five  of  whom 
are  now  living. 

Our  subject  was  born  December  -13,  1854,  on  the 
old  homestead  in  St.  Clair  Township,  in  this  county, 
was  leared  on  the  home  place  and  educated  in  the 
public  and  private  schools  of  Belleville  and  St. 
Louis.  Taught  in  both  the  German  and  English 
languages,  he  was  fortunate  in  receiving  etflcieut 
instructions.  After  finishing  his  schooling,  he  re- 
turned to  ills  fatlier's  farm  and  remained  there 
until  his  marriage.  This  important  event  occurred 
December  28,  1880,  when  he  was  twenty-five  years 
of  age.  The  young  lady  who  consented  to  share 
his  fortunes  was  Miss  Minic  ileir,  daughter  of 
Philip  Herr,  of  Stookcy  Tuwiislii|i,  iinw  living  in 
Belleville  the  life  of  a  retired  fanner.  Mr.  IJerr 
came  to  this  country  from  Germany  in  1843,  mak- 
ing his  home  at  once  in  St.  Clair, 

After  marriage,  Mr,  Gundlach  came  lothis  place 


148 


POETKAIT  AJN'D  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  has  lived  here  ever  since,  upon  a  fine  farm  of 
two  hundred  acres  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gundlach  have  three  left  of  their 
live  children,  who  are  as  follows:  Peter  J., 
born  October  9,  1881;  Louisa,  born  Ma_v  6, 
1883,  and  Clemens,  born  July  20,  1891.  Tiiose 
wlio  died  were,  John  Linus,  tive  years  old,  who 
died  of  diphtheria  in  1890,  and  Rosa,  only  three 
years  old,  succumbed  to  that  dreadful  disease  at 
the  same  time.  Politically,  Mr.  Gundlach  is  a 
Democrat  and  believes  in  tlie  principles  of  that 
party.  In  liis  religious  relations,  he  belongs  to 
the  Catholic  Church  and  is  a  member  of  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral,  of  Belleville.  The  home  of  this  worthy 
family  is  a  very  pleasant  one,  and  no  cloud  has 
come  to  it  with  the  exception  of  the  deaths  of  the 
children  mentioned  above. 


J ^  AMES  WILDERMAN.  One  of  the  wealtii- 
iest  and  most  intiuential  men  in  the  county 
of  St.  Clair  is  the  gentleman  who  resides 
on  section  8,  Erceburg  Townshi[).  George 
AYildernian,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  of 
German  ancestry-,  and  was  born  in  Washington 
County,  Md.,  whence  he  came  West  in  1805,  and  set- 
tled in  the  Territory  of  Indiana,  which  now  is  the 
State  of  Illinois,  locating  in  Freeburg  Township, 
where  our  subject  now  lives,  remaining  there  until 
the  time  of  his  death,  a  few  years  later.  He  had  ten 
sons:  John,  Jacob,  Francis,  James,  Dorsey,  Henry, 
Joseph,  AVilliam,  Levi  and  George.  .Jacob,  George 
and  James  served  as  soldiers  in  the  Black  Hawk 
War. 

The  father  of  our  subject  .lames  Wilderman,  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  July  19,  1790,  was  about  sixteen 
years  old  when  his  father  came  to  this  county.  He 
married  Sarah  .Tarvis,  who  died  Februar}^  29,  1856. 
(See  sketch  of  Amos  Thompson  for  further  history 
of  the  Wilderman  family.)  James,  Sr.,  died  Aug- 
ust 3,  1847,  and  was  the  father  of  seventeen  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity  with  one  ex- 
ception. Tiie  children  of  this  remarkable  family 
were  as  follo\^s:  Eli/,abctli,  wife  of  DeWitt  Drew,  of 


Golden  City,  Mo.;  Nancy,  Franklin,  Cyrena,  Lu- 
cinda,  William,  Mary  Ann  and  John,  all  deceased; 
Sarah,  wife  of  Reuben  Ilolcomb,  of  Green  County, 
Wis.;  Delilah,  widow  of  Henry  Ileberer,  of  Belle- 
ville, died  May  21, 1892;  Thomas, Elinor,  Amanda, 
and  an  infant,  have  all  been  deceased  upward  of 
forty  years;  Maria,  the  widow  of  John  Mc(iuire: 
and  (ieorge  W.,  deceased. 

Our  subject  was  born  September  29,  1824,  at  the 
old  home  place  on  section  7,  Freeburg  Township. 
He  grew  to  manhood  there,  and  attended  school 
in  Freeburg,  and  has  continued  to  live  on  the  old 
place  where  he  now  resides  ever  since  his  birth.  In 
1862,  he  built  his  present  residence.  Together 
with  the  heirs  of  John  II.  and  Thomas,  he  has 
about  one  thousand  acres  of  land,  and  all  of  this 
vast  extent  is  well  improved  and  finely  cultivated. 
As  for  location,  there  is  not  a  farm  in  the  county 
which  can  excel  it.  The  situation  of  his  residence 
is  most  charming,  being  placed  upon  a  hill,  com- 
manding a  view  of  the  picturesque  surrounding 
country. 

Mr.  Wilderman  has  studied  scientific  farming, 
and,  judging  by  the  result,  has  made  a  success  of 
it.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and  the  raising 
of  much  grain,  but  gives  some  attention  to  stock. 
Our  subject  has  many  advanced  ideas  about 
farming,  and  puts  them  to  a  practical  test. 
Politically,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  beginning 
with  Fremont,  has  voted  for  every  Republican 
candidate.  He  has  served  as  School  Director,  and 
is  a  man  of  great  influence  in  his  community,  his 
advice  being  much  sought  after,  and  his  character 
beinsr  highly  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him. 


■JI^-RAXZ  SCIIWARZ.  The  subject  of  the 
t^gj  present  writing  is  a  prominent  grain  farmer 
ill,  ""  of  section  21,  Smithton  Township,  St.  Clair 
County.  He  was  the  son  of  John  Schwarz,  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade,  who  was  born  in  German}'  and 
there  married  Miss  Mary  Moore,  and  by  that  mar- 
riage had  six  children.  Our  subject  was  born  in 
(iermanv    in   18311.  on    tlie  .Hth  .)f  July,   was  reared 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


149 


there  and  came  to  America  In  1853.  He  first 
landed  at  New  Orleans,  then  came  up  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  worked  for  two  months  at  the  black- 
smith trade;  then  went  to  IMinnesota  for  two 
months.  Coming  back  to  St.  Louis,  he  remained 
four  or  five  months,  and  then  went  to  Belleville, 
where  lie  resided  ten  years,  during  seven  of  which 
he  conducted  a  .shop  for  himself.  At  that  time  our 
subject  went  to  the  farm,  where  lie  lived  for  two 
years,  and  then  went  to  another,  where  he  lived 
for  some  time,  but  finally  settled  down  on  the  place 
where  he  now  lives,  and  which  has  been  his  home 
ever  since. 

Mr.  Schwarz  was  married  in  1861  to  Miss  Mar}' 
Pleish,  by  whom  he  has  had  nine  children,  eight 
of  whom  are  yet  living.  They  are:  Rettie,  Marten, 
Frank,  Mattie,  Lizzie,  Jacob,  Mary,  and  Joe, 
Mary  is  deceased.  Mr.  Schwarz  has  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  where  he  lives,  besides 
eightj^-five  acres  on  section  10,  raising  grain  prin- 
cipally. His  political  convictions  are  in  accordance 
with  the  doctrines  of  the  Democratic  party.  Our 
subject  has  held  the.oHice  of  School  Director  to  the 
satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  He  is  connected 
with  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and  is  a  man  of 
habits  and  character  above  reproach. 


||/_^  ENRY  GANTEU,  M.  D.  It  is  our  ple.as- 
rj\^  ure  to  call  the  attention  of  our  readers  to 
'iv^^  a  disciple  of  I^sculapius,  who  resides  in  the 
(^  township  of  :SIillstadt,  St.  Clair  County, 
and  dispenses  pills  and  medicaments  to  the  sur- 
rounding country.  This  illustrious  gentleman  is 
a  native  of  Germany  (that  land  of  learning  which 
sends  ns  so  many  of  its  great  men  in  science  and 
politics),  born  in  Baden,  August  18,  1849. 

Early  evincing  a  great  taste  for  medical  studies, 
he  lesolved  to  make  this  profession  his  life  work. 
He  accordingly  began  the  study  of  this  branch  of 
science  in  his  native  country  and  graduated  at 
"Wiirzburg,  Germany,  in  1875,  from  one  of  the 
institutions  of  loarninii'  in  thni   famous  citv.     The 


following  year,  feeling  that  Germany  did  not  af- 
ford him  a  broad  enough  field,  he  resolved  to  try 
his  fortune  across  the  broad  ocean.  On  his  arrival 
in  the  New  World,  our  subject  immediately 
located  at  Waterloo,  Monroe  County,  111.,  and 
began  the  practice  of  his  profession.  This  loca- 
tion did  not  suit  him,  so  in  about  six  months 
Dr.  Ganter  changed  his  place  of  residence  and 
went  to  the  pretty  little  village  of  Floraville,  in 
Millstadt  Township,  St.  Clair  Country,  where  he 
has  remained  ever  since,  engaged  in  soothing  the 
pains  and  ailments  of  a  people,  sincerely  attached 
to  the  kind-hearted  ph3'sician. 

Dr.  Ganter  is  the  only  physician  in  Floraville, 
hence  his  hands  are  kept  very  full  with  all  the 
sick,  being  called  upon  not  only  to  administer  to 
those  in  the  village  and  township,  but  so  renowned 
has  he  become  that  in  all  serious  cases  Dr.  Ganter  is 
the  physician  upon  whom  call  is  made  from  all  parts 
of  St.  Clair  County.  There  are  some  disadvantages 
in  being  popular,  as  the  good  Doctor  realizes  when 
roused  out  on  a  cold  winter  night  to  make  a  visit 
eight  or  ten  miles  off,  but  the  sympathetic  healer 
never  refuses  to  respond  to  any  call  that  is  made 
for  his  services,  whether  the  patient  be  rich  or 
poor.  Would  there  were  more  as  just  and  chari- 
table as  this  German-American  physician  of  Flor.a- 
villc. 

Dr.  (ianter  in  1878,  married  Miss  Caroline 
Kaemper,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Ernst 
Kaemper,  an  earl^-  settler  of  St.  Clair  County. 
Six  children  have  been  sent  to  bless  and  make 
happier  the  parents'  lives.  These  bright  young- 
people  are:  Alexander,  Emma,  Lulu,  Ida  and 
Lena.  One  little  one,  Annie,  was  taken  away, 
and  the  parents  still  mourn  her  loss.  Our  subject 
is  very  prominent  in  the  Monroe  Medical  Society, 
where  his  views  on  various  matters  pertaining  to 
the  profession  are  listened  to  by  his  brother  phy- 
sicians with  respect  and  great  interest,  as  thry 
recognize  his  superior  knowledge  and  skill.  This 
society  meets  at  Waterloo  and  the  meetings  are  of 
great  benefit  to  all  concerned. 

The  people  testified  their  aijprcciation  of  the  Doc- 
tor's knowledge  in  educ:ition:il  iiKittvrs  liy  electing 
him  School  Director, a  position  he  still  retains.  Dr. 
(ianter  was  President  of  the  Floraville  Creamery 


150 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Company  for  some  time,  and  very  efficiently  dis- 
charged his  duties  in  that  connection.  He  is  Sec- 
etary  of  the  Reading  Society  of  the  city  and  also 
a  member  of  the  Helvetia  Lodge,  Millstadt.  Dr. 
Ganter  is  a  devoted  Republican,  never  allowing 
anything  to  interfere  with  his  loyalty  to  that 
party,  and  always  casts  his  vote  for  its  candidates 
and  exerts  his  influence  for  their  success.  In  re- 
ligious matters,  this  good  man  is  a  Catholic  and  a 
man  of  whom  all  speak  words  of  praise  and  com- 
mendation. His  acts  of  charity  are  many,  of 
whicii  the  world  knows  notliing,  and  in  every 
way  he  seeks  to  live  up  to  the  teachings  of  the 
Divine  Master. 


iI^-,^^ENRY  T.  SCHMIDT.  Among  the  honored 
[fj,  and  esteemed  young  farmers  of  Smithton 
'^)^  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  we  find 
\^)  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  is  a  promi- 
nent School  Director  and  Township  Commissioner. 
He  was  the  son  of  Philip  Schmidt,  an  honest  German 
emigrant,  who  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Ger- 
many,in  1810,audcametothiscountry  in  1832, first 
locating  in  St.  Louis,  where  lie  remained  for  three 
years,  a  portion  of  which  time  he  was  employed  as 
a  salesman  for  the  Goodyear  Rubber  Company. 
Thence  he  came  to  St.  Clair  County  and  en- 
tered Government  land,  living  on  the  farm  his 
efforts  redeemed  from  the  prairie  until  his  death, 
in  1878.  He  married  Miss  Regina  Seibert,  who 
emigrated  to  this  country  in  1833.  She  was  the 
eldest  of  a  family  of  ten  children,  of  whom  onl\- 
four  survive,  among  whom  is  Mrs.  Schmidt.  She 
bore  him  a  family  of  seven  children,  four  of  whom 
are  still  living:  August,  residing  in  Smithton  Town- 
ship; Jolin  C,  residing  in  Millstadt  Township; 
George  W.  and  our  subject.  The  father  was  a 
consistent  member  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  and  lived  a  worthy.  Christian  life. 

Our  subject  was  born  March  13, 1853,  on  the  old 
home  place,  in  Smithton  Township,  where  he  still 
remains.  Here  Uo  received  his  primary  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  the  district,  SLipplenienling 


this  by  a  course  of  study  at  Warrenton,  Mo.  Mr. 
Schmidt  was  married  March  30,  1879,  to  Miss 
Katie  Forcade,  the  daughter  of  Francis  and 
Barbara  (Drugenbrod)  Forcade,  natives  of  Ba- 
varia and.  early  settlers  of  this  county.  After 
his  marriage,  Mr.  Schmidt  took  his  young 
bride  to  the  home  they  now  occupy,  where  they 
have  spent  many  happy  years.  To  this  union  five 
bright,  intelligent  children  have  been  given: 
Amanda,  aged  eleven;  Oscar,  aged  ten;  Elsie,  aged 
nine;  Hilda,  aged  six;  and  Josic,  aged  three. 
jMr.  Schmidt  has  a  fine  farm  of  eighty-one  acres  of 
land,  all  well  improved,  in  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, on  which  he  raises  grain  and  stock,  giving 
the  preference,  however,  to  grain.  Like  his  father 
before  him,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church.  Mr.  Schmidt  is  also  a  member 
of  the  Smithton  Treubund,  a  German  society,  in 
which  he  is  highly-  esteemed.  In  politics,  our  sub- 
ject is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  the  party  has  re- 
warded him  with  several  offices,  among  which  are 
those  of  School  Director  and  Township  Commis- 
sioner, the  latter  office  having  been  held  by  him 
for  the  past  four  years.  Mr.  Schmidt  is  respected 
throughout  the  entire  county  for  his  honesty  of 
character  and  uprightness. 


\|^  ETER  W.  LILL.  The  gentleman  whose 
11  JK  sketch  is  now  presented  is  the  present 
^J!!**^  Recorder  of  Deeds  of  St.  Clair  County,  to 
Jl^  whicli  office  he  was  elected  in  November, 
1888,  for  a  four-years  term,  on  the  Republican 
ticket  in  a  Democratic  county,  showing  a  personal 
popularity  which  must  be  gratifying  to  the  incum- 
bent. He  was  born  in  Belleville  February  8, 
1850,  and  was  the  son  of  Peter,  and  Catherine 
(Steitz)  Lill.  Peter  Lill,  Sr.,  was  burn  in 
Germany  in  March  1816,  was  there  educated, 
came  to  America  in  1841,  and  soon  made  his  wa3- 
to  Belleville,  where  so  many  of  his  honest  coun- 
trymen had  come.  He  learned  the  trndc  of  a 
wagonmaker  and  located  a  manufactory  liere, 
where  he  continued  up  to  18GG.  being  among  the 


m%  ^ 


f 


^o^L-UX  T(yyy^'i-^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIIICAL   RP:CORD. 


153 


first  to  conduct  a  manufactory  at  this  place.  In 
the  year  1866,  the  family  moved  to  Mascoutali. 
lie  was  married  in  1845,  his  wife  having  come  from 
(TLMinany  about  the  same  time  that  lie  did.  The 
family  have  lived  in  Mascoutah  since  tlieir  settle- 
ment there,  and  for  the  past  twelve  years  tlie 
fatlier  has  lived  retired  from  business.  For  seven 
years  he  held  an  office  in  the  City  Council  of 
Helleville.  ■Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lills'  four  children 
are  living,  namely:  our  subject.  Emma,  Julius 
Z.  and  Adolpli  H. 

Our  subject  obtained  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon seliools  of  Belleville,  and  supplemented  it  by  a 
course  at  the  Commercial  College  of  Bryant  and 
Stratton,  from  wliicli  he  graduated.  He  then 
went  into  a  cigar  factory,  owning  the  factory  at 
Mascoutah  from  1873  until  1887.  Mr.  Lill  held  dif- 
ferent offices  in  the  gift  of  his  township  and  city, 
and  at  the  time  of  his  election  as  Recorder,  vvas 
City  Clerk  and  Township  Collector.  His  residence 
is  still  at  Mascoutah.  The  marriage  of  our  subject 
occurred  October  9,  1872,  to  Miss  Anna  M.  Naab, 
of  St.  Louis,,  a  daughter  of  Martin  Naab.  The 
children  that  have  been  added  to  the  household 
are:  Lillie  E.,  Altna  C,  Nettie.  Amy,  Herbert  F., 
and  Anna.  Mr.  Lill  has  been  a  very  prominent 
Republican  for  many  years,  and  enjoys  the  confi- 
dence of  his  (lartN-. 


JOSEPH  PENN.  One  who  has  retired  from 
the  active  duties  of  life,  having  accumulated 
a  comfortable  property  by  which  he  can 
spend  the  latter  years  of  his  life  in  freedom 
from  the  petty  annoyances  of  restricted  financial 
standing,  our  subject  now  resides  at  No.  305  North 
Jackson  Street,  where  he  lias  a  comfortable  home. 
He  is  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County,  and  has  devoted 
himself  entirely  to  its  advancement  and  impnive- 
mcnl, 

Mr,  Peun  was  horn  five  miles  north  of  Belle, 
villo,  111,,  on  the  I2th  of  April,  1828,  and  is  n  son 
uf  William  nnd  Riiniali  (Redmond)  Penu,  jial-ives 


j  of  Georgia  and  Virginia,  respectively.  The  father 
was  liorn  in  1796,  and  was  reared  in  the  Blue 
Grass  State,  but  when  about  twenty  years  of  age 
he  came  to  Illinois  with  the  intention  of  making  a 
permanent  settlement  in  St.  Clair  County.  After 
reaching  this  county  he  selected  liis  wife  in  the 
person  of  Miss  Rumah,  daughter  of  Samuel  Red- 
mond, who  came  to  St.  Clair  County  from  Virginia 
as  early  as  1818.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
this  county  and  lived  to  be  eighty -seven  years  of 
age.  The  father  of  our  subject  died  in  St.  Clair 
County  in  1851,  and  the  mother  departed  this 
life  in  1842.  They  were  worthy  and  much  re- 
spected, honest  and  upright  in  all  their  transactions, 
and  a  credit  to  any  community. 

Joseph  Penn    was  the  fifth  in    order  of  birth  of 
twelve  children,    four    of    whom    are   now  living. 
!    He  assisted  hi-    r.ilhn     ,,\t    \_\n-    f:uni  .-ind  altcnded 
j   the  commiMi  scliodls.  thus  passinohis  lioyhood  and 
youth.     In  June,   1846,  he  enlisted  for  one  year 
I  in  a  company  raised  in  St.  Clair  County,  and  com- 
I  manded    by    Col.    (later  Gov.)    Bissell.      On    tlie 
I   organization  of  the  company   he   was  di  (  led  si  i- 
geant,  and  in  that  capacity  took  part  in  thr  li.iiUt' 
of  Buena  Vista.     He  remained  in  service  for  thir- 
teen months  and  then  returned  to  the  farm,  where 
he  stayed   three    months.     Afterward    he  went  to 
Lebanon  and  attended  McKendree  College  for  one 
year,  from  1847  to  1848,  and  then  returned  to  the 
1    farm,  where   he  remained    until  after  his  father's 
death.     The  latter  had   married  Mrs.  Hart,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Mary    Bell,  and  who   was   the 
mother  of  onr  subject's  second  wife.      In    1855, 
our  subject  married  Miss  Arminda  R.  Martindale, 
of  Lebanon,  who  died  in    1864.     Ten   years  later, 
Mr.  Penn   moved  to  Belleville  but  continued  his 
farming  interests.     He  owns   two    thousand  ai-r(;> 
ill  ten  (lirfcrciil    f.-m]i>  in   St.    Clair  and  .Saiiuainun 
Counties.  111.,  and  Cooper  County,  Mo.  Besides  1  his. 
he  is  the  owner    of    the    Penn    Building,  which  is 
I    valued  at  $30,000  and  also  the  Kenchler  Building. 
1    which  is  valued  at  $50,000. 

!        Mr.  Penn  is  not   active    in   politics  but  usually 

j   votes   the   Republican   ticket.     He  was  President 

of  the  Fair  Association  for  one  year  and  was  also 

!   Superintendent,  Iwing   very  active  in   promoting 

it-s  interests,     'I'lic  annual  reunion  of  the  pld  set. 


154 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tiers  is  held  under  his  supervision.  Mr.  Penn's 
second  marriage  occurred  on  the  28th  of  February, 
1865,  when  he  was  united  with  Mrs.  Susan  A. 
(Hart)  Scott,  the  widow  of  John  Scott,  and  daugh- 
ter of  his  father's  second  wife.  The  children  born 
of  the  first  marriage  of  Mr.  Penn  are  as  follows: 
Georgianna,  who  married  Finley  IMcNulty.  of 
Springfield.  1 11.;  William  ('..  of  (  o..i„.|('..uiit.v.  :\I... 
and  John,  a  resi.k-iit  of  licUevillv.  To  Uic  .mmm,i,,1 
marriage  no  children  wfic  lioni.  I'>y  her  former 
marriage  Mrs.  Penn  liccamc  Ihc  mother  of  four 
children:  Theodore  II.,  of  South  Dakota;  Adolphus 
G..  of  Cliicago,  111.;  Leonora  .1.  (Mr>.  .lohn  T.  fJeb- 
bie)  deceased;  and  John  K.,  a  roidciit  of  Indian- 
apolis, lud.  For  forty  years  or  more  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Penn  have  beenmernVn'is  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  and  the  sincerity  of  their  lives  proves 
lietter  than  mere   words   the  depth  of   their  belief. 


l^r+^[ 


VfpSUGENE  SCIIMISSEUR,  one  of  the  leading 
lU      and  enterprising  farmers  of  Smitlilou  'I'own- 

soil,  having  been  born,  reared,  ediu-.-iti-cl.  married 
and  always  lived  in  the  township  that  nowrlainis 
him  as  a  res;dent.  This  little  town>liip  of  Smith- 
ton  has  been  the  scenes  of  his  labors,  successes  and 
interests. 

The  ancestors  of  Mr.  Schmisseur  were  of  French 
birth,  his  father  having  been  a  native  of  Lorraine. 
France,  who  came  in  his  earl}'  youth  to  America 
and  settled  first  in  St.  Louis,  where  he  followed 
the  trade  of  w;\y-on-maker  for  a  >liort  period  of 
time;  lie  then  operated  a  restaurant  for  some  time, 
but  soon  left  St.  Louis,  and  made  his  w.ay  to  St. 
Clair  County,  where  he  purch.ased  land,  and  con- 
tinued to  reside  until  his  death.  When  this  me- 
lancholy event  occurred,  Mr.  Schmisseur  was  the 
owner  of  three  hundred  and  sixty-seven  acres  of 
land,  all  of  which  had  been  earned  by  his  own 
efforts.  A  prominent  man  in  his  locality,  he  took 
an  active  part  in  public  affairs,  and  served  his  dis- 
trict most  creditably  as  School  Director,  and  was 
iiiiiversallv  niournoil    by  all  w)|o  klieM'  him,     The 


maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject  was 
Elizabeth  Chenot;  she  bore  her  husband  nine  chil- 
dren, five  of  whom  grew  to  maturity. 

Eugene  Schmisseur,  our  subject,  was  born  De- 
cember C,  1849,  on  the  farm  of  his  father  in  Smith- 
ton  Township,  St.  Clair  County.  After  his  mar- 
riaae.  Mr.  Schmisseur  began  farming  on  the  old 
hoiiic  place,  i-oiitinuiuu'  there  one  year,  going 
tlieiiee  to  the  American  liollom  and  from  there  to 
Hidge  Prairie,  where  he  remained  four  years,  and 
then  to  his  present  home.  This  farm  consists  of 
two  hundred  and  four  acres,  all  well  improved 
and  in  a  liiuli  >tate  of  c-iilti\;ition.  ( tii  this  land 
are  raised  grain  and  stock,  the  latter  lieini^df  a  very 
fine  and  supciim   liiadc 

Mr.  Scluiii-.  ui  «,■!-  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Beatrie,  dauL;litei  of  Nicholas  Beatric,  a  prominent 
farmer  of  St.  Clair  County.  This  faithful  wife  has 
borne  him  seven  children:  Albert,  Edward,  Eugene, 
Lizzie,  Otto,  Nellie  and  Cora,  all  of  whom  are 
living.  These  seven  children  have  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  a  good  common-school  education.  Mr. 
Schmisseur  is  a  member  of  the  Indei)endent  Or- 
der of  .Odd  Fellows,  in  which  lodge  he  is  Past 
Grand,  havinii  pas.sed  :ill  the  chairs.  In  |ioli- 
tics,  he  adheres  to  the  platform  laid  down  by  the 
Farmer's  Alliance,  and  i>  one  of  it>  >tancliest  sup- 
poiters.  Mr.  Schmis,seur  is  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent citizens  of  his  township,  wheic  he  takes  an 
active  part  in  public  affairs. 


-^€^^il-^"i^li^#t^ 


\|^^^ETER  HILL.  The  subject  of  this  sketch, 
I  Jl)  who  resides  on  section  30,  in  Frceburg 
%^  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  was  the 
ii,  sou  of  James  Hill,  who  was  born  on  the 
19th  of  June,  1811,  on  Turkey  Hill,  and  left  there 
in  1832  to  live  on  the  place  where  our  subject 
now  resides.  The  father  pre-empted  this  one 
iiundred  and  sixty  acres  from  the  Government, 
and  remained  there  until  1862,  when  he  removed 
to  Freebnrg.  since  which  time  he  has  lived  the 
comfoitalile  life  of  a  retired  farmer,  James  Hill 
WMS   married   :ibout    1831    to    Eliijabeth    Thrift, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


155 


daugliter  of  Samuel  Thrift.  He,  owns  three 
hundred  "and  seventeen  acres  of  land  in  Free- 
burg  Township,  was  the  son  of  one  of  the  old- 
est settlers  in  St.  Clair  County,  and  was  himself 
one  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Black  Hawk  War.  He 
has  held  the  ottice  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  this 
township  for  three  terms.  His  children  were  as  fol- 
lows: our  subject;  .Samuel,  who  lives  in  New 
Athens;  Elizabeth  and  James,  both  deceased; 
Jackson,  living  at  Freeburg;  Permelia,  living  at 
home;  George  ^Y.,  who  is  managing  a  mill  at  St. 
Louis;  Sarah,  Anna,  Theresa  and  Albina  .are  all 
deceased.  The  father  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Episcopal  Church  and  one  of  its  officers. 

Our  subject  was  born  on  the  birthday  of  the 
Father  of  his  Country — February  22,  1835 — on  the 
same  place  where  he  is  now  living.  He  was  here 
reared  and  educated,  and  was  married  in  this 
county  to  Miss  Emeliue,  the  daughter  of  William 
Mitchell  a  farmer.  After  this  ceremony,  which 
took  place  in  1859,  our  subject  lived  on  the  old 
place  for  two  years,  and  then  removed  to  the 
southern  part  of  the  county,  but  returned  again. 
Discontented,  he  concluded  to  try  another  change, 
and  so  went  to  Macon  Count}-,  where  he  resided 
for  four  years  and  again  came  back  to  the  old 
place.  In  1877,  he  sold  out  and  went  to  Texas, 
bnt  only  remained  there  two  months  and  then 
returned  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Franklin  Countj', 
where  he  lived  ten  years  and  engaged  ui  farming. 
Affection  for  the  old  place  clung  to  him  in  all  his 
changes  of  residence,  and  he  finally  came  back  to 
it,  to  remain  here  ever  since.  He  has  had  seven 
children.  Ellen  died  at  the  nge  of  seven,  and 
three  died  in  infancy.  Tlie  living  are  Samuel, 
Joseph  and  Minnie.  Samuel  married  Mrs.  Nancy 
Eubanks,  and  is  living  in  Freeburg. 

Our  subject  farms  three  hundred  and  seventeen 
acres  of  land,  part  of  which  belongs  to  him  and 
the  rest  to  his  fathei  >  olatc.  wheat  being  his 
principal  product.  Pulitically.  Mr.  Hill  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat and  is  devoted  to  his  favorite  party.  He  is 
a  consistent  member  of  the  Baptist  denomination 
and  is  everywhere  regarded  with  respect  and 
esteem,  because  of  his  consistent,  straightforward 
life  and  his  devotion  to  the  principles  which  he 
avovvs.     Much   travel  and  chanije   of   place    have 


broadened  his  mind  and  added  to  his  understand- 
ing, so  that  his  views  vipon  the  questions  of  the 
day  are  always  presented  by  him  with  fairness 
and  intelligence  and  with  due  regard  to  the  opin- 
ions of  others. 


AMES  MASON.  Age  comes  to  some  as  a 
mellow  radiance,  and  none  has  it  touched 
more  lightly  than  the  genial  host  of  the 
wayside  inn,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  who 
bears  his  seventy-five  years  with  scarcely  the  ap- 
pearance of  fifly,  :iii(l  is  so  genial  and  companion- 
able that  tlic  yiiuiiui  r  stranger  forgets  the  dispar- 
ity. The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Stir- 
lingshire, Scotland,  October  .30,  1817,  the  son  of 
Walter  and  Isabel  (Baird)  Mason,  who  came  to 
America  in  1848,  went  to  Pennsylvania,  and  settled 
in  Pottsville,  .Schuylkill  County,  where  they  lived 
and  died. 

The  youth  and  the  active  years  of  our  subject's 
life  were  given  to  hard  work.  He  remained  with 
his  parents  and  uncles  in  Pennsylvania  more  than 
a  year,  when  he  and  a  brother  started  West,  and 
continued  until  they  reached  French  Village,  near 
East  St.  Louis,  in  St.  Clair  Count}',  111.,  where  our 
subject  obtained  work  in  a  coal  mine  by  tlie  day, 
and  continncil  there  tliree  or  four  years;  he  then 
bought  a  iiimc  "f  his  own  along  the  bluff,  a  mile 
from  French  \  iUaiie.  iiiierating  it  three  vr  four 
years  and  then  sciliiiu  it.  About  1856,  ]Mr.  Mason 
became  Supci-intcndciit  of  the  Twiss  Mills  on  the 
Short  Line  Ro.ad.  holdiujr  the  position  four  years, 
and  then  bouglit  propuly  :ind  luiilt  tlie  comtort- 
able  house  he  has  occuiiied  since  the  spring  of 
18G1.  It  is  a  wayside  house  of  .refreslimeiU  for 
man  and  beast.  Two  of  his  brotliers,  Joliii  and 
Malcom,  served  as  soldiers  in  the  Union  army 
during  the  late  Civil  War,  tlie  former  in  the  Nine- 
tieth Pennsylvania  and  the  latter  in  the  Sixth 
Pennsylvania  Heservcs. 

Mr.  Mason  has  been  married  three  times,  liis  lirst 
m.'irriao'c  taking  place   in   August,   18-11,   in    Stir- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIUCAL   RFX'ORD. 


lingshire,  Scotland,  the  name  of  his  wife  being 
Agnes  Young,  who  died  in  1845.  The  two  chil- 
dren by  this  niiirriage  were  Ellen  and  Isabel;  the 
former,  born  February  6,  1843,  in  Scotland, 
married  Francis  A.  McBride,  a  resident  farmer  and 
stockman  of  St.  Clair  Countj',  who  died  January 
■26,  18.89,  and  left  two  children,  W.  R.  and  Lillie. 
Isabel  was  drowned  in  childhood,  near  Pottsville, 
Pa.  .Our  subject  married  his  second  wife,  Agnes 
Mair,  in  1846,  and  she  died  April  2.5,  1876.  The 
three  living  children  of  this  marriage  are  Walter, 
a  mining  engineer,  who  married  Emma  Sutton 
and  resides  at  Rabe  Station,  near  his  father; 
Anabel,  who  mari-ied  .lohn  Vickers,  a  ranchman 
wlio  lives  in  New  Mexico;  and  William,  married 
recently  in  New  Mexico,  who  is  engaged  in  min- 
ing. Our  subject  married  in  February,  1877,  his 
third  wife,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Allen,  who  assisted  him 
in  dispensing  hospitality  at  the  family  home  until 
her  death,  November  6,  1890.  Mv.  Mason  has 
never  accepted  office,  and  is  a  Democrat  when  he 
deposits  his  ballot.  The  family  belongs  to  the 
Presbyterian  Church,  and  are  much  thought  of  in 
the  neighborhood. 


♦^^^^It^®!^ 


S^Y/  •^-  i^TAUFENRIEL.  The  City  Council  of 
I— ^;  Belleville,  111.,  established  a  public  library 
/Is  "  by  an  ordinance  p.assed  February  o,  1883, 
and  since  that  time  the  gentleman  whose  well- 
known  name  opens  this  sketch  has  been  its  efficient 
Librarian.  Since  the  opening  of  the  institution, 
its  management  has  required  almost  his  entire  time, 
and  at  present  he  has  the  assistance  of  ]Miss  .losi'- 
phine  Bissell,  a  daughter  of  Cov.  r.i»fll.  (leccasrd. 
Mr.  Staufenbiel  was  born  near  Muhlll;ul^en.  Tliur- 
ingia,  Prussia,  September  29,  1833.  His  parents 
were  Joseph  and  Marriana  Staufenbiel,  natives  of 
the  same  countr3^  Our  subject  was  reared  and 
carefully  educated  in  Germany,  taking  a  full  course 
at  a  gymnasium,  and  then  came  to  America,  lo- 
cating first  at  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  engaged 
in  clerking  in  a  brewery,  remaining  three  years. 
Jii  l$i)\),  our  subject  ct^nie  Jo  this  city,  where  ho 


engaged  with  the  Western  Brewer^'^,  remaining 
with  this  company  for  a  period  of  fourteen  years. 
Folkiwiiig  tills  he  was  appointed  as  a  clerk,  and 
later  as  Deputy  Recorder,  in  the  court  house,  and 
was  serving  in  the  latter  capacity  when  he  received 
the  appointment  as  Librarian.  Mr.  Staufenbiel 
was  married  to  Miss  Franciska  Kngelmann,  of  this 
city,  the  daughter  of  IMicliael  Knuclmaun,  a  civil 
engineer,  of  Germany.  Mrs.  Staufenbiel  was  born 
in  tli;it  country  in  1840,  and  she  has  become  the 
mother  of  four  interesting  children:  Anna,  Tlierese, 
John  and  Emily,  Our  subject  and  his  wife  are 
prominent  members  of  Belleville  society  and  are 
highly  esteemed  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 


-i-^m^-r 


-^ 


RED  PRIESTER, 


of  the  leading  (ier- 


man- Americans  of  Belleville,  has   been  en- 
_  gaged   in   the  lumber  business   within  her 

confines  for  the  past  twent^'-five  years.  The  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  imbibed  the  principles  of  ster- 
ling honesty  that  have  made  him  honored  and  re- 
spected throughout  his  entire  business  career  from 
his  revered  father,  Jacob  Priestcr.  ^Ir.  Jacob 
Priester  was  also  a  native  of  ( icrniany.  Init  after 
the  death  of  his  beloved  wife,  Mnigaret  ( I'liester) 
Priester,  he  brought  his  motherless  family  to  the 
LTnited  States,  making  the  trip  in  18.50,  The 
father  was  not  destined,  however,  to  live  and  en- 
joy the  adv.antages  of  the  l;iiiil  to  which  he  had 
come  in  search  of  freedom  and  fortune,  for  his 
death  occurred  in  18;53.  One  sister  of  our  subject, 
Mrs.  Paulina  Rothgangel,  is  a  resident  of  Belle- 
ville, where  she  is  liighly  respected, 

Mr.  Pri>>ler.  our  >uliject,  was  born  in  Nassau, 
(icniiaiiy.  S('|.tciiiliri  ■>:>.  is-i7,  and  received  his 
education  in  th«'  cxcclU'iit  ( ierman  .schools.  Upon 
coming  to  St.  (lair  ('(.nuty,  in  1850,  he  settled 
twenty  miles  south  of  Belleville,  in  a  locality 
known  as  Dutch  Hill,  Here  he  continued  to  farm 
for  nine  years  and  had  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the 
county,  when,  in  IH.'iit,  lie  sohl  this  excellent  prop- 
erty and  camo  to  iielhvillo.  .\fter  ))is  advent  into 
tlte  city,  >lr.  Priester  eugugeJ  in  tlie  browing  busc 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


157 


iness,  and  later  took  charge  of  the  St.  Clair  House, 
whicli  he  operated  until  1867,  when  he  entered 
Ills  present  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Oscar 
Hemrich  &  Company,  Mr.  Priester  representing 
the  company. 

The  firm  opened  business  on  Soutli  Illinois 
Street,  where  tiiey  are  still  to  be  found,  conduct- 
ing the  largest  lumber  business  in  the  city,  carr}'- 
ing  all  kinds  of  lumber,  sash,  blinds,  doors  and 
everj'thing  pertaining  to  the  business.  Their 
premises  occupy  nearly  an  entire  block  and  are  the 
scene  of  active  business  life.  In  addition  to  his 
business  cares  in  this  direction,  Mr.  Priester  has 
the  honor  of  being  a  Director  of  the  First  National 
Pank  of  Belleville.  Our  subject  is  a  man  of  un- 
usual business  ability,  and  his  entire  property  has 
been  accumulated  by  his  own  efforts. 

Mr.  Priester  was  married  on  the  1st  of  Feliru- 
ary,  1850,  before  he  crossed  to  America,  and  the 
name  of  the  lady  was  Mrs.  Anna  Och.  Mr. 
Priester  and  his  bride  set  sail  for  America,  April  1, 
1850,  and  reached  Belleville  July  4,  following. 
Mr.  Priester  and  wife  are  esteemed  members  of  St. 
Paul's  Free  Protestant  German  Church,  in  whicli 
body  they  are  influential  people.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  is  connected 
with  St.  Clair  Lodge  No.  24,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Few 
men  are  more  popular  in  a  community  than  is  Mr. 
Priester  in  the  town  of  Belleville,  where  he  has  re- 
sided for  so  many  years. 


■^#^- 


\I>.ESLEY  SKAKR.  Although  quite  a  young 
y^y*  man,  this  gentleman  already  has  consid- 
\y^'  erable  weight  in  the  community  where  he 
resides,  a  fact  which  is  easily  accounted  for  by  his 
strong  principles,  his  active  interest  in  the  wel- 
fare of  all  around  him,  and  the  pleasant  manners 
which  are  the  crowning  charm  of  a  fine  nature. 
His  parents  are  numbered  among  the  pioneers  of 
the  count}',  to  whom  great  honor  is  due  for  the 
manner  in  which  they  bore  hardsiiip  and  priva- 
tion, and  the  toils  which  they  underwent  in  giving 
the     genoratioii     which    followed    tliem    a    highly 


developed  and  beautiful  country,  with  all  the 
blessings  of  civilization.  It  would  be  strange 
indeed  if  the  son  of  such  parents  should  not  pos- 
sess the  qualities  which  would  lead  to  his  own 
financial  success,  and  to  a  highly  respected  place 
among  his  fellow-men. 

A  brief  outline  of  the  life  of  Mr.  Skaer's  parents 
will  aid  us  in  our  subject's  biography.  Philip 
Skaer  was  one  of  the  first  white  men  to  settle  in 
this  township,  and  is  known  to-day  as  one  of  its 
most  substantial  and  wealthy  citizens.  He  has 
always  been  a  man  of  wonderful  energy  and  en- 
terprise, and  the  result  of  his  good  management 
and  more  than  ordinary  ability  is  apparent  in  his 
present  surroundings.  His  life  partner,  the  mother 
of  our  subject,  was  one  of  the  women  who  ably 
assisted  her  husband  in  all  that  pertained  to  the 
welfare  of  his  family,  and  maintained  for  herself  a 
high  standard  of  womanhood. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Smithton 
Township,  High  Prairie,  on  the  14th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1853,  and  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the  same 
location.  He  was  educated  in  the  schools  of  St. 
Clair  County,  and  after  reaching  the  years  which 
qualified  him  to  choose  what  vocation  in  life  he 
should  adopt,  he  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
father  and  became  a  farmer.  On  November  Ki. 
1876,  our  subject  married  Miss  Mary  Eva  Kunkel- 
mann,  the  daughter  of  Leonard  Kunkelmaiin,  a 
IHominent  farmer  of  Monroe  County,  who  is  still 
living  in  the  village  of  Smithton.  Soon  after  his 
marriage,  our  subject  settled  near  his  father,  but  a 
sliort  time  afterward  removed  to  the  place  on 
which  he  now  resides.  Six  children  have  blessed 
him  and  his  wife,  one  of  whom,  Catherine,  died  at 
tiie  age  of  one  year  and  ten  months.  Those  living- 
are  Amanda,  born  November  16,  1878;  Amelia, 
July  20,  1880;  Henrietta,  born  in  April,  1882; 
Elizabeth,  March  2,  1884;  and  Arthur,  June  27, 
1886. 

Wesley  Skaer  is  rich  in  the  possession  of  an  iii- 
.teresting,  bright  and  healthy  family,  and  his  chil- 
dren bid  fair  to  become  a  credit  and  blessing  to 
his  declining  years.  He  is  a  man  of  advanced 
ideas,  and  believes  in  thorough  education  as  tlie 
most  useful  factor  in. laying  a  foundation  for  the 
future  American  citizen.      His  children  are  all   in- 


PORTRAIT  AND  ]3J0GRAPmCAL  RECORD. 


telligent,  and  with  the  means  at  his  command  he 
proposes  to  f5t  them  for  the  responsibilities  of  life 
to  the  best  of  his  ability. 

Tlie  farm  owned  by  our  subject  comprises  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  improved  land,  all 
in  a  state  of  thorough  cultivation.  His  principal 
crop  is  wheat,  and  he  has  the  proud  satisfaction  of 
seeiiig  fift.y-five  acres  of  this  grain  on  his  own 
soil  this  year,  which  promises  an  unusual  yield. 
Socially,  Mr.  Skaer  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers' 
Mutual  Benefit  Association.  He  is  a  strong  ad- 
herent of  the  Republican  part3',  and  his  support 
can  always  be  relied  on  for  the  welfare  of  his  party. 
He  is  School  Director  of  his  district,  and  fills  that 
office  with  the  same  zeal  and  energy  that  charac- 
terize his  business  transactions.  Mr.  Skaer  is  a 
keen  reader  and  intelligent  thinker,  a  man  whose 
faculty  of  observation  has  been  well  cultivated, 
and  is  the  possessor  of  a  knowledge  of  affairs  which 
makes  his  statements  authentic. 

In  all  his  dealings,  our  subject  has  preserved  the 
inherent  honestj-  and  integrity  of  his  character, 
and  as  one  of  tlie  best  citizens  of  this  community 
holds  the  unlimited  confidence  of  all  who  know 
him. 


^OHN  TATE.  The  grain  and  stock-raiser 
I  who  resides  on  section  20,  Smithton  Town- 
^^  j  ship,  was  the  son  of  Edward  Tate,  who  was 
^^J/J  born  in  Fayette  Count_y,  Pa.,  was  reared 
and  remained  there  until  eighteen  years  of  age, 
when  he  came  to  Illinois  and  started  to  work  in 
Ridge  Prairie  and  other  parts  of  the  county. 
Wishing  to  make  a  home  for  himself,  he  married 
Miss  Lovina  Stuntz,  who  had  also  come  from  Penn- 
sylvania.  The  newly-married  couple  then  removed 
to  Turke3'  Hill,  bought  a  farm  and  remained  there 
some  four  or  five  years,  going  then  to  the  place, 
where  our  subject  now  resides,  and  there  lived  up 
to  the  time  of  the  husband's  death. 

Mr.  Edward  Tate  was  the  father  of  the  following 
children,  who  all  grew  up  except  the  youngest,  who 
died  in  infancy.     There   are    now    living:     Char- 


lotte, widow  of  D.  L.  Phillips;  Rachel,  wife  of 
Alfred  AVilderman;  Sarah,  widow  of  Edwin 
Phillips;  Lovina,  wife  of  M.  S.  Carr,  of  East  St. 
Louis;  George  and  our  subject.  Those  who  have 
been  taken  away  are  Priscilla  F.  Terrell,  Mary 
Ann  AValker,  Matilda  Woods  and  Margaret  Robach. 
The  father  was  one  of  the  xihlicrs  who  made 
things  uncomfortable  for  the  Indians  in  tlie  lilacli 
Ilawk  War,  and  was  not  uiily  ;i  brave  suldier,  but 
was  also  a  fine  farmer,  and  owned  about  ff)ur  hun- 
dred acres  of  land. 

The  birtii  of  our  subject  took  place  June  6, 1827, 
on  Hazel  Creek  Farm  on  Turkey  Ilill,  he  being- 
six  months  old  when  his  father  removed  to  this 
place,  where  he  grew  to  manhood,  and  has  been 
ever  since,  except  during  a  trip,  begun  in  the  spring 
of  1864,  across  the  plains  to  Oregon  with  a  mule- 
team  and  horses,  and  from  which  he  returned 
in  the  year  1865.  Our  subject,  about  this  time, 
married  Martha  Jane  Reynolds,  the  daughter  of 
Thomas  Reynolds.  The  latter  was  born  in  Tennes- 
see and  had  had  a  life  of  more  than  common  inter- 
est, reaching  Illinois  before  it  became  a  State  and 
locating  near  St.  Louis.  He  married  there  and  la- 
ter removed  to  Twelve  Mile  Prairie,  and  lived 
upon  a  farm,  but  later  became  a  great  trader,  and 
one  of  the  leading  merchants  of  Galena.  Mr. 
Reynolds  was  one  of  the  first  parties  that  started 
the  Pittsburg  Horse  Road  that  ran  from  Illinois- 
town  to  the  Bluff,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War,  in  which  he  was  wounded.  This 
couple  had  a  family  of  ten  childi-en,  nine  of  whom 
grew  up,  and  of  these  Mrs.  Tate  was  the  third 
and  youngest  daughter. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tate  have  had  nine  children,  and 
of  these  five  still  remain.  They  are:  Thomas  E.,  who 
is  twenty-two  years  old,  and  resides  in  Colorado: 
George  R.,  wlio  is  one  year  too  young  to  cast  a 
vote,  is  at  home;  Alfred,  ten  years  old;  Martlia  ('., 
seven;  and  Margaret  Pearl,  four.  Those  who  have 
passed  to  the  other  land  are:  Mary  Ann,  at  tlic 
age  of  eleven;  Charlotte,  lietween  two  and  three 
years;  John,  who  was  not  (piite  twf);  and  an  in- 
fant. 

Mr.  Tate  is  a  member  of  the  Cirange  of  High 
Prairie  Lodge,  and  h.as  been  honored  willi  almost 
all  of  its  offices;  he  is  a  Democrat  in  faith,  and  has 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


been  prominent  in  local  political  affairs.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  large  land-owner,  having  two  hundred  and 
twenty-six  acres  of  fine  land  on  sections  19,  20 
and  29,  all  well  improved.  He  has  been  success- 
ful ill  both  grain  and  stock-raising,  and  is  known 
throughout  this  region  as  a  man  who  understands 
the  business  of  agriculture  ver^'  thoroughlj',  hav- 
ing made  almost  all  of  the  superior  improvements 
on  his  land  and  built  a  very  desiralile  home  for 
iiimself  and  familv. 


•>^r<m 


^f^REDERlCK  T.  ROSE,  M.  D.  Few  young 
|-^j  men  appear  to  have  a  brighter  career  of 
ij^  usefulness  before  them  and  one  which  prom- 
ises a  more  successful  termination  than  does  the 
j-oung  physician  whose  name  opens  this  sketch. 
His  tastes  he  has  probably  inherited  from  his  well- 
known  father,  and  with  nature  and  education 
both  on  his  side  he  cannot  fail. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  March  11, 
1870,  at  Columbia,  111.  He  is  the  son  of  Dr.  Will- 
iam Rose,  a  native  of  Germany  who  came  to  this 
country  when  but  fourteen  years  of  age,  making 
his  home  with  his  uncle.  He  began  a  medical  ed- 
ucation and  was  graduated  at  the  College  of  Phy- 
sicians and  Surgeons  at  Keokuk,  lovVa,  beginning 
the  practice  of  his  ])rofession  at  Columbia,  111., 
where  he  has  remained  ever  since,  one  of  tiie  old 
and  reliable  practitioners  of  the  State.  He  has 
been  tlie  Piesident  of  the  Medical  Society  of  Mon- 
roe County  for  a  number  of  years,  and  is  a  man  of 
high  standing  who  takes  both  a  fatherly  and  pro- 
fessional pride  in  his  son's  success. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  this  notice  is  written 
resides  in  the  town  of  Millstadt,  and  has  his  oUice 
on  Main  Street.  He  grew  up  in  the  place  of  his 
birth  and  there  went  to  school,  his  father  after- 
ward sending  him  to  Warren  ton.  Mo.,  where  he  so 
improved  his  opportunities  that  his  father  decided 
to  encourage  his  natur.al  leaning  toward  the  life  of 
a  physician,  although  none  knew  better  than  him- 
self what  a  self-sacrificing  life  it  often  has  to  be, 
especially  in  country  neighborhoods.     At  any  rate. 


Dr.  Rose  took  the  boy  into  his  office,  opened  his 
medical  libraries,  taught  him  the  necessary  rudi- 
ments of  the  healing  art,  and  so  directed  his  young 

I    mind  that   in   1889  he  was  prepared   for  college. 
He  went  into  the  College  of  Physicians  and   Sur- 

j   geons  at   St.  Louis,   Mo.,   took  three   courses    of 
lectures  there  and  graduated  from  that  well-known 

j    institution  March  14, 1892.    After  passing  through 
college  he  came  to  Illinois  and  took  the  necessary 

:    examination  before  the  State  Board   and   was  ad- 
mitted to  practice. 

After  this  happy  termination,  our  subject  came 
to  the  growing  town  of  Millstadt  and  has  made 
this  his  home  and  has  done  well  here.  He  has  the 
pi-oper  manner  for  a  successful  doctor,  and  does 
not  need  .age  to  give  him  dignit3-.  He  inspires 
confidence,  and,  no  doubt,  will  one  day  become 
one  of  the  leading  phj'sieians  of  the  State.  So- 
cially, Dr.  Rose  is  an  acquisition  to  Millstadt,  and 
his  presence  is  appreciated  by  his  many  friends 
and  acquaintances. 


(I^'RED  SATTLER.  This  gentleman  is'  tlie 
Ijp^  Superintendent  and  Manager  of  the  Belle- 
/li  ville  Pump  and  Stove  Works,  located  at 
the  corner  of  Race  and  Seventh  Streets.  As  his 
name  would  indicate,  he  is  of  German  descent, 
having  been  born  in  Baden,  March  31,  1852.  His 
parents  were  Peter  and  Elizabeth  Sattler,  who  came 
to  this  cit3r  in  1855,  where  Mr.  Sattler  was  en- 
gaged as  a  wagon-maker,  conducting  a  shop  until 
his  death  in  April,  1872.  Our  subject  was  edu- 
cated partially  in  the  city  schools,  and  afterward 
learned  the  trade  of  a  wagon-maker  with  his 
father.  At  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  he  took  em- 
ployment witii  the  Esler  &  Ropiequet  Manufac- 
turing Company  as  painter,  and  was  put  in  charge 
of  the  paint  department  from  that  time.  He  also 
traveled  for  the  company  until  1881,  when  he 
came  here,  and,  with  Mr.  Becker,,  organized  the 
Belleville  Puinp  Works.  From  the  time  of  its  or- 
ganization, Mr.  Sattler  luas  had  the  full  manage- 
ment of  the  plant  and  has  made  it  a  great  success. 


160 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Ill  1883,  lie  was  elected  President  of  the  Sucker 
Drill  Company,  at  that  time  the  P^sler  and  Ropie- 
quet  Manufacturing  Company,  and  still  occupies 
that  position.  Business  has  so  engrossed  him  that 
lie  has  never  engaged  in  politics  of  any  kind. 

Like  so  many  natives  of  the  Fatherland,  our 
subject  has  musical  talent,  and  is  a  member  of  tlie 
Liederkrauz  and  the  Kranthaler  Musical  Socie- 
ties. He  was  married  November  fi,  I880,  to  Au- 
gusta Tieman,  daughter  of  August  Tieman  (see 
sketch),  and  they  have  three  children:  Cordelia, 
Elmer  and  Blanche.  Tiie  business  which  Mr.  Sat- 
tler  has  so  successfully  carried  on  was  incorpor- 
ated in  September,  1881,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
*2r), 000.  which  has  since  been  increased  to  -175,000. 
The  ]5resent  officers  are  Charles  Becker,  President; 
C.  T.  Mullen,  Secretary  and  Treasurer;  and  our 
subject.  Superintendent  and  Manager.  They  en- 
gage in  the  manufacture  of  iron  goods,  have  a 
foundry  and  general  machine  shop,  and  give  em- 
pl03-ment  to  a  number  of  men,  a  large  proportion 
of  them  being  skilled  workmen.  The  stove  works 
were  added  in  1885  and  are  operated  by  this  com- 
pany and  give  employment  to  one  hundred  and 
seventy-five  men  for  the  manufacture  of  stoves, 
ranges  and  heaters,  the  business  houses  occupying 
two  whole  blocks. 


I^_^^IRAM  A.  PIERCE,  for  seventy  years  a  resi- 
|lf)|;  dent  of  this  county',  owns  a  farm  on  section 
I"^^  3,  Shiloh  Township,  where  he  now  resides. 
(^)  His  birth  occurred  in  1822,  within  a  mile 
and  a-half  of  where  he  now  makes  his  home.  His 
father  was  Daniel  Pierce,  who  was  a  native  of 
Bradford  County,  Pa.  His  mother,  who  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Elsie  Tozer,  was  born  in  Connect- 
icut. Daniel  Pierce  in  early  life  learned  the 
blacksmith's  trade,  which  calling  he  followed  until 
coming  to  Illinois.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest  pio- 
neers of  this  portion  of  the  State,  emigrating  here 
in  1812,  and  settling  on  a  tract  of  land  in  this 
townshi)).     As  he  was  possessed  of  but  Utile  means. 


he  purchased  a  small  property,  to  which  he 
brought  his  wife,  whom  he  had  married  the  year 
previous.  She  was  tlie  daughter  of  .lulius  and 
Hannah  Tozer.  Mr.  Pierce  added  to  his  small 
farm  until  he  had  property  amounting  to  about 
three  hundred  and  fifty  acres,  which  he  brought 
under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  on  which  he 
erected  siibstantial  farm  buildings.  Seven  chil- 
dren blessed  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pierce: 
Juliet  ('.;  Emily  .1.,  wife  of  Daniel  S.  Osborn; 
Hannah,  wile  of  Sciota  Evans;  John  O.,  Daniel  E., 
James  A.  and  Hiram  A.,  none  of  whom  are  living 
with  the  exception  of  our  subject. 

Hiram  A.  Pierce  passed  his  boyhood  days  upon 
his  father's  farm  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
lads  and  received  such  a  limited  education  as 
could  be  gleaned  in  the  district  schools  at  that 
early  period.  He  also  attended  school  at  Lebanon. 
He  lived  under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty- 
four  years  of  age.  When  twenty-three  years  old, 
his  father  died,  ami  for  four  years  he  and  his 
brother  James  carried  on  the  farm  for  their  motiier, 
relieving  her  of  all  care  and  anxiety. 

In  1847,  Mr.  Pierce  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Mary  A.  Middlecoff,  who  is  a  daughter  of  George 
and  Sarah  (Scott)  Middlecoff.  Mrs.  Pierce  was 
born  in  St.  Clair  County,  but  her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Virginia,  and  were  among  the  very 
early  pioneers  of  this  county.  To  our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  have  been  born  eight  children: 
Johanna,  wife  of  Adolph  Schott;  Ralph  Ci.;  Kate, 
wife  of  Albert  Reuss;  Louella,  wife  of  Jolin  E. 
Lemen;  Jolm  IL,  Don  Albert,  Edgar  F..  and  Clar- 
ence E.  John  H.  assists  his  father  on  the  home 
farm. 

In  1851,  Mr.  Pierce  went  to  Belleville  and  there 
ran  a  livery  stable  for  some  time.  With  that  ex- 
ception, his  life  has  been  entirely  devoted  to  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  He  has  accumulated  almost 
six  hundred  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be  found 
in  the  county.  For  several  years,  he  has  engaged 
in  stock-raising.  He  went  to  "\'ermont  and  there 
purchased  for  $5,000  a  horse  of  Ilambletonian 
breed.  He  has  dealt  quite  extensively  in  Durhaiti 
cattle.  Mr.  Pierce  is  the  owner  of  one  of  the  finest 
residences  in  the  eastern  pait  of  St.  Clair  County, 
and  in  addition  to  this  h.is  commodious  bains  and 


^^ 


I'ORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


other  well-built  farm  buildings.  His  farm  is  a 
model  of  neatness  and  shows  the  caie  and  time 
which  are  devoted  to  it  liy  the  owner. 

Politically,  Mr.  Pierce  casts  his  ballot  for  the 
nominees  of  the  Democratic  party,  which  finds  in 
him  a  strong  supporter.  He  is  numbered  among 
the  earliest  settlers  of  the  county,  and  has  added 
very  materiallv  in  the  development  and  advance- 
ment of  the  same.  He  is  a  public-spirited  man, 
taking  an  .active  part  in  all  measures,  political, 
educational  and  moral,  which  tend  to  the  welfare 
of  the  eommunily.  He  is  an  honored  and  respected 
citizen,  and  by  his  upright  and  honorable  course 
tiirouoliout  life  has  won  the  respect  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  come  in  contact. 


§ ■ "-E3  <"  Y  '>  C 


JniEN.lAMIN  HYPES.  One  of  the  most  ele- 
L-^  gant  residences  of  Lebanon  Townshii)  is 
/T)  I  that  owned  and  occupied  by  the  subject  of 
^•^s<  our  sketch.  Retired  from  active  business 
affairs,  he  passes  the  twilight  of  his  honorable  life 
quietly  at  his  home,  surrounded  by  the  comforts 
which  he  accumulated  in  his  years  of  toil.  Through 
his  long  career  he  has  thrown  into  his  daily  labors 
individual  honesty  and  integrity*,  qualities  which 
ennoble  every  man,  whether  rich  or  poor.  From 
poverty  to  prosperity,  everj' step  was  won  by  hon- 
est work  and  brave  efforts,  and  his  biography 
therefore  is  most  u.seful  as  an  incentive  to  others. 
Born  February  10,  1805,  in  Botetourt  County, 
Ya.,  our  subject  is  the  son  of  Henry  and  Patience 
(Reynolds)  Hypes,  also  natives  of  the  old  Domin- 
ion. The  paternal  grandparents  were  from  Ger- 
many and  the  maternal  grandfather  came  from 
England.  Our  subject's  parents  were  married  in 
Virginia,  where  his  father  followed  farming.  In 
1811  they  moved  to  Ohio,  and  settled  near  Xenia, 
where  they  made  their  home  as  long  as  they  lived. 
The  father  died  in  his  eightieth  3'ear,  and  the 
mother  w.as  taken  away  when  fifty-six.  Our  sub- 
ject was  one  of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Nancy, 
who  married  Nathan  Horner;  .loseph,  who  died  in 
Lebanon  and  left  two  children;  Washington,  who 


left  St.  Louis  and  joined  the  United  States  Navy 
in  183.5,  and  has  never  been  heard  from  since; 
Sarah,  who  died  young;  Davison,  who  departed 
this  life  in  1822;  J.  W.  Wesley,  who  is  still  living 
in  Lebanon,  and  Asbury,  deceased. 

In  1828,  Mr.  Hypes  started  Westward,  coming 
down  the  Ohio  in  a  steamboat,  and,  landing  in  St. 
Louis,  for  a  time  he  prospected  and  afterward  set- 
tled in  Lebanon.  In  his  boyhood,  he  had  no  edu- 
cational advantages, as  there  were  then  no  common 
schools  in  Virginia  or  Ohio.  After  reaching  Leb- 
anon, he  attended  the  seminar}'  there  during  the 
winter  of  1828,  and  by  careful  reading  and  close 
observation  was  enabled  to  overcome  the  lack  of 
early  advantages.  At  Lebanon,  he  went  into  the 
milling  business  with  Nathan  Horner,  with  whom 
he  continued  in  that  connection  for  about  two 
years.  At  that  time,  Mr.  Horner  was  proprietor  of  a 
store  in  which  Mr.  Hypes  bought  a  half  interest 
and  assisted  in  carrying  it  on  until  1840,  wlien  he 
sold  out  to  his  partner.  In  1842  he  went  into 
business  for  himself  and  continued  until  18(53, 
when  he  sold  his  stock.  Having  bought  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty-one  acres,  one  and  a-half  miles  north 
of  Lebanon,  he  gave  his  attention  to  its  cultivation 
for  several  years  and  then  retiied  from  active 
business. 

At  Lebanon  in  1834,  Mr.  Hypes  married  Miss 
Caroline,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Raciiel  Murry, 
natives  of  Baltimore,  Md.  Mr.  Murry  was  a  salt 
merchant  in  that  city,  where  he  was  residing  at 
the  time  of  the  War  of  1812.  With  his  wife  he 
came  to  Illinois  in  1817  and  settled  in  Belleville. 
Seven  children  came  to  bless  the  home  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hypes,  a  record  of  whom  we  give:  Cornelia 
died  in  November,  1891;  Adeline  married  Thomas 
Essex,  a  resident  of  St.  Louis,  and  a  Land  Com- 
missioner for  the  St.  Louis,  Iron  Mountain  & 
.Southern  Railro.ad.  They  have  one  daughter. 
Carrie.  William  died  in  November,  1889,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-four,  leaving  a  widow  and  one 
daughter.  He  had  served  as  Postmaster  of  Leb- 
anon, also  as  United  States  Internal  Revenue  Col- 
lector. James  died  in  boyhood,  .lulia  married 
A.  S.  McGuire,  and  lives  in  Chicago.  Benjamin, 
a  physician,  resides  in  St.  Louis  and  is  Professor 
in  a  coUes^e  and  one  of  the  plivsicians  in  the  City 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAIIIICAL  RECORD. 


Hospital.  Caroline  Virginia  married  W.  F.  Swallow 
and  resides  in  Oreencastle,  Ind.  Mr.  Swallow  was 
for  three  years  President  of  McKendree  College, 
at  Lebanon,  111.,  and  is  now  Professor  of  Greek  in 
DePauw  (Ind.)  College.  Onr  subject  and  his  wife 
celebrated  their  golden  wedding  in  November, 
1884,  and  both  still  survive,  in  fair  health  notwith- 
standing their  advanced  j'ears. 

Mr.  Hypes  is  the  onl}'  living  member  of  the 
Charter  Trustees  of  McKendree  College.  Politi- 
cally, he  was  first  an  old-line  Whig  and  later  be- 
came a  Republican.  He  is  a  faithful  member  of 
the  Methodist  Church.  A  well-preserved  man,  his 
courteous  manner  and  tall,  well-built  frame  give 
one  the  idea  of  an  old-school  gentleman. 


>=^©i#^N"i^li^^^=^ 


((©VALENTINE  REIS,  one  of  the  popular  and 
/j/    prosperous   citizens   of    the  county  of  St. 

(7  Clair,  is  the  senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
Valentine  l?eis  it  Sons,  contractors,  builders,  and" 
dealers  in  ;ill  kiinls  of  wood  work.  Mr.  Reis  is 
one  of  the  dill  sfitlcrs  of  the  county,  having  come 
here  in  1846.  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  having 
lieen    born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  December  3,  1825. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Valentine  and  Cath- 
erine (Freihaut)  Reis,  were  also  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The-family  came  to  America  in  1846  and 
settled  in  St.  Louis,  where  the  father  engaged  in 
the  lumber  business,  and  his  son,  our  subject, 
learned  the  business  under  him,  remaining  until 
18r)5,  when  his  young  spirit  of  adventure  led  him 
to  emigrate  to  Scott  County,  Minn.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  milling  and  in  the  lumber  business  until 
1874.  At  this  latter  date,  Mr.  Reis  came  back  to  St. 
Clair  County  and  started  a  liuildingand  contract- 
ing. l)usine>s.  in  which  ho  has  been  exceedingly 
successful. 

Among  the  prominent  buildings  tliat  bear  tes- 
timony to  his  skill  are  the  following:  the  Orphan 
Asylum,  the  Sisters'  Hospital,  County  Jail,  Con- 
vent for  Sisters  and  Priest's  house,  and  the  Cen- 
tral SchcK^lhouse,  all  of  which  are  large  biick 
structures,  costing  from  $18,000  to    is'30,0UO  each. 


Many  of  the  finest  residences  are  also  his  work.  Mr. 
Reis  employs  about  forty  men,  and  carries  on 
about  the  largest  contracting  business  in  the  place. 
In  March,  1889,  he  admitted  his  sons  into  the 
business  with  him, and  the  firm  name  is  now  Valen- 
tine Reis  k  Sons. 

Mr.  Reis  was  married  at  St.  Louis  in  1853  to  Jos- 
ephine Ajjselt,  of  German  ancestr}-,  and  the  follow- 
ing children  have  been  born  to  them:  Anna,  wife  of 
Carl  Knetzyer;  Barbara;  Henry,  living  in  St.  Louis; 
Joseph,  of  the  firm  of  Reis  &  Sons;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Henr3'  Rapp;  Charles,  who  has  a  planing- 
mill  in  Carondelct:  and  Josephine.  The  family 
resides  in  a  fine  brick  residence  on  Second  Street, 
which  Mr.  Reis  erected  in  1879.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  St.  Peter's  Roman  Catholic  Cathedral, 
in  which  he  is  very  influential.  Mr.  Reis  is 
a  gentleman  who  has  an  enviable  reputation 
among  his  fellow-townsmen  for  his  honest}^,  in- 
dustry, and  thrift.  He  has  reared  a  fine  family 
that  adds  honor  to  the  family  name,  and  gives 
promise  of  much  in  the  future. 


HILIP  RIIEIN,  the  efficient  and  pleasant 
I  County  Clerk  of  St.  Clair  County,  has  been 
in  office  continuouslj^  since  1882,  having 
_  been  elected  in  November,  1882,  1886  and 
1890,  on  the  Democratic  ticket.  So  popular  is  he, 
that  the  second  time  no  opposing  ticket  was  set 
up,  and  he  is  now  declared  by  his  friends  to  be 
one  of  the  best  officials  the  county  has  ever  had. 

Mr.  Rhein  is  a  native  of  Uhenish  liavaria,  hav- 
ing been  born  June  17.  IcSJi'.  ainl  i>  the  son  of 
Philip  and  Elizabeth  (Rothley)  Uhein,  natives  of 
Bavaria.  The  parents  came  to  America  in  1857, 
settling  in  Madison  County,  111.,  on  a  farm,  where 
they  remained  worthy  and  respected  citizens  un- 
til death. 

Mr.  Rhein  received  the  greater  part  of  his  educa- 
tion in  the  excellent  schools  of  his  native  land,  but 
also  attended  the  public  schools  of  Madison  County 
a  short  time  and  then  engaged  in   farming.     Our 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


subject  continued  a  tiller  of  the  soil  until  1866, 
working  with  his  father.  Like  many  other  young 
men,  he  tired  of  the  uneventful  farm  life,  so  came 
to  the  pretty  little  city  of  Belleville  and  engaged 
in  the  wholesale  liquor  business  for  some  time,  but 
in  1873  was  appointed  to  fill  the  position  of  Deputy 
County  Clerk,  holding  that  office  until  he  was  elected 
Count}'  Clerk  in  1882,  having  been  in  office  nine- 
teen years,  and  during  all  thattimtf  has  discharged 
his  duties  with  satisfaction  to  all  parties. 

Our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Wilhelmiua  Ostcr, 
who  was  a  native  of  the  Grand  Duchy  of  Nassau, 
the  ceremony  occurring  December  10,  1871.  Ten 
children  liave  been  added  to  their  familj-,  namely: 
Charles,  Frieda,  Tillie,  Lula,  Walter,  Louis,  Ferdi- 
nand, Herman,  Hannah  and  Otto,  all  bright,  inter- 
esting children,  who  reflect  credit  ujion  their 
parents. 

Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Liederkranz, 
Liedertafel  Philharmonic  Society  and  the  Turner 
Association,  in  all  of  which  he  is  highly  esteemed 
and  respected.  He  has  been  reared  in  the  Lutheran 
faith  and  is  a  liberal  supporter  of  the  church  of 
this  denomination.  Mr.  Rhein  is  a  good  repre- 
sentative of  the  German  citizens  who  have  iSade 
this  their  country  by  adoption,  and  who,  by  in- 
dustry and  thrift,  have  taken  their  places  among 
the  well-to-do  and  most  prominent  of  the  Ameri- 
can people. 


♦^! 


11^-^ 


C.  WILDERMAN.     Among  the  prominent 

d.  agriculturists  of  Lebanon  Township,  St. 
I  Clair  Count}',  who  have  helped  to  give  this 
^^_,/'  county  its  proud  position  in  the  State,  is 
the  gentleman  whose  name  appears  at  the  opening 
of  this  paragraph.  Turkey  Hill,  St.  Clair  County, 
111.,  is  the  native  place  of  Mr.  Wilderman,  he  being 
born  there  June  22, 1827.  His  father,  George  Wild- 
erman, was  born  August  17, 1786,  and  died  June  28, 
1866,  and  his  mother,  ^ffancy  (Hill)  Wilderman, 
was  born  November  7,  1788,  and  died  August  15, 
1866.  They  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  came 
to  Illinois  in  1.S06. 


Mr.  Wilderman,  Sr.,  held  no  offices,  although 
he  took  a  very  great  interest  in  politics,  hav- 
ing been  a  Whig  in  the  early  days  and  a  Re- 
publican later.  The  business  of  his  life  was  farm- 
ing, and  he  died  a  Deacon  in  the  Baptist  Church, 
which  position  he  had  held  for  more  than  lifly 
years.  Nine  children  were  theirs,  as  follows: 
Francis,  Patience  E.,  Celon,  George  W.,  A.  J., 
Margaret  A.,  Alfred  C,  J.  C.  and"  Albert  E.  The 
oldest  son  was  killed  by  being  thrown  from  a  horse. 
He  had  married  Miss  Nancy  Howell,  and  at  his 
decease  left  three  daughters  and  five  sons, namely: 
Elizabeth,  who  is  the  wife  of  George  Stookey,  and 
lives  near  Freeburg;  Mary,  who  was  married  to 
Joseph  Scott,  and  resides  in  Shiloh  Valley;  Nancy; 
George  married  Miss  Nancy  Short,  and  lives  in 
Texas;  David,  who  is  married  and  resides  in  Barton 
County,  Mo.;James,  a  graduate  of  Shurtleflf  College, 
at  Alton,  111.,  is  unmarried,  and  makes  his  home 
in  this  county;  John  and  Francis.  Patience  E., 
the  eldest  sister  of  our  subject,  married  John  T. 
Lemen,  and  both  are  deceased,  her  death  occurring 
March  28,  1866,  They  left  one  child,  Robert  W., 
who  is  engaged  in  farming  pursuits  south  of  the 
village  of  Freeburg.  Celon,  who  was  unmarried, 
died  April  12, 1840.  George  W.  died  June  27,  1866, 
and  is  survived  by  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Isabella  Hill,  and  who  still  resides  in  Freeburg. 
Their  four  sons  are:  Hamilton,  who  resides  on 
the  old  homestead;  Francis  and  Thaddeus,  living 
near  Marysville,  Mo.;  and  George,  who  makes  his 
home  in  Chicago.  Andrew  J.  married  Eliza  Weis 
and  died  May  17,  1850,  the  year  following  his 
marriage.  Margaret  A.  became  the  wife  of  William 
Seabut,  a  music  teacher,  November  22,  1849,  and 
their  four  children  are:  Karl,  who  is  a  lawyer 
by  profession;  George,  who  is  a  steamboat  clerk; 
Annie,  the  wife  of  Dr.  McGuire;  and  Willie,  a 
practicing  physician.  Alfred  C,  who  is  follow- 
ing the  occupation  of  a  farmer  on  his  pl.ace  south 
of  Freeburg,  was  married  March  12,  1850,  to  i\Iiss 
Rachel  Tate,  and  they  have  fivesurviving children  ; 
Albert  E.  married  Sophronia  Hill  Febru.-u}-  ID, 
1857,  and  they  reside  on  the  old  homestead. 

On  the  homestead  where  he  was  born,  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  was  reared  to  manhood,  and 
early  gained  a  piactical  knowledge  of  agriculture. 


16(5 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


As  there  were  no  common  schools  at  that  early 
da}',  he  attended  the  subscription  schools  held 
three  months  in  the  year.  During  1852  he  was  a 
student  at  Shurtleff  College,  in  Alton,  111.,  for 
three  months,  and  in  that  brief  time  made  rapid 
advancement  in  his  literary  studies.  Until  he  was 
of  age  he  remained  under  the  parental  roof,  but 
in  1851  purchased  a  farm  consisting  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres,  which  was  located  one  and 
one-half  miles  south  of  Freeburg.  Removing  to 
the  new  place,  he  engaged  in  its  improvement  and 
made  it  his  home  until  1858.  Mr.  Wildcrraan  was 
married  April  22, 1856, to  MissM.  M.Hiide.  .huigh- 
ter  of  William  J.  and  Dovey  (Harrison)  Mcliride. 
She  was  born  in  Belleville  June  10,  1835.  Mrs. 
McBride  was  the  daughter  of  Rev.  Thomas  Harri- 
son, a  Methodist  minister,  who  was  born  December 
."31,  1779,and  died  August  27,  1867,  and  of  Margaret 
(Gilbreth)  Harrison,  who  was  born  July  10,  1782, 
and  died  in  February,  1850.  Mr.  McBride  was  born 
in  Virginia  March  15, 1808,  and  died  March  16,1873. 
His  wife  was  born  in  Illinois  April  30,  1814,  and  is 
still  living  on  a  farm  south  of  the  old  home  place. 
They  had  the  following  children,  brothers  and 
sisters  of  Mrs.  Wilderman:  John  H.,  a  commercial 
traveler,  residing  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa;  Dr.  T.  H., 
deceased;  and  W.  E.,  who  resides  on  the  home 
place,  and  is  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser.  The  grand- 
parents of  Mrs.  Wilderman  were  John  and  Sarah 
(Watkins)  iMcBride.  The  former  was  born  in 
Loudoun  County,  Va.,  in  1766.  His  wife,  who 
was  born  about  the  same  time,  died  Sejitember  20, 
1840. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilderman  have  the  following 
children:  Hugh  11.,  who  lives  in  Belleville,  mar- 
ried Rosella  Moore;  William  Norris,  who  lives. on 
a  farm  south  of  Freeburg,  married  Mattie  McGu ire; 
Adiel  L.  died  March  22,  1872;  Julius,  who  lives 
on  the  home  place,  married  Miss  Ella  Belle  Frazier; 
Dovey  and  Olive  are  at  home.  Mr.  Wilderman 
came  to  Lebanon  for  the  i)urpose  of  educating  his 
daughters.  They  have  attended  McKendree  Col- 
lege, and  are  very  accomplished  young  ladies,  the 
walls  of  their  beautiful  home  being  decorated  with 
specimens  of  their  skill  as  artists.  Our  subject  has 
held  no  offices,  although  he  has  been  a  good  Whig 
and  Republican  all  his  life.     He  is  an   influential 


member  of  tbe  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  A 
pleasant,  genial  man,  he  enjo}'S  the  respect  of  his 
host  of  friends,  to  whom  his  noliility  of  character 
has  endeared  him. 


'^ 


y,ILLIAM  SIEBERT,  one  of  the  most  pop- 
ular farmers  of  Smithton  Township,  St. 
Clair  County,  is  the  owner  of  a  valuable 
estate  on  section  7,  survey  8,  this  township.  He  is 
the  son  of  Francis  Siebert,  who  came  from  Ger- 
many, where  he  was  born  and  reared.  Mr.  Siebert, 
Sr.,  married  Miss  Mary  Null  in  his  native  land, 
and  the  subject  of  this  sketch  was  six  years  old 
when  the  journey  was  made  aci-oss  the  great  ocean. 
The  family  found  land  suitable  for  their  purposes 
one  mile  south  of  the  present  home  of  our  subject, 
in  Smithton  Township,  where  Mrs.  Siebert,  his 
mother,  now  resides.  The  father  only  enjoyed  his 
new  home  one  year  before  he  was  removed  by 
death.  The  five  children  of  this  familyare  as  fol- 
lows: Conrad,  William,  George,  Dorotliea  and 
Henry. 

William  Siebert,  our  subject,  was  born  June  6, 
1840,  in  Germany,  and  can  remember  very  little 
of  his  native  country,  as  he  left  it  at  such  an  iin- 
mature  age.  He  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm  and 
attended  the  rough  prairie  schools  of  that  day, 
held  in  the  little  primitive  log  cabins.  Januar}'  12, 
1868,  Mr.  Siebert  married  Mi.ss  Magdalena  Runtz, 
the  daughter  of  Adam  Runtz,  a  resident  of  Smith- 
ton  Township.  A  home  had  been  i)repared  for  tiie 
bride  and  Mr.  Siebert  received  her  on  the  place 
where  they  have  since  resided.  The  family  has 
been  blessed  with  an  interesting  family  of  fifteen 
children,  of  whom  eleven  are  yet  living,  namely: 
Henry,  Willie,  Theodore,  Walter,  Martha,  Adeline, 
Otto,  Leonard,  Daniel,  Katherine  and  Elnice. 

Mr.  Siebert  has  eighty  acres  of  valuable  land  in  a 
high  state  of  cultivation  which  yields  fine  crops.  IIo 
is  a  faithful  and  active  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church,  while  his  wife  is  higidy  esteemed 
in  her  connection  with  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 
Politically,  INIr.  Siel)crt  is  a  Republican  and  does 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


167 


all  in  his  power  to  uphold  the  principles  of  the 
party  of  Lincoln  and  Grant.  This  family  is  highly 
respected  and  no  doubt  some  of  the  stalwart  sons 
and  daujiiiters  will  be  heard  from  in  the  future  of 
the  State.  Mr.  Siebert  is  a  gentleman  of  pleasing 
manners  and  his  affable  disposition  has  made  him 
many  friends  in  the  township  which  he  has  called 
home  for  the  greater  portion  of  his  useful  and 
busy  life. 


•^m®- 


>1LLIAM  TOWNSEXD.  Among  the  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  St.  Clair  County  who 
have  become  wealthy  and  influential  and 
are  now  retired  from  itctive  labor,  we  may  call  at- 
tention to  the  original  of  this  notice.  The  ances- 
tors of  Mr.  Townsend  came  originally  from  Eng- 
land, and  both  grandfatliers  joined  in  the  struggle 
for  American  independence.  The  father  of  our 
subject  bore  the  name  of  Wliitefield  Townsend,  and 
was  born  August  22,  1782,  and  died  .January  3, 
1846.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Sarah  Ann 
Farrar,  born  in  North  Carolina  April  HI,  17iH),and 
died  -June  7,  1826. 

Our  subject's  parents  were  married  in  Tennessee, 
and  came  to  Illinois  in  the  year  1815,  settling 
about  three  miles  north  of  Lebanon.  There 
the  father  engaged  in  farming,  and  there  was 
reared  a  familj'  of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Al- 
fred, a  farmer  on  the  home  place,  who  died  when 
within  two  days  of  being  sixty-six  years  of  age, 
August  8,  1879;  Adeline,  born  December  13,  1814, 
died  November  26,  1850,  and  was  the  wife  of 
A.  .1.  Dagger,  who  died  in  Madison  County; 
Elizabeth,  born  April  14,  1816,  lives  with  our 
subject;  .John  died  in  infancy;  Edmund,  who  mar- 
ried .lane  Iliggins,  lives  in  Madison  County. 
Nanc3',  born  April  2,  1821,  was  married  to  T. 
Townsend,  who  died  in  1846;  she  died  April  2, 
1880,  and  had  one  child,  which  died  prior  to  her 
deatli.  Whitefield,  born  October  24,  1823,  who 
died  .lanuary  20,  1887,  was  married  to  Jane 
liradsby,  who  died  in  1851,  wlien  N  married 
Mrs,  Aiimv  Cook,  h))u,  wjtli  fourn'liiUJron,  survives 


Our  subject  was  the  eighth  child,  and  was 
reared  on  the  home  place,  remaining  there  until 
seven  years  ago,  when  he  removed  into  Lebanon. 
He  received  the  advantages  of  the  common 
schools,  and  passed  his  life  as  do  other  farmer 
b03'S  who  have  grown  to  be  the  strength  of  the 
nation.  Grown  to  manhood,  he  became  possessed 
with  a  desire  for  a  home  of  his  own,  and  May 
16,  1866,  married  Catherine  Stephenson,  a  native 
of  Greene  County,  Mo.,  born  April  30,  1847.  Her 
parents  bore  the  names  of  Henry  and  Sarah  Ann, 
respectively.  The  children  of  Mr.  and  ^Irs. 
Townsend  are  Arra,  Mary,  Ella,  I^ola,  Kate,  .Jen- 
nie, and  Willie  W.,  who  died  in  infancy.  Arra 
married  C.  J.  Hanson,  and  resides  with  her  lliree 
children  in  Madison  County. 

Mr.  Townsend 's  original  farm  contained  two 
hundred  and  eighty-seven  acres,  and  to  this  has 
been  added  from  time  to  time  until  he  now  has  four 
hundred  and  sixty-three  acres.  He  in  former  years 
was  a  Whig,  but  since  the  formation  of  the  Repub- 
lican party  has  adhered  to  its  principles.  No  office- 
seeker  in  any  sense,  he  yet  uses  his  influence 
wherever  he  thinks  he  can  do  good.  He  holds 
to  the  faith  of  the  Second  Adventists,  has  a  nice 
home  and  surroundings,  a  family  of  charming  and 
obedient  daughters,  and  commands  the  respect  and 
confidence  of  a  wide  and  extended  circle  of  friends 
and  ac<iuaintanccs. 


i'ACOB  VALERIUS,  a  grain  fanner   residing 
on  section  7,  Smithton    Township,   St.  Clair 

I  County,  was  the  son  of  Peter  Valerius,  who 
V*^^  passed  the  whole  of  bis  life  in  Germany. 
Our  subject  is  one  of  the  men,  foreign  born,  who 
have  come  to  this  country  and  by  honesty  and 
industry,  combined  with  economy  and  self-denial, 
have  made  successful  business  men,  and  have 
earned  comfort  for  their  later  years, 

Mr.  Valerius,  of  this  notice,  was  born  November 
30,  1845,  and  came  to  this  country  wlion  twenty- 
one  years  old.  His  lirst  chpiee  of  a  home  was  014  a 


168 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIUCAL  RECORD. 


farm  one  and  oue-balf  miles  from  the  city  of 
r>elleville,  and  there  he  remained  four  years,  when 
lie  found  a  location  which  pleased  him  better,  and 
removed  to  his  present  resideuce.  He  married 
]Miss  Mar}'  Catherine  Billem  in  the  year  l^iTl.  She 
was  the  daughter  of  William  liilleni,  an  old  .settlei- 
of  St.  Clair  County,  wlio  had  come,  from  Ger- 
many, and  at  the  time  of  the  marriage  of  liis 
daughter  lived  in  Smithtou  Township. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Valerius  removed 
to  the  place  where  thej'  now  reside  and  have  spent 
these  years  in  making  a  pleasant  home.  The}' 
have  been  blessed  with  a  family  of  eight  children, 
but  only  five  are  living,  and  these  are  .John, 
Charles,  Annie,  William  and  Lizzie.  Our  subject 
has  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  flft}'  acres, 
and  one  hundred  and  thirty-five  of  it  are  under 
good  cultivation,  yielding  large  crops  of  wheat  and 
corn. 

The  farail}'  residence  is  a  very  comfortable  one, 
built  in  the  year  1884,  and  in  it  may  be  found  the 
modern  improvements  which  make  the  homes  of 
to-da}-  palaces  compared  with  those  of  a  generation 
ago.  In  his  political  convictions,  Mr.  'N'alerius  is 
a  Republican,  and  bi'avely  upholds  the  standard 
of  that  party.  He  belongs  to  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  and  is  a  supiiorter  of  it  to  the  best  of  liis 
means  and  .ibilitv. 


^-^=m>^^<m 


J'^  OHNSON  C.  SINCLAIR.  Pr.^bnbly  no  man 
in  the  village  of  lvi>t  (  aniiidclct  is  better 
known  or  more  puMik-->|iii  iteil  than  the 
gentleman  whose  name  opens  this  sketch, 
now  occupying  tiie  important  position  of  Post- 
master and  Clerk  of  the  township  and  also  Clerk 
of  the  Village  Board,  besides  being  a  Notary 
Public  for  the  past  sixteen  years. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  named  Levi  M. 
Sinclair  and  was  born  in  Columbiana  Count3%  Ohio, 
in  1819,  where  he  was  also  reared  and  educated.  He 
married  Elizabeth  Myers,  danghter  of  Jacob  My- 
ers, of  that  place,  and  followed  the  trade  of  a  mill- 
wright,  carpenter   and    cabinet-maker.     Mr.    Sin- 


clair emigrated  from  his  home  in  Ohio  to  Oska- 
loosa,  Iowa,  in  1850,  and  there  worked  as  a  car- 
penter and  builder  for  some  time;  he  then  changed 
his  location  to  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  where  he 
worked  as  millwright  and  carpenter  until"  the 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War,  when  he  became 
one  of  the  Nation's  defenders.  He  became  a  mem- 
ber of  Company  E,  Seven t3'-seventli  Ohio  Infantry, 
and  went  through  the  war,  taking  part  in  the 
b.'ittle  of  Shiloh,  where  so  many  of  our  brave  and 
valiant  aien  fell  to  rise  no  more.  Mr.  Sinclair  was 
wounded,  and  w.as  afterward  promoted  for  bravery 
to  the  rank  of  Second  Lieutenant. 

After  the  dawn  of  peace,  Levi  Sinclair  returned, 
but  with  newer  ideas  and  broader  views,  and   de- 

'  cided  to  lake  his  family  farther  West.  He  came 
with  them  to  St.  Clair  County  and  located  near 
Belleville,  following  his  old  trade  of  carpenter; 
but  later  went  into  Marion  County,  111.,  where  he 
farmed  land;  two  years  afterward  he  came  to  East 
Carondelet  and  located,  here  remaining  untii  he 
died,  August  24,  1878,  having  never  recovered 
from  the  wounds  received  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh. 
His  was  a  soldier's  death  just  as  truly  as  if  it  had 
occurred  at  the  mouth  of  a  cannon.     In  his  early 

'  days  he  had  been  a  Quaker,  but  in  his  latter  years 
attended  the  Presbyterian  Church.  His  six  chil- 
dren were  all  left  to  mourn  the  loss  <if  a  kind 
father.     These    are:     Lucy,    living  in  East  Caron- 

[   delet    with    her    mother;    A.    B.,  following     the 

I  trade  of  painter  and  Hving  in  Waterloo;  Austin, 
a  carpenter,  living  in  East  Cai-onde let;  Roscoe,  who 
makes  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  his  home;  Orville,  living 
in  Clinton  County,  this  State,  a  tailor;  and  .lohn- 
son  C,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Tlic  latter  was  the  second  in  the  family  of  good 
and  industrious  children  born  to  Mr.  and  'Mis. 
I,(\  i  Siiiilnii.  He  was  born  September  7,  1848,  in 
Ihinovcr,  Columbiana  County,  <;)hio,  and  was 
reared  and  educated  in  that  place.  One  of  the 
liist  to  leave  the  plans  and  prospects  of  young 
manhood  and  take  up  his  musket  in  defense  of  his 
country,  he  enlisted  in  Company  E,  Seventy- 
seventh  Ohio  Infantry,  October  20,  1861,  and  was 
honorably  discharged  March  8,  1866,  at  Browns- 
ville, Tex.,  but  was  taken  i)risoner  at  Marks  Mills, 
Ark.,  and  passed  thirteen  months  of  )jis  young  life 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  a  rebel  prison,  being  in  a  wounded  condition 
when  lie  was  captured.  The  true  story  of  those 
days  of  suffering  can  only  be  learned  from  his  lips. 
Our  subject  was  in  the  battles  of  Shiloh,  Falling 
Timber,  Corinth,  Jackson  (Miss.),  Hollow  Springs, 
Memphis,  Helena,  Camden,  Little  Rock  and  Elkins' 
Ford.  After  his  release  from  prison,  he  took  part 
in  the  battles  of  Mobile  and  Whistler,  Ala.,  and 
during  his  service  he  was  not  only  promoted  first 
to  be  Corporal  and  then  to  be  Sergeant,  but  he 
was  also  given  a  special  modal  for  bravery. 
Toward  the  close  of  the  war,  our  subject  was  on 
detac'hed  duty,  carrying  the  mail  from  Brazos  to 
Brownsville  on  the  steamer  "  Tamaulitus." 

After  the  war,  our  subject  came  to  Harmony, 
St.  Clair  County,  111.,  where  he  quietly  followed 
his  trade  of  carpenter,  and  a  3'ear  later  went  into 
farming  for  two  years;  he  then  went  into  Monroe 
County",  where  he  remained  farming  part  of  the 
time  and  also  doing  some  carpenter  work.  From 
there  he  came  to  East  Carondelet,  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  married  Miss  Emma  Schweickhardt, 
whose  father  still  lives  in  Monroe  County,  where 
he  was  an  early  settler.  Eight  children  have  been 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sinclair:  Lillie,  Orville, 
Elmer,  Myrtle,  Theo,  Johnson,  Ada  and  Clarence. 

Mr.  Sinclair  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter  in  his 
young  days  and  has  been  engaged  as  a  builder  and 
contractor  in  his  later  years.  Our  subject  has  a 
splendid  war  record,  as  had  his  lamented  father, 
and  now  occupies  a  prominent  position  in  the 
(irand  Army  and  in  the  Sons  of  Veterans  of  St. 
Louis.  In  his  political  opinions,  he  is  an  ardent 
Republican,  and  has  been  entrusted  with  the 
otiice  of  Postmaster  under  a  friendly  adminis- 
tration. His  family  are  all  well  known  in  this 
neighborhood  and  universally  respected. 


JOHN  PHILIP  KELLEP,  whose  biogiaphy 
I  we  take  pleasure  in  writing,  is  one  of  those 
I  wortiiy  men  who  take  no  active  part  in 
'/  public  life,  butpursue  the  even  tenor  of  their 
Id   Iheir  cln>seii    vocation,   arcuiiuihitiii<-   bv 


thrift,  industry  and  business  ability  not  only  the 
necessities  of'  life,  but  the  wherewithal  to  indulge 
in  luxuries  .should  they  feel  so  inclined. 

John  Philip  Keller,  Sr.,  the  father  of  him  whose 
name  introduces  this  sketch,  was  born  in  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  on  the  8th  of  October,  1807. 
He  received  his  earl}-  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  land,  and,  as  soon  as  he  was 
old  enough,  fitted  himself  for  the  responsibilities 
of  life  by  learning  the  trade  of  blacksmith.  After 
attaining  his  majority,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Cath- 
erine Geisz,  whose  father  held  a  Government  posi- 
ition  in  his  native  province.  The  j-ear  1844  marked 
an  era  in  Mr.  Keller's  life,  for  in  that  year  the  golden 
opportunity  of  making  a  fortune  in  tiie  New 
World  presented  itself  to  him  in  such  glowing 
colors  that  he  left  his  native  land  and  emigrated 
to  the  United  States,  and  on  the  4th  of  July, 
1844,  landed  in  St.Clair  County,  111.  In  con- 
sequence of  tlie  high  waters  of  that  year,  the 
steamboat  landed  Mr.  Keller  at  the  Bluff.  One 
of  the  most  striking  incidents  of  Mi:  Keller's 
journey  transpired  after  he  reached  the  portion  of 
the  country  where  he  expected  to  settle.  The  year 
in  which  he  arrived  is  memorable  for  the  great 
floods  which  inundated  all  the  Western  country, 
and  St.  Clair  County  presented  at  that  time  any- 
thing but  an  attractive  appearance  to  the  tillers  of 
the  soil. 

Mr.  Keller  located  in  Prairie  du  Long,  where  he 
immediately  entered  fort}'  acres  of  land  under  the 
Government,  the  same  being  partof  the  tract  now 
known  as  New  Athens.  The  results  of  liis  native 
industry  and  thrift  soon  allowed  of  his  adding 
eighty  acres  more  to  his  first  i)OSsession,  thus  giv- 
ing him  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  good 
farming  land  in  an  almost  incredibly  short  time 
after  his  settlement  in  this  community.  For  the 
first  three  or  four  years  of  his  residence  in  St. 
Clair  Count}-,  he  lived  in  a  rented  house,  but,  after 
adding  another  eighty  acres  to  the  land  already 
ac(iuired,  he  built  a  home  near  Twelve  Mile  Prairie. 
His  first  purchase  of  laud  was  constantly  added  to. 
and  after  the  lapse  of  a  few  years  he  was  the 
owner  of  three  hundred  acres  of  fine  farming  land, 
and  a  man  favored  by,  fortune  in  all  his  under- 
lakiiiiis.     His  family  consisted  of  five  children,  ail 


170 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  whom  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  and 
four  of  wliom  are  to-day  respected  citizens  of  this 
State.  One  son,  Loomis  Keller,  died  in  early  man- 
hood, leaving  a  wife  and  two  children  to  mourn 
his  loss;  the  next  in  succession  was  Klizalieth.  wife 
of  Uenr.y  Dintelmann,  of  Belleville,  ill.:  then  cainc 
Margaret,  who  is  the  wife  of  Cmnad  Diiitclinann, 
of  New  Athens;  and  Barbara,  wife  of  Micliatl  Frees, 
of  Twelve  Mile  Prairie,  an  ohl  soldier  in  the 
late  war. 

One  of  the  saddest  afflictions  that  can  be  re- 
corded in  the  history  of  this  family  was  that  which 
overtook  the  wife  and  mother,  who  for  ten  years 
previous  to  her  death  had  been  blind.  She  de- 
parted this  life  March  7,  188(1,  mourned  by  a  fam- 
ily who  had  learned  much  by  her  patience  and 
fortitude,  and  beloved  by  a  Idrge  and  sincere  cir- 
cle of  fiiends. 

Mr.  Keller,  Sr.,  was  an  active  member  of  the 
Lutiieran  Church  and  a  tirin  lioliever  in  its  teach- 
ings. His  sudden  and  untimely  death  was  an  oc- 
currence that  will  ever  be  deeply  regretted  in  this 
comnuiuity.  It  occurred  in  the  year  1891.  On 
the  4tii  of  September  of  that  year,  he  had  attended 
the  County  Fair,  and,  in  crossing  the  track,  was 
knocked  down  by  one  of  the  race-horses.  Several 
ribs  were  broken,  and  he  lingered  but  a  short  time 
after  receiving  the  injuries.  His  name  will  be 
handed  down  to  posterity  as  one  of  the  best-known 
and  hiuhly-ivsp.'ctccl  citizens  ,,r  this  ronununity, 
and  those  of  his  iniinediatc'  family  who  live  in  the 
community  are  respected  for  their  connection  witli 
a  citizen  so  highly  esteemed  and  beloved. 

■John  Philip  Keller,  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt  on  the  r2th  of  August,  1838,  and 
was  five  years  old  when  he  came  with  his  parents 
to  America.  He  received  his  education  in  the 
schools  of  St.  Clair  Count}-,  and  liere  he  grew  to 
manhood's  estate.  Tiie  vocation  of  farmer  was  the 
one  that  in  early  youth  seemed  most  (■oiii;unial,and 
he  has  spent  his  life  as  an  agi  iciillin  ist.  The  farm 
on  which  he  now  resides  consists  of  one  hundred 
acres  of  fine,  well-improved  and  thoroughly- 
cultivated  land.  He  has  forj-ears  given  time  and 
.study  to  the  best  methods  of  cultivating  grain,  and 
is  rewarded  iov  his  efforts  by  knowing  that  no 
faru)  iu  the  commujilty  yields  a  fuier  wheal  crop 


than  the  one  he  harvests.  He  is  a  man  of  progres- 
sive mind  and  a  humanitarian  iu  all  that  the  word 
implies.  He  is  noted  for  many  characteristics  in- 
herited from  his  fatlier,  and  stands  high  in  the 
commnnity  as  the  representative  of  one  of  the  old- 
est and  best  families  in  St.  Clair  Coiinlv. 


TOOKEY.  A  traveh 
Inndsof  St.  Clair  L< 
h    [ileasure    that    the 


6r 

prosperity  are  on  every  side,  and  the  well-improved 
farms  far  outnumber  those  which  are  neglected. 
The  highly  impiovcd  faiiii  of  the  gentleman  whose 
name  opens  this  sketch  will  uttiact  the  notice  of 
the  visitor,  it  is  located  on  scftion  13.  Smithton 
Townshi]).  SI.  (lair  County.  ■  Mr.  Stookey,  of  this 
notic-e,  was  tlif  grandson  of  the  Daniel  Stookey 
who  caliie  to  this  county  on  a  prospecting  tour 
from  Virginia,  in  1.797,  and  returned  to  settle  in 
1800.  X'le  old  house  which  he  built  on  the  i)lace 
in  186^  /s  still  standing.  Daniel  Stookey.  Sr..  en- 
tered considerable  land,  was  one  of  the  Presidential 
electors  in  1828,  in  the  canvass  of  Andrew  .Jack- 
son, and  during  his  early  settlement  had  many 
thrilling  experiences  with  the  Indians.  The  father 
of  our  subject  was  also  named  Daniel,  and  he  was 
born  two  miles  west  of  Belleville  at  the  old  Stookey 
homestead  in  180(5,  where  he  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated. He  married  Miss  Margaret  McGuire,  the 
daughter  of  Thomas  McGufre,  an  early  settler  of 
this  county,  who  came  her^  about  1816. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Stookey,  the  father 
of  our  subject,  entered  the  two  hundred  and 
thirty  acres  where  his  son  George  now  lives,  and 
lived  upon  this  place  until  the  time  of  his  death 
in  IS  II.  Tlic  brother  and  sisters  of  our  subject 
are:  I'liomas.  who  lives  in  this  township;  Susan, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Eli  Green,  and  is  living  in 
Florida:  Barbara,  tlie  wife  of  R.  W.  Lenien,  who 
lives  in  Freeburg  Township,  this  count}-,  and  Mar- 
garet, who  is  tiie  wife  of  William  Pitts,  living  in 
New  Athens  Township.  Tlie  mother  of  tiiis  fiiin- 
lly  was  taken  away  by  death  iu  liHi2, 


PORTRAIT  AND  IJIOGRArillCAL  RECORD. 


173 


Our  subject  was  born  October  25,  1833,  on  the 
place  where  he  lives,  was  reared  on  the  farm  to 
manhood,  receiving  his  education  in  the  schools  of 
the  district,  and  in  1856  was  married  to  Miss 
Elizabetii  Wilderman.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Francis  Wilderman,  tlie  son  of  George  Wilderman, 
who  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the  couuty. 
After  marriage,  our  subject  began  domestic  life  on 
the  old  place,  and  Jiere  he  has  since  lived,  every 
year  making  improvements,  until  now  he  has  a 
very  desirable  property.  Three  children  have 
blessed  this  household:  Emeline,  who  married  James 
G.  Can-,  a  resident  of  East  St.  Louis;  Owen  V.,  who 
is  a  lawyer  in  Chicago;  and  Ida,  who  is  at  home. 

Our  subject  has  three  hundred  and  sixty-three 
acres  of  excellent  land,  which  produces  wonderful 
yields  of  wheat  and  other  grain.  It  is  well  located, 
and  as  the  market  facilities  are  of  the  best,  he  has 
no  difficulty  in  disposing  of  his  produce.  In  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Stookey  is,  and  always  has  been,  a  Demo- 
crat, but  has  desired  no  official  recognition.  The 
religious  connection  of  the  family  is  with  the  Bap- 
tist Church,  in  which  body  they  are  highly  useful 
and  valued  members. 


1<    T    >Lr^  »■ 


/^  APT.  JOHN  W.  RENSIIAW.  East  St.  Louis 
(1(^1  has  no  financial  interest  of  more  paramount 
^^^J  importance  than  that  of  real  estate,  and  at 
the  present  time,  when  the  securities  of  the  monej' 
market  are  so  depressed,  coupled  with  their  di- 
minishing earning  power,  the  investing  public  has 
turned  its  attention  to  the  city  real-estate  market, 
as  one  absolutely  secure,  where,  if  judicious  pur- 
chases are  made,  not  only  is  a  steady  source  of  in- 
come assured,  but  likewise  increase  of  values. 
Prominent  among  the  active  and  enterprising  real- 
estate  and  insurance  men  of  this  city  is  Capt. 
John  W.  Renshaw.  He  is  a  native  of  Madison 
County,  Ind.,  and  was  born  at  Anderson  on  the 
24th  of  August,  1836. 

Hon.  John  Renshaw,  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Wasliington  County,  Pa,,  in  1798,  After 
the  death  of  liis  father  in  the  Keystone  State,  lie 
came  with  his  inotlici-  lu  Ivoss  Countv,  Ohio,  when 


I  but  a  small  boy,  and  settled  with  her  near  Chilli - 
cothe,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  In  1832,  he 
removed  to  Anderson,  Madison  County,  Ind.,  and 
there  improved  one  thousand  acres  of  land,  on 
which  he  had  a  sugar  camp  of  one  hundred  acres. 
He  was  quite  a  prominent  man  in  his  community, 
was  Sheriff  for  some  time,  and  also  re})resented  his 
county  in  the  State  Legislature.  In  1844,  he  came 
with  his  family  to  Belleville,  111.,  and  located  on  a 
farm,  where  he  remained  for  some  time,  but  subse- 
quenlly  moved  to  Belleville.  He  was  elected 
Justice  of  the  Peace  in  1848  and  discharged  the 
I  duties  of  that  position  until  he  resigned,  after 
i  which  he  devoted  his  time  and  attention  to  other 
enterprises.  In  1871,  he  took  a  trip  to  California 
and  remained  there  until  fall,  when  he  returned  to 
i  Belleville.  From  there  he  removed  to  Bethalto, 
'  Madison  County,  111.,  in  1873,  and  made  his  home 
there  until  over  ninety-four  years  of  age.  For- 
merly a  Whig  in  politics,  he  became  a  strong  Re- 
publican. He  was  of  English  descent,  and  from 
the  year  1849  held  membership  in  the  Presbyterian 
Church.  He  married  Miss  Malinda  Cissna,  a  na- 
tive of  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  and  of  Scotch  descent.  She 
passed  away  in  the  year  1877.  They  were  the 
parents  of  five  living  children. 

The  original  of  this  notice,  next  to  the  youngest 
child,  was  reared  in  Indiana  until  eight  years  of 
age,  and  then  with  his  parents  came  to  Belleville 
b\-  team.  The  first  season  he  was  on  a  farm  and 
received  his  scholastic  training  in  an  old  log  school- 
liouse,  built  in  true  pioneer  style.  After  remov- 
ing with  lii>  parents  to  Belleville,  he  attended 
school  until  1852,  when  he  was  apprenticed  to 
learn  the  plasterer's  trade  under  his  brother-in-law. 
He  worked  at  his  trade  until  1856,  when  he  went  to 
Mississippi,  settled  in  AVarrington,and  in  1860  was 
Judge  of  Election  in  that  precinct.  Being  a  North- 
ern Democrat,  he  cast  his  first  Presidential  vote  for 
Stephen  A.  Douglas.  He  was  also  engaged  in 
merchandising  at  that  place  with  a  cousin,  John 
Fennimore,  and  continued  with  him  until  1861, 
when  he  returned  to  his  old  home  in  Belleville. 
After  settling  here,  he  was  engaged  at  his  trade 
until  November,  1864,  at  which  time  he  raised 
Company  C,  One  Hundred  and  Forty-ninth  Illi- 
nois Infaiilrv.  and  was  at  once  made  Captain  of  the 


174 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


company  mustererl  in  at  Camp  Butler  under  Col. 
Kuffner. 

Capt.  Renshaw  went  South  to  Nasliville;  tlience 
to  Chattanooga,  where  he  was  engaged  in  guarding 
the  railroad;  I'i'om  there  to  Atlanta,  Ga.,  thence  to 
Augusta,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  the  time  in 
the  South,  where  his  company  was  detailed  to  en- 
force tlie  measures  of  recoaistruetiou.  In  1866,  he 
was  mustered  out  at  Dalton,  Ga.,  and  discharged 
at  Springfield,  111.  During  the  spring  of  the 
above-mentioned  year,  he  located  in  East  St.  Louis 
as  a  wholesale  and  retail  dealer  in  coal,  which  he 
hauled  b}'  teams  to  St.  Louis,  having  hundreds  of 
teams  on  ferry  boats  across  the  river.  He  had 
otflces  in  both  cities,  and  continued  in  this  busi- 
ness until  1872,  when  he  was  appointed  Chief  of 
Police  by  tlie  City  Council,  and  discliarged  the 
duties  of  that  important  position  for  nine  and  a- 
half  years,  or  until  1881.  During  the  dark  days 
of  East  St.  Louis,  when  riots  were  frequent,  his 
name  was  a  terror  to  evil-doers.  But  for  his  cour- 
age and  promptness  in  quelling  all  disturbances, 
there  might  have  been  much  blood  shed.  Per- 
haps no  man  in  the  city  deserves  as  much  credit 
foi-  breaking  up  prize-fighting  as  he.  In  the  face 
of  great  opposition,  and  when  urged  by  friends 
not  to  take  the  step,  he  swore  out  the  first  warrant 
against  prize-fighters,  boarded  the  boat  "'Conti- 
nental," on  which  the  roughs  were  taking  passage 
to  the  head  of  the  Island,  and,  by  the  aid  of  a  few 
friends,  cliecked  the  fray.  The  step  was  a  hazard- 
ous one  and  boldly  executed.  Prosecutions  fol- 
lowed which  were  successful  and  it  soon  termin- 
ated prize-fighting  in  this  city. 

The  services  of  Capt.  Renshaw  in  all  public  af- 
fairs and  positions  liave  been  meritorious  and  he 
deserves  much  credit  for  his  efficiency  and  dis- 
patch. He  is  a  large,  well-built  man,  is  genial  and 
pleasant  in  disposition,  and  has  won  a  host  of 
warm  friends.  In  1881,  he  retired  from  the  office 
of  Chief  of  Police,  and  in  the  spring  of  1882  em- 
barked in  the  real-estate  and  insurance  business.  He 
laid  out  Winstanley  Park,  which  he  added  to  East 
St.  Louis,  improved  and  sold.  He  has  a  fine  in- 
surance business  and  represents  eight  of  the  lead- 
ing insurance  companies  in  the  United  States.  His 
ullico  is  located  at  No.  106  North   Main  Street. 


In  1873,  Capt.  Renshaw  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Caroline,  daughter  of  Capt.  John  Trend- 
ley,  who  came  to  East  St.  Louis  when  a  boy,  and 
who  w.as  employed  by  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Com- 
pany over  sixty  years.  (See  sketch  of  Capt.  Henry 
Trendloy.)  Four  children  have  been  born  to  Capt. 
and  Airs.  Renshaw:  Henrj',  .lohn,  Eugene  and 
Joseph.  The  Captain  was  appointed  School  Treas- 
urer in  1877,  held  that  position  for  four  years,  and 
in  1887  held  the  position  of  City  Treasurer  for  one 
year.  In  1888,  he  was  re-appointed  to  the  office 
of  School  Treasurer  and  held  that  position  until 
April,  1892.  He  is  Notary  Public,  and  is  one  of 
the  representative  men  and  old  settlers  of  the  city. 
He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, is  a  Roj'al  Arch  Mason  in  East  St.  Louis,  and 
a  Knight  Templar  in  St.  Louis.  He  is  also  a  char- 
ter member  of  McDowell  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  East  St. 
Louis.  In  politics,  he  is  an  ardent  supporter  of 
Democratic  principles,  has  been  a  delegate  to  county 
and  State  conventions,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
County  Central  Committee  for  a  number  of  years. 


S-^-i^ilM^ 


OSEPH  LOUIS,  one  of  the  mlhiential  and 
wealth 3'  farmers  of  Smithton  Township,  is 
the  gentleman  to  whose  sketch  we  now  call 
!^l'  attention.  Our  subject  was  the  son  of  Jo- 
seph Louis,  Sr.,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
came  to  this  country  with  his  parents,  first  loca- 
ting in  French  Village,  this  couutj^  Here  he 
lived  a  short  time,  .and  then  came  to  this  county, 
where  the  father  Ijought  the  home  where  our  sul)- 
ject  now  resides,  which  is  the  jjlace  where  the 
grandfather  lived  and  diccl.  The  father  of  our 
subject  married  in  this  county,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  having  been  Miss  Kolsken,  and  as  she  was 
taken  away  from  him  by  death,  he  again  married, 
and  this  time  the  union  was  with  Miss  Cloud. 
Mr.  Louis  was  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and 
fifty-eight  acres  of  good  land,  on  which  he  reared 
his  family  of  fifteen  children,  ten  of  whom  are  still 
living.  He  was  a  consistent  member  of  the  Roman 
Catlidlic    Ciiurch,    find    lived    ll|o    |ife   of  a  good 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


L75 


Christian  gentleman.  Nearly  all  of  the  improve- 
ments, including  the  house,  were  made  by  the  fa- 
ther of  our  subject,  and  he  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  this  county. 

Our  subject  was  born  April  2.  18(i2.  on  the  old 
homestead,  where  he  continues  to  reside.  Here  he 
was  reared,  and  received  his  education  in  both 
German  and  English,  in  the  p.irochial  schools  of 
Belleville.  Mr.  Louis  has  a  fine  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred acres  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  whore  ho 
raises  both  stock  and  grain. 

Mr.  Louis  was  married  in  1889  to  Miss  Josie 
Heinrict,  accomplished  daughter  of  George  Hein- 
rict,  a  pioneer  of  this  township,  who  has  since  died. 
Our  sul)ject  brought  his  young  bride  to  his  pres- 
ent home  on  section  5,  Smithton  Township,  where 
they  dispense  hospitalitj'  to  their  many  friends  in 
a  pleasant  manner.  One  child,  iNLary.  has  been' 
born  to  them. 

Our  subject,  like  his  father  liefore  him.  is  a  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and 
also  like  him  endeavors  to  live  up  to  the  teachings 
of  the  Divine  JLasfer.  Politically,  Mr.  Louis  is  a 
Democrat,  and  generally  votes  the  ticket  prepared 
l)y  that  party. 


.^^^|#|^^E^^ 


^j^MERY  HOLCOMB.  The  subject  of  this 
11^  sketch  resides  with  his  brother,  AVilliam  H. 
[t — ^  Holcomb,  on  section  35,  Millstadl  Town- 
ship, in  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  where  the^-  have  one 
of  the  finest  farms  in  this  portion  of  a  Stale  that 
has  a  national  reputation  for  fine  farms.  Emery 
Holcomb  is  the  son  of  William  Holcomb,  who  was 
born  in  Union  County.  S.  ('.,  in  llic  year  1784, 
and  who  wasthe  son  ot'.liM'l  lidlcdiiili,  who  lived  in 
his  native  State  of  South  Cai  oliiia,  ,'ind  is  supposed 
to  have  been  one  of  the  soldiers  in  the  Revolutmn- 
ary  War. 

William  Holcomb  was  reared  in  his  native  State 
until  nineteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Ken- 
tucky nnd  frnni  there  to  New  Madrid,  Mo.,  and 
was  liviim-  in   that  place  at  the  time  of  the  iireat 


earthquake  in  1811.  Removing  thence  to  St. 
Clair  County.  III.,  he  located  near  Belleville 
and  entered  land  of  the  Government  and  lived 
there  for  several  years;  but  finally  coming  to  tlie 
place  where  our  subject  now  lives  and  entering 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  William 
was  one  of  the  very  earliest  settlers  here,  for  at 
that  time  the  county  was  the  home  of  the  deer  and 
of  the  Indian.  Being  an  Indian  fighter,  during  the 
War  of  1812  he  was  the  one  selected  for  bravery 
to  carry  a  message  right  through  the  savage  coun- 
try at  the  risk  of  his  life.  While  living  near 
Belleville,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Polly  Reather- 
ford,  from  which  union  sprang  a  famil}^  of  eleven 
children,  of  whom  there  are  but  three  living: 
Daniel  C,  who  lives  in  Madison  County;  Mary, 
the  wife  of  Michael  Smith,  who  resides  in  Smith- 
ton  Township;  and  Sarah,  a  widow,  who  now  has 
her  home  in  Greeley,  Colo. 

After  the  death  of  his  first  wife.  William  Hol- 
comb married  Mrs.  Catherine  Stout,  daughter  of 
Abraham  Eyman,  who  came  to  this  county  at  a 
very  early  day  from  the  State  of  Pennsylvania, 
and  was  of  German  extraction.  By  this  union 
there  were  five  children  born,  four  of  whom  grew 
to  maturity,  and  three  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Emmalissa  is  with  her  brother  at  home;  William 
II.  resides  with  his  family  on  the  old  homestead; 
and  Emery,  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch. 
Hannah  died  November  23,  1882;  she  had  been  the 
wife  of  I.  W.  Thomas,  by  whom  she  had  ten  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  still  living.  The  father  of 
this  family  was  a  remarkable  man  in  his  day,  not 
only  in  war,  where  his  record  is  remembered  and 
cherished,  but  in  many  other  respects.  He  was 
made  Justice  of  the  Peace  on  account  of  his  good 
judgment,and  for  sixteen  years  sc  r\('(l  Msci.nstaltle; 
he  acted  as  Deputy  Sheriff  under  AihIimmui  Heard, 
and  was  en  I  led  ui)on  to  assist  at  the  first  hanging  in 
the  eounty.  In  the  Baptist  Church  he  was  a  valued 
member  and  for  many  years  was  .an  earnest  and 
pious  exhorter.  The  land  which  he  bought  was 
a  wilderness,  but  he  cleared  and  left  one  hundred 
and  sixty-nine  acres  to  his  family  at  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  November  3,  1878. 

William  II.  Holcomb,  a  son  of  the  above  i)roni- 
inenl   man.   was   born   August  2S.  1810,  in  the  old 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD, 


homestead,  and  has  lived  here  all  of  his  life.  He 
was  married  June  10,  1884,  to  Miss  Margaret  A. 
E3'man,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob  Eyman. 
Our  subject  was  born  December  23,  1844,  here 
ou  the  old  place,  and  has  grown  up  in  the  countj-, 
having  attended  the  common  schools.  He  de- 
cided upon  agriculture  as  his  occupation  in  life, 
and  settled  down  here  with  his  brother  William,  and 
together  they  operate  this  fine  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixtj-nine  acres.  They  confine  their 
farming  to  grain,  principally  wheat,  but  have  some 
stock,  including  some  fine  Berkshire  and  Poland- 
China  hogs.  Some  very  superior  calves  have  been 
raised  and  sold  by  them. 

Politically,  these  gentlemen  are  Republicans,  as 
was  their  father,  believing  that  the  platform  of 
that  part}-  has  the  right  ideas  concerning  the 
proper  policy  in  governing  a  great  nation.  Mr. 
Holcomb  Sr.,  was  formerly  a  AVhig,  and  voted 
for  Fremont  and  later  for  Lincoln.  Socially,  Mr. 
Holcomb  of  this  notice  is  very  popular  in  his 
neighborhood,  is  an  active  member  of  the  Saxtown 
Debating  Society,  and  has  been  called  upon  to 
hold  the  office  of  Township  Trustee  for  some 
years,  being  still  in  that  position. 


mi 


J/OHN  J.  WIES.  It  sometimes  seems  as  if 
much  of  mankind  only  lived  to  eat  instead 
I  of  eating  to  live,  and  to  this  class  the  gen- 
__  '  tleman  whose  name  opens  this  sketch  is  the 
frtend  in  need,  as  he  conducts  an  eating  house  and 
lunch  counter  at  the  l»elay  Depot  in  East  St.  Louis, 
and  in  addition  caters  to  the  public  by  offering 
them  the  choicest  soda  and  the  finest  fruit.  He  is 
so  pleasant  and  affable  that  he  has  no  lack  of  cus- 
tomers and  is  fast  becoming  one  of  the  solid  men 
of  this  portion  of  the  city. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Eniil  Wies, 
wlio  was  for  many  years  in  the  German  army  and 
served  under  the  great  Napoleon.  He  afterward 
became  a  carpenter  and  finished  out  his  days  in  his 
native  land.  His  son  Louis,  the  father  of  our 
.snliicct,  was  horn    in    Ilcssc-Dai'mstadl,  (lermanv, 


and  was  a  baker  by  trade.  In  the  fall  of  1867,  he 
came  to  America,  via  New  Orleans,  and  arrived  in 
East  St.  Louis  when  but  eighteen  years  of  age. 
Before  he  had  been  in  this  new  country  long,  he 
started  a  bakery  on  Main  Street,  and  has  contin- 
ued there  to  this  day.  He  has  always  favored  im- 
provement and  reform  and  has  done  all  he  could 
to  carry  out  his  ideas.  Mr.  Wies,  Sr.,  built  the 
first  high-grade  block  in  the  city,  now  the 
Workiugman's  Bank,  and  still  owns  the  property 
and  various  other  valuable  pieces.  As  he  believes 
that  the  Repu))lican  party  carries  out  his  ideas  of 
(Government,  he  votes  that  ticket.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  was  Julia  Floch,  who  was  born  in  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany. 

Mr.  Wies,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  fourth  of  thir- 
teen children,  of  whom  ten  are  living.  He  grew 
up  in  this  city,where  he  was  born  August  22,  18(52, 
attended  the  public  schools  and  from  bo3"hood 
assisted  in  the  baker}'.  From  the  age  of  fifteen  to 
eighteen,  he  worked  steadily  at  his  trade,  but,  tiring 
a  little,  he  engaged  in  the  Workingman's  Bank  as 
Collector  and  remained  two  years.  He  then  became 
clerk  for  another  large  house  in  St.  Louis  and  then 
clerk  in  the  Relay  Depot  lunch  counter;  he  later 
became  assistant  ticket  agent  at  the  Relay  Depot 
and  remained  there  two  years.  In  1889,  he  bought 
out  the  whole  lunch  department  of  the  Relay  De- 
pot and  has  added  the  other  features  since.  It  has 
proved  very  lucrative,  and  is  kept  going  all  night, 
and  under  the  management  of  Mr.  Wies  it  has 
been  well  patronized. 

Aside  from  this  regular  business,  our  sulyectlias 
engaged  in  buying  and  selling  real  estate,  dealing 
in  lots.  He  has  erected  two  residences  on  Kentucky 
Street  and  Findlay  Avenue,  respectively.  In  Dem- 
oci'atic  local  politics,  Mr.  Wies  is  very  prominent 
and  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  county  and  congress- 
ional conventions,  and  is  a  member  of  the  City  Cen- 
tral Committee.  He  has  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
various  enterprises  intended  to  build  up  the  cit\', 
and  is  a  Director  in  the  first  Mutual  Building  and 
Loan  Association ;  a  stockholder  and  member  of 
the  Auditing  Committee  of  the  Second  Mutual 
Building  and  Loan  Association;  a  stockholder  in 
the  St.  Clair  Building  and  \a>hu  Association ;  a  stock- 
holdi'i-  ia  llie  St.  Clair  Lnnd  Assuciation,  and  also  in 


■C^O'TZJlO 


i^^^^l^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


179 


the  Workingman's  Banking  Company.  He  has 
shown  his  sagacity  by  Iniying  land  when  low  and 
watching  the  market  and  selling  when  high.  He 
is  a  favorite  among  his  neighbors  and  business  ac- 
quaintances and  may  become  one  of  the  city  mag- 
nates. 


J/ AMES  II.  RICHARDSON.  On  section  33, 
Mascoutah  Township,  lies  a  fine  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  eightj^  acres  of  fertile 
land,  one  of  the  most  pleasant  homesteads 
in  the  countj\  The  owner,  Mr.  Richardson,  has 
used  great  care  and  judgment  in  the  cultivation  of 
the  soil,  and  has  placed  the  entire  estate  under 
good  improvements,  with  the  exception  of  a  small 
portion,  which  is  in  timber. 

The  fatiier  of  our  subject  was  .Tolin  Richardson, 
an  li'iglishman,  who  learned  the  printer's  trade 
and  followed  it  until  his  death.  Our  subject  was 
born  in  Lanin,  Staffordshire,  England,  .lune  28, 
182.5.  Early  bereft  of  his  father,  he  was  obliged 
to  depend  entirel}'  upon  the  care  of  his  mother. 
The  latter  left  England  when  her  cliild  was  about 
one  and  one-lialf  years  old,  and  brought  him  to 
liis  grandmotlier,  who  lived  in  Philadelphia.  In 
tills  pleasant  home  Mr.  Richardson  lived  for  some 
time,  when  circumstances  occurred  that  made  a  re- 
moval to  Westchester  desirable.  Wishing  to  learn 
a  useful  trade,  wlien  the  proper  age  arrived  he 
went  to  Marshallton,  Pa.,  and  there  apprenticed 
himself  for  four  years  to  a  carriage-maker.  Learn- 
ing that  trade  thoroughly,  lie  left  Marshallton  and 
went  to  Kennett  Square,  where  he  helped  make 
the  first  four  drills  that  were  made  in  the  Uniled 
States. 

Our  subject  remained  in  the  last-named  place 
three  or  four  years,  and  then  changed  his  business 
to  a  factory  in  Bridesburg,  where  he  engaged  in 
the  manufacture  of  cotton  machinery.  At  that 
place  he  remained  one  year,  and  then, returning  to 
Kennett  Square,  worked  one  year  in  the  drill  fac- 
tory. In  1848,  he  came  to  St.  Clair  County,  111., 
and  In  tlic  fall  of  that  year  bought  what  was  called 
the   Mound    Farm,  in   this  township:  hut  this   he 


afterward  sold.  Just  about  that  time  the  Cali- 
fornia gold  fever  broke  out,  and  he,  with  others, 
decided  to  cross  the  plains  and  try  liis  fortune 
there.     .Six  months  were  consumed  in  making  this 

!  journey,  and  when  he  reached  the  Far  West  he  im- 
mediately began  working  in  the  mines.     Morefor- 

I  tunate  than  many,  he  was  quite  successful  in  ob- 
taining the  precious  metal,  and  iu  1851  he  started 
for  home,  via  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This  latter  trip 
almost  became  his  last,  as  through  some  misman- 
agement of  the  officers,  the  ship  drifted  out  of  its 
course,  their  provisions  gave  out  and  for  thirty 
days  the  whole  ship-load  were  obliged  to  exist  on 
a  scant  pint  of  water  and  a  biscuit  per  diem. 

Things  began  to  look  ver^-  serious  at  this  time, 
for  even  civilized  men  will  commit  barbarous 
crimes  under  the  spur  of  thirst  and  hunger.  It 
had  been  decided  among  the  most  savage  of  the 
crew  that  if  no  help  reached  them  the  next  day, 
lots  should  be  drawn  to  see  which  one  of  their 
number  should  be  sacrificed  to  preserve  the  rest. 
At  this  critical  time  land  was  discovered  and  as- 
sistance was  obtained,  which  was  sorely  needed. 
This  is  an  experience  which  does  not  often  occur 
iu  civilized  countries  in  the  nineteenth  century, 
and  those  who  are  called  upon  to  endure  such 
strains  upon  mind  and  body  can  never  forget 
them. 

After  his  return  from  his  Californian  trip,  Mr. 
Richardson  stopped  with  Mr.  Rentchler,  afterward 
his  father-in-law,  where  he  made  a  dozen  wheat- 
drills,  which  were  the  first  made  in  the  State  of  Illi- 
nois, and  were  sold  for  $100.  There  our  subject 
remained  through  the  summer,  after  which  he 
bought  the  place  where  he  now  resides,  and  in  1852 
sowed  the  first  grain  on  his  farm.  In  that  year  he 
married  Miss  Maria,  a  daughter  of  .Tacob  Rentch- 
ler, who  was  an  early  settler  of  this  county.  Eleven 
children  have  resulted  from  this  marriage,  and  the 
seven  living  are:  Mary  Jane,  the  wife  of  Jacob 
Bachraann,  of  Mascoutah,  111.,  a  teacher  by  pro- 
fession; Sarah,  who  resides  at  home;  Frank,  who 
lives  on  one  of  his  father's  farms;  Fallen,  Annie, 
John  D.  and  Laura,  who  remain  with  their  parents. 
The  family  home  is  a  beautiful  brick  residence,  one 
of  the  finest  in  the  county.  It  was  erected  in  1876 
after  modern  plans  and  is  beautifully  located. 


180 


PORTRAIT  AND  BI0C4RAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Politically,  Mr.  Richardson  is  a  believer  in  the 
principles  promulgated  by  Thomas  Jefferson  and 
has  served  liis  district  as  School  Director.  He  has 
had  a  life  of  more  adventure  than  many  of  his 
neighbors.  During  liis  trip  to  California  in  1849, 
he  became  better  acquainted  with  the  Indian  cliar- 
.icter  than  he  had  ever  been  before.  Just  at  this 
t i me _  the' Pawnee  and  Shawnee  Indians  were  at 
war,  and  thej-  often  visiied  their  enmity  upon  the 
innocent  emigrants,  who  were  invading  their  coun- 
try. Our  subject  was  one  of  those  sent  forward  to 
open  tlie  way  for  the  trains,  and  the}'  made  him 
captain  of  the  party.  At  a  place  called  Scott's  Bluff 
there  is  a  deep  cut  tlirough  the  mountains,  and 
as  he  rode  through  here,  he  came  upon  an  encamp- 
ment of  Pawnee  Indians.  He  was  in,  and  the 
question  was  how  to  get  out.  Knowing  if  he  re- 
treated it  was  certain  death,  he  finally  decided  to 
ride  right  up  to  the  camp.  This  he  boldly  did, 
and  advanced  to  the  Chief,  who  regarded  him 
very  angrily,  but  offered  him  no  personal  violence. 
Our  subject  remembered  Pocahontas,  and  seeing 
the  Chief's  beautiful  daughter  in  the  tent,  he  ap- 
pealed to  her,  and  with  a  woman's  ready  wit  she 
succeeded  in  extricating  him  from  his  predicament. 
Our  siJbject  relates  many  other  interesting  adven- 
tures of  the  trip,  which  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to 
relate  if  the  limited  space  in  this  Rkciiki)  did  not 
forbid. 


■>fa-»^-7-w-»->  ^^^^   I  .  .  r  ■  ,. 


^?|?D0LPI1  SCHLERNITZAUP:K,  M.  D.    Tlie 
(@C|ll    little  city  of  Millstadt,  111.,  has  among  its 
III   li'    highly  respected  citizens  none  more  greatly 
t^  esteemed  than  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

His  father  was  Josepli  Schlernitzauer,  who  was 
born  in  Lorraine,  France,  February  28,  1795,  was 
reared  there  and  at  that  place  was  married  to  Miss 
Catherine  Wassaraw.  A  farmer  in  his  native  land, 
when  he  came  here  he  immediately  began  to  search 
for  a  suitable  location  in  which  to  carry  on  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  The  year  was  1842,  at  which 
time  there  was  much  fine  land  to  be  had,  and  he 
first  located  two  miles  nortli  of  Helleville,  wliich  so 


pleased  him  that  he  continued  at  the  same  place 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in 
November,  1870.  Tlie  father  left  a  family  of  four 
sons  and  two  daughters,  three  of  whom  are  still 
living.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  in  1873. 
Their  names  arc  as  follows:  Joseph,  a  farmer  in 
Texas;  and  Mrs.  Philip  Herr  and  her  sister.  Mrs. 
Stoltz,  both  living  in  Belleville. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Loriaine. 
under  the  sunny  skies  of  France,  November  9, 
1837,  being  five  years  of  age  when  his  parents 
brought  him  to  this  country.  Growing  up  to 
manhood  in  this  county,  he  attended  the  district 
schools  and  there  received  the  rudiments  of  an 
education,  which  was  finished  in  Belleville  and  at 
Charles  Stewart's  school  in  St.  Louis.  After  his 
school  days  were  over,  our  subject  went  into  a 
book  store  in  Belleville  as  a  clerk,  and  it  was  while 
here  that  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  under 
Dr.  Roman,  of  Belleville,  through  whose  encour- 
agement he  entered  the  medical  college  in  St. 
Louis,  from  which  he  graduated  March  4,  1864. 
After  this  success.  Dr.  Schlernitzauer  came  to  Mill- 
stadt, and  has  been  in  practice  here  ever  since. 

The  happy  marriage  of  our  sdbject  took  place 
June  1.  18(;.3,  to  Miss  Mary  Ball,  daughter  of 
Champness  Ball,  Postmaster  of  the  city  of  Belle- 
ville under  the  administrations  of  Presidents 
Pierce  and  Buchanan.  This  lady  lived  but  eight 
years  after  her  maniage.  Our  subject  was  again 
married,  in  1878,  this  union  being  with  Miss  Mary 
I'almer,  whose  father,  Andrew  Palmer,  of  .Tancs- 
ville.  Wis.,  was  the  founder  of  the  Toledo  BknJe  and 
one  of  the  foremost  newspaper  men  of  this  country. 
The  family  of  our  subject  consists  now  of  his  charm- 
ing wife  and  their  son  Robert;  William  C,  a  rising 
druggist  of  this  city;  Leon,  in  the  same  business 
in  Chicago ;  and  Miss  Nellie,  who  h.as  been  educated 
at  a  convent  in  Belleville. 

Dr.  Schlernitzauer  has  built  up  a  large  jirac- 
tice  in  this  city  and  county,  great  reliance  being 
jilaced  upon  his  skill.  He  is  called  into  consulta- 
tion all  over  the  county  and  is  a  successful  practi- 
tioner in  his  profession.  The  gentleman  of  whom 
we  write  is  a  prominent  member  of  that  influential 
order  known  as  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  his 
face  is  familiar  at  their  meetings,  unless  kept  aw.ay 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


by  professional  duties.  He  is  an  active  member  of 
the  Democratic  part}-  and  gives  his  vote  and  in- 
lluence  to  advance  its  interests.  Socially,  the 
Doctor  and  his  pleasant  family  take  a  foremost 
place  ill  Millstadt  and  deservedly  so,  for  none 
could  be  belter  fitted  educationally  and  by  tem- 
perament for  such  duties  than  Di'.  and  Mrs.  Schler- 
nitz.auer. 


r 


^/  D.  TURNER.  LL.  P,.  The  distinguished 
I  /^  gentleman  whose  name  appears  at  the  head 
,'IL^  of  this  sketch  has  the  honor  of  being 
the  Master  in  Chancery  for  the  St.  Clair  Court, 
having  been  appointed  to  this  important  office  in 
December,  1891.  He  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Turner  k  Holder,  one  of  the  leading  law  firms  of 
the  city  of  Belleville.  This  gentleman  is  a  native 
of  St.  Clair  County,  liaving  been  born  on  a  farm 
near  the  city  of  Freeburg,  October  5,  1849.  He  is 
named  for  his  father,  a  distinguished  pioneer  of 
this  county,  who  came  here  from  Virginia  in  ISSO, 
when  about  twent^'-seven  years  of  age. 

Mr.  Turner  was  educated  in  the  University  at 
Ann  Arbor,  Mich.,  being  graduated  in  the  Class 
of  '73,  having  jireviously  read  law  for  some  months. 
After  graduating,  he  located  in  tliis  city  and  prac- 
tised alone  until  188;'),  when  the  present  firm  with 
Mr.  Holder  was  established.  The.se  gentleman  have 
built  up  a  fine  practice  and  are  very  successful  in 
the  handling  of  their  cases.  In  addition  to  their 
other  business  they  are  attorneys  for  the  Cairo 
Short  Line,  the  Vandalia,  and  the  East  St.  Louis  k 
Carondelet  Railroads. 

Besides  his  law  practice,  Mr.  Turner  has  been  an 
Alderman,  serving  with  great  credit  to  himself  and 
honor  to  this  city;  he  has  also  been  Chaii  man  of  the 
County  Board  of  Supervisors  and  is  now  Director 
of  the  Belleville  Savings  Bank.  In  ail  of  the  po- 
sitions of  trust  and  responsibility  he  has  held,  Mr. 
Turner  has  acquitted  himself  in  a  masterful  man- 
ner, worthy  of  mention. 

.Mr.  Turner    was    unite<l    in    the    holv  bonds   of 


matrimony  to  Miss  Josephine  Eckert,  of  Waterloo, 
Monroe  County,  111.,  in  August,  1875.  To  this 
happ3'  union  have  come  five  children,  the  eldest  of 
whom,  Waldo,  is  deceased  Those  living  are:  Don, 
Zylphia,  .Josephine  and  Mary,  all  bright  and  intel- 
ligent children  who  are  a  J03'  and  comfort  to 
;  their  parents.  Mr.  Turner  takes  an  important  part 
in  the  Old  Settlers'  Society  and  is  one  of  the 
leading,  influential  men  of  the  community,  enjoy- 
ing the  i-espect  and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 
Public  confidence  in  him  is  based  upon  his  honest 
merit.  His  scholarl_y  attainments,  studious  habits, 
faithful  devotion  to  the  interests  of  his  clients, 
able  and  masterlj'  handling  of  cases,  united  with 
sterling  qualities  of  heart — all  these  combine  to 
stamp  Mr.  Turner  as  a  man  deserving  of  the  place 
he  holds  in  public  favor. 


>^^<-^ 


Ir^ENJAMIN  HIGGINS  was  a   man  of  most 

^/k^   noble  character  and  of  many  good  qualities, 

i^^jl!  whose  name  will  long  be  held  in  reverence 

i    ^^s=^    by    his   fellow-citizens,   by   whom  he   was 

:   considered  a  most  excellent  neighbor.     He  was  a 

j   native  of  St.  Clair  County,  born  one  mile  south  of 

Georgetown,  and  during  his  life  remained  in  this 

county,  where  his  father  lived  on  a  farm  which  was 

cleared  by  his  grandfather. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Timothy  Hig- 
gins,  was  a  native  of  Maine,  but  removed  to  Ohio 
in  1816,  and  settled  in  that  State  about  twenty 
miles  north  of  Cincinnati.'  He  remained  there, 
however,  but  two  3'ears,  when  he  removed  to  Illi- 
nois and  located  on  the  farm  where  Benjamin  af- 
terward lived.  He  married  Miss  Susan  Smith,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  the  State  of  Maine,  and  after 
building  a  log  house  and  reclaiming  a  home  from 
what  was  then  a  wilderness,  he  brought  his  family 
hither.  Here  he  helped  to  make  this  country  what 
it  is  at  present,  and  even  assisted  in  driving  the 
"red  skins"  from  the  territory,  suffering  all  the 
privations  incident  to  pioneer  life.  Of  his  four 
children,  all  are  now  deceased.  One  son,  Robert, 
was  born  in  Maine  in   180.5,  and  was  but  Ihirteen 


182 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


years  of  age  when  his  father  settled  in  Illinois. 
He  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Black  Hawk  War  and 
was  a  very  patriotic  man,  as  he  enlisted  three  dif- 
ferent times.  He  settled  on  the  farm  left  by  his 
father,  and  lived  there  until  his  death.  lie  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  Carr,  daughter  of  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  the  county,  and  they  livod  on  the  liome- 
stead  for  fift}'  years. 

Of  the  family  of  Robeit  Iliggins,  which  con- 
sisted of  five  daughters  and  one  son,  the  latter, 
Benjamin,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Here 
Robert  died  September  9,  1879,  while  his  wife 
survived  him  until  May  1,  1890,  when  she  passed 
away,  aged  eighty-five  years.  Benjamin  Higgins 
grew  to  manhood's  estate  upon  the  home  farm  and 
received  a  very  liberal  education.  In  his  earl}- 
manhood  he  married  Miss  Louisa,  daughter  of  the 
late  Jerry  Phillips,  one  of  the  worthy  pioneers  of 
the  county.  But  he  was  not  long  to  enjoy  the 
blessings  thus  found,  as  in  four  short  months  death 
robbed  him  of  his  helpmate,  and  although  he  sur- 
vived her  for  forty  years  he  never  sought  the  hand 
of  any  other  woman  in  marriage,  which  bespeaks 
his  love  more  plainly  than  could  be  told  by  pen. 
He  was  ver}'  generous  with  his  wealth,  and  always 
kind  to  tho.se  in  need  of  assistance  and  ready  to 
extend  what  aid  he  could  to  his  brother  man. 
AVhen  his  death  occurred,  March  1.3,  1892,  the 
community  suffered  a  loss  from  which  it  will  not 
soon  recover. 


'0SP:P1I  R.  PADFIELD,  .1.  P.  The  follow- 
sketch  is  of  one  of  the  best-known  men 
|l  of  Lebanon  Township,  who  has  lived  heic 
many  years,  and  is  identified  with  the  vari- 
ous interests  of  the  neighborliood.  The  family 
record  is  an  interesting  one,  and  we  give  it  in  full. 
Joseph  R.  Padfield  was  born  September  24,  1820, 
in  Mascoutah,  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  and  was  tlie 
son  of  William  Padfield,  Jr.,  and  of  Mahala  Barnes. 
His  father  was  born  about  1786,  near  Hopkins- 
ville,  K}'.,  and  died  there  in  1849.  The  paternal 
o-randfather  was  William  Padfield.  Sr.,  a  good  old 


m 


Methodist,  and  tlie  religious  meetings  were  held 
in  his  house.  He  was  a  native  of  Maryland,  and 
died  about  183o,  aged  seventy-five  j'ears.  Tlie  ma- 
ternal grandfather  of  our  subject  was  Joshua  Barnes, 
a  native  of  Maryland,  from  which  State  he  moved 
to  Kentucky ;  he  was  a  Methodist  preacher,  who 
came  to  St.  Clair  County  about  1814,  and  settled 
in  Lebanon  Township.  Death  came  to  him  about 
the  same  time  as  to  the  paternal  grandfather, 
when  about  the  same  age.  An  earnest  worker,  he 
was  the  first  Methodist  minister  in  this  section,  and 
helped  to  establish  the  first  meeting-houses  among 
tlie  earl.y  settlers.  A  full  account  of  tiie  life  and 
labors  of  this  good  man  would  I*  very  interest- 
ing. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  ten  cliildien,  eigiit  of 
whom  grew  to  maturity.  Susan  died  when  about 
fort3'-five.  She  was  the  wife  of  Sampson  Briggs, 
and  left  no  family.  Mary  Ann  died  in  1884.  Her 
first  husband  was  Jesse  Berry,  by  whom  she  had 
two  children.  Her  second  husband  was  Isaac  Hall, 
by  whom  she  had  also  two  children.  Mv.  Hall  is 
also  dead.  James  R.  resides  in  (  linlon,  Iltnry 
Count3^  He  married  Elizabeth  Anderson,  a  na- 
tive of  St.  Clair  County,  and  has  two  children. 
AVilliam  >«.,wlio  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-five,  mar- 
ried P>lizabeth  Lunsford,  and  left  one  cliild,  Mrs. 
Marie  Campbell,  a  resident  of  Belleville.  John  B. 
married  Susan  Harrington,  and  lives  in  St.  Louis. 
Evan  B.  married  Amanda  Bell,  and  died  about  the 
same  time  as  his  brother  William,  leaving  one  son, 
now  living  in  Clinton,  Henry  County,  Mo.  His 
widow  married  John  Curtis,  since  deceased,  and  re- 
sides in  Clinton,  also.  Joshua  died  when  about 
twenty-one  years  of  age;  Mahala;  and  Sar.ah,  who 
first  married  William  Huff,  and  at  Ins  death  was 
again  married,  is  now  deceased. 

The  lio.yhood  of  our  subject  was  i)assed  on  a 
farm,  where  he  had  the  advantages  of  a  common - 
school  education.  His  marriage  to  Miss  Susan  Tip- 
ton occiured  April  23,  1844.  She  was  a  native 
of  Carter  County,  East  Tennessee,  and  was  the 
daughter  of  James  I.  Tipton.  Her  parents  lived 
and  died  in  Tennessee,  and  she  came  to  Illinois 
with  her  aunt.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Padfield  became  the 
parents  of  seven  children:  Martha,  wife  of  Joseph 
Utlev,  residing  in  Boone  County,  Mo.,  the  mother 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPfflCAL  RECORD. 


185 


of  six  children;  Thomas,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
six  3'ears;  Matilda,  living  at  home,  single;  John 
C,  living  in  Trenton,  111.,  a  school  teacher,  who 
married  Miss  Addie  Shaffer,  and  has  two  cliildren; 
Henry  L.,  who  married  Rebecca  fihene;  Mahala 
and  James,  who  died  in  childhood. 

Our  subject  lived  in  Mascoutah  Township  until 
ISf)?,  when  he  moved  to  Summerfleld  and  engaged 
in  the  collecting  business.  In  1864,  he  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  whicli  are  included  in  his 
present  place,  where  he  has  two  hundred  acres. 
Mr.  Padtield  has  followed  farming  most  of  his  life, 
and  has  been  very  successful.  He  has  occupied 
the  offices  of  Township  Collector,  Constable  and 
Justice  of  the  Peace,  which  latter  office  he  has  held 
for  the  last  eight  years.  Our  subject  is  a  member 
of  the  masonic  fraternity,  being  connected  with 
Summerfleld  Lodge  No.  344,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of 
which  he  has  been  Treasurer  for  the  past  sixteen 
years.  The  principles  of  the  Democratic  party 
arc  adhered  to  by  him.  The  Methodist  Church 
holds  him  as  one  of  her  most  valued  members,  and 
his  position  throughout  the  neighborhood  is  one 
of  imiiorlance,  he  Ijeing  held  in  highest  esteem. 


|ll_^ON.  PETER  SEIIJERT,  one  of  the  most 
Wj\  influential  and  prominent  men  of  St.  Clair 
■^^  County,  resides  on  section  30,  Engleman 
(^  Township.  For  many  years  he  has  been 
before  the  public,  and  is  now  serving  as  Senator 
from  the  Forty-seventh  Senatorial  District,  a  posi- 
tion which  calls  into  use  his  distinguished  al)ililies 
and  keen  judgment. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Balthaser  Seibert,  was 
a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  German}-,  and  came 
to  America  with  his  family  in  1852.  He  first  lo- 
cated on  a  farm  near  Belleville,  this  county,  and  re- 
mained there  for  twenty-five  years.  At  the  end  of 
that  time  he  removed  to  Mascoutah,wliere  he  resided 
until  the  time  of  his  demise.  After  he  came  to 
America  and  became  acquainted  with  the  political 
issues  of  tlie  day,  he  joined  the  Republican    party 


and  voted  that  ticket  until  1872,  when  he  became 
identified  with  the  Liberal  movement,  and  cast  his 
ballot  with  the  Democrats  until  the  time  of  his 
death.  He  left  a  family  of  six  children,  of  whom 
our  subject  is  the  fourth. 

The  birth  of  the  distinguished  gentleman  wliose 
sketch  now  occupies  our  attention  took  place  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  the  home  of  his  forefathers, 
April  24,  1844.  He  had  reached  the  age  of  eight 
years  when  his  parents  came  to  this  country,  and 
he  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  and  at  Belle- 
ville High  School.  His  schooling  completed,  he 
returned  to  his  father's  place  and  engaged  in 
farming  until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  in 
1868.  His  wife  was  Miss  Catherine,  daughter  of 
Martin  Eidmann,  who  was  one  of  the  pioneers  of 
this  count}',  having  settled  in  Turkey  Hill,  this 
township,  in  1832.  After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Sei- 
bert located  six  miles  east  of  Mascoutah,  but  since 
1876  he  has  resided  on  the  farm  which  is  his  pres- 
ent home. 

Eight  children  comprise  the  family  of  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Seibert,  viz.:  Louisa,  Amelia,  Bertha,  Julius, 
Emma,  Rudolph,  Ella  and  Henry  George.  The 
farm  of  our  subject  consists  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  well-improved  land,  on  which  he 
carries  on  general  farming,  and  in  connection 
with  this  he  engages  in  stock-raising  and  dairying. 
He  has  made  all  the  improvements  on  this  place, 
and  has  a  home  most  beantifuUy  located,  where 
his  wife  assists  him  in  the  hospitable  entertain- 
ment of  their  friends. 

Senator  Seibert  is  a  member  of  the  organization 
of  Knights  of  Honor,  and  is  also  one  of  the  most 
prominent  members  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit 
Association.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  al- 
though previous  to  1880  he  voted  the  IJeinihli- 
can  ticket.  He  was  led  to  become  a  Deniocrnl  be- 
cause that  party  better  expressed  his  views  on  the 
tariff  question.  He  is  a  very  strong  advocate  of 
free  trade,  and  is  opposed  to  all  indirect  taxation. 
He  is  a  man  of  strong  convictions,  who  always 
docs  what  he  believes  to  be  right,  regardless  of 
consequences,  and  has  always  been  a  strong 
worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  party.  Although  he 
has  never  sought  ollice,  office  has  sought  him,  and 
he  served  as  Supervisor  of  tlie  township  for  three 


PORTRAIT  AKD  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


yeais,  and  School  Director  for  over  twenty  j-ears. 
So  entirely  has  he  gained  the  confidence  of  his 
fellow-citizens  that  in  18!)0  they  elected  him  to 
the  honorable  position  of  State  Senator  from  this 
senatorial  district.  He  has  ably  represented  his 
constituents,  and  is  as  strong  a  worker  in  public 
life  as  lie  always  has  been  for  his  party  in  private 
life.  He  is  a  great  admirer  of  Henry  George,  and 
believes  thoroughlj'  in  the  principles  advocated  by 
that  political  economist.  He  has  named  his  young- 
est son  after  the  distinguished  leader. 


J/ULIUS  REUSS  h.as  the  honor  of  being  a  na- 
tive of  St.  Clair  Count3\  He  resides  on 
section  3,  Shiloh  Valley  Township,-  and  his 
^  birth  occurred  on  a  farm  near  his  present 
home  in  1845.  His  parents  were  Dr.  Adolphus 
and  Caroline  (Raith)  Reuss.  The  father  was  born 
in  the  city  of  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  Germany, 
received  a  college  education  and  was  graduated 
from  one  of  the  noted  medical  schools  of  his  na- 
tive country.  After  practicing  there  for  a  few 
years,  he  determined  to  seek  his  fortune  in  Amer- 
ica, and  in  1834,  in  a  sailing-vessel,  crossed  the 
briny  deep  to  the  United  States.  He  made  his 
first  location  in  Shiloh  Valley  Township,  this 
county,  near  where  our  subject  now  resides,  and 
the  old  homestead  is  still  occupied  by  members  of 
the  family.  Here  Dr.  Reuss  continued  his  practice 
in  connection  with  farming  for  a  period  of  nearly 
a  half-century  and  became  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent and  influential  citizens  of  the  community. 

The  Doctor  was  twice  married.  In  Germany  he 
wedded  Rachel  Jucho,  who  died  soon  after  coming 
to  this  conntry,  leaving  no  children.  He  then 
wedded  Caroline  Raith,  and  unto  them  was  born 
a  family  of  nine,  as  follows:  Henry,  Julius,  Caro- 
line; Rosa,  deceased;  Albert;  Augusta,  wife  of 
Cliailes  Fisher;  Johanna,  Mary  and  Ferdinand. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  in  Germany,  but  never  identi- 
fied himself  with  that  order  in  this  country.  He 
was  a  stalwart  Republican  in  politics,  ardently  ad- 


vocating the  principles  of  that  party.  In  his  prac- 
tice, lie  was  very  successful  and  won  a  high  rcpu- 
tiou  as  a  skillful  physician.  As  his  financial  re- 
sources, increased  he  added  to  his  possessions  until 
he  owned  four  hundred  acres  of  land.  He  was  a 
great  student,  an  extensive  reader,  and  owned  the 
largest  and  finest  library  in  St.  Clair  County. 
This  is  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family. 

Julius  Reuss  grew  to  manhood  upon  his  father's 
farm  and  no  event  of  special  importance  occurred 
during  his  youth.  The  common  schools  afforded 
him  his  educational  privileges  and  he  remained 
with  his  father,  aiding  him  in  the  labors  of  the 
farm  until  after  the  death  of  the  Doctor.  He  is 
now  a  substantial  and  progressive  agriculturist, 
wiio  thoroughly  understands  his  business.  The 
neat  and  thrifty  appearance  of  his  farm  indicates 
his  enterprise.  He  owns  seventy-four  acres  of 
land  and  devotes  his  entire  energies  to  the  raising 
of  grain. 

In  1874,  Mr.  Reuss  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  .Sophia  Engelmann,  daughter  of  Louis  and 
Mai'y  A.  Engelmann.  Four  children  grace  their 
union,  namely:  Caroline,  Josephia,  Theodore  and 
Erna.  The  family  resides  on  the  farm  in  Shiloh 
Valley  Township,  where  they  have  a  pleasant  home. 
Mr.  Reuss  exercises  his  right  of  franchise  in  sup- 
port of  the  Republican  party,  but  has  never  sought 
or  desired  the  honors  or  emoluments  of  public 
office,  preferring  to  devote  his  entire  time  and  at- 
tention to  his  business  interests,  in  which  he  has 
met  with  signal  success. 


^§M«-^"i^li^^ 


^^IIOMAS.A.  STOOKKY  is  a  iironiinent  and 
(f^^.  successful  grain  farmer  and  stock-raiser  t>f 
^^^'  St.  Clair  County,  residing  on  section  14, 
Smithton  Township.  He  was  one  of  the  sons  of 
Daniel  Stookey,  Jr.,  who  was  born  in  St.  Clair 
County  in  1805,  and  a  grandson  of  llie  well-known 
Daniel  Stookey,  who  came  to  this  county  from 
Bedford  County,  Pa.,  in  the  year  1800.  The  lat- 
ter made  his  first  trip  through  here  in  1797  on 
horseback,  and   in   1800    located    at    New  Design, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  Monroe  County,  and  lived  there  several  years, 
when  lie  located  near  Belleville  and  entered  Gov- 
ernment land.  He  reared  a  large  family,  and  died 
in  1835,  at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  His  son 
Daniel  was  reared  and  educated  in  this  county 
and  married  Margaret  McGuire,  the  daughter  of 
Thomas  McGuire,  who  came  to  this  county  in 
1818  from  Crawford  County,  Pa. 

After  marriage,  Daniel  entered  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  on  section  13,  in  Smithton 
Township,  where  he  stayed  until  his  death,  in  1844; 
his  wife  followed  him  September  2,  1862.  At  the 
time  of  his  death,  he  owned  three  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  acres  of  land,  the  most  of  which  had 
been  acquired  b}'  his  own  efforts.  Of  a  famil}'  of 
seven  children,  six  grew  to  maturitj'  and  five  are 
still  living,  as  follows:  Our  subject;  George  H., 
who  lives  on  the  old  homestead;  Susan,  the  wife 
of  Eli  Green,  who  lives  in  Florida  and  runs  an 
orange  plantation;  Barbara  E.,  married  to  Robert 
W.  Lemon,  living  in  Freeburg  Township,  where 
they  own  a  farm;  and  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Will- 
iam Pitts,  living  in  New  Athens  Township.  Mary 
Enieline  (deceased)  was  the  wife  of  George  15. 
Short,  and  at  her  death  left  a  daughter,  who  mar- 
ried Peter  Boler  and  now  lives  in  California. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  June  !l, 
1828,  on  the  old  homestead  in  Smithton  Town- 
ship, on  section  13,  St.  Clair  Countj^  111.  Reared 
and  educated  there,  he  remained  until  twenty- 
four  years  old,  when  he  married  and  removed  to 
the  place  where  he  now  lives.  Mr.  Stookey  was 
married  September  2,  1852,  to  Cyrena  L.  Short, 
daughter  of  William  B.  Short,  who  was  born  in 
this  county  in  1803,  and  whose  parents  came  here 
about  1800,  being  verj'  early  settlers.  Mr.  Short 
was  a  prominent  farmer  of  this  county.  Mrs. 
Stookey  was  born  October  17,  1834,  on  the  old 
homestead  that  her  father  entered  from  the  Gov- 
ernment. After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Stookey  moved 
to  this  place  on  the  25th  of  October,  1852,  and  has 
lived  here  continuously  ever  since.  He  has  made 
all  of  the  improvements  on  the  place,  cutting  and 
burning  the  brush,  cultivating  and  enriching  the 
land,  and  now  has  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  the 
neigliborliood,  together  with  a  handsome  house 
and  capacious  liariis,  and  lives  in  great  comfort. 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stookey  are  the  parents  of  eight 
living  children,  as  follows:  William,  living  at 
Hillsboro,  Montgomer}'  County,  111.;  James  M., 
on  the  farm  in  Saline  County,  Mo.;  Samuel  E., 
in  Smithton  Township,  is  a  fanner  on  section  13; 
Mary  E.,  living  at  home;  George,  employed  at 
Pinckneyville,  Perry  Cf)unty:  Julius.  Charles  and 
Eben,  all  at  home. 

Our  subject  has  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land,  well  improved,  upon  which  are  raised 
large  and  profitable  crops,  together  with  herds  of 
Jersey  cows  and  other  valuable  stock.  Mr.  Stooke_y 
is  now  serving  his  second  term  as  Commissioner 
of  Highways.  His  children  have  been  given  good 
school  advantages,  and  Charles  and  Julius  have 
been  at  college.  Our  subject  has  always  held  to 
the  tenets  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  feels  sure 
that  the  country  would  be  safe  under  the  manage- 
ment of  its  leaders. 


JjOHN  RODENHEISER,  one  of  the  leading 
and  influential  citizens  of  the  city  of  Belle- 
ville, is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Horn  it 
Rodenheiser,  prominent  dry-goods  and 
carpet  merchants,  occupying  an  elegant  store  in 
Belleville,  on  East  Main  Street,  in  the  New  Monk 
Building.  The  building  is  33^x150  feet,  and  the 
firm  has  been  located  here  since  March  11,  1891. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  Waterloo,  III,  October 
18,  1861.  His  parents  were  Ernst  and  Barbara 
(Eschenfelder)  Rodenheiser,  natives  of  Germany. 
The  father  of  our  subject  upon  corning  to  this 
country  was  first  a  furniture  dealer,  after  which  he 
became  a  hotel-kee|)er.  The  death  of  this  esteemed 
gentleman  took  place  November  9,  1873,  but  his 
wife  is  still  living. 

Mr.  John  Rodenheiser  received  his  earl}-  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  at  Waterloo,  and  was 
then  sent  to  the  Christian  Brothers'  College,  at  St. 
Louis,  where  he  graduated,  in  the  Class  of  '80, 
with  the  degree  of  B.  A.  When  he  first  came  to 
tins  town,  Mr.  Rodenheiser  was  engaged  as  a  clerk 


188 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRArillCAL  RECORD. 


for  nine  years,  after  which  he  established  his  pres- 
ent store.  The  stock  he  placed  in  his  business  was 
entirely  new  and  of  latest  designs.  The  store  lie 
occupies  is  the  longest  one-floor  store  in  the  countj' 
and  our  subject  has  it  fitted  up  with  all  modern 
improvements,  with  ten  obliging' clerks  to  attend 
to  the  wants  of  the  large  number  of  customers. 

Mr.  Rodenheiser  was  married,  May  5,  1886,  to 
Miss  Minnie  Maus.  Two  beautiful  and  engaging 
children  have  been  the  result  of  this  union, 
namely:  Meta  and  Edwin.  Mrs.  Rodenheiser  was 
the  daughter  of  William  Maus,  one  of  the  old  and 
respected  citizens  of  Mascoutah,  which  was  the 
birth-place  of  Mrs.  Rodenheiser.  Mr.  Rodenheiser 
pays  close  attention  to  his  business,  and  on  this 
account  is  one  of  the  most  successful  merchants  of 
the  county,  and  Belleville  regards  him  as  one  of 
her  leading  citizens.  His  hosts  of  friends  proclaim 
him  to  be  one  of  the  best  men  in  the  world. 


jf/_^^ON.  JAMES  V.  SLADE,  A.  M.,  ex-State 
Ifj)  Superintendent  and  the  present  Superin- 
/^^^  tendent  of  the  East  St.  Louis  public  schools, 
(^)  is  a  gentleman  whose  career  may  be  studied 
with  interest  and  emulated  with  profit  by  young 
men,  for  largely  through  his  own  efforts  he  fit- 
ted himself  for  a  calling  in  which  he  has  achieved 
honorable  distinction.  Energy,  force  of  character, 
sterling  integrity  and  kindness  of  heart  are  his 
distinguishing  characteristics,  and  his  brilliant  yet 
practical  mind  has  been  strengthened  and  enriched 
by  the  highest  culture.  He  was  born  in  Albany 
County,  N.  Y.,  Februar3'  9,  1837,  in  which  county 
his  father,  Leonard  Slade,  was  also  born,  in  1802. 
James  Slade,  the  grandfather,  was  born  in  Con- 
necticut, but  became  an  earlj'  settler  of  Albany. 
He  was  a  Tery  successful  tiller  of  the  soil,  was  of 
English  descent,  and  traced  his  genealogy  in  this 
country  back  to  the  founding  of  Plymouth,  Mass. 
When  a  young  man,  Leonard  Slade  followed  the 
calling  of  a  teacher,  after  which  he  followed  in 
his  father's  footsteps  and  began  devoting  his  at- 
tention to  agricultural   pursuits   in  the  vicinity  of 


his  old  home.  In  politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig,  and 
then  became  a  Republican,  of  which  party  he  was 
an  adherent  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1891.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church, 
and  was  in  every  respect  an  earnest  Christian.  He 
was  married  to  Miss  Eliza  Park,  a  native  of  Con- 
necticut, and  a  daughter  of  Asahel  Park,  who  was 
born  and  spent  his  life  in  Connecticut.  Mrs. 
Slade  wa§  born  in  1802  and  died  in  1889.  She 
had  been  a  school  teacher  in  her  youthful  days, 
and  was  possessed  of  rare  intelligence  and  refine- 
ment. She  bore  her  husband  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  all  of  whom  attained  maturity,  but 
only  three  are  living  at  the  present  time. 

James  P.  Slade  was  reared  on  his  father's  farm 
and  received  his  early  training  in  the  public 
schools,  after  which  he  took  an  academic  course. 
In  1854,  he  entered  the  Fairfield  Seminar^',  which 
he  attended  one  .year,  and  the  following  summer 
followed  in  his  father's  and  mother's  footsteps  and 
taught  school,  an  occupation  he  followed  with  the 
most  desirable  results  until  the  fall  of  1856,  when 
he  came  West  and  located  in  Belleville  111.,  where 
two  of  his  sisters  were  living.  He  first  engaged 
in  teaching  in  the  district  schools  of  the  county, 
but  at  the  end  of  one  year  was  employed  in  the 
Grammar  School  of  Belleville,  and  after  a  time  be- 
came the  Principal  of  the  High  School,  which  posi- 
tion came  to  him  unsolicited  and  as  a  reward 
of  merit.  He  entered  upon  his  work  thor- 
oughly equipped  and  fully  prepared  to  meet 
any  professional  demands  that  might  be  made 
upon  him,  and  this  has  been  attested  by  the 
fact  that  success  has  attended  his  efforts  from  the 
start.  He  ably  filled  the  position  of  Principal  from 
1861  to  1866,  and  then  he  was  appointed  by  Judge 
Hughes  County  Superintenclent  of  St.  Clair 
County  to  fill  a  vacancy,  and  so  ably  did  he  fill 
this  position  that  at  the  expiration  of  his  term  of 
service  he  was  elected  to  the  office  and  held  it  by 
re-election  for  ten  years,  at  one  time  having  no 
opposition.  At  another  time  there  were  three  can- 
didates and  Prof.  Slade  had  three  thousand  more 
votes  than  both.  While  filling  this  position,  he 
was  Principal  of  the  schools  of  Belleville,  and  be- 
came noted  throughout  the  State  as  an  able  and 
experienced  educator,  as   well    as  a  strict  discipli- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


narian.  lu  writing  aud  speaking,  he  is  clear  and 
forcible,  particularly  so  when  addressing  himself 
to  any  subject  pertaining  to  tlie  theory  and  prac- 
tice of  teaching,  and  his  reasons  for  his  convictions 
are  always  well  defined  and  reasonable. 

In  1878,  he  made  the  race  for  State  Superinten- 
dent of  Schools  on  the  Republican  ticket,  and  so 
enviable  a  reputation  had  he  gained  as  an  instruc- 
tor of  the  young,  that  he  was  elected  by  a  large 
majority  and  filled  the  position  with  distinguished 
ability  for  four  years.  During  this  time  he 
luade  his  home  in  Springfield  and  made  many 
journeys  to  different  portions  of  the  State  on 
business  connected  with  his  office.  In  1878,  he 
purchased  a  one-half  interest  in  Almira  College,  of 
Greenville,  111.,  and  the  following  ytar  became  its 
President.  In  1872,  he  received  the  degree  of  A.  M. 
from  Shurtleff  College,  which  honor  was  unsolicited 
by  him.  AVhile  filling  the  duties  of  President  of  Al- 
mira College,  he  was  Professor  of  the  Theory  and 
Art  of  Teaching  and  of  Mathematics.  He  made  it  a 
school  for  both  sexes,  and  while  under  his  control 
it  greatly  improved  in  various  ways  and  be- 
came widely  patronized.  He  continued  to  hold 
the  position  of  President  until  1890,  when  he 
leased  his  share  and  later  sold  it.  In  1 890,  he  was  ap- 
pointed Superintendent  of  the  public  schools  of 
East  St.  Louis,  without  any  solicitation  on  his  part 
and  has  since  abl}'  discharged  the  duties  of  this  posi- 
tion. In  Prof.  Slade  are  strikingly  exemplified  those 
characteristics  and  principles  which  conduce  to  the 
successful  filling  of  positions  demanding  the  dis- 
play of  great  mental  abilities;  and  the  arduous  bur- 
dens that  have  fallen  upon  his  shoulders  have  been 
carried  with  an  ease,  grace  and  dignity  that  have 
rendered  him  distinguished  throughout  his  Stale 
and  have  made  his  life  a  succession  of  honors. 

He  was  married  in  Belleville  in  1876,  to  Miss 
Ella  Bowman,  daughter  of  Mrs.  Fanny  Bowman. 
Mrs.  Slade  was  born  in  Belleville,  was  educated  in 
the  schools  of  her  native  town  and  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Illinois,  and  afterward  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  teaching.  She  has  borne  her  husband  one 
child,  Leonard  Tracy.  For  some  years  Prof.  Slade 
was  a  Trustee  of  the  University  of  Illinois  at 
Champaign,  appointed  by  Gov.  Palmer,  and  was  a 
jiicnilicr  of  the    I'.oard  when  liie  new  luiildlng  was 


erected.  In  whatever  locality  he  has  resided,  he 
has  always  taken  a  prominent  position,  and  while 
a  resident  of  Greenville  he  was  earnestly  solicited 
by  the  citizens  of  that  place  to  run  for  Mayor,  but 
he  respectfully  declined,  as  he  preferred  to  devote 
his  attention  to  his  profession.  He  has  been  active 
in  helping  to  establish  the  Normal  Universities  in 
the  State,  and  has  been  Treasurer  and  Vice-president 
of  the  State  Teachers'  Association,  and  was  one  of 
the  organizers  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Teachers' 
Association,  of  which  he  was  President  at  two  dif- 
ferent times  and  Secretary  a  number  of  years. 
He,  with  others,  was  instrumental  in  creating  the 
Southern  Illinois  University,  and  all  measures  of 
education  and  morality  have  found  in  him  a  hearty 
supporter. 

Almira  College  was  organized  as  a  Baptist  school 
in  1855  by  the  Baptist  Society,  and  Prof.  Slade,  on 
being  requested  to  purchase  it,  in  1878  boughta  one- 
half  interest,  but  was  soon  after  elected  State  Sup- 
erintendent, so  did  not  takech.aigeof  it  until  1883, 
when  his  term  expired,  after  which  he  operated  it 
very  successfully,  as  above  stated.  He  has  been 
prominent  for  many  years  in  State  and  National 
Educational  Associations  and  has  taken  high  rank 
in  his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  and  for  some  time  has  been  one  of  its  dea- 


3<"T  >[i 


^=^  EOR(4E  HEBERER.  Glancing  at  the  l)io- 
(11  f— -  graphies  of  successful  men  and  noticing 
^%^l  that  almost  invariably  Ihey  arose  from 
humble  positions  in  life,  it  would  very  naturally 
be  inferred  that  poverty  in  youth  is  a  blessing  in- 
stead of  a  misfortune.  It  is  certainly  true  that 
hardships  in  early  life  develoi)  sturdy  traits  of 
self-reliance  and  self-denial,  whidi  often  in  the 
wealth}'  lie  dormant.  There  are  man_\'  citizens  of 
St.  Clair  County  whose  unaided  exertions  have  re- 
sulted in  prosperity,  and  an  excellent  representa- 
tive of  this  class  may  be  found  in  Mr.  Heborer. 

This  gentleman  owns  aud  operates  a  finely-im- 
proved farm  on  section  25,  Fayctteville Township, 
and  is  numbered  among  the  most  jn'ogressiye  axfj 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIHCAL  RECORD. 


enterprising  fanners  of  the  county.  Upon  his 
estate  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  he  carries 
on  mixed  farming,  raising  tlie  various  cereals  to 
which  the  soil  is  adapted.  He  uses  the  latest  im- 
proved machinery  and  modern  methods  in  every 
department  of  agriculture,  and  the  result  is  tliat 
lie  has  attained  a  degree  of  success  unusual  but 
highly  satisfactory.  His  life  furnishes  an  excel- 
lent example  of  what  niaj'  he  accomplished  b}' 
peiseverance  coupled  with  energy  and  good  judg- 
ment, for  he  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources 
and  compelled  to  be  self-supporting  when  he  was 
a  mere  lad,  nor  did  he  receive  any  assistance  in 
his  efforts  to  accumulate  a  competencj'. 

As  were  many  of  the  best  citizens  of  St.  Clair 
County,  our  subject  was  born  in  Germany,  his 
birth  occurring  in  18.37.  However,  he  retains  no  . 
recollections  of  the  land  of  his  birth,  for  he  was  an 
infant  of  only  eighteen  weeks  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents,  George  and  Christena  (Weil- 
munester)  Heberer,  to  the  United  States.  His  pa- 
rents were  both  natives  of  Germanj^  the  father 
born  in  1810  and  the  mother  in  1809.  The  former 
was  reared  in  one  of  the  villages  of  the  Father- 
land and  in  his  3'outh  learned  the  trade  of  a 
wagon-maker,  which  he  followed  throughout  his 
entire  life.  His  death  occurred  May  9, 1846,  when 
George  was  a  child  of  nine  years,  and  his  body 
was  the  first  that  was  buried  in  the  Darmstadt 
cemetery.  In  his  religious  belief,  he  was  a  de- 
voted member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  in  whicli 
faith  he  reared  his  four  children.  They  are: 
Nicholas,  now  deceased;  George,  of  this  sketch; 
Conrad,  and  Christena,  who  became  the  wife  of 
Daniel  Harman. 

Karly  orphaned  by  the  death  of  his  fathei'.  our 
subject  afterward  remained  at  home  with  his 
mother,  and  was  a  pupil  in  the  public  school  of 
Darmstadt  at  a  time  when  there  were  but  four- 
teen families  in  the  district.  The  school  was  of  a 
primitive  order,  both  in  the  furnishing  of  the 
building  and  the  method  of  instruction,  but  Mr. 
Heberer  made  the  most  of  every  opportunity  of- 
fered him  and  became  a  well-informed  man.  When 
twenty-three  .years  of  age,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Barl)ara.  daughter  of  .lolui  and 
Margaret  Schuster,  and  unto  tlicin  have  lieeii  boj-n 


eight  children,  only  two  of  whom  survive.  Anna 
M.  is  the  wife  of  Peter  Schickedanz,  and  Adam  15. 
is  at  home.  Barbara,  who  married  Conrad  J uener. 
is  now  deceased.  In  his  political  belief,  Mr.  Heb- 
erer is  firm  in  his  adherence  to  the  principles  of 
the  Democratic  i)arty  and  ever  ready  to  support 
the  party  of  his  choice  l)y  iiis  influence  as  well  as 
his  baUot. 


■^m^' 


"^^LIJAII  STOOKEY.  The  subject  of  this 
lU]  sketch  is  the  oldest  surviving  member  of  a 
/I' — ^/  family  that  is  known  all  over  the  county 
of  St.  Clair.  His  birth  occurred  September  29, 
1813,  one-half  mile  south  of  the  place  of  his  pres- 
ent residence,  in  section  30,  St.  Clair  Township, 
The  house  is  still  standing,  and  is  now  occupied 
by  Mr.  Glad,  a  tenant,  and  is  one  of  the  landmarks 
of  the  township.  The  father  of  Elijah  was  Dan- 
iel Stookey,  a  native  of  Maryland,  who  was  reared 
near  Hagerstown.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Ger- 
man}', who  married  Barbara  Whetstone,  a  native 
of  Virginia,  born  near  the  Maiyland  line. 

Daniel  Stookey  seems  to  have  been  one  of  a 
family  of  pioneers.  His  eldest  brother,  Jacob,  re- 
mained on  tlie  home  place  in  Hardy  County,  Va., 
to  which  his  father  removed  from  Maryland. 
Abraham  was  the  next  eldest,  and  removed  to 
Ross  County,  Ohio,  where  he  lived  and  died. 
Simon  settled  in  Bedford  County,  Pa.,  and  Samuel 
went  to  Canton,  Ohio.  Daniel,  the  father  of  our 
subject,  was  the  youngest  of  the  family  and  was  not 
to  be  left  behind;  so  he  decided  to  tr}'  the  West, 
but  as  he  did  not  wish  to  go  alone  he  was  mar- 
ried in  Virginia  before  starting.  Shortly  after 
this  he  removed  to  Ohio,  settling  near  Chilli- 
cothe,  and  remained  two  years,  when,  hearing  of 
the  rich  and  fertile  lands  in  St.  Clair  County,  111., 
in  1802  he  started  across  country  and  finally  made 
a  .settlement  on  what  is  familiarly  known  as  the 
"old  Stookey  place."  This  became  the  home  of  his 
remaining  years,  he  dying  here  in  1835,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-five  years.  His  wife  survived  him  four- 
teen \ears,  dying  in  1!^19,  aged  se>-ei)tv-live  years, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


As  far  as  the  biographer  can  discover,  Uie  children 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stookey  were  Simon,  born  in 
1796;  Moses,  in  1798;  Aaron,  in  1808;  and  Klijaii, 
in  1813.  From  these  brothers  liave  descended  tlie 
members  of  the  Stookey  family  now  resident  in 
lielleville,  St.  Clair  and  Stookey  Townships  and  in 
Southern  Illinois,  and  wherever  found  this  name 
represent*  intelligent  and  honorable  people. 

It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  boyhood  of  our  sub- 
ject was  spent  on  a  farm,  and  that  his  educational 
advantages  were  few.  The  log  schoolhouse  was 
his  temple  of  learning,  and  a  few  weeks,  or  at 
most  three  months,  in  the  winter  for  a  few  years 
was  all  of  the  time  in  which  he  was  able  to  attend 
school.  The  teachers  of  those  days  were  far  from 
being  the  capable  instructors  of  the  present. 
The^'  were  strict  disciplinarians,  and  used  the  rod 
without  fear  or  favor.  Having  only  limited  op- 
portunities, it  did  not  take  long  to  impart  all  they 
knew.  Yet  such  use  did  the  early  settlers  make  of 
scant  learning,  that,  combined  with  industrious 
liabits,  strong  common-sense,  and  clear-headed 
judgment,  they  grew  to  years  of  discretion  and 
kept  pace  with  the  progress  of  the  country,  accu- 
mulated property  and  prospered  generally.  The 
most  of  them  filled  with  fidelity  and  cai)ability 
the  various  offices  of  trust  and  honor  to  which 
they  were  appointed  or  elected. 

Our  subject  did  not  go  to  school  after  he  was 
sixteen  jears  of  age,  but  grew  up  on  the  home 
])lace  and  saw  his  share  of  hard  work,  and  took  an 
interest  in  the  management  of  home  affairs.  In 
those  days  the  markets  for  farm  products  were  far 
remote,  some  farmers  shipping  down  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi  Rivers  to  New  Orleans.  The  nearest 
Eastern  market  was  Cincinnati,  which  in  1810  had 
a  population  of  twenty-five  hundred,  and  trips 
there  were  generally  made  overland.  After  our 
subject  left  school,  he  made  several  trips  to  Ohio 
and  Pennsylvania  in  company  with  others,  driv- 
ing and  selling  cattle.  AVhen  he  reached  the 
age  of  twenty-three  years,  he  was  united  in  inat- 
limony  with  Miss  Elinor  McGuire,  born  in  Craw- 
ford County,  Pa.,  March  25,  1815,  and  whose  par- 
ents moved  to  St.  Clair  County  when  she  was  four 
years  old.  Three  children  were  born  of  this  mar- 
riage;  Miidisoii   T..  lioro   NovcinbL.i-  2(i,  )837   (see 


sketch),  and  living  in  Belleville;  Lafayette,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  four  years;  and  William,  who 
died  in  infancy. 

After  marriage  our  subject  and  wife  lived  eleven 
years  on  the  home  place,  now  a  part  of  the  land 
belonging  to  M.  T.  Stookey.  They  have  made  the 
present  place  their  home  for  thirty-three  years. 
Mr.  Stookey  has  been  Road  Supervisor  and  School 
Director,  and  in  his  politics  follows  the  faith 
of  his  father,  the  Democratic.  The  farm  of  Mr. 
Stookey  has_iu  it  one  hundred  and  thirt^'-five 
acres,  and  there  the  family  lives  in  great  comfort. 
In  religion,  husband  and  wife  are  in  unison,  hav- 
ing joined  the  Baptist  Church  in  their  youth,  and 
have  led  consistent  Christian  lives  ever  since. 
Considering  his  advanced  years,  Mr.  Stookey  is 
remarkably  active  and  bright,  and  has  a  genial, 
cheerful,  friendly  manner,  and  converses  with 
the  quick  tone  of  youth.  He  personally,  at- 
tends to  his  own  business,  and  bids  fair  to  see 
many  years  of  enjoyable  life,  being  of  the  num- 
ber that  will  never  lose  interest  in  their  own  or  pub- 
lic affairs  so  long  as  they  live.  Mr.  Stookey  is 
happy  in  the  possession  of  many  cherished  friends, 
whose  intimacy  bei^an  in  their  childliood. 


/  *^^ 


,SCAR  HEINRICH.  The  subject  of  this 
notice  is  a  member  of  the  lumber  firm  of 
O.  Heinrich  and  Company,  and  is  the  oldest 
dealer  in  the  city,  having  opened  up  his  business 
here  February  2,  1855.  He  was  born  near  Dresden, 
Saxony,  Germany,  August  19,  1826,  was  educated 
there,  employed  as  a  clerk,  and  was  apprenticed  in 
a  wholesale  house  for  nine  years.  For  four  years 
he  then  worked  on  his  father's  farm.  At  this 
time  he  decided  to  come  to  this  country  and  left 
home  alone  in  1853,  coming  to  Mascoutah  111., 
and  engaging  there  in  the  lumber  business.  Our 
subject  was  married  to  Miss  Johanna  Lang,  living 
in  Belleville,  but  born  on  the  Rhine  in  Prussia, 
February  1,  1855,  and  who  came  over  in  1849,  Feb- 
ruary 2,  IS55,  he  (ipeiied  ijis  present  l)iisijiess    oi( 


192 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


tLe  same  pieuiises  he  now  occupies.  At  first  ]Mr. 
Heiuricli  owned  but  tliree  lots,  but  now  the  busi- 
ness occupies  thirteen  lots  on  South  Illinois  Street, 
corner  of  Sixth,  near  the  Cairo  Short  Line  tracks, 
where  the  firm  deals  in  all  kinds  of  lumber,  sa^li 
doors  and  blinds,  and  also  a  full  line  of  builder's 
material. 

Our  subject  is  Director  of  the  Belleville  Saving 
Bank  and  one  of  the  first  stockholders.  His  feel- 
ings on  political  and  secret  society  subjects  have 
kept  him  from  joining  in  eithei'.  Mr.  lleinrich 
lost  his  faithful  wife,  February-  o,  \S'JO,  and  only 
one  child,  Ida,  survives,  and  she  is  living  with  her 
father.  Her  sister  Meta,  wife  of  Theo.  Schmidt,  died 
in  Pittsburgh,  in  1891.  Mr.  Ileiurich  occupies  a 
very  nice  residence  on  the  corner  of  South  Illinois 
and  Fifth  Streets.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
St.  Paul  Free  German  Protestant  Church,  is  one 
of  our  best  Cicrman  residents,  and  enjoys  the  re- 
spect and  esteem  of  all  who  know  him. 


i>^-<i 


OHN  C.  SCrnilDT  is  a  farmer  residing  on 
section  24,  Millstadt  Township,  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  who  was  born    in    St.   Louis, 


^l'  Mo.,  on  tlie  28th  of  January,  1843.  The 
father  of  our  subject  bore  the  name  of  Phillip 
Schmidt,  and  his  mother  was  Rachel  Sibert.  The 
father  came  to  St.  Clair  County  and  bought  a  farm 
soon  after  his  son's  birth,  it  being  located  partly 
in  Millstadt  and  partly  in  Smithton  Townships. 
Here  our  subject  was  reared,  and  here  he  grew  to 
manhood.  Mr.  Schmidt  received  the  advantages 
which  were  afforded  by  the  schools  of  the  district, 
and  grew  up  witii  the  desire  and  intention  of  fol- 
lowing an  agricultural  life. 

In  due  time  he  began  to  think  of  a  domestic 
hearth  of  his  own, and  in  18G(!  he  became  the  proud 
and  happy  husband  of  Miss  Louisa  Kalbefleisch, 
daughter  of  Peter  Kalbefleisch,  a  resident  of  this 
county.  After  marriage  Mr.  Schmidt  moved  with 
his  wife  to  this  place,  which  he  rented  from  his 
father,  and  which  he  bought  of  the  estate  after  his 
fatlier's  deatlj.     lie  has  lived  here  ever  since,  a»id 


has  reared  a  family  of  seven  fine  children,  who  are 
named  as  follows:  Emma,  George,  August,  Louisa, 
Ida,  Edward  and  Bertha.  They  all  have  enjoyed 
school  advantages  and  will  probably  be  prominent 
people  in  the  couiitv  when  another  Rpxdui)  of  this 
kind  is  compiled. 

t)ur  subject  is  the  owner  of  eiglity  acres  of  land, 
upon  which  much  labor  and  expense  have  been 
lavished,  but  which  repays  him  with  magnificent 
cropsof  grain,  wheat  principally.  As  Mr.  Schmidt 
views  the  fine  fields  of  waving  yellow  grain,  he 
must  feel  in  a  great  measure  repaid  for  tiie  many 
toilsome  days  and  for  the  many  nights  when  the 
setting  sun  found  him  with  such  aching  muscles, 
that  sleep  seemed  impossible.  In  many  ways  Mr. 
Schmidt  is  a  fortunate  man,  and  in  none  more  so 
than  in  his  land,  which  yields  him  a  double  income. 
A  great  part  of  it  is  underlaid  with  coal  and  is 
very  valuable.  Besides  this,  he  has  a  coal  mine  in 
operation  upon  the  land.  Much  of  the  land  along 
this  part  of  the  State  is  rich  in  coal,  and  those  who 
possess  it  may  be  considered  among  the  most  for- 
tunate of  property  owners. 

The  improvements  on  the  farm  of  our  subject 
are  superior  to  those  to  be  found  on  many,  as  both 
shade  and  ornamental  trees  are  to  be  seen,  with 
quite  an  abundance  of  fruit,  while  the  fences  and 
buildings  are  quite  up  to  the  average  of  those  seen 
through  this  section  of  old  St.  Clair.  The  Luth- 
eran Church  is  the  one  in  which  the  family  of  Mr. 
Schmidt  finds  a  home,  in  which  association  they 
are  all  highly  regarded  as  good  and  Christian 
people. 

Politically,  our  subject  is  one  of  the  standi  sup- 
porters of  the  Republican  party  in  this  district. 
He  gives  his  vote  and  influence  to  this  party,  hav- 
ing confidence  in  its  leaders.  Of  late  years  Mr. 
Schmidt  has  taken  an  interest  in  and  has  joined 
the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  in  which 
body  he  is  considered  a  valuable  member.  He  has 
been  prominent  in  the  public  affairs  of  the  district, 
and  has  served  his  fellow-citizens  as  Commissioner 
of  Iligiiways,  as  District  Commissioner  and  as 
School  Director.  Mr.  Schmidt  has  always  done  his 
share  in  the  way  of  improvemement  and  is  con- 
sidered one  of  the  solid  men  of  this  part  of  the 
county, 


a 


Z£^'{^^l-2<n^l/7^2/^t^. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


195 


^  OL.  HUGO  WESTERMANN.  The  Gov- 
jlf^  ernnient  of  the  United  Stales  makes  very 
^^  careful  selections  when  the  appointment  of 
important  officials  comes  up,  and  in  this  case  no 
mistake  has  been  made.  The  revenue  is  a  very 
necessary  branch  of  public  affairs  and  those  who 
manage  it  must  be  men  of  education  and  judg- 
ment. Col.  Westermann  is  the  Deputy  Collector  of 
the  Thirteenth  District  of  Illinois,  to  whicii  office 
he  was  appointed  .July  31,  1889.  He  has  his  office 
and  headquarters  at  Belleville,  and  has  charge  of 
St.  Clair,  Monroe,  Randolph  and  Wasliington 
Counties. 

Hugo  AVestermann  was  born  in  Nassau,  Ger- 
many, December  3.  1827,  and  was  given  an  educa- 
tion at  the  Polytechnic  School  in  Carlsruhe,  Baden. 
In  1848,  lie  was  drafted  into  the  army  of  Nassau, 
and  served  during  the  War  of  Schleswig-Holstein 
for  one  and  a-half  3^ears  as  a  i)rivatc  soldier.  At 
the  expiration  of  that  time,  in  September,  .1849, 
he  started  for  America,  and  after  landing  came  on 
West  as  far  as  Belleville,  where  he  arrived  Januar}- 
2,  1850.  ■  It  did  not  take  long  for  one  of  his  pleas- 
ant appearance  to  obtain  employment,  and  he  im- 
mediately became  a  clerk  in  a  store  in  St.  Louis, 
but  soon  started  a  store  of  his  own  in  Belleville 
in  coni[)any  with  his  uncle  Rubach.  Here  he  con- 
tinued in  this  business  until  shortly  before  tiie 
breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War. 

When  the  guns  were  opened  on  .siuiitcr.  Col. 
Westermann  found  an  echo  in  his  lnea>t  which 
made  him  oneof  the  first  to  enlist.  He  w;i.-.  elected 
Second  Lieutenant  of  Company  A,  .Niulh  Illinois 
Infantry,  his  commission  being  dated  April  23, 
1861.  The  compan3r  was  first  sent  to  Springfield 
and  then  to  Cairo,  111.,  for  three  months'  service. 
At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he  went  out  of  that 
regiment  and  raised  Company  II,  Forty-lhinl  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  with  a  commission  of  Captain  from 
September  1,  1861.  His  regiment  was  sent  to  Sr- 
dalia.  Mo.,  and  from  there  to  St.  Louis  and  Ft. 
Henry.Ft.  Donelson  and  Shiloh;  then  to  ^■i(•Usl^^•t;, 
Helena.  Little  Kock,  relieving  lianks  at  (anion. 
Ark.,  and  then  retreating  to  the  river  for  the  liattle 
of  Jenkins  Ferry,  where  they  made  a  good  liuht. 
They  were  next  sent  back  to  Little  Rock. 

For  etticiencv    in   service   our  subiect  was  pro- 


moted to  the  rank  of  Major,  April  1,  1864.  and 
was  appointed  Lieutenant-Colonel  April  29,  1865. 
Fortunately  he  was  neither  captured  nor  wounded, 
although  he  saw  four  years  and  eight  months  of 
actual  service.  He  was  finally  mustered  out  De- 
cember 1,  1865.  Upon  his  return  to  Belleville  he 
engaged  as  cashier  in  a  dry-goods  store  and  then 
served  as  book-keeper  in  the  Belleville  Savinc^s 
Bank,  and  also  engaged  in  the  brick  business.  His 
appointment  as  Deputy  Collector  of  Internal 
Revenue  for  this  district  proves  the  possession  of 
peculiar  and  unusual  ability,  and  he  has  served  in 
that  position  with  fidelity  and  t.act. 

Col.  Westermann  married  Miss  Bertha  Abend,  a 
sister  of  the  President  of  the  Bank.  They  have 
two  living  children:  Dorette,  the  wife  of  Herman 
^loelier,  of  Indianapolis;  and  Pauline,  wife  of 
Frederick  Paro,  of  this  ciiy.  Col.  Westermann  is 
a  member  of  Hecker  Post,  G.  A.  R.  He  has  been  a 
brave  soldier  on  two  continents  and  deserves  the 
high  esteem  in  which  he  is  held  as  a  favorite  citi- 
zen and  public-spirited  man. 


€I^^^^|^;i^^ii 


CB.  CARROLL  LL.  11.  Among  the  promi- 
.  nent  young  men  and  successful  attorneys  of 
_^  F'ast  St.  Louis  is  our  subject,  whose  high 
reinitalion  and  material  prosperity  came  as  the 
reward  of  iinu>ual  iialinal  al)ilities  industrioush' 
aiii.lied.  II.-  wa<  n  near  Wood  River,  Mad- 
ison County,  111.,  on  the  19tli  of  September, 
185(!,  and  inherits  thecpiick  wit  and  native  polite- 
ness of  his  Irish  ancestors.  His  father,  John  B. 
Can-oil.  wa-  born  in  (^»ueen's  County,  Ireland,  June 
10.  1H32.  The  hitter's  father  was  a  battle-scarred 
\i-ti'ran  of  tlie  ill-fated  uprising  for  Irish  iude- 
pi'ndenie  in  1798.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  the 
urandfatlicr  <if  our  subject  left  home,  and  enlisted 
•ill  the  light  dragoons  of  the  I'.ritish  army.  With 
his  ciiniixuiy  he  participated  in  the  Crimean  War, 
and  as  a  member  of  the  "Light  Brigade"  was  one 
of  the  survivors  of  the  ill-fated  six  hundred  at 
I'.alaklava,  referred  to  l)v  Tennyson  in  the  follow. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Cannon  to  right  of  them, 
Cannon  to  left  of  them, 
Cannon  in  front  of  them, 
Volleyed  and  thundered. 
Stormed  at  with  shot  and  shell, 
Boldl}'  they  rode  and  well; 
Into  the  jaws  of  death, 
Into  the  mouth  of  hell. 
Rode  the  Six  Hundred. 

\l  the  end  of  his  service,  the  grandfather  re- 
turned to  the  farm  in  his  native  country  and  tilled 
the  soil  until  his  death.  He  was  an  active  man  in 
the  Irish  Revolution  of  1798  and  received  a  pike 
wound,  from  the  effects  of  which  lie  died  many 
years  later. 

The  father  of  our  subject  came  to  America  in 
1855,  and  at  Alton,  111.,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
McDonald.  About  1858,  he  opened  the  first  coal 
mine  in  Madison  Countj',  this  State.  After  the 
war  lie  engaged  in  farming,  and  in  1871  settled  in 
Kast  St.  Louis, where  his  death  occurred.  He  was  one 
of  the  most  upright  and  honorable  citizens  and  he 
never  had  a  nickel  or  a  dollar  that  he  did  not 
cheerfully  give  to  one  in  need.  He  never  pledged 
his  word  to  break  it,  and  was  ever  moved  by  the 
noblest  of  impulses.  A  friend  more  true,  a  husband 
or  father  more  kind  and  devoted,  never  departed 
this  life.  He  was  a  man  of  wonderful  constitution 
and  was  never  ill  until  his  last  sickness  in  1884. 
This  developed  into  pleuro-pneumonia  and  he 
passed  away  peacefully,  as  if  going  to  sleep,  with 
his  sorrowing  wife  and  children  around  him.  Thus 
passed  away  a  true,  brave,  and  generous-hearted 
man.  He  was  six  feet  in  height,  was  powerfully 
built,  and  was  the  champion  wrestler  of  the  times. 
He  was  Cit^- Marshal  of  East  St.  Louis  for  some 
tune.  Ill  religion  he  was  a  member  of  St.  Patrick's 
Church.  His  wife  was  born  in  Cavan,  Ireland,  and 
her  father  died  during  the  cholera  of  1844,  at  St. 
Louis,  whither  lie  had  moved  a  number  of  years 
previously.  Mrs.  Carroll  now  resides  in  East  St. 
Louis  and  five  of  her  children  are  living. 

Until  nineteen  years  of  age,  our  subject  remained 
on  the  farm  and  attended  the  common  school.  In 
1871,  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis  and  clerked  in  a 
grocery  store  for  some  time,  but  at  the  same  time 
Mttended  night  school.  Later  he  entered  the  High 
."•i-litioj  in  the  city,  and  when  about  twentv  years  of 


age  began  learning  the  printer's  trade  in  IheofBce 
of  the  East  St.  Louis  Gazette,  remaining  there  for 
five  years,  when  he  became  the  head  of  affairs. 
Later  he  began  teaching  school  in  the  city  and 
after  following  this  for  eight  years,  four  years  of 
the  time  of  which  he  was  principal  of  the  schools, 
he  began  the  study  of  law  under  the  dean  of  Mc- 
Kendree  College,  Col.  Horner.  In  1887,  he  entered 
the  Law  College  and  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
LL.  B.  in  1889.  Afterward  he  was  employed  on 
the  Post-Dispatch  of  St.  Louis,  also  the  Olobe-Dem- 
ocrat,  and  was  actively  engaged  in  his  practice. 

In  the  spring  of  1891,  he  was  elected  City  At- 
torney on  the  Citizen's  Ticket  and  since  then  has 
held  that  position.  His  nuptials  with  Miss  Mary 
Barron,  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  were  celebrated  in 
the  3'ear  1880,  and  four  children  have  blessed  this 
union:  Hazel,  Charles,  Audrey  and  Percy.  Mrs. 
Carroll's  father,  Capt.  James  Barron,  was  a  plaster- 
ing contractor.  In  his  political  views,  ^Vlr.  Carroll 
is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  he  and  wife  are  worthy 
members  of  St.  Patrick's  Church. 


-^^^^^^<^^-^r^ 


Cj^ARL  MONTAG,  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  Mascoulah  Herald,  and  one  of  the 
if'  prominent  and  influential  citizens  of  Mas- 
coutah,  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of  the 
city  which  is  still  his  home.  He  was  born  October 
6,  1861,  and  is  a  son  of  Louis  Carl  Montag,  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  who,  in  1848,  came  to  this 
country.  After  a  short  period  spent  in  New 
York,  he  came  direct  to  St.  Clair  County,  locating 
in  Mascoutah.  He  was  a  builder  and  contractor, 
and  followed  liis  trade  here  until  his  death.  He 
also  owned  and  operated  a  lumber  yard  in  this 
place.  He  was  called  to  his  final  rest  May  7, 
1865,  but  his  widow  still  survives  him.  L'nto  this 
worthy  couple  were  born  four  children,  three  of 
whom  are  yet  living:  Jacob,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Piatt  County,  111.;  Mrs.  J.  N.  t^uick,  who  resides  in 
Hazelton,  Kan.;  and  Carl,  of  this  sketch. 

Our  subject  spent  his  boyhood    days    under  the 
parental  roof,  and  the  public  schools  afforded  hini 


PORTRAIT  AND  l^IOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


197 


his  educational  privileges.  However,  at  the  age 
of  thirteen,  he  left  school  and  entered  the  print- 
ing office  of  the  Mascoutah  Banner,  there  remain- 
ing about  two  months.  The  same  3-ear  another 
paper  was  started,  called  the  Mascoutah  Enterprise, 
and  he  entered  the  new  office,  but  after  a  short 
time  the  publication  of  the  paper  was  discontinued 
and  Mr.  Montag  secured  a  i)Osition  on  the  staff  of 
tlie  Lebanon  Journal,  with  which  he  was  connected 
foi-  about  a  year.  On  the  expiration  of  that  per- 
iod he  entered  the  office  of  a  new  German  paper, 
the  Mascoutah  Anzeiger,  with  which  he  was  con- 
nected for  a  year  and  a  half.  The  succeeding 
year  of  his  life  was  then  spent  in  the  grain  busi- 
ness, after  wiiich  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he 
worked  as  a  journeyman  printer.  We  next  find 
him  in  Chicago,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade 
until  the  fall  of  1882.  He  was  then  emploj'ed  on 
the  Cleveland  Leader,  of  Cleveland,  Ohio,  after 
which  he  went  New  York  City,  where  he  worked 
at  his  trade  for  a  year. 

On  the  expiration  of  that  period,  Mr.  Montag  ! 
returned  to  Mascoutah,  where  he  spent  a  year,  and 
then  went  to  Lebanon,  where  he  purchased  the  Leb- 
anon Herakl,  publishing  that  paper  until  January, 
1885,  when  he  discontinued  tlie  same,  removed 
the  plant  to  Mascoutah,  and  established  the  Mas- 
coutah Herald,  of  which  he  has  since  been  editor 
and  proprietor.  It  is  a  bright,  newsy  sheet,  well 
conducted.  It  is  published  every  Friday,  and  has 
a  large  subscription  list,  which  is  well  deserved. 

June  18, 1891,  Mr.Mon tag  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Adam  Pfaff.  This 
worthy  couple  aie  highly  respected  throughout  the 
community  in  which  they  reside,  and  rank  high  in 
the  circles  of  society  in  which  the}-  move.  In  pol- 
itics, Mr.  Montag  is»a  stalwart  Democrat, doing  all 
in  his  power  for  the  growth  and  success  of  the 
part3'.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Congressional 
Central  Committee  and  the  County  Central  Com- 
mittee. He  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace,  to  which  he  was  elected  in  1886  and  again 
in  1888.  He  was  also  City  Clerk  from  May,  1889, 
until  May,  1891,  discharging  his  duties  witli 
promptness  and  tidelity,  to  the  credit  of  liimsolf 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constitaents.  So- 
ciftUv,  he  is  !^  twember  of  the  Od<}  FeUows'  society, 


and  of  the  Knights  of  Honor.  Mr.  Montag  is  a 
IHiblie-spirited  and  progressive  citizen,  who  takes 
an  active  interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare 
of  tlie  community  and  uses  his  influence  for  its 
benefit. 


^jr/UGUST  J.  MILLER,  a  very  prominent 
V    I     ^^^  general   f.irmer    and    stock-raiser    of 

///  li  this  section,  is  located  on  section  5,  Free- 
^^  burg  Township.     Here  he  has  a  fine  farm, 

and  one  point  upon  the  place  is  the  highest  land 
in  the  county,  and  has  been  utilized  by  the  United 
States  as  an  observatory-. 

Our  subject  is  the  son  of  Bolcer  Miller,  who  was 
born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  where  he 
was  reared  and  married.  The  name  of  the  mother 
of  our  subject  was  Margaret  Stugert.  Mr.  Miller, 
the  father  of  our  subject,  came  to  this  country 
in  1831,  and  first  entered  eighty  acres  of  land 
of  the  (iovernraent,  and  there  lived  until  his 
death.  He  believed  that  -'a  rolling  stone  gathers 
no  moss,"  and  in  his  case  he  found  that  it  was  bet- 
ter to  find  a  home  and  stay  there,  and  put  all  of 
his  energies  in  one  place.  Here  he  reared  a  familj' 
of  seven  children,  and  died  in  1875.  Those  of  his 
children  living  are:  our  subject;  John,  who  lives 
in  Freeburg  Township;  Ilenr}',  who  lives  near  Leb- 
anon, 111.,  and  .\dam,  who  resides  in  this  State. 
Those  who  have  passed  away  are  Balsec.  Christena 
and  Jacob. 

Our  subject  was  born  September  15,  1838,  on 
the  old  home  place.  He  attended  the  public 
schools  and  there  received  his  education.  In 
1868,  Miss  Margaret  Hamann  became  his  wife. 
She  was  the  daughter  of  George  H.  Hamann,  a 
farmer  of  this  county.  After  his  marriage,  our 
subject  settled  on  this  place,  and  has  lived  here 
ever  since.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  had  a  fam- 
ily of  eight  children;  those  who  have  been 
taken  from  them  by  death  are  Lena,  Amelia,  Ida 
and  liertha;and  those  who  still  remain  are:  .lulius. 
Otto,  Kmma  and  .\nnie. 

Mr.  Miller  has  one  hundred  and  seventy-five 
acres  of  hmd.  :\\\  well  jiiiproved  and  in  :\  fine  stiUf 


198 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRArHICAL  RECORD. 


of  cultivation.  Politically,  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  socially  he  belongs  to  the  Farmers'  Mutual 
Benevolent  Association,  in  which  he  has  been  an 
active  worker.  He  has  been  honored  by  his  dis- 
trict by  being  selected  as  a  Director  of  the  schools, 
and  is  everywhere  regarded  as  a  man  of  good 
judgment  and  strict  morality. 


J/ AMES  W.  KIKK,  City  Comptroller  andEd- 
I  itor  of  the  Journal,  has  been  a  prominent 
I  f.ictor  in  the  upbuilding  of  the  city  of  East 
^  St.  Louis,  and  is  one  of  the  representative 
men.  He  was  born  in  South  Byron,  Genesee  Count}', 
N.  Y.,  on  the  1st  of  April,  1848,  and  is  of  Irish 
descent,  his  father,  Thomas  Kirk,  and  his  grand- 
father, Patrick  Kirk,  being  natives  of  the  Emerald 
Isle.  The  grandfather  was  engaged  in  the  dairy 
business  in  his  native  country,  but  at  an  early 
date  brought  his  family  to  America  and  located  in 
Vermont,  where  he  continued  his  former  occupa- 
tion. Later,  he  came  to  Genesee  County.  N.  Y.. 
was  engaged  in  the  dairy  business  there,  and  there 
he  died  when  eighty-one  years  of  age.  His 
wife  lived  to  be  one  hundred  and  two  3'ears  of  age. 
The  Kirk  family  was  originally  from  Scotland. 

Thomas  Kirk,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
1812,  passed  his  boyhood  and  youth  in  Vermont, 
and  came  with  his  parents  to  Genesee  County,  N.  Y, 
wliere  lie  assisted  on  the  farm  and  in  the  dairy 
business  until  the  New  York  Central  Railroad  was 
built,  when  he  engaged  in  contracting  and  build- 
ing between  Rochester  and  Buffalo.  After  its  com- 
pletion, he  was  Assistant  Superintendent  on  this 
road  for  years,  but  finally  retired  to  Bergen,  and 
there  died.  In  religion  lie  was  a  Catholic,  and  in 
politics,  a  stanch  Democrat.  His  wife,  who  was 
formerly  Miss  Susan  McDonald,  was  born  in  Ireland 
in  1824,  and  while  young  came  with  her  parents  to 
America.  She  is  now  a  resident  of  Rochester,  N.  Y. 
Of  the  eleven  children  born  to  tliis  worthy  couple, 
ten  are  living  at  the  present  time,  and  our  subject 
i>  tlie  eldest. 


Our  subject  was  reared  in  South  Byron,  N.  Y., 
and  since  the  age  of  fifteen  years  has  been  con- 
nected with  newspapers.  He  received  his  educa- 
tional advantages  in  the  common  schools  and  later 
began  clerking  in  a  diy-goods  store,  thus  accumu- 
lating sufficient  means  to  enable  him  to  obtain  a 
better  education.  He  attended  the  Collegiate  In- 
stitute at  Batavia,  and  when  seventeen  years  of 
age  entered  the  State  Normal  at  Brockport,  from 
which  institution  he  was  graduated  in  1869.  He 
had  taught  during  this  time  in  the  public  and 
Normal  Scliools,  and  after  graduating  he  received 
a  State  certificate,  afterward  teaching  at  Byron  and 
Bergen,  where  he  was  Principal  until  1871. 

In  April,  1871,  he  came  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  just 
after  the  great  tornado,  and  was  employed  for  a 
short  time  by  the  A.  Sumner  Piano  and  Sewing  Ma- 
chine Company.  He  was  sent  to  Kansas  City  for 
a  few  weeks,'  and  after  returning  came  to  East 
St.  Louis,  at  a  time  when  the  city  was  beginning  to 
improve  a  little.  This  was  in  August,  1871.  He 
went  on  the  St.  Louis  Daily  Times  as  a  reporter 
from  St.  Clair  County,  East  St.  Louis  and  Belle- 
ville, and  later  was  with  other  St.  Louis  papers 
and  with  the  East  St.  Louis  Gazelle  as  a  writer  and 
reporter  until  1885.  He  earned  an  enviable  repu- 
tation as  a  writer,  his  articles  being  extensively 
copied,  and  in  that  year  leased  the  East  St.  Louis 
Gazelle,  which  he  edited  until  the  1st  of  January, 
1889. 

Previous  to  this,  however,  in  1872,  lie  was  ap- 
pointed City  .\uditor  by  the  Mayor,  and  held  tliat 
position  in  a  capable  manner  for  five  years,  or  un- 
til 1877,  when  he  became  Librarian  of  the  Public 
Libraiy,  filling  that  position  for  eighteen  months. 
After  this  he  became  Assistant  City  Clerk,  and 
held  that  position  for  three  yeafs.  During  the"dark 
days"  of  East  St.  Louis  he  was  reporter  on  the 
St.  Louis  Republican  and  Globe-Dmnocrat,  and  he, 
with  Mayor  Stephens  and  others,  united  to  form  a 
new  eitj-  government.  This  new  law  was  adopted 
in  tiie  fall  of  1886.  After  leaving  the  Gazette,  Mr. 
Kirk  established  the  East  St.  Louis  Journal,  edited 
it  under  that  name  for  a  year,  and  then  changed  it 
to  the  Daily  Journal  in  March,  1890.  and  is  con- 
ducting it  at  the  present  time. 

In  April,  1887,  he  was  appointed  City    Auditor 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


by  Mayor  Stephens,  and  in  September,  1888,  he 
was  appointed  City  Comptroller.  Mr.  Kirk  owns 
considerable  real  estate  in  the  city,  including  tlie 
Journal  office,  wliich  is  a  two-story  liricic  on  Broad- 
way, at  the  liead  of  Collinsville,  and  his  handsome 
residence  on  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  Mr.  Kiik  was 
married  in  East  St.  Louis  to  Mrs.  Mary  (Pow- 
ers) Godin,  a  native  of  Providence,  R.  I.,  and  tbe 
daughter  of  .John  Powers,  who  was  a  joiner  in  roll- 
ing mills.  She  had  one  son  by  her  foi'mer  marriage, 
William  J.  Godin,  who  is  pressman  in  the  Journal 
office.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kirk  have  one  child,  Susie. 
Mr.  Kirk  is  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  has  been 
a  delegate  to  county  and  State  conventions  fre- 
quently. He  has  been  a  leading  spirit  among  the 
Democrats  of  the  city  and  county  since  1871,  and 
has  rendered  the  city  great  and  valuable  service. 
For  several  years  he  was  a  member  and  Secretary 
of  the  County  Democratic  Committee.  Much 
might  have  been  written  of  the  public  life  of  Mr. 
Kirk,  of  the  predictions  that  have  been  fulfilled, 
and  of  the  numberless  occasions  where  his  opinions, 
held  in  opposition  by  the  wayward  views  of  the 
unthinking  public,  have  been  justified  by  results; 
but  a  recital  would  not  be  approved  by  him.  He 
is  one  of  the  county's  most  influential  citizens, 
and  is  a  pleasant,  genial  gentleman.  He  and  Mrs. 
Kirk  are  members  of  the  St.  Patrick's  Catholic 
Church. 


/^  HARLES  DEXTER.  The  adventurous  life 
(11  ^L  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  cannot  half  be 
^^/  told  in  the  limits  permitted  by  the  publish- 
ers of  the  record  of  prominent  men  of  St.  Clair 
County,  but  this  record  would  be  very  incomplete 
if  there  was  no  mention  made  of  it.  Thirty-eight 
years  seem  a  short  time  in  which  to  accomplish  so 
much,  but  that  is  the  length  of  time  that  has 
elapsed  since  our  subject  first  saw  the  light  in  Lan- 
caster, N.  H.  He  was  the  son  of  Charles  W.  Dexter, 
who  was  a  very  important  man  in  his  native  place. 
The  stock  was  good,  the  grandfather,  Horace,  hav- 
ing been  a  direct  descendant  from  a  "Mayflower" 


family.  The  latter,  born  in  Massachusetts,  fought  in 
the  War  of  1812,  and  spent  many  years  of  his  life  as 
Captain  of  an  ocean  steamer.  He  finally  came 
home  to  Lancaster  and  ended  his  days  there. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Dexter,  of  this  notice,  became 
Editor  of  the  Lancaster  Weekly  and  was  also  the 
Recorder  of  Deeds  of  the  county  and  held  other 
offices.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Caroline 
Smith,  who  was  born  in  New  Hampshire.  Her  fa- 
ther had  served  as  a  drummer  boy  in  tlie  War  of 
1812,  and  was  a  saddler  by  trade.  Both  parents 
have  passed  off  the  stage  of  life.  Two  children 
were  the  result  of  their  union,  Bennett  W.,  who  re- 
sides in  Minneapolis,  and  our  subject.  The  latter 
was  1  eared  in  Lancaster  and  graduated  from  the 
High  School  there.  He  then  entered  a  preparatory 
school  at  New  Hampton  and  in  the  .year  1874  he 
entered  Dartmouth  College.  While  here  he  dis- 
played special  talent  in  the  geological  researches 
and  was  employed  by  the  United  States  Geological 
Survey  Corps  to  assist  during  vacations  in  the 
(Geodetic  Coast  Survey.  In  1879,  he  graduated 
with  the  degree  of  A.  B.,  and  then  came  West  as 
far  as  Charles  City,  Iowa,  and  then  spent  one  year 
in  travel. 

Daring  his  travels  he  penetrated  into  the  wild 
country  in  New  Mexico,  where  the  Apaches  were 
giving  the  troops  much  trouble,  and  with  the  spirit 
of  youth  and  the  daring  of  a  man,  he  joined  the  re- 
gular army  on  the  frequent  scouting  expeditions 
and  had  some  narrow  escapes  from  capture.  He 
was  on  the  Government  Survey  and  went  through 
Arizona  when  the  Indians  were  in  one  of  their 
most  serious  outbreaks.  He  was  exposed  both  to 
the  wild  animals,  which  still  roamed  over  those 
virgin  forests  and  to  the  reptiles,  but  the  great- 
est peril  was  from  the  treacherous  Indian.  His 
work  in  prospecting  and  geologizing  was  so  satis- 
factory that  he  was  offered  the  appointment  of  De- 
puty Mineral  Surveyor,  but  by  that  time  his  most 
ardent  desire  was  to  get  back  to  civilization.  In 
1881,  he  reached  Minneapolis,  just  at  the  time  the 
great  real-estate  boom  struck  the  city,  and  he 
immediately  purchased  land  and  laid  out  three 
additions,  Vinton  Heights,  St.  Louis  Park,  and 
Minnetonka  Heights.  Here  he  continued  in  the 
same  lucrative  business  until  the   real-estate  boom 


200 


i-ORTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICIAL   RECORD. 


struck  Denver  and  there  he  went  and  managed 
some  large  transactions.  He  laid  out  two  addi- 
tions, South  View  Park  and  Montressor  Park,  and 
after  this  was  all  satisfactoril3'  attended  to  he  went 
to  the  Pacific  Coast,  and  then  returned  to  Minnea- 
polis, but  in  December,  1889  he  located  in  East  St. 
Louis.  He  has  ten  acres  on  Tenth  Street,  on 
Broad  wa3%  which  he  platted  as  Dexter 's  First  Addi- 
tion; then  he  added  Dexter's  Second  Addition  and 
later  Dexter's  Third  Addition,  and  McDonald's 
East  Clearmont  Addition.  He  handles  only  his 
own  property  and  has  built  about  one  hundred 
residences  here.  He  has  his  office  in  the  Opera 
House  Block  and  owns  a  house  in  St.  Louis.  He 
still  has  interests  in  Minneapolis,  Denver,  Kansas 
City,  Chicago  and  other  points. 

Our  interesting  subject  made  a  great  step  for- 
ward in  1881  by  his  marriage.  The  charming  lady 
was  Miss  W^'llian  Knapp,  born  and  educated  in 
Charles  Citj-,  Iowa.  He  is  a  strong  Republican 
and  can  give  many  reasons  in  his  cheery  style  why 
he  is  one.  He  belongs  to  the  I^nitarian  Club  of 
St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Dexter  is  a  fine  conversationalist  and  his  de- 
scriptions of  killing  deer  and  bear,  and  of  marching 
one  hundred  and  even  two  liundred  miles  without 
sleep  with  loaded  muskets,  when  on  the  way  to  Ft. 
Stanton,  are  ver}'  thrilling.  He  is  one  of  the  most 
successful  business  men  of  this  place. 


1  MIL  J.  EGGMANN,  lawyer,  and  State  In- 
spector of  the  National  Stock  Yards  at  East 
St.  Louis.  Among  those  who  rank  deserv- 
edly high  in  the  profession  of  law  is  Emil  J.  Egg- 
mann,  who  was  born  in  Switzerland,  March  5, 
1844, to  Conrad  Eggmann,  who  was  born  at  Ro- 
manshorn,on  Lake  Constance,  Switzerland,  and  was 
a  seaman  by  calling,  which  life  he  commenced  to 
follow  when  a  boy.  He  sailed  around  the  world, 
and  made  many  voyages  to  different  countries. 
He  later  became  first  officer  and  then  cashier  of  a 
steamer'on  the  lakes  in  Switzerland,  and  still  later 
became  harbor-master  at  Romanshorn.     He  died  at 


the  age  of  sixty-six  years.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, who  was  .also  Conrad  Eggmann,  followed 
the  calling  of  a  farmer  and  fisherman,  and  died 
when  about  sevent3^-five  years. 

The    mother    of    Emil  ,1.  Eggmann    was    Anna 

I  Kathrina  .Jeanrenaud,  who  was  of  French  de.scent, 
but  was  born  in   Switzerland.     Emil   J.   Eggmann 

j    was  the  only  scion  of  his   father's  house,  and  was 

j  reared  in  the  large  manufacturing  town  of  St. 
Gallen,   where  he  first  attended    the  gymnasium, 

I   and  afterward   the  polytechnic  school,    where    he 

j  completed  the  prescribed  course.  Following  this, 
he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  mercantile  house  for 

I   some    time,    then    spent    two   years    in    traveling 

j  through  Southern  Europe.  He  was  a  fluent  speaker 
of  both  German  and  French,  and  therefore  derived 
much  more  benefit  from  his  tiavels  than  he  other- 
wise would.  At  the  age  of  iiiiit'tcen  years  he  came 
to  America,  deciding  to  dn  ><)  wliilc  in  England, 
and  with  this  end  in  view,  he  returned  to  Belgium, 

I  sailing  from  Antwerp  in  January,  1864.  and  land- 
ing at  New  York.  The  Civil  War  in  this  country 
was  then  in  progress,  and  Mr.  Eggmann  at  once 
enlisted  in  Company  F,  Eleventh  New  Jersey  In- 
fantry, under  the  name  of  Emile  Jeanrenaud,  and 

I    was   mustered   in  at  Newark  in  November,  1864. 

t  He  joined  his  regiment  in  front  of  Petersburg,  and 
served  until  the  close  of  the  war.  He  was  in  the 
Grand  Review  at  AVashington,  D.  C,  and  received 

j    his  discharge  in  July,  1865. 

In  the  fall  of  that  year,  he  went  to  St.  Louis, 
Mo.,  and  a  short  time  after  engaged  in  the  general 
mercantile  business  at  Meredosia,  III.,  but  six  months 
later  began   clerking  in   St.  Louis.    September  19, 

)  1866,  he  located  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  after  a  few 
3'ears  spent  as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store  he  began 
in  the  same  capacity  in  a  hardware  establish- 
ment, and  although  he  experienced  manj-  ups 
and  downs,  he  in  the  main  was  successful.  In 
1872,  he  was  elected  to  the  position  of  Justice  of 
the  Peace,  and  during  the  four  years  that  he  filled 
this  position,  he  dispensed  justice  with  an  impar- 
tial hand.  He  was  also  appointed  as  Notary,  and 
soon  began  the  study  of  law  under  L.  H.  Hite, 
practicing  in  the  Probate  Courts,  and  in  1 890  was 
admitted  to  the  Bar.  After  his  term  of  Notary 
had  expired,  he   was  appointed   by   Gov.   Oglesby 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


as  State  Officer  for  the  Prevention  of  Cruelty  to 
Animals  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  held  this  position 
three  and  a  lialf  years.  In  1890,  he  received  the 
appointment  from  Gov.  Fifer  as  Public  Adminis- 
trator for  St.  Clair  County,  and  in  February,  1892, 
lie  was  appointed  by  the  State  Board  of  Live  Stock 
Commissioners  to  his  present  position,  which  he  is 
ably  filling,  and  which  occupies  much  of  his  time. 
Our  subject's  marriage  to  Miss  Caroline  Manewal 
took  pla(e  in  St.  Louis  in  1866.  She  was  born  in 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  and  has  become  the 
mother  of  nine  children:  Emil  W.,  who  is  study- 
ing law  in  St.  Louis;  Dr.  Jerry  P.,  who  is  a  prac- 
ticing ph3sician  of  Chicago;  Horace  .T.,  a  school 
teacher  of  this  city;  Katie  A., Elvira, George, Aug- 
ust M.,  Tancred  C.  and  Richard  J.  Mr.  Eggmann 
is  a  Knight  Templar  in  the  Ancient,  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons;  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  the  Ancient  Order  of 
United  Workmen;  the  Mystic  Shrine;  and  the  Or- 
der of  Owls.  He  is  a  Republican,  politically,  and 
belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He 
and  his  family  attend  the  Evangelical  Lutlieran 
Church. 


"^t^  R.  H.  J.  deHAAN,  one  of  the  most  em- 
inent of  Western  physicians,  and,  in  all 
the  term  implies,  one  of  the  most  success- 
ful practitioners  of  medicine  in  the  city 
of  East  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  May 
24,  1858,  a  son  of  .].  J.  de  Haan,  who  was  born  in 
Coin,  Germany.  At  the  age  of  seven  years,  the 
latter  began  attending  the  Latin  school  of  Coin, 
where  he  acquired  a  good  education,  and,  upon  at- 
taining the  required  age,  he  enlisted  in  the  Ger- 
man army,  and  during  the  nine  years  he  was  in 
the  service  attained  to  considerable  rank.  He 
served  in  the  Revolution  of  1848,  in  the  King's 
Guards  in  Berlin,  and  was  later  honorably  dis- 
charged at  Coin.  In  1857,  he  came  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  with  his  wife,  and  became  manager  for 
the  Saler  Publishing  House,  the  largest  German 
establishment   of   the  kind  in  the  West.     In  1865, 


he  located  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  two  years  later 
became  a  real-estate  agent,  and  afterward  general 
paymaster  for  the  Wiggins  Feriy  Company,  but 
resigned  in  1889,  and  has  since  lived  in  retirement 
at  liis  pleasant  and  comfortable  residence  at  No. 
70  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  His  wife  was  Catherine 
Rudtge,  a  native  of  Coblentz,  Germany,  and  by 
iier  lie  became  tlie  father  of  two  sons  and  three 
daughters,  one  son  being  now  deceased.  The 
paternal  grandfather  was  bom  in  Holland  and  be- 
came well  known  as  an  architect  of  more  liian  or- 
dinary' ability. 

Dr.  H.  J.  deHaan  spent  the  first  nine  years  of 
his  life  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  although  he  after- 
ward became  a  resident  of  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  he 
still  continued  to  pursue  his  studies  in  St.  Louis, 
where  he  first  attended  a  German  institution, 
hiter  entering  the  Sacred  Heart  College  at  Ruma, 
III.,  where  he  graduated  in  the  Latin  course  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years.  Succeeding  this,  he 
was  for  about  three  years  Assistant  Railroad  Agent 
for  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Company,  at  the  end  of 
which  time,  as  it  had  always  been  his  desire  to 
study  medicine,  he  became  a  disciple  of  Esculapius 
in  St.  Louis,  under  the  able  instruction  of  Dr. 
Prewitt,  and  in  1881  entered  the  Missouri  Medical 
College,  in  which  he  remained  until  1883.  In 
order  to  further  perfect  himself  in  his  profession, 
he  went  to  Berlin,  Germany,  in  the  spring  of  1883. 
While  an  attendant  of  Berlin  University,  one 
of  the  professors  under  whom  he  studied  was  the 
now  celebrated  Dr.  Koch.  He  graduated  in  1885, 
with  the  degree  of  M.  D.,  and  soon  after  returned 
to  East  St.  Louis,  not,  however,  before  he  had 
traveled  over  the  most  of  the  Continent  and  had 
taken  special  medical  courses  in  Vienna,  Paris  and 
London. 

Our  subject  is  familiar  with  both  German  and 
French,  and  this  aided  him  largely  in  his  deter- 
mination to  avail  himself  of  every  opportunity 
which  presented  itself  to  increase  his  practical 
knowledge  of  his  profession,  and,  in  pursuance  of 
this  design,  he  attended  the  International  Medi- 
cal Congress  at  Copenhagen  in  1884,  and  after- 
ward visited  the  principal  points  of  interest  in 
the  Scandinavian  Peninsula.  In  1885,  he  opened 
an  office  in  the  First  National  Bank  Building  and 


202 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRArillC'AL   RECORD. 


entered  upon  the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  it 
was  not  long  before  the  public  began  showing  its 
appreciation  of  his  ability,  liis  earnest  effort,  and 
his  conscientious  devotion  to  the  duties  of  his 
profession,  as  it  always  shows  appreciation  of  gen- 
uine merit.  Witli  professional  skill  wliich  brought 
him  the  best  class  of  patronage,  he  combines  the 
tact  which  makes  fast  friends  of  the  patients  who 
come  to  him  for  treatment,  and  tlie  closest  and 
most  assiduous  attention  to  business  has  swelled 
his  annual  income  to  goodly  proportions.  This 
has  also  been  increased  by  judicious  investments 
in  real  estate,  in  which  business  he  has  sluiwn  him- 
self shrewd  and  far  seeing. 

Our  subject  was  the  prime  mover  in  establishing 
St.  Mary's  Hospital  in  1889,  and  since  June,  1890, 
he  has  been  its  Surgeon.  He  was  married  in 
1886  to  Miss  Nell  Bergen,  who  was  born  in  Litch- 
field, 111.,  and  by  her  has  three  bright  children: 
Adrian,  Nellie  and  Marie.  He  has  recently  been 
bereft  of  his  wife,  whose  untimely  demise  occurred 
in  1891.  The  Doctor  has  a  pleasant  home  at  the 
corner  of  Seventh  Street  and  Pennsylvania  Ave- 
nue, and  is  in  receipt  of  a  handsome  income  from 
his  real-estate  ventures  and  practice.  He  did 
much  to  boom  the  town,  and  has  ever  been  one  of 
its  most  enterprising  citizens.  He  is  a  member 
of  St.  Henry's  Church,  and  is  a  Democrat  polit- 
ically. 


R.  ALEXANDER  FEKETE,  the  efficient 
IjJ  Postmaster  of  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  and  a 
well-known  physician  of  this  section,  was 
born  in  Buda  Pesth,  Hungary,  December 
2,  1827,  of  which  country  his  father,  Louis  Fekete, 
was  a  Government  officer.  Tiie  latter  died  in  the 
'40s.  His  wife,  Elizabeth  Sabo,  was  born  there  and 
bore  her  husband  five  children,  of  whom  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  the  youngest,  and  is  the  only  one 
now  living.  Dr.  Alexander  Fekete  was  reared  and 
educated  in  the  gymnasium  under  Jesuit  instruc- 
tion, and,  after  completing  his  course  there  in 
1845,  he  entered  tlie  University  of  Vienna  as  a 
medical  student;  but  at  the  end  of  three  years  he 


became  involved  in  the  Revolution  of  1848,  in 
which  he  served  during  tiie  eighteen  months  that 
it  was  in  progress.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Le- 
gion of  Vienna,  became  First  Lieutenant,  and  was 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Hermannstadt,  on  the 
10th  of  January,  1849.  His  wound  was  in  the 
left  thigh,  whicii  prevented  him  from  making  his 
escape,  and  he  was  taken  prisoner.  Three  months 
later,  he  effected  his  escape,  and  made  his  way 
to  Turkey;  in  tlic  spring  of  1850  he  left  Con- 
stantinople with  Kossuth,  on  board  an  American 
vessel  of  war,  and  for  some  time  thereafter  was  in 
the  liospitals  of  London. 

In  tiie  fall  of  1850,  he  crossed  the  Atlantic  to 
America  and  reached  New  York  at  the  end  of  six 
weeks.  He  became  a  clerk  in  a  drug  establish- 
ment in  that  city,  but  in  18.52  came  AVest  to  St. 
i>ouis.  Mo.,  where  he  followed  the  same  occupa- 
tion, and  completed  his  medical  studies,  which  had 
been  so  seriously  interrupted.  He  graduated  as  an 
M.  D.  in  1854  at  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College, 
after  which  he  located  in  Clinton  County, and  was 
married  the  same  year  to  Miss  Kate  Fisher,  who 
was  born  in  Kentucky,  a  daughter  of  William 
Fisher,  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  whose  father  had  been 
a  Revolutionary  soldier,  as  was  also  lier  maternal 
grandfather.  Dr.  Fekete  remained  in  Aviston,  111., 
for  about  five  years,  and  was  then  a  resident  of 
Marine,  Madison  County,  until  the  opening  of  the 
Civil  War.  May  19,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  the  ser- 
vice, and  was  made  Assistant  Surgeon  of  the  Fifth 
jMi?>c.uii  C.n  airy,  and  was  in  Missouri,  Kansas  and 
Avkan-a-  li-liiiiiu  luishwhackers.  In  1864,  he  be- 
came Snrucnn  (if  the  regiment,  with  the  rank  of 
Major,  and  on  tlie  14th  of  April,  1865,  was  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service  at  Rolla,  Mo.,  the  same 
night  that  President  Lincoln  was  assassinated. 

About  May  26,  Dr.  Fekete  located  in  East  St. 
Louis,  and  for  many  years  thereafter,  while  on  his 
long  rides  over  the  country  to  visit  his  patients,  he 
carried  his  drugs  in  his  saddle  bags.  As  a  medi- 
cal practitioner,  he  has  shown  the  sarue  tenacity  of 
purpose  and  the  same  devotion  to  duty  that  he 
showed  upon  the  field  of  battle  in  two  hemispheres, 
and  Ills  painstaking  professional  effort  has  placed 
him  in  an  independent  financial  condition.  He 
is  a  practitioner  of  the  homeopathic   school,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


205 


has  been  since  1877.  In  the  year  1880,  he  made  the 
race  for  County  Coroner  on  the  ftarfield  ticket, 
but  the  county  was  largely  Democratic,  and  he  was 
defeated  by  a  small  majority.  In  December,  1889, 
he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  East  St.  Louis  by 
President  Harrison,  and  on  tlie  1st  of  February, 
1890,  he  entered  upon  his  duties.  At  that  time  it 
was  a  third-class  office,  but  it  is  now  second-ciass, 
and  has  a  free  delivery. 

The  Doctor  has  a  pleasant  residence  at  No.  22.3 
Collinsville  Avenue,  where  he  and  his  family  dis- 
pense a  refined  hospitality.  He  has  two  children, 
Thomas  L.  and  Ida  M.  The  Doctor  has  been  As- 
sistant County  Physician  for  years, and  was  Health 
Officer  also  for  some  years.  Politically,  ho  is  a 
strong  Republican. 


CSn  ONRAD  REINECKE,  of  Belleville,  isPresi- 
dent  and  owner  of  the  majority  of  stock  in 
_^J  the  Reinecke  Coal  Company,  beside  which 
he  owns  extensive  mining  interests  nearthe  Louis- 
ville &  Nashville  Depot  and  at  Madisonville, 
Ky.  Born  in  Martsausen,  Kurhessen,  Germany, 
May  19,  1844,  our  subject  is  a  son  of  Frederick 
and  Mary  (Gundlach)  Reinecke,  who  became  resi- 
dents of  Belleville,  111.,  in  1850.  The  fatiier  had 
learned  the  miller's  trade  in  his  n.ative  land,  but 
after  becoming  a  resident  of  America  he  did  not 
engage  in  any  special  business.  His  family  con- 
sisted of  two  sons  and  two  daughters,  of  whom 
the  only  survivors  are  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
and  one  sister,  Eleanor,  the  wife  of  John  Brown. 
Both  p.arents  died  in  this  country. 

Conrad  Reinecke  acquired  a  practical  education 
in  the  public  schools  of  St.  Clair  County  and  made 
fair  progress  in  his  studies,  as  he  was  an  ambitious 
youth  and  was  anxious  to  obtain  sufficient  educa- 
tion to  fit  him  for  the  practical  duties  of  life. 
After  leaving  school,  he  turned  his  attention  to 
blacksmithing,  at  which  he  worked  until  186.5,  be- 
coming thoroughly-  proficient  in  the  business.  At 
the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  he  began  coal-mining 
as    superintendent     and    manager    for    John    A. 


I    Reeves,  with  whom  he  remained   until   1871.     At 

that  time,  having  through  economy  and  prudence 

acquired  sufficient  means,  he  became  a  partner  of 

William  M.  Reeves,  a  son  of  his  former  emplo}'er, 

in  operating   a    mine    at  Reeves  Station.     At  tlie 

end  of  three  years  he  came  to  the  conclusion  that 

he   could    make    more    money   if   he  embarked  in 

business   alone,   and   with  this  object  in  view  he 

j    leased  some  coal  land  and  sank  a  shaft,  which  he 

is  still  operating.     He   has  gradually  increased  it 

to  its  present  capacity  and   now   takes  out  about 

j   seven  thousand  bushels  of  coal  per  day.     He  has 

[   shipped  as  manj'  as   fifteen   thousand  bushels  per 

1    day  on   the  Louisville  k   Nashville  Railroad  and 

gives  employment    to   about    fifty  men.     He  has 

purchased  the  coal  underneath  about  one  hundred 

and  sixty  acres  of  land  and  has  been  an  important 

factor  in  the  development  of  the  bituminous  coal 

resources  of  Western  Illinois. 

The  mine  of  which  Mr.  Reinecke  is  owner  is 
equipped  with  all  the  necessary  machinery  and 
appliances  for  the  successful  operation  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  the  man.agement  and  practical  details  of 
the  work  are  in  the  hands  of  a  man  who  is  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  every  branch  of  the  business. 
He  is  the  organizer  of  the  Reinecke  Coal  Company, 
which  has  a  capital  stock  of  $100,000  paid  up.  I. 
Bailey  is  the  Secretary  of  this  company,  also  Treas- 
j  urer  and  General  Manager.  Shipments  of  his  coal 
are  made  exclusively  by  rail  to  all  parts  of  the 
South,  where  the  product  of  his  mine  is  especiall3' 
noted  as  a  superior  qualitj-  and  is  in  large  demand 
throughout  the  territorj^  covered  by  his  trade. 

Through  his  own  efforts  Mr.  Reinecke  has  at- 
tained to  his  present  enviable  financial  condition, 
and  has  the  unbounded  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  he  is  not  beholden  to  any  one  for  the  prop- 
erty he  has  acquired,  or  for  the  success  with  which 
his  efforts  have  been  attended.  He  has  done  much 
for  the  community  in  which  he  is  located,  and  as 
a  business  man  has  the  respect  of  all  with  whom 
he  has  had  business  relations.  He  is  decidedly 
practical  in  his  views,  has  always  been  a  keen  ob- 
server and  has  had  the  good  judgment  to  grasp  at 
every  opportunity  that  presented  itself  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  his  interests,  but  never  at  the  ex- 
pense of  others. 


20G 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPfflCAL  RECORD. 


February'  19,  1884,  Mr.  Reinecke  married  Amelia 
M.  Herman,  of  Belleville,  a  daughter  of  Joseph 
Herman,  a  Bohemian  by  birth,  their  union  resulting 
in  the  birth  of  one  child,  Harrison.  He  was  first 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza  Reeves,  and 
by  her  became  the  father  of  three  children:  Caro- 
line, wife  of  John  Penn,  of  Belleville;  Clara,  and 
Fred,  who  is  attending  school.  Mr.  Reinecke  and 
his  family  are  attendants  at  and  supporters  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Cliiircli. 


D)' 


R.  H.  C.  FAIRBKOTHER.  There  are  men, 
and  the  number  is  by  no  means  small,  who 
1^^  drift  into  what  we  are  accustomed  to  look 
upon  as  the  leai-ned  professions  in  the  same  way 
that  thousands  of  men  in  the  lower  walks  of  life 
drift  into  the  ordinary  bread-winning  occupations. 
Having.no  special  jireference  for  an3'  calling,  and 
without  feeling  that  they  have  any  particular  fit- 
ness for  a  certain  profession,  they  find  themselves 
drifting  in  that  direction  as  a  result  of  associa- 
tions or  en  vironments,  and  in  the  course  of  time 
they  also  find  themselves  shouldering  responsibili- 
ties for  which  they  have  scant  liking,  carrying 
l)urdens  which  rest  heavily  upon  them,  and  labor- 
ing in  a  field  which  has  for  them  no  attraction 
other  than  what  it  yields  in  the  way  of  annual  in- 
comes. Dr.  Fairbrother  impresses  even  those  who 
meet  him  in  a  casual  way  as  a  man  who  has  drifted 
easily  and  naturally  into  the  medical  profession, 
who  realizes  that  he  has  made  no  mistake  in  the 
choice  of  his  vocation,  and  who  feels  thoroughly 
at  home  in  the  position  which  he  occupies.  This 
impression  deepens  with  a  more  intimate  acquaint- 
ance and  familiarity  with  the  history  of  liis  life, 
and  leads  to  the  unbiased  and  impartial  view,  that 
the  splendid  success  which  lie  has  achieved  is  the 
logical  sequence  of  talent  rightly  used,  together 
with  energy  and  industry  never  misapplied. 

Dr.  Fairbrother  was  born  near  the  village  of 
Bonaparte,  ^'an  Buren  County,  Iowa.  His  father, 
Henry  Fairbrother,  and  his  grandfather  of  the  same 


name,  were  from  Lancashire,  England.  His  mother, 
Urania  Tollman,  now  in  her  eightj'-sixth  3'ear,  is 
of  hardy  New  England  stock  tbat  can  be  traced 
back  to  near  the  lime  of  the  Pilgrim  Fathers.  The 
Tollman  family,  in  April,  1788,  assisted  in  the  lay- 
ing out  and  settlement  of  the  city  of  Marietta, 
Ohio.  In  June,  1844,  Dr.  Fairbrother's  parents, 
lured  b_y  the  flattering  reports  of  greater  prosperity 
in  the  West,  started  upon  a  Westward  journey, and 
halted  at  St.  Louis  during  the  very  high  water  of 
that  season.  The  St.  Louis  of  that  da^y  presented 
few  attractions  at  best,  but  at  that  time  all  the  houses 
on  the  river  front  were  half  buried  in  water,  and 
boats  landed  and  received  their  freight  from  the 
second-story  windows.  I^ooking  to  the  East  over 
the  present  site  of  East  St.  Louis,  there  was  pre- 
sented to  the  view  nothing  but  one  broad  expanse 
of  water.  Not  attracted  by  anything  in  the  out- 
look here,  these  homeless  emigrants,  with  very 
meagre  possessions  and  five  little  children,  wended 
still  further  their  journey  toward  the  setting  sun. 
They  finally  settled  in  the  interior  of  the  new 
State  of  Iowa,  then  hardlj'  more  than  a  wil- 
derness, inhabited  by  the  redman  and  the  buf- 
falo. In  this  wild  country  home,  in  a  log  house, 
for  there  was  no  other  kind,  on  the  19th  of 
June,  1845.  Heniy  C.  Fairbrother  was  born.  After 
a  few  years'  residence  liere,  the  family,  now 
ten  in  number,  removed  to  Clark  County,  Mo., 
where  they  followed  the  occupation  of  farming. 

Upon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  Henry,  al- 
though only  sixteen  years  of  age;  with  his  two 
elder  brothers,  Philo  and  John,  entered  the  Union 
army  and  went  South  in  the  conflict  of  States. 
They  were  all  wounded — Philo  but  slightly-,  John 
permanently  crippled  by  two  musket-ball  shots  at 
the  battle  of  Pea  Ridge,  and  Henry  having  his 
right  arm  badly  shattered  in  a  night  engagement 
with  Thompson's  band  of  guerrillas  in  Southeast 
Missouri.  At  the  close  of  the  war,  he  received  his 
discharge  in  St.  Louis,  and  returned  to  his  old 
home  on  the  farm  in  Clark  County.  It  was  found, 
however,  that  the  adventures  and  exciting  scenes 
of  more  than  three  years  of  army  life  had  robbed 
the  plow  and  the  hoe  of  their  former  charms. 
Realizing  that  his  education  had  been  almost  lost 
sight  of.  he  began  to  cast  about  as  to  how  he  should 


K)RTRA1T  AND  BIOGKAPHICAL   RECORD. 


retrieve  this  loss.  Upon  the  advice  of  his  mother, 
and  brother  John,  who  was  then  a  student  there, 
he  began  an  academical  course  at  Denmark,  Iowa, 
graduating  in  the  classical  course  of  four  j'ears,  in 
1868,  at  which  time  he  was  valedictorian  of  his 
class.  During  llie  greater  part  of  this  time  he  was 
dependent  upon  his  own  resources,  and  earned  the 
means  for  his  support  either  by  tlie  occasional 
teaching  of  a  term  of  school  or  by  various  kinds 
of  manual  labor.  After  graduating  he  continued 
teaching  for  about  one  year,  when  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  under  the  direction  of  Dr.  An- 
gear,  at  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa.  He  remained  here 
for  a  year  and  a  half,  maintaining  himself  in  the 
meantime  by  work  in  a  drug  store,  after  which  he 
came  to  St.  Louis  and  entered  the  St.  Louis  Medical 
College. 

During  the  first  year  of  his  course  his  expenses 
were  defrayed  by  various  kinds  of  work,  chiefly 
in  the  otHce  of  the  old  Times  newspaper.  At  the 
end  of  this  time,  upon  the  advice  of  his  professor. 
Dr.  Gregory,  he  opened  an  office  for  the  practice 
of  medicine  on  "  The  Island  "  in  East  St.  Louis. 
A  pasteboard  card  with  the  name  and  new  title  upon 
It  was  tacked  upon  the  door  of  a  room  in  Lovings- 
ton's  Row.  The  furniture  that  decorated  this 
office  was  unearthed  from  the  cellar  of  Con  Fal- 
lon's saloon  on  the  corner  of  Sixth  and  Chestnut 
Streets,  having  gone  through  a  sufficient  number 
of  bar-room  fights  to  be  retired  from  active  busi- 
ness. What  this  furniture  lacked  in  quality  it 
made  up  in  quantity,  as  it  formed  a  fair-sized  load 
for  a  one-horse  coal  wagon  that  was  passing  that 
wa}-,  and  the  teaming  cost  hut  a  trifle.  But  as  luck 
would  have  it,  the  office  had  two  rooms,  and  every 
chair  and  table  that  had  less  than  three  legs  was 
relegated  to  the  back  room.  Notwithstanding  the 
few  attractions  presented  either  in  furniture  or 
medical  skill,  a  few  straggling  patients  began  to 
appear,  an  occasional  emergency  call  was  made, 
and  the  Doctor,  for  now  he  was  styled  such,  man- 
aged to  procure  enough  in  the  way  of  fees  to  bear 
the  few  expenses  incurred  and  complete  his  medi- 
cal education,  graduating  in  March,  1872. 

In  December  of  the  same  year,  having  obtained 
a  pretty  fair  start  in  his  profession,  he  was  mar- 
ried  to   Miss  Mildred    A.  Carpenter,  a  teacher  in 


the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis,  who  died  of  child- 
bed fever  in  September,  1882.  A  few  days  after 
her  death,  Eva,  their  first-born,  a  bright  little  girl 
in  lier  ninth  year,  died  of  scarlet  fever.  Still  liv- 
ing from  this  union  are  Raymond,  now  in  his  six- 
teenth year,  and  Mildred  in  her  tenth  year.  In 
April,  1883,  Dr.  Fairbrother  was  apijointed  by  Gov. 
Hamilton  as  a  Trustee  of  the  State  Normal  Uni- 
versity, at  Carbondale.  During  the  fall  of  this 
year,  in  order  to  be  better  fitted  for  the  discharge 
of  the  duties  of  this  position,  he  visited  a  number 
of  the  Normal  Schools  of  the  Eastern  States,  chiefly 
those  of  New  York  and  Boston,  and  made  careful 
observations  of  their  methods,  and  brought  back 
with  him  man^-  suggestions  with  regard  to  the 
conducting  of  these  schools.  He  had  scarcely  re- 
turned, when  their  magnificent  L^niversity  build- 
ing, erected  at  a  cost  of  $300,000,  was  consumed 
by  fire.  As  the  State  does  not  insure  its  prop- 
erty, there  was  no  insurance  on  the  building,  and 
many  were  the  fears  that  were  felt  about  obtain- 
ing an  appropriation  for  its  rebuilding.  Dr.  Fair- 
brother,  accompanied  by  Judge  J.  B.  Messick  and 
John  B.  Lovingston,  went  immediately  to  Spring- 
field and  laid  before  the  Governor  a  petition  to 
call  a  special  session  of  the  Legislature  to  make 
this  appropriation.  The  petition  failed  so  far  as 
calling  of  the  session  w.as  concerned,  but  it  suc- 
ceeded in  all  that  was  expected.  It  caused  the 
subject  to  be  so  freely  published  and  discussed 
throughout  the  State,  that  when  the  regular 
session  occurred,  the  members  were  so  familiar 
with  the  matter  that,  with  very  little  trouble,  the 
appropriation  was  secured. 

Dr.  Fairbrother  gave  personal  attention  to  the 
erection  of  the  new  building,  which  was  one  year 
in  construction  and  is  the  finest  school  building  in 
the  State,  .and  equal  to  any  in  the  United  States. 
In  November,  1884,  he  was  united  in  marri.ige  to 
Miss  Kate  H.  Merry,  also  a  teacher  in  tlie  public 
schools  of  St.  Louis,  from  which  union  there  have 
been  born  Henry  Merry,  who  died  when  a  little 
over  one  year  of  age,  and  Katie  May,  now  in  her 
fifth  3'ear.  For  the  past  eighteen  years  Dr.  Fair- 
brother  has  been  an  .active  member  of  the  St.  Louis 
Medical  Society.  He  is  a  member  of  the  St.  Clair 
County  Medical   Society,   of  which  he  is  now  the 


208 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


presiding  officer.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  Medical  Association,  and  during 
the  meeting  of  that  bod)'  in  St.  Louis  in  1861,  as 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Arrangements,  he 
did  much  to  promote  its  success.  He  is  now  Sur- 
geon for  the  various  railroads  entering  East  St. 
Louis,  and  also  for  the  St.  Louis  Bridge  Company. 
Although  a  sincere  student  of  medicine  and  sur- 
gery and  actively  engaged  in  professional  work, 
he  has  always  found  time  to  devote  to  whatever 
concerned  the  interests  of  his  fellow-men.  He 
has  always  been  a  strong  advocate  and  supporter 
of  liberal  education  and  has  devoted  both  time 
and  money  to  the  elevation  of  the  public  schools 
of  East  St.  Louis,  and  in  securing  their  freedom 
from  entanglement  with  religious  dogmas. 

In  pul)lic  meetings  for  the  promotion  of  the 
general  good,  he  is  an  active  participant,  and  upon 
all  committees  where  active  work  is  required,  his 
name  usually  appears.  At  the  present  time  he  is 
a  member  of  the  relief  committee  for  the  sufferers 
from  high  water,  and  a  great  deal  of  his  time  is 
occupied  in  adjusting  their  claims  and  distributing 
funds.  He  has  also  given  due  attention  to  the 
business  side  of  life,  and  has  succeeded  in  accumu- 
lating a  veiy  fair  competence.  He  is  V'ice-presi- 
dent  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  East  St.  Louis 
and  is  a  member  of  its  discount  board.  He  is  of 
a  very' social  nature  and  domestic  habits,  and  takes 
great  pride  in  his  grounds  and  residence  which  is 
adorned  by  many  beautiful  paintings.  In  politics, 
he  is  Republican,  and  in  his  theory  of  life  he  is 
guided  by  the  principle  of  love  and  service  to  his 
family  and  mankind. 


EORGE  L.  CORLIS.  The  grandfather  of 
,=,  the  pleasant  gentleman  whose  sketch  it 
^^  gives  us  pleasure  to  place  before  the  readers 
of  the  Rkcohd  was  an  English  Captain  who  brought 
his  family  to  America.  His  vessel  was  afterward 
lost,  while  it  was  chartered  by  the  United  .States 
Government,  and  is  now  in  the  French  Spoliation 
Claim.     In  the  meantime,  he  had  located  in  Ken- 


tucky, and  there  practiced  medicine,  in  which  he 
had  graduated  before  he  went  upon  the  sea.  He 
spent  his  last  days  in  Metropolis,  111. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Edwin  Corlis, 
who  was  reared  in  Brookville,  Ky.,  where  he  re- 
ceived a  good  education  and  became  a  teacher, 
which  profession  he  followed  for  eleven  years, 
partly  in  Kentucky  and  partly  in  Metropolis,  111., 
seven  years  as  the  Principal  of  a  school.  He  then 
became  a  general  broker  and  is  now  traveling 
over  the  West.  He  has  always  been  very  much 
interested  in  school  advancement  and  has  served 
as  School  Director  and  Trustee  of  Metropolis  since 
he  stopped  teaching.  He  believes  in  Free  Trade 
and  is  a  Democrat  from  principle.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  was  Sallie  Scott  who  was  born  in  Ohio, 
near  Cincinnati,  and  was  the  daughter  of  William 
Scott,  a  native  of  Scotland,  who  became  a  farmer 
in  Southern  Ohio,  and  spent  his  last  days  there. 
His  eldest  son,  William,  is  now  a  Chaplain  in  the 
regular  army  of  the  United  States.  Both  parents 
affiliated  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  one  of 
four  children,  as  follows:  Edwin,  George,  Thrift, 
and  Scott.  George  was  born  in  Metropolis,  111., 
May  26,  1868,  and  was  reared  in  the  place  of  his 
birth.  He  attended  the  common  schools  there  and 
completed  the  High  School  course  in  Cairo,  which 
he  accomplished  when  he  was  seventeen  years  old. 
He  then  returned  to  Metropolis  and  began  the 
study  of  law  under  the  guidance  of  ex-Supreme 
Judge  Mulkey  and  his  son,  with  whom  he  re- 
mained for  several  years.  In  1888,  he  entered  Mc 
Kendree  College  and  graduated  from  there  in  1891 
with  the  degree  of  LL.  B.  He  had  been  practic- 
ing in  Metropolis  during  his  vacation,  and  his  first 
case  was  one  of  murder,  when  the  brilliant  young- 
lawyer  had  the  delight  of  securing  the  acquittal  of 
his  client.  In  the  spring  of  1891,  he  became  a 
partner  with  W.  W.  Edwards,  the  Dean  of  the  law 
department  of  McKendree  College,  and  is  now  lo- 
cated in  the  Flannigan  Building,  wheie  the  firm 
engages  in  a  regular  law  practice. 

Mr.  Corlis  is  not  disappointing  his  friends,  who 
predicted  from  his  college  triumph,  that  he  would 
make  a  name  in  the  future.  He  was  twice  selected 
bv  his  classmates  to  take  the  President's  chair  in 


PORTRAIT  AJ^D  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


209 


the  Platonian  Society  and  was  the  salutalorian  of 
his  class.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal Church,  the  church  of  his  parents,  and  is  proud 
of  the  connection.  The  Democratic  party  finds  in 
him  a  valiant  champion,  and  we  may  venture  to 
predict  great  things  for  tliis  j'oungson  of  a  college 
that  has  sent  out  many  prominent  men  in  the  last 
half-centurv. 


€i^^>i  ^  I  ^  'I^^SIE 


Vj[7  OUIS  BOISMENUE,  CI 
I  ((^  Brewery  of  East  St. 
jl'—^  sentative  of  one  of  th( 


Chief  Clerk  in  the  Heini 
Louis,  and  a  repre- 
the  very  oldest  families 
of  the  Mississippi  Bottoms,  is  a  native  of  East  St. 
Louis,  born  on  the  9th  of  June,  1861.  His  father, 
Louis  Boismenue,  was  a  native  of  Cahokia,  this 
State,  but  the  grandfather,  Louis  Boismenue,  was 
a  native  of  sunny  France,  born  in  the  southwest- 
ern part.  When  still  a  single  man,  the  latter  came 
to  America,  settled  in  tlie  bottoms  of  the  Missis- 
sippi River,  and  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Cahokia  after  his  marriage  and  until  his  death. 

His  son,  the  father  of  our  subject,  grew  to  man- 
hood on  this  farm,  and  when  eighteen  or  nineteen 
years  of  age  went  overland  to  California  with  oxen 
and  horses.  He  remained  there  several  years  en- 
gaged in  mining,  and  then  returned  to  the  East, 
where  he  tilled  the  soil  for  some  time.  Later,  he  was 
engaged  in  freighting  and  trading  in  pioduce  and 
provisions  with  the  soldiers  at  the  Western  forts, 
going  as  far  AVest  as  Ft.  Laramie  during  the  war. 
When  the  railroad  came  to  St.  Joseph,  he  went 
from  there  West  for  a  few  years.  After  this,  he 
was  engaged  in  the  livery  business  on  Main  and 
Third  Streets  for  four  years,  but  subsequently  be- 
came Casliier  of  the  East  St.  Louis  Bank,  with  Col. 
Jarrott  as  President.  Mr.  Boismenue  iield  that 
position  until  he  had  to  retire  on  account  of  ill- 
ness, and  was  succeeded  by  our  subject.  He  died 
in  1885,  when  fifty-six  years  of  age.  He  was  Ald- 
erman in  the  city  for  some  time,  and  in  politics 
was  a  Republican.  He  held  membership  in  the 
Catholic  Church.  He  married  Miss  Josphine  Jar- 
rott, a  native  of  East  St.  Louis  and  tiie  daughter 


of  Col.  Vital  Jarrott,  who  was  a  native  of  Cahokia, 
this  State.  The  grandfather,  Nicholas  Jarrott,  was 
a  native  of  France  and  was  one  of  the  first  pio- 
neers in  this  section.  He  was  a  trader  and  ran  flat- 
boats  to  New  Orleans,  being  at  the  time  of  his 
death  one  of  the  largest  owners  in  the  Bottoms. 

Col.  Jarrott  was  reared  here  and  educated  in  the 
Jesuit  College,  Georgetown,  D.  C.  He  made  the 
journey  on  horseback  overland  to  the  Ohio  River 
at  Louisville,  and  there  graduated  with  the  degree 
of  LL.  B.  After  practicing  a  short  time,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  other  enterprises,  and  dur- 
ing the  Black  Hawk  War  was  an  Adjutant-General. 
He  afterward  made  a  trip  to  California  and  Color- 
ado on  mining  expeditions,  and  was  one  of  the 
'49ers  in  California.  He  retired  to  the  East  much 
the  richer  for  his  venture  to  the  Gold  State.  In 
the  '50s,  he  served  three  terms  in  the  State  legis- 
lature, and  after  the  war  he  served  three  terms 
more.  He  was  Republican  candidate  for  Speaker 
when  Col.  Morrison  was  elected.  During  the  war, 
he  was  United  States  Peace  Commissioner  over  the 
Sioux  Indians,  later  Indian  Agent  for  Spotted 
Tail,  and  after  the  war  he  returned  to  East  St. 
Louis,  where  he  was  engaged  in  the  banking  and 
lumber  business.  He  was  President  of  the  East  St. 
Louis  Rolling  Mill,  and  was  organizer  of  the  East 
St.  Louis  Bank.  In  1875,  he  was  again  taken  with 
the  gold  fever,  closed  out  business  here,  and  went 
to  tlie  Black  Hills,  where  he  was  engaged  in  min- 
ing. His  death  occurred  in  1876,  when  over 
seventy-five  years  of  age.  He  was  one  of  the 
original  strong  Republicans  of  the  State,  being 
elected  Representative  on  the  Whig  and  Republican 
ticket.  He  was  Mayor  of  East  St.  Louis  one  term, 
and  in  religion  was  a  worthy  member  of  the  Cath- 
olic Church.  The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in 
1884,  leaving  four  children,  as  follows:  Margaret, 
Mrs.  Bristbw,  resides  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  George 
makes  his  home  in  Ea.sl  St.  Louis;  and  Agnes  also 
in  East  St.  Louis. 

The  original  of  this  notice,  who  was  the  eldest 
cliild,  was  reared  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  received 
his  education  in  the  public  and  High  Schools, 
graduating  from  the  latter  vviien  seventeen  3^ears 
of  age.  He  then  became  Deputy  City  Clerk  under 
Maurice  Tissier  for  a  year,  then  book-keeper  for  a 


210 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


lumber  firm  for  two  3'ears,  and  afterward  Casliier 
of  the  East  St.  Louis  Bank  for  five  years.  Later, 
he  became  Tax  Collector  for  East  St.  Louis  for  two 
terras  of  one  year  each.  In  1887,  he  became  Chief 
Clerk  for  tlie  Heim  Brewing  Company  and  lias 
been  here  ever  since.  He  is  interested  in  real- 
estate  and  has  about  three  hundred  and  fifty 
.acres  adjoining  tlie  city  limits.  Fie  has  improved 
his  farm  .ind  rents  it.  In  the  year  1884,  he  was 
married  here  to  Miss  Kate  Healey,  a  native  of 
Ohio,  who  was  reared  and  educated  here.  Four 
children  have  blessed  this  union,  viz.:  Jarrott, 
Adele,  Marie  and  Margaret.  They  have  a  pleasant 
home  on  Ninth  Street.  Mr.  Boismenue  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  has  been  a  delegate  to 
county  and  State  conventions.  He  is  at  present  a 
member  of  the  County  Central  Committee  and  is 
one  of  the  foremost  men  of  the  count}-. 


German  descent,  but  was  bojn  in  Switzerland.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Bertha  Guenther,  and  both  she 
and  her  husband  were  Protestant  in  their  religious 
views.  She  died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-five. 
The  son  of  the  first  marriage  is  the  partner  of  the 
gentleman  of  whom  we  write,  and  is  the  President 
of  the  company. 

Mr.  Berkemeyer  of   tliis  notice  was  reared  in  St. 

Louis  and  attended  the    public  schools   until  his 

i   sixteenth  year,   but  at  that  time  he  went   to  the 


Jl 


HARLES  F.  BERKEMFYER,  Secretary  and 
Treasurer  of  the  East  St.  Louis  Hardware 
Company,  is  the  subject  of  the  following 
sketch.  He  is  a  gentleman  in  every  sense  of  the 
word,  and  conducts  his  business  with  an  amount  of 
energy  that  ensures  success.  The  company  which 
he  represents  was  incorporated  in  1890,  witii  a 
capital  of  *o,000,  and  their  place  of  business  is 
No.  216  East  Broadway,  where  a  building  26x65 
.accommodates  their  large  stock  of  stoves,  heavy 
anil  shelf  hardware  and  agricultural  implements. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  named  Henry, 
and  in  his  native  country,  Germany,  he  worked 
at  his  trade  of  carpenter.  He  brought  his  family 
to  America  many  years  ago  and  settled  in  St. 
Louis,  where  he  died  at  the  age  of  ninety  years. 
The  father  of  our  subject  was  also  a  fine  carpenter, 
but  he  became  a  farmer  in  1877,  when  he  located 
on  eighty  acres  in  Madison  County,  where  lie  still 
resides.  Our  subject  is  one  of  the  children  of  his 
father's  second  marriage,  the  others  being  Albert, 
who  resides  in  East  St.  Louis;  Rosa,  who  is  Mrs. 
Isenberg,  of  Madison  County;  and  (ieorge,  who  is 
i»  the  employ  of  lus  broilier,     The  mother  wfts  uf 


farm  with  his  father  and  resided  there  for  four 
years.  In  1880,  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis  as  a 
clerk  for  George  Shaub  in  the  hardware  and  agri- 
cultural implement  business,  and  here  he  con- 
tinued for  nine  years.  In  the  spring  of  1890,  he 
started  the  present  large  store,  and  the  company 
was  incorporated  in  April.  This  is  a  ver}'  busy 
place,  as  from  roof  to  basement  the  space  is  stored 
with  all  kinds  of  material  in  their  line.  Our  sub- 
ject manages  the  store,  and  the  machinery  in  wiiich 
the  firm  also  deals. 

Our  subject  was  married,  in  September,  1888,  to 
Miss  Ann  Spannagel,  the  charming  daughter  of 
Nicholas  Spannagel;  she  was  reared  and  educated 
in  this  city.  They  have  one  bright  little  girl, 
Lola  by  name.  Mr.  Berkemeyer  belongs  to  the 
order  of  Knights  of  Honor,  and  is  a  Republican 
of  no  uncertain  kind.  He  is  highly  regarded 
among  the  business  men  of  East  St.  Louis. 


«^;  UAM  BADGLEY.  The  very  .agreeable 
(©/-j||    gentleman     whose    honored    name    opens 

\l\  il  this  sketch  belongs  to  a  family  that  has 
^  made  an  impression  on  the  history  of  this 

section.  He  now  resides  on  a  very  valuable  farm 
of  four  hundred  acres  of  land,  which  not  only 
yields  a  proper  amount  of  grain  and  fruits,  but 
holds  in  its  secret  recesses  v.ist  quantities  of  the 
black  diamonds  which  have  made  the  fortunes  of 
so  many,  and  wliicii  are  destined  to  make  wealth 
for  more. 

For  the  date  .if  his  liirlh  we  must  gi)  back  to  the 
\ear  1813,  January  31.    the    location    liejng    near 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGEAPHICAL  RECORD. 


21] 


the  place  now  owned  by  George  W.  Badgley,  in 
section  9.  He  was  the  son  of  Aaron  and  Catherine 
(Stroud)  Badgle^'.  They  were  natives  of  Hardy 
County,  Va.,  the  father  born  in  the  year  1773,  and 
the  motiier  in  1776.  The  mother  was  of  Dutch 
parents,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Adam  and  Eve 
Stroud — hence  the  pleasant  little  fiction  in  the  fam- 
il}'  that  their  home  was  tlie  Garden  of  Eden,  with  an 
Adam  and  Eve,  but  no  serpent. 

The  Badgley  family  first  settled  in  tliis  country 
in  Essex  County,  N.  J.,  where  the  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  David  Badglej',  was  born  in  1749.  In 
1796,  he  and  his  son,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
came  from  Virginia  to  St.  Clair  County,  in  com- 
pany with  a  number  of  others,  to  look  at  the 
country.  The  long  journey  was  made  overland  on 
horseback,  and  they  came  together  in  order  to  bet- 
ter protect  tiiemselves  from  the  attacks  of  the  In- 
dians. In  this  company  came  our  subject's  mater- 
nal grandfather.  Being  satisfied  with  the  appear- 
ance of  the  new  country,  they  returned  to  their 
families,  and  the  next  year,  in  1797,  the  Badgleys 
and  the  Strouds  moved  from  their  Virginia  home 
and  settled  in  Monroe  County,  near  what  is  now 
known  as  Bond's  Lake.  They  made  llie  journey 
down  the  Ohio  River  on  a  flat-boat  to  Shawnee- 
town,  and  went  the  rest  of  the  way  by  land.  The 
country  was  then  jjractically  a  wilderness,  and  the 
Indians  had  not  been  driven  West.  The  tribes 
which  inhabited  tliese  regions  were  tlie  Kickapoos 
and  the  Pottawattamies.  Before  proceeding  further 
in  the  immediate  history  of  our  subject,  we  pause 
a  moment  to  pay  a  tribute  to  the  good  old  grand- 
father. He  was  a  Baptist  preacher,  belonging  to 
what  was  known  as  the  Ironsides  or  Hardsliell 
Baptists.  He  organized  the  first  Baptist  Church 
west  of  the  Ohio  River,  at  Kaskaskia,  and  traveled 
among  the  settlers,  jjreacliing  in  the  open  air  and 
in  their  homes,  exhorting  them  to  pious  living, 
joining  their  sons  and  daughters  in  holy  matrimony', 
baptising  them  into  the  church,  and  administering 
words  of  comfort  to  the  dying  and  of  consolation 
to  the  mourning. 

The  father  of  our  subject  started  for  Illinois 
with  his  wife  and  one  child,  but  on  the  wa^'  another 
little  life  was  added  to  the  company.  Within  a 
year  after  arriving  iu  Monroe  County,  tlie  faithful 


wife  and  the  infant  died.  In  1800,  Mr.  Badgley, 
8r.,  married  again,  the  wife  being  Catherine  Stroud. 
At  that  time  there  was  no  regular  survej^  of  the 
lands  by  the  (Jovernment,  nor  was  the  land  upon 
the  market.  Mr.  Badgley  and  his  father  squatted 
on  land  belonging  to  the  Government,  the  claim 
thus  established  being  recognized  as  giving  the 
right  to  purchase.  Mr.  Badgley  continued  to  re- 
side in  Monroe  County  until  1804,  when  he  came 
to  St.  Clair  County  and  settled  on  the  place  where 
our  subject  was  born.  He  first  took  up  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  and  at  his  death  he  owned 
about  three  hundred  acres.  He  followed  an  agri- 
cultural life,  and  was  very  successful.  He  had 
onl}'  the  common-school  education  of  those  days, 
which  was  limited  to  a  few  weeks  in  winter  in  the 
log  schoolhouse  with  its  surroundings  of  burnt 
stumps.  He  was  a  man  of  prominence,  acting 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  was  made  Overseer 
of  the  Poor.  He  was  a  strong  Democrat  in  his  po- 
litical opinions.  After  his  useful  life,  he  died 
lamented  by  his  family  and  neighborhood  and 
friends,  at  the  age  of  eighty-four  years,  in  Decem- 
ber, 1828.  His  wife  survived  him  ten  years,  and 
passed  to  her  rest  at  the  age  of  ninety-two.  Of  the 
eight  children  born  to  them,  only  three  are  left. 
Elijah  was  born  June  15,  1802,  and  resides  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  northwest  of  the  farm  of  our 
subject.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  St.  Clair  County 
since  1804.  AVith  the  exception  of  a  partial  loss  of 
hearing,  he  is  in  the  full  possession  of  his  faculties. 
He  has  a  remarkable  memory,  particularly  of  dates 
and  the  early  pioneer  days  of  the  county.  Strow- 
ther,  the  youngest  of  the  living  children,  resides 
in  Bates  County,  Mo. 

The  immediate  subject  <if  this  sketch  was  born 
on  a  farm,  and  reared  there.  He  had  very  little 
chance  for  obtaining  an  education,  but  he  was 
naturally  quick,  and  has  overcome  the  early  dis- 
advantages in  that  line.  While  young,  his  father 
administered  on  an  estate.  It  was  in  the  days  of 
paper  money,  and  the  bank  that  issued  the  bills 
that  represented  the  estate  failed,  and  Mr.  Bad- 
gley, Sr.,  found  himself  seriously  crippled  finan- 
cially. It  took  him  a  number  of  years  to  make 
up  the  amount  lost,  and  this  young  man  had  to 
bear  the  brunt  of  straitened  means,    He  carried 


212 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Eva  Zanes,  August  17,1834.  The  father  of  his 
wife  died  before  she  was  born,  and  her  mother  later 
married  George  Estiff.  Her  maiden  name  was  Re- 
becca Stroud,  a  daughter  of  Adam  Stroud.  Our 
subject  and  his  wife  were  first  cousins  and  neighboi-s. 
Thej'  had  but  two  children,  an  unusual  circum- 
stance, as  in  those  days  the  families  generally  as- 
sumed patriarchal  proportions.  The  children  are 
Rebecca  and  Austin.  The  former  married  AVilliam 
Boggy,  by  whom  she  had  one  child,  now  deceased. 
Her  daughter's  husband  is  Ham  Scott,  who  re- 
sides in  this  township.  The  son,  Austin,  is  his 
father's  right  hand,  and  resides  with  him.  He  has 
a  very  pleasant  wife  and  an  accomplished  daugh- 
ter, Nellie,  who  is  at  home  with  them.  His  wife 
was  Mary  J.  Henderson,  of  Iowa,  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Eliza  Henderson.  Mr.  Badgley  has 
served  his  district  as  School  Director  and  Road 
Overseer.  He  has  been  in  harmony  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  all  his  life. 


J"  OHN  DOYLE  is  one  of  the  pioneers  of  East 
St.  Louis.  111.,  with  whom  time  has  dealt 
most  kindly,  and  althougli  he  has  labored 
hard  throughout  his  life,  he  is  in  tiie  full 
vigor  of  manhood.  His  early  daj'S  were  marked 
by  struggles  to  gain  a  foothold  in  the  business 
world,  and  that  he  has  succeeded  is  due  wholly  to 
his  own  efforts.  He  was  born  in  County  Wexford, 
Ireland,  in  1837,  a  son  of  Garrett  and  Margaret 
(Reynolds)  Doyle,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
the  Isle  of  Erin.  Garrett  Doyle  was  a  worthy 
tiller  of  the  soil,  but  in  1851  became  convinced 
that  better  opportunities  for  advancement  were 
offered  across  the  Atlantic,  and  the  same  year 
removed  to  Canada  with  his  sou  .John  and  secured 
employment  in  the  public  works  of  Toronto.  In 
1854  he  returned  to  Ireland  and  brought  the 
balance  of  his  family  hither,  and,  in  1862,  re- 
moved with  them  to  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  and  here 
resided  until  his  death  in  1869,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
nine  years.  The  mother  lived  until  1879,  when 
she,  loo,  passed  away.     Si.\  of  their  children  grew 


to  maturity,  but  only  three  are  living  at  the  pres- 
ent time. 

John  was  the  eldest  of  the  family  and  until 
about  fourteen  years  of  age  he  resided  in  Ireland, 
and  there  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  the  "world 
of  books."  He  left  Ireland  in  1851,  taking  pas- 
sage at  Waterford  on  board  a  sailing-vessel,  which 
landed  at  Quebec.  He  attended  the  night  schools 
of  Toronto,  for  he  was  ambitious  and  anxious  to 
obtain  a  good  education,  and  being  intelligent 
and  industrious,  he  made  satisfactory  progress  in 
his  studies.  After  a  time  he  was  bound  out  to 
learn  the  grocer's  trade,  and  during  the  three 
years  that  he  was  thus  emploj-ed,  his  father  had 
the  benefit  of  his  salary.  On  the  23d  of  June, 
1857,  he  found  himself  in  Illinois,  and  soon  found 
employment  with  Valentine's  Express  Company, 
at  which  time  there  were  only  two  railroads  in  the 
place.  He  remained  with  the  above-mentioned 
company  until  they  sold  out  to  J.  H.  Alexander  & 
Co.,  and  later  was  in  the  employ  of  the  St.  Louis 
Transfer  Company.  He  labored  in  different  ca- 
pacities from  driver  up  to  foreman,  attaining  the 
latter  position  in  1865.  In  1858,  the  island  was 
overflowed  and  Mr.  Doyle  rode  all  over  the  city 
in  a  skiff,  and  also  to  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  where 
he  was  making  his  home  at  the  time. 

Mr.  Do.yle  has  alwajs  been  a  faithful  worker 
and  his  untiring  industry  and  persistent  effort 
have  been  crowned  by  success,  and  he  is  now  in 
the  enjoyment  of  a  comfortable  competency.  He 
is  the  owner  of  some  valuable  real  estate  on  Col- 
linsville  Avenue,  and  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 
competency,  which  is  the  result  of  his  own  earnest 
efforts.  Taken  all  in  all,  Mr.  Doj^le's  life  has  been  one 
success,  and  the  lesson  that  it  teaches  is  that  suc- 
cess in  life  is  the  reward  of  honest  effort,  industry 
and  sobriety.  He  has  never  been  an  idler  or  trifler, 
but  an  earnest,  conscientious  and  persistent  toiler, 
who  deserves  all  the  success  he  has  achieved.  He 
is  foreman  of  the  St.  Louis  Transfer  Com- 
pany on  the  Illinois  side  of  the  river,  and  has 
been  longer  engaged  in  this  business  than  anv 
man  in  the  city.  He  thoroughly  understands  all 
its  requirements  and  his  services  are  highly  valued 
by  the  company'  with  which  he  is  connected. 

In  1871,  he  was  elected  one  of   the  directors  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


21c 


the  Douglass  School  and  has  held  the  position  to 
tlie  satisfaction  of  all  concerned  up  to  the  present 
time,  lie  is  the  oldest  member  of  the  Board  in 
the  city,  and  for  the  past  five  j'ears  has  acted  in 
the  capacity  of  Secretary  and  Clerk.  The  Doug- 
lass School  building  is  a  fine  brick  structure,  the 
first  in  the  city,  and  Mr.  Doyle  was  the  only  mem- 
ber of  the  Board  that  was  on  the  building  com- 
mittee. In  1869,  he  was  elected  an  Alderman 
from  the  First  Ward,  in  which  capacity  he  served 
until  1879,  when  he,  on  account  of  the  dual  gov- 
ernment, resigned  and  has  not  accepted  any  official 
position  since.  He  was  married  in  this  city  in 
August,  1867,  to  Miss  Kate  C'ooney,  a  native  of 
Ireland,  and  six  of  the  children  born  to  them  are 
living:  Thomas  J.,  who  graduated  at  the  St.  Louis 
I'niversity,  is  now  holding  an  official  position  in 
a  Vandalia  railroad  office;  William  J.  was  also 
educated  in  the  St.  Louis  I'niversity  and  is  now  a 
railroad  clerk  at  the  same  place;  Henry  M.  is  with 
the  Illinois  &  St.  Louis  Railroad;  John  O.  is 
with  the  St.  Louis  Transfer  Company;  Ollie  M. 
and  Robert  E.,  at  home. 

Mr.  Doyle  was  on  the  Building  Committee  of 
St.  Mary's  Church  and  is  now  one  of  the  Trustees. 
He  is  a  Democrat  politically,  and  has  been  a  dele- 
gate to  county  conventions. 


^1©"@@I^I 


\j%ATRICK  II.  STACK,a  wealtiiy  real-estate 
I  ])  owner,  has  been  a  resident  of  tlic  city  nf 
iM  ^  East  St.  Louis  since  18G4,  ;ind  has  ideiiti- 
)  \  fled  himself  with  every  worthy  interest  of 
this  secti(jn.  He  was  born  in  County  Kerry,  Ire- 
land, but  in  1849  was  brought  by  his  father,  to- 
gether with  the  rest  of  the  family,  to  America, 
taking  passage  on  tlie  sailing-vessel  "Christdphci' 
Columbus,"  at  Liverpool,  England.  Tiiey  reached 
New  York  Harbor  after  a  five-weeks  ocean  voyage, 
and  immediately  proceeded  to  Upper  Canada, 
where  the  father,  Garrett  Stack,  hoiijilii  a  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  fortj-  acres,  whicli  lie  improved, 
and  on  whiclt  He  resided  until  his  dealli,  lie  was 
d  Bon  of  liobert  Stack,  a  fanner,  which  occupation 

i9 


the  mother's  father,  Patrick  Hanrahan,  also  fol- 
lowed. Mrs.  Stack,  the  mother  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  was  Miss  Johanna  Hanrahan,  a  native 
of  the  Isle  of  Erin.  She  died  in  Canada,  after  hav- 
ing become  the  mother  of  fourteen  children. 

Patrick  H.  Stack  was  the  fourth  in  order  of 
birth,  and  obtained  a  good  education  in  his  birth- 
land,  attending  school  at  Ballylougford,  Listowel, 
and  Anttralee,  and  taking  a  thorough  classical 
course.  He  possessed  the  bright  intellect,  keen 
wit  and  versatility  for  which  the  Irish  people  are 
noted,  and  upon  coming  to  America  found  a  wide 
scope  for  the  exercise  of  these  talents.  He  entered 
college  at  Cleveland  for  the  purpose  of  fitting  him- 
self for  the  priesthood,  but  decided  that  other 
pursuits  would  be  more  congenial  to  his  tastes,  and 
he  afterward  turned  his  attention  to  book-keeping. 
He  went  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,in  1851,  as  a  railroad 
employe,  in  which  capacity  he  traveled  all  over  the 
j  Southern  States,  and  later  he  began  contracting  on 
railroads  and  levees.  I'pon  the  opening  of  the 
Civil  War  he  went  first  to  Natchez,  then  to  Mem- 
phis, and  there  entered  the  employ  of  the  Federal 
Government  as  Commissary  Supply  Clerk,  in  which 
capacity  he  served  three  years. 

In  May,  1864,  Mr.  Stack  came  to  East  St.  Louis, 
then  a  very  small  place,  and  built  three  miles  of 
the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad,  acting  in  thecapac- 
it\^  of  foreman.  He  then  turned  his  attention  to 
other  occupations,  and  bj-  good  management  be- 
came the  owner  of  thirteen  acres  of  land  within 
the  city  limits,  near  Brighton  Park,  which  he  ex- 
pects soon  to  lay  out  in  lots.  There  he  is  building 
an  elegant  two-stoiy  brick  residence,  which,  when 
completed,  will  be.  one  of  the  finest  in  the  city. 

He  owii>  otliir  valuable  property  in  East  St. 
Louis,  licv-idis  one  liundredand  forty  acres  of  land 
near  (ai  lyli.  (  liiiton  County,  111.,  an  improved 
and  valuable  farm,  which  he  rents.  He  has  built 
many  houses  in  the  city,  among  which  may  be 
mentioned  the  Turf  Club  House,  on  Main  Street. 
He  was  mrrried  in  Chicago  to  Miss  Margaret  Lillis, 
a  native  of  County  Clare,  Ireland,  and  b}-  her  is 
the  father  of  the  following  children:  Johanna, 
Mrs.  Ilealay,  a  iTsidciil  of  St.  Louis;  Garrett  J.,  a 
clerk  with  Nelson  Morris  iV  Co.,  of  Chicago;  ,^o\u\ 
J.,  at  home,  and  Margaret  V, 


216 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mr.  Stack  lias  been  a  member  of  the  vSchool  Board 
of  East  St.  Louis  for  three  years,  held  the  office  of 
.Tustiee  of  the  Peace  from  1869  until  1877,  and  was 
Townshij)  Collector  for  one  term.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  First  Mutual  Building  &  Loan  Association, 
and  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the  East  St.  Louis 
Building  &  Loan  Association,  in  which  he  is  now 
Director.  At  present  he  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
Workingnien's  Bank,  and  was  a  Director  for 
seven  years.  He  aided  in  organizing  the  East  St. 
T.ouis  Gazette,  and  also  has  served  as  Director  of 
the  same.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  has  been 
a  delegate  to  countj'  and  State  conventions,  and 
been  chairman  of  county  conventions.  He  and  his 
famih-  attend  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church.  He  is 
well  known  in  the  business,  political  and  social 
circles  of  the  city,  where  for  so  many  years  he  lias 
made  his  home. 


C/i^  APT.  HENRY  E.  TRENDLEY.  In  order  to 
^  perpetuate  for  coming  generations  the  re- 
'/  cord  of  one  who  was  very  prominently  con- 
nected with  laying  the  solid  foundation  of  the 
prosperity  of  East  St.  Louis,  a  brief  sketch  of  the 
life  of  Capt.  .John  Trendley,  father  of  our  subject, 
who  might  projierly  be  called  the  "Father  of  the 
City,"  may  be  of  intereot  to  all.  He  was  born  in 
the  Black  Forest,  Germany,  on  June  20,  1804,  and 
his  father,  Paul  Trendley,  was  a  native  of  that 
country  also,  and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  The 
latter  came  to  America  with  his  famih^  as  earlj'  as 
1817,  and  resided  for  some  time  in  Alexandria, 
Va.  From  there  he  moved  to  St.  Charles  County, 
Mo.,  bought  new  land,  and  spent  tjie  remainder  of 
his  days  in  improving  it.  He  was  a  devout  Catho- 
lic in  his  religious  views. 

Capt.  John  Treudley's  youthful  days  were  spent 
ill  assisting  his  father  in  clearing  the  farm  and  re- 
ceiving what  little  scholastic  training  he  could  in 
the  pioneer  schools  of  those  da3's.  After  growing 
lip,  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis  and  was  with  Capt. 
WilliMiii  WiugiiiM  oi)  1ho  rivei',  lirsl  ;is  a  deck  hand, 


then  as  Captain  and  afterward  as  agent.  When 
twenty  years  of  age  he  was  madeCaiitain  and  con- 
tinued with  William  Wiggins  for  over  fifty  years. 
Later  in  life,  he  became  a  stockholder,  retired  and 
received  his  pension.  He  was  well  known  on  the 
river,  was  a  man  well  liked  by  all,  and  had  a  host 
of  warm  friends.  His  death  occurred  in  October, 
1886, 'when  eighty-two  j'ears  of  age.  A  Republi- 
can at  first,  he  finally  advocated  the  principles  of 
the  Democratic  party  and  was  an  active  supporter 
of  the  same.  He  was  one  of  the  original  members 
of  St.  Henry's  Church  in  East  St.  Louis  and 
was  deeply  interested  in  its  growth  and  jjrosperity. 
Capt.  Trendley  was  one  of  the  oldest  members  of 
the  Wiggins  Ferry  Company  when  he  died. 

The  Captain  had  married  Miss  Harriet  Eberley, 
a  native  of  Switzerland,  who  came  alone  to  Amer- 
ica. She  died  in  East  St.  Louis  in  1869,  when 
fifty-five  years  of  age.  Ten  children  were  bom  to 
them,  only  three  beside  our  subject  now  living: 
Elizabeth,  Caroline  and  .Josephine.  Capt.  Henry 
Trendley  was  reared  and  educated  in  the  private 
schools  of  St.  Louis,  and  subsequently  attended 
the  Iniversitj'  of  St.  Louis  for  two  3'ears.  Later 
still,  he  entered  McKendree  College,  vhere  he  re- 
mained for  one  year,  and  then  began  clerking  in  a 
wholesale  liquor  house  in  the  city.  In  1862,  he 
became  clerk  and  book-keeper  for  the  Wiggins 
Ferry  Company,  the  main  office  being  in  St.  Louis. 
He  was  thus  engaged  for  five  years  and  a  half  and 
was  very  busy  during  the  war.  Later,  he  engaged 
in  business  on  the  Island,  built  a  brick  store  on 
Front  Street,  and  was  in  partnership  with  John 
Eidman  in  the  grocery  business  for  about  one 
year.  After  this,  he  sold  out  to  Mr.  Eidman,  and 
in  the  year  1869  went  as  Captain  of  the  "Charles 
Mulligan."  Since  then,  he  has  been  on  all  the 
different  boats  and  was  on  a  night  boat  for  some 
time.  He  has  been  with  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Com- 
pany since  1862,  and  is  the  oldest  and  steadiest 
Captain  with  them  now.  At  present  he  is  Captain  of 
the  ''Henry  L.  Clark."     Formerl.v  part  of  his  bus- 


iness  was  to  take  excurs 

ions  u)) 

he  river  i 

or  six- 

teen  miles. 

Cajitain  Trendley  ow 

IS  one  hi 

ndred  and 

twenty 

acres  of  land  on    the  No 

rth   BelU 

ville  Kucl 

i  Road 

uljoining  tlic  curpurat 

on.    whi( 

li    lie   lc;i^ 

•s.      11.. 

PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHTCAL   RECORD. 


resides  on  the  fai'm,  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Wiu;- 
gins  Ferry  Com  pan  j-.  He  was  married  in  St. 
Louis,  in  1867,  to  Miss  Celestine  Gautier,  a  native 
of  St.  Louis,  and  two  children  have  blessed  this 
union.  John-M.  was  educated  in  St.  Louis  and  was 
for  a  time  Assistant  Cashier  of  the  Vandalia  Rail- 
road, and  at  i)resent  he  is  tracing  clerk;  and  Rosalie, 
now  Mrs.  AV.  W.  Dean,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  The  fam- 
ily holds  membership,  in  St.  Henry's  Church,  and 
Capt.  Trendley  is  an  ardent  Republican  in  his 
political  views.  He  is  one  of  the  city's  represen- 
tative men  and  is  as  popular  and  well  liked  as  his 
father,  which  is  saying  a  great  deal. 


^^l-^l-Nl^^i^ 


J^^,  LEXANDER  FLANNIGEN.  The  gentle- 
((wOj  man  whose  biographical  sketch  it  is  now 
(fc  our  purpose  to  give  is  a  successful  lawyer 
of  East  St.  Louis,  and  lias  gained  ((uite  a 
name  in  the  county  for  his  good  judgment  and 
sound  rendering  of  the  law.  His  place  of  business 
is  ill  the  Flannigen  Building  on  Third  Street, 
which   was  erected  in  1882. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Belfast, 
Ireland,  and  was  a  shoemaker  in  that  country.  He 
came  to  America  when  about  thirty  years  of  age 
and  located  in  Philadelphia,  where  he  was  mar- 
ried. He  resided  on  Callowhill  Street  in  that 
city,  and  there  his  two  eldest  children  were  born. 
In  the  year  1853,  he  started  Westward  via  Galena, 
and  first  made  his  home  in  Washington  County, 
111.  He  was  fond  of  travel,  and  visited  Indi- 
ana and  Kentucky';  at  Evansville  he  became 
overheated  and  injudiciously  drank  a  cup  of  cold 
water,  which  caused  his  immediate  death.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  brouglit  her  lliree  chil- 
dren to  Washington  County,  where  she  had  a 
cousin,  a  Mr.  McCune.  She  afterward  married  a 
James  McLellan,  who  now  resides  in  Nashville, 
III.  Her  maiden  name  was  Jane  McMunn  and  she 
was  born  in  Belfast,  Ireland,  after  her  father, 
Hugh  McMunn,  a  native  of  Scotland,  had  emi- 
grated to  that  city.  She  now  resides  with  her 
youngest  son.   Jvl  M<'Lellan,  who  is  a  banker  in 


Chanute,  Kan.  The  three  children  of  the  first  un- 
ion, were:  James,  who  now  is  in  Denver,  Colo.; 
William,  who  resides  in  Chanute,  Kan.,  and  is 
a  farmer  there;  and  the  subject  of  our  sketch.  His 
two  step-brothers  are  Edward,  and  George,  who 
is  a  Police  Judge  at  Oklahoma. 

Mr.  Flannigen  was  born  in  Galena,  III.,  De- 
cember 8,  1853.  He  w.is  reared  on  a  farm  near 
Nashville,  III.,  and  began  early  to  display  his  pro- 
fessional tendencies.  He  commenced  teaching 
school  before  he  had  reached  his  seventeenth  year. 
He  first  taught  at  Bridgeport,  111.,  and  then  at  Nash-' 
ville.  111.  He  then  taugjit  three  years  at  Ogle  Sta- 
tion, and  in  1874  he  became  first  assistant  in  the 
Franklin  School.  Here  he  taught  for  three  years, 
and  then  began  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of 
William  G.  Kase.  It  required  some  "grit"  to 
teach  all  day  and  then  study  nearly  all  night,  but 
this  young  man  did  not  have  his  persevering 
Scotch-Irish  blood  for  naught.  In  June,  1876,  he 
was  rewarded  by  being  admitted  to  the  Bar,  and 
November  12,  1877,  he  entered  into  partnership 
with  Benjamin  II.  Cauby,  who  is  Judge  of  the 
City  Court.  This  partnership  lasted  until  the 
election  of  Mr.  Canby,  in  1886.  Since  then  Mr. 
Flannigen  has  practiced  alone.  He  is  interested  in 
much  real  estate,  and  has  a  very  extensive  busi- 
ness. He  held  the  office  of  City  Attorney  for 
three  years  and  was  City  Treasurer  for  one  year. 
While  holding  the  latter  olfice,  he  secured  a  con- 
fessed judgment  against  the  city  for  i80,000  of 
the  money  belonging  to  the  schools,  which  had 
been  improperly  used  by  the  city,  and  with  this  sum 
twoschoolhouses  were  built.  He  is  a  man  of  very 
independent  views  and  has  never  permitted  himself 
to  join  any  order,  as  he  wishes  to  be  an  unpre- 
judiced attorney.  He  is  a  decided  Agnostic  in  his 
belief,  although  the  teaching  of  his  youth  was  the 
faith  of  the  Methodist  Flpiscopal  Church.  Late 
years  have  also  shown  him  that  his  political  views 
are  not  the  same,  and  now  he  is  a  Democrat  when 
once  he  was  a  Republican. 

Mi:  Flannigen  was  married  here  November  30, 
1882,  to  Miss  Dora,  the  accomplished  youngest 
daughter  of  Mitchell  Marsh,  the  proprietor  of 
Suniniil  Avenue  Hotel,  who  was  a  native  of  Italy; 
her    iiiotlK'r.     Kllzabctli     (ioodwin,    tlKnigh    boru 


218 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


in  St.  Clair  Count}-,  was  of  French  descent. 
Walter  A.  and  Nellie  are  the  fairies  of  Mr.  Flan- 
nigcn's home,  and  with  the  mixture  of  Scotch-Irish- 
Italian-French  blood  in  their  veins,  they  ought  to 
lie  well  equipped  for  almost  any  emergency  of  life. 


]^-f 


1=^-  A.  TWITCHELL,  M.  D.  The  subject  of 
|k*^  the  following  sketch  represents  an  old  pio- 
tli*  ueer  family  of  Illinois.  He  is  one  of  the 
mo.st  successful  of  the  ph3'sicians  of  East 
St.  Louis,  and  is  located  at  No.  426  Fourth  Street. 
The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  born  in 
Maine,  and  came  to  Illinois  as  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  Hardin  Countj-.  He  came  down  tlie 
Ohio  from  Cincinnati  on  a  flat-boat  which  he  had 
constructed,  and  located  three  miles  north  of  the 
river,  on  Government  land,  which  was  then  Pope 
County,  and  here  he  built  a  mill  and  operated  it 
until  his  death.  He  was  the  pioneer  miller  in 
that  section,  and  a  very  good  friend  he  was  to  the 
farmers  who  had  to  come  so  man\'  miles  to  get 
their  grain  ground.  All  these  things  foini  whole 
histories  by  themselves,  but  in  a  brief  sketch,  such 
as  the  present  Record  permits,  these  things  can 
only  be  mentioned.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  Hardin,  then  Pope  County,  in  1829.  His 
name  was  La  Fayette,  and  in  his  love  of  adven- 
ture he  resembled  his  illustrious  namesake.  In 
1849,  when  only  twenty  years  of  age,  he  started 
overland,  witli  a  number  of  companions,  to  Cali- 
fornia. It  was  a  five-months  walk  and  many 
were  the  adventures  on  the  way.  He  remained 
for  three  years  in  the  mines,  and  was  very  success- 
ful, and  returned  via  the  Isthmus  of  Panama  and 
New  York.  He  then  bought  a  tract  of  land  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio  near  Elizabethtown.  The  farm 
consisted  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  and  here 
he  engaged  in  farming.  Later,  he  built  a  mill  on 
Big  Creek,  one-half  mile  from  the  Ohio,  and  oper- 
ated it  until  it  burned.  He  then  went  b.ack  to 
farming  and  continued  there  until  1859,  when  he 
u-as  seized  with  the  prevailing  Pike's  Peak  fever, 
iiiiil    went   overland    again,       Ho   remained    two 


years  this  time,  but  did  not  find  mining  as  profit- 
able as  formerly.  Upon  his  return,  in  the  fall  of 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
first  Illinois  Infantry  as  a  private,  and  later  was 
appointed  to  be  Acting-Adjutant.  He  served  two 
years,  then  came  home  and  made  up  a  company, 
with  which  he  returned  to  the  field  as  one  hun- 
dred-day men.  He  was  the  Captain  of  this  com- 
pany, which  was  consolidated  with  the  Twenty- 
ninth  Illinois.  He  served  until  the  close  of  the 
war,  was  in  the  siege  of  Vicksburg,  and  never  re- 
ceived a  scratch.  He  returned  to  tlie  peaceful  life 
his  sword  had  helped  to  procure,  and  spent  the 
next  five  years  in  the  sawmill  business.  He  was 
then  called  upon  by  his  fellow-citizens  to  fill  the 
office  of  Circuit  Clerk,  which  he  acceptablj'  did  for 
four  years.  During  the  present  administration,  he 
has  been  serving  as  Postmaster  of  Elizabethtown. 
He  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Grand  Army,  a 
member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  a  member  of  the  Republican  party. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Harriet  A. 
Steele,  born  in  Rosiclare,  111.,  a  daughter  of  James 
Steele,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  of  Scotch  descent, 
and  came  to  America  when  a  boy  with  his  parents. 
They  settled  in  South  Carolina  and  he  afterward 
came  to  Illinois,  and  located  in  what  now  is  Har- 
din County.  The  father  followed  farming  until 
the  time  of  his  death.  The  brothers  of  our  subject 
are:  La  Fayette,  an  attorney  in  Colorado;  Dr.  B. 
E.  Twitchell,  of  Belleville;  and  .1.  W.,  who  is  now 
in  Colorado  studying  medicine. 

Dr.  Twitchell  passed  his  boyhood  upon  the 
farm  and  was  employed  in  the  sawmill  until  his 
fifteenth  year,  when  the  family  moved  into 
Elizabethtown.  There  he  attended  the  common 
schools  and  remained  at  his  home  until  he  was 
seventeen.  He  then  went  to  Evansville,  Ind.,  and 
became  a  clerk  in  a  crockery  and  queensware  house, 
where  he  remained  for  about  three  years.  He 
then  took  a  commercial  course  at  the  Evansville 
Commercial  College  and  graduated.  Afterward  he 
w.as  engaged  as  book-keeper  at  Rosiclare,  111.,  for 
four  years  and  then  took  up  the  study  of  medicine, 
and  for  five  years  was  under  Dr.  R.  R.  Lacy.  He 
assisted  in  his  practice  and  in  1«88  he  entered  the 
Medical  College  of  St.  Louis.     He  g'ravlqated  from 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


221 


there  in  June,  1890,  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  He 
then  located  here  and  has  worked  up  a  fine  prac- 
tice. He  does  a  great  deal  of  surgical  work,  as  he 
is  near  the  Rolling  Mills  and  the  St.  Louit*  Short 
Line  Railroad. 

Dr.  Twitchell  was  married  April  i;i,  1882.  to 
Miss  Laura  L.  Simmons,  who  was  born  in  Salem, 
Ky.,  but  was  reared  in  Hardin  Count}-,  111.  The^- 
have  one  bright  little  daughter,  Laura  Ouida.  The 
Doctor  is  socially'  inclined  and  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Modern  Woodmen,  and  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor.  He  is  the  Examin- 
ing Physician  for  the  Commercial  Alliance  In- 
surance Company  of  New  York.  Although  an 
Eclectic  in  his  education,  he  practices  with  the 
regular  school  and  belongs  to  the  Eclectic  Med- 
ical Society  of  St.  Louis.  He  is  a  follower  of  the 
Republican  party,  but  no  office-seeker.  He  was 
brought  up  by  a  pious  mother  in  the  faith  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Ciiuroh  and  to  that  he  clings. 


J'^JEREMIAH  BENNETT,  one  of  the  honored 
pioneers  of  St.  Clair  County,  residing  on 
section  26,  0 'Fallon  Township,  was  born 
_  '  near  Hillsboro,  Guilford  County,  N.  C, 
January  I'J,  1819,  and  is  of  English  descent.  His 
grandfather,  Elijah  Bennett,  was  born  in  England, 
and  having  emigrated  to  this  country  in  Colonial 
da^'s,  served  in  the  War  for  Independence,  partici-  j 
pating  in  many  engagements  of  the  Revolution,  j 
He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation  and  died  at  his 
home  near  Hillsboro,  N.  C,  in  1837,  at  an  advanced 
age. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  John  Bennett,  was  also    j 
a  native  of  North  Carolina,  and  in  182.5  emigrated    i 
to  Tennessee  with  his  familj'.    He  there  engaged  in 
farming  and  operating  a  distillery  until  1833,  when    ' 
he  removed  to  Savannah,  Ga.     He  afterward  went 
to  the  Cherokee  Nation,  and  his  death   there  oc- 
curred.    His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name   of 
Rosanna  Lineberr3%  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-three 
vears.     Thev  were  married  near  Greensboro.  N.  C, 


and  unto  them  were  born  these  children:  Eman- 
uel and  Daniel,  who  died  in  infancj'.  Sarah,  who 
was  born  near  Greensboro  in  1812,  married  John 
Moreland  in  Tennessee.  In  1836,  they  removed  to 
Missouri  and  resided  on  a  farm  near  Vienna,  where 
Ml'.  Moreland  engaged  in  business  as  a  stock-dealer 
and  shipper.  They  had  two  sons  wlio  are  now 
farming  and  stock-raising  in  the  Cherokee  Nation, 
and  a  daughter,  now  Mrs.  Eliza  John,  who  resides 
on  the  home  farm  in  Missouri.  Emily  married  Elijah 
Hathaway  and  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years. 
They  had  five  children:  James,  Eliza,  Pleasant, 
Sarah  and  Paraleah,  Polly  was  married  in  Ten- 
nessee in  1833,  to  William  Moreland  and  they  have 
four  children:  John,  G.  Wasiiington,  Sarah  and 
Russell.  Our  subject  is  the  next  of  the  family. 
John,  born  in  1821,  is  deceased,  William  died  in 
1854.    Eliza  was  the  youngest  of  the  family. 

The  subject  of  this  .sketch  removed  with  his  par- 
ents to  Tennessee  when  six  years  of  age,  and  in 
1835  removed  to  a  farm  near  Lebanon,  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  since  which  time  he  has  resided  upon  his 
present  farm,  a  period  of  more  than  half  a  century. 
The  county  was  then  wild  and  unimproved  and 
from  a  tract  of  raw  land  he  developed  a  good  farm. 
He  experienced  all  the  hardships  and  trials  of  pio- 
neer life  and  since  has  been  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  and  in  operating  a  coal  mine. 

On  the  29th  of  October,  1840,  Mr.  Bennett  wed- 
ded Mary  E.  Alexander,  who  was  born  October  22, 
1824,  near  Lebanon,  on  the  farm  of  her  parents, 
David  and  Catherine  (Thomas)  Alexander.  After 
her  mother's  death,  her  father  married  Naomi 
Chase.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bennett  were  born  six 
children:  Eliza  J.,  born  March  1,  1841,  was  married 
in  1859,  to  John  T.  Pulliam,  a  retired  farmer  of 
Wichita,  Kan.,  and  they  have  four  children:  Charles, 
Caroline,  John  and  an  infant,  Emily,  born  October 

9,  1844,  and  ,Iohn  D.,  August  17,  1847,  died 
in  infancy.  Daniel  S.,  a  prominent  engineer  of  this 
county,  was  born  October  23,  1849,  and  on  Janu- 
ary 1,  1872,  married  Emeline  Cooper,  by  whom 
he  has  six  children:  Jeremiah,  Arthur,  Harry, 
Lutie,  Daniel  and  Walter.  Margaret,  born  February 

10,  1851,  was  married  in  1875  to  Jonathan  Wright, 
a  native  of  England,  and  they  have  seven  children: 
Hugh,  Rosa  M.,  Albert  S.,  Jeremiah    B.,    William, 


222 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Elsie  M.  and  John.  William  H.  was  born  February 
1,  1859,  and  was  the  youngest  of  the  family.  Mrs. 
Mary  Bennett  died  September  11,  1880. 

Mr.  Bennett  was  a  second  time  married,  this  union 
being  with  Mrs.  Amanda  Wolford,  widow  of  Peter 
Wolford.  She  was  born  near  KnoxviUe.  Tenn., 
January  31,  1837,  and  is  a  daughter  of  Absalom 
and  Frances  (Quails)  Hart,  the  former  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  the  latter  of  Tennessee.  They 
were  married  in  1834,  and  removed  to  Perry 
County,  Mo.,  in  1843.  The  daughter  w.as  there 
married  to  Mr.  Wolford  in  1852,  and  unto  them 
was  born  a  daughter,  Frances  Jane,  who  was  mar- 
ried April  19,  1881.  She  died  leaving  four  chil- 
dren. In  1861,  Mr.  Wolford  enlisted  in  the  late 
war  and  died  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  at  Cape 
Girardeau  of  congestive  chills. 

Mr.  Bennett  became  one  of  the  most  extensive 
farmers  and  wheat-growers  of  St.  Clair  County, 
cultivating  at  one  time  five  hundred  acres  of  land. 
In  1871,  he  sank  a  coal  shaft  upon  his  farm  which 
is  still  in  operation.  It  is  now  leased  to  B.  Yoch 
of  Belleville,  who  has  improved  it  to  the  extent  of 
$40,000.  This  mine  yields  the  finest  coal  in  the 
county.  Mr.  Bennett  has  been  prominently  identi- 
fied with  the  history  of  this  community  for  a  half- 
century.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  the 
first  president  of  the  vigilance  committee  for  the 
detection  and  punishment  of  horse  thieves  and 
other  law-breakers.  He  is  a  self-made  man,  who  by 
his  well-directed  efforts  and  perseverance  has  ac- 
quired a  handsome  property. 


HARLES  D.  McCASLANl).  One  of  the 
most  successful  business  men  of  this  city 
is  named  above.  He  is  probably  the  largest 
dealer  in  real  estate  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  under- 
stands the  business  so  thoroughly  that  he  is  re- 
garded as  an  authority.  His  business  is  carried  on 
here,  but  he  resides  in  St.  Louis.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  James  H.  IMcCasland  (see  sketch  of  .1. 
M.  McCasland). 

The  subject  of  our    sketch  was    born   June    20, 


1843,  at  Woodson,  Morgan  County,  111.  He  passed 
liis  boyhood  upon  the  farm  and  received  a  com- 
mon-school education,  which  was  included  in 
eighteen  months  of  attendance.  When  the  call 
came  for  soldiers  to  rise  to  the  defense  of  the 
Government,  young  McCasland  was  among  the 
first  to  respond,  and  enlisted  in  September,  1862, 
in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  Ninety-first 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  mustered  in  at  Jackson- 
ville and  was  sent  to  the  fnmt  thai  fall.  He  was 
with  the  regiment  at  Holly  Springs,  where  the 
greater  part  of  it  was  captured,  he,  with  a  few 
others,  being  fortunate  enough  to  escape;  and  also 
at  the  siege  of  Yickshurg,  where  the  rest  of  the  regi- 
ment was  put  on  the  gunboat  "Lafayette"  to  run 
the  blockade.  May  16,  1863,  and  where  for  two 
hours  and  forty  minutes  thej-  were  under  the 
range  of  two  hundred  and  forty  guns. 

Later,  our  subject  was  in  the  Army  of  the  Cum- 
berland, and  then  was  made  Hospital  Steward  of 
the  Twentieth  Arnij-  Corjjs,  and  as  such  he  re- 
mained until  the  close  of  his  service.  He  was  one 
of  the  brave  men,  who,  with  Sherman,  made  that 
historic  march  to  the  sea,  and  then  went  to  Rich- 
mond and  took  part  in  the  trium[)hal  review  at 
the  close  of  the  long  struggle  in  W.ashington  City. 
He  was  mustered  out  in  Springfield,  iu  June,  1865, 
and  then  returned  to  the  peaceful  life  which  his 
valor  had  helped  make  possible  in  our  fair  land.  He 
literally  changed  his  sword  for  a  pruning  hook,  and 
remained  on  a  farm  for  three  years,  wlien,  fond 
of  the  life,  he  went  to  Missouri  and  bought  a  farm 
in  Livingston  County,  and  remained  there  until 
1875.  Desiring  a  more  stirring  life,  he  then  re- 
turned to  Morgan  County  and  engaged  in  the 
stock  business.  With  the  good  judgment  with 
which  he  has  been  endowed,  iie  made  a  suc- 
cess of  it,  and  soon  was  shipping  moie  stock  than 
any  other  man   in  the  county. 

Wishing  then  to  deal  more  widely,  I\Ir.  McCas- 
land went  to  East  St.  Louis  in  1885,  and  carried 
on  an  extensive  stock  business  until  1889.  AVith 
the  wisdom  of  a  true  financier,  he  then  saw  that 
it  was  time  to  buy  land,  and  he  changed  his  occu- 
pation for  that  of  a  dealer  in  real  estate.  He  first 
bought  tracts  of  land  and  sold  them,  and  later 
purchased  sixty  acres  of  Dr.  Stnckler  and  laid  out 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


223 


what  is  known  as  North  Clearmout  and  the  addi- 
tion to  North  Clearmont.  Since  then  he  has  taken 
the  lead  in  tlie  business  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  has 
made  more  monej-  than  anj'  other  dealer.  He  has 
large  possessions  here,  and  owns  both  residence  and 
business  property  on  Missouri  Avenue  and  Broad- 
way, and  is  still  improving  and  building. 

Mr.  MoCasland  was  married  October  11,1867, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Todd,  the  accomplished  and 
charming  daughter  of  Martin  Todd,  who  was  born 
in  Morgan  County.  One  bright  daughter  is  the 
result  of  the  marriage,  named  Arrettia.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  genial,  companionable  man,  and  is  highly 
valued  in  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 
He  makes  no  excuse  for  his  Republican  principles, 
but  glories  in  the  future  he  sees  for  his  favorite 
liart}'.  Mr.  McCasland  has  carved  out  his  own 
career  and,  as  a  self-made  man,  can  be  held  up  to 
the  present  generation  as  an  example  of  what  can 
be  accomplished  in  lliis  country  b}'  pluck  and 
li<)nest>'. 


m>^^<B 


^^  HRISTIAN  ROHM,  Su.  This  pleasant,  ac- 
(if  ^-^,  commodating  gentleman-  is  one  of  the  old- 
^^(7  est  merchants  in  the  city.  His  place  of 
business  is  located  on  CoUinsville  Avenue,  and  his 
residence  in  East  St.  Louis  has  dated  from  1857, 
when  it  was  called  Illinois  Town.  He  was  born  in 
the  province  of  Nassau,  near  Ohringen,  Germany, 
May  6,  1838.  He  was  the  son  of  Philip  Rohm, 
born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  who  lived  the  life  of  a 
farmer  and  died  there  in  1851.  The  good  mother 
of  our  subject,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  Dauster, 
a  farmer,  was  given  the  name  of  Sophia,  and 
was  born  in  Nassau,  Germany.  She  spent  her  last 
years  in  America,  having  come  here  three  years 
after  her  son,  and  died  at  his  home  in  1883.  In 
her  death  the  Lutheran  Church  lost  a  conscien- 
tious member.  She  left  four  children :  Christiana 
Pfeiffer  lives  in  East  St.  Louis;  William  is  a 
coal  agent  in  East  St.  Louis;  AVilhelmie  is  Mrs. 
Steul,  of  this  place. 

The  sentleman  of  whom  we  write  was  reared  in 


Germany  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  and 
received  the  excellent  schooling  that  is  open  to  all 
classes  there.  His  first  business  training  was  obtained 
in  a  grocery  store  there.  Not  being  satisfied,  he 
concluded  to  try  his  fortune  across  the  sea.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  made  his  way  to  Rotterdam  and 
from  there  to  Liverpool,  where  he  took  passage  on 
the  sailing-vessel"Aurora"to  New  York  City,  arriv- 
ing there  after  a  voyage  of  twenty-eight  daj-s.  He 
then  made  his  way  to  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  and  served 
as  clerk  in  a  store  there  until  the  fall  of  1856,  when 
he  came  to  East  St.  Louis  and  learned  the  butcher- 
ing business,  and  on  April  1,  1857,  located  in 
Illinois  Town.  This  is  now  a  part  of  East  St.  Louis, 
but  at  that  time  the  village  was  only  a  collection 
of  houses  for  the  accommodation  of  drovers  and 
farmers  on  their  way  to  the  mart  across  the 
great  Father  of  "Waters,  which  they  reached  by 
ferry.  He  engaged  as  clerk  for  two  years,  and  then" 
started  in  the  grocery  business  on  Broadway, 
wliich  he  continued  until  1866,  with  the  exception 
of  some  time  spent  at  St.  Paul  in  the  same  line. 
He  started  his  meat  market  here  in  1866,  and  has 
been  very  successful  in  his  business,  as  he  was  the 
first  one  in  the  field.  He  has  been  an  extensive 
buyer  at  the  National  stock  yards,  and  kills  hogs 
by  the  car-load,  having  every  modern  and  sani- 
tary' convenience  in  his  slaughter  house  on  Rock 
Road,  one-half  mile  out  of  the  city.  He  has  a 
large  and  profitable  trade  and  takes  pride  in  hav- 
ing everything  of  the  best. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  1859,  in  East  St. 
Louis,  to  Miss  Anne  Newcomb,  who  was  born  in 
Switzerland,  of  German  descent.  She  was  removed 
by  death  in  1873,  leaving  eight  children:  Sophia, 
married  and  living  in  East  St.  Louis;  William, 
in  business  with  his  father;  Anna,  at  home;  Caro- 
line, now  Mrs.  Hinze,  of  this  city;  Minnie,  who  is 
dead;  Elizabeth,  Mrs.  Denes,  of  this  place;  Louisa, 
now  Mrs.  Conrad,  who  lives  here;  and  Christian, 
who  is  with  his  father. 

Mr.  Rohm  believes  in  Protection,  and  hence  is  a 
member  of  the  Republican  |)arty,  and  has  been 
honored  by  it  in  various  ways.  He  was  an  Alder- 
man of  the  First  Ward  one  term  and  then  the 
same  time  in  the  Seventh  AVard.  He  has  acted  on 
different  committees  where  the  interests  of  the  city 


224 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


have  been  at  stake,  and  was  on  the  first  reform 
council  of  the  city  that  passed  the  rule  for  high 
grades  and  viaducts  and  for  general  improvements. 
He  belongs  to  the  social  orders  of  the  Ancient  Free 
and  Accepted  Masons  and  Royal  Arcii  Masons  of 
this  place,  and  Knights  Templar  of  Belleville. 
He  is  a  man  very  much  respected  and  is  one  well 
posted  in  the  interesting  past  of  the  city  he  has 
seen  make  such  a  marvelous  ffrowth. 


il^^  ENRY  VOSS.  With  the  rapid  and  im- 
Wji'i  mense  growth  of  East  St.  Louis,  and  the 
i^^^  ever-increasing  demand  for  residences  and 
^P  manufacturing  and  commercial  buildings, 
the  real-estate  interests  have  naturally  come  to  form 
one  of  the  chief  investments  for  capital  with  the 
well-to-do  and  thrifty  portion  of  the  populace. 
The  large  trade  now  done  in  realty  of  every  de- 
scription has  naturally  drawn  to  this  branch  of  en- 
terprise many  of  our  leading  capitalists  and  go- 
ahead  citizens,  and  among  this  number  is  Henry 
C.  Voss,  who  has  built  up  an  extensive  and  influ- 
ential connection  among  speculators,  investors, 
and  those  seeking  homes  for  themselves. 

Mr.  Voss  was  born  on  the  24th  of  June,  1863, 
at  the  old  Prairie  House,  on  the  St.  Clair  Turnpike, 
now  in  the  city  limits  of  East  St.  Louis,  tliis 
being  the  oldest  house  in  the  township.  His  father, 
Henry  Voss,  was  born  in  Prussia,  reared  on  a  farm 
there,  and  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  German  army. 
Later,  he  was  employed  as  clerk  in  a  bank,  and 
when  he  was  twenty-six  years  of  age  came  to 
America,  landing  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  re- 
mained for  some  time.  He  served  all  through  the 
Mexican  War,  and  subsequently  went  to  St.  Paul, 
but,  not  liking  it  there,  returned  to  New  Orleans, 
where  he  drove  a  team,  transferring  cotton  bales. 
There  he  became  familiar  with  the  cattle  business, 
and  later  he  came  to  St.  Louis  and  engaged  as  a 
drover.  In  the  fall  of  1848,  he  came  to  East  St. 
Louis,  and,  with  only  a  capital  of  1300,  engaged  in 
bu3-ing  and  shipping  cattle  to  New  Orleans  by 
steamboat.     The  business  increased  in  a  wonderful 


way  and  he  employed  many  men,  thus  continuing 
until  the  breaking  out  of  the  war,  when  he  lost 
consideralile. 

In  the  meantime,  tlie  father  of  our  subject  had 
purchased  twenty  acres  of  land  where  the  old 
Prairie  House  stands,  and  there  he  made  his  home, 
for  East  St.  Louis  was  his  marketing  place  for 
cattle  at  that  time.  He  added  to  the  original  tract 
of  land  he  had  purchased  until  he  owned  three 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  adjoining  the  city  limits, 
and  veiy  valuable  property.  Here  his  death  oc- 
curred in  1887,  when  nearly  seventy  years  of  age. 
He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and  a  member  of 
the  Catholic  Church.  Wlien  tliirty-three  years  of 
age,  he  married  Miss  Margaret  Conrade,  a  native 
of  Alsace,  France,  who  came  to  St.  Louis  with  her 
parents,  both  of  whom  died  of  cholera  in  this  city. 
Mrs.  Voss  died  in  1879.  Six  children,  two  sons 
and  four  daughters,  were  born  to  this  union,  and 
Henry  C.  was  third  in  order  of  birth. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  farm,  and  supple- 
mented a  district-school  education  by  attending 
the  city  schools.  He  was  early  set  to  work,  and 
as  lie  was  passionately  fond  of  horses,  he  became  a 
driver.  He  remained  under  the  parental  roof  un- 
til after  the  death  of  the  father,  and  two  years  af- 
terward superintended  the  estate.  After  this,  he 
took  possession  of  his  propertj'  and  remained  at 
the  old  Prairie  House  for  some  time.  On  the  1st 
of  May,  1889,  he  married  Miss  Natalia  Gross,  a  na- 
tive of  East  St.  Louis  and  the  daughter  of  Louis 
Gross  (see  sketch). 

Our  subject  continued  farming  until  1891,  and 
then  formed  a  partnership  with  Mr.  Gross  and  Mr. 
Bennett,  under  the  firm  name  of  Gross,  Voss  &  Co., 
which  continued  until  January  1,  1892,  when  he 
bought  Mr.  Bennett  out,  and  continued  the  busi- 
ness under  the  firm  title  of  Gross  &  Voss.  Mr. 
Voss  is  the  owner  of  twenty  acres  on  Arlington 
Place,  and  he  is  building  a  fine  residence  in  St. 
Clair  County  Turnpike  at  a  cost  of  from  18,000  to 
$10,000.  He  is  erecting  houses  on  his  addition, 
which  is  in  one  of  the  most  beautiful  residence  por- 
tions of  the  city.  Later,  he  laid  out  the  Voss  Ad- 
dition of  forty  .acres.  He  is  interested  in  the 
street  railway  between  East  St.  Louis  and  Belle- 
ville.     In    the    year  1886,    when    not  more  than 


F'^  ;n^ 


ELIZABETH     BORNMAN. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


227 


twenty-four  j-ears  of  age,  he  was  elected  Village 
Trustee  of  New  Brighton,  and  served  his  third 
term,  wlieu  it  was  annexed  to  East  St.  Louis.  He 
has  been  a  School  Director  of  his  district,  serving 
two  times  as  President  and  two  tiraesas Clerk.  In 
1889,  he  was  elected  Commissioner  of  Highwaj-s 
on  the  Democratic  ticket,  and  the  last  time  was 
elected  by  one  hundred  votes  more  than  both  his 
opponents  together.  He  is  now  serving  his  sec- 
ond term.  He  has  two  or  three  teams  on  the 
road  in  his  division,  keeping  up  roads  and  bridges. 
Since  elected  to  the  offlce  of  Director,  he  has  built 
up  the  Illinois  city  school,  one  of  the  finest  in  East 
^St.  Louis,  at  a  cost  of  $30,000.  ^  He  was  one  of  the 
Commissioners  and  took  an  active  part. 

Our  subject's  marriage  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  two  children,  Natalia  and  Louis  Henry.  He 
is  a  member  of  St.  Henry's  Church,  in  whicli  his 
father  was  one  of  the  jjrominent  members,  the  lat- 
ter being  one  of  four  to  build  the  first  church  in 
East  St.  Louis.  In  politics,  Jlr.  Voss  is  Democratic 
in  national  affairs,  and  has  been  a  delegate  to 
county  conventions. 


RS.  ELIZABETH  BORNMAN.  The  ven- 
erable lady  whose  honored  name  intro- 
duces this  sketcla  is  one  of  whom  the  bi- 
ographer esteems  it  a  privilege  to  write. 
A  woman  who  has  trod  the  pathway  of  life  for 
ninety  years  with  the  bravery  of  true  courage  in 
the  face  of  trial,  tribulation  and  hardship,  and  who 
has  shown  the  devotion  to  right  and  the  beautiful 
traits  of  Christian  character  which  have  distin- 
guished Mrs.  Bornman,  deserves  more  extended 
praise  than  the  feeble  pen  of  tlie  writer  can  indite. 
Elizabeth  Miller  was  born  June  12,  1802,  on 
what  is  known  as  the  Prim  farm  (now  owned  by 
George  Muskoff)  on  section  32,  St.  Clair  Township. 
Her  parents,  William  and  Mary  (Huffman)  Miller, 
were  natives  of  the  Old  Dominion,  born  in  Hard3' 
County,  near  Harper's  Ferry.  They  were  of  Ger- 
man descent,  the  mother  having  been  educated   in 


Germany.'  In  1797,  they  came  to  Illinois  and  first 
made  settlement  near  New  Design,  Monroe 
Count}-,  where  they  lived  for  about  two  years. 
Thence  they  came  to  St,  Clair  Countj'  and  settled 
on  the  above-mentioned  place,  where  our  subject 
was  born.  At  that  time  the  country  was  in  a  wild 
state,  and  Indians  and  wild  animals  made  life  haz- 
ardous, while  the  many  privations  of  ])ioneer  life 
caused  much  sickness  and  death.  The  children  who 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  were:  Solomon, 
who  was  born  in  Virginia,  came  with  the  family  to 
Illinois,  and  died  in  1854.  He  served  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War  in  1832,  and  was  Colonel  of  a  regi- 
ment. Kate  died  .young.  Nancy  became  the  wife 
of  James  Smith,  and  died  January  4, 1884,  leaving 
three  sons  and  one  daughter:  William,  who  is  a 
farmer  and  resides  in  Perrv  County;  Benjamin, 
who  resides  in  Stookej^  Township,  four  miles  south 
of  Belleville.     Mrs.  Jane  Gregg,  lives  in  Kansas. 

November  30,  1827,  our  subject  became  the  wife 
of  Conrad  Bornman,  and  the  house  in  which  she 
was  married  is  still  standing  across  the  road  a 
short  distance  from  the  present  residence.  Her 
husband  was  a  native  of  Germany,  from  which 
country  he  had  come  in  1817  to  New  York,  and  in 
1819  to  St.  Clair  Count}^  He  was  a  blacksmith 
and  brickmason  by  trade,  and  not  only  made  brick, 
but  laid  the  walls  of  many  of  the  best  business 
blocks  and  residences  erected  in  this  section  during 
his  lifetime.  An  industrious,  energetic  and  public- 
spirited  man,  he  was  very  prominent  in  his  town- 
ship. He  carried  on  an  ice  business  for  several 
_years.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  he  was  President 
of  the  Nail  Mill  Company,  and  was  also  stock- 
holder in  the  People's  Bank.  He  was  one  of  the 
pure  politicians  who  could  be  ardent  in  the  in- 
terests of  a  party  without  desiring  office.  First  a 
Whig,  upon  the  formation  of  the  Republican  party 
he  became  identified  with  its  principles  and  in- 
terests. In  addition  to  brick-making,  he  success- 
fully carried  on  his  farm,  which,  being  underlaid 
with  a  rich  vein  of  coal,  paid  him  good  returns. 
After  a  laborious,  useful  and  successful  life,  he 
died,  November  4,  1875,  at  Hot  Springs,  Ark., 
whither  he  had  gone  in  the  hope  of  recovering  his 
health,  which  had  become  seriousl}^  impaired. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bornman  were  particular!}'  blessed 


228 


PORTRAri   AND  RTfXiRAPIIK  AL   RK(()RD. 


in  their  family.  Tlic  sons  grew  ap  brave  »nd  manly 
and  the  daughters  affectionate  and  home-loving. 
William  Henry  married  .Mary  Eckert.and  is  now  a 
resident  of  New  Design.  Martha  is  the  widow  of 
Lucien  Doussart  (see  her  sketch).  James  A.  served 
with  credit  through  the  la-st  ye.ar  of  the  war  in 
Company  V,  Thirtieth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was 
wilii  Slicrman  in  the  march  to  the  sea.  lyouis  en- 
iistt'd  at  llie  breaking  out  of  the  war  in  response 
to  President  Lincoln's  first  call  for  three-months 
men.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  he  enlisted  for 
three  years,  or  during  the  war,  in  Companj-  E, 
Ninth  Illinois  Regiment.  He  participated  in  the 
many  engagements  of  his  regiment,  and  was 
wounded  in  the  left  arm  at  the  battle  of  .Shiloh. 
After  one  year  of  service,  he  was  promoted  to  be 
.Second  Lieutenant,  and  served  in  the  army  three 
years  and  four  months.  Daniel  served  three 
months  under  the  first  call  in  Company  D,  Ninth 
Illinois  Regiment.  These  brothers  are  all  Repub- 
licans, and  are  intelligent,  genial  men,  of  whom 
any  mother  could  be  proud.  Iler  grief  was  great 
to  .see  them  go  out  from  their  peaceful  home  into 
the  danger  of  the  battlefield,  but  they  were  all 
rnercifull}'  .spared  to  her.  Frances,  Adeline  and 
Mary  .S.  reside  with  the  brothers  at  the  home  of 
the  aged  mothei-  and  vie  with  each  other  to  make 
lier  comfortable.  They  watch  over  her  with  ten- 
der solicitude,  and  show  the  greatest  devotion  and 
affection.  All  of  the  children  had  the  advantages 
of  a  good  education,  and  Louis  attended  .McKend- 
ree  College  at  Lebanon  for  three  years. 

The  homestead  comprises  about  one  hundred 
and  si.\t3'-five  acres  of  land, partly  within  the  cor- 
porate limits  of  the  city  of  lielleville.  The  resi- 
dence is  a  comfortable  brick  edifice,  and  the  sur- 
roundings are  very  attractive.  None  of  the  family 
are  connected  with  any  religious  denomination,  but 
their  preference  is  the  Presbyterian  faith,  and  they 
all  live  good  Christian  lives. 

The  venerable  lady  of  whom  we  write  is  the  old- 
est living  person  in  St.  Clair  Township,  and  with 
the  exception  of  Col.  .lohn  Thomas,  whose  sketch 
appears  elsewhere  in  these  pages,  is  the  oldest  per- 
son in  the  county'.  Between  herself  and  Elijah 
Badgley,  whose  sketch  is  elsewhere  presented,  there 
is  a  difference  in  age  of  three  da^vs.he  being  that 


much  her  junior.  Notwithstanding  her  age,  Mrs. 
Bomman  has  a  bright  memory,  and  can  give  ac- 
counts of  events  and  experiences  which  have  es- 
caped those  much  younger.  Witii  the  exception 
of  deafness,  she  is  .still  in  possession  of  all  of  her 
faculties,  and  enjoys  life,  taking  an  interest  in  the 
welfare  of  thf>se  around  her  as  if  she  were  but  be- 
ginning life  instead  of  having  climbed  almost  to 
the  summit.  So  universally  esteemed  is  she  and 
.so  well  known  that  these  few  lines  will  find  many 
interested  readers. 


^•f^^- 


Its.  MARTHA  DOCSSARD.     The   intelli- 
gent lady  whose  name  heads  this  sketch 
is  the  widow  of  Lucien  Doussard,  and  since 
the  dav  that  deprived  her  of  her  natural 
support,  she  has  lived  on  the  farm  left  her  by  her 
devoted  husband,  which  her  son  ojierates  for  her. 
This  estimable  lady  is  the  daughter  of  Conrad  and 
;   Elizabeth  (Miller)  Bornman.  (See  sketch  of  Eliza- 
I   Iteth  Bomman.)     Mrs.  Dous.sard  was  born  on  the 
j    2.5th  of  .January,  18.31,  in  the  city  of  Belleville, 
being  one  of  seven  children. 

Our  subject  was  married  November  29,  ixri.'j, 
to  Lucien  Doussard,  a  native  of  St.  Ixtuis,  in  the 
AVest  Indies,  who  was  born  September  21,  1825. 
His  parents,  Louis  and  Lucy  Dou.ssard,  were  natives 
of  sunny  France,  who  removed  to  .St.  Louis  be- 
fore the  birth  of  their  son  to  engage  in  the  busi- 
ness of  sugar-planting.  In  addition  to  the  latter 
employment  the  father  held  a  Government  office. 
'  When  still  a  young  man,  Mr.  Doussard  left  his 
native  island  and  went  to  North  Carolina,  settling 
in  Raleigh,  but  not  being  satisfied  there,  he  went 
north  to  Elizabethtown,  N.  .J.,  where  he  remained 
one  year.  From  that  place,  he  emigrated  U)  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  but  remained  there  but  a  short  time. 
In  May,  1849.  he  removed  lo  Belleville  and  re- 
mained in  that  city  for  six  months  and  then  bought 
a  farm  in  St.  Clair  Township,  where  he  remained  a 
year,  when,  his  marriage  occurring,  he  removed  to 
the  farm  that  his  wife  still  occupies.  In  early  life, 
Mr.   Doussard   engaged  in  clerking,  but  the  latter 


PORTRAIT  .^JS'D  BICKtRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


portion  of  his  d*ys  wa»  spent  in  tilling  the  soil. 
In  politics,  he  was  an  ardent  Republican,  uphold- 
ing the  principles  of  his  party  whenever  necessary. 
He  lived  and  died  in  the  faith  of  the  Catholic 
Church.  <•{  which  his  family  are  also  members. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  iJoussard  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children,  as  follows:  .Joseph  Rufus,  a  resident  of 
I-Ast  St.  Ixjuis.  111.,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  liv- 
ery business,  lie  mairied  Catherine  .Schreck,  and 
they  have  three  children.  Mary  died  when  still 
young.  .James  is  at  home,  as  is  also  Luc>'.  Cor- 
rine  has  renounced  the  world  and  its  vain  pleasures 
and  is  a  sister  in  a  convent  at  Roxburv,  Mass. 
.Julian  Morris  is  living  at  home,  and  Augusta  died 
when  only  two  years  of  age. 

Mrs.  Dous-sard  resides  on  her  plea-sant  farm  of 
sixty-seven  acres  with  her  son  and  daughter,  who 
endeavor  to  console  their  revered  mother  for  her 
great  loss.  Miss  Lucy  Doussard  is  a  refined,  intel- 
ligent lady,  whose  sweet  manners  win  her  friends 
wherever  she  goes.  This  is  a  family  whf>s€  name 
deserves  a  place  in  every  history  of  St.  Clair 
County,  for  it  is  such  men  and  women  as  Jjelong 
to  this  household  that  make  society  better  and 
purer. 


-^m\%^t'^'^^' 


^  APT.  C  H  R  1  >  T  I  A  .\  I  Si.OU).  There  is 
J,  -^  a  tradition  somewhere,  tliat  the  Mississippi 
V^  River  steamers  can  J>low  up  often er  and 
burn  down  'juicker,  and  make  more  fuss  aJx>ut 
their  demolition,  than  .any  other  UjaV-  on  the  face 
of  the  globe,  and  for  tliat  reason,  fterhaps,  they 
have  a  fascination  for  the  youtli  bom  along  the 
Jjanks  of  the  mighty  river. 

'I*he  pleasant  and  entertaining  gentleman  of 
whom  this  notice  is  written  was  Jx^rn  .-Vpril  11, 
18.'»6,  on  the  comer  of  IVjge  and  -Secf^nd  Streets, 
Kast  St.  Louis,  when  that  {>art  of  the  now  pros- 
perous city  was  known  as  Ulood^'  Island.  HLs  father 
was  .Jacob  Ingold.  who  came  from  his  native  town, 
liaden.  Germany,  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and.  after 
making  the  trip  to  St.  I>>uLs.  engaged  as  a  laborer, 
and   then   went  as  a  private  m  the  Mexican  War. 


After  his  return,  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis  and  en- 
gaged as  a  teamster  for  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Com- 
pany. He  continued  with  this  company  until 
1882,  when  they  |>ensioned  him  and  he  now  lives 
retired.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  named 
.\nnie  M.  Fletcher,  and.  was  born  in  Oermany. 
and  died  May  0.  1891. 

The  subject  of  this  writing  was  the  onl^- child  of 
his  jiarents.  and  was  reaied  on  the  Island  and  edu- 
cated in  St.  JyOuLs  at  the  Saxon  and  Douglass 
Schools,  .ittending  the  .Jones  Commercial  Col- 
lege at  night.  When  but  a  bo}-,  he  began  Uj  work 
for  .J.  M.  .Jordan,  of  St.  Ixjuis,  and  remained  with 
him  until  in  1874,  when  he  went  into  the  employ 
of  the  Wiggins  Fen-y  Company  as  weighrnaster 
and  as  deck  hand.  He  was  licensed  as  Captain 
and  Pilot  in  1881,  and  Utok  charge  of  the  tug  •'  II. 
C.  Crewveling."  and  ran  it  about  three  years,  when 
he  took  the  tug- CluJjb"  and  after  this  had  charge 
of  others.  He  has  been  either  Captain  or  Pilot  on 
every  JK^t  since  tliat  has  done  much  for  the 
opening  up  and  extension  of  development  along 
the  Mississippi  River  in  the  last  twenty  jears.  He 
was  Pilot  for  three  years  on  the  "  Napoleon  Mulli- 
gan "  under  Capt.  Wick.  In  1890,  he  became  Cajj- 
tain  of  the  '•  .John  Trundley  "  transfer-boat.  When 
the  water  is  low,  thev  make  a  run  of  fourteen  miles 
from  the  landing  here  to  Chain  of  Rocks,  at  the 
new  St.  I^JiuLs  Water  Works. 

C  apt.  Ingold  was  married  in  East  St.  Ixjuis,  in 
1886,  U)  Miss  Caroline  Ilentze,  who  was  bom  in 
East  St.  I>ouis,  and  one  charming  little  daughter 
has  come  U>  gladden  the  go<jd  Captain's  heart. 
Her  name  is  Ora  Evelyn.  He  is  a  democrat  in  his 
politics,  and  has  served  as  Clerk  of  Elections  here. 
He  t^elongs  to  the  social  orders  of  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  the  I'niform  Rank  of  Knights  of 
Honor. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  handles  the  helm  with 
accuracy,  \Kjm  •  f  long  service  in  an  employment 
for  which  he  always  has  had  a  fondness,  and  he 
has  the  confidence  of  the  |)Cople  of  East  St.  Louis, 
for  they  know  that  he  Ls  thoroughly-  acquainted 
with  everj-  harl>or  and  rapid  and  unexi>ected  curve 
of  the  Father  of  Waters,  along  whose  shores  he 
lias  [massed  hi.-  useful  life.  He  was  onl^-  twenty- 
three  years  of  age   when    he    was    first   entrusted 


230 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


with  a  steamer,  and  many  have  been  his  exper- 
iences since  then.  He  has  seen  the  wonderful 
growth  of  East.  St.  Louis  and  taiies  great  pride  in 
showing  it  to  the  stranger. 


a^pSjHOMAK  MAY,  .In.  One  of  the  most  prom- 
M^s\  inent  citizens  of  East  St.  Louis,  who  has 
%^'-'  held  here  many  official  positions  of  trust 
and  responsibility'  and  is  at  present  tlie  most  effi- 
cient Clerk  of  the  City  Courts,  is  Thomas  Maj'. 
Jr.,  who  was  elected  to  that  position  in  Septem- 
ber, 1886.  He  was  born  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  on  the 
12th  of  July,  1857.  and  inherits  from  his  Irish 
ancestors  the  quick  wit,  genialty  and  large-heart- 
edness  for  which  his  countrymen  are  known.  His 
parents,  Thomas  and  Bridget  (McDerraott)  May, 
were  natives  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  the  former  born 
in  County  Mayo,  and  a  successful  farmer  in  that 
country.  When  a  single  man,  the  father  decided 
that  America  was  the  land  of  promise  for  a  strug- 
gling young  man,  and,  after  reaching  thiscountrj', 
settled  in  Maryland,  where  he  continued  his 
former  occupation.  About  1858,  he  came  to  Ran- 
dolph County,  111.,  and  settled  near  Waterloo, 
where  he  purchased  a  farm,  and  cultivated  it  until 
1869,  when  he  sold  out  and  located  in  East  St. 
Louis. 

Our  subject  was  first  in  the  employ  of  the  Wabash 
Railroad,  but  subsequentl_y  was  employed  by  the 
Eads  Bridge  Company,  now  the  Terminal  Railroad 
Association,  with  which  he  has  remained  ever  since. 
In  politics,  he  shows  a  decided  preference  for  the 
Democratic  party  and  has  ever  upheld  its  princi- 
ples. He  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church  and 
his  wife  also  held  membership  in  the  same.  She 
died  in  1861,  and  Mr.  May  was  married  the  second 
time,  six  children  resultin-  from  tile  last  union. 

Thomas  May,  Jr.,  the  only  child  living  of  the 
first  union,  remained  in  Randolph  County,  111., 
until  1869,  and,  unfortunately,  his  early  educa- 
tional advantages  were  limited,  as  the  nearest 
school  was  five  or  six  miles  away.      However,   he 


came  to  East  St.  Louis  at  the  la&t-named  date  and 
made  up  for  lost  time  by  attending  the  public 
schools  until  eighteen  years  of  age.  After  this,  he 
was  employed  by  the  Wabash  Railroad  Company, 
first  as  water-carrier  and  later  as  foreman  in  the 
switch  yards.  He  was  also  employed  in  the  latter 
capacity  by  the  Chicago,  Alton  &  St.  Louis  Rail- 
road until  the  strike  of  1886,  when  he  left  and 
never  went  back. 

In  September,  1886,  he  was  elected  Clerk  of  the 
Cit}'  Courts  over  two  popular  opponents,  by  a  ma- 
jority of  four  hundred.  He  filled  tliat  position  in 
so  creditable  and  efficient  a  manner  that  he  was 
re-elected  in  the  fall  of  1890  with  no  opposition. 
Mr.  May  owns  considerable  real  estate  in  East  St. 
Louis,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Mutual  Building  and 
Loan  Association  and  also  of  the  St.  Clair  Associa- 
tion, in  which  he  is  a  Director. 

On  the  28th  of  November,  1882,  he  was  wedded 
to  Miss  Rosa  O'Brien,  a  native  of  Memphis,  Tenn., 
but  who  was  reared  and  educated  in  East  St.  Louis. 
Her  parents,  Michael  and  Margaret  O'Brien,  were 
natives  of  the  green  isle  of  Erin,  and  the  father 
was  on  the  police  force  in  Memphis,  where  he  died 
during  the  cholera  scourge.  The  mother  finds  a 
comfortable  home  with  our  subject.  To  Mr.  and 
May  has  been  born  one  child,  Thomas  M.  Mr. 
Maj'  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  and  is  Master  Workman  of  East  St. 
Louis  Lodge  No.  294.  He  and  his  wife  are 
worthy  members  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  and  he  is 
a  stanch  supporter  of  tlie  principles  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party. 


^^mm-^^^^^^m^ 


/^,  HARLES  L.  WALRATH.  The  principal 
[l\  I-.  requisite  in  the  success  of  the  real-estate 
^^7  business,  the  safest  and  surest  form  of  in- 
vestment, is  to  have  reliable  agents  who  are  thor- 
oughly posted  on  their  cit\'  and  locality.  .Such  a 
one  has  East  St.  Louis  long  possessed  in  Charles  L. 
Walrath,  who  is  now  not  only  a  prominent  and 
successful  real-estate  dealer,  but  is  also  interested 
in  the  insurance  business,   for    it    is   an  acknowl- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


231 


edged  fact  that  insurance  is  among  the  most  im-  I 
portant  branches  of  business  in  any  community. 
He  is  a  native  of  tlie  Empire  State,  born  in  Cana- 
joharie,  Montgomery  County,  on  the  19th  of  De- 
cember, 1851,  and  comes  of  sturdy  German  ances- 
tors. Tlie  first  members  of  this  family  to  settle 
in  America  were  seven  brothers,  who  came  here 
at  a  period  antedating  the  Revolutionarj'  War, 
and  served  all  through  the  struggle  for  indepen- 
dence. 

The  great-grandfather  of  our  subject,  Jacob 
Walrath,  was  born  in  New  York  State,  and,  after 
growing  up,  located  on  a  farm  in  Montgomery 
County,  where,  in  connection  with  farming,  he 
followed  the  carpenter's  trade.  His  son  (tlie  father 
of  our  subject),  John  J.  Walrath,  who  was  born  on 
this  farm  in  Montgomery  County,  N.  Y.,  as  he 
grew  up  learned  the  carpenter's  and  joiner's  trade, 
and  became  a  contractor,  builder  and  finisher,  do- 
ing very  fine  work  in  wood.  Later,  he  took  up 
the  occupation  to  wliich  he  had  been  reared,  and 
tilled  the  soil  very  successfully  for  some  time. 
He  tlien  sold  out  and  removed  to  Hillsdale,  Mich., 
where  he  was  engaged  in  carpentering  for  ten 
years.  Since  then  he  has  resided  with  his  chil- 
dren, and  although  seventy-nine  years  of  age,  holds 
his  j'ears  well.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
a  Methodist  in  religion.  He  married  Miss  Mari- 
etta St.  John,  a  native  of  Montgomery  ('ounly, 
N.  Y.,  and  the  daughter  of  Sylvan  us  St.  John, 
who  was  born  in  Connecticut,  and  was  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  Montgomery  Countj'.  Mr.  St. 
John  was  a  very  extensive  farmer  and  was  Captain 
of  a  State  militia  company.  He  was  at  Lake  Erie 
during  the  War  of  1812.  Mrs.  Walrath  died  in 
1882,  leaving  four  children:  Rev.  J.  H.,  who  resides 
in  Chicago  and  isa  Congregational  minister;  Louis 
E.,  in  Texas  County,  Mo.;  Charles  L.,  our  subject; 
and  Emma  F.,  wife  of  the  Rev.  G.  C.  McClure, 
of  Cooperstown,  N.  Dak. 

The  original  of  this  notice  was  reared  in  New 
York  until  the  age  of  twenty  years,  and  from 
early  boyhood  delighted  in  handling  tools.  He 
.served  his  time  at  the  carpenter's  trade  and  was 
educated  at  Ames  Academy,  of  national  reputa- 
tion, When  nineteen  years  of  age,  be  taught 
piie  winter  term  of  school,  and    |h  1871  went   to 


Hillsdale,  Mich.,  where  he  lived  for  ten  years, 
and  there  attended  college,  off  and  on,  for  six 
years.  During  this  time,  he  taught  school  for 
several  terms,  and  also  followed  contracting  and 
building.  About  1877,  he  embarked  in  merchan- 
dising in  Hillsdale,  and  continued  this  until  1880, 
when,  on  account  of  his  health,  he  sold  out. 

In  November  of  the  same  year,  our  subject 
came  to  East  St.  Louis  and  assisted  in  settling  the 
St.  John  property,  left  by  his  great  aunt,  and  since 
then  has  been  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business 
building  up  and  developing  the  city  as  much  as 
any  other  one  man.  His  office  is  on  the  corner  of 
Third  vStreet  and  Broadway,  where,  in  connection 
with  the  real-estate  business,  he  is  engaged  in  the 
life,  fire  and  accident  insurance  business.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  American  Building  &  Loan  Asso- 
ciation, of  Chicago,  and  is  one  of  the  substantial 
and  popular  men  of  the  city.  He  owns  property 
all  over  the  city,  has  built  many  houses,  and  is 
building  right  along.  He  is  the  largest  renter  of 
houses  in  the  city,  and  is  doing  a  flourishing  busi- 
ness. 

Mr.  Walrath  was  married  in  St.  Louis,  in  De- 
cember, 1882,  to  Miss  Georgia  L.  Miller,  a  native 
of  St.  Louis  and  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Samuel  Miller, 
of  St.  Louis.  Two  children  have  blessed  this 
union:  Charles  Herbert  and  Jessie  A.  Mr.  Wal- 
rath is  a  Republican  in  politics,  but  does  not  as- 
pire to  political  positions.  Mr.  Walrath  was  made 
Notary  Public  in  1887.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church  and  is  Trustee,  Secretary 
and  Treasurer  in  the  same.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Building  Committee  of  the  new  church,  one 
of  the  finest  in  the  city. 


^i^j  APT.  HENRY  SACKMANN.  Among  the 
[|(  ^.^  most  noted  and  representative  men  of  East 
^^1^  St.  Louis,  III.,  stands  the  name  of  Capt- 
Henry  Sackmann,  whose  high  reputation  and  ma- 
terial (nosperity  came  as  the  rewards  of  unusual 
natural  abilities,  industriously  applied.  Ho  is  one 
of  the  old  settlers  of  East  St.  Louis,  coming  here 
in  1846,  wheft  the  cit^'  was  called  Illinois  Town  ami 


232 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


when  there  was  but  one  house  on  the  Island.  From 
that  time  to  the  present,  he  has  so  identified  him- 
self with  tlie  affairs  of  tiie  place  that  their  history 
cannot  be  recorded  without  according  him  a  con- 
spicuous and  honorable  i)art.  He  has  assisted  verj' 
materially  in  the  progress  and  development  of  this 
city,  and  is  entitled,  with  others,  to  feel  a  just  pride 
over  the  result  of  efforts  that  have  brought  forth 
tliu  flourishing  East  St.  Louis  of  to-day.  He  is  at 
jircsent  the  veteran  employe  of  the  Wiggins  Ferrj- 
Company,  is  the  Superintendent  of  the  large  cor- 
[loration,  and  holds  a  very  responsible  position. 

Capt.  Sackmann  was  born  on  the  8th  of  April, 
18.S4,  at  Hanover,  German j',  and  his  parents  were 
also  natives  of  that  country.  The  father  was  a 
carpenter  b}'  trade,  and  he  and  his  wife  passed 
their  entiie  lives  in  the  land  of  their  birth.  Our 
subject  was  the  third  youngest  of  the  children  born 
to  his  parents,  and  remained  in  Germany  until  ten 
years  of  age.  In  1845,  he  left  Bremen  for  America 
with  a  relative,  and  landed  in  Now  Orleans  after 
an  ocean  voyage  of  sixty  days.  His  relative  be- 
came a  soldier  in  the  Mexican  War  after  landing, 
and  four  of  five  weeks  later,  or  on  the  3d  of  Jan- 
uary, 1846,  Capt.  Sackmann  came  to  St.  Louis. 
Some  strangers  bound  hiin  out  to  a  baker  in  that 
city  and  he  remained  with  him  three  years,  after 
which  he  became  connected  with  Illinois  Town, 
carrying  and  delivering  bread  on  that  side  of  the 
1  Iver.  He  became  a  practical  baker  and  at  the  ex- 
piration of  his  time  he  worked  one  month  for 
the  Wiggins  Ferry  Company. 

In  1849,  he  went  South,  and  was  a  resident 
of  New  Orleans  for  two  years,  engaged  in  selling 
goods.  In  18.52,  he  came  to  Illinois  Town,  where 
Capt.  John  Trendley  engaged  him  as  a  deck  hand, 
and,  although  he  began  in  that  humble  manner,  he 
had  any  amount  of  energy  and  push  and  soon  be- 
came pilot,  afterward  Captain  and,  fliiall}-,  Super- 
intendent. He  was  Captain  f«)r  many  years.  In 
1871,  he  became  Assistant  Superintendent,  but 
virtually  Superintendent,  and  in  1884,  when  Capt. 
S.  C.  Clubb  died,  he  became  Superintendent.  He 
is  the  right  man  for  the  right  place  and  is  thor- 
oughly familiar  with  everything  connected  with  it. 
This  company  runs  live  ferry  boats,  three  transfer- 
boats  and  one  lug, 


Capt.  Sackmann  is  the  first  man  who  ever  took 
a  boat  up  the  river  and  started  the  excursion  trade, 
about  tliirt_v  3'ears  ago.  During  the  war,  he  had 
to  work  in  the  Government  service.  He  is  the  old- 
est captain  on  the  river,  and  there  is  not  a  corpor- 
ation in  the  United  States  that  can  proiluee  a  set 
of  as  old  men  as  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Compau}-.  This 
is  the  largest  ferry  on  the  Mississippi,  or  west  of 
New  York,  and  the  company-  employs  in  the  river 
departraent  about  eighty  men.  The  Captain  has  a 
comfortable  home  at  No.  106  North  B  Street,  and 
is  surrounded  with  all  the  couiforts  of  life.  He 
was  first  married  in  18.58,  to  Miss  Caroline  Whipel, 
a  native  of  St.  Louis,  and  one  child,  Mary,  was 
born  to  this  union.  She  now  makes  her  home  with 
our  subject.  Capt.  Sackmann 's  second  marriage 
occurred  in  East  St.  Louis,  in  1870,  to  Miss  Chris- 
tine Barnard,  a  native  of  St.  Louis  and  a  daughter 
of  John  Barnard,  who  was  on  e  of  the  old  ferrymen, 
and  died  here*  Six  children  were  born  to  our  sub- 
ject's second  union:  Charles,  a  machinist;  Amelia, 
Katie,  Henry,  Annie,  and  Robert  E.  Capt.  Sack- 
mann has  been  a  member  of  the  City  Council  as 
Alderman  from  the  First  Ward  ever  since  1876, 
witii  the  exception  of  four  years.  He  is  the  oldest 
alderman  on  the  board  and  has  been  President  pro 
tem.  He  is  at  present  Chairman  of  the  Public 
Building  and  Grounds  Commitee  and  a  member  of 
other  committees. 

A  boat  on  the  ri\er.  built  in  1.SS3.  was  named 
"Heniy  Sackmann"  for  him, and  is  a  transfer, carry- 
ing fourteen  cars.  Another  boat,  the  -'George  A. 
Madill,"  a  large  tiansfer  boat  for  sixteen  cars,  was 
built  in  1891.  Since  the  new  admistration, he  has 
been  Mayor  Stephens'  right-hand  man  and  has 
taken  an  active  part  in  all  public  enterprises  for 
the  prosperity  of  the  cit_y.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
School  Board  of  Township  No.  2,  N.  R.  10  W., 
and  has  held  that  position  for  nine  years.  He  is 
now  the  President  of  the  Board. 

Although  he  has  had  but  limited  educational  ad- 
vantages, tiie  Captain  is  a  self-made  and  self-edu- 
cated man,  and,  being  a  man  of  observation  and 
excellent  judgment,  is  well  posted  on  all  the  cur- 
rent topics  of  the  day.  He  was  Special  Collector 
for  the  improvement  of  Front  Street  when  it  was 
liuill  and  (■ollectcd  >il04,(ii)(i,  lie  wasaji  organizer  of 


rORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


the  Mutual  Building  and  Loan  Association  in  East 
St.  Louis,  and  has  been  Vice-president  since  1886. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Helvetia  Lodge  No. 
480,  I.  ().  O.  F.,  and  has  represented  his  lodge  in 
the  Grand  Lodge  twice.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
Illinois  Lodge  No.  268,  K  of  H.,  the  first  lodge  in 
the  State,  and  he  was  the  first  Past  Dictator  of  the 
State  of  Illinois.  He  is  a  member  of  Cheva- 
lier Commander)-  No.  38,  K.  of  IL,  of  the  Uniform 
Rank,  and  was  the  first  past  Commander  in  the 
State,  this  being  tiie  first  lodge  founded  here.  In 
politics,  he  has  always  been  a  Democrat,  and  has 
been  a  delegate  to  county  and  State  conventions. 
He  was  a  member  of  tlic  County  Democratic  Com- 
mittee. 


i-^-r       y 


'jL  ENRY  OEBIKE,  grocer,  brings  to  the  de- 
JljV  tails  of  the  business  a  thorough  experience, 
i^^^  united  with  pride  in  the  quality  of  the 
(^/  goods  supplied  at  his  store,  so  that  his  name 
has  become  a  synonym  for  excellence.  In  the  va- 
riet3'  of  the  goods  handled  by  him,  it  is  hard  to 
enumerate  any  special  feature,  for  all  that  enters 
into  the  line  of  staple  and  fancy  groceries  and 
food  supplies  are  comprised  in  it.  Mr.  Oebike  is 
tlie  oldest  grocer,  in  point  of  location,  in  the  city, 
for  he  has  been  established  here  since  1858.  He 
was  born  in  Westphalia,  Germany,  .Tuly  23,  1836, 
in  which  country  his  worthy  parents,  Cliristof  and 
Anna  (Smaudt)  Oebike,  were  also  born,  the  former 
of  whom  was  a  merchant  of  Warburg,  and  a  tiller 
of  his  own  land.  He  was  Alderman  of  his  town 
for  years,  and  died  there  in  1866,  when  over  sixty- 
five  years  of  age,  after  a  useful  and  well-spent  life. 
His  fatlier,  Edmond  Oebike,  was  a  rope  manufac- 
turer, and  the  mfither's  fatlier  was  a  tanner  by 
trade. 

Henry  Oebike  is  the  only  surviving  member  of 
five  children  born  to  his  parents,  and  after  obtain- 
ing his  first  knowledge  of  books  in  the  common 
schools,  he  entered  Warburg  Seminary,  wiiere  he 
took  tlie  classical  course  and   i-emaiiie()  six  \ears, 


At  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  he  left  scliool  and 
began  working  in  a  grocery  and  iiardware  store  in 
Paderborn,  and  after  attaining  his  twenty-first 
year  he  was  made  managing  clerk.  In  18.58,  not 
fiincying  a  military  life,  lie  left  Bremen  on  the 
American  steamer  '"Ariel,"  and,  after  a  voyage  of 
about  seventeen  days,  reached  New  York  City, 
after  which  he  at  once  came  to  East  St.  Louis  on 
the  Ohio  efe  Mississippi  Railroad  to  join  his  l)rother 
William,  who  was  in  the  wholesale  grocery  busi- 
ness in  St.  Louis.  He  remained  in  that  city  until 
September,  18.58,  when  he  opened  a  groeer\-  store 
in  East  St.  Louis,  buying  out  the  establisliment  of 
Mr.  Millendorf.  Tlie  place,  which  was  then  some- 
times called  St.  Clair  Citj-,  consisted  of  only  about 
one  hundred  inhabitants. 

In  1863,  Mr.  Oebike  bought  the  block  which  he 
was  occupying  for  $2,800,  but  in  1866  built  the  first 
brick  building  on  Broadway  and  moved  the  frame 
building,  in  which  he  formerly  did  business,  to  the 
side  of  his  brick  establishment,  now  occupied  by  a 
shoe  store.  Up  to  1873,  Mr.  Oebike  was  .associated 
with  a  partner  but  he  then  became  sole  proprietor 
and  continued  alone  until  1890,  when  his  nephew, 
Henry  Strothman,  became  his  partner.  Their  es- 
tablishment, which  is  the  oldest  one  in  the  place, 
is  located  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Collins- 
ville  Avenue,  and  is  very  favorably  located  for 
a  successful  trade.  The  store  is  36x.')0  feet,  two 
stories  in  height,  with  a  large  basement,  all  of 
which  is  in  use.  They  do  a  large  wholesale  and 
retail  business  and  deal  in  all  articles  usually  kept 
in  .-i  first-class  grocery.  Mr,  Oeliike  now  owns  two 
buildings  adjoining,  one  frame  and  one  brick,  and 
also  the  building  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Broad- 
way, a  three-story  building  used  as  a  dry-goods 
store,  beside  considerable  real  estate  (over  twi>nty 
h)ts)  throughout  the  city.  In  1873,  he  laid  out  some 
lots  known  as  Oebike  &  Kases'  Addition,  opposite 
St.  Henry's  Church,  which  he  sold  at  a  satisfactorj' 
advance;  also  an  addition  on  Siiort  Street,  some  lots 
at  the  corner  of  Missouri  Avenue  and  Eleventh 
Street,  and  three  and  a  half  acres  within  the  city 
limits  on  the  Belleville  turnpike.  He  also  built  a 
residence  on  Missouri  Avenue  now  owned  by  Dr. 
Strecker. 

lu   J,s6o,  he  made  a  trip  to  Europe,  but  nt  the 


234 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


end  of  two  months  returned  to  his  adopted  home. 
He  was  an  organizer  of  the  East  St.  Louis  Bank, 
and  after  remaining  President  and  Director  of  the 
same  for  sixteen  years  he  retired.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Town  Council  for  two  terms,  was  inter- 
ested in  the  incorporation  of  tlie  place  in  186.5, 
and  for  ten  years  was  a  member  of  tlie  School 
Board,  and  for  seven  years  acted  in  the  capacity 
of  Prei-iidcnb.  He  is  a  Catholic  in  his  religious 
views  and  was  an  organizer  of  St.  Patrick's  con- 
gregation, but  later,  in  1866,  assisted  in  the  or- 
ganization of  St.  Henry's  Church.  He  was  mar- 
ried in  St.  Louis  in  1860  to  Miss  Lazetta  Schroe- 
der,  who  was  born  in  Westphalia,  German}',  and 
died  .January  17,  1891,  having  borne  seven  chil- 
dren, three  of  whom  grew  to  maturity:  Christo- 
pher, who  was  in  business  with  his  father  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  at  the  age  of  twenty-four 
years;  Annie  (Mrs.  Eckert),  who  was  educated  in 
Belleville  Convent;  and  Mary,  who  is  at  home,  was 
educated  in  St.  Elizabeth's  Institute  in  St.  Louis. 
Mr.  Oebike  was  one  of  the  organizers  and  Direc- 
tors of  the  first  Street  Car  Company  in  the  city, 
and  was  also  an  organizer  and  Director  of  the  City 
Gas  Company. 


J^OHN  P.  jNIETZEN  was  born  near  Boi.n,  on 
the  Kliine  River,  in  Germany,  November 
!  23,  1825,  but  for  some  time  past  has  been  a 
_^  wealthy  retired  citizen  of  East  St.  Louis, 
111.  His  father,  .John  P.  Metzen,  was  also  born 
there,  and  followed  the  calling  of  a  school  teaciier 
until  his  death.  His  wife  was  Agnes  Bierther, 
whose  father  was  a  Captain  under  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte and  was  a  participant  in  the  famous  battle 
of  Waterloo.  He  afterward  became  Mayor  of  the 
community  in  which  he  lived. 

The  paternal  grandfather.  .John  Metzen,  was 
an  agriculturist  by  calling,  but  was  also  a  soldier 
under  Bonaparte,  as  Captain  of  the  Reserve  Corps, 
and  made  the  march  to  Russia.  To  John  P,  and 
Agnes  (Bierther)  jVIetzen  eight  children  were  born, 
of  whom  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  only  one 


in  America.  Like  all  German  youths,  he  was  given 
the  advantages  of  the  common  schools  until  he 
was  twelve  years  of  age,  after  which  he  entered 
the  gymnasium  in  Koln.  At  the  age  of  nine- 
teen, he  volunteered  in  the  German  army  and  re- 
mained in  the  service  for  three  3'ears,  and  in  1848 
was  called  to  Schleswig-Holstein  where  he  was 
wounded  in  the  leg  in  an  engagement. 

Mr.  Metzen  then  became  an  employe  of  the 
Government  as  Superintendent  and  Overseer  of 
the  Public  Domain,  also  Superintendent  of  For- 
estry', which  positions  he  filled  until  1851,  when 
he  emigrated  to  America.  He  left  Antwerp  in 
the  fall  of  that  year,  but  the  vessel  in  which  he 
sailed  became  unseaworthy  and  they  had  to  put 
into  Southampton,  England,  for  repairs,  which 
took  until  December.  He  eventually  landed  at 
New  York  City,  but  soon  after  went  to  Chicago, 
which  was  then  almost  nothing  but  a  bog,  and 
which  gave  but  little  promise  of  being  the  mag- 
nificent city  that  it  now  is.  He  was  employed  in 
a  grocery  there  until  1856,  when  he  went  to 
Kansas  and  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  at  the  first  Indian  laud  sales  at  Paola.  He 
settled  on  this  land  in  Franklin  County,  and  for 
a  long  time  lived  in  a  dug-out,  with  no  neigh- 
bors within  many  miles.  He  kept  this  land  until 
the  opening  of  the  Civil  War,  when  he  sold  it  and 
started  for  Lexington,  Mo.,  to  enlist  in  the  Union 
arm}',  wl.en  he  was  attacked  by  Gen.  Price,  and,  as 
his  men  were  totally  untrained  and  many  of  them 
without  arms,  he  was  defeated.  He  was  taken 
jirisoner  and  while  in  captivity  became  ill,  but 
upon  recovering  was  exchanged.  He  was  wounded 
at  Lexington  in  the  same  leg  in  which  he  had  been 
previousl}'  wounded,  was  also  poisoned  by  ivy, 
and  was  so  long  in  convalescing  that  he  did  not 
again  join  his  regiment. 

Our  subject  returned  to  Chicago  in  1863,  and  a 
short  time  after  removed  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in 
which  city  he  was  married  the  same  year  to  jNIiss 
Caroline  Trick,  a  native  of  Germany,  who,  with 
her  parents,  became  a  resident  of  St.  Clair  County, 
111.,  in  1842.  In  1867,  Mr.  Metzen  located  in 
East  St.  Louis  and  soon  afterward  pur(^hased  land 
here,  which  he  had  previously  leased  as  a  place 
for  holding  [jicuics,   He  iie.xt  engaged  iu  the  dairy 


/  ,.,'--'^'        -■>  *5v^. 


-'\*'€^ 


'.O^'p't^^j     J  y'l^CtJ^ 


(3f^^  /l^.  ^'ll^'&y^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


23; 


business,  which  he  conducted  on  a  large  scale,  and 
owned  as  many  as  one  hundred  and  twenty  cows. 
He  sold  milk  and  butter  and  found  this  business  a 
profitable  one.  He  became  the  owner  of  fifty 
acres  of  land,  as  well  as  several  blocks  in  the  city, 
and  in  1889  made  his  first  large  real-estate  deal, 
selling  fifty  acres  to  a  St.  Louis  speculator.  He 
built  and  owns  a  block  on  Missouri  Avenue  and 
Seventh  Street,  and  owns  the  Buck  Block  at  the 
corner  of  Broadway  and  Main  Streets.  Since  1888, 
he  has  been  retired  from  active  life  and  is  now 
enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  early  labors.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  is  a 
Republican  politically,  and  in  1872  was  a  delegate 
to  the  State  convention  at  Springfield.  He  has 
one  son,  John  P.,  Jr. 


^^  IIARLES  II.  FIETSAM.  The  name  at  the 
||(  ^  head  of  this  sketch  is  that  of  the  practical 
^^'  and  successful  farmer  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 2,  New  Athens  Township.  The  father  of  our 
subject,  Henry  Fietsam,  was  born  in  Nassau,  Ger- 
many, November  8,  1791,  and  in  his  native  land 
was  reared,  aiid  there  married  Judith  Monken.  He 
came  to  America  on  the  1 2th  of  January,  1850,  and 
first  located  near  Shiloli,  111.,  where  he  lived  one 
year,  and  then  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Belle- 
ville, where  he  remained  for  three  years.  His  next 
|)urchase  was  the  place  where  our  subject  now  lives, 
which  he  bought  in  1853.  There  he  remained  until 
his  death  in  1872.  The  mother  of  our  subject  sur- 
vived until  1876.  This  worthy  couple  left  twelve 
children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity,  and  five 
of  whom  are  still  living:  Joseph  makes  his  home 
in  Texas;  Henry  resides  in  St.  Cloud  County, 
Jlinn.;  George  lives  in  Fieeburg  Township,  this 
county;  and  August  lives  in  Williamson  County, 
this  State.  Those  who  have  passed  away  are:  Se- 
bastian, who  died  in  Belleville,  111.;  William,  John 
J.,  Michael  and  Fritz,  all  four  of  whom  died  in 
Texas;  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  Germany;  and 
Adolph,  who  died  on  the  home  place. 

Our  subject    was  horn    November   Id,   1834,   in 
Nassau,  Germany,  and  was  fifteen  years   ohl   when 

11 


his  father  decided  to  remove  to  America.  He 
grew  to  Inanhood  in  this  country,  and  obtained 
but  little  schooling.  However,  his  natural  ability 
was  great,  and  he  has  in  a  measure  educated  him- 
self. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Hetsam,  in  18G1,  united 
him  with  Elizabeth  Loux,  who  died  two  years  after, 
leaving  one  daughter,  Ida.  now  the  wife  of  Frank 
Aberle,  of  Fayetteville.  In  1864,  Mr.  Fietsam 
again  married,  his  wife  being  Miss  Philomena, 
daughter  of  Frank  Zoeller,  an  early  settler  in  this 
county.  Mrs.  Fietsam  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
and  is  a  lady  of  great  capability,  who  has  assisted 
her  husband  in  his  domestic  affairs  and  directed 
his  home  with  economj-  and  comfort.  There  have 
been  ten  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fietsam, 
all  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
Henry  Jung,  and  they  live  in  this  township; 
Charles  is  a  farmer  in  New  Athens  Township;  Jo- 
seph, Anna,  Adolph,  Edward,  Theresa,  Sophia, 
Bernhardt  and  Anthony  are  at  home. 

The  three  hundred  and  twenty-four  acres  of  fine 
land  which  belong  to  our  subject  are  in  a  fine  state 
of  cultivation,  and  he  has  made  the  most  of  the 
improvements  himself.  Mr.  Fietsam  belongs  to  the 
Catholic  Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Order  of 
Catholic  Knights,  and  is  Finance  Receiver  of  Lodge 
No.  29.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  has 
held  the  office  of  Deputy  Assessor  of  St.  Clair 
County;  is  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  has  been 
County  ('ommissioner  for  three  years.  He  was  re- 
elected when  the  township  was  re-organized,  but 
did  not  serve.  He  has  always  taken  an  active  part 
in  tlie  politics  of  his  county,  and  is  a  veiy  prom- 
inent man  there.  He  was  a  Director  in  the  Farm- 
ers' Life  Insurance  Company  for  twenty  years, 
held  the  office  of  Financial  Secretary,  and  for 
seven  years  he  has  been  Treasurer  of  that  organ- 
ization. 


Jpiv  K.  J.  L.  WIGGINS.     The  eminent  East  St. 

;l  Jj)  Louis  physician  and  surgeon  whose  name 
(^3:f^  appears  at  the  head  of  this  sketch  im- 
presses even  those  wIk>  meet  liiin  in  a 
casuiil    wav   n-i   ;i   man  who  has   drifted  easil\-  and 


238 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


naturally  into  the  medical  profession,  who  realizes 
he  lias  made  no  mistake  in  the  choice  of  his  voca- 
tion, and  who  feels  thoroughly  at  home  in  the  po- 
sition which  he  occupies.  This  first  impression 
deepens  with  a  more  intimate  acquaintance,  and 
familiarity  with  the  history  of  his  life  leads  to  the 
unbiased  and  impartial  view  that  the  splendid  suc- 
cess winch  he  has  .achieved  is  the  logical  sequence 
of  talent  rightly  used,  together  with  energy  and 
industry  never  misapplied. 

Bom  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  18.55,  he  is  a  son  of 
Louis  C.  and  Anna  (Edwards)  "Wiggins,  the  father 
a  native  of  Cape  May,  N.  .J.,  and  the  mother  of 
Philadelphia,  Pa.  The  father  was  a  printer,  and 
at  an  early  date  came  to  St.  Louis,  and  was  en- 
gaged on  the  Republican.,  which  is  still  printed 
in  St.  Louis.  In  1858,  he  located  near  O'Fallon, 
this  county,  and  opened  and  developed  a  farm. 
He  died  in  1878.  In  politics,  he  w.as  a  Republi- 
can, and  in  religion,  a  strict  Baptist,  being  Deacon 
in  his  church.  The  mother  died  in  186.S.  Five  of 
their  six  children  afe  now  living. 

Dr.  .J.  L.  Wiggins,  the  youngest  of  this  family, 
was  reared  on  his  father's  farm,  and  received  his 
early  scholastic  training  in  the  district  schools.  In 
1864,  he  went  to  Natchez,  Miss.,  for  his  health;  re- 
maining there  two  years  he  attended  the  Normal 
Institute,  and  later  the  public  schools  of  St.  Louis. 
About  1874,  he  began  the  study  of  medicine  un- 
der Dr.  C.  R.  Oatmann,  at  Collinsville,  remained 
with  him  one  year,  and  in  the  fall  of  1874  entered 
St.  Louis  Medical  College,  from  which  he  was 
graduated  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in  1877.  He 
began  practicing  at  Caseyville,  St,  Clair  County, 
III.,  was  very  successful,  and  continued  there  for 
seven  years.  In  1884,  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis, 
still  a  small  town,  and  has  pr.acticed  here  ever 
since.  In  1879,  he  took  a"post-graduate  course  in 
St.  Louis  Medical  College,  and  h.as  since  been  en- 
gaged in  his  regular  pr.actice. 

Dr.  AViggins  selected  for  his  life  companioii. 
Miss  Louisa  C.  Moeller,  a  native  of  New  I'lm 
Minn.,  but  who  w.as  reared  in  St.  Louis,  and  their 
union  was  celebrated  in  1880.  In  the  year  1888, 
Dr.  Wiggins  was  elected  a  member  of  the  School 
Hoard,  held  that  position  three  years,  and  dur- 
ing this  time  the    Webster    School    building    was 


erected,  also  the  Franklin  Building.  He  was 
Chairman  on  a  special  committee  that  selected 
the  site  and  approved  the  plans  of  these  build- 
ings. The.v  were  erected  at  a  cost  of  fi40,0()0 
each,  and  are  the  finest  in  the  country.  By  his 
resolution  on  the  1st  of  July,  1889,  the  American 
ttag>was  placed  on  the  school  buildings  of  the  city 
each  national  holida}',  and  also  one  Aa.y  of  each 
week.  These  resolutions  were  passed,  and  were 
the  first  passed  West  of  the  Alleglianys. 

Our  subject  has  been  an  agitator  for  the  estab- 
lishing of  Soldiers'  Homes  in  different  localities,  es- 
pecially in  the  South,  for  the  ex-soldier  who  cannot 
stand  the  vigorous  winters  of  the  North,  and  his 
suggestions  have  been  commended  by  all.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  Medical  Society, 
also  St.  Clair  County  Medical  Society  as  Vice- 
President,  and  a  member  of  the  State  Medical  So- 
ciety. He  is  a  public-spirited  citizen,  is  interested 
in  all  improvements,  and  is  one  of  the  city's  most 
influential  men.  In  politics,  he  is  a  stanch  advo- 
cate of  the  platform  of  the  Repulilican  party. 


|lt_.,^ENRY  W.  HEMPE.  It  is  universally  con- 
ifji  ceded  that  the  distribution  of  food  pro- 
^^  ducts  constitutes  the  most  important  factor 
(^  in  the  long  list  of  a  citj-'s  industries,  and, 
such  being  the  case,  the  grocer  must  be  accorded 
the  palm  as  the  most  important  contributor  to  the 
development  of  this  fact,  his  wares  covering  al- 
most ever3'  article  of  daily  consumption  known  to 
man.  This  branch  of  mercantile  activity  is  ad- 
mirably represented  in  East  St.  Louis  by  the  popu- 
lar and  well-appointed  establishment  of  Henry  W. 
Hempe,  who  is  not  only  a  prominent  business  man 
of  the  city,  l)ut  is  Aldcrninn  from  the  Second 
AVard. 

Mr.  Ik'mi)e  is  a  native  of  (Germany,  boin  in 
Westphalia,  February  5,  18;37.  andisa  son  of  \\\\\- 
iam  and  AVilhelmina  (Welman)  Hempe,  both  na- 
tives of  the  Old  Country.  The  grandfather,  Will- 
iam Hemi)e,  Sr.,  was  a  farmer  in  Germany,  and  wns 
a  soldier  in  Napoleon's  army,  lie  camp  of  a  prom- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


239 


inent  Gernian  family,  and  was  a  Lutheran  in  his  re- 
ligious views.  William  Hempe,  Jr.,  was  about  the 
age  of  King  Frederick  William,  having  been  born 
the  same  year;  he  served  in  the  same  regiment,  and 
knew  iiim  personally,  exchanging  letters  with  him 
in  later  years.  Like  his  father  before  him,  William, 
.Ir.,  followed  agricultural  pursuits,  and  was  engaged 
in  this  occupation  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1870,  when  he  was  seventy-one  years 
of  age.  He  married  Miss  Welman,  the  daughter 
of  Henry  Welman,  who  was  a  farmer  by  pursuit, 
and  who  was  in  the  German  armv.  After  the 
death  of  her  husband,  Mrs.  Hempe  crossed  the 
ocean  to  America,  and  died  at  the  home  of  her  son, 
our  subject,  when  seventy-six  j^ears  of  age.  Six 
children,  three  of  whom  are  living,  were  born  to 
this  worthy  couple,  Henry  W.  Hempe  being  the 
eldest. 

The  original  of  tliis  notice  liad  early  instilled 
into  his  vouthful  mind  all  the  details  of  farm  life; 
he  attended  the  common  schools  regularly,  and  re- 
mained under  the  parental  roof  until  twenty  years 
of  age,  when  he  decided  that  a  better  chance  was 
given  a  struggling  young  man  in  the  United 
States.  After  reaching  this  country,  he  worked  in 
an  hotel  until  he  became  acquainted  with  some  of 
the  sea  captains,  and  in  1857  he  hired  out  as  a  stew- 
ard on  the  vessel  "IJluchart,"  sailing  from  Balti- 
more to  Bremen.  After  this,  he  was  on  the  "'Ed- 
ward," and  went  from  New  Orleans  to  the  West 
Indies,  always  in  the  capacit3-  of  steward.  Later, 
he  was  on  the  steamer  "New  York,"  and  made  seven 
trips,  crossing  the  Atlantic  Ocean  nineteen  times, 
in  storms  of  all  kinds.  From  1861  until  1865,  he 
clerked  in  a  grocery  store  in  New  York  City,  and 
was  there  during  the  riots. 

In  1866,  Mr.  Hempe  came  to  Si.  Louis,  Mo.,  and 
was  in  the  employ  of  H.  W.  Kohs  until  1872,  when 
he  came  to  East  St.  Louis  and  built  his  present 
store.  He  has  continued  in  business  -here  since, 
and  is  one  of  the  oldest  grocers  in  the  city.  He 
owns  considerable  real-estate  in  different  parts 
of  East  St.  Louis,  and  has  a  fine  residence  in  the 
city.  In  1888,  he  was  elected  Alderman  from  the 
Second  Ward,  and  has  filled  that  position  since. 
He  has  been  on  different  committees,  and  was 
Cliairmw  of  tlie  Police  Coirunissioiieis,     He  was 


in  favor  of  the  late  reform  movement,  and  takes  a 
decided  interest  in  all  movements  for  the  upbuild- 
ing of  the  city.  He  is  a  member  and  Director  of 
the  Second  Building  and  Loan  Association  of  East 
St.  Louis,  and  socially  is  a  member  of  thelndepeni 
dent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  Past  Noble  and  En- 
campment. He  was  on  the  Building  Committee 
that  erected  the  German  Presbyterian  Church  in 
1891,  and  is  an  active  member  of  thatchurcli.  In 
politics,  he  adheres  to  the  Republican  party. 


bARRY  ELLIOT,  Jk.,  Vice-president  and 
Secretary  of.  the  Elliot  Frog  &  Switch 
..=^  Corapanj',  of  East  St.  Louis,  111., is  a  native 
(^  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  was  born 
June  28,  1854,  a  son  of  George  Elliot,  a  native  of 
the  land  of  thistles  and  oatmeal,  and  a  grandson 
of  Henry  Elliot.  The  father  learned  the  black- 
smitli's  trade  in  "Bonnie  Scotland,"  where  he 
worked  as  a  journeyman,  and  later  followed  that 
occupation  at  Newcastle,  in  the  North  of  England, 
holding  the  position  of  foreman  until  the  golden 
promises  of  America  drew  him  to  this  couutrj^ 
He  located  in  Cincinnati,  and,  like  the  famous 
Tubal  Cain,  he  became  a  noted  worker  in  iron. 
His  skill  in  this  direction  was  utilized  by  the 
United  States  Government  upon  the  opening  of 
the  Civil  War,  he  being  employed  as  smithj'  on 
board  a  number  of  Government  boats  plying  on 
the  Ohio  and  Mississii^pi  Rivers.  Later,  he  was 
located  at  Cockrum,  near  Aurora,  but  in  1867  he 
removed  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  became  connected 
with  the  St.  Louis  Railway  Supply-  Company  and 
began  the  manufacture  of  his  patent  railroad 
switches,  which  he  had  perfected  while  at  Cockrum. 
They  erected  a  building  in  St.  Louis  on  Main  and 
Florida  Streets,  but  the  business  finally  changed 
hands  and  Mr.  Elliot's  contract  expired,  and  in 
1873  he  and  his  brother  Henry  located  in  East  St. 
Louis,  111.,  and  started  in  business  in  a  small  way, 
which  was  the  foundation  for  their  present  exten- 
sive works.  He  possessed  considerable  inventive 
genius  and  lia-d  ptvtenteil  several  ottjev  of  his  in. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ventions,  among  which  was  a  raih-oad  car-spring 
of  great  merit.  He  died  in  St.  Louis  in  187.5,  at 
llic  age  of  forty -six  years. 

Miss  Agnes  Charters,  a  native  of  Scotland,  be- 
came his  wife,  and  is  now  residing  in  St.  Louis,  a 
worthy  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church.  She 
bore  her  husband  four  children,  only  one  of  wliom 
attained  mature  years,  Harry,  the  subject  of  this 
sivctcli.  He  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of 
.\urora  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he 
began  working  at  the  machinist's  trade  in  St. 
Louis,  under  the  supervision  of  his  father;  but  in 
1870  he  left  the  works  and  took  a  course  in  the 
Mound  Cit^r  Commercial  College,  of  St.  Louis.  He 
then  resumed  work  under  his  fatlier,  and  when  tlie 
latter  and  his  brotlier  started  in  business  for  them- 
selves, he  took  charge  of  the  books.  The  business 
of  the  firm  increased  very  rapidly,  and  at  the  death 
of  his  father,  Harry  became  the  partner,  and 
the  firm,  which  up  to  that  time  had  been  KUiot 
&  Bro.,  now  became  H.  &  H.  Elliot.  This  contin- 
ued until  the  year  1878,  when  the  business  was 
incorporated  under  the  name  of  the  Elliot  Frog 
ct  Switch  Company,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
i!lO0,0O0,  of  which  Mr.  Elliot  is  Vice-president  and 
Secretary.  This  is  one  of  the  oldest  manufac- 
turing establishments  in  its  line  in  the  United 
States  and  occupies  two  blocks  on  Fourth  Street, 
where  excellent  railroad  facilities  are  to  be  had. 
Hniployment  is  given  to  from  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  skilled 
mechanics,  and  their  pay  roll  is  over  $8,000  per 
month.  Mr.  Elliot  superintends  the  work  himself, 
.•uid  is  eminently  fitted  for  so  doing,  for  he  is 
thordughly  faraili.ar  with  eveiy  branch  and  detail 
of  the  l)usiness,  and  is  careful  to  see  tliat  all  goods 
sent  out  are  in  first-class  condition,  and  will  reflect 
credit  upon  the  establishment.  They  have  a  fine 
lot  of  modern  machinery,  wiiich  is  propelled  bv 
two  engines,  one  of  sixty-horse  and  the  other  of 
forty-horse  power. 

Mr.  Elliot  has  been  a  resident  of  St.  Louis  since 
1870,  his  residence  being  No.  3871  Washington 
Avenue,  where  lie  has  a  beautiful  home  in  one  of 
the  most  popular  residence  portions  of  the  oily.  He 
was  married  in  St.  Louis  in  1881,  to  Miss  Emma  C. 
i;:iker,  a  native  of   that  city   anc)   a    daughter   of 


Capt.  Baker,  an  old  settler  and  a  prominent  steam- 
boat captain.  Their  union  has  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  three  children.  Mr.  Elliot  is  a  member  f>f 
the  Legion  of  Honor,  and  politically  is  a  Repub- 
lican. He  is  naturally  of  a  very  social  disposition 
and  is  a  most  agreeable  gentleman  with  whom  to 
have  business  dealings. 


•^^^^I@^@I^^N^ 


VVII)  S.  HOOTH,  Sh.,  M.  D.,  died  Satur- 
day, September  10,  1892,  and  lies  buried 
in  the  Caledonian  Cemetery  at  Sparta,  111., 
the  town  where  he  had  made  his  home  so 
long.  The  professional  reputation  of  Dr.  Booth 
was  an  enviable  one,  and  his  knowledge  and  skill 
were  highly  valued  by  his  fellow-citizens.  He  was 
one  of  the  oldest,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  promi- 
nent, of  the  physicians  of  this  part  of  Illinois,  and 
had  made  the  city  of  Belleville  his  home  for  the  past 
three  years,  his  residence  in  Illinois,  however,  dat- 
ing back  for  twenty-eight  years. 

The  Booths  were  among  the  first  settlers  of 
Philadelphia,  being  English  people  who  came  over 
with  Penn.  ,l)r.  Booth  was  born  in  that  city  June 
30,  1828.  He  was  the  son  of  Dr.  John  J.  Booth,  of 
Philadelphia,  who  was  also  a  practitioner  of  the 
healing  art.  The  latter  married  Miss  Eliza  Stain- 
rook,  of  Philadelphia,  and  moved  to  Missouri 
some  fifteen  years  before  his  death. 

David  finished  his  education  at  the  High  School, 
and  began  studying  medicine  with  his  father 
after  he  had  clerked  for  four  years  in  a  drug 
store.  He  took  his  first  course  in  lectures  in  Jef- 
ferson College,  Philadelphia,  and  then  came  West, 
and  was  graduated  from  the  St.  Louis  Medical 
College  in  the  Class  of  '58.  He  then  returned  to 
Philadelphia,  and  went  to  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Afterward,  he  went  before  the  Naval 
Board  and  entered  the  United  States  navy  for 
two  years;  then,  resigning,  he  entered  the  regular 
army  in  1863.  He  took  charge  of  the  general  hos- 
liital  in  Springfield,  Mo.,  and  was  made  surgeon 
of  all  the  hospitals  in  the  city,  and  there  he  re- 
mained a  year,  when   he   resigned,  having  formed 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


241 


many  valuable  acquaintances  and  gained  a  vast 
amount  of  experience.  He  later  settled  in  Sparta, 
III.,  and  here  remained  a  quarter  of  a  centurj-. 
Wishing  to  made  his  worli  more  localized,  and  re- 
alizing that  he  had  too  much  territory  to  cover,  he 
acceded  to  the  earnest  request  of  the  citizens  of 
Belleville  and  removed  to  this  pleasant  city.  His 
surgerj'  practice  was  vei'y  great  and  successful, 
and,  though  a  most  skillful  operator,  he  was  al  wa^'S 
conservative  and  conscientious. 

Dr.  Booth  was  a  member  of  the  American  Medi- 
cal Association,  the  Mississippi  Valley  Medical  As- 
sociation, and  the  Illinois  State  Association,  of 
which  latter  be  had  been  President.  He  was  also 
a  member  of  the  Pennsylvania  State  Medical  As- 
.sociation  and  the  Missouri  State  Medical  Society, 
the  Academy  of  Medicine  of  St.  Louis,  the  South- 
ern Illinois  Medical  Society  (of  which  he  had  been 
President),  the  Belleville  Medical  Society,  the 
Southeast  Missouri  Medical  Society  and  the  St. 
Clair  Medical  Society.  Of  the  last-named  society, 
he  had  served  as  Vice-president.  To  the  different 
societies,  he  had  contributed  a  great  many  valu- 
able papers,  and  was  the  father  of  the  Illinois  Prac- 
tice Act. 

Dr.  Booth  was  married,  in  1850,  to  Miss  Cynthia 
Grounds,  of  Fredericktown,  Mo.,  a  daughter  of 
Adam  Grounds,  a  farmer  of  that' place,  and  to 
them  were  born  six  children.  Their  daughter 
Mary  married  J.  B.  Jordan,  and  dying  left  an  in- 
fant son  to  her  father's  care.  Sarah  became  the 
wife  of  Dr.  Jerome  Thompson,  of  Morrisonville, 
111.,  formerly  of  Belleville,  111.  Frank  is  the  wife 
of  William  J.  Burnett,  the  State  agent  for  the  Mc- 
Corraick  Reaper  at  Ottumwa,  Iowa.  Josephine  is 
the  wife  of  James  Sproul,  Jr.,a  merchant  at  Sparta. 
David  S.,  Jr.,  is  a  physician  of  St.  Louis,  a 
Professor  of  the  Barnes'  Medical  College  at  that 
place,  and  Consulting  Surgeon  of  the  Missouri  Pa- 
cific Railroad  Hospital.  He  is  also  assistant  editor 
with  Prof.  C.  H.  Hughes  of  the  Alienist  and  Neu- 
rologist. He  married  Miss  Basraatli  Ariadne  West, 
of  Belleville,  June  30,  1892.  Jolin  J.  died  in  in- 
fanc}'. 

Our  subject  had  been  a  teacher  of  both  medi- 
cine and  pharmacy,  having  at  times  as  many  as  ten 
students,  of  whom    he    exacted   daily  recitations.   | 


He  early  connected  himself  with  church  work, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Belleville,  111.,  to  which  he  was. a  liberal  contribu- 
tor at  the  time  of  his  death,  having  joined  l\y  let- 
ter from  the  same  denomination  at  Sparta,  111. 
He  took  great  interest  in  educational  matters, 
and  frequently  delivered  popular  lectures  on  sci- 
entific subjects,  and  made  a  donation  of  a  large 
and  valuable  geological  collection  to  the  museum 
of  the  Sparta  High  School.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  higher  degrees  of  Masonry,  and  had  passed 
all  the  chairs  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows.  The  family  has  a  beautiful  home  on  Jack- 
son and  Washington  Streets. 


JT^ACOB  MANN,  one  of  the  extensive  land- 
||  owners  of  St.  Clair  County  and  an  enter- 
II  prising  farmer  who  resides  on  section  32, 
,^^  Mascoutah  Township,  claims  Germany  as 
the  land  of  his  birth.  He  was  born  in  Bavaria  on 
the  19tli  of  November,  1834.  The  days  of  his  boy- 
hood and  youth  were  spent  in  his  native  land, and 
his  education  was  acquired  in  its  public  schools. 
When  a  young  man  of  twenty-five  years,  he  de- 
termined to  seek  his  fortune  in  America,  of  whose 
.advantages  and  o.pportunities  he  had  heard  so 
much,  and  so  in  the  spring  of  1849,  bidding  good- 
bye to  home  and  friends,  he  sailed  for  the  New 
World,  locating  in  Baltimore,  where  he  remained 
for  two  years.  On  the  ex]jiration  of  that  period  he 
came  West  to  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  working  for 
about  three  years  on  a  farm.  He  then  bought  land 
in  Clinton  County,  and  there  engaged  in  farming 
for  himself  until  1871,  when  he  came  to  this  county. 
Mr.  Mann  was  married  in  1853,  to  Miss  Eliza 
Kraus,  daughter  of  Phillip  P.  Kraus,  a  resident 
farmer  of  Clinton  County,  111.  After  a  short  mar- 
ried life  of  three  years,  the  lady  died,  and  Mr. 
Mann  was  again  married,  his  second  union  being 
with  Miss  Louisa  Hubsch,  who  resided  on  a  farm 
in  this  county.  One  child  was  born  by  the  first 
union  and  seven  by   the  second   marriaa'e.     They 


242 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


are  as  follows:  Mary,  now  the  wife  of  Albert 
Scliielen,  a  resident  of  East  St.  Louis,  where  he 
carries  on  carpentering;  Catherine,  wife  of  George 
Eberlein,  of  Mascoutah;  Philip,  who  is  engaged  in 
farming  on  section  36,  Mascoutah  Township;  John, 
who  resides  upon  his  father's  farm  in  Clinton 
County;  Henry,  wlio  is  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits  in  Engleman  Township,  this  county; 
Fred,  who  is  living  on  the  old  homestead  with  his 
father;  Jacob  and  Eliza,  who  are  also  still  at  home. 
Mr.  Mann  is  a  prominent  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Church,  and  served  as  one  of  its  Trustees 
for  seven  years.  He  filled  the  ofHce  of  School  Di- 
rector for  six  years,  and  was  a  warm  friend  of  the 
cause  of  education.  In  polities,  he  is  a  stalwart 
supporter  of  Republican  principles.  His  lamled 
possessions  aggregate  five  hundred  and  eightj^-five 
acres,  one  hundred  of  wliich  are  in  Clinton  County, 
the  remainder  being  located  in  this  county.  Witli 
the  exception  of  a  sixty-five-acre  timber  tract,  the 
land  is  all  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
well  improved.  He  is  engaged  principally  in  rais- 
ing grain.  His  well-tilled  fields  yield  to  him  a 
golden  tribute  in  return  for  his  care  and  labor,  and 
by  his  industrious  and  well-directed  efforts  he  has 
acquired  a  handsome  competency,  becoming  one 
of  the  substantial  citizens  .as  well  as  one  of  the 
leading  farmers  of  the  community. 


i"$l"I^3|| 


j|i_^ON.  EDWARD  ABEND,  President  of  the 
Ipjj  Belleville  Savings  Bank,  is  a  Bavarian,  who 
%f^  was  born  on  the  30th  of  May,  1822,  a  son 
(^  of  Henry,  who  was  an  officer  in  the  revenue 
service  of  his  country,  a  man  of  broad  and  liberal 
views,  and  very  finely  educated.  He  was  very 
much  in  favor  of  Republican  institutions,  and  his 
intimacy  with  leaders  of  Republicanism  led  him 
into  disf.avor  with  his  Government  and  he  ten- 
dered his  resignation,  and  in  company  with  other 
families  came  to  America  in  the  spring  of  1833. 
This  little  band  was  destined  for  Missouri,  of  which 
section  glowing  accounts  had  been  heard,  but  upon 
their  arrival  in    St.  Louis  the  cliolera  was  raging, 


and  two  of  Mr.  Abend's  children  unfortunatelj' 
died  of  that  scourge,  as  well  as  himself.  The  widow 
with  her  remaining  famil}'  then  settled  at  Shiloh, 
St.  Clair  County,  111.,  wliere  they  remained  several 
years,  then  removed  to  Belleville,  and  in  this  town 
Mrs.  Abend  was  called  from  life  in  1865,  her 
maiden  name  having  been  Margaret  Lavalle.  Out 
of  her  family  of  seven  children,  only  four  survive, 
of  whom  Edward  is  the  eldest. 

Our  subject  attended  the  schools  of  his  native 
land,  where  he  acquired  a  fair  knowledge  of  his  na- 
tive language,  and  after  coming  to  America  he  ac- 
quired a  practical  English  education  in  the  pio- 
neer schools  of  this  section,  his  first  teacher  being 
George  Bunsen.  Upon  locating  in  Belleville,  he 
attended  subscription  schools  for  some  time,  after 
which  he  spent  one  tertn  at  McKendree  College, 
at  Lebanon,  and  left  that  institution  better  fitted 
than  the  average  boy  to  make  his  own  way  in  the 
world.  He  inherited  many  of  the  worthy  attri- 
butes that  his  father  possessed,  among  which  may 
be  mentioned  his  strict  integrity,  his  push  and 
business  ability'.  For  two  years  after  leaving  col- 
lege he  served  an  apprenticeship  at  the  carpenter's 
trade,  but  gave  up  this  work  to  .assume  the  man- 
agement of  a  farm  for  his  mother  in  the  vicinity  of 
Belleville.  About  this  time,  he  determined  to  enter 
upon  the  stud}-  of  law,  and  for  that  purpose  en- 
tered the  law  office  of  Lyman  and  George  Trumbull, 
where  he  pursued  liis  studies  with  such  unremit- 
ting ener  y  that  in  1842  he  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar.  He  at  once  opened  an  office,  and  his  mother 
having  acquired  considerable  property,  requested 
him  to  take  charge  of  it,  and  this  gradually  led 
him  into  more  active  fields  of  business  life,  and 
about  1850  he  abandoned  the   practice  altogether. 

Having  always  been  a  thorough  Democrat,  he 
was  elected  by  his  party  to  the  State  Legislature 
in  1849,  and  served  during  the  session  of  1849-50, 
taking  part  in  the  famous  senatorial  battle  between 
Gen.  James  Shields  and  Judge  Breese.  In  1852, 
he  made  a  trip  to  his  native  land,  where  he  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  a  number  of  heavy  capitalists, 
who  made  him  their  American  agent,  and  later 
sent  him  large  suras  of  money  to  invest  in  Amer- 
ican lands  and  securities.  This,  and  the  proper 
conduct  of  his  own    affairs,  made  him    a  pushing. 


i^ORTEAIT  AND  BIOGKAPHJCAL  RECORD. 


243 


active  business  man.  He  has  been  identiQed  with 
almost  every  interest  tending  to  the  good  or  the 
material  advancement  of  his  section,  and  in  1856 
he  became  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  Belleville 
Gas  <fe  Coke  Compan}',  and  for  years  was  its  Sec- 
retary and  Treasurer.  In  1860,  he  assisted  in  form- 
ing the  St.  Clair  Savings  and  Insurance  Company, 
which  was  changed  to  the  Belleville  Savings  Bank 
under  an  act  of  the  Legislature.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  a  short  European  tour,  he  has  been  Pres- 
ident of  this  institution  ever  since.  It  is  one  of 
the  substantial,  well-managed  institutions  of  the 
county,  and  during  periods  when  other  banks  were 
compelled  to  close,  this  bank  remained  intact,  and 
has  ever  pursued  a  course  of  honor  and  has  met 
every  demand  upon  it.  Its  managers  have  felt 
that  any  sacrifice  of  a  person.il  kind  was  due  from 
them  if  it  was  found  necessary  to  preserve  the 
credit  of  the  bank  or  confidence  of  the  public,  and 
have  never  hesitated  to  make  such  sacrifice,  and  as 
a  result  their  bank  is  liberally  patronized  and  is 
firmly  established. 

In  1852,  Mr.  Abend  was  married  in  Europe  to 
Miss  Caroline  Wetermann,  who  died  two  years 
later,  and  on  the  26th  of  October,  1856,  he  took 
for  his  seeond  wife  Miss  Anna  Hilgard,  a  daughter 
of  Theodore  Hilgard,  Jr.,  and  a  native  of  St.  Chir 
County,  111.  .\lthough  a  firm  Democrat  at  the 
present  time,  he  became  a  F'ree-Soiler  in  1854,  over 
the  Kansas-Nebraska  troubles,  and  took  strong 
grounds  against  the  extension  of  slaverJ^  In  1860, 
he  voted  for  Abraham  Lincoln,  and  until  1872  re- 
mained a  Republican,  after  which  he  became  a 
Liberal,  and  later  returned  to  the  Democratic  fold. 
He  has  held  the  position  of  Mayor  of  Belleville 
four  terms,  and  has  also  filled  other  local  ottices 
with  credit  to  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  all 
concerned.  His  legislative  career  was  marked  by 
ability,  faithfulness  to  duty  and  activity,  and  he 
has  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  people  of  his 
vicinity  to  an  unusual  degree.  Although  unpre- 
tentious, he  is  a  lover  of  art  and  music,  and  his 
taste  in  both  is  exceptionally  fine  and  cultivated. 
He  is  one  whose  friendship  can  not  be  too  highly 
prized,  for  he  is  of  an  exceptionally  faithful  and 
generous  disposition,  and  his  good  judgment  is 
unquestioned,  as  are  also  his  practical  sagacity  and 


integrity.  Past  seventy  years  of  age,  his  mind  is 
mature  and  ripe,  and  he  as  yet  shows  but  little 
the  ravages  of  time. 

The  Abend  and  other  families  of  that  migra- 
tion were  among  the  wealthy  class  in  Germany, 
and  were  instrumental  in  bringing  many  more 
very  desirable  settlers  to  the  United  States. 


PR.  M.  R.  DOYLE  is  one  of  the  foremost  pio- 
fessional  men  of  the  county,  and  his  skill 
^  and  knowledge  of  his  calling  are  acknowl- 
edged not  only  by  those  who  have  employed  him, 
but  by  his  medical  brethren  as  well.  He  was  born 
in  Shelby  County,  111.,  July  26,  1859,  a  son  of  E. 
M.  Doyle,  a  native  of  Russellville,  Kj'.,  and  a  grand- 
son of  John  Doyle,  a  native  of  Virginia.  The 
great-grandfather  was  born  in  Scotland,  but  with 
two  brothers  came  to  America  prior  to  the  Revo- 
lutionar}'  War,  in  which  war  the}'  participated  as 
members  of  the  Colonial  army.  During  their 
service  they  were  separated  and  thus  lost  trace  of 
each  other.  The  great-grandfather  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  first  settled  in  Virginia,  but  later  be- 
came one  01  the  early  pioneers  of  Kentucky  and 
a  celebrated  Indian  fighter.  John  Doyle  became  a 
well-to-do  farmer  of  Logan  County,  Ky.,  and  died 
on  the  land  he  had  tilled  for  so  many  years  at  the 
advanced  age  of  ninety  years.  E.  M.  Doyle,  the 
father,  was  reared  on  Blue  Grass  soil,  but  when  a 
young  man  removed  to  Vandalia,  HI.,  which  was 
then  the  capitol  of  the  State,  and  drove  stage  be- 
tween Vandalia,  Springfield  and  St.  Louis.  Like 
most  Kentuekians,  he  was  a  noted  horseman,  and 
so  skillful  a  rider  did  he  become,  that  he  was  hired 
by  the  Government  to  break  horses.  Later,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  farming,  purchased  some 
land  and  nicely  improved  it.  He  first  lived  in 
Fayette  County,  then  Madison,  then  Macoupin, 
and  finally  located  in  Shelby  County,  where  he  is 
the  owner  of  a  fine  farm,  and  is  extensively  en- 
gaged in  stock-raising,  although  he  has  reached  the 
advanced  age  of  four-score  years.  He  is  yet  a 
very  powerful   man   and   is   enjoying  a    iiale  and 


244 


i-ORTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


hearty  old  age.  His  magnifieeiit  farm  comprises 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  for  many  _vears 
Ills  thorougli  acquaintance  witli  stock  led  him  to 
follow  the  calling  of  a  veterinary  surgeon,  but  he 
has  long  since  given  up  this  occupation. 

Our  subject's  father  married  Helen  Brewer,  a 
native  of  Alton,  111.,  and  a  daughter  of  William 
Brewer,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  was  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Alton  and  a  farmer  by  occu- 
pation. He  was  one  of  the  famous  "forty-niners" 
who  went  to  California,  and  was  a  verj-  successful 
miner,  but  when  just  ready  to  start  for  home  with 
his  hard-earned  gold"-dust,  he  was  murdered  and 
robbed.  He  was  of  German  descent.  Mrs.  Doj'le 
is  about  sixty  years  of  age,  and,  like  her  husband, 
is  in  the  enjoyment  of  good  health.  Mr.  Doyle  is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and 
politically,  is  a  Republican.  He  has  been  married 
twice,  his  first  union  resulting  in  the  birth  of  nine 
children,  three  of  whom  served  in  the  Civil  War: 
Benjamin  enlisted  in  the  One  Hundred  and  Thirty- 
first  Infantrj'  in  1862,  served  until  the  close  of 
the  war  and  is  now  a  resident  of  De  Kalb  County; 
Harvey  joined  the  same  regiment  in  1862,  and 
now  resides  in  Macon  Count}-,  and  .Tolin  joined  a 
Missouri  regiment  and  served  four  3'ears  and  six 
months,  and  died  after  the  war.  Eight  children 
were  born  to  his  second  union,  three  of  whom  are 
living,  and  of  this  family  the  Doctor  was  third  in 
order  of  birth.  His  maternal  grandmother  was  Eliza 
Delaplaine,  a  Virginia  lady,  whose  father  was  a 
de  la  Plaine  from  France, and  an  own  cousin  of  the 
Marquis  de  La  Fayette.  He  came  to  America  during 
the  Revolutionary  War,  espoused  the  cause  of  the 
Americans,  and  became  attached  to  the  country  to 
such  a  degree  that  he  afterward  located  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  later  came  to  Illinois  during  the 
early  days  of  the  State.  He  assisted  in  build- 
ing the  fort  at  Alton  and  was  a  successful  Indian 
fighter.  His  family  were  Protestants.  His  daugh- 
ter, our  subject's  grandmother,  is  now  ninety'  years 
of  age,  is  blind,  and  resides  in  Madison  County, 
111.,  with  a  daughter. 

Dr.  M.  R.  Doj'le  early  learned  what  hard  work 
meant,  for  he  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm, 
but  he  attended  school  .sufflcientl}'  to  acquire  a 
good  practical  educiition,  wliich  he  finished  in  the 


Valparaiso  (Ind.)  Normal  College.  At  the  age  of 
twent}-  he  began  the  study  of  medicine,  for  which 
he  seemed  to  have  a  natural  aptitude,  and  toward 
which  profession  he  has  alwajs  had  a  decided  inclin- 
ation, and  in  1881  he  entered  tiie  Chicago  College 
of  Ph_ysicians  and  Surgeons,  in  which  he  took  two 
full  courses.  During  this  time  he  pi-actieed  with 
Dr.  Wayohn,  who  was  a  Professor  in  that  college. 
In  188.5,  Dr.  Doyle  entered  tiie  Kentucky  School 
of  Medicine  at  Louisville,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  June  of  tlie  same  year  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  He  took  a  special  course  in  chemistry.  He 
located  at  Pana,  Cliristiau  County,  III.,  in  1885, 
building  up  an  extensive  practice  during  the  four 
year.s  of  his  residence  there  in  Shelby  and  Mont- 
gomery Counties,  as  well  as  in  Christian  Count}'. 
In  the  fall  of  1890,  our  subject  came  to  East  St. 
Louis,  where  he  is  one  of  the  foremost  practitioners 
and  has  gathered  about  him  a  wide-spread  patron- 
age. He  is  a  member  of  the  Central  Illinois  Med- 
ical Association  and  the  State  Medical  Association, 
and  in  various  other  ways  manifests  his  interest  in 
his  profession.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and,  politically,  is  a 
Republican,  the  principles  of  wliich  party  he  at  all 
times  support.*. 


J:  OHN  F.  MUELLER.    One  of  the  good  farm- 
ers of   the  fertile  township   of  Smithton  is 
1    the  subject  of  our  sketch,  and  he  lives  on 
sections  5  and  6,  where  his  farm  of  seventj'- 

five  acres  sliows  to  the  stranger  the  effect  of  good 
management  and  sensible  farming.  He  is  not  led 
away  by  any  foolish  notions,  but  keeps  right  on 
and  raises  crops  of  wheat  and  corn  that  cannot 
fail  to  prove  that  he  understands  his  business.  He 
is  the  son  of  Joseph  D.  Mueller.  The  latter  was 
born  in  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  when 
about  twenty-two  j'ears  of  age,  and  worked  first 
in  Cincinnati.  He  then  thought  he  would  like  to 
see  the  country  farther  West,  and  came  to  Illinois 
and   located    in    St.   Clair    Township   in   St.  Clair 


•  l>~ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Count}-.  Here  he  purchased  a  farm  and  lived 
until  a  short  time  before  his  deatii,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Belleville,  where  he  died.  He  had  a 
family  of  six  children,  five  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing. The  living  ones  beside  our  subject  are  John, 
Stephen,  IMary  Josephine,  Joseph  and  Anton. 
Mary  Helena  is  deceased.  He  was  among  the  early 
settlers  of  St.  Clair  Township,  and  was  a  faitliful 
member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  INFary  Anna  Fisher,  and 
she  too  has  passed  away. 

Our  subject  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  in 
St.  Clair  Township  and  county,  September  7, 1853, 
and  was  educated  in  the  Catljolic  schools.  He  was 
united  in  marriage  witli  Miss  Catherine  Louis,  the 
daughter  of  Joseph  Louis,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  the  townsliip.  After  marriage,  he  removed  to 
the  place  wiiere  he  now  lives,  and  here  his  famil}' 
of  interesting  children  has  been  born.  They  are 
Josepii  D.,  .^L•^ry,  Helena,   Catherine  and  Jolinnie. 

Mr.  Mueller  is  a  Democrat,  believing  in  the  su- 
periority of  principle  and  executive  power  as  ex- 
erted by  that  form  of  Government.  Tlie  Roman 
Catholic  Church  is  the  religious  denomination  with 
which  Mr.  Mueller  finds  a  home.  This  is  one  of 
the  pleasant  representative  (4erman  families  which 
make  St.  Clair  Countv  wliat  it  is. 


1^- 


//^  IIRISTIAN  F.  STRECKER,  M.  D.  The  pro- 
flf  fcssion  of  the  ph_ysician  is  perhaps  the  most 

^i^J  trying  on  brain  and  body  of  any  in  the 
field  of  science,  for  it  absorbs  the  attention  of  him 
who  practices  it  conscientiously  both  day  and 
night,  and  l)rings  into  play  the  most  versatile 
powers  of  his  being.  From  a  boj",  Dr.  Strecker 
desired  to  becunic  a  physician — his  kindly  nature 
turning  instiiicii\fly  t(j  tluit  broad  field  of  aid  to 
human  suffering  for  his  life  work — and  since  de- 
voting his  attention  to  the  healing  art,  he  has 
received  a  portion  of  his  reward  in  this  world,  for 
he  has  the  confidence,  respect  and  esteem  of  his 
fellow  men,  and  the  consciousness  that  he  has 
driven  sorrow  and  despair  from  many  homes  by 
his  skill  as  a  physician. 


Onr  subject  was  born  near  Ludwigsberg,  Wur- 
temberg,  Germany,  October  20,  1851,  to  C.  F.  and 
Anna  Mariah  (Kitzenberger)  Strecker,  who  were 
also  born  in  Wurtemberg,  the  former  in  1817  and 
the  latter  in  182.3.  The  father  was  an  exception- 
ally skilled  machinist,  and  while  a  member  of  the 
German  army  was  a  cannoneer.  After  the  death  of 
his  wife,  he,  in  1866,  came  with  his  five  children 
to  America  on  the  steamer  -'Saxony,"  taking  pass- 
age at  Hanover,  and  after  a  voyage  of  eight  days 
reached  Xew  York  City.  Soon  after  this  he  came 
to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  hut  later  went  to  Warren  ton, 
i\[o.,  in  the  vicinity  of  which  place  he  purchased 
some  land  and  improved  a  farm.  He  died  there  in 
June,  1881,  when  just  on  the  eve  of  starting  to 
Jiurope  to  make  his  home.  His  father,  David 
Strecker,  was  an  architect,  builder  and  real-estate 
owner  of  his  native  land,  and  erected  many  line 
public  buildings.  He  died  in  Germany  in  1884,  at 
the  age  of  ninety-two  years,  a  member  of  the  Lu- 
theran Church.  The  mother's  people  were  honest 
tillers  of  the  soil. 

Of  five  children  horn  to  C.  F.  Strecker  and  his 
wife,  only  four  are  now  living:  Louis,  a  business 
man  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.;  August,  a  farmer  of  Colo- 
rado; Pauline  (Mrs.  Riechers),  who  resides  in  Ne- 
braska; and  Dr.  Christian  F.  The  latter  was 
reared  in  the  valley  of  the  Ncckar  River  and  ob- 
tained a  good  education  in  the  town  of  Poppen- 
weiler,  in  the  schools  of  which  he  remained  until 
fourteen  years  of  age.  After  his  father  had  lo- 
cated at  Warren  ton,  Mo.,  he  assisted  him  on  the 
farm,but  later  entered  the  Central  Wesleyan  College, 
in  which  he  stayed  for  two  years,  graduating  from 
the  normal  department  in  1875.  He  paid  his  own 
way  through  school  with  money  he  earned  during 
vacations,  and  in  1875  entered  the  American  Medi- 
cal College  of  St.  Louis,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated three  years  later  with  the  degree  of  AL  I). 
He  located  in  P>ast  St.  Louis  in  1877,  and  thvough 
honest  merit  has  built  up  a  very  extensive  practice 
in  the  city  and  country.  He  has  a  pleasant  office 
on  Missouri  Avenue, and  a  comfortable  and  home- 
like residence  at  No.  705  Illinois  Avenue. 

In  1884,  Dr.  Strecker  made  a  trip  to  the  "Father- 
land," and,  during  the  four  months  he  remained 
abroad,  he  visited   the  hospitals  of  Berlin,  Miniich, 


248 


POI^TRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Vienna,  and  made  atrip  through  Italy.  He  was 
married  in  East  St.  Louis  in  December,  1884,  to  Miss 
Louisa  Tlioma,  a  native  of  thecit^^and  a  daughter 
of  John  B.  Thoma,  a  merchant  tailor  who  died  in 
189-2.  Dr.  Strecker  filled  the  position  of  Alder- 
man from  1887  to  1890,  being  elected  on  the  Citi- 
zens' ticket,  and  was  Chairman  of  the  Police  Com- 
mittee, as  well  as  being  a  member  of  other  impor- 
tant committees.  He  gives  his  support  to  all 
movements  for  the  improvement  of  the  city,  and 
was  one  who  generously  aided  in  properly  equip- 
ping the  police  force  of  the  citj'.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  is  a 
Knight  Templar  in  the  Masonic  order,  and  belongs 
to  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
and  the  Sons  of  Herman.  He  is  a  Republican 
l)olitically.  In  his  religious  adherence,  he  liclongs 
to  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church. 


ylLLIAM  BROWNLEE.  The  record  of  St. 
Clair  County  would  not  be  complete  with- 
out a  mention  of  one  of  the  best-known 
and  most  highly  respected  men  of  Lebanon  Town- 
shij).  On  one  of  the  quiet  streets  of  this  beautiful 
little  city,  resides  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  sur- 
rounded by  all  the  comforts  of  life,  and  affection- 
ately waited  upon  by  one  of  the  best  of  good 
wives. 

Our  subject's  fatlier  was  Christopher  Brownlee, 
who  was  born  in  Iieland,  but  came  to  this  coun- 
try when  a  young  man,  and  settled  in  Gibson 
County,  Ind.,  where  he  was  married,  about  1831. 
He  was  a  railroad  contractor,  and  graded  seven 
miles  of  the  Evansville  &  Crawfordsville Railroad, 
wliicli  is  now  a  part  of  the  Evansville  &  Terre 
Haute.  He  lived  to  be  about  eighty-two  years  of 
age.  Tlie  mother  of  our  subject,  Mary  Brownlee, 
was  also  a  native  of  Ireland.  She  passed  her  life 
in  (iibson  County,  and  only  survived  her  luisband 
five  years. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  Ixirn  in  Provi- 
dence, R.  I.,  September  25,  1825.  When  twelve 
years  of  age,  lie  worked  with  his  father,  and    suc- 


ceeded him  in  his  business  of  railroad  contracting. 
He  had  few  educational  advantages,  and  the 
school  with  which  he  was  best  acquainted  was  the 
school  of  hard  work.  However,  he  did  not  permit 
this  to  make  him  ignorant,  but  by  keeping  his 
eyes -wide  open,  and  by  absorbing  all  the  informa- 
tion that  came  within  his  reach,  he  is  now  one  of 
the  best-informed  men  of  his  time,  although  for 
years  he  has  had  to  contend  against  a  degree  of 
deafness. 

Our  subject  came  to  Illinois  in  1853,  and  settled 
in  Olney,  Richland  County.  He  began  business 
for  himself  as  a  contractor  on  the  Ohio  &  Missis- 
sippi Railroad.  He  graded  six  miles  of  the  road 
when  it  was  building,  and  became  a  section  fore- 
man, and  later  was  promoted  to  be  Roadmaster.  He 
then  wasa  freight  conductorfor  anumber  of  years. 
From  1861  to  1864,  he  was  Superintendent  of  the 
West  Division  of  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad, 
and  from  1864  to  1870  he  was  conductor  on  a 
passenger  train.  Owing  to  his  increasing  deaf- 
ness he  gave  up  his  train.  It  was  during  this 
time  that  he  removed  to  Lebanon,  for  the  duties 
of  his  position  with  the  railroad  had  to  decide  his 
place  of  residence.  He  had  lived  for  eight  years 
in  St.  Louis.  He  discharged  the  duties  of  the 
West  Division  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  mana- 
gers of  the  road,  but  after  three  years  of  service  in 
the  place  he  resigned.  He  then  retired  from 
active  railroad  work,  but  is  kindly  remembered 
by  his  emploj'ersandthe  traveling  public,  many  of 
whom  he  changed  from  strangers  to  friends. 

All  railroad  men  many  well,  and  our  subject  was 
no  exception  to  the  rule.  December  24,  1857,  he 
married  Miss  Sarah  L.  Notestine,  one  of  liie  mai- 
dens of  Olney,  Hi.,  but  born  in  Ohio.  Two  children 
have  blessed  this  marriage:  Walter  G.,  who  mar- 
ried May  Cunningham,  of  Lebanon,  and  is  now 
Train  Dispatcher  of  the  Missouri  Pacific  Railroad 
Company  in  St.  Louis.  He  has  one  child.  The 
daughter  is  Bertha,  who  is  the  wife  of  Fred  C. 
Brooks,  a  merchant  in  St.  Louis.  She  lias  one  child 
also. 

Mr.  Brownlee  and  his  estimable  wife  are  among 
the  best-known  and  most  respected  in  the  city  of 
Lebanon.  He  shows  on  his  face  the  kind  disposi- 
tion that  dwells  within,  and    still  enjoys  existence 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


by  tbe  side  of  his  cheery  wife,  over  whoio  the 
years  have  glided  kindly.  He  does  not  bother 
himself  about  politics,  but  finds  plenty  in  his  silent 
life  to  entertain  and  amuse  him.  Mrs.  Brownlee's 
father  and  mother  were  among  tlie  first  settlers  of 
Olnev.  111. 


I 


I  R.S.  GRACP]  FELICIA  (LANDE;R)  MUEL- 
HEIM.     One  of  the  most  significant  signs 
of  the  overturning   of  public  opinion   in 
*  the  last  few  years  is  that,  in  these  days,  a 

woman  may  become  learned  and  wealthy,  may 
have  opinions  and  not  be  afraid  to  mention  them, 
may  be  successful  in  life,  and  may  be  sure  that  the 
male  sex  will  no  longer  try  to  suppress  her,  but 
will  bid  her  "God  sijeed."  The  original  of  the 
present  sketch  is  one  of  the  most  successful  busi- 
ness women  in  the  West.  She  conducts  a  large 
millinery  establishment  in  this  city,  and  her  name 
appears  on  quite  as  m.any  papers  for  improvements 
and  for  charities,  as  does  any  man's  of  like  means 
in  East  St.  Louis. 

The  family  of  Mrs.  Jluelheim  is  an  old  one, 
originally  from  Wales.  The  paternal  grandfather 
came  from  there  and  became  a  large  planter  near 
Lexington,  Ky.  The  father  of  our  subject  was 
born  in  Lexington,  and  also  was  a  large  planter 
and  stock-raiser  and  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers 
of  his  portion  of  that  State.  He  took  part  in  the 
AVar  of  1812,  and  grew  very  wealthy  and  promi- 
nent in  that  section.  In  1853,  he  came  to  Wash- 
ington County,  111.,  leaving  his  beautiful  home  and 
the  social  honors  that  were  his,  because  he  could 
not  approve  of  slavery,  and  felt  that  he  must  get 
into  a  free  State.  He  was  an  old-line  A\"hig,  from 
which  class  have  come  giants  of  intellectual  strength 
among  the  heroes  of  the  past.  Henry  Lander  was 
a  man  of  strong  convictions  of  right.  He  bought 
about  a  section  of  land  near  Nashville,  III.,  and 
there  passed  a  peaceful  life,  improving  his  estate 
until  his  death,  in  1863.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  denomination  and  departed  lamented  by 
all.     His  name  was  well  known  among  the  Aboli- 


tionists of  the  North.  The  mother  of  this  remark- 
able man  was  an  aunt  to  the  family  of  Brecken- 
ridge,  and  her  father  was  a  large  planter  and  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  Christian  County,  Ky.  The 
Landers  were  always  proud  of  their  descent,  as  it 
went  back  unbroken  to  those  of  noble  birth  in 
Wales.  The  beloved  mother  of  our  subject  was 
Elizabeth  Purcell,  a  native  of  Hopkinsville,  Ky., 
and  a  daughter  of  the  Pennsylvania  Purcells. 
She  lived  a  blameless  life,  doing  her  duty  as  the 
mother  of  a  large  family,  and  ended  her  days  in 
Washington  County,  111.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Mucl- 
heim  was  twice  married,  five  children  resulting 
from  the  first  union  and  eight  from  the  second. 

Our  subject  was  the  eldest  of  the  children  of  the 
second  marriage  of  her  father.  She  was  born  in 
Christi.an  County,  Ky.,  October  21,  1834,  and  that 
was  her  home  until  she  was  nineteen  years  old. 
She  was  educated  at  private  schools  until  her  mar- 
riage, which  occurred  in  Kentucky  in  1852,  to  O. 
E.  Davis,  a  Keiituckian, a  cousin  of  Jefferson  Davis, 
and  who  lived  but  six  months  after  marriage.  One 
child  was  the  result  of  this  union,  Harry  Davis, 
who  now  holds  the  position  of  Police  Magistrate 
in  East  St.  Louis.  In  1856,  Mrs.  Davis  was  mar- 
ried to  Charles  Muelheim,  a  native  of  Cologne, 
Germany,  who  had  come  with  his  family  to  Amer- 
ica in  1852,  and  located  in  Nashville,  111.,  and  en- 
gaged in  the  drug  business.  He  then  went  into 
the  management  of  a  store  and  was  a  very  success- 
ful merchant  for  twenty  years.  During  her  life  in 
Nashville,  Mrs.  Muelheim  was  a  member  of  Rebekah 
Lodge,  and  was  a  Sister  in  the  Masonic  lodge. 

In  1872,  our  subject  started  in  the  business 
which  her  ability  has  made  so  prosperous.  Siie 
located  in  East  St.  Louis  in  1882,  as  she  desired  to 
settle  her  son.  Dr.  Robert  M.  Muelheim,  in  his  [iro- 
fession  here.  Her  affairs  were  in  a  very  ttourishing 
condition,  but  in  1890  she  suffered  from  a  fire,  and 
was  burned  out.  She  was  not  dismayed,  but  went 
right  to.  work  and  soon  had  her  present  building 
of  two  stories  and  with  a  frontage  of  twenty- 
five  feet  erected.  She  has  the  finest  front  in  her 
building  of  any  in  the  city. 

Mrs.  Muelheim  has  two  daughters  remaining  of 
her  second  marriage:  Carrie,  now  Mrs.  Ch.irles  Fos- 
ter, who  resides  in  Elmira,  N.  Y.,  and  Grace,  now 


2/iO 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  wife  of  L.  C.  Doggett,  the  manager  of  fhe 
business  of  N.  K.  Fairbanks  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  A 
great  grief  came  to  Mrs.  Muelheim  in  1884,  when 
her  talenterl  3-oung  son,  Robert,  w.as  removed  bj' 
death.  He  was  a  brilliant  young  man,  and  had 
graduated  with  honor  from  the  Jefferson  Medical 
College,  when  only  nineteen  years  of  age.  He 
was  graduated  an  M.  D.  from  the  State  University, 
at  Champaign,  111.,  and  there  seemed  to  be  a  bright 
future  before  him,  but  these  hopes  were  blasted. 
Mrs.  Muelheim  is  a  devout  member  of  the  Baptist 
denomination,  as  were  also  her  ancestors,  and  has 
been  a  Democrat  in  her  political  (>pinions  since  the 
I'lesidency  of  Gen.  Grant.  She  is  a  very  pleasant 
lady  in  social  life,  and  is  one  w-ho  can  hold  licr 
own  and  command  respect  in  any  jiosition. 


JHOHN  C.  BEIIRENS,  is  a  self-made  man  and 
I  prominent  farmer  of  O'Fallon  Township, 
I  who  was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany,  No- 
_  vember  3,  1833,  and  is  a  son  of  Christian 
and  Magdalena  (Kolsen)  Belirens,  both  of  whom 
were  also  natives  of  Holstein.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  and  fisheiman,  who  fought  in  the  Danish 
army  in  the  war  with  Napoleon.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1840,  and  his  wife  died  in  1838.  Their 
familj-  numbered  twelve  children,  six  sons  and  six 
daughters,  but  two  sons  and  two  daughter  died 
previous  to  the  birth  of  our  subject.  Cathcrina,  the 
eldest  child,  became  the  wife  of  John  Murthorst, 
and  died  in  Germany  in  1872,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren; Frederick,  who  was  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
came  to  America  in  1854,  and  died  in  18.58,  near 
Dutch  Hill,  St.  Clair  County.  He  was  married  and 
his  widow  is  stilt  living  in  Nebraska.  They  had 
five  children,  of  whom  a  son  and  two  daughters 
are  yet  living,  Lena,  Annie  and  Christian,  all  of 
whom  a-e  married.  Magdalena  died  in  Germany 
in  187ij,  at  the  age  of  eighty -eight  years.  Slic 
was  the  wife  of  Jurgin  Stange,  by  whom  she  had 
three  sons  and  four  daughters.  Claus  Detleff, 
who  was  born  in  1818,  came    to    America  in  1848, 


and  the  following  year  went  to  California.  He 
died  in  San  Francisco,  in  1879^atthe  age  of  sixty- 
one  years,  leaving  a  valuable  estate.  Annie,  born 
in  1822,  is  married  and  resides  in  Altoona.  She 
had  five  children.  Jurgen  came  to  America  with 
his  brother  Claus  in  1848,  and  died  in  St.  Louis 
in  1852,  leaving  a  handsome  property.  ^largaret 
died  in  Germany  in  1848,  at  the  age  of  twenty 
yeai's. 

Mr.  Behrens,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  ac- 
quired his  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
his  native  land,  and  there  engaged  in  farming 
until  1852,  when  he  sailed  for  America,  landing  in 
New  Orleans  June  1.  He  then  went  up  the  river 
to  St.  Louis,  and  thence  to  the  farm  of  Fred  Bogel, 
for  whom  he  worked  six  months  at  16  per  month. 
He  then  worked  on  the  construction  of  the  Cairo 
&  St.  Louis  Railroad  until  1855.  His  business 
was  to  superintend  ten  hundred  and  forty  acres 
()f  land  and  furnish  railroad  ties.  In  February, 
1865,  he  bought  his  present  farm,  two  miles  east 
of  O'Fallon,  and  he  has  since  made  it  his  home. 

Ill  September,  1859,  Mr.  Behrens  was  united  in 
tnarri.ige  with  Miss  Clarissa  Wakefield,  who  was 
born  September  3,  1843,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Matilda  Wakefield,  of  this  county. 
They  became  the  parents  of  eleven  children,  but 
lost  their  first-born,  a  daughter,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy.    Anna    IMargaret,   who  was  l>orn  IMarcli    2, 

1862,  is  now  married.  She  became  the  wife  of 
Stephen  Nicholas,  a  farmer  of  Lebanon  Township, 
June    6,    1892.     John   Henry,    born    October    K), 

1863,  is  a  railroad  employe;  Albert  Christian, 
born  November  14,  1865,  is  operating  the  home 
farm  on  shares;  Wilhelm  Amos,  born  December  6, 
1867.  Cora  Clarissa  April  2,  1871;  jMinnie  Pearly, 
August  9,  1873;  Carl  Frederick,  September  22, 
1875;  George  Garfield,  October  5,  1877;  and 
Nellie,  January  25,  1880.  The  sixth  child,  a  son, 
born  in  March,  1869,  lived  only  a  few  days. 

Mr.  Behrens  was  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith, 
but  is  liberal  both  in  religious  views  and  in  poli- 
tics. In  1852,  he  became  a  member  of  Germania 
Lodge  No.  878,  K.  II.,  of  O'Fallon.  In  1889,  he 
took  a  trip  to  California  to  settle  up  his  brother's 
estate,  but.  with  the  exception  of  this  period,  h.is 
resided    continuously    upon  his  present    farm    for 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


251 


about  twenty-seven  years.  He  has  led  a  busy  and 
useful  life  wliich  has  brought  him  a  comfortable 
comi)etence.  He  came  to  this  country  empty- 
handed,  but  by  his  enterprise  and  industry  he  has 
steadily  worked  his  way  upward  to  a  position  of 
wealth  and  affluence.  For  his  success  he  certainly 
deserves  great  credit.  He  is  an  intelligent  man 
of  studious  habits,  w-ho  keeps  well  informed  on  all 
current  events  of  the  day.  He  is  thoroughly 
American  in  his  views,  and  loves  his  adopted 
country  and  its  institutions  belter  than  the  Father- 
land. This  community  tinds  in  him  a  valued  citi- 
zen, who  well  deserves  representation  in  this 
volume. 


•^^- 


JfuHX  :M.  M.C'A.SLAND.  The  original  of 
the  |)rcsent  notice  is  a  resident  of  Jackson- 
■  ville.  111.,  but  his  business  is  conducted  in 
^  East  St.  Louis,  where  he  has  been  located 
since  1889.  His  name  is  one  of  the  powers  in  the 
real-estate  market,  and  for  some  years  his  dealings 
in  realty  have  been  very  large  and  successful. 

William  McCasland  was  the  grandfather  of  our 
subject,  and  was  born  in  Virginia,  where  he  carried 
on  agricultural  pursuits.  He  served  tlirough  the 
Revolutionary  War  under  Gen.  Washington,  .ind 
his  wife  received  a  pension  uj)  to  the  time  of  her 
death.  He  was  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  mar- 
ried Ellen  McCuUough,  a  native  of  Ireland.  Siie 
lived  to  the  age  of  ninety-three  years,  and  her  life 
ended  in  Sangamon  Count3',  111.  William  McCas- 
land brought  Ills  family  to  Indiana  and  located  in 
Jefferson  Count}',  where  he  followed  farming  un- 
til he  died.  The  respected  father  of  our  subject 
was  named  .Tames  Harper  McCasland  and  was  also 
a  Virginian  by  birth.  By  occupation,  he  was  a 
wood-turner  and  cabinet-maker  and  he  was  en- 
gaged in  Uie  manufacture  of  furniture  in  Indiana 
luitil  isil.  when  lie  came  to  Illinois.  He  located 
in  (iiillaliii  County  the  first  year,  but  this  seemed 
such  a  sickly  locality  that  he  moved  north  and 
settled  in  the  higher  lands  in  Morgan  County,  and 
there  he  lived  a  few  yenis  and  engaged  in  farming 


near  Woodson.  Some  years  later,  he  removed  to 
Sangamon  County,  on  the  Morgan  County  line, 
and  located  at  the  middle  fork  of  Lick  Creek, 
where  he  farmed  until  he  died,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three  years,  respected  by  all  who  knew 
him  and  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church. 
He  had  been  a  Republican  but  never  a  seeker  after 
office. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  w;\s  .lane  Hood,  a 
North  Carolinian  by  birth, and  a  daughter  of  -lohn 
Hood,  of  that  State,  who  afterward  became  a  far- 
mer in  Indiana  and  died  at  La  Porte.  Our  sub- 
ject's mother  lived  until  1868,  and  left  seven  of 
her  eight  chddren  to  mourn  her  death.  Sarah  is 
now  Mrs.  Graves  and  resides  in  St.  Joseph,  Mo.;  J. 
M.,  a  soldier  during  the  war,  is  now  in  the  real- 
estate  business  in  this  city;  W.  A.  was  a  member  of 
an  Illinois  volunteer  company  during  the  war 
and  now  is  in  the  realty  business  here;  J.  T., 
was  a  soldier  also  and  is  now  a  farmer  in  Sangamon 
County,  this  State;  Elizabeth  is  Mrs.  Ephman  and 
lives  in  Wheeling,  W.  Va.;  Thomas O.  was  another 
of  this  i)atriotic  family  who  entered  the  army,  but 
this  brave  man  never  returned,  being  killed  at 
Murfreesboro,  Tcnn.;  C.  D.,  still  another  soldier, 
has  made  a  success  of  real-estate  deals  in  this  city. 
It  is  worthy  of  mention  that  all  these  men  rose  to 
distinction  in  the  army  and  have  records  of  which 
they  may  well  he  proud. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Hanover,  Jefferson 
County,  Ind.,  July  1,  1833.  He  was  reared  in 
Indiana  until  nearly  eight  years  of  age,  at  which 
time  his  father  moved  the  family  to  Gallatin 
County,  III.  The  emigration  was  made  by  boat  to 
(iolconda  on  the  Ohio  River  and  then  by  team  to 
their  destination  in  Gallatin  County.  Here  his 
father  raised  one  crop  of  tobacco,  in  1842,  but  then 
removed  to  Morgan  County  as  recorded  above, 
and  in  1847  to  Sangamon  County.  It  was  at  this 
place  that  our  subject  was  married,  December  22, 
18.53,  to  Frances  Collins,  who  was  born  near  Frank- 
lin in  Morgan  County.  Here  the  young  couple 
began  their  married  life  on  :i  farm,  and  later  our 
subject  bought  a  farm  for  himself  of  ninety  acres, 
near  IMurrayville,  in  Morgan  County,  He  was 
one  of  the  brave  men  who  left  the  plow  to  answer 
the  call  of  his  couiitrv,  and   in  Julv,  1802,  he  eu- 


252 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


listed  in  Company  H,  One  Hundred  and  First  Illi- 
nois Infantry  and  was  mustered  into  the  service  at 
Camp  Duncan.  He  was  sent  South  to  Holly 
Springs,  where  a  part  of  the  regiment  was  cap- 
tured, but  the  company  of  which  Mr.  MeCasland 
was  a  member  succeeded  in  escaping.  In  the 
spring  of  1863,  he  was  sent  toMilliken's  Bend  and 
detailed  on  a  gunboat,  the  "Lafayette,"  and  on 
the  night  of  April  16  ran  the  blockade  at  Yicksburg, 
later  was  in  the  fight  at  Grand  Gulf  and  went  up 
with  Gen.  Banks  to  the  Red  River  as  far  as  Alex- 
andria and  then  dropped  down  and  anchored  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Red  River  and  tliere  remained 
until  the  fall  of  Vicksburg.  Then  they  were 
ordered  to  Columbus,  Ky.,from  there  to  Union  City, 
Tenn.,  and  afterward  were  sent  to  reinforce  Rose- 
crans  at  Louisville,  Ky.;  they  then  went  to  Bridge- 
port, Ala.,  where  they  were  incorporated  with  the 
Twentieth  Corps  and  joined  Sherman's  army  for 
the  Georgia  campaign.  He  took  part  in  the  bat- 
tles from  Missionary  Ridge  to  the  fall  of  Atlanta 
and  then  the  brilliant  march  to  the  sea.  He  was 
tlirough  the  Carolinas  to  Raleigh,  was  at  the  battle 
of  Benton ville,  and  in  all  the  activities  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  then  took  part  in  that  mag- 
nificent display  at  Washington  and  was  mustered 
out  in  June,  1865,  and  came  home.  Thus  ended  a 
very  exciting  chapter  in  the  life  of  our  subject, 
and  while  the  ballets  of  the  enemy  did  him  no  in- 
jury he  suffered  from  the  hard  marching.  When 
he  entered  the  armj-,  his  health  was  in  a  precarious 
state  and  it  was  with  many  misgivings  that  his 
friends  parted  with  him,  but  he  stood  army  life 
better  than  some  who  had  aiipeared  robust  at  the 
outset. 

After  the  war,  Mr.  MeCasland  took  to  his  peace- 
ful plow  and  continued  farming  until  1881,  when 
his  home  was  broken  up  the  death  of  his  wife.  He 
then  removed  to  Jacksonville  and  there  held  the 
office  of  Constable  until  in  February,  1889,  he  came 
to  St.  Louis  and  six  months  later  located  in  East 
St.  Louis.  He  entered  into  the  real-estate  business 
and  has  Ijeen  very  prosperous.  His  first  large  deal 
was  one  in  wiiich  he  made  $3,500,  and  since  then 
lie  has  been  dealing  in  lots.  He  has  property  in 
many  of  the  additions  to  the  city  and  in  Jackson- 
ville; has  a  farm  In  Franklin  Counl\-  of  seyent\'- 


three  acres  and  interests  all  over  the  cit_y.  He  has 
had  a  family  of  twelve  children,  two  of  whom  died 
in  infanc}',  but  serious  illness  has  often  invaded  his 
home.  Those  of  his  living  children  are  as  follows: 
J.  T.  bears  the  name  of  the  Real-estate  King  of  East 
St.  Louis;  .Jane  is  Mrs.  T.  B.  Howers,  of  Lincoln, 
Neb.;  Clara  A.  is  Mrs.  Brooks,  of  this  iilarv;  Charles 
O.  is  in  the  real-estate  business  in  this  lity;  Laura 
is  at  home;  Arthur  A.  is  in  business  in  East  St. 
Louis;  Daniel  is  employed  in  this  city  by  his 
brother,  and  Fred  Elmer  is  in  Jacksonville.  Mary 
B.  was  Mrs.  Skinner  and  died  in  January,  1881,  in 
ElkCount3',  Kan.,  and  Rosa  died  also  in  1881,  the 
same  month  as  her  mother.  Mr.  MeCasland  mar- 
ried in  Jacksonville,  in  1885,  Miss  Mary  V.  Orton, 
a  native  of  Greene  County,  111.,  and  has  one  child 
by  this  union,  Guy  Roy.  His  handsome  home  is 
on  one  of  the  beautiful  streets  of  Jacksonville.  He 
belongs  to  a  family  that  is  very  prominent  in  the 
social  and  commercial  world  of  East  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  MeCasland  is  a  member  of  the  Matt  Starr 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Jacksonville.  He  has  supported 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  of  which  he  has 
been  a  member  for  forty  years,  with  his  influence 
and  means.  He  was  a  Republican,  but  since  the 
formation  of  the  Prohibition  part;\'  he  has  found 
that  the  exponent  of  his  views. 


-^-^41 


<*^DWAKO  1!.  DAVIS,  attorney-at-law,  and 
lU]  ex-City  Attorney  of  East  St. Louis,  111.,  has 
JLi^  gained  an  enviable  reputation  for  his  legal 
ability,  sound  judgment  and  sterling  integrity. 
During  the  years  that  he  has  practiced  before  the 
Bar  of  Illinois,  he  has  become  eminent  as  a  Coun- 
selor, often  in  cases  involving  interests  of  great 
magnitude,  and  has  acquired  more  than  a  local  re- 
nown, on  account  of  his  scholarly  attainments,  his 
thorough  knowledge  of  the  law,  and  his  devo- 
tion to  the  interests  of  his  clients.  He  was  born 
near  Batavia,  \.  Y.,  on  the  12th  of  March 
1839,  to  David  and  Harriet  (Wilder)  Davis,  the 
former  of  whom  was  bom  near  Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
and  the  latter  near  Boston,   Mas.s„  in    1802,     The 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


253 


father  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade,  and  after  his 
marriage,  wliich  took  place  in  Massachusetts,  he 
removed  his  family  and  household  goods  to  Gen- 
esee County,  N.  Y.,  and  engaged  in  farming,  a 
calling  he  followed  in  that  State  until  1843,  when, 
with  his  wife  and  eight  children,  he  removed  to 
Michigan  City,  going  by  wagon  to  Buffalo,  and 
then  by  schooner  to  Detroit.  He  settled  in  Lapeer 
County  among  the  woods,  and  after  following  his 
trade  for  a  number  of  years,  located  on  a  tract  of 
wild  land  ten  miles  north  of  the  town.  After 
clearing  and  improving  eiglitj'  acres  of  land  there, 
he  removed  to  Tuscola  County,  and  there  bought 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  he 
improved.  Here  he  died  in  1880,  but  his  widow 
still  survives  him.  The  maternal  grandfather  was 
a  native  of  England,  and  after  coming  to  Amer- 
ica settled  in  Massachusetts. 

To  David  and  Harriet  Davis  the  following  chil- 
dren were  born:  G.  W.,  a  prominent  lawyer  of 
Enst  Saginaw,  Mich.;  Dr.  William  H.,  a  physician 
of  Springfield,  111.;  Hiram,  who  had  been  a  resi- 
dent of  California  since  1849,  but  is  now  a  resi- 
dent of  El  Dorado  Countv;  and  Edwaid  R.  The 
latter  was  a  resident  of  New  York  until  four  j-ears 
of  age,  from  which  time  until  he  attained  his 
eighteenth  jear  he  was  a  resident  of  Michigan. 
After  attending  school  until  eight  j-ears  of  age,  at 
which  time  it  was  thought  that  a  strong,  active 
and  healthy  lad,  such  as  he  was,  could  make  better 
use  of  his  time  at  farm  work  than  at  school 
his  opportunities  for  ac(iuirina-  an  education 
were  very  much  abridged.  After  spending  two 
years  at  farm  labor,  he  began  learning  the  car- 
penter's trade  at  Almont,  at  which  he  worked  un- 
til he  was  eighteen  years  old,  when  his  brother  re- 
turned from  California  and  started  to  take  him 
and  the  entire  family  back  to  that  State  with  him; 
but  they  got  only  as  far  as  New  York  City,  and 
there  decided  not  to  go  any  further.  Our  subject 
then  went  to  Corunna,  Mich.,  and,  in  addition  to 
|)racticing  his  trade,  took  up  the  study  of  law 
In  1859  he  began  devoting  his  attention  to  tiiis 
in  the  office  of  L.  II.  Parsons,  and  May  1,  1860, 
was  admitted  to  tiie  Bar.  Soon  after  this  he  ojjened 
an  office  at  Northport,  but  in  the  fall  of  18(jl  re- 
tained to  Corunna,     lie  was  married  at  Oxford, 


Oakland  County,  Mich.,  in  1863,  to  Miss  Angie  A. 
Matice,  who  was  born  in  Onondaga  Countj^,  N.  Y.,  a 
daughter  of  John  Matice,  who  was  an  early  settler 
of  New  York.  After  residing  successively  at  Good- 
rich and  Lapeer,  Mr.  Davis,  in  1865,  removed  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  was  admitted  to  the  St.  Louis 
Bar,  and  remained  there  two  years. 

In  1867,  he  removed  to  Springfield,  111.,  where 
he  took  a  contract  to  build  a  $100,000  convent, 
which  was  completed  at  the  end  of  two  ^-ears.  In 
1868,  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  and  has  since 
been  one  of  the  foremost  legal  practitioners  of  this 
section.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
1877  for  one  term,  and  in  1887  was  elected  City 
Attorney  on  the  Citizens'  Ticket,  and  was  re- 
elected in  1889.  He  is  the  f.ither  of  two  children: 
Carrie  (Mrs.  David  Sage),  and  Inez.  He  has  been 
a  supporter  of  Republican  principles  all  his  life, 
and  sociall3',  belongs  to  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
He  has  been  an  active  and  public-spirited  citizen 
of  the  town,  has  always  been  faithful  to  her  inter- 
ests, and  as  an  attorney  has  not  his  superior  in 
East  St.  Louis. 


J  I  OHN  FREDERICK  ML'ELLER.  The  gentle- 
man whose  honored  name  heads  this  sketch 
is  a  resident  of  Mascoutah  Township,  St. 
Clair  County,  111.  He  is  another  of  the 
representatives  that  the  great  nation  of  Germany 
has  sent  to  our  shores,  and  like  so  many  others,  he 
has  found  the  land  of  his  adoption  a  very  ple.as- 
ant  and  fruitful  one. 

Mr.  Mueller  was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  Aug- 
ust 24,  1828,  where  he  was  reared  and  educated, 
and  remained  until  1849,  when  he  crossed  the 
great  ocean,  ami  made  his  way  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
where  he  first  located  and  engaged  in  farming, 
remaining  there  until  the  following  year,  when  lie 
decided  to  fc)llow  the  course  of  the  sun  and  "go 
West."  His  choice  in  this  second  removal  was 
Belleville,   111,,  where   he   was  employed   for   two 


254 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


years  by  Mr.  Bunson  and  Mr.  Neuhofif.  At  tlie 
close  of  that  time  our  subject  decided  that  it  is 
not  .8;ood  for  man  to  be  alone,  so  he  won  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Henrietta  Mann,  the  daujfhter  of  Niclio- 
las  Mann,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  place. 

After  the  marriage  of  this  happy  couple,  they 
settled  on  laud  rented  of  Mr.  Neuhoff,  and 
liere  they  lived  for  ten  3-ears,  when,  things  having 
piospered,  our  subject  bought  the  nice  farm  he 
now  is  the  proud  owner  of.  The  happy  owners 
removed  to  their  own  property  with  glad  hearts,  and 
here  they  have  lived  ever  since,  improving  the  land 
which  they  earned  b}'  the  sweat  of  their  brows. 
This  fine  farm  consists  of  two  hundred  and  three 
acres  of  as  choice  land  as  can  be  found  in  the 
county,  all  of  which  is  in  a  splendid  state  of  culti- 
vation, except  about  sixteen  acres  of  timber. 

On  this  farm,  in  which  our  subject  takes  so 
much  innocent  and  justifiable  pride,  are  neat  farm 
buildings  and  large  barns,  which  with  the  fences 
are  in  good  repair.  All  of  the  improvements  to 
be  observed  on  the  place  have  been  made  by  this 
energetic  farmer,  who  is  resolved  to  make  his  farm 
one  of  the  best  in  the  countj',  and  if  he  continues 
to  improve  as  much  in  the  future  as  he  has  done 
in  the  past,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  will  suc- 
ceed. On  this  farm  Mr.  Mueller  raises  principally 
grain,  corn  being  his  choice. 

On  this  farm,  which  is  located  on  section  21,  re- 
side Mr.  iSIueller,  his  wife  and  two  children,  3Mag- 
gie  and  Annie,  the  former  of  whom  is  married  lo 
.lohn  Renth,  but  who  still  reinainsat  theoldhome, 
her  parents  preferring  that  she  and  her  husband 
make  their  home  with  them.  Here,  in  contentment 
.■md  happiness  dwell  this  family,  of  whom  our  sub- 
ject is  the  honored  head,  and  nowhere  will  the  vis- 
itor find  more  hospitality  than  at  the  home  of  Mr. 
Mueller.  When  he  came  to  America,  he  was  in  the 
condition  of  so  many  emigrants,  verj'  poor,  but 
iiis  honest  industry  and  perseverance  have  aided 
him  in  the  amassing  of  a  large  property,  although 
some  assistance  he  received,  from  Germany  after 
some  year's  residen(!e  in  this  country,  was  of  much 
benefit  to  him.  Even  without  this  help  tiiere  is 
no  doubt  that  he  would  have  succeeded,  for  he  has 
many  of  the  qualities  that  are  necessary  for  suc- 
cess, and  these,  coupled  with  the  industry  and  econ- 


omy of  his  faithful  wife,  made  success  a  sure  thing. 
In  politics,  our  subject  is  a  firm  adherent  of  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Republican  party,  and  loyally  suppoi'ts 
its  platforms  and  measures,  firmly  upholding  its  ac- 
tions in  all  places  and  upon  all  occasions,  and  on  ac- 
count of  this  firmness  of  political  conviction,  he  is 
a  man  of  some  prominence  in    the  politics  of  the 


Sil-^-t^ll^^^^  ^ 


■ii^/REDHlCiC  MUEIILMANN,  Si:.  One  of 
|-^;  the  most  extensive  of  the  manufacturing 
Iks  concei-ns  of  Belleville, .and  one  which  has 
largely  contributed  to  its  importance  as  a  center 
for  the  supply  of  machinery,  is  that  now  conducted 
by  Mr.  Eredrick  Moehlmann,  and  located  at  the 
corner  of  Illinois  and  Second  North  Streets,  or  as 
it  is  now  called  B  Street.  He  is  engineer  and 
proprietor  of  this  flourishing  shop,  and  is  a  gentle- 
man of  accurate  knowledge  of  the  business  and 
wide  acquaintance  in  the  trade.  Like  many  of  the 
enterprising  and  progressive  men  of  the  count}', 
Mr.  Moehlmann  is  of  foreign  birth,  a  native  of 
Hanover,  Germany,  born  on  the  2.5tli  of  December, 
1828,  and  his  parents,  Henry  and  Margaret  (Pieper) 
Moehlmann,  were  natives  of  the  Old  Country  also, 
the  father  being  a  carpenter  by  trade. 

In  the  fall  of  1836,  the  famil}',  consisting  of  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Moehlmann  and  theii'  two  children,  our 
subject  and  Herman  (who  died  in  1837),  crossed 
the  deep  to  America,  and  settled  in  Illinois.  The 
father  followed  carpentering  in  connection  with 
trading  until  his  death  about  1870.  He  was  a 
hard-working,  industrious  citizen,  and  was  well 
known  and  universally  respected.  He  resided 
wliere  our  subject  now  lives  for  fort^y-six  years, 
and  took  an  active  interest  in  all  landalile  or  worthy 
enterprises. 

Eredrick  Moehlmann  was  but  eight  years  of 
age  when  he  crossed  the  ocean  to  America,  and  his 
tiist  recollections  of  the  town  of  Belleville  were 
that  it  wa>  bul  m  \illage.  He  attended  the  snlj- 
seriptidii  scliooLs  then  in  vogue,  secured  a  fair  ed- 


'U^ 


/  , 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


257 


tering  with  his  father.  Later,  he  learned  engineer- 
ing on  the  river.  After  this  lie  became  a  millwright 
and  established  a  machine  shop  in  1856.  By  in- 
diistr.y  and  close  attention  to  business  he  became 
the  owner  of  two  large  lots  in  town,  and  on  these 
he  established  a  large  machine  sho)),  a  l)rick  build- 
ing, operated  by  a  thirty-horse  power  engine. 

Mr.  Moehlmann  is  thoroughly  familiar  with 
every  detail  of  his  business,  and  manufactured 
threshing-machines,  drills,  etc.,  until  after  the  war, 
when  he  leased  the  millwright  trade.  He  is  one  of 
tiie  oldest  men  in  that  business  in  town.  He  has 
been  a  resident  of  this  county  for  many  years,  has 
held  a  number  of  local  positions,  and  in  everj- 
walk  of  life  his  career  has  been  both  honorable  and 
upright. 

Our  subject  selected  his  life  companion  in  the 
person  of  Miss  Augusta  Doerre,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  this  country  in  the  year  1848, 
and  their  nuptials  were  celebrated  on  the  3d  of 
.July,  1852.  Three  children  have  been  the  fruits 
of  this  union,  and  are  named  as  follows:  Louis, 
Kdward  and  Fredrick,  Jr.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moehl- 
mann are  worthy  and  exemplary  members  of  the 
Free  .St.  Paul's  Church,  and  contribute  liberally  to 
its  sui)port. 


^/  oris  (tHOSS  was  the  first  citizen  of  Fast  St. 
I  (^  Louis  who  laid  out  an  addition  bevf)n(l  the 
'I*— ^  corporate  limits  of  the  city.  For  many 
years  he  has  been  engaged  in  the  field  of  realty 
operations  in  this  vicinity,  and  has  attained  a  con- 
spicuous place  in  the  front  rank  of  property  owners. 
To  achieve  such  prominence  as  that  to  which  lie 
has  attained,  is  an  evidence  of  the  possession  of 
|)ersonal  and  business  qualities  of  the  highest  order. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  the  Seventh  Ward  of 
the  city,Sei)tember  28,  1843.  His  father,  Capt. 
Knglehard  Gross,  was  born  in  Strasburg,  Alsace, 
France,  and  was  a  soldier  In  the  French  army  from 
tlie  time  ho  was  sixteen  j'onrs  of  age,  While  on 
Iho  w.ay  to  Moscow,  Russia,  1)6  Wfls  nroinoti'd  lo  the 


rank  of  Capt.-iin.  He  was  instrumental  in  saving 
the  life  of  a  Russian  officer  who,  as  a  token  of  grati- 
tude, gave  him  a  handsome  gold  watch  set  with  a 
diamond,  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  now  has 
in  his  possession  and  which  he  values  very  highly 
as  an  heirloom.  Cai)t.  Gross  wasalwaj's  conspicu- 
ous for  his  bravery,  and  his  services  were  highly 
valued  by  that  famous  commander,  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte. In  1836,  he  came  to  America  and  located 
in  Cahokia  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  where 
the  first  work  he  did  was  for  old  Father  Cable,  a 
Catholic  priest,  in  whose  service  he  remained  for 
some  time.  He  was  very  finely  educated  and  could 
speak  and  read  German,  French  and  Flnglish,  his 
knowledge  having  been  acquired  principally  by 
self-application. 

In  the  city  of  St.  Louis.  Capt.  (Jross  organized  a 
company,  which  he  drilled  in  French,  and  which 
became  a  part  of  the  Stat«  militia.  After  leaving 
Father  Cable,  he  leased  forty  acres  of  land,  which 
is  now  within  the  city  limits,  and  from  that  time 
on  bought  and  traded  in  lands  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  on  the  4th  of  November,  1855.  He 
was  pre-eminently  a  man  of  business,  and  in  the 
conduct  of  hi^  worldly  affairs  showed  judgment 
and  shrewdness.  He  became  ver\'  prominent 
throughout  St.  Clair  County  and  was  highly  hon- 
ored by  all  who  had  the  pleasure  of  his  acquaint- 
ance. Politically,  he  was  a  Whig.  His  wife,  formerlj' 
Mademoiselle  Bridgette  Roth,  was  born  in  Alsace, 
France,  and  died  in  East  St.  Louis  in  1846.  She 
bore  her  husband  six  children,  but  only  two  grew 
to  mature  years.  The  elder,  Ferdinand,  was 
(houncd  ill  Indian  Lake  near  this  city  when  twent\- 
\^;i\v:<  of  ajic  .niid  Louis,  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
is  the  only  survivor.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife  Capt.  (Jross  married  again,  but  his  second  un- 
ion was  childless.  The  paternal  grandfather  was 
a  native  of  ( Jennuiiy  lint  became  a  tradesman  of 
Strasliurg.  Alsace,  GuriiKiiiy.  At  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-two  years,  he  joined  his  son,  Capt.  Gross, 
in  East  St.  Louis,  but  his  residence  in  this  country 
only  covered  a  period  of  six  weeks,  his  death  oc- 
curring in  184'.l. 

When  twelve  years  old,  Louis  Gross  was  left 
fatlifirl«ss,  but  even  at  that  early  age  lip  could  drill 
Mimust  (IS  well  f^s  |iis  a<:compUslied  fatfiei'!  >vlioli;ul 


258 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


been  his  teacher.  He  was  thoroughly  educated  in 
English  and  German  in  the  Christian  Brothers' 
School  on  Seventh  Street  in  old  St.  Louis,  and 
upon  leaving  that  institution  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  he  began  clerking  in  a  general  store,  which 
business  occupied  his  attention  for  three  years.  He 
then  began  farming,  a  calling  with  which  he  had 
become  familiar  prior  to  his  twelfth  year,  and  un- 
til he  attained  his  twentj'-first  year  he  continued 
to  till  the  soil.  He  then  took  charge  of  the  fortj- 
acres  of  land  that  had  been  left  to  him,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1865  he  responded  to  the  draft,  but  his 
services  were  not  accepted.  He  then  returned  to 
his  farm,  which  he  continued  to  till  for  five  years, 
at  the  end  of  which  time  he  leased  Pittsburgh 
Lake  and  engaged  in  fishing  for  five  years.  He 
found  this  a  profitable  business  and  supplied  the 
St.  Louis  market,  as  well  as  the  country  on  this  side 
of  tlie  river. 

In  1873,  our  subject  laid  out  the  Louis  Gross 
Subdivision  to  East  St.  Louis,  which  was  the  first 
outside  of  the  city.  These  lots  found  a  ready  sale 
and  laid  the  foundation  for  his  present  business. 
In  1864,  he  built  and  started  a  hotel,  the  Hunters' 
Retreat,  which  he  conducted  in  a  very  successful 
and  praiseworthy  way  until  1874,  when  he  built 
the  New  Lake  House  on  Broadway,  of  which  he 
was  the  popular  and  prosperous  proprietor  until 
.lanuary  1,  1891,  since  which  time  he  has  rented 
the  house.  Upon  retiring  from  the  business,  he 
soon  formed  a  partnership  with  Henry  Voss,  his 
son-in-law.  the  firm  being  known  as  Gross  ife  Voss, 
and  these  gentlerai'U  have  since  been  quite  exten- 
sively engaged  in  the  real-estate  business.  Since 
1873,  Mr.  Gross  has  laid  outthe  Gross  Subdivision 
to  East  St.  Louis,  the  Louis  Gross  Addition  of  lot 
33,  the  Arlington  Place  Addition  and  the 
Casper  Voss  Addition.  In  the  spring  of  1865,  lie 
opened  Gross  Park  on  Collinsville  Avenue,  now  the 
Seventh  Ward,  which  is  five  acres  in  extent  and  is 
nicely  shaded  by  beautiful  native  trees,  oak,  maple 
and  pecan.  It  is  neatly  arranged  with  seats  and 
is  supplied  witli  a  fountain,  platform  and  a  hall. 
.Mr.  Gross  owns  four  or  five  good  farms,  besides 
other  valuable  real  estate,  and  is  considered  an 
niiihority  on  values,  present  and  prospective.  He 
I-  ■■  lurtemis,  affable  and  genial. and  it  is  noticeable 


that  allhis^patrons  are^his  friends,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  he  is  frank,  prompt  and  straightforward. 
Mr.  Gross  was  married  in  French  Village,  De- 
cember 25,  1864,  to  Miss  Natalie  Weagand,  who 
was  born  in  Frankfort,  Germany,  and  who  died 
November  30, 1890,  leaving  three  children :  Natalie, 
wife  of  Henry  Voss;  Louisa  and  Emma.  Mr.  Gross 
was  a  Sciiool  Trustee  for  three  years,  and  is^  a  be- 
liever in  Republican  principles.  St.  Henry's  Cath- 
olic Ciiurch  counts  him  among  its  most  active 
members.  His  home  is  a  very  pleasant  residence 
and  is  located  at  Gross  Park. 


ASPER    VOSS,    dealer    in    lime,   cement, 
.,  brick,  builders'  material  and   supplies,  is  a 

^^^^  member  of  the  firm  of  Voss  &  Haas,  of 
East  St.  Louis,  111.  The  enterprising  members  of 
this  firm  are  business  men  of  rare  capjicitj^,  and  the 
eminent  success  of  their  undertaking  has  more 
than  justified  their  sagacity  in  establisliiug  this 
most  important  branch  of  business.  Mr.  Voss  was 
born  in  what  is  now  East  St.  Louis,  in  the  Old 
Prairie  House.  December  14, 1868,  a  son  of  Henry 
Voss,  a  native  of  Germany  (see  sketch  elsewhere). 
He  attended  the  public  schools,  and  from  thirteen 
till  sixteen  years  of  age  his  attention  was  given  to 
the  monotonous  duties  of  farm  work.  He  then 
began  learning  the  trade  of  a  blacksmith  at  the 
Western  Forge  and  Rolling  Mills,  and  at  the  end 
of  four  3ears  was  a  practical  blacksmith. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Voss'  father,  he  and  his 
brother  Henry  operated  the  home  farm  for  two 
3'ears,  but  in  1889  severed  their  connection,  and 
Casper  J.  became  the  owner  of  forlj'  acres  of  land 
adjoining  the  cit3'  limits.  He  continued  to  till 
this  land  until  1891,  and  during  this  time  was  en- 
gaged in  contracting  on  roads,  but  on  the  11th  of 
April,  1892,  he  became  associated  lu  business  with 
II.  T.  Haas,  a  practical  contractor,  who  now  has 
charge  of  that  department.  In  April,  1892,  Mr. 
Voss  purchased  his  warehouse  of  Thorn  &.  Hun- 
kins,  dealers  in  lime,  cement,  etc.,  of  St.  Louis,  and 
is  now  doing  a  very  extensive    retail    business  on 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


259 


Belmont  Avenue.  They  deal  in  river  sand,  in  the 
liauling  of  which  five  teams  are  employed.  Their 
warehouse  is  85x50  feet,  and,  as  they  keep  a  large 
and  excellent  class  of  goods,  they  have  a  corre- 
sponding patronage. 

Mr.  ^'oss  was  Road  Supervisor  for  three  years, 
and  is  still  frequently  called  to  superintend  road 
work,  his  superior  judgment,  long  experience  and 
consequently  thorough  knowledge  of  the  business 
being  in  demand.  His  land  has  been  laid  out  into 
lots,  and  is  known  as  Casper  Voss'  Addition  to 
East  St.  Louis.  He  has  made  himself  a  name  of 
enduring  value  in  the  city,  and  is  a  practical  and 
wide-awake  man  of  business.  He  was  married  in 
1889,  on  the  5th  of  November,  to  Miss  Laura  Blue- 
myer,  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  and  their  union  has 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  one  child,  Henr^'.  Our  sub- 
ject and  his  wife  attend  St.  Henry's  Church,  and 
he  has  always  been  in  sympatiiy  with  the  measures 
of  Democrac3'. 


■If/  OUIS  F.  EIDMANN,  the  subject  of  this 
I  ^  sketch,  resides  on  section  18,  Engelman 
jlL^^  Township.  St.  Clair  County,  HI.  The 
father  of  the  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  was 
named  Beruhard  Eidmann,  and  was  born  in  the 
town  of  Umstadt,  in  the  Province  of  Darmstadt, 
Germany,  March  14,  1817.  He  was  the  son  of 
Martin  Eidmann,  who  carried  on  the  trade  of 
a  wagon-maker  in  the  Old  Country,  and  was  there 
married  to  Miss  Pvlizabeth  Haas,  He  came  to 
America  in  1833  with  his  wife  and  seven  children, 
and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Freeburg  Town- 
ship, St.  Clair  County,  111.  He  lived  his  life  out 
in  tliat  place,  and  there  his  family  w.as  reared. 

Bernhard  Eidmann,  the  fatlier  of  our  subject, 
was  educated  in  the  schools  of  German}',  and  be- 
fore coming  to  America  was  employed  as  a  clerk 
in  the  "Law  House"  of  the  province  where  he 
lived.  When  he  reached  his  home  in  Illinois,  he 
began  the  life  of  a  farmer  and  continued  it  suc- 
cessfully until  the  close  of  his  life.  He  married 
Frederica  (irnoliel,  who  was  the  daughter  of  (leorge 


Gruebel,  who  came  to  this  countr}'  from  Germany 
and  was  a  brewer  on  Dutch  Hill,  in  Lenzburg 
Township,  this  count}'.  After  marriage,  he  moved 
to  the  farm  which  our  subject  now  owns  and  which 
he  had  purchased  previous  to  that  time.  The  wed- 
ding eeremonj'  took  place  November  10,  1842, 
and  as  soon  as  the  }'oung  couple  were  married 
they  began  to  plan  for  the  future.  A  nice  house 
was  built  and  the  farm  was  improved  until  no  bet- 
ter could  be  found  in  the  neighborhood.  Three 
children  were  born  to  this  couple. 

Of  the  family  of  Mr.  Bernhard  Eidmann,  only 
two  remain,  and  these  are  our  subject  and  his  be- 
loved sister,  Lisetta,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles 
Morlock,  a  farmer  who  makes  his  home  near  Carlyle, 
111.  The  brother,  Edward,  died  at  the  age  of 
twenty  years.  Mr.  Eidmann  was  a  member  of  the 
Evangelical  Church,  and  took  an  interest  in  relig- 
ious matters  until  the  time  of  his  death,  October 
31,  1869.  He  started  in  life  a  comparatively 
poor  man,  but  by  hard  work  gained  what  he  owned 
at  his  demise.  By  close  economy,  added  to  good 
management,  he  acquired  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  seventy  acres,  and  had  the  satisfaction  of  giv- 
ing his  two  children  a  good  start  in  life.  His 
widow  is  still  living  in  Engelman  Township. 

Our  subject  was  born  March  15,  1847,  on  the 
old  home  place  in  Engelman  Township.  He  was 
sent  to  the  public  schools  and  there  obtained  his 
education.  The  farm  of  his  father  gave  him 
plenty  of  occupation,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty- 
three,  August  2,  1870,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Catherine  Koob.  She  was  the  daughter  of  Philip 
H.  Koob,  a  prominent  farmer  of  Clinton  County, 
111.,  who  late  in  life  moved  to  New  Baden  and 
then  to  Mascoutah,  where  his  life  ended.  After 
the  marriage  of  our  subject,  he  lived  on  the  home 
place  until  1880,  when  he  built  the  substantial 
brick  residence  where  he  now  resides.  When  he 
bought  his  present  place  there  were  no  improve- 
ments upon  it.  lie  has  been  very  industrious  and 
all  the  improvomonts  have  been  the  result  of 
his  own  toil. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eidmann  have  seven  children,  all 
of  whom  are  living.  Edward  C'.,the  eldestson,  was 
graduated  from  tlie  State  Tniversity  atChaniiiaign, 
111..  :uid    is  )io\v  n  civil  engineer;  JJevtha  A,   re. 


260 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


mains  at  home  with  her  parents;  Walter  Philip  is 
at  St.  Louis,  a  student  at  Beaumont  Medical  Col- 
lege; Alma  F.,  l^ouis  B.,  Hilda  L.  and  Gustav  H. 
arc  at  home.  This  famil_y  resides  on  the  fine  farm 
of  three  hundred  and  ten  acres  of  good  land  lo- 
cated in  this  township  owned  by  Mr.  Eidmann. 
In  Clinton  Countj-.  111.,  he  also  owns  a  fine  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  is  in  a  good 
state  of  cultivation,  except  twenty  acres  whicii 
liave  been  left  in  timber.  He  is  a  grain  farmer, 
wheat  being  his  most  profitable  crop. 

Both  Mr.  Eidmann  and  his  wife  are  valued 
members  of  the  Evangelical  Church  at  Mascoutali, 
and  Mr.  Eidmann  is  also  connected  with  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  a  prominent  organization  of 
the  State.  Politically,  our  subject  is  a  Republican, 
one  who  takes  a  great  interest  in  the  issues  of 
the  day,  and  has  voted  the  ticket  of  his  party  ever 
since  he  obtained  the  right  of  suffrage.  He  has 
been  a  prominent  man  in  the  township,  and  was 
made  the  first  Collector  under  the  new  organiza- 
tion, which  office  lie  lield  for  two  years.  At  pres- 
ent, his  time  is  fully  emplo^-ed,  as  he  is  serving  his 
fellow-citizens  as  School  Director.  He  has  served 
as  Trustee,  and  is  now  Supervisor  of  the  township 
and  Justice  of  tiie  Peace.  His  family  is  one  of 
the  oldest  and  best  known  in  the  township,  and  he 
is  a  man  who  enjoys  th^  respect  and  esteem  of 
eveiyone  with  whom  he  is  brought  in  contact. 


f^.- 


JjOIIN   L.  APPEL.    .lustice   of    the  Peace  of 
I    Illinois,  was   born    at    Highland,    Madison 
I    County,    HI.,  August    14,  1858,   a   son   of 
.Joiin  A.  and  Magdalena  (Schwartz)  Appel, 

both  of  whom  were  born  in  Germany.  In  1846, 
the  fatlier  came  to  America  and  eventually  found 
himself  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  but  at  a  somewliat  Inter 
period  he  settled  in  Madison  County,  11!.,  near 
Highland,  where  he  remained  until  1860.  at  whicii 
date  he  became  one  of  the  substantial  residents  of 
St.  Clair  Count}-. 

Ill  tlie  vicinity  of  Summorneld,  Mr.  .Vppei  pur- 
rli.icd  a    coal   mine,  which   l)p  successfully  oper- 


ated for  about  three  years,  at  the  end  of  which 
time  he  opened  a  mercantile  establishment  in  the 
town,  which  he  conducted  until  his  death,  which 
occuned  on  the  26th  of  October,  1887.  His  widow 
survives  him  and  has  attained  to  the  age  of  six- 
ty-three years.  She  liore  her  husband  a  famil}-  of 
nine  children,  as  follows:  Lizzie,  who  died  in 
Summerfield  in  1883,  was  the  wife  of  Adam  Wei- 
nentli;  Frank;  John  L.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Amelia  became  the  wife  of  Michael  Frevele.  a 
farmer  living  near  Summerfield;  Louise  is  the  wife 
of  Philip  Biltz,  a  commission  merchant,  by  whom 
she  has  one  child;  Bertha  married  Henry  Miller,  a 
miller  by  trade  and  a  resident  of  Summerfield,  by 
whom  she  has  one  child;  .Jacob  is  a  wide-awake 
business  man  of  Summerfleld;  Amalia.  and  Ida, 
who  is  at  home. 

.John  L.  Appel  was  reared  in  tlie  vicinity  of 
Summerfield  and,  like  the  majority  of  boys,  oli- 
tained  a  common-school  education  in  tlie  vicinity 
of  his  home,  but  he  was  given  still  further  advan- 
tages, and  for  some  time  was  an  attendant  of  the 
city  schools  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  improved 
his  time  and  became  a  well-informed  j'oung  man. 
Possessing  an  energetic  and  wide-awake  tempera- 
ment, it  was  not  his  nature  to  eat  the  bread  of 
idleness  for  any  length  of  time,  and,  being  ambi- 
tious to  become  independent  financially,  he  em- 
barked in  business,  which  he  conducted  in  a  satis- 
factory way.  In  October,  1881,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Christina  Ernst,  a  native  of  Kansas, 
whose  parents  are  both  deceased.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men of  Summerfield  and,  socially,  belonged  to  the 
Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  whicii  order 
he  held  official  positions. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Appel  the  following  children 
have  been  born:  Malinda,  Edgar,  Alfred  and 
Walter,  all  of  whom  are  living.  Mr.  Appel  has 
held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  since  he 
w.as  twenty-<)ne  years  of  age.  or  since  1879,  and  in 
1888  was  elected  Assessor  of  Lebanon  Township, 
and  is  now  serving  his  fourth  successive  term. 
He  has  been  School  Director  two  terms,  and  in 
1883  received  the  appointment  of  Town  Clerk  to 
fill  a  vacancy,  and  served  in  this  capacity  for  six 
iiionllis.     Politically,  he  is  a  peu)ocrat,  and    the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


men  and  measures  of  tliat  party  always  And  in 
him  a  stanch  supporter.  Mr.  Appel  has  many 
warm  friends  througiiout  the  section  in  wliich  lie 
resides,  and  in  every  respect  deserves  the  high 
esteem  in  which  he  is  held. 


JfOHN  KLOESS.  The  life  of  this  gentleman, 
I  of  which  we  give  a  brief  outline,  affords  an 
||  illustration  of  the  power  of  courage  and  in- 
y    dustry     in    enabling   a    man    to    overcome 

early  difficulties  of  no  ordinary  kind.  When  Mv. 
Kloess  came  to  Belleville  he  had  no  money  with 
which  to  embark  in  business,  but,  undaunted  by 
obstacles,  he  labored  untiringly,  displayed  good 
judgment  in  the  investment  of  Ins  earnings,  and 
now,  as  a  reward  of  his  efforts,  he  lias  gained  pros- 
perity-. He  owns  considerable  real  estate,  and  is 
numbered  among  the  most  prominent  business 
men  of  Belleville. 

(Jur  subject  was  horn  in  (iermany,  on  the  26th 
of  August,  1830,  the  son  of  I'hilip  and  Catherine 
Kloess.  He  received  a  common-school  education 
in  his  native  country,  where  he  learned  the  trade 
of  a  baker,  and  remained  until  1848.  His  mother 
died  in  Oerniaiiy,  and  his  father  departed  this  life 
in  1864,  after  he  came  here,  aged  seventy-eight 
years.  Upon  emigrating  to  America  in  1849,  our 
subject  remained  for  two  months  in  New  York,  and 
afterward  came  West  to  Belleville.  His  brother 
Nicholas  had  come  here  three  years  prior  to  his 
arrival  and  still  makes  this  city  his  home. 

After  working  at  his  trade  for  a  time,  Mr. 
Kloess  engaged  as  a  laborer  in  the  coal  mines  and 
later  embarked  in  business.  For  two  years  he  was 
in  partnership  with  Fritz  Kempf  on  Main  Street, 
after  which  he  lx)ught  the  place  where  his  yard  is 
now  situated.  He  has  thirty-five  acres  in  a  brick 
yard,  and  from  employing  ten  men  he  has  in- 
creased the  number  to  one  hundred.  He  has  added 
to  his  property  until  he  now  has  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  at  least  seventy  acres  of  which  are 
in  Belleville. 

Mr.  Kloess  began  brick-making  in  1863,  and  has 


constantly  increased  the  business  until  he  has  one 
of  the  largest  yards  in  the  city.  He  uses  the  Tri- 
umph Dry  Clay  machine,  with  a  capacity  of  thirty 
thousand;  also  the  Henry  Martin  Machine  for  soft 
inud,capacity  twenty  thousand;  and  the  Stiff  Mud 
Brick  Machine,  of  thirty  thousand.  Five  large 
kilns  are  in  operation,  the  brick  being  sold  to  both 
home  and  foreign  markets.  Mr.  Kloess  has  built  a 
fine  brick  house  of  two  stories,  with  private  office 
on  the  east  side,  40x80  feet,  and  has  planted  beau- 
tiful shrubbery  and  flowers,  tbirtj^-eight  acres  being 
devoted  to  the  home  and  brick3'ard.  Mr.  Kloess 
is  a  Director  in  the  First  National  Bank,  and  a 
stockholder  in  the  Belleville  Savings  Bank.  He 
was  a  partner  from  1870  to  1879  in  the  Western 
Ih'cwery. 

March  14,  18.55,  was  the  date  of  the  marriage  of 
Mr.  Kloess  to  Catherine  Mueller,  who  was  born  in 
May,  1 832,  in  German 3',  near  our  subject's  old  home 
in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Rhine.  They  have  a 
family  of  six  children,  as  follows:  T.ouis,  who  mar- 
ried Mary  Gintz,  and  is  now  in  I'miinna,  Cal;  Eliz- 
abeth, who  is  the  wife  of  .Julius  Kolil;  ,Iohn,  who 
married  Anna  Hartman  and  is  engaged  with  his 
father  in  the  brick  business;  Emma,  who  married 
Henry  Shoettler;  and  Julius  and  William,  who  are 
in  business  with  their  father.  The  three  youngest 
sons  will  probably  succeed  to  the  management  of 
the  brickvard   when  Mr.  Kloess  retires  from  busi- 


^^■jAPT.  (;E0HGK  AVASHINGTON  EWING. 
I|(  The     prominent    gentleman     whose    well- 

^^7  known  name  ap))cars  at  the  head  of  this 
sketch  is  the  efficient  Superintendent  and  Manager 
of  the  East  St.  Louis  (!as  Works.  The  grand- 
father of  this  gentleman  was  a  distinguished  pro- 
fessor in  Virginia's  celebrated  college  of  William 
and  Mary,  and  was  a  native  of  Fairfax  County, 
that  State.  In  1790,  he  removed  to  Adair  County, 
Ky.,  where  he  combined  farming  and  teaching  and 
was  a  success  at  both,  and  became  a  man  of  means. 
He  was  made  High    Sheriff   of    the  county,  which 


264 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


was  next  to  the  highest  office,  that  of  Judge  being 
given  by  heirshij).  He  was  an  old-school  Presb}'- 
terian,  of  Scotch-Irish  descent,  and  lived  until  he 
was  ninety-four  years  of  age.  He  was  one  of 
three  brothers  who  came  from  Ireland  and  settled 
in  Virginia. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  the  Hon.  Mathew 
Ewing,  who  was  born  in  Adair  County,  Ky.,  in 
1795.  He  was  a  cousin  of  Hon.  Tiiomas  Ewing, 
who  was  known  as  a  very'prominent  man  in  Ohio, 
and  as  one  of  the  most  powerful  orators  of  the 
day;  he  also  was  a  cousin  of  the  celebrated  Lin- 
ens Ewing,  the  father  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terian Church.  He  was  reared  in  Kentucky-,  and 
when  only  seventeen  years  of  age  volunteered  in 
the  AVar  of  1812,  and  fought  through  the  West 
with  Gen.  Harrison,  being  at  Tippecanoe,  and 
at  the  close  of  the  war  was  a  Lieutenant.  He  did  not 
return  to  Kentucky  after  the  close  of  the  war,  but 
located  in  Oxford,  Ohio,  under  the  following  cir- 
cumstances. He  went  to  Oxford  to  visit  his  friend 
and  messmate,  Henry  Hall,  and  there  met  his  fu- 
ture wife.  He  married  and  located  in  her  county 
and  engaged  in  farming  there.  He  owned  a  fine 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  the  Mi- 
ami Valley,  but  in  1836  he  sold  it  and  went  to 
Ripley  County,  Ind.,  and  bought  a  section  of 
land.  This  he  improved  and  continued  on  it 
until  his  death,  in  1876.  He  belonged  to  the 
church  of  his  family,  and  was  a  man  of  much 
prominence,  having  been  a  member  of  the  State 
Legislature  for  one  term.  In  his  younger  days  he 
was  what  was  then  called  a  Jackson  Democrat,  and 
then  belonged  to  the  branch  that  styled  themselves 
War  Democrats.  The  motiier  of  our  subject,  who  so 
completely  captivated  the  young  Kentuckian  that 
lie  was  willing  to  give  up  his  old  home  and  sur- 
roundings for  her  sake,  was  a  native  of  Kentucky 
herself.  Nancy  Hall  was  born  in  Bardstown,  K3'., 
a  daughter  of  Henry  Hall,  who  was  reared  in  Ken- 
tucky, but  who  removed  to  Ohio  and  became  an  ex- 
tensive fai-mer  there.  Mrs.  Ewing  lived  to  be  ninety 
years  of  age,  and  died  at  the  old  farm  in  1891. 
The  record  of  her  children  is  as  follows:  Peter 
H.,  who  was  Quartermaster  in  Louisville  during 
the  Civil  AVar,  died  in  Hopkins,  Mo.,  in  1876; 
Isaiah,  who  is  in  the  Home  Guards,  resides  in  Mis- 


souri; James  was  a  private  in  the  Mexican  War, 
I  and  raised  a  corapanj'  in  Iowa  County  for  service  in 
,  the  Civil  War,  and  was  made  First  Lieutenant  of 
the  Eighth  Iowa  Cavalry;  he  was  then  promoted  to 
be  Major,  and  later,  Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  regi- 
ment, and  now  resides  in  Hopkins,  Mo.;  Henry, 
who  was  First  Lieutenant  in  the  Eightj'-sixth  In- 
diana Infantry,  went  through  the  late  war  and  was 
killed  on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  in  1885; 
Mary,  who  is  married,  lives  in  Osgood,  Ind.;  Sarah, 
who  is  Mrs.  Meyers,  lives  in  Ripley  County,  Ind.; 
Fannie,  who  is  Mrs.  Rutledge,  also  lives  in  Ripley 
County;  and  John,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twent}'- 
tliree. 
[  Our  subject  was  reared  in  Ohio  until  lie  was  ten 
I  years  of  age,  and  enjoyed  common-school  advan- 
tages. He  was  then  sent  to  Lawrenceburg,  Ind., 
where  he  learned  the  brickla^'er's  trade,  and  then 
[  engaged  in  the  business  of  contracting  and  build- 
i  ing.  In  1852,  he  removed  to  Jefferson ville,  Ind., 
where  he  contracted  with  the  State  for  one  hun- 
dred convicts  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  of 
brick,  and  for  many  years  before  the  war  he  had 
the  largest  manufactory  of  brick  in  the  State.  He 
was  a  success  at  this  business.  In  1869,  he  built 
the  gas  works  there,  and  when  the  war  came  on  he 
had  sixteen  million  of  burned  brick  on  hand,  one- 
half  of  which  he  sold  for  anything  he  could  get. 
In  1861,  he  contracted  with  the  Government  to 
build  a  cracker  factory  at  Jeffersonville — a  bakery 
that  would  manufacture  four  hundied  barrels  of 
hard-tack.  He  built  it  and  put  it  into  successful 
operation  iu  one  hundred  days.  In  1862,  he  ac- 
cepted a  commission  in  the  Forty-ninth  Indiana 
Infantry,  but  resigned  in  two  weeks,  as  he  found 
there  was  too  much  bribery  going  on  for  an  honest 
man.  He  then  contracted  to  furnish  the  division 
with  soft  bread.  He  was  all  through  the  war  a 
successful  contractor,  and  at  its  close  returned  to 
Jeffersonville.  His  next  big  undertaking  was  to 
build  the  gas  works  at  Lawrenceburg,  Ind.  At 
this  time  he  was  admitted  to  practice  law  at 
Charlestown,  and  in  1868  he  became  connected 
with  the  Ohio  it  Mississippi  Railroad.  He  pro- 
cured the  right  of  way  from  North  Vernon  to 
Louisville,  and  had  the  general  superintend- 
ence   of    the    luiilding  of  the  road,    but    this  po- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


265 


sition  he  resigned,  and  in  1872,  he  located  in 
St.  Louis.  He  there  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  brick  by  machinery,  with  J.  L.  Griswold,  but 
this  was  not  a  success,  as  the  machinery  failed  and 
the  result  was  a  loss  for  all.  He  then  returned  to 
the  Ohio  ik  Mississippi  Railroad  and  became  As- 
sistant General  Solicitor  and  Claim  Agent  until 
1881,  when  he  resigned  that  position  to  take  his 
present  one  with  the  Gas  Company.  W.  D.  Gris- 
wold is  sole  owner  of  the  plant,  and  Mr.  Ewing 
has  been  sole  manager  since  1881.  He  has  en- 
larged and  improved  the  works  greatly,  and  is 
now  prepared  to  furnish  one  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand  cubic  feet  of  gas  in  twent3--four  hours, 
in  place  of  six  thousand  cubic  feet  as  formerly. 
He  carefully  superintends  all  the  buildings,  and 
has  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  whole  business. 
During  the  flood  of  1892,  he  continued  to  manu- 
facture and  furnish  the  city  with  gas,  to  the  aston- 
ishment and  gratification  of  all.  Mr.  Ewing  has  not 
been  left  behind  on  real  estate.  He  owns  a  fine 
residence  on  Eiglith  Street  and  Summit  Avenue, 
which  he  built  at  a  cost  of  about  #10,000.  He 
owns  other  property,  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the 
First  Mutual  Land  Association  and  the  St.  Clair 
Building  and  Loan  Association,  and  is  President 
of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  which  he  is  an  Elder  and  a  very  active 
member,  and  is  Chairman  of  the  building  commit- 
tee of  the  new  Presbyterian  Church.  He  is  an  ex- 
Mason  and  formerly  a  member  of  the  Independ- 
ent Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

Mr.  Ewing  married  Miss  Ann  Allen,  a  native  of 
Connecticut.  She  died  one  year  after  her  mar- 
riage. He  was  married  a  second  time  in  Madison, 
Ind.,  to  Miss  Abbisenia  Run3'on,  who  was  born  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  She  died  in  1856,  leaving  four 
children,  two  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Charles 
W..  who  is  a  railroad  engineer;  and  J.  Frank,  who 
is  General  Freight  Agent  of  the  New  York  &  New 
England  Railroad,  and  resides  in  Boston.  Mr. 
Ewing's  third  marriage  took  place  in  Jcfferson- 
ville,  Ind.,  in  1862,  with  Miss  Eliza  B.  Dryden, 
who  was  born  in  Louisville,  Kj'.,  and  of  this  union 
there  are  four  living  children:  James  K.,  who  is 
a  salesman  for  the  Michigan  Salt  Company,  of 
East  St.  Louis;  Ida,  who    is   Mrs.  Thomas  .1.  Zook, 


resides  in  Sioux  Cit3'^,  Iowa;  (jeorge  W.,  ,lr.,  is  a 
clerk  with  the  Jacksonville  A  Southeastern  Rail- 
road; and  Lettie,  who  is  a  book-keeper  for  her 
father. 

Our  subject  and  the  President  of  the  United 
States  were  reared  boys  together,  and  Mr.  Ewing 
is  a  strong  supporter  of  the  parly  to  which  Mr. 
Harrison  owes  his  election.  Mr.  Ewing  is  one  of 
the  men  who  has  built  up  East  St.  Louis  by  taking 
part  in  every  reform  and  assisting  by  presence, 
purse  and  influence  all  the  improvements  for  the 
benefit  of  the  citv. 


eASIMIR  ANDEL.  The  ple.asant  and  oblig- 
ing Cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank  of 
Belleville  is  the  gentleman  whose  life  it  is 
our  pleasure  to  call  attention  to  in  this  brief 
sketch.  Mr.  Andel  is  a  native  of  historic  Bingen 
on  the  Rhine,  celebrated  in  song  and  poetry,  hav- 
ing been  born  there  in  November,  1840.  AVhen 
he  was  eighteen  years  old,  he  made  the  journey 
across  the  ocean,  coming  direct  to  Illinois,  where 
he  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  until- the  out- 
break of  the  great  Civil  War,  when  he,  like  so 
many  of  our  German-American  citizens,  enlisted, 
and  served  his  country  until  the  close  of  the  war. 
He  first  served  in  Company  A,  Ninth  Illinois  In- 
fantry, and  remained  at  Cairo  during  his  three 
months'  enlistment;  but  at  the  expiration  of  that 
period  he  re-enlisted  in  Company  B,  Twelftii  Mis- 
souri Infantrj-,  enlisting  as  First  Sergeant,  but 
being  promoted  through  the  ranks  of  Second  and 
First  Lieutenant  to  be  Captain,  serving  as  Aid-de- 
Camp  to  Gen.  Peter  Joseph  Osterhaus  until  No- 
vember, 1864.  During  this  time,  he  was  wounded 
twice,  but  was  always  noted  for  his  bravery  in  the 
charge  of  battle.  After  his  term  of  service  was 
over,  he  returned  to  St.  Louis,  and  served  in  the 
offices  of  the  Assessor  and  Collector.  In  1866,  he 
came  to  this  city  and  engaged  in  the  wholesale 
liquor  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  Andel  ct 
Weber,  for  eight  years. 

When  the  Fust  National   Bank  of  l?elleville  was 


266 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


organized,  in  July,  1874,  with  a  capital  of  llOO,- 
000,  Dr.  Julius  Kohl  served  as  the  first  President, 
and  \'an  L.  Runyan  as  first  Cashier,  the  last- 
named  gentleman  serving  onh'  two  months,  when 
he  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  Andel,  who  has  contin- 
ued in  that  important  position  ever  since,  giving 
entire  satisfaction  to  all  parties  concerned.  This 
bank  is  the  leading  one  in  Belleville,  having  the 
capital  stock  mentioned  above  and  a  surplus  of 
$95,000. 

In  1870,  Mr.  Andel  was  united  in  marriage  to 
the  lady  of  his  choice.  Miss  Louise  Kircher, 
daughter  of  Joseph  Kircher.  These  two  are  the 
happy  parents  of  five  children,  who  have  proved 
themselves  worthy  of  the  father  whose  name  they 
bear.  They  are  Josepha  Johanna,  Gisela  Sophia, 
George  K.,  William  C.  and  Coleman  K. 

In  the  strike  of  1874,  Mr.  Andel  was  chosen 
Captain  of  Company  A,  Belleville  Guards,  and  on 
account  of  the  military  skill  he  exhibited  he  was 
made  Colonel  of  the  Eleventh  Regiment  Illinois 
National  Guards  during  the  railroad  strike  of 
1877. 


[I],-^  ENRY  F.  BADER.  The  subject  of  this 
|fjl  sketch  is  the  representative  of  an  old  and 
/^^  prominent  family  of  East  St.  Louis,  and  is 
(^  the  efficient  Vice-president  of  the  East  St. 
Louis  Electric  Street  Railroad.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  reliable  pharmacists  of  the  city,  and  is  lo- 
cated on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Main 
Street. 

Mr.  Bader  is  the  son  of  John  G.  Hader,  who 
was  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  where  he  car- 
ried on  the  business  of  cabinet-making.  John  had 
been  apprenticed  for  seven  years  to  that  trade, 
and  had  become  a  fine  workman.  In  1841,  he 
came  to  America  and  began  business  in  St.  Louis. 
He  married  in  this  city  in  1844,  and  after  this 
went  into  contracting  and  building.  He  contin- 
ued in  active  business  until  his  death,  in  1876, 
when  about  flfty-six  years  of  age.  He  had  al- 
ways been  a  Republican  in  his  political  opinions. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Margaret  Hartmann, 


who  came  from  the  banks  of  the  storied  Rhine. 
Her  father  came  to  Jk.merica  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  St.  Louis  County.  Mrs.  Bader  now  lives 
in  East  St.  Louis. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  ten  children,  but  now  he 
and  his  oldest  brother,  Louis,  a  merchant  of  tiiis 
place,  are  the  only  survivors.  He  grew  up  here 
and  was  educated  in  tiie  public  schools  of  this 
city,  and  when  fourteen  years  old  he  engaged  as 
clerk  foi-  James  L.  Brackett,  a  druggist  on  Broad- 
way, remaining  with  him  for  three  years.  In 
1875,  he  went  to  Memphis  and  was  there  engaged 
as  a  druggist,  but  in  about  eight  months  he  re- 
turned to  the  store  of  Mr.  Brackett,  which  was 
now  conducted  by  C.  E.  Neubert.  In  March, 
1881,  he  bought  Mr.  Neubert  out  and  then  located 
on  Broadway,  where  he  continued  until  1883, 
when  he  came  to  his  present  excellent  location. 
He  devotes  himself  strictly  to  pharmacy,  and 
makes  a  specialty'  of  prescriptions.  In  1-890,  he 
thought  he  saw  an  opportunity  and  opened  a 
branch  store  on  Collinsville  Avenue,  but  there 
were  so  many  inconveniences  that  he  sold  it. 

Our  subject  is  the  owner  of  considerable  real 
estate  in  this  city,  and  is  a  stockholder  and  Di- 
rector in  the  Workingmen's  Bank,  and  a  stock- 
holder in  the  First  Mutual  Building  and  Loan 
Association.  He  was  an  organizer,  and  is  Vice-pres- 
ident of  the  East  St.  Louis  Electric  Railroad.  He  is 
also  a  stockholder  in  the  American  Galvanized  Iron 
Car  Roofing  Company,  and  a  stockholder  in  the 
Landsburg  Air-Brake  Company,  of  St.  Louis.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  State  Pharmacist  Association, 
and  is  an  honored  member  of  the  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  the  Royal  Arch  Masons,  of  the  Knights 
Templar,  of  Tancred  Lodge  No.  50,  of  Belleville, 
and  of  the  Consistory  at  Chicago.  He  has  been 
much  interested  in  school  matters,  and  was  School 
Trustee  from  1889  to  1892,  and  has  been  President 
of  the  Board.  He  h.as  been  a  Knight  of  Pythias 
since  1879. 

Our  subject  selected  as  a  life  comiianion  the 
daughter  of  Nicholas  Spannagel,  who  was  a 
native  of  Alsace,  France,  and  came  to  this  coun- 
try with  his  parents  when  quite  young.  He  was 
the  founder  of  the  Heim  Brewery,  which  he  sold, 
and  then  engaged  in  the    inanuf.acture    of  mineral 


^yi^i-i^    f^^^u^c^ 


.x^ 


I 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


269 


water.  He  was  very  successful  in  this  enterprise, 
and  made  a  fortune  before  Iiis  deatli,  in  February, 
1K92.  His  wife  was  Johanna  Jaiins,  who  was  born 
in  Germany,  and  died  in  188.3.  Of  their  seven 
children,  Louisa,  Mrs.  Bader  is  the  eldest.  Her 
marriage  to  Mr.  Bader  took  place  in  1881,  and 
four  lovely  children  are  the  jewels  of  their  home: 
Edna,  Walter,  Henrietta  and  Louisa. 

Mr.  Bader  is  a  conspicuous  member  of  the  Re- 
publican ranks,  and  has  served  his  fellow-citizens 
in  the  various  conventions.  He  is  of  such  a  pleas- 
ant, genial  nature  that  his  friends  who  wish  him 
well  are  not  to  be  counted. 


\li-.^  ON.  LOUIS  PERROTTET,  who  owns  a 
l(  jj)  splendid  farm  on  section  27,  and  also  a 
IW^  finely  improved  estate  on  section  28,8hiloh 
(^)  Valley  Township,  was  born  in  a  French 
Province  of  Switzerland  in  1843.  His  parents, 
John  and  Mary  (Pantillon)  Perrottet,  were  both 
born  in  the  same  province  as  their  son.  The 
father's  birth  occurred  in  1809,  while  the  mother 
was  born  two  years  later.  The  former  was  reared 
in  the  village,  where  he  received  his  education  and 
remained  until  reaching  mature  years.  When 
twenty-one  years  of  age,  he  enlisted  in  the  Swiss 
army  and  was  a  faithful  soldier  during  a  service  of 
seven  years. 

On  leaving  the  army,  then  being  twenty-eight 
years  of  age,  John  Perrottet  mariied  and  started 
in  the  occupation  of  farming,  which  he  continued 
during  the  remainder  of  his  life.  In  185u,  with 
his  family  he  set  sail  for  America,  coming  directly 
to  St.  Clair  County,  111.  As  his  means  were  limited, 
he  rented  property  for  twelve  years,  which  he  op- 
crated.  He  then  removed  to  Macoupin  County, 
where  he  i)urchased  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land.  There  he  lived  engaged  in  the  duties  of 
farm  life  until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  oc- 
curred in  1888.  His  wife  had  died  four  years 
previous.  They  reared  a  family  of  five  chihiren: 
Mary,  the  wife  of  Adam  Royer;  John,  August; 
Sfiphia,    wife    of    John    McGee;    and    Louis,    the 


youngest  of  the  family.  In  religion,  Mr.  Perrot- 
tet was  a  Lutheran.  Politicallj',  he  was  a  supporter 
of  Republican  principles.  The  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  .lohn  Perrottet,  and  his  wife,  whose 
family  name  was  Derron,  were  natives  of  Switzer- 
land. 

Louis  Perrottet,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  re- 
mained with  his  parents  until  twentj'-five  years  of 
age.  At  that  time  occurred  his  marriage  to  Mary 
Knobeloch,  who  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Eliza- 
beth (Hardy)  Knobeloch.  Mrs.  Perrott>.'t  was  born 
in  St.  Clair  County,  where  her  parents  were  num- 
bered among  the  very  early  pioneers.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Perrottet  are  the  parents  of  eight  children: 
Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Michael  Plab;  Emma,  the 
wife  of  Fred  Clark;  Sophia,  Charles,  Alvena,  Ida, 
Hilda,  and  one  who  died  in  infancy. 

In  1863,  responding  to  the  call  of  his  adojited 
country,  our  subject  enlisted  as  a  member  of  the 
Fortj'-third  Illinois  Infantry  under  Gen.  Steele. 
He  was  stationed  at  Little  Rock  and  never  took 
part  in  any  engagement.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Perrottet  came  to  his  present  farm,  where  lie  h.as 
since  lived.  He  now  owns  a  tract  of  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  on  section  27,  all  under  a 
good  state  of  cultivation  and  which  returns  to  him 
a  golden  tribute  for  his  many  years  of  industry 
and  labor.  Now  fields  of  grain  meet  the  eye  on 
every  hand,  and  everything  about  the  place  lie- 
tokens  the  care  and  cultivation  of  a  careful  mana- 
ger. He  is  also  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres  on  section  23,  this  township. 

Mr.  Perrottet  has  occupied  many  ofBcial  positions 
and  has  always  discharged  the  duties  incident  to 
them  in  such  a  trustworthy  and  efficient  manner 
that  he  has  won  the  approval  of  even  his  political 
opponents.  He  was  County  Supervisor  for  a  term 
of  five  years  and  was  Tax  Collector  for  a  period  of 
two  years.  Educational  measures  have  always  re- 
ceived his  earnest  co-operation  and  hearty  support, 
and  for  sixteen  years  he  has  been  one  of  the 
School  Directors.  His  ballot  is  always  cast  in  favor 
of  the  Republican  party,  of  whose  principles  he  is 
a  strong  advocate.  In  1890,  he  was  elected  .as  a 
Representative  to  the  State  Legislature  on  the 
Republican  ticket.  In  his  capacity  as  Legislator, 
he   took   a  very  prominent  part  in  trying  to  have 


270 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  present  school  law  of  Illinois  repealed.  He  was 
also  a  member  of  the  Finance  Committee  and 
served  on  the  Committee  of  Agriculture.  In  his 
official  position,  he  has  alwa}'s  kept  the  welfare  of 
the  people  in  view  and  has  done  all  in  his  power 
to  forward  the  best  interests  of  his  county  and 
State.  The  cause  of  right  and  truth  always  finds 
in  him  a  friend,  and  to  those  causes  he  devotes  his 
heartiest  sj'mpathy  and  aid.  He  i^li  member  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  at  Belleville.  As 
a  soldier,  he  was  .always  found  at  h""  •  post  of  duty 
and  was  ever  to  be  depended  iip'  ii  as  a  man  of 
fidelity  to  his  trust. 


.ICHOLAS  J.  BIEBEL.  The  prosperous  and 
/  intelligent  farmer  whose  name  opens  this 
)  article  possesses  one  of  the  finest  farms  in 
the  county.  He  was  born  near  Sargemunde,  Lor- 
raine, France,  October  18,  18.36.  His  parents  came 
to  America  in  1843,  and  landed  in  New  York  and 
the  same  year  settled  in  St.  Clair  County.  They 
bought  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  three 
miles  due  south  of  Millstadt,  and  made  that  their 
home  for  about  twenty-five  years.  ]Mr.  Biebel 
then  disposed  of  that  place  and  bougiit  anotiier 
near  Mascoutah,  where  this  worthy  couple  lived 
for  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  The  birth  of  the 
father  took  place  April  3,  1805,  and  he  died  Feb- 
ruary 9,  1875.  The  mother  was  born  in  1811,  and 
was  removed  by  death  November  4,  1864. 

In  the  sunny  land  of  his  birth,  Mr.  Biebel,  Sr., 
was  a  farmer,  and  when  he  came  to  this  countr}' 
he  continued  to  till  the  soil.  He  was  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics,  but  he  never  wanted  office.  A 
brother  of  his  was  a  soldier  in  the  French  army 
under  Napoleon  I.  The  children  of  this  couple 
were:  Agnes,  who  was  born  May  30, 1833,  and  died 
May  15,  1875.  She  married  Charles  Schneider,  also 
now  deceased,  and  lived  on  the  home  place  near 
Mascoutah.  She  left  three  boys  and  two  girls,  all 
of  whom  are  living.  Maggie  was  born  March  5, 
1835, and  died  December  26,  1886,  leaving  a  large 
family.     She    married  John  Grundlach,  a  farmer 


residing  in  this  township.  Christian  lives  two 
and  one-half  miles  from  Mascoutah  and  was 
born  September  26,  1838.  He  married  Josephine 
Moll  and  has  four  children.  Mary  Magdalena  was 
born  August  8,  1846,  and  married  Nicholas  Staub, 
who  resides  one  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of 
Mascoutah. 

Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  old  home  place 
and  attended  the  common  school  in  his  boyhood 
and  the  Christian  Brothers'  School  in  St.  Louis 
in  1855,  acquiiing  a  good  English  and  German 
education.  He  was  married  in  September,  1860, 
in  Belleville,  to  Magdalena  Miller,  and  they  have 
been  blessed  with  a  family  of  nine  children,  as 
follows:  Rosamond  Magdalena,  Edward  Oliver, 
Julius  Arthur,  Ida  Isabella,  Emma  Matilda,  Albert 
Allen,  Elinor,  Walter  Nicholas,  Richard  Roj-  and 
Julius.  The  children  have  all  received  an  English 
education  and  are  living  in  this  county,  being 
much  thought  of  m  their  neighborhood. 

Mr.  Biebel  has  been  Highway  Commissioner  for 
three  years,  and  is  a  Democrat  of  no  uncer- 
tain tone.  He  has  lived  on  his  present  farm  since 
the  fall  of  1862,  where  he  now  has  three  hundred 
and  fifty-five  acres.  He  carries  on  a  system  of 
mixed  farming  and  raises  stock.  He  has  a  very 
fine  farm,  and  is  a  man  of  education  and  well  in- 
formed on  all  questions  of  the  da}'.  His  manner 
is  genial  and  friendly,  and  he  is  regarded  as  being 
very  liberal. 


\|^,  AUL  W.  ABT,  President  of  t'.ic  First  Na- 
il jy<  tional  Bank  of  East  St.  Louis,  is  of  foreign 
'^Mr**^  birth,  having  been  born  in  Wurtemberg, 
jl\  Germany,  near  Stuttgart,  April  25,  1845, 
and  his  father,  William  Abt,  was  also  born  near 
Stuttgart,  Germany.  Our  subject  stayed  in  school 
until  fourteen  years  old,  and  was  then  apprenticed 
to  learn  the  mercantile  business,  continuing  in  this 
for  four  years.  In  the  summer  of  1864,  he  came 
lo  America,  sailing  from  Bremen  to  New  York, 
and  first  located  in  Cincinnati.  Later,  he  was  in  Chi- 
cago for  a  short  time,  also  in  Omaha  and  St.  Louis. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


271 


In  1873,  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  the  wholesale  liquor  business  for  about 
fifteen  years,  and  met  with  substantial  results. 

In  1887,  Mr.  Abt  lieeanie  Cashier  of  tiie  old 
East  St.  Louis  Bank,  which  in  1890  was  con- 
verted into  the  First  National  Bank,  he  becoming 
President.  The  bank  has  a  capital  of  $100,000, 
and  bows  to  none  either  in  enterprise  or  solidity. 
Mr.  Abt  laid  out  the  Paul  W.  Abt  First,  Second  and 
Third  Additions  to  East  St.  Louis  during  the  last 
five  or  six  years. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  East  St.  Lonis  to  Miss 
O.  I.  Buettner,  a  native  of  Germany,  and  the 
daughter  of  Dr.  Buettner,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo. 
Six  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Abt. 
Mr.  Abt  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  a  Knight 
Templar  in  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  holds 
membership  in  the  German  Evangelical  Church, 
and  in  politics,  advocates  the  principles  of  the 
Democratic  party,  being  a  delegate  to  county  and 
State  conventions. 


•4■|l:^^"■ 


'  SAAC  EYMAN.  The  homestead  owned  and 
occupied  by  the  subject  of  this  sketch  is  one 
of  the  most  desirable  and  attractive  within  the 
limits  of  Stookey  Township.  It  is  plcasantlj'  lo- 
cated on  section  35,  and  embellished  with  fine  resi- 
dence and  farm  buildings  of  ample  proportions. 
The  place  indicates  in  a  marked  manner  the  hand 
of  thrift  and  industry,  and  portrays  to  even  the 
casual  observer  the  fact  that  it  is  the  abode  of  those 
who  belong  to  an  old  and  distinguished  family. 

Long  before  Illinois  was  added  to  the  number  of 
States  in  the  Union,  Abraham  Eyman,  the  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  settled  in  what  was  then  a  wild 
and  descrl-like  portion  of  Illinois,  now  known  as  St. 
Clair  Countjr.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
the  year  1767,  his  father  being  Abraliam  Eyman, 
who  emigrated  from  Germany  to  America  when 
fourteen  years  of  age  and  became  identified  with 
the  pioneer  History  of   Pennsylvania.      Abraham 


Eyman,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  removed  from 
Pennsylvania  to  Virginia,  where  he  married  Miss 
Susannah  Whetstone,  a  native  of  Hardy  County, 
Ya.  In  1796,  this  sturdy  forefather  of  the  Eyman 
famil3'  came  to  what  is  now  Monroe  County,  III., 
selected  a  portion  of  land,  and,  after  planting  a 
crop,  returned  home  for  his  family,  whicli  then 
consisted  of  his  wife  and  two  sons.  The  year  fol- 
lowing, he  p  iced  all  his  earthly  effects  on  a  flat- 
boat,  and  with  his  small  family  started  down  the 
Ohio  River  t<  Ms  new  home.  The  spot  on  which 
he  had  chosen  o  locate  was  a  veritable  wilderness, 
its  native  po)  ilation  consisting  of  Indians  and 
wild  be.asts,  t  lostile  nature  of  the  former  and 
the  abundance  .  the  latter  offering  no  very  great 
possibilities  for  a  quiet,  uneventful  life  to  him  who 
sought  to  make  a  home  in  their  midst.  He  pur- 
sued Ins  journey  toward  his  new  home  until  reach- 
ing a  point  on  the  Ohio  River  where  he  encoun- 
tered a  caravan  of  whites,  who  were  traveling  in 
the  same  direction,  and,  concluding  that  his  wife 
and  children  would  be  more  comfortable  for  the 
rest  of  the  way  on  horseback,  he  took  the  boat  and 
supplies  up  the  river  alone,  expecting  that  on 
reaching  his  destination  the  party  on  horseback 
would  have  arrived  there  before  him.  His  sur- 
prise at  not  finding  them  there  soon  gave  way  to 
anxiety,  and  he  started  back  across  the  country  to 
look  for  his  lost  ones,  who,  after  many  days'  search, 
he  found  on  the  open  prairie,  wliere  they  had  been 
abandoned  to  make  their  waj-  as  best  they  could. 

In  1800,  Abraham  Eyman  moved  from  his  first 
home  in  Illinois  to  the  farm  in  St.  Clair  County 
which  is  now  owned  by  his  grandson.  At  that 
time,  the  nearest  neighbor  except  one  was  twenty 
miles  awa3'.  The  discomforts,  inconvemencies 
and  limited  resources  of  a  wild,  unsettled  coun- 
try seem  to  have  had  no  appalling  effect  on 
the  man  whose  history  we  are  writing.  His  in- 
domitable will  and  never-failing  energy  mark  his 
career  as  one  of  the  most  marvelous  of  his  time. 
He  was  a  man  of  wonderful  ability,  and  one  gifted 
with  a  genius  which  made  all  things  that  he  de- 
sired to  accomplish  not  only  possible,  but  certain 
of  the  most  satisfactory  achievement. 

In  his  early  days.  Grandfather  Eyman  learned 
the  trade    of    blacksmith,    which    craft    he    never 


272 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


allowed  himself  to  forget,  always  having  a  shop 
on  his  farm.  Nature  endowed  him  with  the  attn- 
hutes  of  a  general  mechanic,  in  addition  to  which 
he  added  the  trades  of  cabinet-maker,  shoemaker 
and  weaver.  Some  of  the  chairs  and  furniture 
made  by  his  hands  are  in  nse  at  the  home  of  his 
grandson  today.  I!e  built  the  first  wool-carding 
machine  produced  in  St.  (lair  County.  He  served 
in  the  War  of  1812.  When  Illinois  was  admitted 
to  the  Union,  lie  was  chosen  by  the  Wliig  party  to 
represent  his  district  in  the  first  State  Legislature 
of  Illinois.  In  religion,  he  and  iiis  wife  were  Dun- 
kards.  Their  family  originally  consisted  of  twelve 
children,  three  of  whom  died  in  early  infancy,  nine 
growing  to  mature  years,  as  follows:  Jacob,  Daniel, 
Abraham,  .lohn;  Isaac,  the  father  of  our  subject; 
Nancy,  Mrs.  McClintock;  Catlierine,  wife  of  Jacob 
Stout;  Susannah,  wife  of  James  McClintock;  and 
Mary,  wife  of  Benjamin  McGuire.  Abraham  Ey- 
man  departed  this  life  June  8,  1831,  his  wife  sur- 
viving him  until  the  10th  of  August,  1852,  she 
then  being  eighty-two  years  old. 

Isaac  Eyman,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  the 
youngest  of  Abraham's  family,  and  was  born  De- 
cember 14,  1812.  His  education  was  received  in 
the  common  schools  of  the  county  where  he 
lived.  The  death  of  his  father,  which  occurred 
when  he  was  j'et  a  boy,  threw  him  on  his  own 
responsibilities.  He  and  another  brother,  how- 
ever, remained  with  their  mother,  farmed  tiie 
l)lace  and  operated  the  wool-carding  machine, 
whicli  was  the  product  of  his  father's  genius,  but 
which  he  had  only  lived  long  enough  to  see  com- 
pleted. In  the  year  1841,  Isaac  Eyman  married 
Miss  Evelina  Lacey,  who  was  born  in  St.  Clair 
County,  September  11,  1820,  daughter  of  Stephen 
and  Elizabeth  (Primm)  Lacey.  Stephen  Lacey  was 
born  about  1793,  his  wife  also  being  born  in  May 
of  that  year.  He  was  drowned  March  15,  1821. 
His  wife  survived  him.  was  again  married,  and 
died  November  28,  1880.  Seven  children  were 
born  to  Isaac  and  Evaline  Eyman,  two  of  whom 
died  in  childhood,  the  rest  being  Nancy;  Minerva, 
wife  of  Abraham  Gooding;  Tlieodore;  AValter;  and 
Isaac,  with  whom  this  biograpliy  more  particu- 
larly deals.  Isaac,  Sr.,  lived  the  life  of  a  farmer  in 
its  strictest  sense.     His  sympathies  were  witli   the 


old  Whig  party,  but  he  never  took  an  active  part 
in  politics.  He  departed  this  life  January  24, 
1858,  and  his  wife  died  June  20,  1863. 

Isaac  Eyman,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  received 
his  education  in  the  public  schools  of  Belleville, 
and  afterward  attended  the  University  of  Cham- 
paign, 111.  He  was  married  November  12, 1884,  to 
Miss  Josia  Stookey,  daughter  of  John  D.  and  Mary 
(Cair)  Stookey,  and  to  them  have  been  born  three 
children:  Jerome,  A.  Irene  and  Warren.  PoUli- 
cally,  our  subject  is  a  Republican  and  has  served 
his  township  three  times  as  Collector. 

There  are  but  few  families  in  any  cominunily 
who  can  trace  their  lineage  back  so  far,  and  enjoy 
the  proud  consciousness  of  belonging  to  such  a 
distinguished  ancestor.  The  sturdy  manhood 
and  strong  principles  of  tlie  grandfather,  Abra- 
ham Eyman,  have  descended  from  the  second  to 
the  third  generation,  and  his  achievements  in  all 
branches  of  industry,  and  his  regard  for  the  welfare 
of  his  country  and  the  community  in  which  he 
resided,  are  matters  of  more  than  local  history. 
His  mantle  has  fallen  on  the  survivors  of  his 
house,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  th.at  his  family  will 
always  have  a  representative  in  the  community  so 
freighted  with  reminiscences  of  this  grand  pioneer 
character. 


SIMON  BAUM.  This  gentleman  is  the  gen- 
ial proprietor  of  the  Republican  House, 
on  the  corner  of  Illinois  and  Second 
Streets,  where  he  has  a  large  brick  hotel, 
with  eighteen  sleeping  apartments  in  addition  to 
the  other  rooms  of  a  hotel.  The  hotel  has  a  fine 
bar  and  office,  and  the  building  is  two  stories 
high.  He  has  had  charge  of  the  Republican 
House  since  1885.  At  that  time  he  furnished  and 
fitted  it  up  with  all  the  modern  improvements, 
and  he  has  since  conducted  a  good  business  here. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  of  landlords, 
and  has  been  very  successful  in  his  business,  as  he 
gives  it  his  undivided  attention. 

Mr.  Baum  was  born  in   Wiiitenibero.    (iermauv. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPH'CAL   RECORD. 


27:5 


March  2,  1856,  being  the  son  of  Patritze  and 
Mary  Baiim.  When  he  was  five  years  old  he  came 
with  Iiis  motlier  to  I>ebanon,  111.,  where  he  grew  to 
manhood,  and  was  educated  there  in  the  public 
schools.  In  that  town  he  learned  the  trade  of 
a  blacksmith,  going  through  an  apprenticeship. 
He  then  engaged  iu  the  saloon  business  at  l^eb- 
aiion,  engaging  in  that  business  for  six  years.  From 
there  he  went  to  Kinmundy  and  engaged  in  the 
same  business  for  one  year,  and  then  removed  to 
Relleville,  111.,  where  he  operated  a  saloon  from 
1871)  to  188.5,  on  the  corner  of  .Main  and  .lockson 
Streets. 

Mr.  Baum  was  mairicd  to  Miss  Johanna  Spies, 
»f  this  city.  Her  father  had  been  the  proprietor 
of  the  Republican  House,  she  being  born  in  it,  and 
has  lived  here  since  her  birth.  The  marriage  took 
l)lace  November  10,  188.5.  They  have  two  chil- 
dren, Carl  and  Cecelia. 

Mr.  Baum  is  a  member  of  St.  Peter's  Cathedral, 
also  of  the  Turnverein,aud  of  the  Krontheler  Phil- 
harmonic society,  and  is  a  prominent  man  in  all 
musical  circles.  He  has  educated  all  his  children  in 
music,  as  he  has  always  regretted  that  he  had  no 
such  opportunities  himself.  Mr.  Baum's  aged 
mother  still  lives  at  Lebanon,  well  known  and 
highly  respected. 


^^^-      ^ 


^T  LEXANDER  RIEMMLEK.     As  a  worthy 
(©y/Jll    representative  of  the  intelligence,   the  in- 
///  l4*    tegrity,  and  the  moral  worth  of  the  people 
[^  of  Darmstadt,    St.  Clair  County,  the   sub- 

ject of  this  sketch  occupies  no  ordinar^^  position. 
He  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  his  native 
county,  and  the  fact  that  he  is  well  spoken  of  by 
high  and  low  and  rich  and  poor  is  sufficient  indi- 
cation of  his  character.  Mr.  Ruemmler  should  de- 
rive much  satisfaction  from  the  contemplation  of 
the  part  which  he  has  played  in  life,  building  up  a 
record  which  his  descendants  may  look  upon  with 
pride.  By  a  course  of  industry,  prudence  .and  good 
management,  he  has  become  well-to-do  financially, 
iK)d  his  Hue  residence    and  tiiriving  business  indi- 


cate in  a  marked  degree  to  what  good  purpose 
the  owner  has  labored  and  expended  at  least  a  por- 
tion of  his  capital. 

Alexander  Ruemmler  is  one  of  a  family  oi  eight 
children  born  to  Adam  and  .Iiilia  (Heist)  Ruemmler, 
both  natives  of  Germany.  Adam  Ruemmler  was 
born  in  Oermany,  April  3,  1800.  He  was  a  shoe- 
maker by  trade.  His  wife,  .lulia  (Heist)  Ruemmler, 
was  born  in  Germany  in  the  year  1802,  and  died 
in  Germany  in  1846.  Soon  after  the  death  of  his 
wife,  Adam  Ruemmler  joined  his  son  Alexander, 
who  had  preceded  him  to  America,  and  who  at 
that  time  was  living  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Adam 
Ruemmler  followed  his  trade  of  shoemaker  in  this 
country  nutil  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1869.  He  was  reared  in,  and  always  clung  to, 
the  Lutheran  belief.  His  father  was  .John  Peter 
Ruemmler,  born  in  1760,  and  a  respected  citizen  of 
the  community'  in  wh-ich  he  lived  in  (Termany. 
To  the  parents  of  our  subject  were  born  eight 
children,  four  of  whom  are  3'et  living. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  remained  with  his 
parents  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age.  He  had 
received  the  advantages  of  a  good  common-school 
education,  and  choosing  to  follow  in  the  footsteps 
of  his  father,  sought  the  trade  of  shoemaker,  as 
the  vocation  he  should  pursue  through  life.  He 
left  his  parents  and  Fatherland  in  1848,  making 
the  voyage  across  the  Atlantic  ocean  in  a  sailing- 
vessel.  He  landed  at  New  Orleans,  and  proceeded 
from  that  point  up  the  river  by  boat  to  St.  Louis. 
No  man  understands  more  thoroughly  than  he 
the  hardships  endured  by  a  stranger  in  a  strange 
country-,  who,  with  limited  means,  has  the  pluck 
and  energy  to  start  for  himself.  After  reaching 
St.  Louis,  he  sought  occupation  at  his  trade,  and 
his  first  work  brought  him  the  munificent  sal- 
ary of  14  per  month;  but  thrifty  (ierman  in- 
dustry is  very  strongly  exemiilified  in  his  char- 
acter, and  iu  the  year  1854  we  find  him,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-six  years,  owner  of  his  own  shoj) 
and  assuming  the  cares  of  a  business  life  for  him- 
self. 

The  same  year  which  bereaved  him  of  his  father 
finds  him  a  new  settler  in  Darmstadt,  St,  Clair 
County,  his  present  home.  In  1869  ho  invested 
ills  savings  in  property  here,  anc[  started  the  bi|sl« 


274 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ness  which  he  has  so  successfully  manipulated, 
and  founded  the  home  which  is  to-day  a  monu- 
ment to  his  energy  and  ability. 

The  29th  of  June,  1852,  was  made  an  interest- 
ing day  in  tlie  life  of  our  subject  by  his  marriage 
with  Miss  Dora  Stroh,  a  daughter  of  Adam  and 
Dorah  Stroh,  all  natives  of  Germany.  To  this 
union  were  born  three  cliildren,  namely:  Christian 
L.,  Henry  F.  and  Mrs.  Miller.  After  the  death  of 
the  estimable  mother  of  these  children,  Mr.  Ruemm- 
ler  married  Miss  Mary  May  Miller,  and  to  tiiem 
liave  been  born  six  children:  Elizabetli,  wife  of 
Mr.  George  Sclilesinger;  Alexander,  Mary,  Julia, 
diaries  (deceased)  and  Leonard. 

At  the  outbreak  of  our  late  National  unpleasant- 
ness, Mi-.Ruemmler  enlisted  in  the  Fourth  Regiment 
of  the  Fourth  Corps  of  Missouri,  and  went  to  tiie 
front  with  his  comrades.  He,  however,  returned 
to  his  family  before  the  close  of  the  war. 

A  man  of  more  than  ordinary  intelligence,  he 
is  loolied  up  to  in  his  community  as  a  self-made 
man  and  a  broad  thinker.  Beginning  life  dependent 
upon  liis  own  resources,  he  has  achieved  his  pres- 
ent position  solely  by  hard  work  and  good  man- 
agement. 

His  religious  belief  is  founded  on  the  tenets  of 
the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  body  he  is  an  active 
member.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  a 
strong  believer  in,  and  exponent  of,  the  course 
adopted  by  his  party. 


^^  LBERT  MOOTZ.     No  special  department 
^/  I    °^  commerce  is   of  more   importance  to  a 
|f   li    community  than  that  of  a  pharmacist,  and 
'^  in  such  connection   attention  is  called  to 

the  popular  and  prosperous  pharmaceutical  estab- 
lishment of  Mr.  Mootz,  located  on  Missouri  Ave- 
nue. In  all  ages  of  the  world,  the  art  of  prepar- 
ing compounds  for  the  alleviation  of  pain  and  tlie 
healing  of  tlie  sick  has  been  regarded  as  among 
the  highest  of  human  functions,  and  it  is  for  this 
reason  that  so  nuK'li  attention  is  paid  to  tiic  call- 
ing of  the  druggist  in  our  own  day.     Mr,  Mooti? 


was  born  in  Hoheneggelsen,  Province  of  Hanover, 
Germany,  December  20,  1844,  a  son  of  August 
Mootz,  a  native  of  Brunswick,  and  an  apothecarj' 
by  calling,  which  occupation  he  first  followed  in 
the  city  of  Hanover,  and  later  in  Salsderhelden, 
Hanover,  where  he  died  in  the  year  1872,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Dorothea  Peine,  who  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Celle,  Hanover,  and  died  in  the  year  1877, 
after  having  become  the  mother  of  five  children, 
three  of  whom  survive  her.  The  paternal  grand- 
father of  the  subject  of  this  sketch  vvas  a  court 
official  in  Brunswick. 

A.  Mootz,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  was 
reared  in  Germany,  and,  when  eleven  years  of  age, 
entered  the  gymnasium  at  Eisenach,  where  he 
studied  the  classics  until  sixteen  years  of  age,  or 
until  1860,  when  he  began  serving  an  apprentice- 
ship at  the  apothecary's  trade  at  Holzmindeu, 
Brunswick,  where  he  remained  four  years,  after- 
ward clerking  for  three  years.  In  that  time  he  had  _ 
to  pass  several  examinations,  but  did  so  successfully'. 
In  1870-71,  he  was  an  apothecary  during  the 
Franco-German  War  in  the  place  of  the  regiment 
apothecary  at  Dingelstadt,  Saxonj',  but  after 
some  time  he  returned  home,  and  worked  at 
his  profession  until  1874,  when  he  decided  that 
America  offered  a  better  field  for  a  man  of  energy 
and  brains,  and  he  accordingly  took  passage  on  a 
steamer  at  Bremen,  and,  after  a  stormy  voyage, 
landed  at  New  York  City.  After  five  weeks'  resi- 
dence in  that  city,  he  removed  to  Greenville, 
Miss.,  where  he  for  some  time  conducted  a  store  in 
connection  with  his  brother.  After  a  short  time, 
his  brother  come  to  East  St.  Louis,  but  our  subject 
continued  there  one  year  longer  in  partnership 
with  a  physici.'ui.  In  October,  1876,  he  also  came 
to  East  St.  Louis,  and,  after  being  in  business  with 
his  brother  for  about  a  year,  he,  in  October,  1877, 
started  in  business  for  himself  on  Missouri  Avenue. 

In  1881,  he  erected  his  present  fine  business 
block,  a  brick  building  with  a  frontage  of  forty- 
three  feet.  His  store  is  very  handsomely  and  con- 
veniently fitted  up,  and  he  carries  a  large  line  of 
everything  connected  with  his  line  of  business. 
He  lias  a  large  and  influential  patronage  from  tiie 
best  classes  of  society,  popular  prices  prevail,  and 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


275 


polite  and  attentive  assistants  serve  his  customers 
intelligently  and  promptly.  Mr.  Mootz  was  first 
married  in  East  St.  Louis  to  Miss  Theresa  Wel- 
ters, who  was  born  and  spent  her  life  in  this  town. 
After  her  death,  he  took  for  his  second  wife  Miss 
Anna  Jackiesch,  who  was  also  born  in  this  city, 
and  by  her  has  two  children,  Dorothea  and  Else. 
Mr.  Mootz  and  his  family- are  Lutherans  in  reli- 
gion, and,  politically,  he  is  a  pronounced  Republi- 
can. He  belongs  to  the  State  Pharmaceutical  As- 
sociation, and  is  one  of  the  leading  piiarmacists  of 
East  .St.  Louis. 


^=^  OTTFRIED  NUETZEL.  a  prosperous  farmer 
(11  (— -  on  section  6,  Caseyville  Townsliip,  is  a 
^^^JJ[(  native  of  Bavaria,  Germany,  his  birth 
occurring  December  8,  1832.  He  is  a  son  of 
John  and  Margaret  (Boush)  Nuetzel.  Both  of 
the  parents  were  likewise  born  in  Bavaria,  the 
father  in  1803,  and  the  mother  on  the  1st  of 
December  of  the  same  year.  The  father  was 
reared  on  a  farm  and  in  the  neighboi'ing  village, 
where  he  received  a  good  education.  He  made 
farming  his  chief  occupation  through  life,  and  for 
many  years  occupied  the  responsible  position  of 
Land  Appraiser  of  the  locality  in  which  he  lived. 
He  never  removed  to  the  United  States,  but  in 
1869  made  an  extended  visit  to  this  country, 
returning  in  the  following  year  to  Germany. 
When  he  reached  manhood,  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Boush,  in  the  year  1827.  They  reared  a 
family  of  four  children:  .John,  now  deceased; 
Andrew;  Gottfried,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and 
John  George,  who  still  resides  in  his  native  land. 
Two  other  children  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Nuetzel 
was  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith,  and  was  a  mem- 
ber of  that  church. 

Until  twenty-two  years  of  age,  Gottfried  Nuet- 
zel remained  under  the  p.arcntal  roof.  In  1854, 
believing  that  the  Western  World  offered  greater 
opportunities  for  acquiring  a  fortune,  he  left  his 
home  and  friends  and  came  to  the  United  States. 
He  first  located  in  St,  Louis,  where  he  worked  in 


a  finishing  shop  of  the  iron  works  for  nearly  three 
years.  He  next  came  to  St.  Clair  County,  111., 
and  decided  to  make  agricultural  pursuits  his  life 
work.  Accordingly,  he  rented  land  for  a  few 
years  near  Caseyville,  which  he  operated  quite 
successfully.  Encouraged  by  this  success,  he  then 
rented  a  large  farm  in  Madison  County,  which  he 
tilled  for  eleven  years.  He  then  returned  to  this 
county,  in  1871,  and  purchased  the  farm  on  which 
he  is  now  located.  In  addition  to  his  farm  of 
ninety  acres,  he  carried  on  a  bar  room. 

Our  subject  was  first  married  in  1 860  to  Catherine 
Christ,  and  to  them  was  born  a  family-  of  four 
children,  who  are  now  all  deceased.  The  motlier 
passed  away  in  1871.  Mr.  Nuetzel  was  again  mar- 
ried, his  bride  being  Anna  M.  Soellner,  daughter 
of  John  M.  and  Anna  B.  (Ssengenberger)  Soellner. 
This  worthy  couple  have  become  the  parents  of 
five  children:  John  G.,  Gottfried  F.,  Anna  M., 
Caroline  L.  and  George  L. 

Believing  in  tlie  ability  and  trustworthiness  of 
Mr.  Nuetzel,  his  fellow-citizens  have  a  number  of 
times  called  upon  him  to  fill  local  positions  of 
more  or  less  responsibility  and  honor.  The  duties 
of  these  positions  he  has  discharged  with  zeal  and 
to  the  satisfaction  of  all.  In  respect  to  politics,  he 
is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican  party. 
He  was  reared  in  the  faith  uf  the  Lutheran  Church, 
and  with  that  denomination  holds  membership. 
For  a  period  of  nearly  forty  years,  Mr.  Nuetzel 
has  been  a  resident  and  valued  citizen  of  this 
State  and  county  and  is  an  example  of  the  worthy 
men  whom  Germany  has  so  often  furnished  to 
America  and  who  are  esteemed  among  her  best 
friends  and  citizens. 


:^^IIOMAS  BURKE,  proprietor  of  tlie  Dublin 
ff^^  House  of  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  is  an  able  and 
^^f'  ellicient  manager,  and  has  made  iiis  hotel  a 
veritable  symbol  of  all  that  constitutes  the  com- 
fort and  pleasure  of  guests.  Mr.  Burke  was  born 
in    County    Uosconimon,  Ireland,  in   1842,  a  soj) 


276 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  Thomas,  and  grandson  of  John,  Burke,  both 
of  wliom  were  born  in  the  same  county,  and  there 
followed  the  occupation  of  farming.  The  father 
was  called  from  the  scenes  of  his  earthly  labors  in 
1882,  at  the  age  of  eighty -six  years,  his  widow, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Shauney,  surviving 
him  until  1888,  when  her  death  occurred  atthe 
age  of  eighty-seven  years.  Four  of  their  six 
children  are  living,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  be- 
ing the  only  one  in  America. 

Thomas  Burke  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in 
the  Emerald  Isle,  and  his  education  was  such  as 
could  be  obtained  in  the  common  schools.  He  re- 
mained at  home  until  eighteen  years  of  age,  then 
joined  the  civil  service,  and  for  six  j-ears  was  a 
member  of  the  Royal  Irish  Constabulary.  Suc- 
ceeding this,  he  attended  a  training  school  for  two 
years  in  Dublin,  after  which  he  again  entered  the 
civil  service,  and  was  stationed  at  diffei'ent  times 
at  Belfast,  Antrim,  Durham  and  Tyrone.  He  was 
in  the  riots  of  1864  in  Belfast,  when  it  took  ten 
thousand  men  eighteen  days  to  keep  the  peace. 
He  remained  on  duty  until  July,  1865,  when  he 
tendered  his  resignation,  which  was  accepted,  and 
he  at  once  came  to  America,  taking  a  steamer  from 
Belfast  to  Liverpool,  and  there  the  steamship 
"Baltimore"  for  the  New  World,  which  he  reached 
at  the  end  of  eleven  da3'S.  He  remained  in  New 
York  City  one  month,  then  went  to  Galena,  111., 
where  he  was  engaged  in  the  grocery  business  with 
his  uncle,  and  in  tiie  fall  of  1867  went  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.,  remaining  there  and  in  East  St.  Louis 
off  and  on  for  some  time. 

About  1870,  he  removed  to  Belleville,  111.,  where 
he  engaged  in  mining,  and  made  considerable 
money,  which  he  later  invested  in  a  grocery-  and 
li(]uor  establishment  at  Ogle  Station,  removing  to 
Belleville  at  the  end  of  two  years.  He  conducted 
the  Fanners'  House  of  that  pl.ace  for  three  years, 
but  in  the  spring  of  ISSl  1,,.  mme  to  East  St. 
Louis  and  bought  the  site  of  liis  present  Inisiness 
house,  which  was  then  imi)roved  with  a  commo- 
dious frame  Ijuilding.  He  opened  his  hotel,  but 
in  1883  put  up  his  present  brick  building,  which 
is  three  stories  and  a  ba.sement  in  height,  has  a 
frontage  of  flftj'  foet  and  is  sovonty-two  feet  deep, 
'riiis    liouse   js   fi!n)isl!<>d   in   a   lasfeful    in;ui|1or, 


suited  to  the  demands  of  his  patrons,  and  his  ta- 
bles are  always  spread  with  the  delicacies  of  the 
season.  His  rates  are  very  reasonable,  and  he  is 
an  attentive  and  courteous  host.  He  is  interested  to 
some  extent  in  real  estate,  owns  a  small  improved 
farm  in  EfHngham  Countj',  and  is  a  stockholder 
and  Director  of  St.  Patrick's  Building  and  Loan 
Association,  as  well  as  the  owner  of  his  present 
popular  hotel.  He  was  a  member  of  the  School 
Board  for  three  jears,  was  Assistant  Supervisor 
for  one  _\ear  of  the  Fourtli  Ward,  and  politically 
has  always  been  a  Democrat. 

His  marriage,  which  occurred  in  St.  Louis  .lanu- 
ary  2,  1869,  was  to  Miss  Sarah  J.  INIcDonald.  a  na- 
tive of  Pennsylvania,  who  became  an  early  settler 
of  Belleville.  He  and  his  wife  have  five  children: 
Thomas,  Charles,  Mary  E.,  Julia  and  Annie.  Mi'. 
Burke  and  his  family  worship  in  St.  Patrick's 
Catholic  Church,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Catho- 
lic Knights  of  America. 


m^^ 


^im 


HI  LIP  MOESER,  M.  D.  This  gentleman 
s  a  popular  physician  and  surgeon  of  the 
ittle  village  of  New  Athens,  where  he  has 
ll\  made  his  home  since  1882.  He  is  the  son 
of  Henry  ^Nloeser,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  St. 
Clair  County.  (.See sketch  elsewhere  in  this  book). 
The  Doctor  is  a  native  of  this  State  and  county, 
having  been  born  on  the  home  place  in  Sinithton 
Township,  where  he  continued  to  live  until  he 
was  ten  years  old.  wlien  he  left  home  to  reside 
with  his  sister.  Mrs.  Fliiiip  Skaer,  with  whom 
he  remained  until  he  was  fifteen  years  of  age. 
He  secured  his  primary  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  the  county  and  afterward  took  a  course 
at  Bryant  and  Strattou's  Business  College  at  St. 
Louis,  finishing  his  literaiy  education  at  McKend- 
ree  College,  Lebanon,  III.  After  this  he  began  the 
study  of  medicine  with  Dr.  Cunningham,  at  Leb- 
anon, 111.,  and  later  pursued  his  studies  under  the 
supervision  of  Dr.  Barnum,  at  Freedom,  111.  He 
graduated  from  the  Americ-vn  College,  at  St.  Louis, 
in  1882,  ;tn<l    inuuediately  Itegan    the    practice  of 


f^ 


''yUl^yxM) 


Aff^eA^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


279 


liis  profession  in  New  Athens,  where  he  has  contin- 
ued to  make  his  home  ever  since,  building  up  a 
large  and  successful  practice,  excelling  anj"^  other 
pliysician  of  New  Athens  in  the  number  of  his 
Ijalients.  In  liis  practice  Dr.  Moeser  makes  a  speci- 
alty of  throat  aud  lung  diseases,  applying  what 
is  known  as  the  inhalation  of  oxygen  treatment, 
in  which  he  has  been  exceedingly  successful. 

Our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Betty  Fries,  the 
accomplished  daughter  of  (Jeorge  Fries,  of  New 
Athens.  She  bore  her  husband  one  child,  George, 
but  the  bright,  promising  little  flower  was  cut  down 
b^- death,  when  only  five  years  of  age,  .Tuly  4,  1889, 
and  this  national  liolida3'  will  ever  be  a  day  of 
sadness  to  his  afflicted  parents. 

Politicall3\  our  subject  adheres  to  the  principles 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  is  a  stanch  member 
of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  in  which 
order  he  has  filled  all  the  chairs.  He  is  one 
of  the  leading  men  of  the  village  and  promises 
to  make  himself  heard,  both  in  the  [)rofessional 
and  political  world. 


J  I  AMES  AFFLECK.  Tlie  subject  of  this 
I  notice  has  lived  longer  in  the  city  of  Belle- 
1  ville  than  any  other  resident,  for  he  came 
^_^  '  here  in  182(1  and  has  made  it  his  home  ever 
since.  His  birth  occurred  either  in  North  Carolina 
or  Tennessee,  and  his  parents  were  David  and  Ann 
(Gillespie)  Affleck,  who  were  born  and  reared  in 
Scotland.  Soon  after  their  marriage  they  came  to 
America  and  settled  in  Wilmington,  N.  C,  but  af- 
ter a  short  sojourn  there  they  removed  into  Ten- 
nessee. The  father  taught  school  on  Stone  River, 
not  far  from  where  Murfreesboro  now  stands. 
Wlien  the  Illinois  "boom"  started,  they  came  to 
St.  Clair  County,  where  he  bought  land  and  resided 
until  his  death,  in  1819.  The  mother's  death  oc- 
curred one  year  earlier.  They  were  the  best  of 
people  and  showed  to  the  world  how  the  Scotch- 
Presbyterian  faith  can  car]y  believers  through  ad- 
versity. 

t)iii'  sulijt'ct  was  born  August  15,   181ii,  and  was 

13 


left  an  orphan  in  a  new  country  before  he  was  six 
3'ears  of  age,  with  one  relative,  Robert  Gillespie 
Affleck,  now  of  Bolivar,  Mo.  In  those  days  the 
houses  of  the  pioneers  were  small,  but  their  hearts 
were  large,  and  no  matter  how  overflowing  the 
hearthstone  might  be,  there  was  always  some  hom- 
iny and  a  corner  for  the  orphan  or  stranger.  In 
1820,  our  subject  came  to  Belleville  with  a  kind 
Tennessee  family,  and  in  this  city  he  grew  to  man- 
hood, meanwhile  learning  the  trade  of  cabinet  and 
furniture  making.  After  reaching  maturity  he 
earned  money  enough  to  pay  his  board,  and  then 
entered  school,  where  he  applied  himself  so  closely 
that  he  obtained  a  fair  education.  Thus  equipped, 
he  commenced  to  work  at  cabinet-making  and  soon 
had  a  shoi)  of  his  own,  in  which  he  continued  until 
he  thought  he  could  make  more  b^^  farming.  For 
a  short  time  he  followed  agricultural  pnsuits,  and 
later  engaged  in  business  as  a  contractor  and  builder. 
The  offer  of  a  position  as  foreman  in  the  Harrison 
Machine  Shop  seemed  too  good  to  refuse  and,  being 
accepted,  was  filled  by  him  for  some  eighteen 
years.  That  his  services  were  valued  is  sufficiently 
proved  by  the  fact  that  they  were  retained  for  so 
long  a  period.  In  public  affairs,  he  is  always  inter- 
ested and  does  his  part  toward  promoting  the  wel- 
fare of  the  c'ity.  For  years  he  has  been  Alderman 
from  the  Fourth  Ward,  and  has  served  in  other 
places  of  trust. 

November  12,  1835,  Mr.  Affleck  married  Hester 
Ann,  a  daughter  of  Wesley  Coleman,  and  to  them 
have  been  born  five  children,  namely:  Charles  D.; 
Mary,  wife  of  Edwin  Park,  an  attorney  of  Decatur; 
Jason,  deceased;  Amanda,  the  wife  of  Judge  AVil- 
derman;  and  James  R.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  Mr.  Affleck  married  Miss  Ann  E.  Richardson, 
a  native  of  Ohio.  Their  famil3-  is  as  follows:  Cora, 
the  wife  of  Frank  L.  Stewart,  of  Carmi,  111.;  Es- 
telle,  who  was  married  to  John  A.  Logan,  a  second 
cousin  of  the  lamented  John  A.  Logan,  and  lives  at 
Carmi ;  Ben  F.  is  now  a  Cairo  Short  Line  officer  at  St. 
Louis;  Edward  G.  is  in  the  Harrison  Machine  Shop; 
and  Susie  R.  is  attending  the  Normal  School. 

Mr.  Affleck  is  a  member  of  the  church  of  his 
countrymen,  in  which  he  has  served  as  Deacon. 
liis  son  Edward  holds  the  positions  of  Elder  and 
Trustee  in  that  cluirch.     Although  Mr.  Affleck  is  a 


280 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


tliorough  American  and  proud  of  the  progress  made 
hy  the  city  of  his  clioice,  he  Lakes  great  interest  in 
all  Scotch-Irish  affairs,  and  has  just  returned  from 
Atlanta.  Ga.,  where  there  was  a  meeting  of  the 
clans. 


(^FDAM  fink.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
(@yLj||     is    the   largest  land-owner  in  this  section 

//ni  of  the  count3'.  He  resides  on  section  14, 
^  J'reeburg  Township,  and  owns  nine  hun- 

dred and  fort_y  acres  of  land  in  one  place,  and  has 
;i  two-thirds  interest  in  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  another  part. 

Our  subject  was  the  son  of  George  Funk,  who 
was  born  and  reared,  and  also  married,  in  Germany, 
h  is  wife  being  Catherine  Routh ;  he  came  to  America 
in  1833,  and  lirst  settled  where  our  subject  now  lives 
.and  where  he  entered  land  of  the  Government. 
At  first  a  log  cabin  was  erected  in  the  wilderness, 
and  there  the  family  lived  until  1861,  when  Mr. 
Funk  erected  the  brick  residence  which  is  now 
standing.  Then  the  land  was  wild,  and  deer  and 
wild  turkeys  abounded,  and  the  family  went 
tlirougii  the  hard  experiences  of  pioneer  life  in  a 
new  and  unknown  country.  Of  the  five  children 
liorn  to  Mr.  Funk,  four  are  yet  living.  Catherine 
is  the  wife  of  Henry  Friess:  Philip  lives  in  this 
county;  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Routh.  The 
son  who  died  was  George.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject owned  over  seven  hundred  acres  of  land  here 
before  his  de.ath. 

The  gentleman  of  whtnw  we  write  was  born  Oc- 
tober 11,  1830,  in  tiermany,  and  was  three  years 
old  when  he  came  to  America.  He  was  reared  on 
tlie  place  where  he  now  lives  and  never  had  the 
advantage  of  any  schooling.  Our  subject  was 
married  in  1858  to  Catherine  Routh,  who  was  the 
daughter  of  Adam  Routh  and  was  born  and  reared 
in  Germany  and  came  here  in  18;')!.  After  his 
marriage,  he  brought  his  wife  to  this  place,  where 
he  has  remained  ever  since.  His  wife  died  after 
fourteen  years  of  married  life,  and  his  second 
companion  w.as  Christina  Schnure,  who  .also  was 
l")iii   in   (icrmnnw     Five  I'lijldren  were  born  dur- 


ing the  life  of  his  first  wife.  They  are  George  and 
Adam,  twins,  who  now  are  farmers  in  this  town- 
ship; Henry  also  lives  in  this  township;  Mary  is 
the  wife  of  Joiin  Dickhaut,  aud  Charles  lives  at 
home.  Eight  children  have  been  bora  during  his 
l)resent  marriage:  Willie,  Philip,  Anna,  Battle, 
Emma,  Katie,  Louisa  and  August. 

3Ir.  Funk  is  general  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
giving  particular  attention  to  hogs,  as  he  finds 
them  more  remunerative  than  any  other  kind  of 
stock.  He  has  seen  great  changes  in  his  long  life 
in  this  county  aud  loves  to  tell  of  the  times  when 
it  was  all  a  wilderness.  He  remembers  when  the 
Land  was  still  forest,  for  he  helped  his  father  clear 
it.  This  Large  and  respected  family  is  well  known 
in  the  neighborhood  and  has  many  friends. 


J]  UDGE  BENJAMIN  BONEAU.  Judge  Bon- 
I  eau's  father,  Joseph  Boneau,  whose  name 
I  indicates  his  French  extraction,  came  from 
Logansport,  Ind.,  in  the  eai'ly  part  of  the 
present  century,  and  settled  in  French  Milage, 
where,  in  connection  with  farming,  he  followed 
the  occupation  of  a  coal  miner  until  his  death, 
wtiirh  occurred  in  October,  1834,  he  having  been 
iTiishcd  and  instantly  killed  by  falling  slate  while 
inspecting  his  own  mine.  He  settled  in  the  above- 
mentioned  village  in  1806  or  1807,  and  was  indeed 
the  pioneer  in  the  coal  business  in  this  section,  for 
he  was  the  first  man  who  ever  mined  and  sold  a 
load  of  coal  in  St.  Louis.  He  opened  and  operated 
the  first  coal  mine  in  Illinois,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  was  doing  a  large  and  lucrative  coal 
business  in  the  St.  Louis  market.  He  was  a  man 
of  wealth,  owning  six  or  seven  hundred  acres  of 
land,  and  a  drift  mine  in  the  bluff  near  French 
Village.  He  sold  coal  to  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Com- 
pany, and  got  out  two  or  three  loads  per  day  for 
St.  Louis  and  the  other  market  demands.  He 
was  about  thirty-six  years  of  age  at  tiie  time  of 
his  death. 

Judge    r)Oncau"s  inotlier   was    l)orn    in     Prairie 
du    Rocher,    Randolph    County.    JU,,   about    the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


year  1796.  Her  maiden  name  was  Felicite  Gal- 
liot, and  she  was  descended  from  a  lon<i;  line 
of  P'rench  ancestors,  some  of  whom  came  to  Kas- 
kaskia.  III.,  and  St.  Genevieve,Mo.,  early  in  the  last 
oenttuy.  She  died  in  the  month  of  January,  1850. 
Her  son,  .hidge  Benjamin  Boneau,  is  one  of  the 
county's  representative  men,  and  is  in  every  wny 
qualified  for  the  honorable  position  he  is  now  iiold- 
ing.  In  the  year  18.')2.  he  was  graduated  at  St. 
Xavier's  .Jesuit  College,  Cincinnati,  and  imme- 
diately afterward  entered  tiie  Cincinnati  Law 
School,  from  which  he  received  his  diploma  in 
1855,  having  in  the  meantime  been  a  student  in 
the  law  office  of  King  ife  Anderson,  two  of  the 
most  prominent  attorneys  in  the  State  of  Ohio. 

In  1850,  our  subject  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
Belleville,  when  .ludge  Breese  was  on  the  Bench, 
and  also  the  St.  Louis  Bar,  during  .Judge  Hamil- 
ton's incumbenc}'  as  Circuit  .Judge  in  that  city. 
This  was  also  in  1856.  He  practiced  law  for  one 
year  in  Chicago,  and  for  ten  or  fifteen  yoai'S  in 
Belleville,  meeting  with  unusual  success  in  his  pro- 
fession while  engaged  in  it;  but  finding  the  prac- 
tice of  law  too  sedentary  and  confining,  he  in 
course  of  time  sought  other  and  more  active  pur- 
suits, better  suited  to  his  taste  and  more  beneficial 
to  his  health.  In  the  meantime,  however,  he  al- 
ways kept  up  his  stock  of  reading  and  his  study  of 
law,  and  is  regarded  by  the  members  of  the  Bar  as 
possessing  a  clear  and  analytical  legal  mind,  which 
eminently  qualifies  him  to  fill  acceptably  the  office 
of  Count}'  .Judge,  to  wliich  the  people  of  this 
county  elected  him  in  1890,  with  a  majority  of 
five  hundred  over  Frank  Perrin,  who  was  Presi- 
dent of  the  Board  of  Supervisors  of  the  county. 

.Judge  Boneau "s  eloquence  is  natural,  fluent  and 
persuasive.  His  veneration  for  the  law,  and  his 
high  sense  of  moral  responsilnlity,  invest  his 
manner  with  peculiar  gKicc.  and  this,  combined 
with  hi>  accuracy  of  legal  knowledge,  lucidity 
of  statement,  felicity  of  illustration,  and  copious- 
ness of  vocabulary,  renders  him  one  of  the  popular 
orators  of  the  Illinois  Bar.  The  .Judge  has  ever 
been  an  earnest  supporter  of  Democratic  principles, 
and  takes  an  active  interest  in  all  political  cam- 
[)aigns.  lie  was  married  on  the  12th  of  January, 
1858,  to  Miss  Helen  A.  Lacroix.  a  lady  reared   in 


Belleville,  and  the  daughter  of  E.  M.  and  Mary 
Ann  (Hopkins)  Lacroix,  the  father  an  old  mer- 
chant, and  a  prominent  man  of  Belleville.  To 
Judge  and  Mrs.  Boneau  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Benjamin  C,  of  the  electric  light 
plant  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.;  Mary  A.,  at  home; 
Charles  W.,  in  the  railroad  department  of  the  Chi- 
cago post-otlice,  being  the  only  Democrat  left  in  the 
office;  AVilliam  C.  at  home,  clerking  in  St.  Louis; 
and  Leo  Ogle,  now  attending  school.  This  familj- 
holds  membership  in  the  Catholic  Church. 


.^#^^-^-.-^^ 


^^1  DOLPH  ANDEL,  the  genial  host  of  the 
V    I    popular  National    Hotel,  of    which    he   is 

///  A  the  proi)rietor  and  owner,  has  been  in- 
^  terested    in    operating    this    same    house 

since  1880,  and  has  owned  it  since  1881.  This 
hotel  IS  favorably  situated  on  the  corner  of  Main 
Street  and  Public  Square,  and  is  a  brick  building 
of  four  stories.  60x80  feet,  with  a  two-story  addi- 
tion, giving  thirty-six  good  rooms,  with  office  on 
the  main  floor.  Here  Mr.  Andel  conducts  a  flour- 
ishing business,  being  patronized  by  the  best 
people  of  Belleville. 

Mr.  Andel  is  a  German  by  birth,  having  been 
born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt  May  3,  1843,  and  is  a 
son  of  Johan  and  Catherine  (Maus)  Andel,  natives 
of  the  same  i)lace.  Mr.  Andel  was  reared  and  re- 
ceived a  thoiough  German  education  in  his  native 
l)rovince,  but,  being  dissatisfied  with  the  Old 
World,  he  resolved  to  seek  employment  in  the 
New,  so  in  1860  he  came  to  the  United  States,  set- 
tling in  St.  Joe,  Mo.,  where  he  remained  for  fif- 
teen years  engaged  as  a  book-keeper  in  a  hardware 
store.  At  the  expiration  of  that  time,  he  came  to 
Belleville  and  engaged  as  a  book-keeper  with  the 
firm  of  C.  W.  Andel  &  Co.,  wholesale  liquor  dealers, 
remaining  with  them  until  1880,  when  he  leased 
the  National  Hotel  for  one  year  and  began  oper- 
ating it.  At  the  end  of  the  }'ear,  he  was  able  to 
purchase  it,  and  since  then  has  been  the  sole  jiro- 
prietor  of  this  flourishing  hostelry. 

Mr.  Andel  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias, 


282 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  the  Liederkranz,  and  of  the  Turnverein  Ger- 
niHii  societies.  In  both  of  these  societies  lie  is 
an  honored  and  respected  member.  It  was  in 
Missouri  that  Mr.  Andel  won  and  married  his 
charming  wife,  Lizzie  Klippel,  she  being  a  native 
of  tliat  State,  and  tlie  ceremony  occurred  in  St. 
.lue  .lune  24,  18(!9.  Two  bright,  interesting  ciiil- 
dreii  have  blessed  this  union.  Carl  W.  and  Mamie 
M.  In  Mr.  Andel  we  behold  one  of  the  inliuen- 
ti.il  men  of  Belleville,  and  one  that  enjoys  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  ever\-one  who  knows  him, 
find,  as  lie  is  in  a  position  to  become  acquainted 
with  .tII  the  jieople,  his  circle  of  friends  is  ex- 
treinel\-  larire. 


,1,^^  OiN.  .JOHN  T.  MrCASLAND.  There  is  in 
It  jl  the  development  of  every  successful  life  a 
%<^  principle  which  is  a  lesson  to  every  man 
(^  following  in  its  footsteps,  a  lesson  which 
leads  to  higher  and  more  honorable  positions  than 
the  ordinary.  Let  a  man  be  industriously  ambi- 
tious, and  honorable  in  his  ambitions,  and  he  will 
rise,  whether  having  the  prestige  of  family  or  the 
(iliscurity  of  poverty.  These  reflections  are  called 
ri>rth  by  the  Study  of  the  life  of  Mr.  John  T.  Mc- 
(■;i-laiid,  who  is  not  only  the  "real-estate  king"  of 
i-",;isl  SI,.  Louis,  but  one  of  the  city's  most  active 
and  publie-s|iirited  citizens,  promoting  her  best 
interests  in  every  w.ay.  He  is  a  man  of  unusually 
good  judgment  and  has  any  amount  of  push  and 
energy. 

Mr.  McCasland  was  born  near  Murray  ville,  Mor- 
gan County,  111.,  April  2,  1850,  and  is  a  son  of 
.1.  M.  McCasland  (see  .sketch).  His  childhood 
(lays  were  spent  on  a  farm,  where  he  had  the  ad- 
vantages of  the  common  schools,  and  he  remained 
under  the  parental  roof  until  over  twenty-one 
,\  ears  of  age.  lie  then  went  West  to  Colorado,  at 
tiic  lime  of  the  Pueblo  excitement,  and  drove 
ovcilauil  with  team  and  wagon  to  that  place, 
^^\wn'  \w  sold  the  outfit  and  engaged  in  prus- 
["■iiing    for    gold.  <'ontinuing  this    for  about    a 


year.  Returning  to  Morgan  County,  111.,  he 
soon  after  entered  tlie  employ  of  the  Equitable 
Life  Insurance  Company  and  traveled  for  this 
company  all  over  the  Union,  going  to  the 
largest  cities  in  the  different  States.  He  met 
with  wonderful  success,  and  in  his  travels,  while 
stopping  at  St.  Louis,  he  saw  the  future  of  East 
St.  Louis  at  a  glance.  He  purchased  property  in 
that  cit3',  gave  up  his  position  with  the  insurance 
company,  and  in  June,  1889,  he  stepped  right 
into  the  real-estafe  market  with  such  siiirit  and 
confidence  that  the  whole  community  was  aroused, 
and  property  advanced  in  value  so  rapidly  that 
hundreds  of  citizens  made  snug  fortunes  in  a  few 
months.  He  was  the  original  mover  in  the  great 
Denverside  addition,  and  is  the  man  who  induced 
the  Denver  capitalists  to  buy  that  large  tract  and 
plat  it  for  an  addition  to  the  city.  His  personal 
investments  soon  made  him  rich.  He  is  enter- 
prising to  the  fullest  extent,  is  shrewd,  quick  and 
reliable. 

Mr.  McCasland  believes  in  the  future  of  the 
city  and  is  doing  as  much  as  any  one  man  can  to 
advance  it.  He  is  spending  here  the  money  he  so 
quickly  earned,  and  is  proud  of  the  progress  and 
development  of  the  city.  He  has  laid  out  Mc- 
Casland &  Guynon's  Addition,  Claremont  Addi- 
tion, Pecan  Addition,  J.  T.  McCasland  Addition, 
Claremont  Annex  Addition,  Denverside  Addition, 
Alta  Sita  Addition.  Beacon  Heights  Addition,  and 
is  interested  in  Landsdowne  Heights  and  Rose  Lake; 
he  sold  the  part  known  as  the  "Wedge"  to  an  P^ng- 
lish  syndicate.  The  McCasland  Opera  House,  the 
finest  building  in  the  county  and  equal  to  the  opera 
houses  of  St.  Louis  and  Chicago,  being  finished  in 
the  finest  style  and  with  the  latest  conveniences, 
was  built  by  him.  It  is  four  stories  in  height, and 
is  large  and  commodious.  In  this  his  office  is  lo- 
cated, as  is  also  that  of  numerous  other  real-estate 
and  professional  men,  and  it  is  almost  the  geograph- 
ical centre  of  the  city. 

By  his  wonderful  business  acumen  and  excel- 
lent judgment,  Mr.  McCasland  has  brought  P^ast 
St.  Louis  to  the  front  and  has  advanced  her  inter- 
ests in  a  wonderful  manner.  While  thus  engaged, 
ho  has  made  a  snug  fortune  for  himself,  as  well  as 
for  many  otiiers  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  has  reached 


K)RTRArr  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


283 


liis  present  standing  as  a  business  man  by  strict 
attention  to  the  interests  of  patrons,  and  b}'  in  all 
cases  endeavoring  to  give  tlie  limit  of  satisfac- 
tion. 

Mr.  McCasland  selected  bis  life  companion  in 
the  person  of  Miss  Juba  E.  Lusk,  a  native  of  Iowa, 
and  their  marriage  was  celebrated  at  Cheyenne, 
Wyo.,  in  1887.  She  is  tlie  daughter  of  David  C.  Lusk, 
now  (I  resident  of  I^ast  St.  Louis.  The  latter  was  a 
delegate  to  the  National  Convention  at  Minneap- 
olis and  assisted  in  the  nomination  of  Harrison. 
Mr.  McCasland  is  one  of  the  county's  most  prom- 
inent citizens,  and  is  universally  liked  and  re- 
spected. He  is  liberal  and  open-hearted  and  no 
worthy  movement  is  allowed  to  fail  for  want  of 
support  on  his  part.  He  is  pleasant,  affable  and 
courteous  and  lias  many  warm  friends. 


3^*T~^[i 


fP^  YLVESTER  FOLRNIE.  The  sunny  land 
^^^  of  France,  the  home  of  La  Fayette,  has  con- 
^K^-M  ^''"'"'^^  *o  the  upbuilding  of  this  State 
from  the  early  days  of  its  settlement, 
when  the  most  of  the  traders  on  the  river  were 
brave  Frenchmen,  to  the  present  time,  when  some 
of  the  most  skilled  workmen  from  that  land  come 
to  this  older  Republic  and  find  a  home  in  the  busy 
cities  where  their  ancestors  only  found  tlie  savage 
Indian. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Lorraine, 
France,  where  he  lived  until  tiie  age  of  twelve 
years.  His  parents  came  to  this  country  at  an 
early  day  and  settled  in  Illinois  in  this  locality, 
and  here  Louis  Fournie  was  married  to  Felissa 
Adlebrook,  who  was  born  in  Lorraine,  France,  and 
came  to  this  country  when  a  young  lady. 

After  marriage,  Louis  Fournie  and  his  bride  set- 
tled in  "Dutch  Hollow,"  on  a  farm  near  Belleville. 
The  former  made  a  trip  to  California,  and  tlicn 
came  back  and  bought  a  farm  a  mile  north  of 
Belleville,  upon  which  he  lived  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  being  a  consistent  member  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Cliureh.  He  had  seven  children.  Joseph, 
Andrew,  Sylvester  and  Louis  are  still  living. 


Our  subject  was  born  September  24,  1851,  on 
the  old  homestead  in  this  county.  He  was  reared 
here  and  sent  to  the  district  schools.  The  lady 
who  became  his  wife  was  Miss  Elizabeth  Cully, 
the  .young  daughter  of  Nicholas  Cully,  a  rnrnuM 
of  this  county.  This  interesting  ceremony  look 
place  in  September,  1878.  After  marriage,  our 
subject  located  north  of  Belleville,  where  the 
smelting  works  now  are,  and  remained  there 
until  he  came  to  the  farm  he  now  lives  upon.  This 
was  in  1886,  and  on  his  one  hundred  acres  of 
land  on  section  12,  Smithton  Township,  he  raises 
wheat,  corn,  oats  and  potatoes.  He  also  has  a 
valuable  piece  of  timber  land  of  ten  acres,  where 
he  had  previously  lived.  Seven  children  make 
him  welcome  athome:  Katie, Tony,  Louis,  Ida,  Syl- 
vester, Tillie,  and  Charlie,  the  seven-month-old 
baby.  In  his  political  belief,  Mr.  Fournie  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat. He  belongs  to  the  Roman  Catholic  faith 
and  receives  comfort  from  the  ministrations  of  her 
priests.  He  and  his  capable  wife  and  charming 
children  make  up  a  happy,  peaceful  liousehold 
among  the  green  fields  and  meadows  that  the  pass- 
ing traveler  loves  to  see  and  meditate  ui)on. 


mwm 


)IL_^ENRY  ELLIOT,  President  of  the  Elliot, 
il/jl)  Frog  and  Switch  Company,  which  was  in- 
/^^^  corporated  in  1887,  was  born  in  .ledburgh 
(^  Roxburghshire,  Scotland,  in  1827,  to  the  un- 
ion of  Henr^'  and  Mary  (Shortreed)  Elliot,  both  na- 
tives of  Jedburgh.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Henry 
Elliot,  Sr.,  was  also  a  native  of  Jedburgh.  The 
father  was  an  ironworker  and  machinist  and  made 
his  home  in  his  native  town  until  1834,  when  he 
removed  to  Newcastle-upon-Tyne.  Engl:iii(l,  mid 
was  in  the  employ  of  George  Stevenson,  the  lii-si, 
locomotive  builder.  Later,  he  took  charge  .-is  sup- 
erintendent of  the  locomotive  works  of  Coultli;iril 
&  Sons,  and  continued  there  until  18.t4,  when  In' 
brought  his  family  to  America,  settling  in  Cincin- 
nati, where  he  was  employed  in  the  Little  IMianii 
Railroad  shops.  From  there  he  went  to  Vincennes, 
Ind.,  where    his    death    occurred    in    186.S,    when 


284 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIIJC'AL   RECORD. 


sixty-three  years  of  age.  Mrs.  Elliot  died  in  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  in  1857.  She  was  tiie  daughter  of 
George  Shortreed,  a  native  of  Scotland  and  a  shoe- 
maker b_v  trade.  AVhen  young,  the  latter  enlisted 
in  the  English  army  as  private,  serving  in  France 
and  other  places.  Seven  children  were  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elliot,  three  of  whom  survive. 

Henry  Elliot,  the  original  of  this  notice,  was  the 
third  in  order  of  birth  of  the  above-mentioned 
children.  From  the  age  of  seven,  he  was  reared  in 
Newcastle  and  was  educated  in  the  common 
schools.  At  tlie  age  of  twelve,  he  began  working 
in  a  grocery  store  and  was  thus  employed  until 
fourteen,  when  he  was  apprenticed  with  Coulthard 
it  Sons,  locomotive  builders  and  machinists,  as 
machinist  for  the  period  of  five  years.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  this  time,  in  1846,  he  went  to  the  Louca 
Iron  Works,  near  Whitehaven,  but  later  went  to 
Liverpool,  where  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  larg- 
est manufacturing  works  tliere,  and  assisted  in 
building  the  large  steamer  "Sarah  Sands,"  one  of 
the  first  propellers  tliat  ever  crossed  the  ocean  to 
America.  From  there  he  went  to  Leith,  Scotland, 
and  was  in  the  employ'  of  Hawthorne  ct  Co.,  man- 
ufacturers of  locomotives. 

Returning  to  his  liome,  he  was  then  put  in  charge 
of  the  erecting  shops  where  he  had  learned  his 
trade.  He  came  to  America  in  1 841),  and  was  the 
first  of  his  family  to  touch  American  soil.  He  took 
passage  on  the  sailing-vessel  "Isaac  AVright"  in  May 
of  that  year,  and  after  a  thirty-five  days'  voyage 
landed  in  New  York  City.  He  went  from  there 
to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  and  worked  for  the  Baldwin 
Locomotive  AVorks,  remained  there  for  a  time  and 
then  went  to  Richmond,  Va.,  and  worked  in  rail- 
road shops  there  for  some  time.  From  there  lie 
came  to  Cincinnati  and  was  employed  by  the  Lit- 
tle Miami  Railroad  Company.  Subsequently^,  he 
was  transferred  to  Columbus  and  took  charge  of 
the  machine  shops  there  until  1857,  when  he  came 
to  Vincenncs,  Ind.,  and  was  master  mechanic  on 
the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  until  1863.  In 
1864,  he  was  in  the  Government  employ  as  master 
mechanic  with  headquarters  at  Nashville,  Tenn., 
and  he  had  charge  of  fourteen  hundred  men. 
He  remained  there  until  the  close  of  the  war 
and    disposed    of    the    machinery.     In    the    latter 


part  of  1865,  he  went  to  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  to 
put  up  some  machinery  for  the  Government,  but 
finally  concluded  not  to  do  so.  Returning  to  his 
home,  w!is  again  employed  by  the  Ohio  &  Miss- 
issippi Railroad  Company  as  master  mechanic  at 
East  St.  Louis,  and  continued  with  this  company 
until  1873.  when  he  went  into  business  at  this 
place  with  his  brother  George. 

They  started  the  Frog  and  Switch  works  under 
the  firm  name  of  Elliot  &  Bro.,  on  a  small  scale, 
but  as  George  died  soon  after,  his  son  Harry  was 
taken  in  and  tlie  business  was  continued  as  H.  & 
H.  Elliot,  with  a  capital  of  15,000.  They  leased 
the  ground  and  sliops.  Their  business  gradually 
increased,  and  as  they  were  the  first  frog  and 
switch  manufacturers  in  the  United  States  out  of 
railroad  companies,  this  opened  up  a  new  era  of 
manufacture.  Tiiey  do  ail  kinds  of  general  rail- 
road iron  work  and  tools  and  have  several  im- 
proved frogs  etc.  This  firm  became  incorporated 
as  the  Elliot  Frog  and  Switch  Company  with  a  cap- 
ital stock  of  $100,000  in  1887,  with  our  subject  as 
President,  H.  Elliot  Jr.,  Vice-president  and  Secre- 
tary, and  W.  H.  Elliot  as  Treasurer.  This  is  one 
of  the  oldest  manufacturing  establishments  in  the 
city.  He  resided  in  East  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  until  1 879, 
when,  on  account  of  his  health,  he  moved  to  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  He  owns  several  houses  in  the  former 
place  and  the  firm  own  much  valuable  real  estate 
in  the  city.  Mr.  Elliot  is  Director  in  the  First 
National  Bank  and  is  a  stockliolder  in  the  Build- 
ing and  Loan  Association. 

;Mr.  Elliot  was  first  mariied  in  Cincinnati  to 
Miss  Mary  A.  Barry,  a  native  of  County  Armagh, 
Ireland.  She  died  in  Vincennes.  Ind.  Six  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them,  with  three  living  and 
married:  Susan,  married  and  resides  in  P2ast  St. 
Louis;  James  employed  in  a  shop;  Ma}'  is  married 
and  resides  in  Detroit,  Mich.  Mr.  Elliot's  second 
marriage  was  with  Miss  Hessie  Roach,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  and  they  have  three  children,  viz.:  Will- 
iam H.,  Treasurer  of  the  Company;  Attie  B.,  at 
home,  and  Vesta  F.  ^Ir.  Elliot  and  family  reside 
at  No.  3631  Washington  Avenue,  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Elliot  assisted  in  drawing  up  the  charter 
for  East  St.  Louis,  and  while  in  Vincennes  was  a 
member  of  the  city  council.     He  is  a  Roval  Arch 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


285 


Mason,  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  In  1882, 
lie  made  a  trip  to  Europe  and  has  visited  that 
country'  twice  since,  the  last  time  in  1891.  He 
had  a  very  pleasant  visit  back  to  his  old  home  and 
has  been  all  over  Scotland,  England,  Ireland,  (Ger- 
many, France  and  Switzerland.  The  second  time 
he  took  his  familj'  along.  Mr.  Elliot  is  a  member 
of  the  National  Master  Mechanics'  Association  and 
is  one  of  tlie  oldest  members. 


JIOIIN  HENRY  FRIESS,  who  resides  on  sec- 
tion 26,  Shiloh  Valley  Township,  is  one  of 
the  worthy  citizens  that  Germany  has  fur- 
nished  to  St.  Clair  County.     He    was    born 

in  Darmstadt  in  1825,  and  is  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Elizabeth  M.  (Ople)  Friess,  both  of  whom  were 
also  natives  of  Darmstadt.  The  father  was  reared 
in  the  village  and  in  his  youth  learned  the  shoe- 
maker's trade,  which  he  followed  until  his  mar- 
I'iage.  In  accordance  with  the  laws  of  his  native 
land,  he  also  served  a  few  years  in  the  German 
army. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Friess  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  agricultural  pursuits,  owning  a  farm  in  the 
Fatherland.  At  length,  he  determined  to  seek  a 
home  in  the  New  AVorld,  and  bidding  good-b3'e  to 
the  scenes  of  his  j'outh,  accompanied  by  his  fam- 
ily, he  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic  to  the  United 
States.  He  came  directly  to  the  West,  and,  locat- 
ing in  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  entered  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  from  the  (Government. 
The  wild  and  unimproved  tract  he  transformed 
into  an  excellent  farm,  upon  which  he  made  his 
home  until  his  death.  He  was  reared  in  tlie  Lutii- 
eran  Church.  His  death  occurred  about  1877,  and 
his  wife  survived  him  four  years.  To  this  worthy 
couple  were  born  eight  children,  of  whom  onl}' 
four  are  now  living:  George,  John  H.,  Frederick, 
and  Mary,  wife  of  Louis  Fisher.  Those  deceased 
are  Michael,  Peter,  Adam,  and  Margaret,  who  was 
tlie  wife  of  Stephen  Piecebanker. 

Mr.  Friess,  whose  name  heads  this  record,  spent 


the  'first  eleven  years  of  his  life  in  his  native  land 
and  then  accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emi- 
gration to  America.  The  days  of  his  boj'hood 
were  spent  under  the  parental  roof  and  he  gave 
his  father  the  benefit  of  his  labors  upon  the  home 
farm  until  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  when  an 
important  event  occurred  in  his  life,  his  marriage 
with  Miss  Catherine  Funk.  The  lady  is  a  native 
of  this  county,  and  a  daughter  of  George  and 
Catherine  (Froot)  Funk,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  in  an 
early  day.  Six  children  have  been  born  of  the 
union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Friess,  three  sons  and  three 
daughters:  Philip,  Henry,  George;  Katie,  wife  of 
Martin  Emerick ;  Matilda,  wife  of  Gustave  Schrader; 
and  Marj-,  wife  of  Frank  Moser. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Friess  purchased 
the  land  on  which  he  now  resides.  By  his  indus- 
try and  perseverance,  he  has  become  the  owner  of 
a  highly  improved  farm,  comprising  one  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  rich  land,  which  yields  to 
him  a  golden  tribute.  He  is  an  enterprising 
and  successful  farmer,  and  his  well-directed  ef- 
forts have  brought  to  him  a  comfortable  compe- 
tence, which  places  hini  among  the  substantial 
citizens  of  the  community.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  in  political  sentiment 
is  a  supporter  of  Democratic  principles.  Tiie 
county  regards  him  as  among  its  valued  citizens, 
for  he  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  the  promotion 
of  all  public  enterprises  of  worth. 


-r^m-r^' 


#> 


Jl  OHN  EHINGER.  This  gentleman  is  one  of 
the  oldest  German-Americans  at  Belleville, 
having  come  here  April  1,  1850.  He  was 
_  '  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  April  3,  1823, 
and  was  the  son  of  Xavier  and  Maria  (Wengia) 
Ehinger,  who  spent  their  entire  lives  in  their  native 
land.  Our  subject  obtained  his  education  in  Ger- 
many, and  was  there  taught  the  carpenter's  trade. 
For  five  and  one  half  years  he  was  a  soldier.  After 
the  Revolution  of  1848,  he  resolved  to  go  to  Amer- 
ica.  ()n  reiichino-  this  countrv,  he  fniluwed  the  trade 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  carpenter,  working  for  eleven  months  as  jour- 
neyman. He  then  engaged  in  business  for  himself, 
and  began  taking  contracts  and  building  from  that 
time  on.  He  lias  put  up  a  large  number  of  build- 
ings, good  houses  and  stores,  in  this  town,  as  he  is 
the  oldest  contractor  here.  He  kept  on  improving, 
and  finally  began  to  contract  for  bridge  building, 
requiring  the  assistance  of  sixteen  men.  In  1886, 
the  weight  of  business  became  irksome  to  him,  and 
he  turned  it  over  to  his  sons,  they  having  been 
well  trained  under  him.  The  sons  now  have  a 
building  50x115  feet,  with  power  and  everything 
well  ari'anged  for  their  line  of  business,  and 
constantly  give  employment  to  twenty-five  men. 

Our  subject  married  Miss  Caroline  Suttler,  in 
1851,  the  marriage  taking  pLacc  in  this  city.  She 
was  born  in  Baden,  (Germany,  in  the  year  1826. 
Their  children  were:  Charles,  deceased;  William 
and  Emil,  who  form  the  firm  of  Ehinger  Bros.; 
Anna;  and  Bertha,  who  is  the  widow  of  Conrad 
Stoll. 

Mr.  Ehinger  built  a  fine  home  on  the  corner  of 
Clay  Avenue  and  Lebanon  Road,  where  he  has 
lived  for  over  forty  years.  He  has  had  an  active 
life,  and  takes  great  pleasure  in  seeing  the  busi- 
ness carried  on  so  successfully-  in  the  f.imily. 


>-^f^^il-^"i^ll^^i=^  ' 


PETER  SCHWINN,  who  is  the  owner  of  a 
)  fine  farm  of  six  hundred  acres  on  section  2, 
Stookey  Township,  was  born  in  Germany,  in 
1822,  and  is  a  son  of  Leonard  and  Margaret 
Schwinn,  both  likewise  natives  of  the  Fatherland. 
The  father  was  born  in  1782,  and  the  mother's 
birth  occurred  the  following  year.  Leonard 
Schwinn  grew  to  manhood  on  a  farm,  receiving 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  a  neighboring  vil- 
lage. He  followed  agricultural  pursuits  as  an  oc- 
cupation, and  in  addition  to  the  regular  duties  of 
the  farm  owned  a  large  vineyard,  from  which  he 
made  wine  quite  extensively. 

In  1833,  when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  eleven 
years,  his  father  left  Germany  and  brought  his  fam- 
ily to  the  United  States,  coming  at  once  to  St.  Clair 


County,  111.  Here  he  purchased  eight3--seven  acres 
of  the  farm  where  his  son  now  lives.  His  means  being 
limited,  he  bought  his  property  on  long  payments. 
After  this  he  entered  forty  acres  of  Government 
land  and  again  added  to  his  possessions  seventy- 
three  acres,  making  in  all  a  farm  of  two  hundred 
acres.  His  whole  life  and  attention  were  strictly 
devoted  to  the  tilling  of  the  soil  and  kindred  pur- 
suits. 

On  tiie  7th  of  Sc'ptomber,  1848,  Leonard  Sfhwinn 
was  foully  murdered  by  a  farm  hand  who  had  pre- 
viously worked  for  him.     At  the  time,   with   his 
I   son,  Mr.  Schwinn  was  living  alone  on  his  farm,  his 
wife  having  died  several   years  before.     Our  suli- 
ject  was  at  a  neighbor's  when   the  dreadful  crime 
j    was  committed.     The    cowardly  assassin   followed 
Mr.  Schwinn  from  the  house,  and  shot  him  in   the 
I    back.     The  motive  of  the  deed  was  always  sup- 
(    posed  to  be  robbery,  as  the  victim  had  a  large  sum 
1    of  money  in  his  possession  at  the  time.     The  mur- 
deier    was  soon   captured    and    received    his  just 
punishment  for  the  awful  crime. 

At  the  time  of  his  father's  death,  Peter  Schwinn 
I    was  twenty-eight  years  of  age.     He  was  the  young- 
est of  a  family  of  four  children,  and,  like  his  father, 
his  attention  was  early  turned  to  farming.    He  has 
now  six  hundred  acres  of  the  best  farm  land,  whicii 
he  has  improved  and  brought  under  a   high  state 
,   of  cultivation.     His  farm  is  considered  one  of  the 
j   best  in  the  neighborhood,  and  his  fine  residence, 
barns  and  other  outbuildings,  the  latest  improved 
machinery  and    well-tilled  fields,  all  indicate   the 
\    thrift   and    enterprise    of  the    owner,  who    ranks 
j    among    the  leading  agriculturists  of   the  county, 
!    where  he  has  lived  for  nearly  sixty  years.     He   is 
an  intelligent  and  successful  business   man,   iden- 
tified with  the  best  interestsof  the  comnuinity  and 
ever  ready  to  aid  in  the  jiromotion  of  such  enter- 
prises as  will  advance  the  general  welfare. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Schwinn  was  celebiated 
April  23,  1848,  when  Miss  Christina  Mosser  became 
his  wife.  To  them  were  born  seven  children:  Mary, 
the  wife  of  James  Mitchell;  Peter,  Frederick;  jMin- 
nie,  the  wife  of  Charles  Hoff;  P^lizabeth,  wife  of 
Louis  Rhine;  Leonard;  and  Rosa,  who  is  now  de 
:  ceased.  Afterthedeathof  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Schwinn 
I   was  married  to  Mrs.  Josephine  Droit,  the  ceremony 


PORTRAIT  AND  BTOGRAPinCAL  RECORD. 


being  iierlonned  in  1877.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Louis  .niifl  Mary  (Merselle)  Dupont.  By  her  union 
with  Jlr.  Droit  were  born  six  children:  Louisa, 
wife  of  .loseph  Ettienne;  C'amiela,  Tolma,  Colbert 
(deceased),  AValler  and  Oliver. 

In  his  political  afflhations,  Mr.  Sehwinn  is  allied 
with  the  Republican  party,  and  is  much  interested 
in  the  political  issues  of  the  day.  His  fellow-citi- 
zens, appreciating  bis  worth  and  ability,  have  fre- 
quently called  upon  him  to  serve  in  local  positions, 
the  duties  of  wliich  he  has  ever  performed  with 
lidelitv,  and  to  the  sati-faction  of  all. 


^f\  XTOX  J.  MUELLER   is   one  of  the  sub- 
@)0     ."tantial  and  inrtuential  farmers  of  St.  Clair 
^   A    Township,  living  on  a  fine  farm   one  and 
(^  a-half  miles  from  Belleville.     His  parents 

were  .loseph  D.  and  Annie  Mary  (Fisher)  Mueller, 
natives  of  Germany.  These  estimable  people  made 
the  long  and  dangerous  voyage  across  the  seas  in 
1848,  landing  in  New  York  in  the  same  year. 
From  that  city,  they  went  to  Ohio  and  Indiana, 
where  the  father  engaged  in  sawmilling,  but,  not 
feeling  satisfied  with  the  countr}-,  they  in  1852 
came  to  Illinois  and  settled  on  a  farm  about  eight 
miles  from  the  present  home  of  our  subject,  re- 
moving in  18.'i3  to  his  present  home.  The  grand- 
parents of  our  subject  lived  and  died  in  their  na- 
tive land — Germany.  Anton  was  one  of  six  chil- 
dren, who  were  as  follows:  .John  F.,  a  fanner  of 
Franklin  Township;  Stephen,  a  single  man,  who  is 
making  his  home  with  his  brother  John;  Helena,  now 
the  wife  of  .1.  H.  Germain,  a  resident  of  George- 
town Road,  where  he  has  a  fine  farm;  May,  single, 
who  is  residing  with  her  brother  Anton ;  and  .Joseph, 
who  is  also  single  and  resides  witb  Anton.  Mr. 
Mueller,  Sr.,  died  in  1883,  and  his  faithful  wife 
only  survived  him  six  years,  when  she,  too,  passed 
unto  the  better  life,  in  1889.  They  had  been  good, 
worthy  people  and  their  loss  was  felt  throughout 
the  township. 

Mr.  Mueller  was  reared  on  the  tine  farm  lie  now 


occupies  and  attended  the  common  schools  of  the 
neighborhood,  but  in  addition  to  the  education 
received  there  he  learned  to  speak  fluently  the  lan- 
guage of  his  father's  native  land.  He  is  yet  a  young 
man,  only  twenty-eightr  years  of  age,  having  been 
born  April  28,  18(U,  but  is  one  of  the  best  farmers 
in  his  section  and  promises  to  be  one  of  the 
weighty  men  of  the  county.  His  farm  is  a  fine 
one  of  eighty-flve  acies,  which  he  has  well  im- 
proved and  furnished  with  all  the  necessary  farm 
buildings.  He  was  united  in  marriage  .January  21, 
1892,  to  Miss  Agnes  Krans,  a  native  of  Missouri, 
the  accomplished  and  charming  daughter  of  Philip 
Krans. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  the  leading  Democrats  of 
the  township  and  is  an  ardent  supporter  of  the 
principles  of  Democracy.  In  his  religious  views, 
he  is  a  Catholic,  and  lives  according  to  the  pre- 
cepts taught  by  his  church.  With  such  young 
blood  as  this  in  Illinois'  veins,  is  it  any  wonder 
that  she  bids  fair  to  outstrip  her  sister  States  in 
influence  and  wealth? 


JOHN  FREY  is  the  owner  and  occupant  of  a 
pleasant  farm  located  on  section  26,  Stookey 
Townshi]).  It  comprises  many  acres  of 
well-improved  and  cultivated  land,  a  sub- 
stantial and  commodious  residence  and  good  barns 
being  included  in  the  buildings  which  adorn  it.  It 
is  devoted  to  the  purpose  of  general  farming,  and 
has  been  for  3'ears  the  scene  of  the  successful 
labors  of  its  owner. 

.John  and  Mary  (Mas)  Fre}',  the  parents  of  our 
subject,  were  born  in  Prussia,  and  were  natives  of 
the  same  town.  John  Frey,  Sr.,  w.is  a  weaver  by 
occupation,  but  owned  a  small  farm  which  he  man- 
aged successfully  in  connection  with  his  trade.  The 
subject  of  our  sketch  was  the  third,  of  five  chil- 
dren, his  brothers  and  sisters  being  Adam;  Frank, 
deceased;  Catherine,  wife  of  Peter  Rock;  and 
Mary,  deceased.  The  members  of  the  family  who 
sought  their  fortune  in  close  proximity  to  the  pres- 
ent home  of  our  subject  were  Adam,  who  is  a  resi- 


290 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


dent  of  Missouri;  and  Catheiine,  Mrs.  Rock,  who 
lives  in  Marion  County,  111. 

.lohn  Fre}',  .Jr.,  received  liis  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  his  native  land,  and  after  finishing 
the  school  eoui'se  compulsory  under  the  laws  of 
Prussia,  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker,  which 
he  followed  as  a  nieiins  of  liveliliood  until  he  left 
his  native  land  to  seek  a  better  fortune  in  the  New 
AVorld. 

On  reaching  his  seventeenth  year,  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  became  imbued  with  a  desire  to  investi- 
gate the  possibilities  and  discover  the  rich  re- 
sources of  America,  so,  leaving  his  parents  and  na- 
tive land,  he  started  on  his  journey  to  the  United 
States,  the  Mecca  of  his  hopes  of  future  prosper- 
ity. In  the  year  18.53,  he  located  at  Belleville, 
111.,  at  which  place  he  found  the  den;  and  for  men 
of  iiis  craft  rather  limited;  so  he  obtained  employ- 
ment in  a  soda-water  factory.  Naturally  thrifty 
and  diligent,  our  subject  was  enabled  to  accumu- 
late some  of  his  earnings,  and  after  working  at  the 
soda-water  business  for  a  short  time,  he,  as  the  son 
of  a  farmer,  became  impressed  with  the  fertility  of 
the  district  in  which  he  had  located,  and  therefore 
left  his  position  in  the  factory  and  took  a  position 
on  a  farm,  in  order  to  become  thoroughly  conver- 
sant with  the  life  he  meant  to  pursue. 

The  year  1872  marks  an  era  in  the  life  of  our 
subject,  he  at  that  period  assuming  the  responsi- 
bility of  being  head  of  a  family.  The  lady  he  mar- 
ried was  Mrs.  Barbara  Wagner,  daughter  of  Adam 
it  Barbara  (Stein)  Haas,  and  who  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage  was  the  owner  of  the  farm  on  which 
thej'  now  reside.  ]Mrs.  Barbara  Frey  was  born  near 
New  Orleans,  her  birth  occurring  on  board  the 
vessel  that  brought  her  parents  to  the  United 
States  in  the  year  183.3.  She  had  the  advantage 
of  a  common-school  education,  and  in  the  home  of 
her  parents,  under  her  mother's  supervision,  she 
was  trained  in  all  that  goes  to  make  a  good  house- 
wife. She  is  a  lady  of  most  estimable  character 
and  fine  principles,  one  who  embodies  true  woman- 
liness and  kindness  of  heart  in  the  spirit  with  which 
she  treats  her  friends  and  neighbors.  She  was 
brought  up  in  the  Lutheran  faith,  and  is  a  woman 
of  broad  and  progressive  ideas. 

John  Frey  is  a  man  of  excellent  habits  and    fine   j 


principles,  possessing  in  a  great  degree  those  traits 
of  character  that  commend  him  to  the  confidence 
of  all  about  him.  Although  not  a  native  Ameri- 
can, lie  was  ready  to  espouse  the  cause  of  this  nation 
as  far  back  as  1865,  when  he  enlisted  in  Company 
B,  One  Hundred  and  Fortj'-ninth  Illinois  Regiment; 
after  serving  in  the  army  for  one  year,  he  re- 
ceived his  discharge.  His  political  sympathies  are 
with  the  Republican  party,  and  he  is  a  stanch  ad- 
herent of  the  principles  and  tlieories  of  the  leader 
he  helps  to  elect. 


"jl?  oris  FORCADE.  Tiie  Forcade  family  has 
ll  ^  many  representatives  in  Prairie  du  Long 
il^^  Township,  and  we  are  pleased  to  add  the 
name  of  Louis  Forcade  to  the  long  list  of  honor- 
able citizens  whose  biographies  we  are  publishing. 
The  Forcade  homestead  is  one  of  the  pleasantest 
in  this  county  and  shows  man}"^  improvements  of  a 
high  order,  which  are  the  work  both  of  the  senior 
and  junior  members  of  this  familj-. 

Louis  Forcade,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  (Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  with 
his  parents  when  a  bo.y  of  twelve  years.  His 
father  settled  in  Pennsylvania,  from  which  State 
he  moved  to  Georgetown,  111.,  where  he  spent  the 
rest  of  his  life.  His  family  consisted  of  nine  chil- 
dren, six  of  whom  are  living. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  on  the  jilace 
where  he  now  lives.  May  26,  1848.  He  received 
his  early  education  at  the  public  scliools,  and 
afterward  attended  Rohrer's  Commercial  College. 
After  leaving  college,  he  at  once  commenced  to 
earn  his  livelihood  as  an  agriculturist.  The  year 
1869  marked  an  eventful  era  in  his  career,  as  it  was 
the  year  in  which  he  married  Eva  Elizabeth  Press, 
a  daughter  of  Michael  Press,  who  lived  in  Monroe 
County,  111.,  and  moved  thence  to  Belleville,  111. 
Eleven  children  were  born  to  our  subject  and  his 
wife,  seveu  of  whom  are  still  living.  They  are 
Katie,  George,  Louis,  Henry,  Eda,  Hilda  and  Lulu, 
who  .are  all  at  liome. 

Mr.  Forcade  is  the  possessor  of  a  very  fine  farm 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


291 


comprising  some  two  hundred  acres,  all  of  wliicb 
is  well  improved  and  in  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  is  noted  as  one  of  tlie  most  skillful  and 
tlivifty  farmers  in  this  section  of  the  country,  and 
is  at  the  same  time  one  of  the  most  liberal-minded 
and  progressive  men  in  the  community.  He  raises 
some  of  the  best  crops  of  wheat  to  be  found  any- 
where in  this  township,  and  is  proud  of  the  record 
he  has  made  as  a  successful  cultivator  of  this 
cereal.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church, 
to  which  body  both  he  and  his  wife  belong.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit 
Association,  of  which  he  is  Secretary;  and  also  of 
the  Trebund  order,  of  which  lie  is  Financial  Secre- 
tary. 

Politically,  Mr.  Forcadc  is  a  strong  Democrat, 
and  has  always  voted  that  ticket.  He  has  been 
elected  to  the  ofHce  of  Assessor  of  this  township, 
and  for  three  successive  years  has  held  the  office 
of  Collector.  He  is  a  strong  advocate  of  educa- 
tion and  served  the  coinmunit3'  for  eighteen  years 
in  the  office  of  School  Director. 

Mr.  Forcade  takes  an  intelligent  interest  in  all 
that  pertains  to  the  good  of  the  community  in 
which  he  dwells.  He  manifests  the  same  energy 
in  local  affairs  which  has  made  liim  successful  in 
his  individual  efforts,  and  all  duties  of  office  have 
been  filled  by  him  in  a  manner  creditable  to  him- 
self and  those  who  made  such  a  worthy  appoint- 
ment. His  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  are  duly 
appreciated  by  his  fellow-citizens,  who  accord  him 
his  just  measure  of  respect.  He  is  numbered 
among  the  substantial  men  of  the  communit}',  and 
his  example  as  a  man  of  energy,  industry  and 
Imsiness  al)ilit\  may  be  emulated  to  advantage. 


-^#^- 


GE  DHASER.  (^ne  of  the  most  enter- 
and  successful  business  firms  in  the 
of  Mascoutah  is  the  lumber  firm  of 
Draser  &  Pfaff,  in  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
occupies  the  position  of  junior  partner. 

George  Draser,  Sr.,  was  born  in  the  province  of 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  that  section  of  Germany  tliat  has 


^^  FORGE 
11  ^«-  pi'ising 
'^^  city    of 


contributed  so  much  to  the  settlement  and  culti- 
vation of  the  State  of  Illinois.  He  reached  here 
in  1826,  and  when  the  first  excitement  grew  over 
the  fertile  lauds  to  be  had  in  this  part  of  the 
West  he  made  his  wa3-  hither.  His  first  location 
was  in  Georgetown,  in  St.  Clair  County,  and  there 
he  soon  found  plenty  of  employment  in  his  trade 
of  carpenter.  He  followed  his  occupation  steadily 
for  three  years,  but  after  that  moved  to  a  farm  east 
of  Mascoutah,  and  here  remained  for  six  years, 
when  the  growing  village  of  Mascoutah  proving 
attractive  on  account  of  the  amount  of  building 
going  on  there,  he  removed  to  that  place  and 
followed  his  trade  there  until  1870,  when  he  saw 
a  fine  opening  in  the  lumber  business,  and  started 
a  yard  in  Mascoutah.  Previous  to  this  time,  he 
bought  a  farm  in  Clinton  County,  and  lived  upon 
that  for  several  years,  but  in  1881  he  formed  a 
partnership  with  Mr.  Pfaff  in  the  lumber  business, 
which  was  carried  on  successfully  until  1890.  Then 
Mr.  Draser  retired  from  the  firm,  and  his  son 
George  went  into  it  in  his  place,  and  became  the 
junior  member. 

(Tcorge  Draser,  Sr.,  was  married  about  1854  or 
185u,  in  Georgetown,  to  Miss  Dora  Strom berger, 
whose  father  came  to  America  when  advanced  in 
years.  He  had  followed  the  occupation  of  farming 
in  the  Old  Country,  and  continued  it  in  this.  Tince 
children  were  born  of  this  marriage,  who  are 
Henrietta,  who  now  is  the  widow  of  George  Schus- 
ter; Mena,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  Kolp,  who 
conducts  a  successful  business  in  a  general  store  in 
Lebanon,  in  this  county;  and  the  tiiird  is  the  sub- 
jectof  tills  notice.  Mr.  Draser,  Sr.,  has  held  the 
office  of  Treasurer  of  the  town  of  Mascoutah, 
where  he  now  lives  retired. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  March  2, 
1865.  He  grew  up  bright  and  active,  and  attended 
the  public  schools  and  continued  the  course  un- 
til he  graduated  from  the  High  School  of  Mas- 
coutah in  the  year  1878.  After  he  left  school 
he  learned  the  trade  of  carpenter,  and  this 
proved  so  profitable  that  he  followed  it  for  six 
years,  and  then  went  into  the  lumber  business. 
His  previous  trade  had  given  him  a  good  know- 
lege  of  different  kinds  of  lumber,  and  when  he 
went    into   the   business  witii   his    father   he    had 


292 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


little  more  than  the  details  to  learn.  When  his 
parents    decided  to    retire   from    active    life,    in 

1890,  he  took  his  place  with  Mr.  Pfaff,  and  the 
firm  has  made  trade  very  lively  in  this  section  for 
the  past  three  years. 

The   lady  who    became   Mrs.  Draser  on    .June  4, 

1891,  was  Miss  Matilda  Grossman,  who  was  the 
daughter  of  Louis  Grossman,  of  Fayettevllle.  The 
father  was  an  old  settler  in  this  county,  and  he 
died  in  F.ayetteville  about  twenty-three  years  ago. 

The  political  convictions  of  our  subject  are  those 
of  the  Republican  party,  and  he  works  for  its  ad- 
vancement. He  is  one  of  those  solid  young  men 
who  become  the  founders  of  great  enterprises,  and 
the  future  maj'  hold  an  important  place  for  Mr. 
Draser.  He  is  the  onlj*  son  of  his  father,  and  to 
this  parent  he  is  a  comfort  in  his  declining  years. 
He  and  his  young  wife  are  prominent  socially  in 
Mascoutah. 


GUIS  G.  MILLP^R.  No  member  of  any  com- 
munity in  St.  Glair  County  is  held  in  greater 
honor  and  esteem  than  this  gentleman, and 
no  one  is  more  worthy  of  the  success  that  results 
from  diligence,  ability  and  enterprise,  than  he. 
His  residence  on  section  20  has  long  been  recog- 
nized as  one  of  the  choice  local  features  of  this 
communit}',  its  well-kept  surroundings  and  hand- 
some buildings  giving  evidence  of  care  and  excel- 
lent management  on  the  part  of  the  owner. 

Michael  Miller,  the  father  of  him  whose  biog- 
raphy we  are  writing,  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Ger- 
many, on  the  23d  of  June,  1823,  and  after  attain- 
ing liis  fourteenth  year,  he,  with  his  mother,  emi- 
grated to  this  country.  His  first  home  on  this  side 
the  Atlantic  was  in  New  York  State,  where  he 
lived  for  one  year.  The  spirit  of  enterprise,  and  a 
desire  to  seek  fortune  in  olher  fields,  induced  him 
to  leave  New  York  State  in  1839  and  take  up  his 
residence  in  the  city  of  Chicago,  where  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  shoemaker  and  worked  at  the  bench 
until   1844.     Business  prospects  seemed  to  him  to 


be  better  at  St.  Louis,  and  he  accordingly  started  for 
that  point,  where,  after  being  employed  at  his  trade 
but  a  short  time,  he  started  in  business  and  estab- 
lished himself  as  a  dealer  and  manufacturer  of  boots 
and  shoes.  It  was  about  the  year  1850,  that  the  pos- 
sibilities of  St.  Clair  County  as  a  farming  county 
attracted  Mr.  Miller's  attention;  and,  following  his 
naturallj'  shrewd  business  instincts,  he  closed  out 
his  affairs  in  St.  Louis,  moved  to  Prairie  dn  Long 
Township,  St.  Clair  County,  and  purchased  forty 
acres  of  land  on  section  30.  Here  he  built  his 
home  and  remained,  and  here  he  still  resides  at 
the  time  of  this  writing. 

In  the  year  1854,  Mr.  Miller  married  Miss  Cath- 
erine Schwarz,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob 
Hammel,  a  prominent  farmer  of  St.  Clair  Countj'. 
Eight  children  were  born  to  this  couple,  seven  of 
whom  are  still  living.  They  are  as  follows:  Cath- 
erine, the  wife  of  Peter  Muskopf ;  Mary,  the  wife 
of  Philip  Peffer,  who  lives  in  this  township;  Louis, 
the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Charles  M.,  who  also 
lives  in  this  township;  Adeline,  who  is  the  wife  of 
James  Thompson  and  resides  in  Prairie  du  Long; 
Caroline,  the  wife  of  John  Rittinghouse ;  and  Henry 
W.,  who  lives  at  home.  The  family  circle  was 
broken  by  the  death  of  Adolph  F.,  which  occurred 
when  he  was  two  j-ears  and  five  months  old.  Pros- 
perity was  the  reward  that  crowned  Mr.  Miller's 
efforts,  and  but  a  short  time  after  settling  in  this 
county,  we  find  his  original  purchase  of  forty  acres 
largel}^  increased.  He  became  an  American  citizen 
in  the  strictest  sense  of  the  term  and  is  a  fine  ex- 
ample of  all  that  the  words  imply. 

Politicalh',  Mr.  Miller  is  a  stanch  adherent  of 
tlie  Republican  party  and  has  held  the  offices  of 
Road  Commissioner,  School  Trustee  and  School 
Director.  His  career  is  well  worthy  of  emulation. 
He  started  in  life  poor,  but  by  hard  work  and 
skillful  management  is  now  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful farmers  in  this  vicinity.  His  reputation  is 
that  of  a  man  whose  motives  are  actuated  by  the 
highest  principles.  He  added  to  his  farm  until  it 
now  comprises  three  hundred  and  seventy-seven 
acres,  most  of  which  are  well  improved. 

Louis  G.  Miller,  the  subject  proper  of  this  sketch, 
was  born  in  Prairie  du  Long  Township,  on  the  old 
homestead,  where  he  grew  up  to  manhood's  estate. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


293 


He  received  liis  education  in  tlic  district  school, 
which  at  that  time  was  located  on  section  21.  When 
fifteen  years  of  age,  he  concluded  to  end  his  school 
life,  and  became  interested  in  pursuits  of  labor 
more  fitted  to  his  taste.  A  natural  and  careful 
student,  he  acquired  bj^  reading  and  close  study  of 
books  and  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact,  an 
education  that  is,  so  far  as  the  actual  and  practical 
experiences  of  life  are  concerned,  quite  equal 
to  that  gained  in  our  large  colleges;  and  has  not 
only  developed  his  inherent  faculty  of  acquiring, 
but  is  also  endowed  with  the  abilit3'  to  make  use  of 
his  knowledge  and  self-training. 

In  the  year  1879,  L.  G.  Miller  was  married  to 
IMiss  Mary  Skaer,  daughter  of  Philip  Skaer,  one  of 
the  wealthiest  farmers  in  Prairie  du  Long  Town- 
ship, who  still  lives  and  enjoys  his  large  possessions 
on  survey  607.  After  his  marriage,  our  subject 
assumed  the  responsibilities  of  his  own  home  and 
located  on  the  farm  which  he  now  occupies.  Six 
children  have  been  born  to  him  in  the  years  that 
have  intervened  since  his  marriage:  Amelia,  Laura. 
Clara,  Percy  J.,  Malbern  P.,  and  Albert  .J. 

Our  subject  has  a  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
six  acres,  all  of  which  is  well  improved  and  in  a 
high  state  of  cultivation.  He  devotes  his  farm 
to  growing  cereals  mostl}',  wheat  being  his  princi- 
pal crop.  He  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  the  leader 
of  his  party  in  Prairie  du  Long.  His  first  vote 
was  cast  for  Gen.  Garfield  and  he  has  voted  the 
straight  ticket  ever  since  and  never  missed  an 
election.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  County- 
Central  Committee  for  the  last  twelve  years,  held 
the  office  of  School  Treasurer  from  1880  to  1884, 
and  was  Collector  for  his  township  during  the  same 
period.  He  held  the  office  of  Assessor  from  1886 
to  1889,  and  has  been  School  Director  for  the  past 
five  j-ears.  He  was  re-elected  to  the  office  of  Col- 
lector in  1890,  and  in  1891  was  elected  Supervisor, 
the  most  important  office  in  the  township,  which 
position  he  now  holds.  As  a  member  of  the  Board 
of  References,  he  is  Chairman  of  the  Committee 
on  Elections  and  Townships,  and  a  member  of  the 
Committee  on  Paupers,  and  has  also  been  appointed 
Census  Enumerator  for  his  township.  All  these 
(lositions  he  has  tillod  with  honor  to  himself  and 
with  credit  to  liis  constituents.     In   the    ranks  of 


the  Republican  party,  he  has  always  been  one  of 
the  foremost  and  active  workers,  and  is  popular  as 
a  politician  and  citizen.  He  is  a  young  man  of 
broad  and  liberal  views,  is  progressive  and  benev- 
olent and  a  generous  supporter  of  all  worthy  enter- 
prises. 


WILLIAM  LOTZ  was  born  and  reared  on 
the  farm  which  he  now  operates,  on  sec- 
„  „  tion  27,  Shiloh  Valley  Township,  1855 
being  the  year  of  his  birth.  He  is  a  son  of  .lohn 
and  Margaret  (Sensel)  Lotz.  The  father  was  born 
in  1820,  and  his  mother's  birth  occurred  on  the 
27tli  of  June,  1824,  both  being  natives  of  Ger- 
many. The  paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject 
were  Charles  O.  and  Elizabeth  Lotz,  who  lived  in 
Germany,  where  the  former  carried  on  a  farm. 
Tliey  both  came  to  the  United  States  and  died  in 
St.  Clair  County.  Our  subject's  father  came  with 
his  parents  to  this  country,  being  then  a  young 
man.  Locating  in  this  townsliip,  he  afterward 
married  the  daughter  of  Peter  and  Margaret  Sen- 
sel. He  started  to  earn  his  own  livelihood  by 
working  for  the  neighboring  farmers,  and  later 
rented  a  farm,  which  he  cultivated.  He  accumu- 
lated a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  eighty-eight 
acres,  all  of  which  was  a  most  desirable  property. 
His  first  purchase  was  a  tract  of  fifty  acres,  for 
which  he  paid  $5  per  acre. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  four  children,  but  the 
others  died  when  quite  young.  His  education 
was  received  in  the  district  schools,  supplemented 
by  a  course  of  study  in  Belleville.  After  the 
death  of  his  father,  he  remained  on  the  faim, 
which  he  took  charge  of  as  soon  as  he  had  reached 
a  sufficient  age.  His  mother  found  in  him  an  able 
arid  trustworthy  helper,  who  relieved  her  of  most 
of  the  cares  and  anxieties  pertaining  to  the  propei- 
management  of  a  large  farm. 

When  he  had  reached  the  age  of  twenty-three, 
Mr.  Lotz  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Schraeder,  a 
daughter  of  Adam  and  Elizabeth  (Hamen)  Schrse- 
der.  Unto  them  two  children  have  lieen  liorii, 
Tillie  and   Charles   \V.      They  have   also   opened 


294 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


their  hearts  and  home  to  an  orphan  child,  John 
Fisher,  to  whom  tliey  have  shown  every  kindness. 
Mr.  Lotz  uses  his  right  of  francliiso  in  support 
of  the  Republican  party,  as  did  his  father  before 
him.  He  was  chosen  Collector  of  the  township  in 
18;>-2,  as  the  successor  of  John  Pierce.  He  takes 
.in  active  part  in  the  affairs  of  education,  .ind  li.is 
l)een  School  Director  for  three  years.  His  voice 
and  influence  are  ever  devoted  to  the  cause  of 
truth,  right  and  order,  and  he  is  highly  esteemed 
through  this  section  for  his  independence  of  char- 
acter and  loyalty  to  the  public  good.  He  has 
lived  here  during  his  whole  life,  and  has  made 
many  friends  throughout  this  section.  As  a  farmer, 
his  efforts  have  been  blessed  with  success,  and  he 
has  attained  a  fair  competence.  AVe  are  pleased 
to  add  this  brief  sketch  of  one  of  the  honored 
citizens  of  .St.  Clair  County  to  this  volume.  As 
one  of  our  representative  men  of  sterling  worth, 
he  ranks  high  in  this  community  where  he  has  so 
long  made  his  home. 


I^1J3:^sI 


m 


\i  OHN  Cip:OHGE  DEHN.  The  subject  of  the 
present  sketch  is  a  prosperous  farmer  who 
resides  on  section  24  in  Millstadt  Township, 
St.  Clair  Count}-.  The  father  of  the  gentle- 
man of  whom  we  write  was  Henry  Dehn,  who  was 
an  agriculturist  of  Germany,  where  he.  was  born 
and  reared  and  s|)ent  the  whole  of  his  life. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  three  children,  of  whom 
Katherine  and  Mathias  died  in  their  old  home  in 
German}'.  He  first  saw  the  light  on  the  22d  of  Oc- 
tober, 1817,  at  Reinheim,  Germany,  where  he  was 
reared  and  educated.  When  twenty  years  old,  lie 
decided  to  leave  the  old  surroundings  and  find  a 
new  home  and  a  wider  field  in  America.  He  made 
hi>  way  to  the  seashore,  engaged  passage,  and  soon 
was  on  his  way  to  New  York,  where  he  landed  in 
1838.  His  destination  was  the  fertile  lands  of  the 
Prairie  State.  He  went  first  to  Philadelphia  and 
thence  to  Pittsburgh  l>y  rail,  and  then  sailed  down 
the  Ohio  River  on  a  llat-boat  to  Cincinnati,  and, 


as  the  river  was  very  low  at  that  time,  it  took  a 
long  time  to  make  the  trip.  What  a  new  world 
this  must  have  opened   up  to  the  lad  from  across 

)  the  sea!  It  required  a  great  deal  of  decision  of 
character  to  go  among  strangers  in  a  far-off  land 
and  make  a  new  home,  but  it  was  just  that  very 
possession  that  has  caused  Mr.  Dehn  to  grow  into 
the  successful  man  that  he  is  at  this  present  time. 
On  reaching  St.  Clair  County  in  the  roundabout 

I    way  that  poor    facilities   of    transportation    then 

1  made  necessary,  our  subject  engaged  to  work  for 
110  a  month.  After  working  for  fourteen  months, 
he  had  saved  a  good  part  of  his  money  and,  de- 
ciding to  purchase  a  farm  for  himself,  bought 
eighty  acres  of  land  where  he  now  lives  from  Louis 
Grostmann. 

In  1841,  our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Anna  Borbra  Grosraann,  who  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Charles  C.  Grosmann,  an  early  settler  of 
this  county.  From  this  marriage  resulted  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  five  grew  to  maturity,  and  four  arc 
still  living.  They  are:  Marie  Marthareta,  who  is 
the  wife  of  Valentine  Schwab  and  lives  in  this 
townshii);  Charles  lives  in  Millstadt  and  is  in  the 
machine  business;  Anna  Katarina  resides  at  home, 
and  George  died  when  he  was  thirty  years  old. 
The  names  of  the  children  that  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dehn 
had  to  part  with  were  .loliann  Philip,  Anna 
Katarina  (twochildren  were  named  by  this  beauti- 
ful (iierraan  name).  .Iiihann  Carl,  Marie  Katarina 
and  Fritz. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  now  the  owner  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine  fai-ming  land, 
all  of  it  under  improvement  except  forty  acres  of 
valuable  timber.  He  cultivates  all  of  the  cereals, 
but  gives  most  of  his  attention  to  wheat.  He 
built  his  present  comfortable  house  and  commodi- 
ous barns  in  1849,  and  his  land  shows  what  farm- 
ing carried  on  with  good  management  in  all  mat- 
ters can  make  of  a  place. 

When  a  draft  was  made  for  more  men  to  till  up 
the  ranks  during  the  latter  part  of  the  (  ivil  War. 
the  name  of  our  subject  was  one  in  the  list.  He 
filled  the  gap  by  the  purchase  of  a  substitute.  In 
his  political  |)reterence,  Mr.  Dehn  is  a  stanch  Ke- 
publican    and   will  alw.ays   give    his  influence  for 

j    that   part}-,     lie  has   been  a  menjbt;)'  of  the  Boanl 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


295 


of  Township  Supervisors  and    lias  also  filled  the 
office  of  School  Director  for  many  years. 

Pecuniarily,  Mr.  Delin  is  well  situated  and  his 
son  Henry  has  taken  the  iii:in:iuciiunt  of  the  farm 
off  of  his  hands.  He  -t.iii'K  liiuli  in  the  esteem  of 
his  fellow-townsmen,  lircaii-c  (if  liis  practical  busi- 
ness views  and  upright  dealings  with  all. 


<Spi!DWARD  J.  Mcquillan,  one  of  the  pros- 
fe]  perous  farmers  of  this  countj-,  resides  on 
,'l' — ^/  section  31,  Prairie  du  Long  Township.  He 
is  the  son  of  John  McQuillan,  who  was  born  in 
Dayton,  Ohio,  April  2,  1820,  and  who  lived  in 
Brown  County,  Ohio,  until  about  ten  years  of  age, 
when  he  was  bound  out  as  an  apprentice  to  a 
butcher  in  Cincinnati.  When  he  was  eighteen 
years  old,  he  came  to  Monroe  County,  111.,  and 
there  followed  his  trade  for  a  short  time,  after 
which  he  worked  on  a  farm.  He  then  took  eighty 
acres  of  (Government  land,  and  from  that  small 
start  as  a  foundation  he  built  the  magnificent  for- 
tune with  which  he  was  afterward  blessed. 

When  .lohn  McQuillan  was  born  in  Dayton, 
there  were  but  three  houses  in  the  town,  and  his 
remembrance  of  that  place  was  not  such  as  to  in- 
duce him  to  remain  in  the  locality-.  His  choice  of 
location  has  shown  how  much  he  gained  by  re- 
moving to  this  county,  as  to  his  start  of  eighty 
acres  he  kept  on  adding  property  until  at  one 
time  he  owned  as  many  as  three  thousand  acres  of 
land.  Much  of  this  property  he  has  divided 
among  his  children,  until  now  he  owns  but  twelve 
hundred  acres.  Most  of  his  wealth  was  made  in 
farming  and  stock-raising,  although  he  has  also 
invested  some  in  patents.  He  has  one  patent  on 
which  he  now  makes  considerable  simply  from  the 
royalty  he  receives  therefrom. 

The  lady  who  became  the  wife  of  John  McQuil- 
lan was  Miss  Mary  Ann  Thompson,  daughter 
of  Robert  and  Ann  Thompson,  natives  of  Lan- 
caster, England.  Of  tlieir  seven  children,  five 
are   still  living    and    tlie\-    .ire    as    follows:    our 


subject;  Elizabeth,  who  is  the  wife  of  Louis 
Gregson;  Mary,  the  wife  of  Theodore  Klinkhardt; 
John  B.;  and  Martha  M.,  wife  of  Joseph  Roscoe,  of 
Monroe  County.  Sarah  Ann  and  Edward  are  de- 
ceased. 

Edward  J.  McQuillan  was  born  in  St. Louis,  Mo., 
March  8,  1845.  AVhcn  he  was  four  years  old,  his 
parents  moved  to  Monroe  County,  111.,  and  he  re- 
sided there  until  his  marriage,  which  occurred 
April  2,  1866,  when  he  took  in  marriage  Jane, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Mary  Thompson,  natives 
of  Yorkshire,  England.  Of  their  two  children, 
Minnie,  the  only  one  living,  is  the  wife  of  Fred 
Staufenbeil,  who  now  operates  the  two  hundred 
acres  which  comprise  our  subject's  farm,  on  which 
are  produced  fine  crops,  principally  of  wheat, 
though  part  of  the  farm  is  given  up  to  stock- 
raising. 

During  the  war,  our  subject  served  as  a  scout 
under  Gen.  Fremont,  but  with  the  exception  of 
the  time  thus  spent  and  about  six  or  seven  years 
that  he  was  engaged  in  farming  near  Decatur,  III., 
he  has  remained  on  the  home  farm.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church  and  belongs  to 
the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association.  Politi- 
call}',  he  upholds  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  has  held  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
for  three  terms,  and  is  still  serving  in  that  capac- 
itj',  besides  that  of  a  Notary  Public.  He  has  also 
served  as  School  Director  in  his  district  fou  nine 
years,  and  is  a  man  whose  advice  and  counsel  are 
much  sought  after  by  all. 


— '•#j#^-r 


\f^?REDERICK  AHRENS.  One  of  the  men  of 
t^fcj^  this  part  of  the  countv  who  can  look  with 
1^  pride  on  an  honest   and    industrious  past, 

which  has  been  crowned  with  success,  is  the 
owner  of  the  fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  seventy- 
live  acres  of  beautiful  land  situated  on  section  25. 
Millstadt  Townsiiip.  The  father  of  our  subject 
was  one  of  the  honest  German  farmers  who  lived 
and  died  in  the  old  home,  but  wiio  encouraged 
the  voung  lite  to  find  a  career  in  the  Xcw  Country, 


296 


i-ORTRAlT  AND  BlOGRAnilCAL   RECORD. 


where  there  was  more  room  and  chance  for  ad- 
vancement. 

Frederick  Ahreiis,  our  suliject,  was  born  in  (Ter- 
niany,  October  7,  1832,  and  was  reared  on  the  old 
home  there,  and  sent  to  the  public  schools  in 
his  native  place.  He  remained  there  until  he  was 
eighteen  years  of  age,  and  then  settled  his  whole 
future  life  by  making  his  way  to  a  seaport  and 
shipping  for  America.  He  reached  these  shores 
and  soon  found  bis  countrymen  in  the  State  of 
Illinois.  He  located  in  Smithton  Township  and, 
as  he  looked  about  and  saw  what  others  had  done 
for  themselves,  he  resolved  that  he,  too,  would  some 
day  own  as  fine  a  farm  as  any.  He  rented  land  at 
first  and  soon  got  a  start,  and  kept  on  in  this  way, 
renting  and  working,  saving  and  looking  about 
for  the  best  place  in  wliich  to  place  his  earnings 
and  savings  for  a  permanent  home.  For  several 
3'ears  he  did  tliis  and  then  decided  to  locate  on 
the  pleasant  place  which  is  now  his  home.  ( )f 
course,  he  was  obliged  to  go  deeply'  into  debt, 
but  he  had  established  such  habits  of  thrift  that 
he  was  soon  able  to  pay  all  that  lie  owed.  The 
place  was  entirely  unimproved,  a  perfect  wilder- 
ness, but  he  went  bravely  to  work,  and  in  an  as- 
tonishingl}'  short  time  he  was  able  to  see  grain 
where  he  had  found  only  forest  and  scrub. 

A  home  in  the  wilderness  is  lonely,  and  work 
is  discouraging  if  there  is  no  one  to  please,  there- 
fore our  subject  looked  about  him  and  soon  foiyid 
one  who  was  willing  to  become  his  partner  in  the 
new  home.  This  was  Miss  Anna  Wahllenberg, 
also  a  native  of  Germany,  and  to  her  he  was  mar- 
ried in  185.5.  Her  life  ended  in  1878,  and  Mr. 
Alirens  was  then  married  to  Miss  Margaret  Stur- 
zem,  who  has  made  him  a  good  and  industrious 
wife. 

The  lirst  wife  of  uur  suliject  left  him  seven 
children,  and  these  are  Meua,  who  is  the  wife  of 
William  Jelly,  and  lives  in  Kansas  Cit.y;  Rachel, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Louis  (iro.ssman  and  lives  in 
Smithton  Township;  Kalherine,  who  is  the  wife 
of  George  Ollendorf  and  lives  at  home;  Lizzie, 
who  is  the  wife  of  John  Kelly  and  resides  in  this 
township;  and  P^lizabeth.  wlm  is  also  at  h(ime. 
Mary  and  Fi'ed  are    the  iianics  nl    llmse    who  died. 

The  line  farm  of  Mr.  Alliens  contains   one  hun- 


dred and  seventy  acres  of  land,  which  would 
bring  a  high  price  if  i)ut  upon  the  market.  The 
soil  is  very  fertile  and  the  production  of  grain  very 
great,  although  Mv.  Alliens  prefers  to  make  his 
principal  crop  of  wheat.  The  place  now  shows 
careful  farming,  and  the  improvements  of  fences, 
trees  and  buildings  are  all  that  could  be  desired. 
In  his  political  opinions,  our  subject  belongs  to 
the  great  party  that  calls  itself  Republican,  and 
is  a  very  ardent  supporter  of  its  doctrines.  The 
family  are  good.  Christian  people, consistent  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  stand  l;igh  in 
the  neighiioriKKid. 


^^^l-^"i^ii^^^=^ 


\I(_,  KNRY  FL'NK.  The  gentleman  of  whom 
iKjJ'  we  write,  although  deceased,  still  lives  in 
Jv^  the  esteem  and  affection  of  his  neighbois 
(^,  and  friends.  He  was  a  man  of  great  in- 
dustry and  left  his  family  with  a  fine  farm  of  five 
hundred  acres.  He  was  the  son  of  Christopher 
William  Funk,  who  was  born  in  Spesaltine,  Darm- 
stadt, Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1832, 
first  locating  on  the  place  where  the  widow  of 
the  lamented  subject  of  this  sketch  now  resides. 
Christopher  entered  this  land  from  the  Govern- 
ment and  worked  hard  to  improve  it.  Fie  was  the 
father  of  six  children,  all  of  whom  were  born  in 
Germany,  but  one  died  on  this  place.  The  chil- 
dren were  George;  Margaret,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Adam  Routh;  Henry;  Katharina;  Holzstophel; 
and  Regina,  who  married  Peter  Friese. 

Our  subject  was  born  February  23,  1818,  in  the 
same  town  of  which  his  father  was  a  native  and  was 
thirteen  years  old  when  he  came  to  this  country.  He 
grew  to  manhood  on  the  place  where  his  widow  now 
lives,  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm.  He  was 
married  in  I  si."),  ti>  .Miss  Cafheiine  Perschbacher, 
who'  was  born  in  (ierinan^-  and  came  to  this  county 
in  1833.  Her  father  located  in  .Shiloli  Valley,  this 
country,  where  he  entered  Government  land. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Funk  of  this  notice  had  seven 
childivn,  six  of  whom  are  yet  living:  Regina,  who 
married  Herman  Spelynars  and  is  now  deceased; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


299 


George  William,  who  lives  iu  Belleville;  Mary, 
wiio  married  Herman  Spel^'iiars;  Annie,  who  mar- 
ried Fred  E.  Stock  and  lives  near  Baden;  Louisa, 
who  married  William  Reinhart  and  lives  in  this 
townsliip:  Henry,  who  is  on  the  old  farm,  and  Kate, 
wild  married  Edward  Hoerino;.  The  latter  is  farm- 
iiii;  the  i)lace  where  Mrs.  Funk,  Sr.,  is  living. 

Our  subject  accumulated  a  fine  property,  and  his 
widow,  with  the  help  of  her  son-in-law,  carries 
on  his  work  on  three  hundred  and  ninety  acres. 
Henry  Funk  died  (October  18,  1877,  leaving  a 
cliaractor  for  honesty  and  integrity  behind  him. 
lie  had  been  a  Democrat  m  his  political  belief  and 
had  served  the  district  acceptably  as  School  Di- 
rector and  his  county  as  Supervisor. 

The  son-in-law  of  Mrs.  Funk,  Edward  Iloering, 
was  born  in  Mascoutah,  this  count3-,  and  was  the 
son  of  Philip  Hoering,  who  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade.  He  was  educated  in  Mascoutah,  and  in 
the  year  1879  was  married  to  our  subject's 
daughter  Kate.  After  marriage  he  located  in 
Mascoutah  and  engaged  in  the  carpenter  business 
for  five  years  and  then  came  to  this  place.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hoering  are  tiie  parents  of  the  following 
children:  Rudolph,  Emma,  Clara,  Kate,  Fred, 
;ind  George  F.     Edwin  is  deceased. 

In  political  affairs,  Mr.  Hoering  votes  with  the 
Democratic  party,  and  is  now  serving  the  district 
as  School  Director.  Tliis  family  is  well  connected 
in  the  county  and  all  are  highly  respected. 


ANIEL  HAAS,  who  owns  a  farm  on  sec- 
tion 22,  Stooke3'  Township.  St.  ('Inir 
County,  is  the  son  of  Adam  and  Barbara 
(Stein)  Haas.  lie  was  born  in  Germany, 
in  1821.  His  father  was  born  in  1784  and  his  mo- 
ther in  1788,  and  both  were  natives  of  the  same 
town.  .\dam  Haas  was  reared  on  a  farm  and  re- 
ceived such  educational  advantages  as  were 
afforded  by  the  schools  of  his  Fatherland.  He  early 
turned  his  attention  to  agrioulturnl  pursuits  and 
during  his  life  followed  th.it  occupation  solely. 
U 


In  1833,  leaving  Germany,  Mr.  Haas,  Sr.,  sailed 
Westward  with  his  family  for  America  and  landed 
in  St.  Louis  the  12th  of  .June.  He  came  at  once 
to  St.  Clair  County  and  here  took  up  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  Government  land,  where  our 
subject  now  resides.  The  latter  has  iu  his  posses- 
sion the  Government  deeds  to  this  propertj-,  which 
were  signed  by  Andrew  Jackson  and  Martin  Van 
Buren.  To  this  property  Mr.  Haas  added  from 
time  to  time  until  he  had  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres.  In  i)olitics,  he  was  a  Whig,  and  with  his 
family'  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 
Unto  him  and  his  wife  were  born  ten  children,  two 
of  whom  died  in  Germany,  in  infancj'.  The  others 
were  as  follows:  Louisa  and  Margaret,  both  now  de- 
ceased; Daniel,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Jacob 
and  Catherine,  also  deceased;  Philip;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Benedict  Wealtz,  and  Barbara,  wife  of  John 
Frey. 

Our  subject  received  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  Germany  and  remained  with  his 
father  on  the  farm  until  1846,  when  he  started  in 
business  for  himself.  At  that  time, he  was  married 
to  Miss  Philapena,  a  daughter  of  Conrad  Hankam- 
mer.  One  child  was  born  of  this  union,  Barbara, 
the  wife  of  Christian  Heilman.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Haas  wjis  married  to  Caroline, 
a  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Susan  Bishof.  Ten  chil- 
dren were  born  of  this  marriage.  Two  of  these  died 
in  infancy  and  eight  are  still  living:  Jacob,  who 
married  Barbara  Guckese;  Daniel  A.,  who  married 
Lena  Hambaum;  Christian;  Margaret,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Nicholas  Rohr;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Charles 
Welde;  George;  Albert,  who  married  Emma  Her- 
bert, and  Charles,  who  wedded  Elizabeth  Pinkston. 
His  second  wife  having  departed  this  life,  our  sub- 
ject married  Mrs.  Susanna  Deietz,  a  daughter  of 
.lacob  Rohn.  Her  death  occurred  a  year  and  a 
half  ago. 

In  his  political  sentiment,  our  subject  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  man 
of  public  spirit,  doing  all  in  his  power  to  advance 
the  best  interests  of  his  county  and  the  community. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  in  which 
he  is  highly  esteemed.  He  is  one  of  the  prominent 
and  iiilluential  farmers  of  this  section  and  his  place 
bears  on  every  b.aiid  the  evi<lcMceof  the  tlirift  .and 


300 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


enterprise  of  the  owner.  He  has  one  of  the  most 
fertile,  best  cultivated  farms  in  this  locality  and 
conducts  his  business  affairs  with  good  ability  and 
discretion.  During  his  long  residence  in  this 
county,  comprising  nearly  sixt^'  years,  he  has  won 
the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has 
been  brought  in  contact. 


ACOH  LEINKH.  One  of  the  pleasantest 
|)lacfcs  in  the  city  of  Belleville  is  the  pop- 
^^  m  ular  Green  Tree  Hotel,  conducted  by  its  no 
!^fJ  less  popular  owner  and  manager,  Mr.  Jacob 
Leiner.  This  gentleman's  reputation  as  a  landlord 
extends  over  a  wide  territory,  and  he  is  especially 
well  and  favorably  known  to  the  traveling  public. 
He  is  well  fitted  in  everj-  waj'  for  the  business  in 
which  he  is  engaged,  and  around  the  name  of  his 
hotel  hovers  the  remembrance  of  fine  dinners,  ele- 
gant breakfasts  and  delicious  hot  suppers.  His  estab- 
lishment is  one  of  the  old  landmarks  of  the  place, 
and  the  rooms  are  well  furnished  and  well  at- 
tended to.  Mr.  Leiner  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
place  since  October,  1874,  and  since  1876  has  been 
tlic  proprietor  of  his  hotel.  He  was  born  in  Uhein, 
Havaria,  German.y,  June  23,  1849,  a  son  of  V.  and 
Elizabeth  (Plinn)  Leiner,  the  former  of  whom 
was  an  honest  and  industrious  tiller  of  the  soil,  a 
man  of  admirable  traits  of  character,  and  in  the 
family  circle  an  admirable  husband  and  father. 
He  was  called  from  life  in  1867. 

Jacob  Leiner,  the  subject  of  this  biography,  was 
educated  in  the  Fatherland,  his  advantages  being 
far  better  than  that  of  the  aver.ige  young  man. 
He  attended  school  until  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  there  his  good  sense  early  manifested  itself, 
for  he  paid  strict  attention  to  his  studies,  and  en- 
deavored in  every  wa}'  to  improve  his  time  to  the 
utmost.  Although  in  no  vrny  a  "  mollycoddle," 
he  was  keenly  enough  alive  to  his  own  interests 
to  obey  rules  and  to  endeavor  to  please  his  in- 
structors. In  1871,  he  embarked  for  the  United 
States  and  landed  at  Hartford,  Conn.,  where  he 
iviiKuncd  for  three  years,  at  tjie  oiid  of  which  time 


Belleville,  111.,  became  the  scene  of  his  operations. 
He  at  once  began  the  erection  of  the  Green  Tree 
Hotel  at  the  corner  of  High  and  C  Streets,  it  be- 
ing a  substantially  built  two-story  brick  structure, 
50x75  feet  in  dimensions,  of  which  he  has  since 
been  the  successful  and  popular  proprietor.  He 
has  made  this  his  life  work,  and  as  he  believes  in 
doing  well  what  he  undertakes  to  do,  he  has  been 
undeniably  successful  in  this  field.  Besides  the 
attractions  of  his  house,  he  is  an  attraction  in  him- 
self, genial,  courteo.us  and  aflf.ible,  with  a  good 
knowledge  of  the  world,  all  of  which  qualities 
constitute  him  a  model  host. 

Our  subject  has  shown  excellent  judnieiit  in  the 
management  of  his  business  affairs,  as  well  a.s  in 
choosing  himself  a  wife,  for  the  lady  who  litis  been 
his  helpmate  for  the  past  eighteen  years  is 
intelligent  and  energetic,  wide  awake,  enter- 
prising and  ambitious.  Their  marriage  took 
place  on  the  12th  of  October,  1874,  and  re- 
sulted in  the  birth  of  six  children:  Amelia,  Louisa, 
Laura,  Lena,  Luella,  and  Otto,  the  only  son,  who  is 
the  second  of  the  family  in  order  of  birth.  Mr. 
Leiner  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  the 
Mutual  Aid  Society,  the  Harugari  and  the  Treu- 
bund,  and  for  the  last  three  years  has  been  Grand 
Master  for  the  State  in  the  latter  organization. 
He  was  elected  the  Jsatioual  Grand  Master  for  the 
United  States  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  March  4,  1892,  and 
has  done  a  large  amount  of  traveling  throughout 
the  State,  organizing  lodges  and  installing  oflScers. 
He  has  been  a  representative  from  his  lodge  to  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He 
and  his  family  are  members  of  St.  Paul's  Cathe- 
dral, to  which  he  is  a  liberal  supporter  and  of 
which  he  has  been  Treasurer  for  many  years. 


i>^^<i 


ORNEL  MERKEL.  The  name  here  given 
5  familiar  to  the  traveling  public,  for  he 
^lio  bears  it  looks  after  the  comfort  of  those 
whom  business  or  pleasure  detains  from  home  within 
the  borders  of  the  little  town  of  IMillstadt.  He  dis- 
penses food  and  refreshment  to  man  and  beast,  and 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


301 


lias  caused  many  a  dreary  hour  to  pass  swiftlj'  in 
his  pleasant  hostelry. 

The  father  of  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  an 
honest  farmer  of  Baden,  Germany,  who  came  to 
America  when  his  son,  our  subject,  was  only  eight 
years  old.  He  located  in  Highland,  Madison 
County,  111.,  and  remained  there  for  several  years 
farming  and  teaming.  Later  in  life,  he  moved 
into  Millstadt,  where  he  lived  until  tlie  time  of  liis 
death. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  Badcu, 
Germany,  in  the  old  home  across  the  water,  but  his 
recollection  of  it  can  not  be  very  distinct,  as  he 
left  it  when  he  was  a  lad  of  eight.  He  was  reared 
in  Madison  County,  this  State,  and  went  to  the 
schools  of  the  district  in  which  he  lived  until  he 
was  considered  old  enough  to  learn  a  trade.  He 
was  a  strong  boy,  and  as  he  loved  horses  decided 
to  become  a  blacksmith,  :ind  before  long  bad  his 
apron,  anvil,  forge  and  bellows,  and  worked  for 
twenty -eight  years  at  the  trade.  He  became  very 
expert  and  was  in  great  demand  among  those 
who  were  careful  of  the  hoofs  and  feet  of  their 
faithful  friends,  the  horses. 

When  Mr.  Merkel  discontinued  liis  lilacksmitli 
business  he  began  another  which  has  proved  as 
profitable — that  of  a  butcher^— and  he  still  con- 
tinues it  in  connection  with  his  inn.  thus  making 
sure  that  his  meat  supply  for  his  tal)ic  will  be  of 
the  best  and  most  varied. 

The  marriage  of  Mr?  Merkel  took  |)lace  in  the 
year  1883,  when  he  was  united  to  i\Iiss  Louisa 
Kropp,  who  was  also  reared  in  .St.  Clair  County, 
and  who  has  proven  wise  and  cai)able,  assisting  her 
excellent  husband  in  the  management  of  the  house 
with  economy  and  thrift.  Five  children  have 
come  into  the  household  since  the  marriage, 
named  respectively:  George  E.,  Henry,  Oliver, 
Alia  and  Elmer.  They  are  all  bright,  interesting 
children  who  will  make  tlieir  impress  on  the  future 
of  the  county. 

The  Roman  Catholic  faith  is  llie  one  lo  wliich 
the  inclination  and  teaching  of  .Mr.  Merkel  natur- 
ally lund  him  and  in  her  ministrations  he  finds 
comff>rt  in  times  of  trouble.  In  his  political  lean- 
ing he  is  a  Republican,  and  he  furthers  in  many  n 
(luiet  wa\-  the  interests  of  liis  iiart\-. 


For  two  years,  our  subject  was  a  member  of  the 
Town  Board,  and  was  regarded  as  a  man  of 
sound  sense  and  good  judgment.  He  is  a  land- 
owner here  and  one  of  the  most  enterprising  citi- 
zens of  the  place.  In  the  fall  of  1891  he  erected 
the  large,  commodious  and  comfortable  hotel,  with 
saloon  attached,  where  he  now  carries  on  his  busi- 
ness, his  out-lay  being  nearly  $6,000. 

There  is  much  travel  through  Millstadt  and 
there  is  no  place  where  strangers  can  find  the  com- 
forts of  home,  when  not  actually  there,  as  under 
the  hospitable  roof  of  .Mine  Host  Merkel,  of  the 
Millstadt  inn. 


R.  FREDRICK  KIRSCH.  Although  but  a 
recent  addition  to  the  medical  fraternity. 
Dr.  Kirsch  has  already  won  an  enviable 
reputation  as  a  practitioner  of  the  healing 
art,  and  has  a  large  and  lucrative  practice.  Like 
many  of  the  representative  citizens  of  the  county, 
he  is  a  native  of  Germany,  born  in  Mentz,  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  February  2,  1859,  and  is  one  of  five 
children,  four  sons  and  one  daughter, born  to  Gab- 
riel and  Annie  S.  Kirsch,  natives  of  Germany  and 
Alsace,  France,  respectively. 

The  father.  Dr.  Gabriel  Kir.scli,  was  the  son  of 
an  apothecary,  and  was  graduated  from  the  Uni- 
versity at  Slrasburg,  and  the  University  of  Hei- 
delberg, with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  Afterward,  he 
practiced  in  Mentz  until  1882,  when  he  retired, 
and  in  1891  he  came  to  the  United  States  to  reside 
with  his  son.  Dr.  Martin  Kirsch,  at  Abilene,  Kan.; 
but,  not  being  satisfied  with  this,  he  returned  to 
his  old  home,  where  he  is  now  living  at  the  age  of 
eight_y-two  years.  His  wife  died  in  1890,  when 
seventy-nine  years  of  age.  Her  parents  lived  to  be 
ninety-nine  and  one  hundred  and  two  years  of 
.•ige,  respectively.  The  children  born  to  this  much 
esteemed  couple  were  .as  follows:  .lacob.a  felt  man- 
ufacturer of  Mentz,  (Germany;  John:  Dr.  Martin,  a 
practicing  physician  of  Abilene.  Kan.:  and  Clara, 
.Mrs.   Filliuger,  who  resides  in  (Germany. 

The   orioinal   of   this  sketch    received    his   early 


302 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


education  in  Mentz,  and  was  graduated  from  the 
gymnasium  as  a  pharmacist  when  twenty  years  of 
age.  In  llie  year  1880,  he  left  Bremen  on  the 
steamer  "Main,"  which  landed  him  in  tlie  harbor 
of  New  York  a  wecii  or  so  later.  For  a  year  and  a 
half  he  traveled  alx)ut  through  the  various  States, 
and  for  seven  mouths  he  worked  in  the  wholesale 
business  in  Denver.  He  then  returned  to  St.  Louis, 
and  on  the  7th  of  October,  188-2,  purch.ised  a 
drug  store,  which  he  carried  on  very  successfully 
until  1889,  when  he  sold  out. 

Our  subject  selected  his  life  companion  in  tlie 
person  of  Miss  Minnie  Reubel,  a  native  of  Belle- 
ville, 111.,  and  their  nuptials  were  celebrated  on 
the  1st  of  October,  1882.  Her  father,  Peter  Reu- 
bel, was  eng.aged  in  the  meat  business  at  Belleville. 
In  1888,  our  subject  entered  the  St.  Louis  Medical 
College,  and  was  gi-aduated  from  that  well-known 
institution  with  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in  1891).  Af- 
ter this  he  bought  his  drug  store  of  A.  Kring,  and 
is  now  located  on  the  corner  of  Tenth  and  Rock- 
road  Streets.  He  h.as  a  fine  store,  has  it  well 
equipped  with  new  and  fresh  drugs,  and  in  his  dual 
capacity  of  physician  and  druggist  has  met  with 
tlie  support  and  patronage  he  so  richly  merits.  In 
the  whole  list  of  professions  there  are  no  two  usu- 
ally kept  distinct  that  admit  of  more  satisfactory 
blending  than  that  of  the  physician  and  druggist. 
The  Doctor's  marriage  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
three  ciiildren,  as  follows:  Lizzie,  Frank  and  Ar- 
thur.    In  politics,  the  Doctor  is  independent. 


HOF.   G.   LEHMAN,  President  of  the  East 
St.  Louis  Board  of  Education,  and  a  musi- 
cal instructor  of  distinguished  ability,  was 
born  in  Potsdam,  Germany, .luue  1 1,  1845, 
of  Adolph  Leiiman,  who  w.as  engaged  in  the 
;sale  grocery  business  in  a  town   near   Berlin, 
licli  business  he  was  very  successful.    He  died 
;   native  land   in  1862.     His  wife  was  Minna 
rl,  a  native  of  Potsdam,  whose  fatiier   was  a 
erous  lumber  dctUej'  of  thill  place.     She  still 


]""1 


lives  in  Berlin,  is  a  Protestant  in  her  religious 
views,  and  is  now  about  seventy-nine  years  of  age. 

Prof.  G.  Lehman  was  the  fifth  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, only  two  of  whom  ai'e  residents  of  America. 
He  attended  the  gymnasiuni  of  Potsdam  until  he 
reached  the  Senior  Class  in  1863.  He  inherited 
his  love  of  music  from  both  father  and  mother, 
and  from  the  time  he  was  six  years  of  age  received 
instruction  in  instrumental  music.  At  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  he  braved  the  dangers  of  an  ocean 
voyage  in  a  sailing-vessel,  taking  passage  on  the 
"America"  at  Bremen,  and  reaching  New  York  City 
fifty-seven  days  later.  He  was  engaged  in  teach- 
ing instrumental  music  in  that  city  for  four  years, 
and  from  1867  to  1870  followed  that  occupation 
in  St.  Louis,  Mo.  In  tlie  last-mentioned  year,  he 
located  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  until  November, 
1891,  he  was  one  of  the  most  thorough  musical  in- 
structors of  the  cit3'.  He  has  endeavored  to  pro- 
mote the  highest  aims  in  musical  culture,  and  it  is 
but  justice  to  say  that  he  h.as  signally  awakened  a 
taste  for  classical  music,  resulting  rn  its  general 
dissemination.  Upon  ab.andoning  the  calling  of  a 
musical  instructor,  he  began  dealing  in  musical  in- 
struments, his  establishment  being  on  CoUinsville 
Avenue.  He  began  business  with  a  determination 
to  pursue  fair,  straightforward  and  honorable 
methods  in  all  his  transactions;  to  handle  the  best 
instruments  made,  and  to  sell  at  the  lowest  possi- 
ble prices.  This  policy  has  gained  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  all  who  have  dealings  with  him,  and  has 
built  up  for  Prof.  Lehman  a  profitable  business.  He 
was  the  first  organist  of  St.  Patrick's  Church,  and 
later  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

While  giving  instrumental  instruction  to  a  large 
class,  he  also  conducted  two  or  three  singing  socie- 
ties, and  became  the  leader  of  the  Sangerbund  So- 
ciety, the  East  St.  Louis  Singing  Society,  the  Aeo- 
lian Society  and  the  East  St.  Louis  Liederkranz, 
but  has  given  them  all  up,  as  his  time  is  fully  oc- 
cupied by  his  business.  He  is  now  the  leader  of 
the  Scliweizer  Maennerchor  of  St.  Louis.  His  busi- 
ness necessitates  two  salesmen  on  the  road,  and  he 
is  constantly  extending  his  connection.  He  has 
made  five  trips  to  Europe,  in  which  continent  he  has 
visited  all  tlie  principal  places  of  interest.  He  was 
married  in  New   York  to  Miss  Marie  Berger,  a  na- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


tivc  of  Germany,  who  came  with  her  patents  to 
New  York  when  four  years  of  age.  Her  union 
with  Prof.  Lehman  lias  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
four  children:  Fred  H.,  Ernest  .T.,  Ida  L.  M.  and 
Philip  A. 

In  1887,  the  Professor  was  elected  President  of 
tlie  Board  of  Education  of  East  St.  Louis,  and  is 
now  filling  his  fifth  term.  He  was  largely  instru- 
mental in  raising  the  standard  of  the  public  schools 
of  the  place  to  equal  those  of  any  in  the  State, 
and  he  is  constantly  endeavoring  to  improve  them. 
He  is  a  warm  patron  of  education,  and  all  measures 
of  morality  find  in  him  an  earnest  supporter.  He 
is  a  memlier  of  the  East  St.  Louis  Protective 
Union,  and  socially,  belongs  to  the  Independent 
Order  of  OddFcllows,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias; 
politically,  he  is  :i  Rei)ul>lican  of  i)i-(inounced  type. 


h^+^i 


^\  API'.  WILLIA:\I  II.  BENNF/rr.  The  pro- 
Ill  p  fession  of  law  claiins  some  of  the  brightest 
/^^7  minds  of  the  age,  and  in  the  i)roniinence  of 
its  representatives  East  .St.  Louis  need  not  hide  her 
head.  In  the  affable  gentleman  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  sketch  may  be  found  one  who  thoroughly 
understands  the  vexed  questions  which  only  legal 
minds  can  unravel,  and  who  has  met  with  great 
success  in  his  practice.  He  is  located  on  Main 
Street  in  East  St.  Louis,  where  he  has  practiced 
since  1872. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Howard  Bennett, 
was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  the  owner  of  a  large 
plantation  there.  He  was  proud  of  his  pure  English 
ancestry,  which  he  could  trace  back  to  Saxon  pro- 
genitors, and  was  related  to  the  old  and  influential 
Dearing  and  Lynch  families.  He  carried  out  in  his 
life  the  fine  courtcs}'  known  the  world  over  as  be- 
longing to  the  Virginia  gentleman  of  the  "old 
school."  The  father  of  our  subject.  Col.  James  D. 
Bennett,  was  born  in  Campbell  County,  November 
'.},  1816.  In  1832,  he  was  married  in  Tennessee, 
where  he  engaged  in  school-teaching  and  also  be- 
gan the  study  of  the  law,  in  wliich  he  was  gradu- 
ated  and  adinitled  to  tlie  liar,      lie  was  a  Captain 


in  the  Seminole  War,  in  Florida.  In  1837,  he  be- 
came manager  of  his  wife's  large  estate  near  Harts- 
ville,Tenn.,  and  continued  thereuntil  the  breaking- 
out  of  the  Civil  War. 

October  19,  1861,  James  D.  Bennett  was  chosen 
Lieutenant-Colonel  of  the  Seventh  Battalion  of 
Tennessee  Cavalry,  and  with  his  regiment  went  into 
camp  at  Epperson  Springs,  Macon  County,  Tenn.. 
AVhcn  the  Twelfth  and  Seventh  Battalions  were 
consolidated,  he  resigned  on  account  of  ill-health. 
Hut  his  love  for  his  State  was  too  strong  to  permit 
of  his  remaining  out  of  the  struggle  when  the 
enemy  came  near.  He  raised  another  regiment,  and 
as  Colonel  of  the  Ninth  Tennessee  Regiment  went 
into  the  service  under  Gen.  John  H.  Morgan,  with 
whom  he  took  part  in  the  engagement  at  Harts- 
\ille.  When  he  left  home  the  last  time,  his  health 
was  in  a  precarious  state  and  he  was  besought  by 
his  family  to  remain  with  them.  He  replied,  "No, 
mj-  men  are  going  and  I  will  go  with  them  as  long 
as  I  am  able  to  ride."  However,  he  was  able  to  go 
no  farther  than  Elizabethtown,  Ky.,  and  stopped 
at  the  home  of  Col.  Patton,  where  he  died  of 
typhoid-pneumonia,  January  23,  1863,  as  much  a 
victim  of  War  as  if  he  had  perished  at  the  cannon's 
mouth.  The  remains  were  sent  home  in  the  care 
of  his  faithful  bod.y-servant,  Jeff,  to  whom  the 
kind  master  had  given  his  freedom  and  also  a  farm 
of  eighty  acres. 

James  Bennett  was  a  generous,  kind  man,  and, 
as  an  instance  of  his  generosity,  we  may  mention 
that  every  year  he  was  accustomed  to  set  aside  a 
quantity  of  produce  to  be  distributed  through  the 
neighborhood  to  those  in  need.  He  was  ever  ready 
to  assist  young  men  to  a  start  in  life,  and  his  poi>- 
ularity  was  not  bounded  by  the  artificial  barriers 
separating  counties.  In  his  religious  belief,  he  was 
a  consistent  member  of  the  Christian  Church  and 
carried  out  the  precepts  of  its  founders  in  his  daily 
life.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Martha  lIuU  hin- 
.son,  was  born  near  Gallatin,  Tenn., and  still  resides 
on  her  fine  property  at  Hartsville.  Her  father  was 
of  Scotch  descent  and  was  one  of  the  most  exten- 
sive and  successful  planters  of  Middle  Tennessee. 

The  oldest  of  ten  children,  our  subject  was  born 
in  Hartsville,  Tenn.,  June  .5,  1845.  He  was  reared 
in  the  place  of  his  birth  and  attended  the  academy 


:io^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


there.  In  October,  1861,  he  joined  the  Confeder- 
ate army  and  was  appointed  Orderly-Sergeant  of 
Company  B,  Seventh  Battalion.  He  remained  with 
his  father  until  the  latter  withdrew,  and  then  he 
also  came  home.  He  had  beenatShiloh,aud  in  a  skir- 
mishing expedition  around  Corinth.  In  July,  1862, 
he  re-enlisted  and  assisted  his  father  in  raising  the 
regiment  and  became  Sergeant-Major  of  tlie  Ninth 
Tennessee  Cavalry.  He  was  in  the  battle  of  Galla- 
tin, with  Gen.  Morgan;  at  White's  Creek;  at  Mil- 
ton, wheie  he  was  made  Second  Lieutenant  for 
gallantry  on  the  field;  at  Gordonsville;  then  with 
Morgan  through  Tennessee,  Kentucky  and  into 
Ohio,  engaging  in  battle  at  Somerset,  Ky.,  Green 
River,  Lebanon  and  Brandenburg,  on  the  Ohio,  and 
was  the  third  man  who  jumped  off  the  boat  upon 
Ohio  soil,  lie  fought  in  all  the  minor  engage- 
ments in  Ohio  .and  Indiana,  and  was  one  of  the 
sixty  men  sent  to  cross  the  Ohio  River  at  Buffing- 
ston  Island,  where  Morgan  was  repulsed. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  the  remainder  of  the 
sixty  men  who  escaped  from  the  island  and  went 
on  foot  three  hundred  miles  through  the  mountains, 
subsisting  upon  what  the}'  could  And  and  often 
reduced  almost  to  starvation.  AVhen  the^'  reached 
Morristown,Tenn.,  the}'  were  reorganized,  assigned 
to  Forrest's  command,  and  took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Chickamauga  and  Wheeler's  raid.  Capt.  Bennett 
was  at  Murfreesboro,  Stone  River  and  Laundy's 
Ferry.  The  regiment  then  encamped  at  Decatur, 
Ala.,  and  later  was  sent  back  to  Chickamauga.  Our 
subject  was  at  the  right  wing  in  command  of  the 
picket  post  where  Sherman  crossed,  and  was  cap- 
tured, being  the  first  officer  brought  to  Gen.  Sher- 
man. He  was  a  prisoner  from  November  2.3,  1863, 
to  October  1,  1864,  at  Johnson  Island,  Lake  Erie, 
and  was  the  youngest  officer  there.  On  a  cold 
winter  day,  with  thirty  others,  he  was  taken  thence 
to  be  exchanged  at  Richmond, and,  proceeding  up 
the  James  River,  was  exchanged  at  Atkin's  Land- 
ing. After  two  months  spent  at  Wytheville,  Va., 
he  joined  his  command  in  time  to  participate  in 
the  battles  of  Big  Spring  and  Abingdon.  He  was 
with  Gen.  Duke,  who,  hearing  of  Lee's  surrender, 
made  an  attempt  to  cross  the  mountains  to  join 
Gen.  Johnson.  At  Charlotte,  N.  C,  the}-  found 
Jefferson    Davis,  and  our    subject  was  in    Duke's 


brigade  when  Davis  was  captured  near  Woodstock, 
Ga.  There  the  regiment  disbanded.  But  a  few 
days  before  tliat  our  subject  was  captured  by  Gen. 
Palmer  and  was  kept  at  Greenville,  S.  C,  for 
twenty  days,  when  he  was  permitted  to  return 
home. 

After  his  hazardous  life,  Capt.  Bennett  settled 
down  in  Hartsville  and  entered  the  academy  to 
\  complete  an  education  tli;it  tlie  clarion  of  war  had 
i  interrupted.  Latei-,  he  enteicd  the  l;iw  department 
I  of  the  Cumberland  Univeisity  at  Lebanon,  from 
i  which  he  was  graduated  in  1 869.  He  began  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  with  his  uncle,  the  Hon.  R^  A. 
Bennett,  and  the  Hon.  Bailie  Peyton,  of  Gallatin. 
There  he  remained  for  two  years,  and  it  was  not 
until  the  fall  of  1872  that  he  came  to  East  St. 
Louis.  In  1878,  he  was  City  Attorney  during 
the  dual  (ioverument,  and  in  other  ways  became 
well  and  favorably  known.  He  has  managed  some 
valuable  property  and  lias  been  the  local  attorney 
for  the  Indianapolis  &  St.  Louis  Railroad.  For 
one  year  he  was  connected  with  the  firm  of  Gross, 
Voss  &  Co.,  real  estate  men,  but  since  then  he  has 
practiced  law.  He  has  been  very  active  in  political 
matters  and  has  made  many  campaign  speeches  for 
the  Democratic  party.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  order  of  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  has  adhered 
to  the  religious  faith  in  which  he  was  reared  and 
attends  the  Christian  Church. 

Mr.  Bennett  was  first  married  in  Tennessee,  in 
1869,  to  Miss  Onie  Payne,  a  native  of  that  State, 
who  died  two  years  after  their  union.  His  second 
marriage  occurred  at  St.  Louis  in  1880,  and  the 
lady  who  became  his  wife  was  Miss  Rebecca  Crane, 
a  native  of  Beaver,  Pa.  Her  life  ended  in  1888. 
The  third  marriage  of  Mr.  Bennett  occurred  in 
1890,  this  wife  being  Miss  Zetta  Mill v urn,  who 
was  born  in  St.  Louis. 


jl# 


31^ 


/^  HARLES  CANNADY,  the  erticient  and 
(l[^  telligent  Superintendent  of  Schoiils  for 
^^J('  Clair  County,  is  the  gentleman  to  wli 
we  call  the  kind  attention  of  the  reader. 

Mr.  Cannadv  is  a  native  son   of  Illinois,  hav 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


been  born  near  where  New  Memphis  Station  now 
stands,  in  Clinton  County-,  IMaidi  3,  1844,  being 
tlie  son  of  Stephen  and  Tabitha  (Harrymau)  Can- 
nady.  The  former  was  born  in  Tennessee, coming 
to  Clinton  County  in  1833,  where  he  remained  for 
a  few  years,  and  then  removed  to  AVashington 
County,  the  home  of  Mrs.  Cannady.  Tiiis  lady 
w.as  the  daughter  of  Charles  Harryman,oue  of  the 
old  pioneers  of  the  State.  In  1867,  he  left  the 
State  of  Illinois  and  went  over  into  Southwest  Mis- 
souri, settling  in  Jasper  County,  and  removing  from 
there  to  Lawrence  Count}-,  where  he  died  November 
16, 1886,  leaving  nine  children  to  mourn  his  loss,  six 
of  whom  were  by  a  later  marriage.  The  two 
brothers  of  our  subject  were  Elijah,  a  Justice  of 
the  Peace  of  Belleville,  and  Stephen  D.,  of  Law- 
rence County,  ]Mo.  Mr.  Cannady  carried  on  the 
occupation  of  farming  all  his  life  and  succeeded 
in  his  life  work. 

Charles  Cannady  is  a  finely  educated  gentleman, 
having  attended  McKeudree  College  for  three 
years,  and  also  the  Northern  Normal  School,  at 
Normal,  after  which  he  taught  for  sixteen  years, 
giving  entire  satisfaction  wherever  he  was  engaged, 
lie  took  a  prominent  part  in  the  schools  of  Mas- 
coutah  for  ten  years,  being  Principal  during  tliat 
time.  This  gentleman  has  been  interested  in  edu- 
cational matters  ever  since  he  attained  to  man- 
hood, and  his  efforts  in  this  direction  have  been  of 
great  benefit  to  the  different  schools  for  whose 
improvement  he  has  used  his  knowledge  and 
no  inconsiderable  inlluence.  Mr.  Cannady  had 
been  Principal  of  the  Mascoutah  schools  up  to 
the  time  when  elected  to  fill  the  office  of  County 
Superintendent,  in  1886,  and  so  creditably  did  he 
fulfill  all  the  obligations  of  his  office  that  he  was 
again  elected  to  the  same  office  in  1890.  He  is  not, 
however,  entireh'  dependent  upon  his  exertions 
for  maintenance,  as  he  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm 
in  Shiloh  Valley  and  a  pleasant  home  in  Mascoutah. 

Our  subject  was  married  to  Miss  Ella  A.  Wise, 
the  charming  daughter  of  Adam  Wise,  an  old 
settler  of  Lei)anon,  111.,  the  ceremony  occurring 
September  5,  1872.  These  two  are  the  proud  par- 
ents of  six  as  fine  children  as  can  be  found 
anywhere  in  the  county.  These  are:  Edward 
W.,  at  school;  Minnie   Lee,  Aiali  A.,  Orla,  Kelsoe 


and  Julia.     One  little  one,  Charles  H.,  aged  eight, 
was  called  home  on  the  25th  of  March,  1892. 

Mr.  Cannady  is  an  influential  member  of  Doug- 
lass Lodge  No.  361,  A.  E.  &  A.  M.,  of  Mascoutah,  of 
which  he  has  been  Master,  and  has  occupied  almost 
all  of  the  offices.  His  family  is  a  superior  one, 
owing  to  the  fine  educations  the  members  are  re- 
ceiving at  the  hands  of  their  father,  who  is  a  man 
of  high  attainments,  and  all  of  them  give  promise 
of  developing  into  accomplished  men  and  women, 
who  will  be  a  credit  to  the  parents  who  bore 
them. 


W.  CARTER,  1).  D.  S.  The  subject  of 
this  notice  is  a  man  of  means  and  promi- 
nence in  this  citj^,  and  was  the  first  mem- 
ber of  his  profession  to  locate  here.  He 
came  in  1852  and  has  been  in  continuous  practice 
for  forty  years. 

Dr.  Carter  w.as  born  in  New  Hampton,  N.  H., 
on  the  29th  of  May,  1826,  and  w.as  the  son  of  Levi 
and  Maiy  (Mason)  Carter.  The  father  of  our 
subject  belonged  to  the  Carter  family  whose  first 
representative  to  come  from  the  Old  World  to 
America  was  Thomas  Carter,  who  was  boin  in 
the  year  1611.  He  came  to  Massachusetts  and 
sliared  in  the  first  division  of  the  town  of  Salis- 
bury, September  4,  1639.  His  son  John  was  born 
in  the  year  1650,  and  his  son  John,  in  1688.  The 
next  in  line  was  Thomas,  born  in  1713;  then  Moses, 
in  1739;  and  then  came  Levi,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  was  born  May  16,  1788.  The  latter  married 
Polly  Mason,  who  was  born  April  5,  1792,  and  the 
couple  lived  in  New  Hampshire,  bringing  up  one 
of  those  sterling  families  which  have  gone  out 
over  the  world  as  a  leaven  to  many  communities. 
The  father  was  a  Colonel  of  the  State  militia,  and 
one  of  the  Selectmen  on  the  organization  of  tlie 
town.  He  died  June  6,  1885,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  ninety-seven  years,  and  his  wife's  demise  oc- 
curred October  15,  1840.  They  were  members  of 
the  Baptist  denomination. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Our  subject  was  reared  and  educated  among  the 
New  Hampshire  hills,  and  when  he  came  to  decide 
upon  a  profession  he  chose  that  of  dentistry,  and 
entered  the  otlice  of  Dr.  Williams,  of  Waterford, 
Vt.  He  began  practice  in  Uniontown,  Ohio,  and 
remained  in  that  vicinit}-  for  several  years,  and 
then  came  to  this  place,  where  he  has  occupied  the 
office  on  Main  Street  ever  since.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Southern  Illinois  Dental  Association, 
and  had  a  membership  in  the  Masonic  fraternity 
before  he  came  to  Belleville. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Carter  took  place  December 
G,  1855,  and  the  bride  was  Miss  Melissa,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Samuel  Stookey,  who  was  the  son  of  Daniel 
Stookey.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Carter  was  jMar^' 
E^'mann,  who  lived  on  the  farm  where  her  daugh- 
ter w.as  married.  Three  children  were  the  result  of 
this  marriage:  Mary  E.,  who  married  Robert 
Young;  Eliza,  known  as  I-yda,  who  is  still  al  home; 
and  Samuel  Levi,  who  died  May  28,  1882,  at  the 
age  of  fifteen.  The  Doctor  has  been  very  success- 
ful in  his  practice,  and  to  him  the  older  citizens 
turn,  as  they  have  so  long  profited  by  his  skill. 


J  I.  OHN  WEBER.     The  importance  of  mechani- 
j    eal  and  sanitar.y  plumbing  cannot  be  over- 
j    estimated,  and  it  has  frequently  been  proved 
'    that   much    of    the    sickness    developed    in 

many  households  has  been  due  to  deficient  work- 
manship on  the  part  of  the  plumber.  The  least 
defect  in  the  piping  may  cause  sickness  and  death, 
as  it  lias  too  often  done,  without  the  cause  being 
known  until  too  late.  Fevers,  etc.,  lurk  in  defec- 
tive drainage  and  sewer  connecting  pipes,  and  it  is 
absolutely  necessary,  therefore,  that  the  work 
should  be  done  by  a  competent  sanitarj'  plumber. 
Prominent  among  those  in  this  line  of  business  in 
Belleville  is  John  Weber,  senior  member  of  the 
firm  of  Weber  A-  Son,  with  headquarters  at  No. 
19  South  Higli  Street,  where  they  have  been  en- 
gaged in  plumbing  and  gas-fltting  for  tlie  past  four 
years.  They  are  live,  energetic  business  men  and 
are  worthy  of  all  success. 


The  original  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Prussia, 
Germany,  near  the  Rhine,  on  the  18th  of  July, 
1833.  and  his  parents,  Jacob  and  Catherine  Weber, 
were  natives  of  the  same  country.  In  the  year 
1847,  the  parents  decided  to  cross  the  ocean  to 
America,  and  with  their  eight  cliildren  took  pas- 
sage for  this  country.  The3'  settled  at  Pomeroy, 
Ohio,  and  after  one  year  came  to  Belleville,  111., 
whore  the  father  followed  his  trade,  that  of  a  shoe- 
maker. He  died  of  cholera  in  1849,  leaving  a 
widow  and  the  following  children:  Ottilli,  widow 
of  Andrew  Newraann,  of  Jackson  County;  Pliilip; 
Eve,  widow  of  Jacob  Puterer;  John,  our  subject; 
Frank;  Kate,  who  died  in  1861;  Margaret,  Mrs. 
Neutzling;  and  Henry,  who  died  in  1866. 

Although  he  attended  school  for  some  time  in 
his  native  countr}',  the  principal  part  of  our  sub- 
ject's education  was  received  in  this  countiy.  At 
an  early  age,  he  began  learning  the  tailor's  trade 
and  served  an  apprenticeship  of  three  years  in  St. 
Louis.  Later,  he  worked  as  a  journeyman  for 
some  time  and  then  started  a  saloon,  which  he  con- 
ducted for  twenty-seven  years..  After  this,  he  ran 
tlie  West  Belleville  Post-office  until  the  office  was 
abolished,  and  then  engaged  in  plumbing  in  con- 
nection with  his  son  Edward.  He  is  a  practical 
plumber,  thoroughly  understands  his  business,  and 
is  meeting  with  unusual  success.  His  son,  who  has 
now  taken  hold  of  tlie  business,  has  had  consider- 
able experience  and  is  an  expert  i)himber  and  sani- 
tary engineer. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  to  Miss  Mary  Shall, 
of  Belleville,  daughter  of  Jacob  Shall,  an  old  resi- 
dent of  the  city,  occurred  on  the  20tli  of  October, 
1855,  and  their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the 
birth  of  eight  children,  who  are  in  the  order 
of  their  births  as  follows:  Am3^  Mina;  Jacob,  now 
clerk  in  the  Western  Brewery,  married  Miss  Ida 
Bartli;  Edward  S.,  Louis  M.;  Anna  S.,  teacher  in 
the  city;  Otto,  learning  a  trade  in  Belleville;  and 
Ferdinand  F.,  attending  school.  Mr.  Weber  is  one 
of  the  excellent  citizens  of  the  count}',  and  in 
everj'  walk  of  life  has  conducted  liimself  with  up- 
rightness, justice  and  fairness  to  his  fellow-citi- 
zens. To  show  his  appreciation  of  secret  organiza- 
tions, he  has  joined  the  Odd  Fellows'  lodge, 
Knigiits  of  Honor,  Knights  and   Ladies  of  Honor, 


^-5^ 


I 


PORTHAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


311 


the  Ancient  Order  of  Druids,  and  the  Philhar- 
monics. He  resides  at  No.  1002  West  Main  Street. 
He  lias  been  Street  Inspector  of  the  city  for  one 
year,  for  ten  years  was  City  Trustee,  and  for  four 
years  was  President  of  tlie  Board,  and  is  now  serving 
his  seventeentli   year  on  tlie  Board  of  Education. 


=^#^ai-^"i^iiM^ 


o^'  UC4UST  FAULBAUM.  ^■.  8.    The  scientific 
'■^^A-r'li    attainments    of    tlie    veterinary    surgeon 
///    A    liave  so  advanced,  that  the  dumb  animals 
1^1  now  liave  their  sufferings  relieved  equally' 

witli  the  human  race.  It  requires  constant  study 
on  the  part  of  the  veterinary  student  and  profes- 
sors, however,  to  attain  these  results,  and  tlie  an- 
atomy of  the  domestic  animals  is  studied  as  closely 
as  tliat  of  man.  Among  tliose  holding  a  higli  po- 
sition in  tliis  profession  in  Belleville  is  Dr.  Fanl- 
liaum,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  the  city  since 
1864.  He  was  born  in  Saxony,  Prussia,  November 
8,  1838,  and  received  his  literary  and  professional 
education  at  Hanover,  Magdeburg  and  Halberstadt. 
After  a  long  course  of  stud^',  lie  practiced  liis  pro- 
fession one  year,  during  which  time  he  had  the 
benefit  of  the  instruction  and  experience  of  his 
fatlier,  Cliristian  Fanlbaum,  who  was  for  many 
years  a  veterinary  surgeon  in  tlie  Prussian  army. 
In  September,  1857,  Dr.  August  Faulbaum  came 
to  the  United  States  and  first  located  in  Milwau- 
kee, Wis.,  but  at  the  end  of  two  years  he  removed 
to  Chicago.  When  the  war  cloud  which  had  hov- 
ered over  the  country  for  so  long  a  time  burst  in 
all  its  fury,  he  enlisted  from  Milwaukee,  August 
10,  1861.  Not  wishing  to  wait  for  the  whole  regi- 
ment, he  was,  with  the  other  members  of  Com- 
pany M,  transferred  by  the  Government  to  the 
Benton  it  Fremont  Hussars,  and  later  became  a 
jjart  of  the  Fourth  Missouri  Cavalry,  the  consoli- 
dation taking  place  at  Helena,  Ark.  They  were 
sent  to  Pea  Ridge  and  Cotton  Plant,  and  were  in 
many  different  localities  in  Kentucky  and  Missis- 
sippi engaged  in  cavalry  raiding.  Dr.  Faulbaum 
received  his  discharge  from  the  service  in  October, 
1864,  after  three  and  a-half  years  of   faithful  ser- 


vice in  the  cause  he  so  warmly  espoused.  Soon 
afterward  he  came  to  Belleville,  and  at  once  re- 
sumed the  practice  of  his  profession,  and  has  be- 
come the  leading  veterinary  surgeon  of  this  sec- 
tion. While  in  the  army  he  was  on  special  service 
as  veterinary  surgeon  to  look  after  contagious 
diseases,  and  has  been  very  successful  in  his  treat- 
ment of  manj'  of  the  most  fatal  diseases  known  to 
liorses.  His  practice  extends  all  over  the  country, 
for  he  devotes  his  entire  time  to  this  occupalion, 
and  he  has  won  more  than  a  merely  local  reputa- 
tion. 

On  the  20th  of  December,  186;"),  Dr.  Faulbaum 
was  married  to  Miss  Ida  Daueiskc,  of  Belleville, 
who  was  horn  in  West  Prussia,  Germany,  and 
was  brought  to  America  by  her  parents  when  ten 
years  of  age.  Of  eight  children  born  to  them,  the 
following  are  living  at  the  present  time:  Minna, 
wife  of  Nicholas  Thome;  Justus  D.;  Lena,  Mrs. 
George  Bracke;  Adolph,  a  successful  and  exjjeri- 
enced  druggist;  Hellmann,  Emma  and  Otto.  Au- 
gusta became  the  wife  of  George  Bracke,  and  upon 
her  death  left  an  infant  named  Charles. 

Dr.  Faulbaum  is  well  supplied  with  worldh- 
goods,  and  beside  his  pleasant  and  very  omifort- 
able  residence  at  No.  220  Plast  Avenue,  where  his 
home  has  been  for  the  past  twenty  years,  he  is  the 
owner  of  a  fertile  farm  of  ninety  acres  near  Mar- 
issa.  His  career  through  life  has  remained  un- 
tarnished, and  he  rejoices  in  the  respect  and  esteem 
of  a  large  circle  of  friends,  whose  good-will  he  has 
won  by  his  straightforward  course,  gcnerosily  and 
natural  kindness  of  heart. 


^^lEOBGE  FAIINE,  Si:., owns  and  operates  two 
[ll  (—.  hundred  and  sixty-nine  acres  of  land,  upon 
'^l^^i  which  he  has  resided  since  1859.  This  faini 
in  O'Fallon  Township  is  situated  on  section  2,  and 
is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and  well  im- 
proved. The  owner  was  l)orn  in  Langate,  Lorraine, 
France,  in  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  .lean  Nickolas 
Fahne.     The    father,  heinu-  an  only  son,  was  thus 


312 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


exempt  from  military  duty,  and  in  June,  1832,  he 
came  with  his  family  to  America,  landing  in  Xew 
Orleans,  whence  he  went  up  the  river  to  St.  Louis, 
lie  was  there  offered  a  block  of  land  just  soutli  of 
tlie  court  house,  but,  preferring  to  live  in  the 
country,  he  removed  to  Belleville,  and  securing 
forty  acres  of  land  established  a  brickyard.  lie 
afterward  came  to  this  township,  where  he  purchased 
fifty-nine  acres  and  began  farming,  which  he  fol- 
lowed until  his  death  in  1878,  at  the  advanced  age 
of  eighty-one  years.  His  wife,  Maria  Magdelena 
Faline,  died  in  O'Fallon  Township  in  1833. 

Tlie  family  of  this  worthy  couple  numbered  six 
childreji:  Peter,  who  married  Elizabeth  Remind, 
died  Februar}^  7,  1878,  at  the  age  of  'fifty-seven 
years.  They  had  two  children:  a  daughter  who 
died  in  childhood,  and  George,  of  Murfreesboro, 
Tenn.  .Mary  became  the  wife  of  Christoph  Baggy, 
and  removed  to  Belleville  and  afterward  to  Car- 
lyle,  where  she  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years, 
leaving  four  daughters  and  one  son :  John,  Mary, 
Rosa,  Annie  and  Isabel,  all  of  whom  live  in  Car- 
lyle.  Margaretiia  was  married,  and  both  she  and 
her  husband  died  of  cholera  in  1849,  she  being 
about  twenty  years  of  age.  The  next  ciiild  died 
in  infancj'.  George,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch, 
is  the  next  >oungei-.  Nicholas,  horn  in  1848,  died 
April  8,  1869. 

Our  subject  was  onh-  four  years  old  when  he 
came  to  America.  ■  Upon  his  father's  farm  he  was 
reared,  there  working  until  1852,  when  he  started 
out  in  life  for  himself  as  a  farm  hand,  being  thus 
employed  until  his  marriage  in  1854.  He  wedded 
Phillipine  Loyd,  who  was  born  in  1833  and  died 
November  26,  1869.  Eight  children  were  born  of 
that  union:  John,  born  July  18,  1854,  wedded 
Mary  Siegel,  daughter  of  George  and  Louisa  Siegel, 
and  is  a  farmer  of  this  community.  They  liave  had 
five  children:  Mar_y,  twelve  years  of  age;  Louisa,  a 
maiden  of  ten;  C'elia,  who  died  in  infancy;  Philli- 
pina,  four  years  old,  and  Clara,  ten  months  old. 
Elizabeth,  the  second  child  of  the  Fahne  family 
died  in  infancy.  Mary,  born  April  27,  1858,  is  the 
wife  of  AVilliam  Schaefer,  a  resident  farmer  of 
O'F'allon  Township,  by  whom  she  has  six  children: 
Pliillipina,  George,  Linda.  William.  Anna  and 
Louisa.     Conrad    died   iu    infancy.     Georye,  born 


April  3,  1861,  was  married,  in  March,  1886,  to 
Lizzie,  daughtei-  of  Michael  and  Ann  Rock,  and 
they  have  three  children:  Annie,  five  years  of  age; 
.Iohnnie,who  died  in  infancy, and  Phillipina;  they 
reside  on  a  farm  near  the  old  homestead.  Philli- 
pina, born  April  14,  1863,  was  married  February 
17, 1887,  to  Adam  Scliildknecht  and  they  have  two 
children,  George  and  Lill}-,  aged  respectively  four 
aud  two  years.  Margaretha,  born  September  24, 
1865,  was  married,  April  11,  1888,  to  AVilliam 
Siegel,  a  farmer  of  Madison  County,  and  thej'  have 
two  children,  George  and  Louisa.  Michael,  born 
February  7,  1868,  is  at  home  and  completes  the 
family. 

After  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr.  Fahne  mar- 
ried Mrs.  Catherine  (Krug)  Meyer,  widow  of  John 
S.  Meyer;  she  was  born  December  21,  1824,  in  Ba- 
varia, Germany,  landed  in  New  York  August  23 
1845,  and  thence  went  to  St.  Louis.  By  her  first 
marriage,  she  had  two  children.  The  elder,  John 
N.  Meyer,  born  July  12,  1853,  resides  on  his  fa- 
ther's farm;  he  married  Lizzie  Ensinger  and  they 
have  five  children:  John,  Emma,  William,  Annie 
and  Caroline.  Ileniy  W.,  liorii  December  1,  1859, 
lives  with  his  brother. 

Mr.  Fahne  of  this  sketch  has  engaged  in  the 
operation  of  his  present  farm  for  a  third  of  a  cen- 
tury. He  is  industrious  and  enterprising  and  is 
numbered  among  the  substantial  agriculturists  of 
this  community.  In  religious  views,  he  was  form- 
erly a  Catholic,  but  at  tliis  writing  is  connected 
with  no  church.     In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat. 


^ERNARD  TWENllAFEL.  Tiie  career  of 
Jl^>\,  this  gentleman  has  been  one  of  persever- 
^)  J;  ance  and  integrity,  and  has  been  crowned 
with  the  success  which  those  meet  who  stead- 
ily pursue  their  way,  doing  always  that  winch  their 
hand  findeth  to  do.  Mr.  Twenhafel  is  an  exponent 
of  the  fact  so  frequently  stated,  .and  which  so  many 
young  men  seem  to  doubt,  "that  in  acting  well 
one's  part  there  all  the  honor  lies." 

llenuau   Twenhafel,  the  father  of   our   subject., 


PORTRAIT  AND  15IOGRAPH1CAL  RECORD. 


ni3 


was  !i  native  of  Germany,  born  in  tliat  coun- 
Uy  ill  the  year  1800.  He  received  a  good 
iMlueatioii  in  tlie  (rernian  common  schools,  and, 
after  Hnishino-  his  course  in  school,  learned  the 
trade  of  baker,  which  he  followed  for  a  liveli- 
iiood  all  his  life.  After  serving  the  customary 
live  years  in  the  (German  armj',  Herman  Twen- 
hafel  returned  to  his  trade  and  married  Miss 
IJegina  Stienker,  also  a  naliveof  (iermany.  He  was 
blessed  with  a  family  of  six  children,  three  of  whom 
are  yet  living:  Bernard  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Hannah,  wife  of  Courad  Lautenschlager;  and  Caro- 
line, who  is  yet  in  Germany.  Herman  Twenhafel 
and  his  wife  were  always  active  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church. 

Bernard  Twenhafel,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
born  in  Germany  in  the  year  1826.  He  received  a 
good  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his  na- 
tive country',  and,  after  leaving  school,  learned 
the  trade  of  a  cigar-maker,  which  pursuit  he  fol- 
lowed for  a  number  of  years  while  in  Germany. 
The  fever  of  emigration  seized  him  in  the  year 
1843,  and  he  accordingly  set  sail  for  America  in 
that  year.  After  arriving  in  this  country,  he  lo- 
cated at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where  he  soon  found 
work  at  his  trade,  and  remained  there  for  three 
years.  Louisville,  Ky.,  was  his  next  place  of  resi- 
dence, and  for  seven  years  he  remained  in  that 
cit}-  working,  and,  by  economy  and  industry,  accu- 
mulating a  small  sum,  the  nucleus  of  the  prosper- 
ity and  fortune  he  now  enjoys. 

In  the  year  1853,  Mr.  Twenhafel  dropped  his 
trade,  and,  having  become  impressed  witli  the  pos- 
sibilities to  be  derived  from  a  residence  in  Darm- 
stadt, St.  Clair  County,  111.,  he  accordingly  moved 
to  that  spot,  invested  his  earnings  in  property 
there,  and  has  ever  since  been  identified  as  one  of 
the  leading  citizens  of  the  county.  His  first  busi- 
ness venture  in  this  vicinity  was  the  opening  of  a 
general  merchandise  store,  of  which  he  made  a 
great  success,  and  from  which  he  retired  only  a 
few  j'ears  ago,  having  become  known  as  one  of  the 
most  reliable  and  upright  merchants  in  this  part 
of  the  State,  his  active  business  career  in  this 
community  having  extended  over  a  period  of 
t  wen  ty-s  i  x  years. 

One  year  after  his  migration  to  Darmstadt,  Mr. 


Twenhafel  married  Miss  Appolonia  Fruth,  daugh- 
ter of  Adam  and  Marj'  E.  (Petei)  Fruth,  and  to 
them  were  born  six  children:  Anna,  wife  of  F.  S. 
Weekler;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  William  Ruemmler; 
Mary  (deceased);  Appolonia,  wife  of  Charles  Mar- 
lock;  Philip  B.  and  Gustave  (deceased). 

Politically,  Mr.  Twenhafel  is  a  Republican,  and 
one  of  the  stanchest  adherents  of  his  party.  He 
has  always  given  the  heartiest  support  to  the  parly 
of  his  choice,  and  he  never  hesitates  to  cast  his 
vote  for  the  nominee  set  forth  as  the  leader 
thereof.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  Lodge  No. 
418.  A.  F.  t^'  A.  M.,  of  Freeburg,  and  carries  a  life 
insurance  in  the  same  order. 

Mr.  Twenhafel  has  increased  his  lirst  i)iirchase 
in  Darmstadt,  St.  Clair  County,  from  time  to  time, 
and  is  at  present  the  possessor  of  three  hundred 
acres  of  choice  land  here,  in  addition  to  his  other 
.accumulations.  He  has  made  a  success  of  life  in 
every  sense  of  the  word.  By  judicious  invest- 
ment and  careful  management,  he  has  acquired  a 
goodly  amount  of  property,  and  his  record  in  all 
the  relations  of  life  and  in  the  duties  devolving 
upon  him  as  an  honorable  man  and  faithful  citi- 
zen is  of  the  highest.  He  is  now  leading  a  retired 
life  and  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  labor. 


:>-^^<-i 


JljOIIN  M.  SULLIVAN.  Among  the  varied 
I  and  extensive  business  operations  carried 
li  on  in  the  thrifty  and  progressive  city  of  East 
^^  St.  Louis,  there  is  none  that  meets  witli 
more  general  recognition  than  that  of  geneial  mer- 
chandising. Among  those  activel}'  engaged  in  it 
is  .lohn  JI.  Sullivan,  who  has  one  of  the  linest,  if 
not  the  finest,  stores  in  the  city  and  has  established 
an  enviable  reputation  not  only  as  a  wide-awake, 
thorough-going  business  man,  but  as  a  citizen  whose 
honesty  and  uprightness  have  never  been  ques- 
tioned. 

Mr.  Sullivan  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  on  the 
6th  of  May,  1859,  and  inherits  the  quick  wit  and 
active  brain  of  his  Hibernian  ancestors.  His 
father,  Michael  Sullivan,  w.as  a   native  of  County 


314 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Cork,  Iieland,  and  was  reared  to  tbe  pursuit 
of  farminar.  When  still  a  single  man,  lie  came 
to  America  and  settled  in  St.  Louis,  where 
he  was  employed  as  foreman  of  a  brewery  and 
took  charge  of  the  deliver3'  department.  Later, 
he  removed  to  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  filled  the  same 
position  in  a  brewery  there,  and  there  received  his 
final  summons  in  1866.  The  last  year  of  his  life 
he  was  engaged  in  the  dair}-  business  in  that  city. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Church,  as 
was  also  his  wife.  Mar}'  Cogan,  who  was  a  native 
of  Ireland,  born  in  County  Cork.  Mrs.  Sullivan 
came  with  her  parents  to  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  where 
her  father  tilled  th»  soil  until  his  death.  After 
the  death  of  her  husband  she  resided  in  Leav- 
enworth with  her  children  until  1879,  when  she 
moved  to  East  St.  Louis,  and  there  died  when 
sixt3--eight  3'ears  of  age.  Five  children  were  born 
to  her  marri.age,  one  daughter  being  deceased. 

Our  subject  was  but  a  babe  when  his  parents 
moved  to  Leavenworth,  Kan.,  and  he  was  the  eldest 
child.  He  was  reared  in  that  city,  where  until  the 
yeai-  1876  he  attended  the  public  schools.  When 
fifteen  years  of  age  he  served  an  apprenticeship  at 
the  painter's  trade,  and  on  the  6th  of  July,  1876, 
he  moved  to  East  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  employed 
in  a  foundry  as  painter  for  one  year.  After  this 
he  was  on  the  railroad  as  foreman,  and  later  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  night  car  inspector  for  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad.  Shortly 
afterward  he  began  attending  the  St.  Louis  Business 
College  and  graduated  from  that  institution.  On 
the  19th  of- August,  1884,  he  embarked  in  the 
grocer}'  business,  under  the  firm  name  of  J.  M.  Sul- 
livan &  Bros.,  and  has  continued  business  under 
this  title  ever  since.  Although  he  began  life  at 
the  bottom  of  the  ladder,  by  good  management 
and  naturally  fine  qualifications  he  has  attained  a 
position  of  which  any  man  might  be  proud.  He 
added  to  his  grocery  a  meat  shop  etc.,  and  carries  a 
fine  line  of  nearly  everything  except  dry  goods. 
This  is  the  largest  establishment  of  the  kind  in 
the  city,  and  is  located  at'Nos.  100  and  102  South 
Fourth  Street.  The  building  is  46x70  feet  in 
dimensions  and  two  stories  in  height. 

In  the  year  1888,  Mr.  Sullivan  was  married  to 
Miss  Maggie  A.  Murphy,  a  native  of  East  St.  Louis 


and  the  daughter  of  Michael  Murphy,  who  was 
Alderman  and  for  a  number  of  years  a  member 
of  the  Board  of  Education.  The  latter  died  in  this 
city.  Mrs.  Sullivan  was  educated  here  and  for 
several  j'ears  was  Principal  of  the  Franklin  School. 
Two  children  have  been  given  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sulli- 
van, Mary  and  .lay  Martin.  In  1885,  Mr.  Sulli- 
van was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion and  for  the  last  three  years  he  was  President 
of  the  Board.  In  1887,  he  ran  for  the  office  of 
Mayor  on  the  Labor  ticket  but  was  defeated  by  a 
small  majority.  He  was  at  that  time  a  member  of 
the  Knights  of  Labor.  In  1890,  he  was  appointed 
a  member  of  the  Board  of  Election  Commissioners 
of  East  St.  Louis  by  Judge  Boenau  and  was  made 
chairman,  which  position  he  has  held  ever  since. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic  Knights 
of  Illinois.  He  is  a  member  and  Director  of  St. 
Patrick's  Building  and  Loan  Association,  and  is  a 
worthy  member  of  St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church.  In 
politics,  he  is  a  Democrat. 


L^p^HEO.  ^'()<i^  is  a  wholesale  liquor  dealer 
//y^v,  of  East  St.  Louis.  In  this  age  of  gross  and 
^V^^'  almost  universal  adulteration,  it  is  a  pleas- 
ure to  be  able  to  refer  to  those  reliable  houses 
where  the  public  are  assured  of  obtaining  only  the 
purest  and  best  goods  and  where  no  imposition  is 
practiced  upon  credulous  patrons.  Of  such  is  the 
responsible  establishment  of  Mr.  Vogt,  of  which  he 
has  had  the  management  since  1888,  his  house  of 
l)usiness  being  lo(-ated  on  Broadway.  He  was  born 
at  Huelschotten,  near  Attendorn,  Westphalia,  Ger- 
many, November  28,  1849,  to  Peter  and  Elizabeth 
Vogt,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  worker  in  iioii 
and  a  farmer  by  occupation.  He  was  in  an  artillery 
regiment  in  the  Prussian  army  and  died  in  1871. 
at  the  age  of  sixty-five  y.ears.  His  widow  died  in 
1877,  when  about  seventy  years  of  age. 

Theo.  Vogt  is  one  of  two  surviving  inemhers 
of  the  family  of  five  children,  born  to  his  parents, 
his  sister  Marguerite,  Mrs.  Schulte,  being  a  resident 
of  St.  Louis,  Mo-     He  was  reared  to  a  farm  life  in 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


315 


German}',   obtained  a  common-school    education, 
and  at  the  age  of  eighteen  j^ears  went  to  Radevorm-   ! 
wald  in  tlie  Rhine  country,  where  he  learned  the   I 
tanner's  trade,  at  which  he  worlicd  until  1869.   In 
the  fall  of  tliat  3'ear,  he  took  passage  at  Bremen 
on  tiie  sailing-vessel  "Cosmus"  for  America,  and    i 
reached  the  citj'  of  New  Yorlv  after  a  voyage  of 
thirty-eight  days.     After  working  a  short  time  in    i 
the  metropolis  of  the  New  World,  he  came  to  St.    | 
l.ouis.  Mo.,   in  Januar}',  1870,  and  for  ten  months   1 
thi'reaftcr  worked  at  his  trade.  In  1870,  lie  entered 
I'iona   College,   St.  Francis,    Milwaukee    County, 
Wis.,   completing  the  course  after  an  attendance 
of  two  years  and  six  months.     He    then  came  to 
O'Fallon,  111.,  where  he  taught  in  the  parish  scliool 
for  one  term,  then  came   to  East  St.  Louis,  and  for 
six  years  thereafter  was  a  teacher  in   the   pulilic 
schools  of  this  city. 

For  eighteen  months  our  subject  traveled  over 
several  States  for  the  firm  of  Harold  des  Giaubens, 
whicji  experience  was  very  valuable  to  him.  He 
llien  started  in  the  grocery  business  at  No.  1601 
Morgan  Street,  St.  Louis,  but  three  years  later  pur- 
eliased  a  retail  liquor  house  in  that  city.  In  1888, 
he  sold  liis  establishment  tiiere,  and  bought  tlie 
wholesale  liquor  establishment  of  Paul  Abt,  in  East 
St.  Louis,  which  was  located  on  Missouri  Avenue, 
and  was  a  brick  building,  two  stories  high,  with  a 
frontage  of  forty  feet.  In  1891,  he  built  his  pres- 
ent fine  brick  establishment,  which  has  a  sixteen- 
foot  frontage  on  Broad waj-.  It  is  a  two-story 
building,  veiy  finely  furnished,  has  an  elevator 
and  is  heated  by  furnace.  This  is  considered  the 
handsomest  block  on  Broadway  and  is  a  credit  to 
the  town. 

Mr.  Vogt  is  interested  in  mines  in  Colorado,  has 
an  exceptionally  liandsome  residence  at  No.  420 
North  Seventh  Street,  whicli  was  erected  at  a  cost 
of  $10,(100,  and  is  tiie  owner  of  otiier  valuable 
|iro|ierty.  He  was  married  in  P^ast  St.  Louis,  in 
1878,  to  Miss  Lizzie  de  Haan,  who  was  born  in 
Coin,  Germany,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  John  de  Haan. 
She  was  reared  and  educated  in  St.  Louis,  AIo.,  and 
lias  borne  lier  husband  tlie  following  children :  Kate; 
Ida;  Gertrude,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three  years; 
'I'lieo;  Eniil;and  Margaret.  ]\Ir,  Vogt  and  ids  fam- 
ily attend  St.  llejiry's  Church,     lie  belongs  to  the 


Catholic  Knights  of  America,  and  in  politics  is  in- 
dependent, casting  his  vote  for  the  one  he  consid- 
ers the  best  man.  He  is  a  pushing,  enterpris- 
ing young  merclianl  and  is  deservedly  popular 
with  all  with  whom  he  h.as  dealings.  His  goods  are 
of  the  finest  quality  and  are  quoted  at  tlie  lowest 
prices. 


m 


ENJA:MIX  PAlMvEH  (;KEEN.  There  arc 
very  few  counties  in  tlie  United  States  that 
do  not  contain  men  wlio  have  prosecuted 
a  successful  career,  rising  from  poverty  to 
)oteuce  by  dint  of  energy  and  industry,  coup- 
led with  good  management.  An  example  of  this 
kind  in  St.  Clair  County  was  found  in  the  person 
of  the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  these 
paragraphs  and  whose  home  was  located  on  section 
28,-  Marissa  Township.  There  he  owned  a  good 
estate,  which  was  supplied  with  every  needful  out- 
building and  a  substantial  residence.  His  life  was 
brought  to  a  close  April  11,  1890,  when  sixty-eight 
years  of  age. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  born  in  County  An- 
trim, Ireland,  in  1822.  He  was  the  son  of  Sir 
Francis  and  Rebecca  Green,  botli  of  wliom  weie  na- 
tives of  the  Emerald  Isle,  and  on  coming  to  America 
were  pioneers  in  St.  Clair  County.  Benjamin  P. 
of  this  sketch  Ijeing  reared  to  farm  pursuits,  when 
ready  to  choose  an  occupation  in  life  followed  that 
line  of  business,  and,  being  a  man  of  more  than  or- 
dinary push  and  enterprise,  was  very  successful  in 
his  undertaking. 

The  lady  to  whom  Mr.  (Jrci'U  was  nuuried  in 
1865  was  Miss  Sarah,  daugiitcr  of  .Inincs  and 
Elizabeth  (Kilpatrick)  Gitty,  and,  like  her  husband. 
was  also  born  in  County  Antrim,  Ireland,  in  the 
year  1832.  Her  father  was  a  linen  weaver  in  that 
country,  which  occupation  he  followed  until  his 
decea.se.  Mrs.  Green  is  the  only  member  of  the 
family  of  seven  children  who  came  to  America, 
three  of  her  brothers  and  sisters  dying  when  young. 
Her  paternal  grandfather,  Henry  Gitty,  Sr,,  was 
born  in   the  same  house  in  Ireland  where  his  sou 


316 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRARHICAL  RECORD. 


James  was  born.  Mrs.  Green  came  to  America 
when  twenty-eight  years  of  age,  in  company  witli 
licr  cousin,  William  Gipson,  and,  locating  in  this 
county,  was  married  the  following  year  to  our  sub- 
ject. Their  union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of 
ten  children,  of  whom  those  living  are:  Thomas  L.; 
Jane  R.,  wife  of  Edward  Johnson;  Charles  M.  and 
Robert  J.  (twins);  Henry  E.;  William  P.;  Herbert 
G.;  and  Jose|)hine,  Jlrs.  Charles  Edminson. 


l^+^-[ 


YMAN  T.  CARR.  The  gentleman  whose 
name  stands  at  the  opening  of  this  short 
^  sketch  has  the  honor  to  be  the  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  Smithton  Township,  in  which  he  has 
a  fine  farm,  he  being  one  of  the  most  influential 
farmers  of  his  locality. 

Mr.  Carr  is  the  son  of  William  Carr,  who  was 
born  in  St.  Clair  County,  February  24,  1809.  The 
latter  was  the  son  of  Abner  Carr,  who  came  to  this 
county  from  Virginia  and  settled  in  this  township, 
where  he  entered  land  from  tlie  Government. 
Here  his  son  William  grew  to  manhood  and  mar- 
ried Miss  Sarah  Miller,  daughter  of  Reuben  Miller, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Monroe  County.  After  the 
marriage  of  Mr.  Carr,  he  located  in  Prairie  Du 
I>ong  Township,  where  he  continued  to  live  until 
1861,  when  he  went  to  Randolph  County  and  en- 
tered land  and  continued  to  live  foi-  six  years. 
This  gentleman  was  a  brave  .soldier  in  the  Black 
Hawk  War,  defending  his  county  from  the  en- 
croachment of  the  .savage  Indian.  He  and  his  es- 
timable wife  were  the  parents  of  ten  children,  five 
(if  win  mi  are  still  living. 

Our  suliject  .first  saw  the  lighf  of  day  Deccml)er 
•2'J,  1839,  in  St.  Clair  County,  in  the  old  home- 
stead, and  here  he  was  reared  and  educated  in  the 
common  schools  of  the  period,  remaining  witli  his 
father  until  his  marriage  in  1862,  wlien  he  settled 
on  a  farm  in  Randolph  C<iunl\ .  and  there  re- 
mained for  fifteen  years.  In  1876,  he  came  to  St. 
Clair  County  and  located  at  Douglas,  where  he  re- 
mained for  three  years  and  then  went  further 
south,  but  after  n.  short  residc^nce  (•anietotlie  \)\:\.fv 


he  now  occupies,  on  section  15,  Smithton  Town- 
ship, where  he  has  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  which 
are  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  and  on  which  he 
raises  corn  principally. 

Mr.  Carr  was  married  in  1862  to  Miss  I-^lizabeth 
Adams,  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Andrew 
Adams,  of  Randolph  County,  where  he  was  an  .ex- 
tensive farmer.  This  lady  departed  this  life  in 
1870,  leaving  two  children,  Clara  and  Cora.  In 
1881,  Mr.  Carr  was  again  married,  this  time  to 
Mrs.  Redcnhouse,  whose  maiden  name  was  Ellen 
Woods.  She  has  borne  him  three  children,  Rupert 
L.,  Flora  E.  and  Paiilin.i,  all  bright,  interesting 
children. 

Mr.  Carr  belongs  to  Lodge  No.  lis,  A.  F.  iV-  A. 
M.,  of  Freeburg,  111.  Politically,  he  upholds  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party,  by  whom  he 
was  ekcted  to  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace 
three  years  ago,  which  office  he  still  holds  in 
a  manner  entirely  satisfactory  to  all  parties  con- 
cerned. 


-^-^^1®^®!^^ 


If  ENRY  KNOBELOCII,  a  prosperous  farmer 
Hjl  on  section  27,  Shiloh  Valley  Township. 
'M^^  was  l>orn  on  the  same  farm  where  he  now 
(^  resides  in  1860.  He  is  a  son  of  Balthazar 
and  Elizabeth  (Leibrock)  Knobeloch.  His  father 
is  still  living  and  resides  also  on  section  27.  He 
was  born  m  Darmstadt,  Germany,  in  1819, and  was 
a  .son  of  John  AV.  and  Mary  (Ma_y)  Knolicldcli. 
natives  of  Olmstadt,  Germany.  The  grandfather 
of  our  ^ullje(•f  was  ben n  in  1777,  and  his  grand- 
mother 111  1781.  lie  was  a  farmer  by  occupation 
in  the  Fatherland,  and  brought  his  family  to  the 
United  States  in  1832.  He  at  once  .set  out  for  Il- 
linois and  inirchased  a  farm  in  St.  Clair  Countw 
the  identical  faiiii  now  owned  by  his.son.  He  had 
a  large  farm  in  ( ieriiiany,  which  he  sold  before 
emigrating  to  the  New  AVorld.  Thus  provided 
with  several  thousand  dollars,  he  was  enabled  to 
purchase  about  four  hundred  and  twenty  aeies  of 
fertile  i)ro|)erty.     lie  reared  ,'i  f;nilily  of  foiir  soiis 


rOETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


317 


and  one  daughter,  all  of  whom  have  since  passed 
away,  with  tlie  exception  of  our  subject's  father. 
They  were  all  reared  in  the  Protestant  religion 
and  had  fair  school  advantages.  John  Knobeloch 
died  in  1835,  and  his  wife  survived  him  until  she 
too  was  called  to  the  Better  Land,  in  1857. 

The  father  of  our  subject  received  a  good  com- 
mon-school education  in  the  Old  Country,  and 
lived  with  his  mother  until  his  marriage,  which  oc- 
curred when  he  was  twenty-nine  j'ears  of  age. 
Tiie  lady  of  his  choice  was  I"]lizalieth,  daughter  of 
Lawrence  and  Eve  Leiljrock.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Knobeloch  were  born  nine  children:  Margaret, 
the  wife  of  .J.  C.  Koska;  Sophia,  .Tulius,  George, 
Henry;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Hacket;  Mol- 
lie.  now  deceased;  Emma  and  Rudolph,  also  de- 
ceased. The  father  carried  on  the  occupation  of 
farming  on  the  homestead  with  his  brothers  for 
seventeen  years,  when  his  father's  estate  was  di- 
vided and  he  is  now  the  owner  of  about  sixteen 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land. 

Henry  Knobeloch,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch, 
passed  his  boyhood  daj's  on  the  farm  and  grew  to 
manhood  under  the  parental  roof.  His  education 
was  received  in  the  district  schools  and  in  the 
town  of  Belleville.  When  twenty-four  years  of 
.age,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with  Elizabeth  M. 
Meyer,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Barbara 
(Bergan)  Meyer.  Mr.  Meyer  was  a  native  of  Baden, 
German}',  where  he  was  born  in  1829.  He  was 
reared  to  city  life  and  learned  the  stone-cutter's 
trade.  AVhen  twenty  years  of  age,  he  enlisted  in 
the  array  and  served  there  for  a  period  of  about 
one  year.  He  then  left  his  Fatherland  and  crossed 
the  broad  Atlantic  to  the  United  States,  where  he 
remained  about  three  years.  He  then  made 
a  visit  1(1  his  native  country,  was  there  mar- 
ried, and  after  a  short  time  again  sailed  for 
the  New  World.  Arriving  in  this  country  with 
his  bride,  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  there 
made  his  home.  In  1861,  he  entered  the  United 
States  army,  in  Company  C,  Thirty-fourth 
Illinois  Regiment.  After  his  discharge  from  the 
service,  he  went  to  Mascoutah,  where  he  r.an  a  saw- 
mill, and  in  addition  carried  on  the  labors  of  a 
farm.  He  and  liis  wife  reared  a  family  of  ten 
children,  of  wlmn)  th"'  wife  of  ovir  subiect  is  the 


fifth  in  order  of  birth.     Mr.  and   Mrs.   Knobeloch 
have  one  daughter,  Gussie. 

After  the  marriage  of  our  subject,  he  continued 
to  live  with  his  father  on  the  home  farm  for  two 
years,  and  then  removed  to  Mascoutah,  where  he 
resided  for  about  a  year.  At  the  expiration  of 
that  time,  he  returned  to  his  father's  farm,  where 
he  has  since  made  his  home.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Farmers'  ^Mutual  Benefit  Association,  and  also 
liolds  raenihersliip  with  the  IX  O.  H.  Politically, 
he  is  a  stanch  advocate  of  Democracj'.  Though 
comparatively  a  3'oung  man,  he  has  already  shown 
marked  business  ability,  and  has  shown  great  en- 
terprise and  industry  in  his  care  of  the  homestead. 
He  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  this  county, 
where  he  has  resided  since  his  birth. 


^m  MSON  BAER,  of  liaei-  Bros.,  dealers  in  horses 
C@/u[|    and  mules,  is  one  of  the  enterprising  busi- 

lll  vk  ness  men  of  the  townsiiip  where  he  lives. 
<^  He  is  a  native  of  Germany,  having  been 
born  in  Wurtemberg,  August  8,  1851.  He  was 
reared  and  educated  in  his  native  land,  where  he 
remained  until  he  had  reached  the  age  of  seventeen, 
when  he  crossed  the  ocean  and  came  to  this  town  in 
1869,  his  brother  Aaron  having  preceded  him.  He 
was  engaged  in  the  same  business,  that  of  dealing 
in  horses,  from  the  first. 

The  first  partnership  which  our  subject  formed 
was  that  of  Lowenstein  and  Baer  Brothers,which  did 
business  at  the  same  place  thej'  now  occupy.  In 
1882,  the  name  was  changed  to  Baer  Brothers,  and 
they  have  done  a  heavy  business  ever  since.  Their 
stables  and  otHce  are  at  High  .'ind  Washington 
Streets,  Belleville,  111.  They  have  a  large  brick 
barn,  40x100  feet,  with  an  addition  in  the  rear  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty-tw.o  feet.  They  do  a  very 
large  business,  handling  from  five  to  six  hundred 
mules  and  horses  a  month,  being  the  exclusive 
sellers  and  exchangers  of  horses. 

Mr.  Baer  was  married  in  this  town  to  Miss  Sadie 
Sanger,  who  is  a  native  of  the  pKace,  having  been 


318 


PORTRAIT  AND  BlOGRAnUCAL   RECORD. 


born  here  February  6,  1865.  The  ceremony  took 
pl.ice  November  4,  1885.  They  have  three  bright 
iiitellinent  children,  Harry,  Eugene  and  Herschel. 

Mr.  Uacr  is  a  member  of  tlie  Schar  Enieth  Con- 
gregation at  .St.  Louis.  He  is  a  good  business 
man  and  has  established  and  built  up  a  fine  busi- 
ness that  yields  a  good  income.  •  He  and  liis  charm- 
ing wife  are  highly  respected  tliroughouttlie  town- 
shi|),  and  resides  in  a  fine  bi  ick  home  on  Wash- 
ington Street,  which  ]Mr.  IJaer  i)uilt. 


ikM.  ^^^'^^  ^^-  ^■^'•J^I'^'KY.  The  gentleman  to 
whom  we  call  the  attention  of  our  readers 
is  a  prominent  and  influential  farmer  of 
St. .Clair-  Township,  where  he  operates  an 
excellent  estate  of  eighty  acres,  all  well  improved. 
He  is  serving  his  third  term  as  Townsliip  Supervi- 
sor, which  position  he  has  filled  witli  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents. 
Our  subject  was  born  November  23,  1839. _  His 
father,  who  also  bore  the  name  of  Moses,  was 
born  in  Hardy  County,  Va.,  in  1798,  being  a  son 
of  Daniel  Stookey  anda  brother  of  Elijah  Stookey 
( for  wliom  see  sketch).  Moses  Stookey,  Sr.,  married 
Elizabeth  Anderson,  a  native  of  tlie  Keystone 
State,  who  was  born  in  1805  and  died  sixt3'-three 
years  later,  in  1868.  They  were  the  parents  of 
eleven  chihhen,  but  only  three  beside  our  sub- 
ject are  living.  Tliey  are  as  follows:  Elizabeth, 
now  Mrs.  Wood;  Jolin  D.,  wlio  resides  on  a  farm 
adjoining  that  of  our  subject;  and  Dr.  L.  P.,  of 
Belleville,  whose  sketch  will  be  found  on  another 
p.age  of  this  volume. 

In  his  boyhood,  our  subject  received  a  common- 
school  education  in  his  district,  attending  school 
during  the  winter  term  and  working  on  his  fathei's 
farm  in  the  summer.  He  grew  to  a  stalwart  man- 
hood,well-fitted  to  bear  his  part  as  an  intelligent  ag- 
riculturist and  a  public-spirited  citizen.  Thought- 
ful by  nature,  he  prefers  to  deliberate  over  matters 
of  importance  rather  than  express  an  opinion 
hastily,  but  his  itlens  when  presented  are  worthy  of 
tlue  consideration.     Besides  his  line  farm,  he  owus 


forty  acres  in  Smitbton  Township  and  forty  acres 
in  Millstadt  Township. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Stookey  married  Miss  Mary  Adams, 
who  lived  to  bless  his  home  for  twelve  years,  and 
wns  then  taken  away  by  the  dread  angel.  Death, 
February  27,  1874,  leaving  two  children,  Alonzo 
and  Barbara,  who  are  unmarried  and  at  home.  Mr. 
Stookey  was  again  married,  in  1879,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Mahala,  daughter  of  John  and 
Nancy  Little.  Mrs.  Stookey  was  born  near  Mill- 
stadt in  1850.  Her  mother  is  still  living  and  re- 
sides in  Kansas.  Throughout  the  community  where 
she  resides,  Mrs.  Stookey  is  well  known  for  her 
sweetness  of  disposition  and  kindly  consideration 
of  all  with  whom  she  comes  in  contact. 

Sir.  Stookey'  is  one  of  the  representative  men  of 
the  township,  in  which  he  has  been  ver3-  promi- 
nent, especially  in  political  matters.  He  u|)holds 
the  principles  of  Democracy  with  vigor  and  enthu- 
siasm, and  uses  his  influence  in  behalf  of  the  party 
of  his  choice.  Alike  devoted  to  i)ublicand  private 
iiiterest>.  hi.-,  career  as  citizen  and  farmer  is  one  of 


fi 


^#i#^i^..|^i|lM. 


ONJIAD  AHLERS,  who  represents  Lenzburg 
.,  Township  on  the  Count}'   Board  of  Super- 

^^y  visors,  also  operates  a  tine  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres,  part  of  which  was  left  him 
by  his  father,  and  which  is  pleasantly  located  on 
section  12.  He  is  a  thorough  tiller  of  the  soil, 
having  been  reared  to  that  occupation,  and  has 
carried  it  on  successfully  for  a  number  of  years. 
His  property  is  well  improved,  well  stocked,  and 
in  all  respects  an  attractive  and  valuable  piece  of 
land. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1847, 
and  is  a  son  of  William  niid  Christina  (Schultz) 
Ahlers,  who  were  natives  of  (ierniaiiy,  the  father 
being  born  February  1.  1801,  and  the  mother  in 
1807.  William  Ahlers  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade, 
which  occupation  he  followed  during  the  greater 
part  of  his  life.  Ho  wtismurrieil  in  his  nati\eland, 
soon   after  which  event  lie  cau»e  U)  Aaierica,  in 


VI 'ii^  .ii* 


RESIDENCE  OF    COf^RAD   AH  LtR5  ,  SEC  .  12     LENZBURG  TP,5T.  CLAIR  CO, ILL 


JT  I  Ji' 


.*  .».^ 
J 


^ill|ipiPPilWiii||iiipiip 


i€'W-  ^ 


RESIDENCE  OF  M.M.STOOKEY,  SEC,32 ,  ST.  CLAI  R  IP  ST.  CLAIR  COJLL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHieAL  RECORD. 


321 


1833,  making  his  first  location  in  Baltimore,  where 
he  resided  for  several  years.  Thence  he  went  to 
Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  later  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  finally 
with  his  family  came  to  Dutch  Hill  Prairie,  this 
county,  where  he  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  re- 
garded with  a  high  degree  of  respect  by  his  neigh- 
bors and  acquaintances,  and  was  a  man  of  energy 
and  prudence. 

Our  subject  is  the  fourth  in  order  of  birtli  among 
five  children  who  grew  to  mature  years,  three  dy- 
ing in  infancy.  Those  first  mentioned  are:  Charles, 
who  is  now  deceased;  Henry,  Louisa,  Conrad  and 
Fred.  In  religious  affairs,  the  father  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  politically  always 
voted  the  straight  Democratic  ticket. 

He  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  remained  on 
the  home  farm  until  after  his  marriage  with  Miss 
Mary  Breadweiser,  wliich  was  solemnized  in  1870. 
Mrs.  Aiders  is  the  daughter  of  William  and  Doro- 
thea Breadweiser,  the  former  a  carpenter  by  trade. 
She  presides  with  dignity  and  efficiency  over  her 
liome,  looking  carefull_v  to  the  welfare  of  the 
household.  The  two  children  born  to  herself  and 
husband  are  deceased.  Mr.  Ahlers  is  a  man  of  true 
religious  principles,  and  belongs  lo  the  Lutheran 
Church.  He  is  one  of  the  most  public-spirited  and 
progressive  men  in  his  township,  which  he  is  serv- 
ing in  the  capacit}'  of  Supervisor  and  Justice  of 
the  Peace. 


H.  ALEXANDER  S.  HALSTEAD,  a  mem- 
ber of  tlie  dental  firm  of  Halstead  it  Woelk. 
is  justly  regarded  as  one  of  the  thoroughly 
reliable  and  etticienl  masters  of  tlie  den- 
tal profession  in  Belleville,  111.,  and  has  won  an 
enviable  reputation  for  the  careful,  skillful  manner 
in  which  he  performs  all  operations.  The  firm  is 
well  provided  with  ever3--new  improved  appliance 
for  making  the  extraction  of  teeth  as  easy  and  pain- 
less an  operation  as  possible,  and  they  also  preserve 
the  natural  teeth  and  fill  them.  Their  operating 
roum  is  equipped  with  the  latest  impioved  operat- 

15 


ing  chairs  and  with  the  best  instruments  known  to 
the  profession. 

Dr.  Halstead  has  practiced  his  profession  in 
Belleville,  111.,  since  the  j'ear  1886,  and  has  recently 
taken  his  former  student,  Robert  Woelk,  into  the 
business  with  him.  Mr.  AVoelk  is  very  familiar 
with  the  dental  business,  is  highly  respected  in 
social  as  well  as  professional  circles,  and  is  a  young 
man  of  sterling  worth. 

Dr.  Halstead  was  born  in  Shiloh  Nallej-  Town- 
ship, this  county,  on  the  loth  of  December,  1853, 
and  is  a  son  of  A.  S.  Halstead,  Sr.,  who  was  one  of 
the  early  settlers  here,  coming  from  Covington, 
Ky..  in  1808.  The  latter  married  Miss  Eliza  J. 
Scott,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  but  a  native  of  Quincy, 
III.  Her  father,  Dr.  W^illiam  Scott,  located  in 
Shiloh  Valley,  this  county,  in  the  year  1844. 
After  the  death  of  her  husband,  which  occurred 
when  our  subject  was  but  three  months  old,  Mrs. 
Halstead  made  lier  home  with  her  father  for  many 
years.  She  is  now  residing  at  Santa  Barbara,  Cal., 
with  a  daughter,  Josie  A.,  wife  of  William  Rainey, 
formerly  of  Nashville,  111.  Our  subject  was  reared 
principally  in  his  native  county  and  was  educated 
in  McKendree  College,  Lebanon,  later  teaching 
school  for  a  short  time.  He  passed  an  examination 
for  cadetship  at  Champaign,  but  instead  attended 
the  school  of  pharmacy  at  St.  Louis.  Later,  he  at- 
tended the  St.  Louis  Medical  College  for  two  years, 
after  which  he  practiced  dentistry,  and  following 
this  he  attended  the  St.  Louis  Medical  and  the  Mis- 
souri Dental  Colleges,  graduating  from  both  insti- 
tutions. 

Our  subject  first  located  at  Mascoutah,  but  later 
came  to  Belleville,  as  above  mentioned.  He  docs 
not  practice  medicine  but  has  built  up  a  large 
practice  in  dentistry  and  is  one  of  the  leading,  act- 
ive dentists  of  the  day.  What  time  he  can  spare 
from  his  profession  he  devotes  to  horticulture,  and, 
as  he  owns  one  and  a-half  acres  on  Sycamore  Street, 
the  most  of  this  is  utilized  in  that  occupation.  In 
connection,  he  also  owns  a  retail  store  for  cut 
flowers  and  candies  at  No.  1202  Olive  Street,  St. 
Louis.  He  owns  considerable  real  estate  in  the 
county  near  the  city,  about  four  hundred  acres,  or 
one-fourth  of  an  undivided  sixteen  hundred  acres. 
While  residing  in  Mascoutah,  he  >vfis  engaged  in 


322 


jfORTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


general  merchandising  in  addition  to  his  pro- 
fession. He  is  a  member  of  both  tlie  Illinois  and 
Missouri  State  Dental  Societies,  and,  socially,  is 
identified   with  the  Knights  of  Honor. 

Dr.  Ilalstead  selected  his  wife  in  the  person  of 
Miss  Kate  Kunz,  of  Mascoutah,  daughter  of  Charles 
Kunz,  one  of  the  old  business  men  of  that  place, 
who  was  prominent  as  a  miller,  merchant  and  dis- 
tiller. This  marriage  occurred  on  the  20th  of 
April,  1879,  and  three  children  have  been  born  to 
them,  namely:  Dora,  Louisa  and  Charles  Koester. 
In  all  laudable  enterprises.  Dr.  Halstead  takes  a 
deep  interest,  and  he  and  his  admirable  wife  are 
classed  among  the  foremost  citizens. 


J'  OHN  JACOB  EBEHHART  owns  a  farm  on 
section  .3,  Caseyville  Township.  lie  was 
born  in  Germany,  his  birth  iiaving  occurred 
in  Wurtemberg,  in  1821.  He  is  a  son  of 
Ludwicli  and  Barbara  Eberhart,  both  natives  of  the 
same  country  and  born  in  the  same  province.  Our 
subject  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  laud  and  there  grew  to  man- 
hood. He  resided  under  the  parental  roof  until 
thirty  years  of  age.  When  about  eighteen  he  was 
apprenticed  to  a  baker  in  order  to  learn  that  trade. 
Tliis  occupation  he  followed  until  coming  to  the 
United  States.  Leaving  his  parents,  friends  and 
country,  he  crossed  the  briny  deep  in  1850.  He 
(irst  located  iu  Massachusetts,  where  for  four  years 
he  engaged  at  work  in  a  woolen  factoiy.  Then 
believing  that  the  West  afforded  better  opportuni- 
ties for  advancement  and  for  making  a  fortune,  he 
came  to  Illinois,  settling  in  Collinsville.  For 
seventeen  years  he  worked  at  his  trade  at  that 
point,  and  with  the  careful  savings  of  years  pur- 
chased land  in  Madison  County,  just  across  the 
line  from  where  he  now  lives.  He  resided  on  that 
farm  for  many  years,  and  then  purchased  ninety- 
three  acres  in  Caseyville  Township,  this  county, 
on  whicli  he  settled  in  1886.  His  property  has 
greatly  increased  in  value  and  has  been  brouglit 
!ii)(ler   a   liigli  stMte  of   cijltivation  since  coming 


into  ills  possession.  To  achieve  this  result  he  has 
devoted  all  of  iiis  time  and  attention,  and  well 
merits  the  reward  of  his  labors. 

In  the  year  18.t1,  Mr.  Eberhart  was  married  to 
Miss  Barbara  Muchler,  of  Massachusetts.  She  is  a 
daughter  of  Andrew  and  Catherine  Muchler,  of 
that  State.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eberhart  have  three  liv- 
ing children:  Gottlieb,  who  married  Elizabeth 
Ambrosias,  and  has  two  children,  Herman  and 
Theodore;  Barba  and  Mary.  John  died  when  young. 

In  politics,  Mr.  Eberhart  is  non-partisan,  con- 
sidering it  alwa_ys  best  to  vote  for  the  man  rather 
than  the  party.  He  fulfills  the  duties  of  citizen- 
ship with  fidelity,  and  is  much  interested  in  all 
measures  calculated  to  advance  tlie  best  interests 
of  the  community  and  Slate.  He  is  a  loyal  citi- 
zen of  his  adopted  country  and  takes  an  active 
part  in  everything  tending  to  advance  her  pros- 
perity. He  and  his  family  are  wortliy  and  hon- 
ored members  of  the  Lutheran  Churcli. 


l>^^-<m 


'ji^iRANCIS  M.  BEGOLE.  an  extensive  farmer 
|-W^  of  Caseyville  Township,  owns  and  operates 
/1\  a  farm  on  section  3.     He  was  born  in  this 

county,  in  the  same  township,  in  1838,  and  is  a 
son  of  Joshua  and  Mary  (Terry)  Begole.  The  fa- 
ther was  born  in  Maryland,  near  Hagerstown,  in 
1792.  His  wife  was  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County, 
where  her  birth  occurred  in  1808.  On  the  father's 
side  of  the  family  he  is  a  descendant  of  the 
Huguenots,  many  of  whom  came  to  America 
after  their  persecution  in  France.  Joshua  Be- 
gole was  reared  to  manhood  on  a  farm,  and  re- 
ceived but  a  limited  education  in  the  common 
schools.  When  young,  he  removed  to  Genesee 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  lived  there  for  a  number  of 
years.  At  about  thirty  3'ears  of  age,  turning  his 
face  Westward,  he  came  to  Illinois,  and  located  in 
St.  Clair  County.  For  a  short  time  he  worked  by 
the  month  on  a  farm,  until  he  had  settled  where 
he  should  purchase  land.  He  then,  in  company 
with  his  brother-in-law,  Eliva  Lankeste.  purchased 
ftboLit   one    hundred   and  sixty  acres  of  laud  on 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


323 


favorable  terras  and  long  time.  When  he  came  to 
the  West,  he  was  without  means,  hut  through  in- 
dustry' and  good  business  investments  accumulated 
about  eight  hundred  acres  of  fine  land. 

On  the  2d  of  March,  1824,  Mr.  Begole  wedded 
Mary  Terry,  a  daughter  of  George  and  Sarah 
Terry,  of  this  county.  To  them  were  boi'u  a  fam- 
ily of  twelve  children,  three  of  whom  died  when 
young.  Those  who  grew  to  adult  age  were  William 
R.,  now  deceased;  Frank;  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Gideon 
Leinen;  Andrew,  also  deceased;  Mary,  who  was  the 
wife  of  Levi  Piggott,  and  has  now  departed  this 
life;  James  M.,  deceased;  F.  M.,  our  subject;  Cyrus 
S.;  and  Cynthia,  who  is  the  wife  of  Edwin  Lemen. 
This  family  were  all  members  and  supporters  of 
the  Baptist  Church,  wliei'e  they  were  highly  es- 
teemed. Politically,  the  father  belonged  to  the 
old  Whig  party,  and  later  was  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  part3\  For  eight  years  he  was  Justice 
of  the  Peace,  the  duties  of  which  position  he  trans- 
acted with  abilit}'  and  wisdom. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-three,  our  subject  lentod 
his  father's  farm  and  proceeded  to  devote  his  at- 
tention to  agricultural  pursuits.  He  had  pre- 
viously received  a  good  education  in  the  common 
schools,  and  to  this  he  has  constantly  added  by 
study  and  good  reading,  and  is  now  a  well-in- 
formed man,  thoroughly  inteiested  in  the  great 
issues  of  the  day.  After  fai'ming  for  some  years, 
his  father  gave  him  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  acres.  To  this  he  has  added  until  he  now 
has  six  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  of  as  fine  land 
as  can  be  found  in  the  county.  He  has  devoted 
his  entire  time  and  care  to  the  development  and 
improvement  of  this  property,  and  his  efforts  have 
been  blessed  with  marked  success.  On  every  hand 
is  seen  the  evidence  of  the  thrift  and  i)r<)gressive 
spirit  of  the  owner. 

On  the  2d  of  March,  1887,  Mr.  Hegole  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Clara  Lemen,  daughter  of  Isaac  and 
Caroline  (Hogan)  Lemen.  To  our  worthy  subject 
and  his  estimable  wife  two  children  have  been 
born:  Charles  E.  and  Mary  E.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Begole 
are  Baptist  in  religious  f.iitli.  being  memlieisof  tlie 
Bethel  Chapel. 

In  polities,  Ml%  Begole  is  a  stanch  supporter  of 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party,  to  which 


he  gives  his  warm  support.  For  over  fifty  years 
he  has  lived  in  this  county,  and  is  widely  and 
favorably  known  throughout  this  section.  Hisin- 
rtuence  is  always  cast  on  the  side  of  right,  and  in 
all  local  affairs  he  takes  an  active  part.  He  is  con- 
sidered to  be  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  honor- 
able character,  and  has  won  by  these  qualities  many 
friends,  who  esteem  him  as  highl3'  as  he  deserves. 


^#^ 


,^UGUST   BARTHEL,  M.  A..  LL.  B.     The 
W-"!,    original  of  this  brief  notice  is  the   City 
jl    11    Attorney  for  Belleville,  and   one   of  the 
(l^  firm  of   Bartliel  <k   Farmer,  lawyers.     His 

parents,  Henry  and  Anna  (Bumb)  Barthel,  were 
natives  of  Germany,  and  were  born  in  Hesse- 
Cassel  and  Bavaria,  respectively.  The  father's 
birth  took  place  August  28,  1828,  and  ten  years 
later  he  came  to  this  county.  He  still  lives  in 
Freeburg,  engaged  in  busine.ss,  but  his  wife  died  in 
1872. 

Our  subject  was  born  at  Freeburg,  in  this  county, 
November  3,  1861,  and  was  educated  at  the  college 
of  the  Christian  Brothers  in  St.  Louis,  and  was  grad- 
uated as  a  Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1883, after  which  he 
was  a  year  in  the  law  office  of  Turner  &  Iloldor,  of 
this  city.  He  then  attended  the  law  department 
of  the  AVashington  Fniversity  in  St.  Louis,  and 
was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '86  as  LL.  B.  He 
was  admitted  to  the  Bar  in  Missouri,  in  May,  1886, 
and  was  admitted  by  examination  to  Mt.  Vernon  m 
August,  1886,  and  is  now  permitted  to  practice  in 
the  federal  courts  by  virtue  of  his  graduation.  He 
located  for  practice  in  the  city  of  Belleville  with 
James  M.  Hay  until  1888,  when  he  went  to  Kansas 
City,  Kan.,  and  remained  there  practicing  for  fif- 
teen months.  He  then  returned  to  this  citj',  and 
in  1889  he  again  went  into  partnership  with  Mi-. 
Hay,  and  so  continued  until  September,  1891,  when 
he  formed  a  partnership  witli  James  A.  Farmer, 
and  the  firm  lias  continued  very  successfully 
ever  since. 

Mr,  Barthel  was  elected  City  Attorney  April  7, 
1891,  for  a  term  of  two  years,  .-vnc]  lie  gtill  holds 


324 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  office,  which  he  has  fllled  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  city.  He  was  the  Village  AttoiEey  of  Freeburg 
for  several  years,  and  was  also  the  Secretary  of  tlie 
Fair  Association  of  Belleville. 

Our  subject,  January  15,  1890,  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Angelina  Reichert.  of  Freeburg, 
who  is  the  accomplished  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Maria  Reichert,  two  of  the  old  settlers  of  Free- 
burg. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barthel  are  highly  re- 
garded for  their  social  qualities,  and  Mr.  Barthel  is 
regarded  as  one  of  the  most  promising  of  the 
young  professional  men  of  the  flourishing  cit_v  of 
Belleville. 


ylLLIAM  A.  DARROW,  who  owns  and  op- 
erates three  hundred  and  fifty-four  acres 
of  land  on  sections  27,  28,22  and  15, 
O'Fallon  Township,  was  born  March  19,  1837.  His 
father,  Charles  B.  Harrow,  was  born  September  19, 
1806,  and  the  grandfather  was  born  in  Seneca 
County,  N.  Y.,  in  1872.  For  a  number  of  years, 
lie  lived  on  a  large  farm  east  of  O'Fallon.  In 
connection  with  farming,  he  was  also  a  minister 
of  the  Baptist  Church  and  a  carpenter.  In  1848,  he 
removed  to  Collinsville,  where  his  death  occurred 
the  following  year  at  the  age  of  eighty-two  years. 
His  wife  was  a  native  of  Vei  iiiont  and  died  on  the 
old  home  farm  in  1855. 

Charles  B.  Darrow,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
married  in  Randolph  County,  K.  Y.,  February  12, 

1826,  to  Sarah  Peach,  and  they  afterward  removed 
to  the  old  Darrow  homestead  near  O'Fallon,  where 
the  father  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death,  with 
the  exception  of  a  period  he  spent  in  the  lead 
mines  of  Iowa.  He  died  October  28,  1839.  His 
wife  long  survived  him  and  died  at  the  home  of 
her  son,  Washington  Darrow,  December  27,  1891, 
at  the  age  of  eighty-seven  years.  Their  family 
numbered  six  children:  Lucinda,  born  January  2, 

1827,  is  the  wife  of  C.  J.  F.  Bridges,  who  resides 
near  Oak  Hill  Church.  Of  their  seven  children, 
f.mi-    aiv    livhio-:    -WilliMm,  n    \KUuU-y    „f    Decatur, 


111.;  Hiram, a  painter  and  paper-hanger  of  Decatur; 

i  Leonard,  a  gardener  of  O'Fallon;  and  Alonzo,  a 
tinsmith,  who  resides  with  his  mother.  George 
Washington,  born  February  26,  1829,  is  farming 
near  O'Fallon.  He  married  Dricilla  A.  Stites,  and 
of  their  eight  children,  six  are  yet  living:  Alice, 
after   the  death    of    her    first   husband,  Theodore 

!    Peach,  married  George  Ogle, of  O'Fallon;  Lizzie  is 

'  the  wife  of  Walter  Lemon,  of  East  St.  Louis;  Heber 
is  married;  Lucy  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Wade,  a 
school  teacher  of  O'Fallon;  Aithur,  aged  eighteen, 
and  Maud,  fourteen  years  of  age,  complete  the 
family.     Lucy  Lord,  born   November  24,  1831,  is 

I  the  wife  of  Daniel  Donivan.  She  died  in  Duquoin, 
in  1878,  leaving   eight   children:    Horace,  who   is 

I  married  and  resides  in  Montana;  Alonzo,  who  is 
married    and    makes    his   home    in    Washington; 

i    Amanda,    wife    of    Willard    Thing,   of    Duquoin; 

I  Ellen  is  living  with  Alonzo;  Charles  is  married 
and  resides  in  Gaylord,  Kan.;  Virginia  is  the  wife 
of  FAi  House,  of  Duquoin;  Herbert  is  married  and 
resides  in  Duquoin, and  John  is  living  near  O'Fal- 
lon. Mary  Amanda,  the  fifth  child  of  the  Darrow 
family,  was  born  July  16,  1834,  and  died  Sep- 
tember 4,  1853.  Charles,  born  March  23,  1840,  mar- 
ried Mary  Dwyer  and  is  living  on  the  old  home 
farm.  They  had  six  children,  four  yet  living: 
Oliver,  of  Denver;  Nellie,  Willard  and  Junette, 
at  home. 

Tlie  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
common  schools  and  remained  on  the  home  farm 
until  his  marriage.  lie  wedded  Malvina,  daughter 
of  Mary  and  William  Simmons,  their  union  being 
celebrated  near  O'Fallon  March  3,  1859.  They 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  as  follows: 
Elijah,  born  January  21,  1860,  was  married  March 
7,  1888,  to  Emma  Carter,  daughter  of  Ilarriman 
Carter,  of  Chicago,  and  is  engaged  in  farming. 
George,  born  July  30,  1862,  owns  a  creamery  in 
O'Fallon.  Mary  Addie,  born  January  22,  1865, 
became  the  wife  of  Charles  R.  Peach,  March  7, 
1889,  and  they  have  one  child,  Edna.  Mr.  Peach  is 
connected  with  the  Electric  Light  Company  of 
Denver.  Frank  B.,born  October  20, 1867,  died  April 
14,  1868.  Fannie,  born  December  28,  1869,  is  at 
home.  Eva,  born  January  3,  1873,  died  January 
r.t,  1871.      Lora    Amanda,    born    J:|iuiarv  4,  1875, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


325 


and  Joseph  August,  born  Deceniber  31,  1887.  com- 
plete the  family. 

Upon  his  marriage,  Mr.  Barrow  located  upon 
the  farm  of  his  father-in-law,  where  he  lived  until 
1864.  He  tlieu  removed  to  the  farm  which  has 
since  been  his  home.  He  now  owns  and  operates 
three  hundred  and  fifty-four  acres  of  highly  im- 
proved land  and  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  pro- 
gressive and  prominent  farmers  of  tliis  community. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Prohibitionist.  He  has  served 
as  Highway  Commissioner  and  School  Director, 
and  was  Trustee  of  the  schools  of  the  township  for 
thirteen  years.  Since  1854,  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  his  upright  life  and 
many  excellencies  of  character  have  won  him  the 
high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought 
in  contact. 


i^H-^i 


<^  MLLIAM  B.  ENGELMANN  is  a  resident 
\rJ//  of  P^ngelman  Township,  where  he  occu- 
\y\v  pics  a  position  as  one  of  the  best  and  most 
successful  farmers  of  the  locality.  His  excellent 
farm  is  located  on  section  20,  and  here  it  is  that 
this  honored  man  pursues  his  agricultural  life.  In 
addition  to  his  farm  duties,  our  subject  has  the 
honor  of  being  the  Township  Clerk,  which  posi- 
tion has  been  his  since  1884. 

Mr.  Engelmann  was  the  son  of  Theodore  Engel- 
mann,  who  was  born  in  Winnweiler,  Rhenish  Ba- 
varia, Germany,  July  16,  1808.  IMr.  Engelmann, 
Sr.,  was  educated  in  the  best  universities  of  his 
native  land  and  studied  for  the  Bar.  In  the 
year  1833,  in  consequence  of  liis  alfiliations  with 
a  Revolutionary  movement,  he  was  forced  to 
leave  his  native  countrj'  and  sought  a  home 
in  America.  The  first  location  o'  this  gentle- 
man was  in  St.  Clair  County,  where  he  had  the 
honor  of  being  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  of  this 
count}'.  After  remaining  here  for  some  time,  he 
went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  engaged  in  newspaper 
work  and  in  the  real-estate  business. 

In  1840,  Mr.  Engelmann   returned   to  St.   Clair 


County  and  located  in  Belleville,  where  he  was 
appointed  Deputy  Circuit  Clerk,  which  position  he 
held  until  elected  to  the  oltice  of  Circuit  Clerk. 
At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  ofBce,  he  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  his  profession  and  continued  to 
reside  in  Belleville  until  1860,  when  he  removed 
to  Engelman  Township,  which  bears  his  honored 
name,  and  settled  on  the  farm  our  subject  now  oc- 
cupies, and  here  this  respected  and  honored  citi- 
zen resided  until  his  death,  March  7,  1889.  In 
1845,  he  had  married  Miss  Johanna  Kriblien,  of 
St.  Louis,  who  is  still  living. 

Mr.  Engelmann  had  four  children  who  grew 
to  maturity,  and  three  of  these  are  still  living. 
These  children  are:  Bertha,  wife  of  Henry  Kirciier, 
who  resides  at  Belleville;  Emelia,  deceased;  Annie, 
who  lives  at  the  old  homestead,  and  our  subject, 
who  is  the  eldest  of  the  familj'.  When  Theodore 
Engelmann  came  to  this  county  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, but  when  the  Republican  party  was  organ- 
ized, as  he  was  a  strong  Union  man,  he  espoused 
the  cause  of  the  new  party;  however,  when  the 
great  questions  which  had  caused  the  war  were 
settled,  Mr.  Engelmann  returned  to  the  Democratic 
partJ^  He  was  the  son  of  Frederick  Engelmann, 
who  came  to  this  country  from  German}'  in  1833. 
In  his  native  land  lie  held  the  position  of  Keeper 
of  the  Forest.  Frederick  Engelmann  was  the  father 
of  ten  children,  of  whom  but  one  is  now  living. 
Col.  Louis  Engelmann,  a  hero  of  the  Mexican  War. 
He  served  in  the  Mexican  War  as  a  Lieutenant 
and  in  the  late  war  as  a  Colonel.  He  was  promi- 
nent in  the  history  of  St.  Clair  County  until  his 
death,  in  1890. 

Our  subject,  William  Engelmann,  w.as  born  in 
Belleville,  111.,  where  he  was  reared,  and  was  edu- 
cated in  private  sciiools.  He  makes  his  home  on  the 
old  homestead  with  his  mother  and  sister.  Here  they 
have  an  excellent  farm  of  four  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  very  fine  land,  located  in  the  township 
tiiat  bears  their  name.  On  this  farm  is  a  large 
residence  built  in  the  old  Southern  style.  In  po- 
litical matters,  our  subject  is  a  Democrat  and  ad- 
vocates the  |]iiiiri|iU's  of  Free  Trade.  So  promi- 
nent did  he  become  in  politics,  that  at  the  organ- 
ization of  the  township  he  was  elected  Township 
Clerk,  in  1884,  and  so  creditably  and  successfully 


32(; 


PORTRAIT  AiSfD  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


did  he  fill  till  liis  duties  that  tlie  people  felt  that 
tiiey  had  tiie  right  man  in  tiie  right  place,  so  have 
continued  to  elect  him  to  the  same  oftiee  ever 
since. 


Jp^RED  JUSTUS,  a  general  merchant  of  Mas- 
— ^  coutah,  has  engaged  in  business  in  his  line 
S  for  the  past  ten  years,  or  since  1 882.  He  has  a 

well-stocked  store,  complete  in  all  its  appointments, 
and  carries  an  excellent  line  of  goods.  From 
the  beginning,  his  trade  has  constantly  increased 
until  it  has  assumed  excellent  proportions.  His 
courteous  treatment  and  fair  dealing  have  won 
him  a  liberal  patronage  and  he  ranks  among  the 
successful  merchants  of  this  cit}^ 

Mr.  Justus  has  the  honor  of  being  a  native  of 
this  county.  He  was  born  on  the  old. homestead 
farm,  about  a  mile  and  a  half  northwest  of  Mas- 
coutah.  His  father,  Andrew  .Justus,  was  a  native 
of  Germany,  and  came  to  America  in  1836,  locat- 
ing first  in  New  Orleans  and  afterwards  in  St.  Louis. 
Subsequently,  he  returned  to  Germany  and  married, 
after  which  he  brought  his  bride  to  this  country. 
They  began  their  domestic  life  in  St.  Clair  County, 
upon  the  farm  which  has  since  been  in  the  posses- 
sion of  the  family.  There  Mr.  Justus  carried  on 
.agricultural  pursuits  with  success  until  1874,  when 
he  came  to  Mascoutah  and  lived  retired  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  on  the  5th  of  October, 
187;").  His  widow  yet  survives  him  and  still  makes 
her  home  in  this  city.  She  owns  the  old  home 
farm.  In  their  family  were  seven  children,  but 
only  two  are  now  living.  Andrew,  the  brother  of 
our  subject,  also  resides  in  Mascoutah. 

Fred  Justus  was  born  on  the  oth  of  December, 
1864.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the  public 
schools,  and  he  Later  learned  the  shoemaker's  trade, 
coming  to  Mascoutah  in  1870  for  that  purpose. 
For  eleven  j-ears,  he  followed  tiiat  occupation  with 
good  success,  but  at  length  determined  to  give  his 
time  and  attention  to  other  pursuits,  and  in  1882 
bought  out  the  stock  of  his  uncle,  Adam  Breugel, 
a  general  merch.iut  of  tiiis  place.  Since  that  time 
he  has  been  in  his  present  line  of  business. 


In  1883,  Mr.  Justus  married  Miss  Ella  Richter, 
daughter  of  Fred  Richter,  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  Mascoutah.  By  their  union  have  been  born 
four  children,  three  of  whom  are  still  living: 
Matilda,  Adelia  and  Roland,  aged  seven,  four,  and 
a  year  and  a  half,  respectively.  They  lost  one  son, 
Tlieodore,  who  died  in  18it0,  at  the  age  of  seven 
3'ears. 

Mr.  Justus  is  a  nicmber  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  to  the  support  of  which  he  contributes 
liberally  and  is  one  of  its  faithful  and  active  work- 
ers. He  i.s  a  friend  to  all  moral  and  educational 
interests,  and  the  community  finds  in  him  a  valued 
and  respected  citizen.  In  his  social  relations,  he 
is  an  Odd  Fellow,  and  in  political  sentiment  he  is 
independent,  supporting  the  man  whom  he  thinks 
best  qualified  for  the  office,  regardless  of  party 
affiliations.  His  fellow-townsmen,  recognizing  his 
worth  and  ability,  elected  him  to  the  office  of  City 
Treasurer  in  April,  188',),  and  on  the  expiration  of 
that  term  of  office,  in  1891,  he  was  elected  to  rep- 
resent the  Second  Ward  in  the  City  Council.  He 
discharges  his  public  duties  with  a  promptness  and 
fidelitv  which   win   him   the    commendation  of  all. 


\TP^,  OBERT  S.  COULTER,  editor  of  the  Mai- 
\li^  issa  Messenger,  was  born  in  the  village  of  Old 
ii\V  Miirissa,  March  15,  1866,  As  the  eldest  son 
\^  of  ten  children,  Mr,  Coulter  assumed  the 
responsibilities  of  life  for  himself,  to  some  extent, 
at  the  early  age  of  sixteen,  and  after  making  his 
w.ay  through  the  schools  of  Marissa,  entered  Ew- 
iug  College,  where  he;  spent  four  terms,  r.anking 
during  that  time  .as  a  liigh-grade  student.  After 
leaving  Ewing  College,  he  spent  two  years  at  the 
Marissa  Academy,  and  there  gained  the  honors  to 
which  his  natural  endowments  entitled  him. 

Mr.  Coulter's  career  as  a  printer  w.as  commenced 
under  the  supervision  of  Mr,  .1.  AV.  Wells,  who  was 
at  that  time  editor  of  the  Marissa  Monitor:  He  was 
next  employed  as  compositor  on  the  Monitor  and 
Sun,  published  at  Pinckneyville,  111.,  at  which  town 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


327 


he  remained  one  year.  In  1887,  he  returned  to 
Marissa,  and  in  company  with  two  others  started 
the  Marissa  Messenger.  Few  men  of  liis  years  have 
succeeded  in  carrying  on  an  enterprise  so  success- 
fully  from  the  start,  as  the  present  editor  of  the  Mar- 
issa Messenger.  One  year  after  the  inception  of  his 
paper,  Mr.  Coulter  succeeded  in  buying  out  his 
partners,  and  since  then  has  managed,  edited  and 
conducted  the  paper  solely  on  his  own  account. 
Enterprise  coupled  with  ability  ever  seeks  new 
worlds  to  conquer,  and  in  connection  with  the 
Marissa  Messenger,  Mr.  Coulter  prints  a  religious 
payer  known  as  the  Advocate  and  Ensign.  This 
paper  is  edited  by  the  Rev.  R.  W.  Chestnut,  and 
published  in  the  interest  of  the  Reformed  Presby- 
terian Church.  It  was  formerly  published  in  Phil- 
adelphia. A  prominent  and  ardent  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  Mr.  Coulter  exhibits  the  courage 
of  his  convictions  in  his  religious  belief.  Politically, 
he  is  a  Republican. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Dr.  Arthur  P.  Coulter, 
was  born  in  Washington  County,  111.,  February 
24,  1836.  He  commenced  his  career  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  as  teacher  in  the  district  schools  of  his 
native  county.  He  pursued  the  duties  of  teach- 
ing for  two  years,  after  which  he  began  the  study 
of  medicine,  and  graduated  in  his  chosen  profession 
at  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  in  the  year  1859.  After  graduating.  Dr. 
Coulter  practiced  in  his  native  county  one  year, 
and  in  1860  removed  to  St.  Clair  County,  111., 
where  he  has  since  lived,  practicing  most  of  the 
time  at  Marissa.  He  is  a  noted  member  of  the  Ill- 
inois State  Eclectic  Medical  Association,  and  also 
of  the  United  States  Eclectic  Medical  Association. 

Dr.  Coulter  is  a  Mason  of  liigh  degree,  and 
is  also  an  adherent  of  the  Republican  party.  He 
is  the  father  of  ten  living  cliildren,  seven  daugh- 
ters and  three  sons.  His  esteemed  wife  was  Miss 
Phffiba  C.  Jackson,  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County, 
and  daughter  of  Joel  and  Elsa  (Mason)  Jackson, 
who  were  also  the  parents  of  ten  cliildren. 

Dr.  Coulter's  parents  were  Robert  S.  and  Isabella 
Wiley.  Robert  S.,  grandfather  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Brown  County,  Tenn.,  in  September,  1809. 
He  was  a  farmer  by  occupation,  and  came  with  his 
parents  to  Madison  County,  111.,  about  1818.     He 


married  at  the  early  age  of  twenty,  and  to  him 
and  his  wife  were  born  seven  sons  and  four  daugh- 
ters. Politically,  he  was  a  Whig,  and  in  religion 
a  Presbyterian.  He  died  May  15,  1852,  his  wife 
surviving  him  until  January  12,  1890.  His  father 
was  also  Robert  S.  Coulter,  a  native  of  South 
Carolina,  who,  at  tlie  age  of  twelve  years, 
carried  a  musket  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  He 
was  of  Irish  jjarentage,  a  farmer  by  occupation, 
and  proud  of  tracing  his  family  back  to  the  house 
of  Stuart. 


-^ 


jENHARD  YOCH  is  one  of  the  oldest  and 
most  successful  operators  in  coal  in  the 
country,  and  his  long  connection  with  this 
industry,  his  intimate  acquaintance  with 
the  trade,  his  promptness  in  filling  orders,  and  his 
reliable  methods  of  dealing  have  made  him  not 
only  prominent  and  successful,  but  have  also 
secured  him  great  popularity-  with  the  trade.  lie 
has  been  a  resident  of  St.  Clair  County-,  111.,  since 
he  was  six  months  old.  He  was  bom  in  Prussia, 
German}^,  March  20,  1847,  to  Christian  and  Cath- 
erine Yoch,  who  brought  him  to  America  in  the 
latter  part  of  that  year.  The  father  turned  his 
attention  to  farming  and  mining  after  reaching 
tills  country,  and  followed  both  occupations  on 
land  that  he  purchased,  his  mine  being  now  known 
as  Yoch  Station,  on  the  Air  Line  Railroad.  He 
was  one  of  the  earliest  miners  of  this  vicinity 
and  was  quite  extensively  engaged  in  that  occupa- 
tion. He  and  his  wife  became  the  parents  of  eight 
children,  four  of  whom  are  living  at  the  present 
time:  John,  a  successful  farmer  of  this  section; 
Joseph,  a  resident  of  California;  Benhard,  tiie  sub- 
ject of  this  sketcii,  and  Laura,  Mrs.  Acker,  of 
Belleville. 

Benhard  Yocli  was  educated  in  the  seliools  of 
Belleville,  and  later  he  received  instruction  from 
a  private  teacher  in  his  own  liome,  under  whom  he 
finished  his  scholastic  education.  He  then  began 
learning  the  business  of  coal  mining  with  his  fa- 
ther, with  whom   he  remained  associated,  in  eon- 


328 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


nectioii  with  three  brothers,  until  the  former's 
decath,  and  during  this  time  he  followed  his  calling 
at  Nashville,  111.,  Yoch  Station  and  Clyde.  The 
firm  was  known  as  Yoch  Bros,  until  1886,  at  which 
time  they  sold  out  to  the  Consolidated  Coal  Com- 
pany, after  which  Benhard  Yoch  became  connected 
with  the  Crescent  Nail  Company,  but  of  recent  years 
has  again  devoted  his  attention  to  mining  coal.  He 
remodeled  a  shaft  on  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Rail- 
road, near  Lebanon,  which  mine  has  a  capacity  of 
forty  car-loads  of  coal  duUy;  but  it  is  not  running 
to  its  fuU'extent  at  the  present  time,  as  the  mine 
is  being  remodeled  and  new  and  improved  machin- 
ery is  being  introduced.  Mr.  Yoch  has  long  been 
prominent  in  connection  with  the  coal  interests  of 
tills  section  and  has  secured  success  as  the  conse- 
quence of  the  superior  quality  of  the  coal  produced 
from  his  mines  and  the  uniformly  honorable  and 
correct  methods  which  have  ever  chaiacterized  liis 
dealings  with  the  trade. 

He  has  been  interested  in  the  Y  improved  nail 
for  the  past  two  years,  which  became  an  incorpor- 
ated company  with  a  capital  stock  of  125,000,  of 
which  Mr.  Yoch  is  President,  Manager  and  Treas- 
urer, and  Lawrence  Muren  Secretar}'.  Mr.  Yoch 
is  an  enterprising  business  man  and  is  held  in  high 
favor  in  commercial  as  well  as  social  circles 
throughout  this  section.  His  business  career  has 
been  marked  by  justice  and  fairness,  and  he  has 
ever  been  the  soul  of  honor  in  his  dealings. 
Throughout  the  many  years  covered  by  his  busi- 
ness history,  he  has  alwaj'S  been  considered  reliable 
and  accurate,  and  as  a  natural  consequence,  his  pa- 
trons are  his  friends  and  place  implicit  confidence 
in  his  word.  He  has  resided  in  Belleville  since 
1884,  and  has  a  handsome  and  stately  brick  resi- 
dence at  No.  301  South  Illinois  Street.  He  was 
married  in  this  city  February  25,  1868,  to  Miss 
Agnes  Acker,  by  whom  he  has  seven  children: 
Laura,  wife  of  Lawrence  Muren ;  Emma;  Maggie, 
Agnes,  Jane,  Jacob  and  Edward. 

In  addition  to  the  other  important  enterprises 
in  which  he  has  been  engaged,  Mr.  Yoch  is  the 
patentee  of  the  machine  for  the  manufacture  of  a 
nail  tliat  is  entirely  new,  and  he  is  the  only  one  to 
put  his  product  on  the  market  in  this  country.  It 
has  all  the  good  points  of  the  wire  nail  with  super- 


ior holding  power  to  a  steel  nail.  This  nail  has 
already  come  into  prominent  notice  and  gives 
ever3'  promise  of  being  very  extensively  used 
throughout  this  country.  Mr.  Yoch  .and  liis  family 
attend  St.  Peter's  Cathedral. 


^li-^-i^i 


(M)ALENTINE  WASEM.  The  prosperity  of 
St.  Clair  cannot  be  attributed  entirely  to 
the  efforts  of  Americans,  for  much  has  been 
accomplished  by  those  of  foreign  birth  who  have 
sought  a  home  in  the  Land  of  the  Free.  Germany 
has  contributed  of  its  tlirift.  England  of  its  vigor, 
France  of  its  economy  and  Holland  of  its  patient 
perseverance.  Among  the  natives  of  Germany 
who  have  sought  a  home  in  this  county  and  have 
here  attained  independence  and  prosperity,  may  be 
mentioned  Mr.  Wasem,  Postmaster  of  Fayetteville. 
With  reference  to  the  parents  of  our  subject,  the 
following  may  be  noted:  His  father,  Valentine 
Wasem,  Sr.,  was  born  near  the  River  Rhine,  Ger- 
many, May  17,  1818,  and  was  reared  to  manhood 
in  a  village,  although  his  occupation  was  from 
youth  that  of  farming.  In  his  native  land  he  was 
married  to  Catherine  Hupperrich,  and  unto  them 
were  born  nine  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  in- 
fancy. The  others  were  as  follows:  Valentine, 
the  subject  of  this  biographical  sketch;  George 
P.,  Catherine,  Plnlabena,  August,  Adam,  and  Isa- 
bella, who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  years. 

Accom|)anied  by  his  family,  Mr.  Wasem,  Sr., 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1851,  and  located 
in  Belleville,  but  only  remained  there  a  short  time, 
removing  thence  to  a  tract  of  land  which  he  pur- 
chased near  Fayetteville.  On  that  place  he  re- 
mained, industriously  laboring  as  a  tiller  of  the 
soil,  until  1874,  when  he  sold  his  farm,  removed  to 
Belleville,  from  there  to  Marissa,  and  after  the 
death  of  his  wife  came  to  Fayetteville,  his  death 
occurring  in  1888  at  this  place.  His  wife  died 
about  eight  years  prior  to  his  demise.  In  his  po- 
litical views,  he  was  a  Republican,  and  served  as 
Justice  of  the  Peace  for  several  years. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Germany, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


331 


and  was  six  years  old  when  be  came  to  America, 
and  here  acquired  liis  education.  After  emigra- 
ting to  this  countr.v,  he  aided  his  father  on  the 
farm  until  he  was  twenty-four  years  old,  when  he 
established  a  home  of  his  own.  He  was  then  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Lottie  Karch,  a  native  of  Mascoutah, 
and  the  daughter  of  Charles  and  Christena  Karch. 
Nine  children  have  been  born  to  them,  who  are: 
Isabella,  Charles,  Julius  V.,  Edward,  Amelia,  Emma, 
Josephine,  Louisa  and  Matilda. 

During  the  Civil  War,  Mr.  Wascm,  who,  al- 
though not  a  native  of  this  country,  was  neverthe- 
less loyally  devoted  to  the  Union,  enlisted  in 
1864  as  a  member  of  Company  E,  Fifty-ninth  Illi- 
nois Infantry,  Gen.  Thomas  commanding.  Among 
the  important  engagements  in  which  he  participa- 
ted may  be  mentioned  the  battles  of  Resaca,  Kene- 
saw  Jlountain..  Atlanta  and  Nashville.  At  the  ex- 
piration of  his  term  of  service,  he  was  mustered 
out  at  Brownsville,  Tex.,  in  186(),  and  was  honor- 
ably discharged  in  Springfield,  111. 

After  operating  a  rented  farm  for  a  few  years, 
Mr.  Wasem  removed  to  the  village  of  Fayetteville, 
where  for  some  time  he  was  engaged  as  engineer 
of  the  gristmill,  and  also  operated  a  threshing-ma- 
chine. In  1889,  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of 
the  village,  and  his  service  in  that  direction  is  in- 
variably pleasing  and  satisfactory  to  his  fellow- 
townsmen.  In  his  political  opinions,  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  socially,  is  identified  with  Mas- 
coutah Lodge  No.  286,  I.  O.  ().  F..  and  Ilecker 
Post,  G.  A.  R.,  at  Belleville. 


^\  ADISON  T.  STOOKEY,  Superintendent  of 
the  City  Water  AVorks,  has  attained  to  a 
III       Ls  place  in  the  regard  of  the  people  second 
'*'  perhaps  to  no  other  citizen  of  Belleville. 

The  story  of  his  life  proves  that  the  successful 
man  is  he  who  employs  his  powers  with  the  great- 
est industry  and  most  perseverance.  An  energetic 
business  man,  he  has  been  the  source  of  benefit  to 
his  community,  and  has  aided  its  material  progress 
in  no  small  degree. 


A  brief  mention  of  the  ancestors  of  our  subject 
will  not  be  without  interest  to  the  reader.  His 
grandfather,  Daniel  Stookey,  was  born  near  Ha- 
gerstown,  Md.,  in  the  year  1770,  and  came  of  Ger- 
man descent.  In  1800,  he  came  to  this  county 
and  settled  in  wliat  is  now  St.  Clair  Township, 
taking  up  a  claim.  He  was  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers,  following  his  brother-in-law  Abraham  Ey- 
man,  who  had  come  here  in  1798.  They  made  an 
examination  of  the  lands  during  a  horseback  trip 
in  1797,  and  were  pleased  with  the  appearance  of 
the  country.  Daniel  Stookey  was  a  prominent 
man  in  his  community  and  the  owner  of  consider- 
able land.  He  was  the  father  of  nine  children,  of 
whom  the  only  survivor  is  P^lijah,  father  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch.  He  was  born  and  reared 
in  St.  Clair  Township,  and  still  lives  within  one- 
half  mile  of  his  old  home.  He  married  Miss  Eleanor 
McGuire. 

Our  subject  was  born  at  the  old  homestead  No- 
vember 26,  1837.  In  boyhood,  he  first  attended 
the  district  schools,  later  was  a  student  in  the 
Belleville  schools,  and  then  went  to  Shurtleff  Col- 
lege, TTpper  Alton.  Afterward  he  engaged  in 
farming,  in  which  he  met  with  success.  His  first 
marriage  united  him  with  Miss  America  Gooding, 
of  Millstadt  Township,  and  the  child  born  of  this 
union  now  resides  in  Belleville.  The  present  wife 
of  Mr.  Stookey  was  formerly  Miss  Mary  Cooper, 
of  St.  Louis,  and  is  a  lady  of  rare  worth  of  char- 
acter. 

Mr.  Stookey  is  well  known  throughout  Illinois, 
having  served  in  various  public  capacities.  For 
six  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  State  Board  of 
Agriculture,  and  in  1879-80  served  as  General 
Superintendent  of  the  State  Fair,  having  charge  of 
the  State  Fair  at  Springfield,  and  the  Fat  Stock 
Show  at  Chicago.  He  was  a  member  of  the  first 
Fat  Slock  Show  held  in  the  Exposition  Build- 
ing in  Chicago.  He  is  President  of  the  Belleville 
it  Carondelet  Railroad,  which  is  now  leased  to  the 
Cairo  Short  Lme.  His  fellow-citizens  elected  him 
County  Treasurer  on  the  Democratic  ticket  and 
re-elected  him  three  times,  his  terra  of  service  ex- 
tending from  December,  1879,  to  December,  1886. 

After  retiring   from  that  ofHce,  Mr.  Stookey  be- 
1  came  connected  with  the  Water  Works  as  Superin- 


332 


PORTRAIT  AND  BlOGRAflllCAL  RECORD. 


teiident,  in  which  position  he  has  since  served  effi- 
ciently. The  Watei'  Works  were  established  in  this 
place  in  1885,  and  now  there  are  fourteen  miles 
of  mains,  three  reservoirs  and  stand-pipes.  The 
water  conies  from  Richland  Creek  and  tributaries, 
and  the  pumps  have  a  capacity  of  about  two  mill- 
ion five  hundred  thousand  gallons  per  day.  In 
1880,  Mr.  Stookey  removed  to  Belleville,  but  he 
still  owns  his  farm,  although  his  personal  attention 
is  given  almost  exclusively  to  his  city  business. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order 
of  Odd  Fellows,  Knights  of  Pythias  and  Ancient 
Order  of  United  Workmen. 


Oi 


L\ 


HILIP  SKAER.  The  owner  and  occupant 
an  excellent  farm  situated  in  section 
18607,  lot  14,  Prairie  du  Long  Township, 
St.  Clair  County,  111.,  is  a  man  of  large 
experience  in  the  community  where  he  has  made 
his  home  for  so  many  years.  His  estate  is  the  re- 
sult of  hard  labor,  and  his  farm  is  well  improved 
and  forms  a  comfortable  and  attractive  spot  in 
this  part  of  the  State. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  born  in  Ger- 
many, and  located  in  this  State  about  the  year 
1836,  near  Smith's  Village.  George  Philip  Skaer, 
the  father  of  Philip  Skaer,  was  one  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful merchants  of  the  early  period  of  his  loca- 
tion here.  His  family  consisted  of  eight  children, 
seven  of  whom  are  living.  He  was  a  man  of 
strong  characteristics  and  sterling  worth,  one 
whose  friendship  was  worth  gaining,  and  whose 
integrity  could  be  relied  on. 

Philip  Skaer,  whose  biography  we  are  writing, 
was  born  in  Hesse-Homburg,  on  the  19th  of  Novem- 
ber, 1823.  He  was  thirteen  years  old  when  his  par- 
ents emigrated  to  the  United  States.  He  grew  to 
manhood  in  this  county,  and  was  married  in  1849, 
to  Miss  Elizabeth  Moser,  the  daughter  of  Henry 
Moser,  one  of  the  early  settlers  and  most  respected 
citizens  of  this  county.  Mrs.  Skaer's  parents  came 
from  Germany  in  1830,  and  were  married  in  Belle- 
■yille,  this  county,  the  same  year.     They  had   eight 


children,  all  of  whom  are  deceased  but  two,  Mrs. 
Skaer  and  her  brother,  who  lives  in  Kansas  at 
Wellington. 

After  his  marriage,  Philip  Skaer  located  at  High 
Prairie,  two  and  one-half  miles  from  George- 
town, where  by  industry  and  thrift  he  soon  ac- 
cumulated enough  to  purchase  a  farm.  He  later 
sold  this  and  moved  toSt.  Paul,  Minn.,  and  later  to 
Mankato,  where  he  helped  to  erect  the  first  hotel. 
On  his  arrival  at  the  latter  place,  he  found 
plenty  of  Indians.  It  was  about  the  year  1861 
that  he  purchased  the  farm  on  which  he  now  re- 
sides. At  the  commencement  of  our  late  Civil 
War,  Mr.  Skaer  was  drafted  in  the  army,  and  served 
his  countiy  to  the  best  of  his  ability.  His  union 
with  Miss  Moser  was  blessed  by  eight  children,  six 
of  whom  are  living.  They  are  Wesley,  who 
resides  in  this  township;  Peter;  Mary,  wife  of 
Louis  Miller;  Emeline,  wife  of  Charles  Miller; 
Henrietta,  who  has  not  yet  left  the  paternal  roof, 
and  Louis.  Mr.  Skaer  has  buried  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter. 

The  Skaer  farm  covers  a  territory  of  three  hun- 
dred and  three  acres,  all  of  which  is  well  improved 
and  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  showing  keen 
management  and  most  excellent  skill,  on  the  part 
of  its  owner.  Although  the  educational  advan- 
tages accorded  Mr.  Skaer  in  early  life  were  very 
limited,  his  possession  of  the  faculties  which  can 
be  educated  by  observation  places  him  among  the 
most  intelligent  men  of  this  community.  The 
hardships  of  his  own  early  life  have  influenced 
him  to  make  the  gaining  of  an  existence  easier  for 
those  who  have  claims  upon  him,  and  he  has  there- 
fore given  each  of  his  children  a  part  of  his  own 
accumulations,  with  which  to  set  themselves  up  in 
the  pursuits  most  agreeable  to  their  tastes  and 
abilities. 

Mr.  Skaer  favors  the  Republican  party  with  his 
political  support,  and  although  never  occupying 
office,  he  is  known  in  the  community  as  one  whose 
help  can  always  be  relied  on  by  the  party  of  his 
choice, and  his  strong  belief  in  the  principles  of  his 
party  gains  the  confidence  of  those  wavering  be- 
tween the  two  great  leaders  of  our  political  parties. 
His  religious  belief  and  spiritual  hopes  are  cen- 
tered in    the    Lutheran    Chureii,    of  which  he  is  a 


PORTRAIT  AiSit)  BIOGRAPItlCAL  RECORD. 


member  and  hearty  supporter.  He  is  a  man  of  in- 
telligent and  progressive  ideas,  a  practical  and 
successful  agricultui-ist,  and  one  who  in  every  de- 
partment of  life  has  fulfilled  the  duties  that  lie 
before  him  in  a  creditable  manner.  The  qualities 
of  a  sturdy  manhood  are  frequently  developed 
amid  pioneer  scenes,  and  as  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers in  this  township,  Mr.  Skaer  can  look  over  a 
lapse  of  fifty-six  years  of  labor,  from  which  to-day 
he  is  reaping  the  benefit,  and  enjoying  the  com- 
mendation of  all  wlio  have  known  liim  through 
tiie  vicissitudes  of  life. 

Mrs.  Skaer  was  a  devoted  wife  and  mother,  a 
kind  neighbor,  and  a  faithful  friend.  She  assisted 
largely  in  the  growth  of  all  her  husband's  enter- 
prises, and  by  that  patient  skill  wiiieh  forms 
so  large  a  part  of  the  feminine  character,  watched 
over  her  family,  and  instructed  them  in  the  paths 
of  honesty  and  virtue,  which  never  fail  to  shed  a 
radiance  of  honor  on  the  progenitors  of  a  race. 


JOHN  SAUTER,  a  retired  business  man,  re- 
sides in  the  city  of  Mascoutah,  this  county. 
He  was  the  son  of  Conrad  S.  Sauter,  who 
^  was  born  in  the  Rheinpfalz,  in  Bavaria, 
Germany,  April  6,  1809,  where  he  was  reared  and 
educated  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  cabinet-maker. 
He  was  married  in  Germany,  to  Miss  Magdalena, 
daughter  of  Christopher  Gross,  who  bore  him 
twelve  children,  two  of  whom  grew  to  manhood, 
.lohn  and  Conrad,  the  latter  being  scalded  to 
death  in  the  mill  at  Lebanon,  April  4,  1865,  while 
following  the  milling  business. 

Conrad  Sauter  came  to  America  in  1845,  arriving 
in  Belleville,  III.,  June  4,  of  that  year,  and  later 
came  to  Mascoutah.  which  was  at  that  time  called 
Mechanicsburg.  He  bought  a  farm  about  two 
miles  east  of  Mascoutah,  and  after  farming  here 
three  years,  he  moved  into  the  cil}-,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  working  at  his  trade  for  five  j'ears. 
Then  he  bought  a  farm  about  one-half  mile  north 
of  the  city,  where  he  remained  until  1857,  when 
he  returned  to  Europe  and  spent  nine  months  in 


the  Fatherland.  Upon  returning  to  this  country, 
he  engaged  in  the  distillery  and  sawmill  business 
in  Mascoutah,  which  he  followed  until  1862, 
his  wife  dying  December  3,  of  that  year.  Retiring 
from  this  business  and  forming  a  partnership  with 
Mr.  G.  Anderson,  he  engaged  in  the  milling  bus- 
iness at  Lebanon.  Three  years  later,  he  retired 
from  this  business,  turning  it  over  to  his  sons, 
John  and  Conrad. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  in  1864,  took  for  his 
second  wife  Mrs.  Mary  Melvin,  an  English  lady, 
and  continued  to  make  his  home  in  Lebanon,  until 
his  death,  February  10,  1889.  Two  children  were 
born  of  this  union,  one  of  whom  grew  to  woman- 
hood and  married  Mr.  Raleigh  Horner. 

Our  subject  was  born  September  1,  1846,  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Lachen,by  Neustadt  on  the  Hardt 
Germany.  He  received  some  education  in  his  native 
land,  but  upon  coming  to  this  county  his  oppor- 
tuuities  for  an  education  were  limited;  however, 
being  of  an  observing  disposition,  he  acquired  a 
practical  knowledge,  which  served  him  to  a  good 
purpose  in  his  after  life.  In  1864,  he  returned  to 
Germany,  where  he  married,  June  19,  Miss  Mar- 
garetta,  a  daughter  of  John  George  and  Barbara 
(Schwartz)  Trieb,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  farmer. 
Upon  returning  to  America,  he,  in  partnership 
with  his  brother,  succeeded  his  father  in  the  mill- 
ing business,  which  they  continued  to  operate  for 
two  years,  when  his  brother  met  his  death  by  the 
explosion  of  a  boiler.  Our  subject  then  sold  out  his 
share  in  the  mill,  moved  to  Trenton,  111.,  and  form- 
ing a  partnership  with  an  uncle,  Andrew  Eisen- 
mayer,  bought  another  mill  which  he  operated  until 
1870,  when  he  sold  out  and  retired  from  business. 
In  1875,  in  company  with  his  family,  Mr.  .Sauter 
made  a  trii)  to  the  Old  Country,  where  they  spent 
one  year. 

He  whose  name  heads  this  sketch  has  two  chil- 
dren, Henry  and  Lisette.  The  former  was  ed- 
ucated in  the  schools  of  Mascoutah,  and  took  a 
course  at  McKendree  College,  at  Lebanon,  and 
.•jIso  a  business  course  in  Johnson's  Commercial 
College,  at  St.  Louis.  He  married  Miss  Minnie  E., 
daughter  of  Ernest  Hagist,  of  this  city,  and  resides 
in  Mascoutah.     Lisette  is  living  at  home. 

Our  subject  owns  one  thousand  acres  of  land  in 


334 


PORTRAIT  ANt)  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


this  county,  with  the  exception  of  ei^ht^y  acres, 
which  lies  in  Washington  Countj-.  all  of  which  he 
rents  out  to  reliable  tenants,  from  whom  he  re- 
ceives an  excellent  competency.  He  is  a  public- 
spirited  citizen,  a  true  husband,  an  indulgent 
father  and  a  generous  friend.  His  presence  among 
us  is  an  honorable  addition  to  this  community. 
The  family  are  all  members  of  the  Evangelical 
Protestant  Church,  and  politically-,  Mr.  Sauter  is  a 
stanch  upholder  of  the  Republican  party. 


^^,  LEX.  WOODS,  M.  D.  Among  the  people  of 
^Ol  St.  Clair  County,  as  well  as  the  surround- 
lljlti  ing  counties,  the  name  of  Dr.  Woods  is 
^fl  almost  a  household  word.  He  was  born 
November  14,  1845,  and  traces  his  ancestry  back 
to  his  great-grandfather,  John  AYalker,  who  was 
born  in  Nova  Scotia  and  was  there  pressed  into 
the  English  service,  coming  with  the  British 
soldiers  to  the  United  States  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War.  His  sympathies,  however,  were  with 
the  Colonial  army,  and  the  first  opportunity  that 
presented  itself  he  deserted  from  the  British  army 
by  knocking  down  the  guard,  taking  forcible  pos- 
session of  his  pass,  and  assuming  his  name  of  Woods. 
He  succeeded  in  reaching  the  American  lines,  and 
enlisted  in  the  Patriot  army  just  before  the  battle 
of  Long  Island,  in  which  he  participated.  After 
the  war  was  over  he  lemoved  to  Cleveland,  in 
which  city  his  son  John,  the  grandfather  of  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  was  born. 

John  Woods  was  reared  to  farm  life,  which  occu- 
pation he  alwa3-s  followed,  and  about  1800  removed 
to  Illinois  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Turke}' 
Hill  Prairie.  He  was  quite  a  sporting  man,  and 
besides  being  an  enterprising  tiller  of  the  soil,  in- 
dulged in  hunting  and  horse-racing.  He  was  a 
Democrat  of  the  Jackson ian  school,  and  was  called 
from  life  in  1855,  at  the  advanced  age  of  eighty 
years.  Dr.  Alex.  Woods'  father,  John  Woods,  was 
named  after  his  father  and  was  born  in  the  Turkey 
Hill  settlement,  near  Belleville,  March  14,  1813. 
He  was  brought  up  on  a  farm  and  was  a  partici- 


pant in  the  Black  Hawk  War  of  1831-32,  it  being 
said  of  him  by  .James  (llasgow  that  he  was  the 
only  man  that  killed  an  Indian  from  their  vicin- 
ity. Dr.  Alex.  Woods  has  in  his  possession  the 
frame  of  a  pocket  mirror  that  was  taken  from  the 
pocket  of  this  Indian.  January  5,  1833,  our 
subject's  father  was  married  to  Miss  Catherine 
Carr,  who  was  born  on  Turke}'  Hill  Prairie  Sep- 
tember 23,  1812,  after  which  he  began  farming  on 
Prauie  du  Long,  but  removed  to  near  Belleville 
in  1851,  becoming  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  fertile  prairie  land  four  and  a-half 
miles  south  of  the  town.  He  greatly  improved 
his  home  place,  but  at  various  times  owned  other 
farms.  He  became  wealthy,  and  died  May  19,  1875, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years,  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church. 

The  maternal  grandfather  was  Henry  Carr,  who 
was  born  in  Randolph  County,  Va.,  June  2,  1788, 
where  the  grandfather,  Joseph  Cai-r,  was  also  born. 
Both  were  farmers,  and  in  1793  removed  to  New 
Design,  Monroe  County,  111.,  but  a  year  later  went 
to  Turkey  Hill,  St.  Clair  Count}'.  In  the  fall  of 
the  same  year  they  were  compelled  to  return  to 
New  Design,  owing  to  an  Indian  outbreak,  but 
after  the  Indians  had  left  the  war-path  they  re- 
turned to  their  former  home,  where  Joseph  Carr 
spent  the  remainder  of  his  days.  Henr^-  Carr  was 
a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  being  with  Gov. 
Reynold's  Rangers.  He  died  in  1868  and  his  wife 
in  1865,  when  past  seventy-nine  years  of  age.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Mary  Arnett,  and  she  was  reared 
and  educated  in  this  section  of  the  country,  being 
a  sister  of  Rev.  Nathan  Arnett,  a  pioneer  Bap- 
tist minister  of  the  country. 

The  brothers  and  sisters  of  Dr.  Alex.  Woods  are 
as  follows:  James  A.,  who  was  a  farmer,  enlisted  in 
Company  E,  Fifty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  August 
2,  1861,  during  the  Civil  War  and  served  until 
January,  1866.  While  fishing  in  the  Gasconade 
River  at  Hartwell,  Mo.,  a  water-spout  burst,  and 
before  he  could  leave  the  island  on  which  he  was, 
the  water  rose  so  rapidly  that  he  was  drowned,  to- 
gether with  his  youngest  son.  This  sad  event  oc- 
curred in  the  year  1885.  Joseph  resides  at  Ne- 
vada, Mo.,  engaged  in  farming.  Ellen,  his  only 
sister,  also  survives.     Dr.  Alex.  Woods  was  reared 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


335 


on  a  farm  near  Belleville,  but  his  earl_y  advant- 
ages for  acquiring  an  education  were  limited. 
He  was  compelled  to  walic  one  and  one-half  miles, 
had  to  cross  a  large  creek  on  a  foot-log,  and  the 
sehoolhouse  was  a  ver}-  primitive  log  structure, 
where  the  most  elementary  of  instruction  was 
given. 

At  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  Dr.  Woods  went  to 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  enlisted  in  the  same  regiment 
.as  his  brother,  but  about  three  days  later  his  father 
came  for  him  and  took  him  home,  where  he  re- 
mained about  a  3-ear  longer,  when  his  patriotic 
feelings  could  no  longer  be  repressed,  and  in 
August,  1862,  he  enlisted  in  Company  H,  One 
Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illinois  lufantr}',  and 
was  mustered  in  at  Camp  Butler.  He  was  in  tlie 
engagements  at  Queen's  Hill  (Miss.),  Ft.de  Russy 
(La.),  Pleasant  Hill  and  Tupelo  (Miss.),  Nash- 
ville, Ft.  Blakely,  and  thirty-three  skirmishes.  He 
w.as  never  off  duty  nor  in  the  hospital  until  the 
day  he  was  mustered  out  of  service,  August  6, 
1865,  when  he  remained  there  for  a  few  days  only. 
He  held  the  rank  of  Corporal  and  was  the  j-oung- 
est  man  in  his  company. 

Upon  his  return  home,  he  began  attending  Bry- 
ant &  Stratton's  Commercial  College  of  St.  Louis, 
and  after  a  short  time  spent  on  the  farm  he  began 
teaching  school.  November  29,  1866,  he  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mary  C.  McGnire,  a  native  of  this 
county  and  a  daughter  of  Benjamin  McGuire,  a 
Pennsylvanian  by  birtli.  After  his  marriage.  Dr. 
Woods  farmed  on  eighty  acres  of  land  near  Belle- 
ville until  1870,  when  he  sold  out  and  located  in 
Freeburg,  entering  in  the  fall  of  that  year  the  St. 
Louis  Medical  College,  from  which  he  graduated 
March  13.  1873.  witli  the  degree  of  M.  D.  During 
1872,  he  practiced  in  Fayetteville,  but  after  his 
graduation  he  located  at  Freeburg,  wliere  he  was 
also  engaged  in  the  drug  business.  From  1879  to 
1881,  he  was  located  at  Benton,  Franklin  County; 
and  from  1881  until  he  was  elected  County 
Coroner  in  1884,  he  was  in  the  drug  business  at 
Freeburg.  He  was  elected  to  his  present  ottice  on 
the  Democratic  ticket  with  a  majority  of  twelve  hun- 
dred and  fifty-four  votes,  and  in  1888  was  re-elected 
by  six  hundred  and  sixty-two  votes.  He  has  been  a 
resident  uf  F.-^st  St,  Louis  since  J.^iiuaiy,  1888, and 


has  conducted  a  drug  store  here  since  April,  1888. 
He  has  held  eight  hundred  and  seventy  inquests 
since  he  has  been  in  office  and  has  successfully  fol- 
lowed uj)  several  clews  in  murder  cases. 

For  three  _years  he  was  Secretary-  of  the  State  Cor- 
oners'  Association;  is  Past  Post-Surgeon  of  the 
Grand  Army,  of  Belleville;  is  a  member  of  the 
LTnion  Veteran  Le.ague,  and  is  a  member  of  Lodge 
No.  418,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  of  Freeburg;  and  is  a  member 
of  Belleville  Chapter  No.  106,  R.  A.  M.  His  chil- 
dren are  as  follows:  Silas  E.,  a  graduate  of  the  St. 
Louis  School  of  Pharmacy,  is  in  the  drug  business 
at  Jackson,  Mo.,  and  now  a  student  of  medicine; 
Alonzo  B.  is  a  clerk  for  Nelson  Morris  &  Co.;  Car- 
rie, Mary  C,  and  Alex.  Stephens.  The  Doctor  re- 
tired from  the  office  of  Coroner  of  St.  Clair  Coun- 
ty December  5,  1892,  .after  holding  the  office  for  a 
term  of  eight  years,  being  the  first  physican  to  hold 
the  office  in  his  county,  and  bringing  a  quiet  dig- 
nity to  bear  in  the  fulfillment  of  his  duties,  which 
commanded  the  respect  of  all. 


PHILIP  RUESTEH.  Could  the  biographies 
)  of  the  best  residents  of  St.  Clair  County  be 
written  in  detail,  a  large  and  most  interest- 
_  ing  volume  might  be  compiled.  It  is  our 
pleasure,  however,  to  select  the  principal  facts  in 
their  lives,  and  record  them  for  the  perusal  of  com- 
ing generations.  The  gentleman  with  whose  name 
we  introduce  this  sketch  is  at  present  residing  in 
the  village  of  Lenzburg,  where  he  is  doing  a  good 
business  as  a  saddler  and  harness-maker. 

Our  subject,  who  is  a  native  of  this  county, 
was  born  April  1.  1858.  His  parents,  .John  and 
Catherine  (Bearrach)  Ruester,  were  natives  of 
Germany,  the  father  being  born  in  1816,  and  the 
mother  in  1815.  .John  Ruester  was  given  a  good 
education  in  his  native  land,  where  he  in  later  life 
owned  and  operated  a  linseed-oil  factory.  After 
locating  in  the  United  States,  however,  he  turned 
his  attention  to  working  in  a  mill,  which  occupa- 
tion he  followed  for  i\  number  of  wnrs,     V>y  his 


336 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


union  with  Miss  Bearrach  were  born  twelve  chil- 
dren, seven  of  whom  died  when  young.  Tliose 
who  grew  to  mature  years  were  Louisa,  Margaret 
(deceased),  Valentine,  Martin  and  Philip.  Our 
subject's  parents  were  both  members  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church,  being  people  of  true  religious  prin- 
ciples. The  father,  who  was  a  true-blue  Republi- 
can in  politics,  died  in  1892,  when  seventj'-six 
years  of  age,  while  his  wife,  who  lived  to  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  seventy-three  yejirs,  departed  this 
life  in  1888.  John  Ruester,  the  paternal  grandfa- 
ther of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
on  coming  to  the  United  States  located  on  a  farm 
near  Belleville,  this  county,  in  1853. 

Beginning  life  for  himself  at  the  early  age  of 
fourteen  years,  our  subject  learned  the  trade  of  a 
saddle  and  harness  maker  under  the  instruction 
of  Anton  Kehrer,  of  New  Athens,  this  county. 
After  remaining  with  him  for  tiiree  years,  he  went 
to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  spent  a  twelvemonth, 
and  in  1878  we  find  him  in  New  Athens,  this 
State,  where  he  opened  a  shop  on  his  own  account. 
He  was  successfully  engaged  in  that  place  for  five 
years,  when  he  took  up  his  al)ode  in  Lenzburg, 
where  he  has  since  been  identified  with  its  best 
residents. 

Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Conrad  and  Cath- 
erine (Deitz)  Spitz,  became  the  wife  of  our  sub- 
ject in  1881.  To  them  have  been  born  four  chil- 
dren, only  two  of  whom,  Lena  and  Gustav.  are 
living.  In  his  political  relations,  Mr.  Ruester  is  a 
stanch  Republican,  and  socially,  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias  of  Belleville.  His  name  is 
among  the  members  of  the  Lutlieran  Cluircii,  in 
which  body  he  is  an  active  worker. 


^IL^ARTMANN  KOCH.  Biographies  of  suc- 
llTj  cessful,  and  especially  of  good,  men  are 
l^^  most  useful  as  incentives  to  others,  teach- 
i^j  ing  noble  thinking  and  energetic  action 
for  their  own  and  the  world's  good.  He  who 
gives  others  an  example  of  industry,  sobriety  and 
cuusisteut  honesty  of  purpose  in  life,  lias  a  prestnt 


as  well  as  a  future  influence  upon  the  well-being 
of  his  community,  for  his  life  and  character  affects, 
unconsciously  though  it  may  be,  the  lives  and 
characters  of  othei-s,  and  thus  the  influence  is  un- 
ending until  time  itself  shall  cease.  Too  much 
])raise  cannot,  therefore,  be  given  to  those  who  by 
their  worthy  lives  are  entitled  to  more  than  pass- 
ing mention. 

Tlie  subject  of  this  biographical  review  was 
born  in  Germany  in  1883,  and  is  the  son  of  Justus 
and  Catherine  (.Schneider)  Koch.  His  parents 
were  also  born  in  the  Fatherland,  tlie  father  in 
1811,  and  the  mother  in  1818.  Justus  Koch  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  land,  where  in  his  youth  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  blacksmith,  and  was  thus  occupied,  in 
connection  with  the  business  of  a  wagon  man- 
ufacturer, throughout  iiis  entire  life.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  the  prime  of  life,  when  our  subject  was 
only  two  years  of  age.  After  his  death,  a  posthum- 
ous son  was  born  to  the  mother  of  our  subject,  who 
was  named  Henry  Philip  and  is  now  deceased. 
Mrs.  Catherine  Koch  came  to  the  United  States 
many  years  afterward  and  died  at  the  home  of  her 
son  Hartmann,  in  Darmstadt. 

The  early  years  of  Hartmann  Koch  were  un- 
eventfully i)assed  in  his  native  land,  where  he  at- 
tended the  common  schools  and  learned  the  trade 
of  a  blacksmitli  with  an  uncle.  In  1854,  he  left 
the  Fatherland,  and,  crossing  the  Atlantic,  for  a 
few  months  after  landing  made  his  home  in  the 
citj'  of  Baltimore.  Later,  he  removed  to  St.  Louis, 
where  for  seven  years  he  worked  steadily'  at  his 
trade.  Coming  thence  to  the  village  of  Darmstadt, 
he  opened  a  shop,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
at  his  trade.  In  connection  with  this  occui>ation, 
he  is  the  owner  of  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  valuable  land,  whereon  he  conducts  farming 
operations  with  skill  and  success. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  Mr.  Kocii  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Clara  (Aple)  Dierburger,  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  nine  children,  three  of 
whom  died  in  infancy  and  George  and  Clara  in 
their  youth.  The  surviving  children  are  Mary, 
Elizabeth,  Amelia  and  Matheas.  In  his  relig- 
ious connections,  Mr.  Kodi    is  ;i    iiipiiiber  of  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPinCAL  RECORD. 


337 


Presbyterian  Church,  while  his  wife  is  a  Catholic. 
His  political  preferences  have  brought  him  into 
sympath\-  with  the  Republican  party,  and  he  is  one 
of  the  public-spirited  and  progressive  members  of 
that  party  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Koch  is  a  man  who  stands  high  in  the 
esteem  of  all  who  know  him,  and  his  honorable 
life  and  uniform  kindness  of  heart  endear  him  to 
iiis  acquaintances.  In  writing  of  him,  one  is  re- 
minded of  the  picture  drawn  by  the  poet  Long- 
fellow, of  the  village  blacksmith: 

Week  in,  week  out,  from  morn  till  night, 

You  can  hear  his  bellows  blow; 
Y<iu  can  hear  him  swing  his  heav^v  sledge. 

With  measured  beat  and  slow. 
Like  a  sexton  ringing  the  village  bell 

When  the  evening  sun  is  low. 

Toiling,  rejoicing,  sorrowing. 

Onward  through  life  he  goes; 
Each  morning  sees  some  task  begun, 

Kach  evening  sees  it  close; 
Something  attempted,  something  done. 

Has  earned  a  night's  repose. 

Thanks,  thanks,  to  thee,  my  worthy  friend. 

For  the  lesson  thou  has  taught; 
Thus  at  the  flaming  forge  of  life 

Our  fortunes  must  be  wrought. 
Thus  on  its  sounding  anvil  shaped 

Each  burning  deed  and  thought. 


'T^l  M  I  L  E  REBHAN,  a  prosperous  farmer  of 
|Wj  section  5,  Shiloli  Valley  Township,  is  a  na- 
|_  ->'  tive  of  (Termany,  his  birth  having  occurred 
in  Col)urg,  in  1817.  He  is  a  sou  of  Louis  and  Lou- 
isa Kebhan,  the  fatiier's  birth  occurring  in  France 
and  the  mother's  in  Mciningen,  Germany.  Louis 
Rebhan  grew  to  manhood  in  a  city,  received 
a  good  education,  and  was  reared  in  the  Catholic 
religion.  He  was  an  attorney-at-law,  and  occupied 
a  position  in  the  official  department  of  the  coun- 
try. He  was  sent  .as  a  minister  to  Coburg,  (Ger- 
many, wliich  j)Osition  he  oceuiiied  until  his 
death.  When  a  young  man  hp  left  France,  and 
at  that  time  spelled  his  uaine  Rohw,    By  permis- 


sion of  the  King,  the  spelling  of  the  name  was 
changed  to  Rebhan,  which  his  descendants  have 
since  adopted.  He  and  his  wife  reared  a  familj'  of 
four  children:  Louis,  deceased;  Emile;  Adelina 
L.,  now  deceased,  who  was  the  wife  of  Gadlop  Muld- 
rop;  and  John,  who  still  lives  in  the  Old  Country. 
Of  this  family  our  subject  is  the  only  one  who 
came  to  the  United  States. 

Our  subject  received  a  good  common-school  ed- 
ucation, and  in  addition  took  a  collegiate  course. 
He  then  continued  his  studies  and  commenced  the 
reading  of  law.  He  next  learned  the  trade  of  an 
architect  in  the  Government  department.  In  1849, 
Mr.  Rebhan  was  united  in  marriage  with  Louisa 
Fensline.  Some  time  afterward,  on  account  of  the 
Revolution,  he  came  to  America,  his  wife  having 
died  just  before  his  departure,  leaving  three  chil- 
dren: John,  deceased;  Edward,  who  hassince  come 
to  the  United  States;  and  Anna,  also  deceased. 
After  arriving  in  the  New  World,  our  subject  first 
settled  at  New  Orleans,  where  he  worked  at  his 
trade  for  a  period  of  about  two  years.  He  then 
came  to  Belleville,  and  has  lived  in  this  county 
since  that  time.  He  has  been  a  civil  engineer,  and 
surveyed  all  of  the  plank  roads  of  the  count}^  He 
also  followed  agricultural  pursuits  quite  exten- 
sivelj'.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  late  war,  Mr. 
Rebhan  raised  Company'  F,  Second  Missouri  In- 
fantry, which  was  under  Gen.  Lyons.  He  partic- 
ipated in  the  battles  of  "Wilson  Creek  and  Bearge. 
On  account  of  sickness,  he  returned  home  at  the 
end  of  the  first  year,  and  located  at  Sliiloh.  where 
he  has  since  resided. 

In  Belleville,  Mr.  Rebhan  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Catherine  Miller,  daughter  of  George  Chris- 
tian and  Elizabeth  Miller.  To  this  worthy  couple 
four  children  have  been  born:  George  C,  an  at- 
torney of  Belleville,  a  sketch  of  whom  will  be 
found  on  another  page  of  this  work;  Eld  ward; 
Amelia,  the  wife  of  Louis  Shmisour,  who  is  now  de- 
ceased; and  Louisa. 

Our  subject  is  a  Protestant  and  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Masonic  order,  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  but  has  his  p.ass  from  each.  He  takes 
an  active  part  in  all  local  political  affairs,  and  is  a 
supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  He  is  a  man  of 


338 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


good  education,  and  well  informed  on  all  the  lead- 
ing questions  of  tlie  day.  For  over  fort^'  j'ears  he 
has  been  a  resident  of  this  county,  and  is  accounted 
one  of  its  most  public-spirited  and  representative 
citizens.  As  a  farmer,  he  is  considered  a  man  of 
enterprise  and  ability,  and  has  acquired  a  compe- 
tence through    years  of    industry  and    hard  labor. 


._^^____. 


/^  HRISTIAN  ETTLING.  The  subject  of  this 
[l(  sketch  resides  on   survey   607,  Prairie   du 

^^J  Long  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  111.  Ills 
father,  Conrad  Ettling,  was  born  in  Haml)urg, 
Germany,  in  the  year  1801),  on  the  21st  of 
October.  The  earlj'  part  of  Ihe  latter's  life  was 
spent  in  his  native  vill.ige,  where  he  learned 
and  afterward  plied  the  vocation  of  a  stone- 
mason. His  wife  was  a  Miss  Caroline  Iluck,  a 
native  of  the  same  place.  In  the  year  1837,  Con- 
rad Ettling  emigrated  with  his  family  to  the 
United  States,  and  on  his  arrival  in  this  country 
located  at  Detroit,  where  lie  lived  but  a  short  time, 
moving  from  there  to  St.  Louis,  whei'e  he  worked 
at  his  trade  for  sevei'al  months,  and  then  moved 
to  St.  Clair  Count.y,  111.  He  rented  a  farm  three 
miles  south  of  Belleville,  and  lived  there  about  six 
years,  afterward  renting  several  other  places,  on 
which  he  spent  about  four  years,  when  he  bought 
what  was  then  known  as  the  old  Reding  House 
place,  on  which  he  resided  for  over  twenty-two 
years.  He  had  been  in  this  cdinitry  «>\-ei-  thirty 
years  when  he  indv-ed  to  JMieKuru.  this  (-(miily, 
where  he  still  lives.  His  c:isli  possessions  un  his  ar- 
rival in  America  consisted  of  ^i),  and  his  life  is  one 
of  the  best  exemplifications  of  thrift,  industry,  .and 

Christian  Ettling,  witli  wliosc  name  we  intruduci; 
this  sketch,  was  born  in  Hamburg,  Germany,  on 
the  4th  of  December,  1836.  He  was  only  one 
year  old  when  his  parents  came  to  America,  and 
his  whole  life  has  been  spent  on  a  farm.  He  re- 
ceived a  fair  education  in  the  common  schools  of 
St.  Clair  County,  and  upon  arriving  at  nianhooii's 


estate,  received  from  his  father  fifty  acres  of  land 
with  which  to  start  the  life  of  a  farmer,  which  he 
had  chosen  as  his  life  pursuit. 

On  the  29tli  of  February,  1860,  our  subject  mar- 
ried Miss  Catherine  Moeser,  daughter  of  Henry 
Moeser,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  in  this  part  of 
the  State.  After  his  marriage,  he  located  at 
Prairie  du  Long,  where  he  lived  two  years  on 
his  own  farm.  After  his  two  years'  residence  at 
Prairie  du  Long,  he  went  back  to  his  father's  farm, 
where  he  stayed  six  months  and  then  located  on 
the  fifty  acres  which  his  father  had  given  him,  and 
wliich  was  situated  in  Smith  ton  Township.  .Vfter 
a  period  of  eighteen  years,  Mr.  Ettling  sold  the 
last-mentioned  farm,  and  bought  the  pl.ace  on 
which  he  now  lives. 

Catherine  (Moeser)  Ettling,  the  first  wife  of  our 
subject,  died  August  21,  1882.  She  was  a  wo- 
man of  most  estimable  traits  of  character,  and  her 
loss  was  mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Some 
time  after  this  bereavement,  ]\Ir.  Ettling  married 
his  second  wife,  Miss  Catherine  Bretsoli,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Philip  Bretsch,  who  was  a  resident  of  New 
Athens  Townsiiip.  Tlie  first  Mrs  Ettling  was  the 
mother  of  twelve  cliililieu,  and  the  second  wife 
has  borne  our  subject  five,  making  a  family  of  sev- 
enteen children,  fourteen  of  whom  are  still  living, 
and  are  as  follows:  Peter,  who  follows  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter  at  Freeburg;  Mary,  who  lives  in 
IMontgoniery  County,  .-incl  is  the  wife  of  .Tacob 
Klein,  a  fanner;  .lacoLi,  who  lives  in  Monroe 
County;  Willie,  a  resident  of  Freeburg;  George, 
K.atie,  Lizzie,  Christoiilier  and  S^mma,  who  all  live 
at  liome.  One  of  the  saddest  incidents  in  this 
I'aiiiily's  history  was  the  drowning  of  one  son, 
Philip,  a  boy  who  gave  most  exceHent  promises 
for  future  manhood.  In  addition  to  tlie  chiblrer 
above  mentioned  are:  Bertie,  llihla,  (iustav, 
.Tohnnie  and  Elsa.  Three  members  of  this  family 
died  in  iiifaiiev. 

Jlr.  Ettling  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
thirty-eight  and  one-half  acres  of  land,  well  iin- 
l)roved  and  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  He 
raises  wheat,  corn  and  oats,  but  his  principal  crop 
is  wiieat.  He  is  a  well-known  and  .active  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  to  which  body  he  has 
ahv.ays  given  hearty  support,  and  both  he  and  his 


/: 


^rvn^  O-d       (/A  OA^^y^ 


<^  /?  ■)-'\^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


341 


wife   are  ainoug  the  sincere  workers  and  stanch 
members  of  that  organization. 

Mr.  Eltling's  political  sympathies  extend  to  the 
Democratic  i)arty,  and  he  is  a  Rrm  believer  in  the 
strength  of  its  principles  and  the  efficacy  of  its 
platform.  He  has  held  the  office  of  Trustee  in  his 
township  for  the  past  six  3ears.  and  has  served  as 
Si'hool  Director  for  three  terms.  With  an  intelli- 
gent conception  of  his  duties  as  a  citizen,  a  fe(!ling 
of  good-will  toward  mankind,  and  a  deep  regard 
for  his  own  family,  the  subject  of  this  sketch  en- 
deavors to  honorably'  fuUill  all  the  duties  which 
devolve  upon  him,  and  in  so  doing  he  has  gained 
the  respect  of  all  with  wliom   he  comes  in  contact. 


THOMPSON,  a 


-knov 


-n  and 
Jl  prominent  citizen  of  Belleville,  is  now 
retired  from  the  active  duties  of  life  and 
is  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  early  labors. 
He  was  born  fifteen  miles  northeast  of  Portland, 
Me.,  April  2G,  1807,  a  son  of  Abel  Thompson. 
His  grandfather,  Amos  Thompson,  Sr.,  was  born 
in  1749,  and,  with  his  brother  Jonathan,  .accom- 
|>anied  Col.  Arnold  and  his  army  through  the 
wilderness  from  Maine  to  Quebec  in  the  fall  of 
1775,  and  participated  iu  the  battle  of  Quebec, 
vYliere  Gen.  Montgomery  was  killed  and  Col.  Arn- 
old wounded. 

Abel  Thompson,  the  eldest  child  of  Aliel  Thomp- 
son, Sr.,  was  born  in  the  spring  of  177;).  It  is 
said  he  was  the  second  child  born  in  Lincoln 
(now  Sagadahoc)  County,  Me.  In  the  war  with 
England  in  1812-13,  he  was  a  Lieutenant  in  a 
military  company,  and  was  called  into  active  ser- 
vice in  that  war.  lb'  was  a  ship  carpenter,  mill- 
wright and  farmer,  lie  married  Mary  Hay nes  in 
1796,  or  1797,  and  had  nine  children,  two  of 
whom  died  in  infancy;  the  remaining  seven  were 
Elizabeth,  Hannah,  Mehetabel,  Amos,  Eleanor, 
Haynes  and  Abel.  When  he  left  Maine  for  the 
West,  the  two  eldest  children,  Elizabeth  and  Ilan- 

ried   and   setth'd    in    .MNine,      In     181,j,  he   drove 


across  the  country  from  Maine  to  Cincinnati,  but 
was  unfortunate  in  having  his  horse  stolen  by 
Indians.  While  absent  on  his  trip  to  the  Far 
AVest,  his  mill  was  bui'ned,  and  on  his  return 
East  he  determined  to  take  advantage  of  the 
larger  opportunities  which  the  Par  West  afforded. 
In  the  fall  of  1816,  he  commenced  his  long  jour- 
ney Westward,  and  at  the  head  of  the  Allegheny 
River,  built  a  flat-boat,  on  which  he  floated  down 
to  Cincinnati.  Then  he  embarked  on  a  keel-boat 
for  Kaskaskia,  111.  It  was  his  intention  to  start  a 
mill  six  miles  south  of  Belleville,  where  he  located 
with  that  object  in   view. 

However,  before  his  plans  were  completed,  Mr. 
Thompson  was  taken  ill  with  malarial  fever  and 
died  September  17,  1818,  his  wife's  death  oc- 
curring two  daj's  before  his  own.  Mehetabel 
became  the  wife  of  Samuel  Phillips  and  died  at 
an  advanced  age.  One  of  her  sons,  Daniel  T. 
Philips,  resides  in  Cornelius,  Ore.,  .and  another 
in  St.  Clair  County.  Eleanor  married  John 
Alexander,  of  St.  Clair  County,  and  both  are 
deceased,  her  death  occurring  at  the  age  of  forty- 
two  years.  Abel  married  and  liecame  the  father 
of  a  large  family  of  children  and  died  at  the  age 
of  sixty-eight. 

The  memory  of  our  subject  carries  him  back 
many  years,and  he  well  remembers  the  earthquake 
of  1811,  although  at  that  time  he  was  only  four 
years  old.  He  also  recalls  the  naval  battle  between 
the  "Boxer"  and  the  "Enterprise"  in  September, 
181,3,  when  he  could  hear  the  noise  of  the  conflict, 
although  some  fifteen  miles  distant.  Both  the 
commanders,  Bo^ie  and  Brocke,  were  killed  in  the 
battle,  and  Mr.  Thompson  has  since  visited  their 
graves  at  Portland,  Me.  Our  subject  visited 
Maine  in  1829,  and  after  an  absence  of  fift3'-tliree 
years  again  returned  to  Maine  in  1882,  and  vis- 
ited his  aged  sister  Hannah,  who  was  then  living 
at  the  age  of  eighty-six  years,  but  is  since  de- 
ceased. 

Early  orphaned  by  the  death  (if  his  parents, 
Amos  Thompst.Jii  found  a  home  with  a  neighbor- 
named  Fowler,  with  whom  he  remained  one  year. 
During  the  suiiinier  of  the  ensuing  year,  he 
cociked  for  .Mr.  I 'owler,  who  was  at  that  time  build- 
ing a  mill.     Alter  several  severe  spells  of  sickness, 


342 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


he  was  bound  as  an  apprentice  to  John  Stuntz,  a 
tanner  and  furrier,  whose  father  was  one  of  the 
Hessian  soldiers  sent  liere  to  Gght  for  George  HI 
of  England,  but  who  deserted  in  the  first  engage- 
ment and  joined  the  Americans  and  fought  for 
tliem  during  the  American  War.  Mr.  Stuntz 
agreed  to  send  the  lad  to  school,  a  promise 
which  he  faithfull}'  kept.  With  this  noble  old 
German  our  subject  remained  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  and  until  he  was  twent^^  attended 
the  district  schools  during  the  winter  months.  He 
then  began  learning  tlie  carpenter's  trade  with 
Mr.  Fowler,  and  worked  at  that  trade  for  about 
twenty-  years.  In  1829,  he  assisted  Mr.  Fowler  in 
building  the  County  Court  House  in  Belleville. 

In  1830,  Mr.  Thompson  made  his  first  purchase 
of  real  estate,  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  upon 
which  he  resided  for  a  period  of  thirty  years, 
and,  as  lie  had  hardly  enough  money  to  pay  for 
it,  he  borrowed  loO  for  forty  days  through  the 
influence  of  a  good  friend,  Edward  Tate.  The 
loan  of  $50  which  he  made  fell  due  on  a  Sunday, 
and  he  promptly  paid  it  that  da^-,  thus  relieving  to 
some  extent  his  obligation  to  his  warm  friend,  Ed- 
ward Tate;  that  was  the  first  mone\'  borrowed  for 
which  he  had  to  give  securit\-,  and  since  then  he 
has  been  enabled  with  onlj'  his  own  name  to  get 
what  money  he  has  needed.  Early  in  life  he  learned 
the  important  lesson  that  a  punctual  man  com- 
mands his  neighbors'  purse  strings. 

May  15,  1831,  our  subject  was  married  to  Miss 
Irene  Moore,  a  descendant  of  Shields  Moore,  who 
settled  at  Baltimore,  Md.,  in  1732.  After  his  mar- 
riage, Mr.  Thompson  settled  on  his  farm,  and 
here  resided  until  about  eight  years  after  the 
death  of  his  wife,  which  occurred  in  1852.  AVhile 
living  on  the  farm,  he  dealt  largel3-  in  stock,  and 
after  his  removal  to  Belleville  in  1860  he  became 
an  extensive  property-holder.  In  connection  with 
his  son  Alonzo,  he  at  one  time  owned  seven  thou- 
sand acres  in  Barton  County,  Mo.,  where  he  still 
owns  twelve  hundred  acres.  As  this  land  was  pur- 
chased some  thirty  years  ago,  it  has  since  greatly 
increased  in  value. 

In  company  with  his  son  Akmzo  .'uid  his  son- 
in-law,  Mr.  Harrison,  our  subject  has  purchased 
lMri>e  tracts  of  land   in    Missouri,  all  of  which  have 


proved  good  investments,  and  with  them  he  has 
speculated  extensively  in  Illinois  land.  He  was  a 
Democrat  up  to  1856,  and  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  Legislature  in  the  sessions  of  1842-44, 1844-46. 
also  1866-68,  including  two  called  sessions,  and 
proved  an  able  and  incorruptible  Legislator.  Since 
1856,  he  lias  been  a  Republican.  He  is  a  man  of 
exceptionally  fine  mental  powers  and  possesses 
business  instincts  of  a  high  order.  His  good  judg- 
ment and  honor  are  thoroughly  appreciated,  and 
he  has  been  administrator  of  a  great  many  estates. 

The  cliildren  horn  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson 
were  as  follows;  Alonzo,  a  real-estate  agent  of 
Omaha.  Neb.;  Mary  Eleanor,  wife  of  T.  Harrison, 
of  Colorado  Springs,  Colo.;  Josephine  (Mrs.  J.  D. 
Truett),  who  died  in  Indiana  in  1882;  Cyrus,  a 
manufacturer  of  Belleville;  Eugene,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  nine  years;  and  Charles  H.,  a  money 
broker  of  Portland,  Ore. 

In  taking  a  retrospective  view  of  past  events 
in  this  world  of  changes  during  his  long  life,  it 
is  with  pleasure  that  our  subject  calls  to  mind 
the  many  wise  admonitions  and  kind  treat- 
ment received  from  John  Stuntz  and  his  wife, 
Elizabeth  (Hill)  Stuntz,  during  the  eight  years 
and  seven  months  in  which  he  was  a  member  of 
their  family.  Our  subject  now  resides  with  his 
son,  Cyrus  Thompson,  in  Belleville,  111. 


man  is  a  member  of  of  the  First  Christian 
Church  in  this  city,  and  is  a  business  rep- 
resentative of  the  firm  of  Evans,  Snider,  Buel  A 
Co.  The  name  of  Cash  is  well  known  through- 
out Virginia,  and  from  that  family  came  James 
Cash,  the  father  of  our  subject,  although  his  birth- 
place was  in  Kentucky,  lie  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  then  learned  what  was  a  very  important 
trade — tanning;  after  he  had  learned  how  to 
prepare  leather,  he  found  out  the  proper  way 
to  use  it.  He  appears  to  have  been  skilled  in 
many  ways,  for  he  also  learned  the  trades  of  car- 
1    peiiter  ami  stone  mason,     He  coiiductt'<l    his    tail- 


PORTRAIT  AKD  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


•  843 


neiy  in  Morgan  County,  Kj'.,  and  also  engaged  in 
farming.  He  also  gained  a  reputation  as  a  hun- 
ter. In  1857,  lie  concluded  to  remove  his  family 
to  Audrain  County,  Mu..  and  this  change  was 
made  with  wagons,  the  place  selected  for  the  new 
home  consisting  of  three  hundred  and  twenty 
acres  of  unimproved  land.  Here  Mr.  Cash  lived 
until  within  one  year  of  his  death,  when  he  re- 
moved to  Centralia,  Mo.,  and  died  there  in  1867. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Sally  Cree,  a  Ken- 
tuckian  by  birth.  Her  death  occurred  April  1, 
1875,  at  the  age  of  sixt3--nine  years. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  youngest  of 
eleven  children,  five  of  whom  are  living.  He  was 
born  August  27,  1851,  in  Morgan  County,  Ky., 
and  was  reared  in  Missouri  from  the  age  of  six 
years.  He  had  no  school  advantages  at  all,  as  this 
was  a  pioneer  countiy,  and  the  "  work  school  " 
was  the  onl}-  one  thought  of.  In  this  school  he  was 
pretty  thoroughly  disciplined,  .is  his  father  died 
when  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age  and  he  had  to  j 
think  of  taking  care  of  himself,  which  has  often 
been  a  serious  undertaking  for  those  much  older 
ill  life  and  experience  than  a  lad  of  sixteen. 
However,  he  soon  obtained  work  at  herding  cattle 
at  818  a  month,  and  continued  at  this  until  he 
came  to  St.  Louis,  in  1869.  Here  he  found  em- 
ployment in  the  old  North  Missouri  Yards  driving 
cattle,  and  there  he  remained  until  the  completion 
of  the  Union  Stock  Yards,  when  he  worked  there 
one  year  as  hog  accountant.  In  1875,  he  came  to 
the  National  Stock  Yards,  and  was  employed  there 
for  eighteen  months,  and  then  began  to  speculate 
in  hogs  for  himself,  and  did  much  in  this  line. 
In  1887,  he  became  hog  salesman  for  the  firm  of 
Hunter,  Evans  A  Co.  until  the  lirm  of  Snider, 
Evans  &  Co.  was  formed,  with  which  compaiiN-  lie 
has  been  ever  since. 

Mr.  Cash  is  a  Democrat  of  the  strongest  type, 
and  is  highly  regarded  in  his  party.  He  is  a 
member  in  the  National  Union,  and  has  been  the 
main  organizer  and  pillar  of  the  Christian  Church 
of  this  city,  which  he  h.as  supported  with  both 
purse  and  iiiHuence. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Ca^li  look  place  in  St. 
Louis,  in  1874,  with  Miss  Alice  Sutherland,  one  of 
the  fair  daiioliters  of  Keiituck\-,   and  two  cliildreii 


have  blessed  this  union.  The  eldest,  Hugh  Em- 
mctt,  was  removed  bj'  death,  but  Walter  S.  re- 
mains. He  will  not  be  ashamed  to  read  the  record 
of  dilliculties  overcome  by  his  father,  for  the  trials 
of  early  life  ver}'  often  form  character  and  make 
men  what  they  are.  Two  of  the  brothers  of  Mr. 
Cash  took  part  in  the  Civil  War. 


[L_,  ENRY  CLAY  ECKERT,  an  enterprising 
jfji)  farmer  and  prominent  member  of  tlie 
i^\^  Grange,  living  in  Smithton  Township,  was 
(^;  born  November  5,  1850,  of  German-Amer- 
ican parentage.  He  was  the  son  of  Michael  Eck- 
ert,  who  came  to  this  country  with  his  parents 
when  he  was  eleven  j'ears  of  age.  This  was  in 
1837,  and  they  were  among  the  earliest  settlers  of 
St.  Clair  County.  The  birthplace  of  our  subject 
was  on  the  Drumhill  Farm,  near  Fayetteville.  He 
received  a  good  education,  attending  the  free 
schools,  afterward  spending  one  year  at  McKendree 
College.  He  had  better  advantages  than  most  of 
the  boys  of  his  age  or  locality.  After  the  death  of 
his  brother,  he  removed  with  his  parents  to  Belle- 
ville, 111.,  in  1875.  After  several  years  in  that 
city,  he  married  Mar\'  L.  Miller,  who  was  tlic 
daughter  of  Michael  Miller,  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers  of  St.  Clair  Countv.  Our  subject  lived 
in  Belleville  until  1879,  wliien  he  removed  to 
Richview  Farm,  situated  on  the  Cairo  Short  Line, 
just  above  Wilderman  Station.  He  has  been  a 
farmer  all  his  life,  and  has  followed  the  business 
intelligently,  using  the  latest  agricultural  devices, 
and  buying  the  best  breeds  of  cattle,  sheep  and 
poultry.  He  has  at  this  writing  five  hundred  young 
chickens  of  pure  blood,  and  sells  poultry  for  breed- 
ing purposes;  he  also  manufactures  on  his  place 
a  fine  article  of  gilt-edged  butter.  The  children 
are  Walter  E.,  Eugene  A.  and  Alvin  Otis.  His 
only  daughter,  Amelia,  has  passed  aw.ay. 

Mr.  Eckert  has  two  farms,  one  containing  one 
hundred  and  eighteen  acres,  and  another  two  hun- 
dred .Tiid  ten  acres.     The  land    where    he    lives  is 


344 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


underlaid  with  coal,  wbich  makes  it  very  valua- 
ble. The  large  brick  residence  which  Mr.  Eckert 
erected  in  the  course  of  time,  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  this  part  of  the  county,  and  cost  him  $5,400. 
He  also  has  a  large  poultry  house,  built  after  the 
latest  models,  which  cost  him  1200.  His  land  has 
.ill  the  latest  improvements,  and  is  well  tiled 
where  that  was  necessary'.  He  firmly  believes 
that  farming  can  be  greatly  improved  b3'  better 
methods,  and  that  the  breeding  and  raising  of  bet- 
ter stock  will  always  pay  in  the  end.  He  keeps  an 
account  of  all  that  he  buys  and  all  that  he  sells, 
and  at  the  end  of  the  year  has  as  clean  a  balance 
sheet  as  any  merchan  t. 

Mr.  Eckert  is  a  Republican,  and  has  always  been 
one,  and  is  a  strong  believer  in  the  protection  of 
American  industries,  and  an  advocate  for  an  hon- 
est American  dollar.  He  belongs  to  the  Grange, 
and  at  one  time  took  an  active  part  in  its  meet- 
ings, but  lately  a  hardness  of  hearing  has  pre- 
vented his  attendance.  He  believes  in  the  Grange 
jjrinciples,  and  is  truly  one  of  the  most  enterpris- 
ing farmers  in  tlie  county,  and  has  endeavored  to 
place  agricultuie  upon  a  proper  footing  in  his 
county.  Men  of  his  stamp  will  soon  give  a  quietus 
to  those  who  look  at  the  farming  community  as  a 
necessary  part  of  a  State,  but  to  be  regarded  as 
rather  out  of  the  rapid  march  of  progress. 


^^EOKGE  W.  SHH^MAN,  proprietor  of  the 
fij  (—,  Western  Keg  Works,  near  the  Louisville  tt 
sQJ^  Nashville  passenger  depot,  is  one  of  the 
successful  men  whose  history  forms  the  glory  of 
St.  Clair  County.  One  of  the  prominent  features 
of  the  business  men  of  Belleville,  111.,  is  their 
energy  and  push.  Mr.  Shipman  is  no  excei)ti<)n 
in  this  respect,  but  affords  a  striking  example  of 
the  truth  of  the  assertion.  He  is  a  man  of  excel- 
lent business  (lualitications  and  good  habits,  and  a 
citizen  who  lias  the  Inchest  regard  of  all  who  know 


uintv  seat  of  li 


11    near    St.    Clairsviile.    the 
Cuuntv,  Ohio,  uii  the  Idth 


of  September,  1821,  and  is  a  son  of  Walter  and 
Ann  (Wilson)  Shipman.  The  father  was  a  car- 
penter by  trade,  but  in  connection  was  also  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  was  the  owner  of  eighty 
acres  of  land,  on  which  he  made  his  home.  He 
died  in  Belmont  County,  and  left  a  family  of  nine 
children,  all  but  one  now  living.  Our  subject  re- 
ceived his  early  education  in  the  log  sehoolhouse 
of  pioneer  da3's,  but  as  the  sehoolhouse  was  two 
miles  distant  from  his  home  and  in  the  woods,  his 
scholastic  tiaining  was  limited  to  about  four 
months  in  all.  However,  he  had  a  naturally 
bright  and  active  mind,  and  by  observation  and 
study  later  in  lite,  he  became  quite  well  posted  on 
all  subjects  of  moincnl. 

Our  subject  was  only  about  eighteen  years  of 
age  when  his  father  died,  and  he  subsequently  be- 
gan learning  the  machinist's  trade  in  Martin's  Ferry, 
Ohio.  He  was  the  first  man  who  ever  put  a 
threshing-machine  on  wheels  and  llueshed  with  it 
in  that  position,  and  this  created  a  demand  for  his 
machines.  He  became  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
Shipman,  Bales  ilr  Co.,  and  continued  in  this  bus- 
iness until  18(50.  At  the  breaking  out  of  the  war, 
he  enlisted  in  Company  F,  Fiftieth  Ohio  Infantry, 
and  was  in  the  arm}'  of  the  Cumberland  through 
Kentucky  and  Tennessee.  He  served  his  country 
faithfully  for  three  ^years,  and  during  that  time  he 
never  received  a  wound  nor  was  he  taken  prisoner. 
He  served  as  wagon-master  for  about  twenty-two 
months.  After  returning  from  the  war,  he  worked 
at  the  machine  business,  and  in  1869  established  a 
manufactory  of  nail  kegs  at  Martin's  Feny,  which 
he  conducted  until  1871.  From  there  he  moved 
to  Port  Clinton,  Ohio,  thence  to  Wood  County, 
Ohio,  in  1874,  and  in  1877  he  located  in  Belle- 
ville, 111.,  where  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of 
nail  kegs.  He  soon  established  a  manufactory  of 
his  own  near  the  Western  Nail  Works,  with  steam 
power  and  all  the  improved  machinery  for  the 
manufacture  of  kegs.  He  built  all  his  machines 
but  two.  His  manufactory  has  a  capacity  of 
twenty-five  hundred  kegs  per  daj',  and  he  employs 
about  sixty  hands,  m.aking  a  pay  roll  of  about 
^1,200.  This  is  one  of  the  most  flourishing  insti- 
tutions of  the  city,  and  is  the  principal  keg  fae- 
tor\-,     ,Mr.   Shipman   is    thorouglii\-    ali\e    to    the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


347 


business  interests  of  this  bus\'  city,  and  his  factoiy 
reflects  the  hij^hest  credit  upon  his  management. 

On  the  26th  of  .Tuiy,  1873,  Mr.  Shipman  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rebecca  Ann  Brown, 
of  Colerain  Township,  Belmont  County,  Ohio,  and 
she  now  presides  over  his  fine  liome  at  No.  .522  D 
Street,  Belleville.  This  is  one  of  the  loveliest 
places  in  the  city,  and  attracts  the  eye  of  all.  Mr. 
Shipman  was  previously  married  to  Miss  Martha 
Smith,  of  St.  Clairsville,  and  six  children  were  the 
fruits  of  this  union:  William;  Martha,  wife  of 
George  Fowler;  Lillian,  wife  of  E.  J.  Smallwood; 
George  W.,  Charles  and  Stephen  E.  Mr.  Shipman 
owns  several  lots  and  two  houses  in  the  city  and 
other  real  estate.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
Belmont  City  Lodge  No.  221, 1.  O.  O.  F.,  at  Mar- 
tin's Ferry,  Ohio,  and  the  Grand  Armj-.  Mr.  Ship- 
man  was  Alderman  of  the  First  Ward  for  one 
term.  By  his  last  union,  he  became  the  father  of 
one  son,  Jefferson  Brown. 


Tr^^OBERT  CUNNINGHAM.  It  isan  undenia- 
jll^  ble  truth  that  the  life  of  anj'  man  is  of  great 
:*>  %  benefit  to  the  community  in  which  he  lesides, 
"  when  all  his  energies  are  directed  toward  ad- 
vancing its  interests,  and  when  he  lives  according 
to  the  highest  principles  of  what  he  conceives  to 
be  right.  Mr.  Cunningham  is  one  of  these  men. 
He  has  been  prominently  identified  with  every  en- 
terprise of  importance  in  the  county,  and  no  laud- 
able movement  is  allowed  to  fail  for  want  of  sup- 
port on  his  part.  At  present  he  is  serving  as 
.\lderman  from  the  First  Ward  of  East  St.  Louis, 
and  is  discharging  the  duties  incumbent  upon  that 
position  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner.  He  has 
been  a  resident  of  East  St.  Louis  since  I860,  and 
has  been  with  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Company  since 
1872.  Throughout  St.  Clair  County  he  is  well 
known,  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  its  representa- 
tive men. 

Like  many  of  the  i)rominent  citizens  of  East  St. 
Louis,  Mr.  Cunningham  is  of  foreign  biith.  He  was 
born    in    County   Louth,  Ii-eland,  March    17.  1845. 


His  father,  John  Cunningham,  who  was  also  born 
in  that  count}-,  was  a  stonemason  and  contractor, 
contracting  for  stone  and  brick  work.  He  lived 
to  the  good  old  age  of  seventy-eight  years,  and 
died  in  1887.  Upright  and  honest  in  every  walk  of 
life,  he  won  and  held  the  respect  of  all.  He  married 
Bridget  Gorman,  also  a  native  of  the  green  isle  of 
Erin,  and  her  death  occurred  in  1847.  Three 
children  were  born  of  this  union,  but  our  subject, 
the  youngest  child,  is  the  only  one  in  America. 
One  of  his  brothers,  Bernard,  resides  in  the  old  place, 
and  is  a  stonemason.  Pati-ick.  the  other  lirotlier, 
is  a  machinist  of  Dublin. 

Robert  Cunningham  was  reared  and  educated 
in  his  native  countrj'.  AVhen  eighteen  years  of 
age  he  decided  to  cross  the  ocean  to  America,  and 
in  July,  1863,  he  took  passage  at  Liverpool  with 
his  uncle,  Patrick  Gorman.  Thirteen  days  later 
they  landed  in  New  York  City,  and  went  from 
j  there  to  Toledo,  Ohio,  where  our  subject  was  en- 
gaged in  different  occupations  for  two  years.  In 
December,  1865,  he  removed  further  AVest,  and 
engaged  as  a  steamboat  hand  between  St.  Louis 
and  New  Orleans.  He  was  on  different  boats 
until  the  spring  of  1867,  when  he  came  to  East  St. 
Louis,  and  made  a  trip  of  thirty-five  hundred 
miles  in  fifty-seven  days,  on  the  steamer  "  St. 
Luke."  Later,  he  ran  on  the  Upper  Mississippi 
River,  on  the  steamer  "  Key  Cit}-,"  of  St.  Paul,  and 
W.1S  thus  engaged  one  year.  Returning  to  East  St. 
Louis  he  was  with  the  Vandalia  Railroad  for  one 
year,  and  subsequently  was  engaged  in  driving- 
transfer  wagons  for  the  St.  Louis  Transfer  Com- 
pany two  years. 

In  1872,  Mr.  Cunningham  engaged  with  the 
AViggins  Ferry  Company  as  deckhand,  and  worked 
his  way  up  to  foreman,  which  he  has  held  since 
1875.  He  is  in  charge  of  a  set  of  men,  and  thor- 
oughly understands  his  business.  He  is  also  quite 
extensively  engaged  in  the  real-estate  business  in 
this  city.  In  1870,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  Hoey,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  nine 
children  have  resulted  from  this  union:  Mai}-: 
who  is  a  teacher  in  the  Douglas  School;  John,  a 
time-keeper  for  the  AViggins  Belt  Line;  Robert, 
Katie,  Agnes,  Joseph,  Edward,  Annie  and  Thomas, 
all  but  the  two  eldest  at  home. 


348 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


In  1883.  Mr.  Cunningham  was  elected  Alder- 
man from  what  w.as  tlicn  the  Third  (now  the 
First)  Ward,  and  has  filled  that  position  ever 
since.  lie  has  served  on  different  committees,  and 
is  Chairman  of  the  Railroad  Committee.  Mr. 
Cunningham  is  an  e'arncst  advocate  of  the  im- 
provement and  advancement  of  the  city,  lias  per- 
formed honorable  and  efficient  service,  and  is  en- 
titled, with  others,  to  feel  a  pride  and  satisfaction 
over  the  result  of  efforts  and  labor  that  have  cul- 
minated in  the  East  St.  Louis  of  to-day.  In  187G 
he  was  elected  School  Director.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians,  and  in  poli- 
tics, is  a  strong  Democrat.  He  has  frequently 
been  a  delegate  to  county  conventions,  and  has 
been  President  of  the  Democratic  convention  for 
years.  Mr.  Cunningham  is  a  member  of  the  first 
Building  and  Loan  Association  of  East  St.  Louis, 
and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Grand  Jury.  He  is 
a  member  of  St.  Patrick's  Catholic  Church,  and 
contributes  liberally  to  its  support. 


\W_^  ON.  GUSTAVUS  KOERNER,  ex-Lieuten- 
Wjfj  ant-Governor  of  the  State  of  Illinois,  is  a 
My^  distinguished  German-American  writer  and 
(^]  statesman,  and  was  born  at  Frankfort-on- 
the-Main,  (Germany,  November  20,  1809,  in  wliich 
country  his  father,  Bernhard  Koerner,  was  a  book 
publisher  and  a  prominent  citizen  of  Frankfort. 
The  latter  was  repeatedly  elected  to  the  Legislative 
body  of  this  free  city,  in  which  he  became  conspicu- 
ous for  liberalism.  Gustavus  attended  the  academy 
(gymnasium)  of  Frankfort  and  became  a  student 
at  Jena,  whose  university  was  then  the  center  of  the 
students'  association  known  as  "Burschenschaft." 
He  was  a  stanch  adherent  of  that  patriotic  body  of 
students,  and  became  imbued  with  a  warm  and 
sincere  devotion  to  the  cause  of  German  liberty 
and  unity.  In  1830,  he  pursued  his  studies  at  the 
University  of  Munich,  and  with  others  was  charged 
while  there  with  having  resisted  the  police,  and 
was  arrested  and  imprisoned  for  four  months. 
Upon  being  released  and  discharged  b}'  judgment 


of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Bavaria,  he  went  to  Hei- 
delberg, where  he  finished  his  studies,  being  grad- 
uated in  1832  and  receiving  the  degree  of  LL.  D. 
Soon  after  this,  he  was  admitted  to  the  Supreme 
Court  of  his  native  city  to  practice  his  profession. 

In  1833,  the  movement  to  place  the  Govern- 
ment on  a  Republican  basis  met  his  hearty  ap- 
proval, as  it  did  that  of  thousands  of  other  young 
professional  men,  and  lie  became  involved  in  the 
uprising  at  Frankfort,  April  3,  1838,  and  in  the 
conflict  with  the  soldiers  was  wounded.  Upon  his 
recover3',  with  the  assistance  of  friends,  he  escaped 
to  France,  but  was  not  permitted  to  stay  in  that 
country,  and  was  sent  by  the  French  Government, 
under  escort,  to  Switzerland.  He  soon  after,  how- 
ever, returned  to  F^rancc,  and  from  the  city  of  Paris 
went  to  Havre,  wliere  he  found  old  friends  in  the 
Finglemann  family  about  to  embark  for  America. 
He  joined  them  and  June  18,  1833,  arrived  in 
New  York  City.  In  July,  lie  reached  Belleville, 
St.  Clair  County,  where  he  settled  and  where  he 
continued  to  reside.  He  entered  the  law  school  at 
Lexington,  Ky.,  and  in  1835  was  admitted  to  the 
Bar,  and  throngh  his  undeniable  ability  soon  at- 
tained a  reputation  that  called  him  into  many 
cases  of  importance  in  the  local  and  Supreme 
Courts.  In  184o,  his  reputation  as  a  clear  and  log- 
ical reasoner  and  a  sound  jurist  received  com- 
mendable and  honoi-able  recognition,  and  be  was 
appointed  by  the  Governor  of  tlie  State  to  a  posi- 
tion on  the  Supreme  Bench,  and  the  next  year  was 
elected  to  the  same  position  by  the  Legislature. 
He  wore  the  judicial  ermine  with  dignitA',  ability 
and  ease,  and  upon  retireriient  from  the  Bench  in 
184!l,when  the  office  was  made  an  elective  one,  he 
bore  with  him  the  respect  and  good-will  of  all,  and 
the  consciousness  that  he  had  done  his  duty  so  far 
as  he  saw  it. 

Our  subject  declined  to  be  a  candidate  for  re- 
election and  returned  to  Belleville  and  resumed 
his  practice.  His  judicial  opinions  while  on  the 
Bench  were  marked  by  great  clearness,  and  exliib- 
ited  thorough  research  and  careful  analysis,  and 
are  j'et  held  in  high  esteem  by  the  Bar  of  tiie 
State.  Being  in  accord  with  tiie  Democratic  party, 
he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature  by  it  in  1842, 
and  ten  j'ears  later  was  elected  to   the   honorable 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


349 


and  responsible  position  of  Lieutenant-Governor 
of  the  State,  his  majority  being  very  large.  He 
was  the  first  German  in  the  State  to  be  so  hon- 
ored. As  a  presiding  officer  in  the  Senate,  he  was 
distinguished  for  the  correctness  of  his  rulings, 
and  ins  thorough  knowledge  of  parliamentary  law. 
In  1854,  lie  took  a  decided  stand  against  the  ex- 
tension of  slavery  and  made  it  a  point  to  be  in 
constant  touch  and  sympathy  with  the  advanced 
of  the  age,  who  abhorred  mental  or  physical  slavery 
in  whatever  form  it  appeared.  His  course  was 
exceedingly  unpopular,  and  he  and  many  other 
able  men  found  themselves  outside  their  party  b3' 
their  refusal  to  subscribe  to  the  principles  and  up- 
hold the  tenets  as  represented  by  the  slave  oli- 
garchy of  the  .South,  who  represented  the  domi- 
nant wing  of  the  party.  The  active  and  positive 
position  he  took  on  the  Kansas-Nebraska  ques- 
tion brought  him  in  sympathy  and  accord  with 
Abraham  J^incoln,  Lyman  Trumbull,  John  M. 
Palmer,  and  all  the  great  leaders  of  the  progressive 
tliought  of  that  day,  and  together  they  constituted 
tlie  leaders  through  whose  agency  the  Republican 
party  was  formed  and  brought  into  organization 
and  power.  Mr.  Koerner  became  the  acknowl- 
edged leader  of  the  party  throughout  Soutlicrn 
Illinois, 

In  18.58,  he  was  a  member  of  the  convention 
that  nominated  Lincoln  for  United  States  Senator, 
and  stumped  the  State  in  his  behalf.  In  1860,  he 
was  a  delegate-at-large  to  the  Chicago  convention, 
and  was  a  member  of  the  committee  that  wrote  the 
memorable  platform,  upon  which  committee  were 
also  Gov.  Boutwell,  Carl  .Schurz  and  Horace  Gree- 
lej'.  In  1861,  he  was  active  in  raising  the  Forty- 
third  Illinois  Infantrj',  but  was  appointed  Colonel  of 
\'olunteers  by  President  Lincoln  and  was  assigned 
to  the  staff  of  Fremont  and  later  to  the  staff  of 
Halleck.  Illness  compelled  his  resignation  in  March, 
1862,  but  his  influence  still  continued  to  be  felt 
and  he  did  much  to  induce  the  mass  of  Germans  to 
remain  loyal  -to  the  Government.  In  June,  1862, 
Lincoln  again  manifested  his  confidence  in  one 
who  had  remained  so  loyally  his  friend,  and  Mr. 
Koerner  was  appointed  Minister  to  "Spain,  which  | 
position  he  filled  with  distinguished  abilitv  for  two  ■ 
and  a-half  years,  when  he  resigned.   He  did  much  to 


maintain  a  strict  neutrality  on  the  part  of  Spain, 
I  and  his  services  to  his  country  were  very  valuable 
i    and  of  a  most  satisfactory  kind. 

In  1868,  he  was  Elector-at-Large  for  the  State  and 
I  presided  over  the  electoral  college  of  Illinois,  cast- 
ing the  electoral  vote  for  Grant.  In  1871,  he  was 
appointed  by  the  Governor  of  Illinois  one  of  the 
newly-created  Board  of  Railway  &  Warehouse 
Commissioners,  of  which  body  he  became  Chairman 
and  did  much  valuable  services  in  working  and 
guarding  the  interests  of  the  people.  In  1872,  he 
became  a  Liberal  in  his  political  views,  and  in  that 
year  was  the  Liberal  Democratic  candidate  for 
Governor  of  the  State,  his  name  adding  much 
strength  to  the  new  party,  which  was  born  at  Cin- 
cinnati and  of  which  Horace  Greeley  was  the  cham- 
pion. He  ran  eleven  thousand  votes  ahead  of  the 
Presidential  candidate.  With  a  record  untarnished 
and  integrity  and  honesty  of  purpose  unquestioned, 
he  again  assumed  the  duties  of  his  profession,  in 
which  he  still  continues  and  gives  every  evidence 
of  a  much  longer  period  of  usefulness.  During 
his  long  and  busy  life,  he  has  found  much  time  to 
devote  to  literary  pursuits,  and  in  1833  he  wrote 
some  valuable  articles  for  a  monthly  magazine, 
Das  Atialand,  published  at  Stuttgart,  German^y, 
correcting  erroneous  ideas  of  this  country  which 
were  entertained  in  Germany.  He  has  contributed 
man}'  other  articles  of  note  to  leading  magazines 
and  periodicals,  all  of  which  show  the  workings  of 
a  scholarly  and  active  mind  that  has  been  strength- 
ened and  enriched  by  the  highest  culture.  His 
style  in  writing  and  speaking  is  smooth,  forcible 
and  convincing,  and  in  1840  he  translated  into 
German  all  the  general  laws  in  the  revised  code  of 
Illinois  of  1833.  After  his  ministry  in  Spain,  he 
published  at  Frankfort,  Geimany,  reminiscences  of 
"Aus  Spanien,"  and  in  1880  "Das  Deutsche  Ele- 
ment in  den  Vercinigten  Staaten  von  1818-1848," 
a  large  and  exhaustive  work  which  w.as  i)rinted 
in  Cincinnati. 

June  15,  1836,  he  married  Miss  Sophia,  daughter 
of  Frederick  Theodore  Engelmann,  late  of  St. 
Clair  County,  and  his  union  resulted  in  the  birth 
of  five  sons  and  three  daughters,  one  son  and 
two  daughters  of  whom  are  living.  This,  in  brief, 
is  a  sketch   of  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  St.  Clair 


350 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRATHICAL  RECORD. 


County  and  one  who  has  been  conspicuous  for 
half  a  century  in  the  political  affairs  of  his  adopted 
country.  Few  men  living  have  been  more  promi- 
nent in  the  State  or  have  extended  more  influence 
or  been  more  thoroughly  representative  than  has 
he.  He  has  grown  old  gracefully,  and  his  declin- 
ing years  are  being  spent  in  the  bosom  of  an  affec- 
tionate family  and  in  the  circle  of  an  extended 
friendship. 


Jl'OHN  S.  CARSON.     Prominent  among  the 
shining  lights  of  the  legal  profession  stands 
the   subject  of  this   brief   sketch,  who  lias 
^  '    made  the  beautiful    little  city  of  Belleville 
his  home  for  several  years  past. 

Mr.  Carson  is  a  native  son  of  Illinois,  having 
been  born  in  this  State,  at  Nashville,  June  10, 
1851,  the  son  of  Robert  and  Nancy  C.  (Mitchell) 
Caison.  The  last-named  persons  were  both  na- 
tives of  Todd  County,  Ky.,  who  came  to  Washing- 
ton County  with  their  parents,  and  married  soon 
after  arrival.  Here  they  entered  land  that  now  is 
a  part  of  the  suburbs  of  Nashville,  and  lived  and 
died  on  the  farm  they  reclaimed  from  the  prairie, 
the  father  dying  February  10,  1889,  and  the 
mother  in  1860.  When  the  death  of  the  mother 
occurred,  there  were  two  children  left  the  sorrow- 
ing father:  our  subject  and  a  daughter,  Sarah  Jane, 
wife  of  Richard  Snead,  of  Nashville.  Mr.  Robert 
Carson  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church,  South. 

John  Carson  was  educated  at  McKendree  Col- 
lege, Lebanon,  111.  After  graduating,  he  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  at  Nashville,  but,  feel- 
ing that  his  attainments  fitted  him  for  greater 
things,  he  abandoned  his  occupation  and  removed 
to  Belleville  in  1884,  in  order  to  engage  in  the 
study  of  law  under  Mr.  Winkleman.  After  several 
years  of  hard  and  persistent  study,  he  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  at  the  Bar  by  an  examination 
of  the  Appellate  Courl  at  Mt.  Vernon.  Before 
taking  the  examination,  he  was  engaged  for  two 
years  in  the  real-estate  business,  but  finall}' opened 


his  office  for  practice  at  No.  18  South  Illinois 
Street  with  Mr.  Winkleman  as  a  partner.  Since 
that  time,  so  successful  has  he  been,  that  the  busi- 
ness is  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  Mr.  Carson 
and  his  partner  have  more  practice  .all  the  time 
than  they  can  possibly  attend  to. 

In  addition  to  his  professional  duties,  Mr.  Car- 
son has  served  in  several  public  capacities,  having 
been  United  States  Ganger  during  1885  and  1886; 
he  was  also  elected  a  member  of  the  City  Council  liy 
the  Democratic  party,  to  whom  he  owns  allegiance. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Carson  and  Miss  Mar}'  J. 
Eckert,  daughter  of  Leonard  Eckert,  of  Monroe 
Count}',  occurred  September  5,  1872,  and  there 
have  been  four  children  added  to  their  familj- 
since  then:  Robert  L.,  Jessie,  Frank  Houston  and 
John  Edward. 

Mr.  Carson  is  one  of  the  leading  members  of  Ihe 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  is  now  holding  one  of 
the  chairs  in  that  order.  lie  and  his  interesting 
family  occupy  a  comfortable  residence  at  No.  917 
Park  Avenue.  Mr.  Carson  is  one  of  the  most  re- 
spected business  men  of  Belleville,  much  of  whose 
prosperity  is  due  to  just  such  men  as  our  subject. 


'/ii^^  ^um  ic^^gp 


IL^  ANS  SCHWAIJZ,  editor  and  proprietor  of 
the  Ta//eblati  und  Arbeiter  Zeifung  at  Belle- 
ville, was  born  April  23,  1851,  in  Neustadt, 
near  Nuremberg,  in  Bavaria.  His  educa- 
tion was  gained  in  the  schools  of  his  native  vil- 
lage, where  in  his  youth  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
printer,  becoming  a  skillful  compositor,  and  famil- 
iar with  the  "art  preservative."  For  eleven  years 
he  was  editor  and  business  manager  of  a  |)aper  in 
Germany,  in  which  he  gained  a  practical  exper- 
ience that  h.as  been  of  ineslimnble  value  to  him  in 
this  country. 

In  the  year  1883,  Mr.  Schwarz  emigrated  to  the 
United  States,  coming  West  to  .St.  Louis,  where  he 
remained  for  one  year.  During  the  following  year 
he  came  to  Belleville,  of  which  city  he  has  since 
been  a  resident.  In  1885,  he  established  the  ^-l;'6e(7er 
Zeitiincj,  which  he  first  conducted  as  a  weekly  issue. 


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PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


3.53 


but  one  year  later  added  a  daily  paper,  which  has 
since  been  under  his  personal  supervision.  The 
weekly  journal  contains  eight  pages,  devoted  to 
news  of  general  interest,  as  well  as  matters  of  local 
importance  only.  The  daily  paper,  which  is  a  four- 
page  sheet,  has  a  large  number  of  readers,  and  is  a 
favorite  among  the  citizens  of  Belleville  and  vi- 
cinity. It  is  published  in  German,  and  is  consid- 
ered authority  by  the  people  of  that  nationality  who 
reside  in  St.  Clair  County. 

Although  he  retains  a  deep  regard  for  the  Father- 
land, Mr.  Schwarz  is  also  devoted  to  the  interests 
and  welfare  of  the  country  of  his  adoption,  and 
represents  our  best  type  of  German-American  cit- 
izens. He  is  identified  with  several  German  organ- 
izations, among  them  being  the  Harugari,  the 
Arbeiter  Untcrstuetzungs  Verein,  and  the  Ger- 
man-.\merican  Typographical  Union  No.  18,  and 
the  Treul.und. 


EV.  FATHER  CHRISTOPHER  KOENIG. 
has  been  a  well-known  and  public- 
spirited  resident  of  East  St.  Louis  since 
.January  27,  18(59,  is  a  man  of  education 
and  refinement,  highly  respected  and  esteemed, 
not  only  by  his  congregation,  but  by  all  who 
know  him,  and  he  has  ever  manifested  a  deep  in- 
terest in  the  noble  work  in  which  he  is  engaged. 
He  was  born  in  Attendorn,  Westphalia,  Germany, 
October  6,  1842,  a  son  of  Christopher  and  grand- 
son of  Frank  Koenig,  the  latter  having  been  a 
tiller  of  his  native  soil  and  a  soldier  in  Bonaparte's 
army.  He  was  in  the  Russian  campaign  for  a  short 
time  but  was  taken  sick  and  returned  home.  He 
was  called  from  the  scenes  of  his  earthly  labors  in 
18.04,  at  which  time  he  lacked  four  months  of  be- 
ing one  hundred  years  old.  His  mind  was  unim- 
paired up  to  the  day  of  his  death,  his  memory- 
bi-ight,and  in  his  latter  j'ears  he  showed  a  remai'k- 
ably  vigorous  constitution,  for  even  at  the  age  of 
ninety-nine  3-ears  he  did  considerable  work. 

Christopher  Koenig,  the  father  of  the  subject  of 


this  sketch,  was  the  owner  of  a  small  farm  in  Ger- 
many, but  the  prospects  offered  to  men  of  enter- 
prise and  push  in  America  were  alluring,  and  in 
18fi3  he  came  to  this  country  with  his  wife  and 
two  children,  one  son  having  preceded  them 
hither.  They  embarked  on  the  sailing-vessel 
•'Tuesco"  at  Bremen  and  landed  in  New  York  at 
the  end  of  twenty-eight  days.  They  at  once  pro- 
ceeded to  Columbia,  Monroe  County,  111.,  to  join 
their  son.  Their  father  died  in  1877,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-three  years,  at  the  home  of  our  subject,  in 
East  St.  Louis.  His  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Elizabeth  Tillmann,  was  a  daughter  of  Peter  Till- 
mann,  a  school  teacher  of  Germany,  and  died  in 
the  year  1882.  Father  William  was  educated  for  the 
priesthood  in  German 3',  came  to  America  m  1860, 
and  died  in  Columbia,  III.,  where  he  was  p.astor  of 
a  church,  in  1864;  Elizabeth  is  the  widow  of  Mr. 
Goelz  and  resides  in  this  city  with  Father  Christo- 
pher Koenig,  her  brother.  The  latter  attended  the 
common  schools  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age, 
after  which  he  remained  with  his  parents  and  .as- 
sisted them  on  the  farm,  being  compelled  to  give 
up  the  Latin  studies  which  he  had  commenced. 
He  became  a  resident  of  Columbia,  111.,  in  1863. 
and  at  once  resumed  the  study  of  Latin  under  his 
brother.  At  the  end  of  one  year,  he  entered  St. 
Francis  Seminary  of  Milwaukee,  Wis.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1868.  He  was  then  ordained  by 
Archbishop  Hennis,  receiving  his  first  appointment 
to  East  St.  Louis  on  the  27th  of  Januar.y,  1869. 
At  that  time  his  congregation  consisted  of  forty 
families,  and  services  were  held  in  a  frame  build- 
ing on  Collinsville  and  St.  Louis  Avenues,  which 
had  been  erected  in  1866  by  Father  Rinkens. 

In  1873,  the  erection  of  the  present  beautiful 
church  was  commenced  and  on  Christmas  morning 
of  the  same  j-ear  the  first  services  were  held.  At  the 
same  time  this  commodious  and  handsome  house 
of  worship  was  erected,  the  parochial  residence  was 
also  built,  and  in  1887  the  parochial  school  build- 
ings of  St.  Henry's  Church  were  established.  Four 
teachers  are  kept  constantly  employed,  and  the 
pupils  number  two  hundred  and  sixty.  Thechuich 
occupies  one  block  on  Broadwa}',  between  Fifth 
and  Sixth  Streets,  the  congregation  of  which  now 
1    numbers   three  hundred  families,  and  when  this  is 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


taken  into  consideration,  together  with  the  many 
expensive  iminovements  that  have  been  made,  it 
indicates  a  praisewortln-  spirit  among  tlie  people 
and  earnest  and  persistent  efforts  on  the  part  of  tlie 
pastor.  St.  Mary's  Hospital  on  Missouri  Avenue, 
between  P>ighth  and  Ninth  Streets,  was  erected  in 
1889,  it  bting  a  two-story  brick  and  basement 
liuilding  80x40  feet  in  dimensions.  It  was  opened 
in  1890  and  is  in  charge  of  nine  Sisters,  who  are  in 
every  way  fitted  to  care  for  those  who  niaj'  come 
under  their  care.  Father  Koenig  in  a  Democrat,  is 
a  believer  in  America  and  Americans  and  advo- 
cates their  attendance  at  the  iiolls. 


I^EV.  C.  H.  A.  VAX  DKR  SMISSEN.  This 
llWf  prominent  and  much-esteemed  minister  of 
iA\\V  the  Gospel  is  a  native  of  Germany,  and 
was  born  in  Fredericksstadt,  Schleswig-Hol- 
stein,  December  4,  1851,  and  is  a  son  of  C.  J.  and 
S.  V.  (van  der  Smissen)  van  der  Sraissen,  the  latter  ! 
being  the  second  cousin  of  her  husband.  The  fa-  \ 
ther  was  at  first  a  book-binder,  but  in  1837  he  be- 
came a  minister  in  the  Menuonite  Church  and 
continued  in  the  active  discharge  of  his  ministerial 
duties  imtil  1890.  He  came  to  America  in  1868, 
as  Professor  of  Theology  in  Wadsworth  Mennonite 
College,  Medina  Countj',  Ohio,  and  was  a  man  of 
nnicii  more  than  ordinary  ability,  being  educated 
in  some  of  the  best  colleges  of  his  country.  He 
continued  in  the  above-mentioned  college  until  j 
1879,  when  he  went  to  Hayesville,  Ohio,  where  our 
subject  had  a  charge.  While  a  resident  of  the  old 
country,  Mr.  van  der  Smissen  was  considered  one 
of  tlie  finest  preachers  in  the  province,  and  was  ! 
noted  for  his  eloquence,  deep  reasoning  and  true  ; 
piety.  His  death  occurred  on  the  29th  of  May, 
1890,  when  seventy-eight  years  of  age.  The  mother 
was  born  on  the  15th  of  March,  1814.  Their 
children  were  as  follows:  Elizabeth,  who  married 
M.  D.  Homey,  a  Director  of  the  Idiot  Asylum 
at  Nassau;  Wilhelmina  F.  became  the  wife  of 
Henry  Schwacke,a  school  teacher  in  the  Ft.  Wayne, 
Ind.,  schools,  and   they  reside  in  that  citv:  tiillierl 


Theodore  died  in  infancy;  Jacob  Theophil  died 
on  the  ad  of  February,  1850,  when  six  years  of 
age;  Helena  Dorothea  died  .lanuary  22,  1850, at  the 
age  of  four  years;  Hillcgonda,  single,  resides  with 
the  mother  in  Summerfield,  this  county;  Gysbert 
died  in  infancy. 

The  original  of  this  notice  remained  in  Fred- 
ericksstadt  up  to  1868.  lie  was  educated  in  the 
best  schools  of  his  native  countrj',  and  was  a  stu- 
dent at  the  gymnasiums  in  Husum  and  Weilburg. 
In  1870,  when  the  Franco-Prussian  War  broke  out, 
he  went  to  the  University  of  Basle  and  remained 
there  two  years,  taking  one  year  at  Tubingen  and 
half  a  year  at  Halle,  thus  completing  his  theologicvl 
education.  He  traveled  over  Europe,  visiting 
Germany,  Switzerland,  Austria,  Italy,  France  and 
Holland,  and  took  this  trip  to  broaden  his  views 
and  his  education.  He  came  to  America  in  1874, 
landed  in  New  York,  and  went  from  there  to 
Wadsworth.  He  was  ordained  a  minister  of  the 
Mennonite  Church  October  15,  1874,  being  or- 
dained by  his  father  and  Rev.  E.  Hunsberger,  in 
a  church  near  Hayesville,  Ohio,  where  he  then  en- 
tered actively  on  his  ministerial  duties.  He  preached 
for  three  years  on  alternate  Sundays  in  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  from  1875  to  1878,  and  in  1880  went  to 
Coshocton,  Ohio,  where,  in  connection  with  preach- 
ing, he  taught  German.  There  he  remained  until 
.Tune,  1881,  and  in  July  of  that  j-earhe  took  charge 
of  the  Mennonite  Church  at  Upper  Milford,  near 
Zionsville,  Lehigh  County,  Pa.,  where  he  remained 
nine  years.  He  came  to  Summerfield,  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  as  minister  of  the  Mennonite  Church 
in  1890,  and  here  he  has  continued  since.  He  is  an 
earnest  worker  in  the  vineyard  of  the  Lord,  and 
much  good  has  he  accomplished  by  his  earnest 
words  and  profound  reasoning. 

Mr.  van  der  Smissen  was  married  on  tiie  12lii  of 
October,  1881,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Knight,  a  native  of 
New  Castle,  Coshocton  County,  Ohio,  born  on  the 
19th  of  November,  1845,  and  the  daughter  t>f 
George  and  Keziah  Jane  Knight.  Her  father 
was  a  farmer  and  tanner,  and  her  childhood  and 
youth  were  spent,  with  the  exception  of  a  few 
years,  on  a  farm  near  New  Castle.  In  this  home, 
around  which  cluster  so  many  cherished  memories 
of  hapiiy   days,  she  received  her  early  training — a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


trainiiig-  that  was  in  every  way  normal,  laving  a 
broad  foundation  for  her  later  unexceptionable 
fitness  for  the  varied  duties  of  life.  Though  con- 
stitutionall}-  weakened  by  a  severe  attack  of  scarlet 
fever  when  six  ^^ears  of  age,  she  was  always  fond 
of  work,  and  her  naturally  skillful  hands  were  early 
trained  in  such  work  as  sewing  and  other  liouse- 
hold  duties,  while  at  the  same  time  her  intellectual 
and  religious  culture  were  with  equal  care  provided 
for  by  her  parents,  who  appreciated  the  value  of  a 
good  education  founded  in  a  knowledge  and  fear 
of  the  Lord.  At  an  early  age  she  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  of  which  her  fatlier 
was  an  Elder. 

Having  improved  all  available  school  advantages 
at  home.  Miss  Knight  afterward  attended  college 
at  [layesville,  Ohio,  and  still  later,  having  taught 
several  terms  in  Utica  and  Muskingum  County, 
she  took  a  full  course  in  the  Steuben ville  Ladies' 
Seminary,  graduating  from  that  institution  with 
honor  in  1869.  Being  compelled  to  abandon  her 
intention  of  becoming  a  missionary  on  account  of 
her  health,  she  again  turned  her  attention  to  teach- 
ing. She  taught  various  terms  in  the  academy  of 
her  brother.  Prof.  L.  Knight,  at  Ft.  Madison,  Iowa; 
in  the  academy  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Iowa,  where  her 
brother-in-law.  Rev.  L.  M.  Belden,  was  teaching;  in 
Morgantown,  W.  ^'a.;  and  in  the  public  schools  of 
Coshocton,  Ohio.  While  teaching  in  the  last 
place,  during  the  winter  of  1880-81,  she  l)ecame 
acquainted  with  her  future  husband,  who  came 
there  as  a  teacher  of  (German.  They  were  married 
in  October,  1881,  Mr.  van  der  Smissen  having  in 
tlie  meantime  accepted  a  call  to  the  pastorate  of 
the  Upper  Milford  congregation  at  Zionsville,  Pa., 
and  entered  upon  his  ministry  there.  Immediately 
after  their  marriage  slie  was,  at  her  request,  received 
as  a  member  of  the  church  of  her  husband,  and 
from  that  time  until  her  death,  which  occurred  at 
Summerfleld,  111.,  on  the  13th  of  February,  1892, 
slie  was  hisdevoted,  faithful  and  efficient  helpmate 
in  his  pastoral  labors. 

While  living  at  Zionsville,  two  children  were 
born  to  our  subject  and  his  wife,  a  son  named  Karl 
Chi-istian,  and  a  daughter  named  Jenn  ie  Alida,  upon 
whose  lives  the  mother's  early  influence  will  always 
be  felt.     She   was  a  loving,  faithful  and   in  every 


way  accomplished  Christian  wife  and  mother,  a 
true  helpmate  to  her  husband  in  Sunday-school, 
Chi'istian  Endeavor  Society,  Ladies'  Jlissionary 
Society  and  Young  Girls'  Mission  Band.  Her 
memory  will  be  blessed  by  many  and  most  1)\- 
those  wiio  knew  her  best. 

Mr.  van  der  Smissen  is  a  member  of  the  Cliri>tian 
Endeavor  Society,  served  as  Secretary  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  recently  here.  Lrpolitics,  he  attiliates 
with  the  Republican  party.  He  has  a  genealogical 
tree  extending  back  to  the  year  1444,  and  a. 
family  history  printed  in  pamphlet  form.  He  is  a 
man  of  fine  intellect,  wonderful  reasoning  powers, 
and  one  who  has  won  the  esteem  and  respect  of 
every  one.  He  has  a  tine  and  complete  library, 
and  is  regarded  as  an  able  and  eloquent  preacher. 


i>^^<P 


ELIJAH  CANNADY,  .1.  P.     In    this    sketch 
we  present  to  the  attention  of  our   readers 
, a  short  record  of  the  life  history  of  a  man 

who  is  well  known  in  the  city  of  Belleville.  His 
father,  Stephen  Cannady,  came  from  his  native 
State  of  Tennessee  when  only  ten  years  of  age, 
and  became  a  farmer  in  AVasliington  County,  this 
State.  In  1867, he  moved  to  Jasper  County,  Mo., 
and  m  1868  he  settled  near  Marionville,  in  Law- 
rence County,  Mo.  He  married  Miss  Tabitha  Harry- 
man  in  Washington  County, and  nine  children  were 
bora  to  them.  There  are  but  three  of  this  family  liv- 
ing: Charles,  the  Superintendent  of  Schools;  our 
subject  and  Douglas.  At  the  home  in  Marionville, 
Mo.,  the  father,  who  liad  always  ui)lield  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  Democratic  party,  and  who  was  much 
respected,  passed  awaj'  November  17,  1877;  the 
mother  also  ended  her  days  there. 

Our  subject  was  educated  first  in  the  district 
schools,  and  later  embraced  the  oiiportiinity  of  at- 
tending the  Normal  School  at  Normal,  111.,  after 
which  he  became  a  teacher,  and  for  seventeen  years 
was  an  efficient  instructor.  He  was  then  still  a 
young  man,  his  birth  having  occurred  August  7, 
1849,  in  Washington  County,  and  he  decided  to 
take  up  the  study  of  law.     Fortius  purpose  he  eu- 


3nG 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


teied  the  office  of  Frank  Penin,  of  Mascoutah, 
and  in  1887  he  was  admitted  to  the  practice  of 
liis  profesf<ion  by  examination  at  Mt.  Vernon. 
Ilis  first  location  was  at  Hutchinson,  Kan.,  where 
lie  practiced  four  montlis,and  tlien  lie  came  here, 
where  he  was  fully  occupied  until  his  election 
to  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  .January  2, 
1891.  He  li.as  engaged  in  some  real-estate  and  in- 
surance business  matters,  and  owns  propertj'  in 
the  city.  He  has  a  fine  farm  in  Washington 
County  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-six  acres,  and 
lioth  improved  and  unimproved  city  property. 

Mr.  Cannady  was  married  September  4,  1873,  to 
Miss  Diana  M.  Sackett,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
.lane  Sackett,  of  Washington  County.  Four  chil- 
dren have  come  into  this  pleasant  household:  .Jane; 
Stephen  Henry,  who  died  in  1881;  Elijah  and 
Philo.  Our  subject  is  a  member  of  the  Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  also  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Mutual  Aid.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cannady  are  pleasant 
people,  and    have    many  friends    in    the   city  and 


if^^IlKODORE  .1.  KKAFFT,  whose  residence  is 
ji^^N  located  at  No.  229  High  Street,  Belleville, 
\&'-  111.,  was  born  in  Rhenish  Bavaria,  -January 
IT),  181.S,  a  son  of  I^ewis  Job  Krafft,  Vicar  of  the 
parish  of  Alsenborn,  in  the  liheinpfalz.  The  moth- 
er's maiden  name  was  Margareta  Hilgard,  and  lier 
brother  Theodore  was  a  Judge  of  the  Sni)reme 
Court.  Theodore  J.  Ivrafft  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  the  land  of  his  birth,  and  from  his  early 
manhood  was  a  stanch  supporter  of  Republican 
principles.  He  entered  Heidelberg  University  at 
the  age  of  eighteen  years,  having  prior  to  that 
time  attended  the  Lyceum  at  Zweibrucken,  the 
home  of  an  uncle,  and  while  pursuing  his  studies 
in  Heidelberg  he  became  well  versed  in  law. 

In  1832,  after  a  family  consultation,  his  uncde 
sent  him  and  a  cousin,  I^dward  Hilgard,  to  the 
I'nited  States  to  find  a  loeation  where  the  family 
might  settle.    Thev  started  nn  their  jdiuncv  in  Mav, 


1832,  in  a  sailing-vessel  from  Bremen,  and  landed 
on  American  shores  the  following  July.  They  at 
once  went  to  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  on  the  Erie  Canal, 
where  the  cholera  was  at  that  time  raging,  but  left 
it  behind  them  at  that  city,  and  pursued  their 
journey  Westward.  They  remained  on  a  farm  in 
the  vicinity  of  Pittsburgh  the  following  winter, 
and  the  next  spring  they  traveled  over  Illinois  and 
Missouri,  and  finally  selected  St.  Clair  County,  111., 
as  the  scene  of  their  future  operations.  At  that 
time  there  were  a  few  scattered  German  settlers, 
but  no  regular  colony,  but  as  they  all  liked  the  out- 
look, they  here  located.  They  were  afterward 
joined  by  others  of  their  nationality,  among  whom 
may  be  mentioned  Gustavus  Heimberger,  and  Mr. 
Ledergerber,  whose  son  Frederick  is  a  distin- 
guished attorney  of  St.  Louis.  They  reached  this 
country  the  same  j-ear  as  the  Englemanns.  Edward 
Hilgard  afterward  returned  to  Germany  and  mar- 
ried his  cousin,  a  daughter  of  Judge  Hilgard,  and 
in  the  year  1835,  returned  to  this  country  in  com- 
pany with  his  father-in-law  and  family.  Mean- 
time, Theodore  Kr.afft  had  selected  a  farm  for  the 
Judge  near  Belleville,  a  portion  of  which  is  now 
West  Belleyille. 

Mr.  Krafft  engaged  in  general  merchandising, 
which  business  he  continued  until  1840,  when  the 
great  financial  crash  of  that  year  swept  his  prop- 
ert3'  away.  Judge  Hilgard,  having  lost  his  wife, 
reared  his  family  in  this  country,  but  in  1865  re- 
turned to  the  Fatherland  and  made  Heidelberg  his 
home  until  his  death  in  1879,  at  about  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years.  He  was  a  land  speculator,  and 
was  a  man  of  exceptionally  sound  judgment  and 
business  acumen.  Although  Mr.  Krafft  failed  in 
business  in  1840,  he  did  not  take  advantage  of  the 
bankrupt  law,  and  for  fifteen  j-ears  thereafter  was 
busily  employed  in  paying  off  the  debts  which  his 
house  had  contiacted.  For  six  years  succeeding 
his  failure,  he  resided  on  a  farm  south  of  Belle- 
ville, then  returned  to  the  city  and  began  the 
study  of  law,  which  he  began  practicing  after  two 
years  spent  in  the  mercantile  business.  He  served 
as  Justice  of  the  Peace  for  twent^^  years,  at  the 
same  time  continuing  his  law  practice.  Politi- 
cally he  is  a  liberal  Repulilican,  holding  Democratic 
ideas  on  the  tariff  question.      During  the  war,  when 


rORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


357 


the  President  called  for  men  for  the  one  hundred 
days'  service,  although  be  was  over  sixty  years  of 
age,  he  enlisted  to  give  younger  men  the  example, 
and  the  needed  courage.  He  was  taken  sick  at 
Camp  Butler  and  returned  home.  Later  on,  he 
rejoined  his  regiment,  the  One  Hundred  and  Sev- 
enteenth Illinois,  at  White  Station,  near  Memphis, 
Tenn.,  but  on  account  of  his  age  was  not  mustered 
into  the  service. 

Mr.  Krafft  has  since  conducted  a  law  and  insur- 
ance business  with  good  success,  but  has  transferred 
tiie  heavy  part  of  the  work  to  the  shoulders  of  his 
son,  Walter  Krafft.  Our  subject  was  married  Octo- 
Iwr  31,  1838,  to  Miss  Mary  E.  Mitchell,  daughter 
of  Capt.  .Tames  Mitchell,  but  .June  16,  1890,  was 
called  upon  to  mourn  her  death,  she  having  borne 
him  five  sons  and  one  daughter:  James  F.,  of 
Minneapolis,  Minn.;  Lewis,  an  attorney  at  San 
.lose,  Cal.;  Walter,  who  is  associated  in  business 
with  his  father;  Theodore,  a  merchant  of  Spring- 
Held,  Mo.;  George,  a  manufacturer  and  painter  of 
Belleville;  and  Louise,  wife  of  D.  II.  jNIurray,  a 
grocer  of  Minneapolis,  Minn.  The  daughter  died 
in  California,  August  n,  1891.  Edward  Ililgard, 
after  spending  five  or  six  years  in  this  country, 
returned  to  Germany,  and  there  was  called  from 
life. 


KAXK  W.  AHERLE.  The  village  of  Eay- 
lloxyy  etteville  is  indebted,  to  no  small  extent,  for 
't^  its  steady  progress  and  growth  to  the  in- 
defatigable labors  of  Mr.  Aberle,  well  known  as  the 
proprietor  of  the  Okaw  Hotel  at  that  place.  His 
entire  life  has  been  passed  there,  and  he  is  thor- 
oughly identified  with  its  varied  interests, contrib- 
uting his  efforts  to  the  promotion  of  its  welfare 
and  doing  all  in  his  power  to  advance  its  material 
growth. 

As  stated  above,  Mr.  Aberle  was  born  in  Fay- 
etteville,  the  date  of  his  birth  being  .lanuary  18, 
1860.  He  is  the  son  of  Marcus  and  Margaret 
(Pfiffner)  Aberir,  the  father  a  native  of  Wurtem- 
lierg,  Germany,  anil  the  mother  boin   in   Switzer- 


land. Marcus  Aberle  spent  his  boyhood  years  in 
a  village  of  Germany,  where  he  gained  a  limited 
education  in  the  common  schools.  By  trade  he 
was  a  plasterer,  which  occupation  he  followed 
until  he  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  the  year 
1848.  Coming  to  this  country  and  locating  in 
St.  Clair  County,  he  was  here  engaged  at  his  trade 
until  the  opening  of  the  Civil  War.  At  that  time, 
he  embarked  in  the  fruit  distillery  business,  in 
which  he  continued  actively  engaged  until  liis 
death,  which  occurred  at  Fayette viile  in  1883.  In 
his  religion,  he  was  a  devoted  member  of  tlie 
Catholic  Church,  and  was  ever  ready  to  contrib- 
ute generously  of  his  means  to  forward  tiie  inter- 
ests of  his  church.  In  his  political  attiliations,  he 
was  a  strong  Republican  and  took  an  intelligent 
interest  in  affairs  of  national  importance.  His 
wife  passed  away  in  1869,  at  the  family  home  in 
Faj'etteville. 

The  paternal  family  consisted  of  six  children, 
as  follows:  Elizabeth,  Frank,  Amelia,  Marcus, 
Dena  and  Antone.  The  eldest  daughter  is  the 
wife  of  AVilliam  Brueckner;  Amelia,  Dena  and 
Antone  are  deceased.  Marcus  is-  a  resident  of 
Fa}'etteville.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  attended 
the  schools  of  Fayetteville  in  his  boyhood,  and  the 
education  there  gained  has  been  of  great  assist- 
ance to  him  in  his  business  transactions,  as  well 
as  in  his  social  life.  When  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
he  commenced  in  the  world  for  himself  by  renting 
a  farm  of  Louis  Kuntz,  where  for  a  few  years  he 
conducted  agricultural  operations  with  fair  suc- 
cess. Afterward,  he  commenced  in  business  as  a 
fruit  (li-^iillii-.  nliii-li  lie  contiiiued  until  he  opened 
hi.s  hcihl  ill  iss'.i.  \\^'  still  owns  a  farm  of  sixty- 
six  :icre>  near  Fayetteville,  where  he  is  interested 
in  raising  fine  horses,  as  well  as  in  general  farm- 
ing. 

In  1881,  Mr.  Aberle  w.as  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Charles ;in(l  Kh/.alieth 
(Laux)  Fietsam.  This  estimable  lady  was  born  in 
St.  Clair  County,  111.,  and  is  the  mother  of  two 
children,  Frank  and  Theodore,  bright  and  intelli- 
gent lads,  in  whose  training  and  education  the 
parents  take  deep  interest.  The  Catholic  Church 
is  the  religious  home  of  the  family,  and  Mr.  and 
j   Mrs,  Alierle  are  among   its   most  :ictive  members, 


358 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Our  subject  is  identified  with  the  Catholic  Knights 
of  Illinois,  and  is  otherwise  prominent  in  religious 
enterpiises.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  casting 
his  ballot  for  the  candidates  of  that  part\-. 


II/,  KNKY  BRUI]GEL.  The  gentleman  wiiose 
|ifj\  name  appears  at  the  head  of  tiiis  sketch  is 
/l^^  one  well  known  in  tlie  city  of  his  residence, 
(^)  as  his  fatlier  was  in  business  there  manj' 
years  and  he  now  holds  the  honorable  position  of 
Mayor  of  the  city. 

Henry  Bruegel  is  the  son  of  Valentine  Bruegel. 
who  was  born  in  Germany  and  came  to  America 
about  1848  or  1849,  and  located  first  in  Missouri, 
after  which  he  came  to  Belleville,  III.;  in  1S.')6,  he 
located  in  Mascoutah  and  engaged  in  tlic  manu- 
facture of  wagons.  He  was  married  in  :\Iissiiuri  to 
]Miss  Maria  Hohmann,  a  resident  of  that  State,  wlio 
was  also  a  native  of  Germany,  and  fr(jin  this 
union  came  seven  children,  of  whom  our  subject 
was  the  third  in  ordei-  of  birth. 

Mr.  Bruegel  operated  tlie  wagon  business  for  a 
Unig  time,  but  he  was  finally  induced  to  dispose  of 
this,  and  then  went  into  the  saloon  business,  which 
he  followed  until  the  time  of  his  death,  in  1872. 
The  mother  of  inir  subject  lived  until  five  years 
later. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  September 
1  1.  IS.")?,  in  tlie  city  of  Mascoutah.  He  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  of  this  place  and  was  a 
liright  pupil,  being  one  who  easily  led  others  to 
tliink  as  he  did.  After  his  father  thought  his 
education  had  gone  on  sufficiently,  lie  took  him 
into  business  with  himself  and  taugiit  him  tiie 
principles  of  trade.  When  the  father  was  removed 
by  death,  the  whole  responsibility  fell  upon  his 
young  shoulders.  P^very  la<l 
not  have  discharged  liis  dnty 
this  young  man,  but  lie  fell 
until  the  death  of  his  beloved 
her  sta.y  and  support. 

After  the  death  of  his  mother,  which  took  place 
in    1H77,   our  subject   went   to  St.    Louis   an<l   re- 


of  his  years  could 

-o  his  mother  as  did 
the  necessity,  and 
mother  lie  remained 


mained  in  business  there  for  a  year.  He  thei 
went  West  and  traveled  through  Colorado  f.:r 
about  four  years,  when  the  old  homesick  feeling 
I  came  over  him  and  he  returned  to  Mascoutah. 
He  reopened  his  father's  place  of  business  and  has 
continued  there  ever  since. 

The  domestic  affairs  and  home  of  Mayor  Bruegel 
are  presided  over  by  his  ciiarming  wife,  whom  he 
married  in  1883.  She  was  formerly  Miss  Annie  E. 
Christ,  daughter  of  Henry  Christ,  of  St.  Jose()h, 
]\Io.,  and  her  father  still  resides  there.  ]\Ir.  and 
Mrs.  Brugel  have  one  little  lad,  Valentine  Theo- 
dore by  name. 

The  Evangelical  Church  is  the  one  in  which  Mr. 
Bruegel  finds  a  home,  and  in  this  connection  he  is 
regarded  with  much  resjiect.  His  purse  is  always 
ready  to  assist  in  anything  looking  toward  im- 
provement, and  many  of  the  best  enterprises  that 
have  been  carried  out  in  Mascoutah  were  put 
under  way  during  his  term  of  five  years  on  the 
City  Council.  His  election  to  the  honorable  and 
responsible  office  of  Mayor  of  the  city  of  Mascou- 
tah took  place  in  1890,  and  he  still  serves  his 
fellow-citizens  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constit- 
uents, and  covers  himself  with  glory  in  his  wise 
administration  of  the  affairs  of  the  beautiful  little 
city  of  Mascoutah,  where  the  name  of  his  family 
has  been  known  for  so  many  years. 

Mr.  Bruegel  is  a  man  who  takes  pride  in  being  a 
Republican  of  the  strongest  type,  and  allows  noth- 
ing to  interfere  with  his  political  views.  He  sup- 
ports the  platform  of  his  party  with  pleasure  and 
is  considered  one  of  the  burning  lights  of  Repub- 
licanism in  Mascoutah.  No  local  p.arty  measures 
can  be  carried  out  without  his  aid,  and  he  is  the 
first  man  to  be  consulted  in  all  such  matters. 


^Is^^sj^ 


^^EORGE  EBERLEIN,  a  dealer  in  boots  and 
il  shoes,  is  one  of  the  prominent  business  men 
V^JJIJ  of  Mascoutah,  111.  His  business  is  conducted 
under  the  firm  name  of  George  Eberlein  &  Son, 
the  fatlier  of  our  subject,  who  also  bears  the  name 
of    (ieorge    Eberlein,    being    the    senior    partner. 


c 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


359 


Ihey  do  an  excellent  business  and  their  large  and 
(instantly  increasing  trade  is  but  the  just  reward 
vif  their  industrious  efforts. 

George  Eberlein,  Sr.,  is  a  native  of  Germany. 
He  was  born  in  Hesse- Darmstadt  on  the  14tli  of 
January,  1827,  was  reared  to  manhood  in  the  land 
of  his  birth,  and  in  1854  emigrated  to  Illinois,  lo- 
cating in  Lebanon.  He  soon  afterward,  however, 
removed  to  Mascoutah  and  began  woiking  at  his 
trade  of  shoe-making,  which  he  has  followed  con- 
tinuousl}'  since.  He  began  here  b.y  working  as  a 
journeyman;  in  course  of  time  he  became  proprietor 
of  a  shop  of  his  own,  was  successful  in  his  under- 
takings and  his  financial  resources  having  increased, 
he  opened  the  boot  and  shoe  store  in  1863.  lie 
was  married  in  1852  to  Miss  Catherine  Engelter, 
and  unto  them  have  been  born  two  children,  a  son 
and  daughter:  George,  whose  name  heads  this 
record,  and  Anna,  wife  of  John  Rausch,  who 
travels  for  the  Pauly  Jail  Building  Company. 
Mr.  Eberlein  is  a  supporter  of  the  Evangelical 
Church  and  is  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen, 
who  takes  an  active  part  in  all  that  pertains  to  the 
welfare  of  the  community  and  its  uiibuilding. 
Eor  two  years  he  has  served  as  one  of  the  Alder- 
men of  the  First  Ward. 

George  Eberlein,  Jr.,  has  spent  his  entire  life  in 
this  city,  having  the  honor  of  being  one  of  its  na- 
tive citizens.  He  was  born  on  the  8th  of  August, 
1855,  and  acquired  his  education  in  the  public 
schools,  after  which,  under  his  father's  direction,' 
he  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoe-maker,  and  to  that 
occupation  devoted  his  energies  until  he  went  into 
business  with  his  father.  The  present  partnership 
of  Eberlein  &  Sim  was  formed  in  March,  1881,  and 
has  existed  ever  since  without  an  interruption. 

In  1881,  Mr.  Eberlein  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Catherina  Mann,  daughter  of  Jacob 
Mann,  who  resides  near  ISIascoutah,  and  is  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  St.  Clair  County.  Two  chil- 
dren grace  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  wife, 
Annie  and  Henry.  The  Eberlein  family  is  one  of 
prominence  in  the  community  and  its  members 
rank  high  in  social  circles. 

Among  the  leading  business  firms  of  Mascoutah 
is  numbered  that  of  Eberlein  i^-  Son.  To  the  ex- 
[lericnce  and    inaliire   judgment   of   his  fatlier  o\\v 


subject  added  the  enterprise  and  progressive  spirit 
of  a  young  man,  and  prosperity  has  crowned  their 
efforts.  They  own  the  store  building  which  they 
occupy  and  which  is  well  stocked  with  everything 
in  their  line.  They  have  a  large  trade  and  b\'  cour- 
teous treatment  and  fair  dealing  have  secured  the 
confidence  and  high  regard  of  their  many  patrons. 
ISIr.  Eberlein,  .Ir.,  is  a  member  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Mutual  Aid,  and  is  also  Financial  Secre- 
tary of  the  lodge.  He  belongs  to  the  Fire  Com- 
pany and  is  at  present  a  member  of  the  Board  of 
Education.  In  politics,  he  is  a  supporter  of 
Republican  principles  but  has  never  been  a  politi- 
cian in  the  sense  of  oftice-seeking.  His  high  repu- 
tation as  a  businessman  is  certainly  well  deserved. 


*^F  DAM  FRIES  was  born  across  the  seas  in 
^ V    I    Hesse- Darmstadt,  Gernianj',  February  24, 

I  iM  1837,  and  was  brought  by  his  parents  to 
^  this    country    when     but   an     infant    six 

months  old.  He  was  the  son  of  George  Fries,  who 
settled  on  Turkey  Hill,  where  he  remained  until 
1859,  when  he  moved  to  New  Athens.  At  Turkej- 
Hill  our  subject  received  what  educational  ad- 
vantages the  public  schools  of  the  township  af- 
forded. 

Adam  Fries  took  for  his  wife  Miss  Margaret 
Fries  in  1861.  and  located  on  Turkey  Hill,  where 
he  lived  two  years,  when  he  moved  on  section  12, 
Engelman  Township,  and  there  still  makes  his 
home.  The  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  forty 
broad  acres  of  well-improved  land,  which  j'ield 
him  excellent  crops,  and  forty-seven  acres  of  tim- 
ber land.  He  also  pays  considerable  attention  to 
stock-raising,  making  sheep  a  specialty.  He  has 
l)rovided  his  farm  with  neat,  substantial  buildings, 
all  indicating  that  he  is  a  thrifty,  careful  man- 
ager and  has  a  clear  understanding  of  the  best 
methods  of  conducting  his  work. 

By  the  union  of  our  subject  and  his  estimable 
wife  three  children  have  been  born,  who  are  as 
follows:  .Vdani   J.,  who  is  serving  his  second  term 


3G0 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


•of  this  township;  Eliza,  wlio  is  the  wife 
of  John  BischofiE  and  lives  in  Mascoutah;  and 
Louisa,  who  is  yet  under  the  parental  roof.  Mrs. 
Fries  was  called  from  this  life  in  1878.  Our  sub- 
ject married  again,  this  union  being  with  jMiss  Mar3- 
Lischcr,  a  worthy  woman  and  a  daughter  of  Peter 
Lischer,  who  lived  in  Mascoutah.  Two  children 
were  born  to  this  couple  to  gladden  their  lives, 
.Vnna  and  .Johnny',  both  living  at  home.  Mr.  Fries 
is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  Socially, 
lie  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit 
Association.  Politically,  he  is  a  stanch  Republi- 
can, finding  the  breadth  of  the  platform  claimed 
l)y  that  party  to  agree  with  his  views  of  equity 
and  freedom.  He  has  served  as  School  Director 
twelve  years,  and  is  an  honored  member  of  the 
.«ocietv  in  which  he  lives. 


I^+^H 


J'  \  OHN  BOIINKMEIKR.    One  of  tlie  successful 
I    and   prosperous  farmers  of  this   portion  of 
:    St.    Clair    County    is    the    subject    of   this 
'    sketch,  who  resides  on  his  fine  farm  of   one 

hundred  and  thirty  acres,  located  on  section  2.3, 
Sugar  Loaf  Township,  St.  Clair  Count}',  in  the 
State  of  Illinois. 

The  enterprising  and  tluifty  fatlier  of  our  sub- 
ject bore  the  name  of  Francis  Bohnemeier,  and  was 
Ijorn  in  West  Bohrdhouse,  in  German}^,  on  the 
(Jlh  .January,  1821,  and  there  grew  to  stalwart 
manhood.  When  he  had  reached  the  age  of  ma- 
turity, he  left  the  country  of  his  birth,  resolved 
to  acquire  name  and  fortune  in  the  land  across  the 
sea.  He  reached  America  and  in  the  year  1842 
made  his  first  home  on  a  farm  near  St.  Louis, 
where  he  hired  out  to  work.  Here  he  remained 
for  three  years  and  then  went  into  tlie  city  and 
followed  teaming,  which  he  ccmtinued  for  some 
three  j-ears  longer,  during  which  time  he  acquired 
some  property.  He  was  united  in  matrimony  to 
JMiss  Erfman. 

After  m.arriage,  our  subject  made  the  city  of  St. 
Louis  his  homo  for  a  space  ot  seven  busy  yc:irs  and 
at  the  expiration  of  that  lime  lie  was  able  to  pur- 


chase the  farm  where  he  now  lives,  and  removed 
from  the  city  to  it.  He  has  made  this  place  his 
home  for  the  past  thirty-eight  years.  When  he 
first  came  only  thirty'  of  the  one  hundred  and  ten 
acres  of  the  place  were  cleared,  but  the  sturdy  owner 
went  right  to  work  and  in  an  astonishingly  short 
time  great  fields  of  grain  took  the  place  of  the 
wilderness.  He  was  the  father  of  four  children, 
George,  Fritz,  an  infant  deceased,  and  our  sub- 
ject; but  only  the  latter  remains  of  the  family; 
his  wife  was  taken  away  in  April,  1892.  He  is  a 
member  of  tlie  Evangelical  Lutlieran  Church,  as  was 
she,  and  both  have  long  been  highly  regarded 
members  there.  He  has  been  so  highly  regarded 
in  tliis  relation  tiiat  for  eleven  years  he  was  Trus- 
tee of  the  church;  he  has  also  served  his  district  for 
six  years  as  School  Director.  He  is  a  perfect  type 
of  a  self-made  man,  for  he  had  no  help  either  to 
get  to  this  country  or  after  he  came  here.  He  had 
to  work  to  pay  his  passage  money  after  his  land- 
ing on  American  soil,  and  now  he  owns  two  hun- 
dred of  as  fine  acres  of  that  soil  as  one  need  care 
to  see. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  April  13, 
1856,  in  the  ciLy  of  St.  Louis,  and  he  was  brought 
into  St.  Clair  County  when  he  was  ten  days  old. 
He  was  reared  here  in  the  old  home  place, 
•grew  up  an  industrious  lad  and  attended  the  dis- 
trict schools,  and  when  old  enough  took  his  place 
as  a  farmer  and  has  continued  in  agricultural  life 
ever  since.  The  marriage  of  our  subject  took 
lilace  December  12,  1878,  to  Miss  Mary  Young, 
who  was  the  daughter  of  Philip  Young,  who  came 
into  this  county  at  an  early  day  and  was  one  of 
the  pioneer  .settlers.  The  birthplace  of  the  wife  of 
our  subject  was  in  St  Clair  County,  and  after  mar- 
riage neither  she  nor  her  young  husband  desired 
an}'  pleasanter  location.  They  settled  on  the  old 
place  where  they  have  made  their  home  ever  since, 
and  plenty  and  contentment  reign  there.  Four 
bright  little  children  cluster  around  their  fireside 
and  we  give  their  names,  feeling  sure  that  a  future 
record  will  give  then;  notices  of  their  own,  as  from 
these  peaceful  homes  comes  the  hope  of  the  coun- 
try. Mary  has  seen  eleven  j'cars,  John  is  at  the  age 
of  ten,  William  is  six  and  Henry  is  ten  months  old. 

(_)ui-  suliii'ct  is  a  urain  farmer  and  cultivates  one 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


363 


hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land.  He  has  his  farm 
in  a  fine  state  of  cultivation  and  raises  good  crops. 
He  has  Iield  the  office  of  School  Director,  and  in 
politics  prefers  the  doctrines  of  the  IJepublican 
party.  His  religious  connection  is  with  the 
Evan<jclical   Lullicran   Church. 


'   -^~o2^^^1fe'7'l"l^ife^^i^5o'^ — -^ 


(il  IrALTKR  J.  BHODERICK.  The  life  of  this 
\jijll  gentleman  furnishes  an  example  of  what 
^^^^  a  man  with  brains  and  business  ability 
can  accomplish  by  persistence,  sagacity  and  in- 
dustry. His  career,  in  its  practical  results,  is  an 
encouragement  to  every  struggling  young  man 
who  has  ambition  and  resolution  and  a  genius  for 
hard  work.  The  seed  that  he  has  sown  lias  fallen 
upon  good  ground  and  has  grown  and  brought 
fortli  an  hundred  fold.  He  is  at  present  one  of 
the  most  successful  commission  merchants  at  the 
National  Stock  Yards  of  East  St.  Louis,  and  is 
Secretary  of  the  Live  Stock  Exchange.  As  a 
member  of  the  Hrm  of  Little  k  Broderick,  he  has 
been  actively  and  extensively  engaged  in  the  live- 
stock business  for  more  than  fifteen  years,  or 
.ilmost  since  the  opening  of  the  National  Stock 
Yards. 

During  that  time,  tiie  firm  has  establislied  a  re- 
putation for  ability  and  straightforward  conduct 
in  the  commission  business,  which  is  admitted  over 
every  section  of  the  territory  tributary  to  this 
market.  Tiie  firm  has  always  realized  and  put  in 
practice  the  idea  that  the  judgment  required  to 
value  the  property  consigned  to  a  commission 
house  comes  only  by  experience,  and  rather  than 
delegate  to  other  parties  the  power  of  selling  their 
customer's  stock,  they  have  always  attended  to  the 
selling  of  all  consignments  to  their  house  in  per- 
son. By  so  doing  their  customers  have  received 
the  best  service  which  it  is  possible  to  render  at 
:iii\-  and  nil  times  since  the   establislnncnl   of  the 


Our  sulijcct  was  born  on  Prince  VAw 
in  llic  (iulf  .if  St.  Lawrence,  July  •!.  18 
son  of  .hu.K's  and   Ellen    (Cohillj    l!ru( 


I>laiid, 
nul  is  a 


natives  of  Erin  and  born  respectively  in  the 
Counties  of  AVaterford  and  AVexford.  The  father 
graduated  from  Trinity  College,  Dublin,  as  an  M.  D. 
Availing  himself  of  the  free  trade  understanding 
that  existed  between  this  country  and  Ireland,  he 
emigrated  to  America  and  located  on  Prince  lid- 
ward  Island,  where  he  practiced  his  profession  very 
successfull}'  for  many  years.  He  was  the  oldest 
practicing  physician  there,  was  also  engaged  in 
fanning,  and  there  passed  the  remainder  of  his 
days,  his  death  occurring  in  1889,  when  eighty- 
eight  j'cars  of  age.  He  was  a  postmaster  there  for 
some  time,  was  always  a  liberalist,  and  held  mem- 
bership in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  The  mo- 
ther of  our  subject  came  to  Prince  Edward  Island 
with  her  parents  when  young,  and  died  when 
seventy-six  years  of  age.  Ten  children  were  born 
to  this  union,  nine  of  whom  grew  to  mature  years 
and  eight  of  whom  are  now  living. 

Walter  J.  Broderick,  seventh  in  order  of  birth, 
passed  his  early  days  on  the  farm  and  had  good 
free  school  advantages,  attending  Charlottetown 
Academy  for  a  number  of  terms.  He  then  en- 
gaged as  a  clerk  in  a  general  store  at  Orwell  for  a 
few  years,  but  afterward  clerked  in  Charlottetown, 
the  county  seat,  for  four  or  five  years.  In  1872, 
he  came  to  Illinois,  but  later  went  to  St.  Louis  and 
was  employed  as  book-keeper  in  the  old  Allen  yards. 
Ill  1873,  he  located  here  and  continued  with  his 
firm  as  book-keeper  for  two  or  three  years,  when 
he  was  taken  in  as  partner  under  the  firm  name  of 
Daeley,  Miller  it  Co.,  and  became  hog  salesman.  In 
1883,  the  firm  dissolved  partnership,  our  subject 
retiring,  and  he  then  started  the  firm  of  AV.  J. 
Broderick  tt  Co.,  live-stock  commission  merchants, 
wliicli  continui'd  as  such  for  two  years,  when  the 
present  linn,  Little  &  Broderick,  was  estalilislied. 
Mr.  Broderick  was  an  organizer  of  the  St.  Louis 
Stock  Exchange  and  has  been  its  Secretary  since  it 
was  organized  in  1885. 

The  pleasant  home  of  our  subject  is  located  at 
No.  637  Ninth  Street  and  is  presided  over  by  his 
wife,  formerly  Miss  Annie  E.  Stephens.  She  re- 
ceived a  good  education  in  Halifax,  and  was  mar- 
ried to  Mr.  Broderick  in  1876  on  Prince  Edward 
Island,  of  which  she  is  a  native.  Six  children 
have  liccii    liorn    (o    this   union,    viz.:      diaries  F., 


364 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD 


Marj'  E.,  Josephine  B..  Walter  M..  David  C.  and 
W.  Morris. 

Mr.  Broderiek  is  very  prominent  in  political 
affairs  as  a  stanch  Democrat  and  is  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  welfare  of  his  party.  He  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  Countj^  Committee  for 
eight  3'ears,is  now  a  member-at-large  of  the  Demo- 
cratic State  Central  Committee,  and  served  as  del- 
egate to  county  and  State  conventions.  At  all 
times,  he  has  been  a  strong  supporter  of  the  reform 
government  of  the  citv. 


J  I  OHN  D.  MOLLMANN,  who  is  a  manufae- 
j  tiirer  of  and  dealer  in  saddles,  harness,  etc., 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  on  the  20th 
^_  '  of  December,  183.S,  and  is  a  son  of  John 
H.  Mollmann,  who  liade  good-bye  to  the  Father- 
land in  1849,  and  crossed  the  Atlantic  to  America, 
locating  in  St.  Louis.  He  soon  afterward  was 
taken  ill  and  his  death  occurred  in  1853. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  spent  the  first  sixteen 
years  of  his  life  in  his  native  land  and  then  ac- 
companied his  father  to  America,  residing  in  St. 
Louis  for  some  time  afterward.  In  that  city  he 
served  an  apprenticeship  to  the  saddler's  trade, 
being  thus  employed  until  twenty  years  of  age, 
when  he  began  working  as  a  journeyman.  The  year 
1857  witnessed  his  arrival  in  Mascoutah,  where 
he  embarked  in  business  for  himself  in  bis  present 
line,  which  he  has  followed  continuously  since  with 
good  success.  By  his  industrious  and  well-directed 
efforts  he  has  built  up  a  good  business  and  is  enjoy- 
ing an  excellent  trade,  to  which  he  is  well  enti- 
tled. 

In  l.s(jl.  Mr.  Mollmann  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Minnie  Hagist,  a  daughter  of  Andrew 
Ilagist,  and  by  their  union  has  been  born  a  family 
of  nine  children:  Julia,  the  eldest,  is  the  wife  of 
Philip  Mann,  n  fanner;  Ida  is  a  teacher  of  recog- 
nized ability  in  the  |niblie  schools  of  Mascoutah; 
II.  K.  is  married  and  curries  on  a  harness  shop  in 
\fiio.lv.  111.;  Kliza  is  at  liunie;  F.  W.   is   now  man- 


nrrinpf  the  Imrncss  shop  owned  by  his  father  in  St. 
l.ilH>r\.  Ill,;  Miiniic  is  a  teacher;  August  is  in  his 
fntht.-i->  ciiipluy:  otio  is  now  learning  the  printer's 
trade;  and  Julius,  who  completes  the  family,  isyet 
attending  school. 

Mr.  Mollmann  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity, and  has  held  all  the  offices  and  served  as 
AVorshipful  Master  of  Douglas  Lodge  No.  361,  A. 
F.  it  A.  M.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Honor,  has  tilled  all  of  its  chairs,  and  is  High  Priest 
of  the  Encampment  of  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows.  He  is  serving  as  School  Trustee  of 
the  township,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  Vil- 
lage Board  of  Mascoutah.  In  politics  he  is  a 
stalwart  Democrat,  and  an  in  flexible  adherent  of 
the  principles  of  that  partj'.  We  find  in  our  sub- 
ject a  self-made  man,  who  started  out  in  life  empty- 
handed,  but  by  industry  and  enterprise  has  stead- 
ily worked  his  way  upward  until  he  has  acquired 
a  handsome  propert}'  and  is  numbered  among  the 
substantial  and  valued  citizens  of  the  community 
in  which  he  makes  his  home. 


Fp'KEl)  DAAB,  a  prominent  dealer  in  lime, 
(g;  cement,  fire-bricks  and  all  kinds  of  biiild- 
"^  ing  material,  excejit  common  brick,  is  a  na- 
tive of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  and  was  born  January  2, 
1844,  being  the  son  of  Daniel  and  Elizabeth 
(Herbert)  Daab.  He  received  a  part  of  his  educa- 
tion in  Germany.  The  family  moved  toMillstadt 
in  1853,  the  father  there  engaging  in  farming. 
They  remained  there  until  the  death  of  the  mother 
in  1857.  The  father  died  in  1881,  at  the  age  of 
eighty  years  and  left  a  family  of  five  children. 
They  are  as  follows:  Henry,  who  is  still  in  Germany, 
a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  located  in  Berlin;  John, 
who  died  in  Burlington;  Mary,  who  became  the 
wife  of  George  Schuchman;  Lizzie,  who  married 
AVilliam  Bernliam,  a  former  resident  of  New  Al- 

bMIlS,   111. 

Our  subject  continued  his  education  in  IJelle- 
ville.  and  engaged  as  clerk  in  Columbia,  111.  Me 
was  onlv  ten  vears  old  when    tlic   family   came  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


365 


Belleville.  In  1870,  he  was  engaged  as  agent  of 
the  raih'oarl  business  of  the  Cairo  Short  Line 
Railroad,  where  he  remained  until  1882,  when  he 
went  into  business  for  himself.  He  began  at  his 
present  location,  at  the  corner  of  Illinois  and 
Seventh  Streets,  and  was  the  successor  of  Thomas 
Coffey. 

Mr.  Daab  was  married,  December  2(i,  18G8.  to 
Miss  Sophia  Beck,  a  native  of  Columbia,  111.,  a 
daughter  of  Christian  and  Sophia  Beck,  of  German 
birth.  Four  children  have  been  given  them  and 
their  names  are  as  follows:  Sophia,  Hannah,  Mary 
and  Lulu. 

^h:  Daab  has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  or- 
der and  now  resides  at  his  pleasant  home  at  the   | 
corner  of  Illinois  and  Seventh  Streets.  I 


||  BRAM  GOODING,  of  the  lirm  of  Gooding 
&  vStookey,  manufacturers  of  drain  tile, 
brick,  flower-pots  and  general  clay  goods 
near  the  town  of  Belleville,  has  been  lo- 
cated at  his  present  stand  since  1879.  The  works, 
of  which  these  gentlemen  are  the  proprietors  cov- 
er what  would  be  considered  a  city  block,  and 
tliey  have  three  large  kilns  in  operation.  The  ex- 
tent of  their  manufactory  necessitates  the  employ- 
ment of  ten  hands,  and  their  machinery  is  of  the 
best  and  latest  kind  for  the  successful  manufacture 
of  their  product.  They  turn  out  first-class  articles 
in  every  respect,  for  every  care  is  taken  in  their 
manufacture, and  the  burning  and  finishing  are  all 
systematized  and  achieved  with  the  greatest  econ- 
omy of  time  and  labor.  Their  articles  are  unrivaled 
for  durability,  finish  and  uniform  excellence,  and 
are  general  favorites  with  whoever  handles  them. 
Every  effort  is  made  to  give  complete  satisfaction 
to  patrons,  and  the  firm  is  widely  known  in  trnilc 
circles  for  its  enterprise  and  integrity. 

Mr.  Gooding  was  born  near  Millstadt,  III.,  ,lan- 
uary  28,  1830,  a  son  of  Robert  Gooding,  a  pioneer 
of  1H16  from  Fleming  County,  Ky.  The  grand- 
father, Coinelius  ( Jooding.  came  liitlici-  in  1^15, 
took    up    land    and    here  made    his   Ik.iiic   IIic   re- 


mainder of  his  life.  He  was  a  man  of  remarkably 
good  judgment,  and  for  some  time  held  the  oflice 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace.  Robert  Gooding  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Mary  Jones,  a  native  of  Bourbon 
County,  Ky.,  their  union  taking  place  while  in  the 
Blue  Grass  State.  Nine  children  were  given  them, 
all  of  whom  lived  to  maturity  and  married:  Cor- 
nelius, of  Jasper  County,  Mo.;  Belinda,  wife  of 
David  Phillip;  Harriet,  wife  of  Joseph  Stigers,  of 
St.  Joseph,  Mo.;  Charles,  of  Monroe  County; 
Nancy,  wife  of  Ilenrv  Gordon,  of  Campbell  Hill, 
111.;  Margaret,  wife  of  Charles  Henckler,  of  Net- 
tleton.  Miss.;  Abram,  the  subject  of  this  sketch; 
Robert,  who  was  a  Lieutenant  in  Company  E, 
Fift3'-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  killed  in 
a  battle  in  Tennesseee  December  16,  1864;  and 
America,  wife  of  M.  T.  Stookej'. 

Abram  Gooding  received  such  education  and 
rearing  as  is  usually  given  the  farmer's  boy,  and 
remained  with  his  father  on  the  farm  in  St.  Clair 
County  until  about  eighteen  years  of  age,  at  which 
time  he  left  home  to  seek  his  fortune,  and  in  1849 
became  one  of  the  famous  gold-miners  of  Cali- 
fornia, making  the  trip  to  that  region  overland, 
and  reaching  Sacramento  City  after  a  four-months 
journey.  He  then  went  into  the  mines  at  Placer- 
ville,  where  he  mined  for  some  time  with  fair  re- 
sults. In  1851,  he  came  to  Clinton  County,  111., 
where  he  settled  down  to  the  quiet,  yet  healthful 
and  independent,  life  of  a  farmer  and  stock-raiser, 
purchasing  his  property  with  means  he  had  gained. 
The  calling  of  the  agriculturist  occupied  his  time 
and  attention  until  1873,  when  he  spent  one  year 
with  his  children  in  Greenville,  111.,  and  in  1874 
began  dealing  in  stock  in  Belleville,  a  calling  for 
wliicli  he  w:is  .'ininently  Htted,  owing  to  his  long 
rcM.li.ncc  nil    the    f;il-lil. 

Our  subject  was  first  uuirricil  to  IMiss  Maria  An- 
derson, who  lived  but  fifteen  months.  His  second 
marriage  was  to  Miss  Malinda  Stookey,  daughter  of 
Moses  Stookey,  and  their  union  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  six  children:  Ba)^ard  (deceased);  Leora, 
wife  of  Charles  Stookey;  Amy  (deceased);  Almira, 
at  home;  Ada  (deceased);  and  Althea  in  Chicago. 
Mr.  tiooding  was  married  a  third  time,  June  11, 
1885,  this  union  being  with  Miss  Minerva  F.Eyman. 
who  wns  liorii  in  StookeyTownsliip,fivemiles south- 


366 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


west  of  Belleville,  June  3,  1846,  a  daughter  of  Isaac 
and  grand-danghter  of  Abraham  Eyman,  the  latter 
having  been  one  of  the  pioneers  to  this  section, 
whither  he  came  in  1786.  He  entered  six  hun- 
dred and  forty  acres  of  land,  for  which  he  received 
a  patent  from  the  Oovernment,  and  on  this  land 
in  Monroe  County  he  resided  until  1800.  He  was 
originally  from  Pennsylvania,  to  which  region  his 
ancestors  came  from  Germany  during  the  early 
history  of  this  country.  He  greatly  improved  his 
farm  in  Stooke_y  Township,  and  on  this  land  he 
built  a  earding-mill.  A  part  of  the  old  family 
residence  still  stands  and  is  occupied  by  the  fifth 
generation  of  E\'mans,  it  never  having  passed  out 
of  the  hands  of  the  family. 

Isaac  Eyman,  Mrs.  Gooding's  father,  was  born 
December  14,  1812,  on  this  farm,  being  the  young- 
est of  a  good,  old-fashioned  family  of  twelve  chil- 
dren. He  was  married  to  Miss  Evaline  Lacy,  a 
daughter  of  Stephen  Lacy,  a  pioneer  of  the  section, 
who  owned  a  farm  adjoining  that  of  the  E^-mans, 
and  there  she  was  born  on  the  11th  of  September, 
1820.  Isaac  Eyman  spent  a  useful  life  on  the  home 
farm,  and  there  was  called  from  life  January  24, 
1858,  his  wife's  death  occurring  June  20,  1863. 
I'hey  left  a  family  of  five  children:  Nancy  M, 
Minerva  E.  (Mrs.  Gooding),  Theo  A.,  Walter, 
and  Isaac  K.  Mrs.  Gooding  is  an  earnest  member 
of  the  Baptist  Church,  and  is  a  highly  refined  and 
intelligent  lady.  The  grandfather,  Abraliam  Ey- 
man, was  a  member  of  the  first  Legislature  of  the 
State,  and  he  and  his  family  were  ineinbeis  of  the 
Dunkard  Church. 


■^#^-^'  ■■<  .^j^r^ 


k 


4^  ARTIN  BUG,  a  retired  farmer,  who  for 
III  il  many  years  has  carried  on  a  farm  situated 
ij  'A;  on  section  16,  Shiloh  Valley  Township, 
J  St.  Clair  County,  is  a  native  of  Germany. 

He  was  born  in  Bavaria,  in  the  year  1826,  and  was 
a  son  of  Martin  and  Angelika  (Bug)  Bug.  Both 
parents  were  natives  of  the  same  province.  The 
mother,  who  was  born  in  1803,  was  by  birth  a  dis- 
t;iiil  relHlive  of  her  husband.     Ih  was  a  farmer  by 


'    occupation,  and  died  when  our  subject,  the  only 
child  of  the  family,  was  but  a  year  old.     Mrs.  Bug 
was  again    married,  this   union  being  with  Adam 
Schwarz.  The  latter  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
1   in   1842,  and  settled  in  Shiloh  Valley  Township. 
The  following  year  he  sent  for  his  family.  He  first 
I    purchased  forty  acres  of  land  near  Mascoutah,  and 
!    afterward  added  to  this  tract  twenty  acres  more. 
!    During  the  greater  part  of  iiis  life    he  turned  his 
1   attention   exclusively  to  agricultural  pursuits.     A 
numljer  of  years  before  his  death,  he  removed  to 
the  town  of  Belleville,  where  he  lived  a  retired 
life.     His  wife  survived  him  and  passed  away  Feb- 
ruary II,  1889. 

Our  subject  came  willi  his  mother  to  the  United 
States  when  seventeen  years  of  .age,  and  soon  after- 
ward started   to  earn   his  own  living.     He  com- 
menced his  life  as   a  farmer  by  renting   land  on 
section    16  of  Shiloh  Valley  Township  and  lived 
1    there  for  many  years.    In  1852,  he  was  married  to 
[   Salomea  Arbogast,   daughter  of   Christopher  and 
Salomea  Arbogast.     To  our  subject  and  his  worthy 
j    wife  fourteen  children  have  been  born,  those  living 
being  Salomea,  the  wife  of -John  M.  Meyer;  Chris- 
tina, wife  of  Louis  Meyer;  Mary,  wife  of  Joseph 
Panter;   Willam,  who  was   married   to  Fredericka 
j    Hess;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  George  Siebert;  Anna,  wife 
I    of  Albert  Pierce;  Louisa  and  Charles.    This  family 
i    have  all  had  the  advantages  of  a  good  education 

and  are  thus  fitted  to  encounter  life's  battles. 

j        After   leading   an    active    life  for  many  years, 

)    Mr.  Bug  removed  to  the  village  of  Shiloh,  where 

j    he  has  a  pleasant  home.     In  1890,  he  ceased  from 

his  active  labors  and  has  sine:-  lived  a  retired  life. 

He  was  reared  in  the  Lutheran   Church,   in  which 

!    he  now   holds   membership.     In   all   political  and 

local  interests  he  takes  a  prominent  part,  and  has 

'   seen  much  of  the  growth  and  progress  which  this 

county    has    made  in   the   last  half-centur3'.     His 

;    right  of   franchise   he   uses  in    tlie  support  of  the 

Democratic  party,  which   finds  in  him  an  earnest 

advocate.     He  was    Supervisor   of    the    township 

under  the  old  law  for  a  period  of  about  fourteen 

years.     He  is  a  self-made  man,  having  commenced 

life    empty-handed,   and    has  won  prosperity  and 

success  through  his  own  well-directed  efforts.     He 

is  a  man  of  good  business  ability,  Avhich  he  shows 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


367 


bj-  his  wise  iuvestments  and  marked  advancement. 
He  is  one  of  the  many  lo^'al  citizens  whom  Ger- 
many has  furnished  to  America,  and  is  ever  a 
eliampion  of  tlie  riglits  and  progress  of  his  adopted 
hind. 


li  the  n 


ICHAEL  FRIEDEKICK.  Tlie  gentleman 
/liom  this  skctcli  is  written  is  one  of 
natives  of  tlie  sunn_y  land  of  France. 
Many  of  his  countrymen  have  found  a 
home  in  this  land,  and  have  been  among  the  earliest 
and  bravest  of  the  settlers  of  the  State. 

Jlichael  Friederick  was  born  April  8,  1839,  in 
Lorraine,  France,  and  lived  in  that  province  until 
he  was  five  years  old.  In  1844,  with  his  parents, 
he  came  to  this  country,  and  with  his  brothers  and 
sisters  he  grew  up  here.  The  first  location  of  the 
family  was  made  right  here,  on  the  place  where 
our  subject  now  has  his  home,  and  he  has  around 
him  the  familiar  things  of  childhood.  As  soon  as 
he  was  of  the  proper  age,  he  was  sent  to  the  public 
schools,  and  there  not  only  learned  the  language 
of  the  people  with  whom  his  life  was  to  be  spent, 
but  obtained  a  common-school  education  in  the 
ordinary  branches  taught  at  that  time. 

On  the  2d  of  July,  1868,  our  subject  was  married  j 
to  Miss  Marie  Biebel,  who  was  the  daugiiter  of 
Nicholas  Biebel.  a  resident  of  Prairie  du  Long 
Township,  St.  Clair  County,  where  he  was  buried. 
The  marriage  was  followed  by  the  young  couple 
going  to  the  home  place  of  the  husband,  and  there 
the  family  all  resided  together  until  1886.  At  j 
that  time  Mr.  Friederick  moved  into  ^lascoutah 
and  tried  hotel-keeping  for  a  time.  He  conducted 
tiie  Franklin  House  for  four  years,  Init  at  the  end 
of  that  time  he  returned  to  tiie  farm,  where  he  has 
continued  ever  since. 

The  loss  of  his  wife  was  a  great  afiiiction  to  Mr. 
Friederick,  which  sad  event  took  place  January  16, 
1892.  Eleven  children,  however,  are  left  to  com- 
fort him  in  his  declining  years.  The  oldest  son, 
Michael,  lives  in  Belleville,  111.;  Katie,  became  the 
wife  of  Marion  Batelmie,  and  lives  in  this  county; 


Lena  is  the  wife  of  Philip  .Schubkegel;  Lizzie  is 
the  wife  of  Jul  Haas;  Caroline  is  Mrs.  Fritz  Shup; 
Edward  lives  in  Belleville;  AVilliani,at  home;  Mar- 
garet, in  Chicago;  and  Mary,  Otlio  and  Cecelia  re- 
side at  home. 

The  farm  of  Mr.  Friederick  consists  of  two  hun- 
dred and  forty-five  acres  of  fine  land.  It  is  in  a 
good  state  of  cultivation  and  he  is  considered  a 
very  fortunate  man.  His  sons  assist  him  in  its 
management,  and  the  yield  of  grain  is  alwa3's 
large.  His  improvements  are  the  ones  all  good 
farmers  make,  and  his  receipts  from  his  produce 
are  very  gratifying.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Work- 
ingmen's  Society,  an  organization  well  known 
throughout  the  State,  he  attending  its  meetings  in 
Mascoutah.  In  his  politics,  our  subject  believes  in 
the  perpetuation  of  Jeffersonian  principles,  and 
votes  with  the  Democratic  party. 

Mr.  Friederick  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  of  Mascoutah,  and  in  the  cem- 
etery of  that  church  lie  the  remains  of  his  beloved 
wife.  He  has  done  the  best  he  could  for  the  fam- 
ily of  children,  and  has  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  all  are  doing  well.  His  neighbors  re- 
spect him,  and  all  of  the  neighborhood  know  fav- 
orably his  family  and  himself.  Having  lived  here 
.as  long  as  any  of  the  settlers  in  the  township,  Mr. 
Friederick  has  seen  the  wonderful  changes  that 
cultivation  has  made  in  the  country.  He  has  seen 
many  people  come  and  go,  but  his  pleasant  rela- 
tionship has  continued  with  all,  as  he  is  b3-  nature 
a  man  who  easily  makes  and  retains  friends. 


J'~/UL1US  C.  AND  Gil  STAVE  BOCqllET  com- 
I  prise  the  (irni  of  Bocquet  Bros.,  dealers  in 
i  general  merchandise,  of  Mascoutah,  111. 
They  are  leading  business  men  of  the  city, 
and  with  pleasure  we  present  this  record  of  their 
lives  to  our  readers.  The  gentlemen  are  sons  of 
Charles  Bocquet,  a  native  of  Creuznach, Germany. 
He  came  to  America  in  1848,  and,  in  the  autumn 
of  the  following  year,  located  in  Mascoutah, 
where  he  built  and  opened  the  first  brewery  in  this 


368 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


place,  operating  the  .same  for  a  period  of  about  , 
eighteen  3-ears.  He  was  married  in  Maseoutah  to 
Miss  Margaret  Yung,  daughter  of  John  Yung, 
who  immigrated  to  this  country  from  Leiningen, 
Germany,  and  settled  in  Maseoutah  about  the 
year  1850.  Mr.  Bocquet  long  continued  to  en- 
gage in  the  brewer}'  business,  but  during  the  last  | 
few  years  of  his  life  lived  retired.  He  died  <m  the 
12th  of  June,  1890.     His  wife  still  survives  him. 

Ill  their  family  were  seven  children,  five  of 
whom  grew  to  manhood  and  womanhood,  and  are  \ 
yet  living:  Charles,  who  is  engaged  in  the  dry-goods 
business  in  Waverly,  Iowa;  Albert,  a  barber  of 
Maseoutah;  Philip,  who  is  proprietor  of  a  boot 
and  shoe  store  of  this  place;  and  Julius  and  Gus- 
tave,  who  constitute  the  firm  of  Bocquet  Bros.  I 

Julius  C.  Bocquet  was  born  in  this  city  on  the 
16th  of  Noveml>er,  1863,  and  in  his  youth  attended 
its  public  schools,  and  afterward  completed  his 
education  in  the  State  University  of  Champaign, 
111.  He  then  engaged  in  teaching  for  five  years 
in  the  public  schools  of  Maseoutah  and  for  two 
years  in  the  country  schools,  following  that  pro- 
fession altogether  for  a  period  of  seven  years, 
after  which  he  embarked  in  general  merchandising. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Turner  Society. 

Gustave  Bocquet  also  has  the  honor  of  being 
a  native  of  Maseoutah.  He  first  opened  his  ej'es 
to  the  light  of  day  on  the  26th  of  February,  1866, 
and  the  days  of  his  boyhood  and  youth  were  spent 
under  the  parental  I'oof,  his  education  being  ac- 
quired in  the  public  schools.  He  afterward  learned 
the  printer's  trade  in  the  office  of  the  Anzeigei-, 
at  that  time  owned  by  Capt.  Dilg.  He  followed 
that  business  for  about  eight  years,  and  then  went 
to  Waverly,  Iowa,  where  he  entered  the  store  of 
his  brother  Charles.  After  two  years,  he  disposed 
of  his  interest  in  the  business,  and,  returning  to 
Maseoutah,  entered  the  employ  of  George  Reich- 
ardt,  a  general  merchant  of  this  place,  for  whom 
he  clerked  for  about  two  years.  In  company  with 
his  brother,  he  then  became  proprietor  of  a  store, 
which  is  now  filled  with  an  excellent  stock  of  goods. 
They  have  a  good  trade  and  are  doing  a  fine  busi- 
ness, whicli  is  constantly  increasing.  By  fair  deal- 
ing and  courteous  treatment,  the_y  have  secured  a 
lilieral  patronage,  which  is  certainlj^  well  deserved. 


The  members  of  the  firm  are  wide-awake  and  en- 
terprising young  business  men,  sagacious  and  far- 
sighted,  industrious  and  persevering,  and  are  rap- 
idly winning  success. 


•-^^^if^'^al^l^^^ 


.  DKCKKK,  |)roprietor  of  t'.ie  Mas- 
Hotel   of  Maseoutah    and   a  well- 
known  citizen  of  St.  Clair  County,  is  a  na- 


tive of  Germany.  He  was  born  in  Frank- 
weiler,  near  the  Rhine,  in  the  Province  of  Bavaria, 
December  9,  1824.  and  grew  to  manhood  in  the 
town  of  Oberlustadt,  being  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  that  place.  His  parents  were  Peter  L. 
and  ]Martha  Margaretha  Decker.  The  father  was 
born  and  reared  in  the  town  of  Frankweiier  and 
was  a  black.smith  l>y  trade. 

After  completing  his  education,  our  subject 
learned  tlie  trade  of  blacksmithing  with  his  father 
and  then  went  to  Geinsheim,  where  he  worked  for 
six  months.  Wlien  a  young  man  of  twenty  years, 
he  determined  to  try  his  fortune  in  America,  and 
embarked  on  a  sailing-vessel  in  the  latter  part  of 
1844,  landing  at  New  Orleans  on  the  8th  of  Janu- 
ary, 184.").  Twelve  dajs  later,  he  reached  St. 
Louis,  where  he  worked  for  one  year  at  his  trade 
with  his  brother.  In  1846,  he  came  to  Maseoutah 
and  again  embarked  in  his  chosen  occupation. 

It  was  in  1851  that  Mr.  Decker  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Mary  Anna  Brentzel,  daughter 
of  Mathias  Brentzel,  a  blacksmith  of  this  city,  with 
whom  our  subject  had  worked  for  four  years.  In 
1850,  he  went  to  Belleville,  and  in  company  with 
William  Lutz  established  a  blacksmith  siiop,  where 
he  worked  for  about  two  years,  when  the  partner- 
ship was  dissolved  and  Mr.  Decker  built  a  smithy 
of  his  own  on  East  Main  Street  in  Keileville, 
where  he  remained  for  about  six  weeks.  During 
that  time,  his  father-in-law  died,  and  Mrs.  Brentzel 
requested  him  to  remove  to  Maseoutah  and  take 
charge  of  the  shop  of  her  deceased  husband,  so  in 
1852  he  rented  his  shop  in  Belleville,  and  in  July 
of  that  year  removed  to  Maseoutah.  lie  then 
worked  at  his  trade  from    1850  until    1863.   when 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


369 


be  sold  his  shop  and  bought  the  Mascoutah  House, 
continuing  in  tlie  hotel  business  ever  since.  In  con- 
nection with  the  liotel,  he  also  runs  a  liverj'  stable 
and  saloon. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Decker  have  been  born  ten 
children,  seven  of  whom  are  yet  living,  as  follows: 
George,  who  is  married  and  is  agent  at  Belleville, 
111.,  for  the  Adams  Express  Company,  in  whose 
employ  he  has  been  for  almost  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury; Jacob  is  married  and  is  a  dealer  in  farm  im- 
plements and  machinery  in  Mascoutah;  Eliza  and 
Emma  are  at  home;  Henry  is  married  and  carries 
on  the  hotel;  Philip  is  engaged  in  the  grocer}'  busi- 
ness in  Chicago,  and  Ottilie  completes  the  family. 

In  his  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Decker  is  a  Re- 
publican; he  voted  for  John  C.  Fremont  in  1856, 
and  has  supported  each  Presidential  candidate  of 
the  Republican  party  since  that  time.  In  1881,  lie 
was  elected  Commissioner  of  St.  Clair,  which  office 
he  held  for  one  term.  In  1876,  he  was  candidate 
for  County  Commissioner,  and  in  1886  he  was 
nominated  for  the  office  of  County  Treasurer. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellows' 
society  ^Ir.  Decker  is  widely  known  throughout 
the  count}',  where  for  forty-six  years  he  has  made 
his  home  He  is  now  doing  a  good  business  and 
has  prospered,  having  a  handsome  competence. 


JETER  SCHNEIDER.  An  excellent  ex- 
)  ample  of  the  sturdy  enterprise,  thrifty 
habits  and  persistent  industry',  char.acter- 
[  \  istic  of  so  many  of  our  farmers,  may  be 
found  in  the  life  of  Mr.  Schneider,  who  is  now 
living  in  Lenzburg  Township.  He  owns  nine 
hundred  acres  of  valuable  land,  whose  possession 
attests  his  success  in  worldly  affairs,  and  whose  im- 
proved condition  and  orderly  appearance  furnish 
equally  good  evidence  of  his  intelligent  concep- 
tion of  the  details  of  his  vocation  and  his  progres- 
sive spirit  in  all  that  pertains  thereto. 

A  native  of  Germany,  our  subject  was  born  in 
Bavaria,  January  9,  1821, and  was  the  son  of  Peter 


and  Barbara  (Kempf)  Schneider,  also  natives  of 
the  Fatlierland,;^the  former^having  been  born  in 
1799,  and  the  latter  a  couple  of  years  later.  Peter 
Schneider  Sr.,  received  an  excellent  education  in  the 
model  schools  of  his  native  country,  and,  being 
reared  to  farm  pursuits,  followed  that  occupation 
his  entire  life.  On  coming  to  America  in  October, 
1838,  he  was  accompanied  hither  by  his  entire 
family,  and  in  February  of  the  following  year  came 
to  Dutch  Hill  Prairie,  this  county.  Being  a  man 
of  means,  he  at  once  purchased  five  hundred  and 
fifty  acres  of  Government  land,  which  he  cultivated 
in  the  best  possible  manner.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  was  always  found 
read}'  to  take  part  in  every  good  work  promul- 
gated in  that  religious  society.  He  was  in  the  best 
sense  of  the  term  a  public-spirited  man  and  a  pro- 
gressive citizen,  and  in  politics  voted  with  tlie 
Democratic  party. 

Of  the  six  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Peter 
Schneider  all  are  dece.ased  with  the  exception  of 
our  subject,  who  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth. 
The  others  bore  the  respective  names  of  Catherine, 
Mary,  Rosena,  John  and  Henry.  The  paternal 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  Andrew  Schneider,  was 
a  native  of  Germany,  where  he  followed  the  occu- 
pation of  a  fermer. 

Young  Schneider  i-eceived  a  thorough  training 
by  his  excellent  parents  and  from  early  boyhood 
bore  a  part  in  farm  work,  thus  becoming  thoroughly 
versed  in  its  details.  He  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools,  adding  to  the  practical 
knowledge  he  already  possessed  and  strengthening 
the  foundation  on  which  he  has  reared  a  super- 
structure of  general  information  since  reaching 
m.aturity.  He  was  seventeen  3'ears  of  age  when  he 
accompanied  his  parents  on  their  emigration  to 
America,  and  in  1848  was  married  to  Miss  Johanna, 
daughter  of  vSebastian  and  Margaret  Dressel.  Mrs. 
Schneider  was  carefully  reared  by  Christian  par- 
ents and  was  well  qualified  to  take  upon  herself 
the  duties  of  wifehood  when  united  to  our  subject. 
She  has  been  an  efficient  aid  to  him,  not  only 
making  his  home  cozy  and  attractive,  but  by  prud- 
ent management  and  good  counsel  assisting  him 
in  the  accumulation  of  property.  Their  happy 
marriage   has  been  lilessed    by    the  birth   of  nine 


370 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


children,  three  of  whom  died  young  in  years. 
Tliose  who  grew  to  mature  years  were:  Caroline, 
who  married  Heurj'  Knecht,  and  left  at  her  de- 
cease one  son;  .lohanna,  who  is  the  wife  of  George 
Perschbacher;  Henry,  who  married  Miss  Caupert; 
Mary  C,  who  married  Henry  Knecht;  Charles  H., 
who  became  the  husband  of  Miss  Arena  Schaller; 
and  Regina,  who  married  Harmon  Echerl. 

Our  subject  like  his  venerable  father,  is  a  liberal 
supporter  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  de- 
nomination he  is  an  active  member.  His  wife,  who 
was  held  in  high  esteem  for  her  Christian  character, 
departed  this  life  .lanuary  18,  187(),  and  was  fol- 
lowed to  her  last  resting-i)lace  by  numerous  friends 
and  acquaintances. 

Mr.  Schneider  always  takes  an  interest  in  politi- 
cal affairs,  voting  the  straight  Republican  ticket, 
lie  is  intimately  connected  with  the  financial  af- 
fairs of  the  township  and,  indeed,  of  the  county, 
and  his  opinions  are  considered  valuable.  He  is  a 
man  6f  progressive  ideas,  of  more  than  ordinary 
intelligence,  and  possesses  a  nature  which  for  geni- 
ality and  kindliness  is  unexcelled.  He  has  made 
his  property  by  his  own  efforts,  and  b^'  dint  of  his 
personal  qualities  is  now  one  of  the  leading  and 
wealthy  farmers  of  St.  Clair  County. 


!-^+^^ 


ipi.ICHOLAS  E.  AMMEL.  The  subject  of 
I  111  this  sketch  is  one  of  the  young,  energetic 
/l\,i^^  and  progressive  farmers  of  St.  Clair  County. 
The  faithful  and  acceptable  discharge  of  his  duties 
as  Collector,  and  the  business-like  manner  in 
which  he  manages  his  farm,  prove  him  to  be  a 
man  of  considerable  executive  ability  and  give 
promise  of  a  prosperous  and  successful  future. 

Our  subject  was  born  February  18,  18,58,  ten 
miles  north  of  Belleville,  near  Falling  Springs, 
and  is  the  son  of  Martin  and  Frances  (Faust) 
Ammel.  His  father  was  born  in  France,  six  miles 
from  Strasburg,  August  26,  1830,  and  was  brouglit 
by  his  parents  to  America  in  1833.  Tiiey  landed 
in  New  Orleans,  and  there  took  passage  on  tlie 
steamboat  "George  Collie""  for    St.    Louis,    where 


they  arrived  about  a  week  before  Christmas.  They 
remained  in  thai  city  for  two  weeks,  and  then 
came  to  St.  Clair  Count3-j»nd  settled  four  miles 
north  of  Centreville  (ni  the  C.  &  St.  L.  Railroad. 
Here  they  passed  the  remainder  of  their  lives. 
The  paternal  grandfather,  George  Ammel,  was 
born  in  1798,  and  died  in  the  fall  of  1844. 
The  paternal  grandmother,  Dorothea  (Kist)  Am- 
mel, was  born  in  1803,  .and  died  in  1886. 

The  fatlier  of  our  subject  remained  at  home 
until  he  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went 
to  Belleville  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  black- 
smith under  Wame^'  Williams.  He  worked  at  his 
trade  until  18.56,  when  he  bought  a  farm  at  Fall- 
ing Springs,  eleven  miles  from  Belleville,  and 
there  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  nine 
years.  lie  next  went  to  East  St.  Louis,  and  con- 
ducted an  hotel  for  about  a  year,  and  later  bought 
a  house  and  lot  in  Millstadt,  where  he  lived  a 
year.  He  next  bought  a  farm  of  sixty  acres  one 
mile  north  of  Belleville,  where  he  now  resides. 
He  is  the  inveutor  and  patentee  of  a  slide-road 
grader  and  a  wheel-road  grader  patented  July  4, 
1880.  These  graders  are  now  in  general  use  and 
the  patentee  enjoys  a   royalty   income  from  them. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  reared  on  the 
farm.  He  enjo\-ed  the  advantages  of  a  common- 
school  education  such  as  a  farmer  lad  usually  ob- 
tains. In  order,  however,  to  better  qualify  him- 
self for  life's  work,  he  went  to  Milwaukee,  AVis., 
and  there  attended  St.  Francis  College  for  seven 
months.  .Tune  14,  1881,  he  married  Lena  C,  the 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Mary  Ann  (Karlskind) 
Louis,  who  were  farmers  on  an  adjoining  estate. 
On  that  place  the  bride  was  born  and  reared.  Her 
parents  have  both  passed  away,  the  father  as  long 
as  thirty-one  years  ago  and  the  mother  May  9, 
1882.  Six  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Ammel,  namely':  Alvina,  born  April  4,  1883; 
Matilda,  July  29,  1885;  Irene,  February  1,  1888; 
Viola,  March  13,  1889;  Corinne  M.,  December  7, 
1890,  and  Estella,  April  30,  1892.  All  arc  spared 
to  their  parents,  with  the  exception  of  Irene,  who 
died  June  5,  1889. 

Our  subject  has  lived  at  his  |>resent  place  of 
residence  ever  since  his  marriage.  The  farm  con- 
sists of  one  hundred  and   twentv-flve  acres  and  is 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPinCAL  RECORD. 


(levoterl  to  general  farming  and  stock-raising.  Mr. 
Ammel.  is  a  breeder  of  registered  Chester  White 
hogs,  and  a1  all  times  has  some  very  fine  stock  on 
Ills  place.  In  public  affairs  he  is  interested  and 
well-informed,  and  has  been  called  by  liis  fellow- 
litizens  to  numerous  positions  of  trust  and  re- 
sponsibilitj'.  Among  the  olfices  whicii  he  has 
tilled  is  that  of  Township  Collector,  to  whieli  he 
was  first  elected  in  1886.  lie  is  now  serving  his 
fourth  term,  having  been  re-elected  in  April, 
1892.  He  is  also  School  Trustee,  to  which  office  he 
was  elected  in  1890.  He  was  chosen  Director  and 
Secretary  of  St.  Peter's  Institute  at  Belleville.  In 
polities,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  is  as  earnest  in 
that  as  in  other  relations  of  life.  He  and  his  fam- 
ily belong  to  the  Catholic  Churcli. 


^^^^^m^^^-^^m^ 


^^.  IIARLES  RUNKWITZ,  engaged  m  general 
(l(  farming  on  section  3;J,0'Failon  Township, 

^^r'  is  a  worthy  representative  of  an  honored 
pioneer  familj'  of  the  county.  He  was  born  on 
the  old  homestead  where  he  yet  resides,  January 
3,  1841.  His  father,  Karl  Kunkwitz,  was  born 
on  the  27th  of  September.  1800,  in  Altenburg, 
Duchy  of  Saxony,  Germany,  and  was  a  book- 
binder by  trade.  In  his  native  land,  he  was  mar- 
ried in  1828  to  Dorothea  Fredericka  Drescher, 
who  was  born  February  21,  1806.  In  the  spring 
of  1834,  the_v  sailed  for  America,  landing  at  Balti- 
more. AVith  a  part}-  of  their  countrymen,  they 
went  across  the  Alleghany  Mountains  to  Wheeling, 
Ohio,  where  the  colony  separated  and  Mr.  Kunk- 
witz and  his  wife  made  their  way  down  the  Ohio 
River  to  St.  Louis.  They  subsequently  came  to 
this  State,  where  Mr.  Runkwitz  entered  forty  acres 
of  land  from  the  Government.  This  is  still  a  part 
of  the  homestead  of  the  family.  He  engaged  in 
farming  until  his  death,  which  occurred  October 
17,  1849,  of  cholera.  The  grandparents  both  died 
in  the  Fatherland. 

The  Runkwitz  family  numbered  nine  children: 
Henrietta,  who  was  born  in  Germany  in  1829. 
came  to  America  with  her  parents  and  was  married 


in  this  county  to  Emil  Lummer,  who  died  near 
0" Fallon  about  1872.  She  now  makes  her  home 
in  Jlilwaukee.  AVis.  By  their  union  were  born 
nine  children,  of  whom  four  are  yet  living.  Gus- 
tave  died  in  infancy.  Charlotte,  born  in  Ger- 
many ill  1831,  was  married  in  1847  to  John  P. 
Trautwein,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  four 
ciiildren,  as  follows:  Herman,  who  is  married  and  is 
a  fanner  of  Missouri;  Matilda,  who  died  in  1869; 
Dorothea,  who  became  the  wife  of  William  AVcil, 
of  Shiloh  Valley,  and  died  in  1884,  leaving  three 
children;  and  Julius,  who  is  married  and  follows 
farming  in  Franklin  County,  Mo.  air.  Trautwein 
died  in  1861,and  she  was  again  married,  this  time  to 
August  Lummer,  and  they  have  one  child,  Charles, 
who  is  married  and  lives  in  Franklin  County,  Mo. 
Thekla,  born  in  Germany  in  1833,  is  the  wife  of 
Ernst  Gilauf,  a  farmer  of  Franklin  County,  Mo., 
by  whom  she  had  seven  children,  as  follows: 
Charles,  who  married  Dorelia  Robertson  and  lives 
in  Sullivan,  Mo.;  Otto  wedded  Jennie  Parks  and 
is  a  farmer  of  Franklin  County,  Mo.;  Lotta  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-five  years;  lienjamin  died  at 
the  age  of  nine  years;  Louisa  resides  with  her 
father;  Ernst  died  in  1887;  and  Kichard  is  at 
home.  The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  October, 
1891,  in  Franklin  County,  Mo.,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
seven  years.'  Richard,  born  Alarcli  27,  1838,  mar- 
ried Julianne  Jfeuich  and  resides  on  a  farm  in 
O'Fallon  Township.  They  had  five  children:  Al- 
vina,  born  in  1864,  is  married  and  has  four  chil- 
dren; Emilia  wjis  born  in  1866,  is  married  and  has 
three  children;  William,  born  August  30,  1868; 
Josephine,  November  20,  1872;  and  Ida,  January 
12,1 874,  are  still  at  home  with  their  raotlier.  Rich- 
ard Runkwitz  died  on  the  home  farm  in  O'Fallon 
Township,  January  21,  1877. 

Charles  Runkwitz,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch, 
is  the  next  younger  and  he  is  associated  in  business 
with  his  brother,  Herman,  who  was  born  March  24, 
1843,  in  O'Fallon  Township.  In  1867,  he  married 
Aurelia  Budnie,  and  unto  them  were  born  five 
children:  Minna,  twenty-three  years  of  age;  Erwin, 
twenty  years  of  age;  Johannah,  who  died  in  1880 
at  the  age  of  six  years;  Richard,  a  lad  of  thirteen 
years;  and  Fannie,  who  is  twelve  years  of  age. 
The  youngest  of  the  Runkwitz  family   is  Sophia, 


I'ORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAFHICAL  RECORD. 


who  was  born  in  1845,  in  this  county,  and  in  Ma)% 
1862,  became  the  wife  of  Otto  Doeswetler.  They 
soon  afterward  removed  to  Wisconsin,  where  he  is 
engaged  in  businessasa  veterinary  surgeon.  They 
have  twelve  children. 

Herman  Runkwitz  was  a  soldier  in  the  late  war. 
He  enlisted  in  1863,  as  a  member  of  the  Forty- 
third  Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  in  the  service 
until  1865,  being  stationed  at  Little  Rock  during 
tlie  greater  part  of  the  time.  After  leaving  the 
army,  he  took  up  his  residence  on  the  old  home- 
stead, wliere  he  and  his  brother  Charles  have  since 
engaged  in  farming.  In  connection  with  the  heirs 
of  tiieir  brother  Richard,  they  own  one  hnndred 
and  twenty-six  acres  of  land,  which  is  under  a 
iiigh  state  of  cultivation  and  well  improved.  Tliey 
are  enterprising  and  progressive  farmers,  widely 
and  favorably-  known  in  the  community  where 
they  have  so  long  resided.  Charles  Runkwitz  served 
as  Highwaj^  Commissioner  for  one  term  aiJd  Her- 
man  held  the  oflice  of   School   Director   for    two 


^^,  EORGE  CROSUY,  a  prominent  and  highly- 
;|[  g-j  esteemed  farmer  of  O 'Fallon  Township,  re- 

^^J  siding  on  section  27,  was  born  in  Ponte- 
fract, England,  May  12,  1833.  His  father,  Thomas 
Crosby,  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  in  1802,  and  was  a 
gardener  for  the  Duke  of  Cleveland,  learning 
his  trade  of  gardening  at  Hammersmith.  Subse- 
quently, he  had  charge  of  the  Duke's  plate.  In  1 844, 
he  crossed  the  Atlantic,  landing  in  New  York, 
whence  he  made  his  wny  to  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and 
took  charge  of  the  establishment  of  John  Bell, 
l)eing  overseci-  of  the  house  and  garden.  His  wife 
had  charge  of  the  education  of  Mr.  Yeatman's  fam- 
il}'  of  St.  Louis.  In  1852,  he  and  his  wife  came 
to  St.  Clair  County,  and  located  on  what  is  still 
known  as  the  Crosby  Farm.  Here  he  successfully 
carried  on  the  nursery  business  until  his  death, 
whicli  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1880.  In  politics  he 
was  a  Democrat  until  the  late  war,  when  he  became 
a  liberal  Republican.     In  early  life  lie  was  a  mem- 


ber of  the  Ejiiscopal  Church  but  afterward  joined 
the  Baptist  Church,  as  there  was  no  organization 
of  the  former  denomination  in  the  community 
where  he  lived.  He  was  buried  in  the  old  Rock 
Spring  Cemetery,  he  having  selected  this  place  be- 
fore his  death.  Mr.  Crosb}'  was  twice  married.  He 
first  wedded  Mr.<.  Faith  Wood,  of  Appleton,  York- 
shire, England.  By  her  former  marriage  was  born 
a  son,  in  1817,  William  Wood,  who  came  to  Amer- 
ica about  1840,  and  died  in  Athens,  Ga.,  in  1866. 
He  landed  at  Alexandria,  Va.,  where  he  made  the 
cabinet  casings  for  the  exhibition  of  bric-a-brac 
collected  by  Commodore  Perry  on  his  trip  around 
the  world,  which  cabinet  is  still  in  Washington. 
William  Wood  removed  from  Washingtou  to  Nash- 
ville, Tenn.,  thence  to  Athens,  Ga.,  and  later  to 
Atlanta,  Ga.  He  had  a  large  undertaking  business 
in  Atlanta  and  furniture  business  in  Athens,  where 
he  owned  an  extensive  factory.  He  died  leaving  a 
large  estate.  He  had  a  son  and  daughter,  and  the 
latter,  Annie,  became  the  wife  of  William  A.  Hemp- 
hill, the  owner  of  the  Atlanta  Constitution.  She 
died  two  years  after  her  marriage  in  1856.  Mrs. 
Crosby  had  by  her  second  marriage  two  sons: 
George  and  Thomas. 

Thomas  Crosby  died  in  Athens,  Ga.,  in  1858.  He 
was  born  in  Pontefract  in  1836,  and  came  with  his 
parents  to  this  country  in  1844.  He  removed  from 
Nashville,  Tenn.,  to  Athens,  with  his  half-brother, 
William  Wood,  and  carried  on  a  steam  planing- 
mill  and  furniture  factory  until  his  death.  At  the 
age  of  twenty  he  was  married,  and  his  widow,  who 
has  been  a  second  time  married,  is  still  living  in 
Athens,  Ga.  The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in 
Pontefract,  England,  in  1840,  and  Mr.  Crosby 
afterward  married  Mary  Ann  Hall,  of  Yorkshire. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our 
subject,  George  Crosb}',  who  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  land  until  coming  to  America 
with  his  parents.  From  New  Y'ork  he  went  to  Cin- 
cinnati, Ohio,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  tlorist 
in  the  employ  of  Jacob  Iloffner,  a  wealthy  an'd  re- 
tired merchant.  He  remained  with  that  gentleman 
for  five  years,  and  then  joined  his  father's  family 
in  Nashville,  Tenn.  He  afterward  became  con- 
nected with  his  half-brother,  William  \Vood,  in  the 
furniture  business,   which    he  followed  nnlii  1854, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


when  he  came  to  this  count}-  to  visit  his  fatlier, 
who  had  previously  located  in  O'Fallou  Township. 
He  determined  to  make  his  home  in  this  commun- 
ity .and  lias  since  been  one  of  its  leading  farmers 
and  nurserymen. 

In  l«(;i,  Mr.  Crosby  married  Anna,  daughter  of 
John  Rader,  a  farmer  and  1  nd-owner.  He  took 
charge  of  the  home  farm  and  nursery,  which  he  still 
occupies  and  operates.  Their  union  was  blessed  with 
four  children.  Sarah  Ann,  born  in  1862,  was  mar- 
ried in  1880  to  Edward  E.  Rebhahn,who  is  interested 
in  the  Crosby  Nursery.  They  have  three  children: 
Ijertha  Stella,  eight  years  of  age;  George  Emil,  six 
years  old;  and  Ella  Louisa,  a  maiden  of  four  sum- 
mers. Thomas  died  in  January,  188.5,  at  the  age 
of  twenty  3'ears.  William  Rader,  born  in  March, 
1865,  is  living  on  the  home  farm,  and  has  gained  a 
national  reputation  as  a  marksman  and  expert 
shot.  In  18!H),  he  won  the  State  champion- 
ship of  Colorado,  Montana  and  Idaho,  a  diamond 
medal,  and  in  1887  won  the  State  champion 
medal  of  Southern  Illinois  at  East  St.  Louis  and 
again  at  Mt.  Vernon.  George  Edward,  born  July 
18,  1870,  is  attending  McKendree  College  at  Leb- 
anon, taking  the  regular  course  of  stud_y,  and  for 
two  years  was  a  student  at  Normal,  111.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died  on  the  home  farm  in 
1874,  and  her  remains  were  interred  in  Oak  Hill 
(  Cemetery.  Mr.  Crosby  was  again  married,  July 
»  13,  1880,  this  time  to  Miss  I^lviraKcehler,  who  was 
born  September  10,  1843,  in  O'Fallon  Township. 
They  have  a  daughter,  ilary  \'iola,  who  was  born 
April  28,  1881. 

Since  coming  to  this  county-,  Mr.  Crosby  has  re- 
sided on  the  old  homestead.  His  farm  comprises 
one  hundred  and  seventy-nine  acres  of  valuable 
land,  thirtj^-six  of  which  are  used  for  nursery  pur- 
poses. He  is  well  known  as  a  nursery  man  and  is 
a  practical  and  progressive  farmer,  whose  thrift 
and  enterprise  are  indicated  by  the  neat  appearance 
of  his  jjlaee.  In  politics  he  is  a  stalwart  advocate  of 
Democratic  principles,  and  has  served  as  a  delegate 
to  tiie  county  and  congressional  conventions;  in 
1«71,  he  was  a  member  of  the  National  Convention 
which  convened  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  and  nomin- 
ated Horace  Greeley.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of 
Lodjje    No.    J76,  A.    F.  A-    A.    M.,    of    O'Fallon, 


and  the  Chapter  of  Lebanon,  III.  For  many  years 
he  has  made  his  home  in  this  community,  and  is  a 
highly  respected  citizen  whose  many  friends  hold 
him  in  warm  regard. 


^^SCAR  F.  BRKHITFIELD,  I).  1).  S.,  a  promi- 
I  ji  nent  young  professional  man  of  Belleville, 
'\iJ(^  was  born  in  Pottsville,  Pa.,  May  9.  1857. 
and  is  the  son  of  Charles  and  Carrie  (Walther) 
Erightfield.  His  paternal  grandfather,  whose 
name  was  also  Charles,  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  with  his  wife,  who  was  born  in  England,  be- 
came one  of  the  early  settlers  in  Fayette  County, 
Pa.,  where  Charles,  Jr.,  was  born  in  1824.  An  up- 
right, energetic  man,  he  belonged  to  that  worthy 
class  of  pioneeis  to  whom  we  are  so  greatly  in- 
debted. 

Although  employed  at  various  places,  Chailes 
Brightfield,  Jr.,  has  been  a  resident  of  the  Key- 
stone State  during  his  entire  life,  and  has  there 
followed  his  occupation  of  a  steam  and  gas  fitter. 
His  home  at  present  is  at  Beaver  Falls,  Pa.,  and, 
although  not  quite  a  young  man,  he  retains  to  a 
large  degree  the  activity  of  former  years,  and  is 
hale  and  hearty. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  the  rudiments 
of  his  education  in  the  grammarschool  at  Ashland, 
Pa.,  and  subsequently  carried  on  his  literary  stud- 
ies in  various  places.  Leaving  school,  he  learned 
the  trade  of  a  glass-blower  at  Pittsburgh,  and, 
while  following  that  occupation  during  the  winter 
months,  saved  his  earnings,  so  that  he  was  able  in 
the  summer  to  study  the  sciences,  especiall}'  chem- 
istry, to  which  he  was  partial.  For  a  short  time  ire 
followed  his  trade  at  La  Salle,  III.,  and  also  in 
Milwaukee,  Wis.,  and  in  1883  came  to  Belleville 
for  the  purpose  of  accepting  a  position  at  the  glass 
works  here.  ^Meanwhile,  his  leisure  hours,  which 
were  few  however,  were  industriously  devoted  to 
the  accumulation  of  knowledge,  and  he  became  a 
well-informed  man,  with  a  broad  knowledge  of  the 
classics  and  the  sciences. 

In   September.  1888,  our  subject    went  to    Chi- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


cago  aud  studied  dentistry  under  Dr.  E.  J.  Perrj', 
Professor  in  tlie  Northwestern  I^niversity  at  Evan- 
ston,  remaining  with  tliat  gentleman  for  one  year, 
and  afterward  entering  the  Lake  Foiest  University, 
graduating  from  the  dental  department  of  that  in- 
stitution March  24,  1891.  At  once  after  com- 
pleting his  dental  studies,  he  came  to  Belleville, 
which  he  considered  his  home,  and  opened  an 
office  for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  which  he 
has  since  followed.  Although  he  has  been  here 
but  a  short  time,  he  is  well  and  favorably  known 
to  the  citizens,  and  has  built  up  a  large  and  con- 
stantly increasing  practice. 

Dr.  Brightfield  recently  bought  an  elegant  and 
commodious  residence  at  No.  404  West  Main 
Street,  where  he  and  his  wife  have  established  a 
beautiful  home.  The  lady,  who  on  April  7,  1891, 
became  his  wife,  was  Miss  Emelia,  daughter  of 
Jacob  and  Elizabeth  Tisch,  early  settlers  of  St. 
Clair  County,  and  widely  known  thi'oughout  this 
section  of  country.  Mrs.  BrightGeld  was  reared  in 
the  belief  of  the  German  Lutheran  Church,  to 
which  slie  has  since  adhered.  They  have  one  child, 
Oscar  F.,  Jr.,  who  was  boin  June  28,  1892.  In  his 
social  connections,  the  Doctor  is  identified  with 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  and  also  holds  membership  in 
tiie  Delta  .Sigma  Delta  of  his  college  class. 


^>-:^^-< 


"ijL^ARTMANN  KOCH.  Biographies  of  suc- 
\l)i  cessful,  and  especially  of  good,  men  are 
/^^  most  useful  as  incentives  to  others,  teach- 
(^y  ing  noble  thinking  and  energetic  action 
for  their  own  and  the  world's  good.  He  wlio 
gives  others  an  example  of  industr}^,  sobriety  and 
consistent  honest_y  of  purpose  in  life,  iias  a  present 
as  well  as.a  future  influence  upon  the  well-being 
of  iiis  community,  for  his  life  aud  character  affects, 
unconsciously  though  it  maj'  be,  the  lives  and 
characters  of  others,  and  thus  the  influence  is  un- 
ending until  time  itself  shall  cease.  Too  much 
praise  cannot,  therefore,  be  given  to  those  who  by 
their  worthy  lives  are  entitled  to  more  than  pass- 
ing mention. 


The  subject  of  this  biographical  review  was 
born  in  Germany  in  1833,  and  is  the  son  of  Justus 
and  Catherine  (Schneider)  Koch.  His  parents 
were  also  born  in  the  Fatherland,  the  father  in 
1811,  and  the  mother  in  1818.  Justus  Koch  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  land,  where  in  his  youth  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  blacksmith,  and  was  thus  occupied,  in 
connection  with  the  business  of  a  wagon  man- 
ufacturer, throughout  his  entire  life.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  the  prime  of  life,  when  our  subject  was 
only  two  years  of  age.  After  his  death,  a  posthum- 
ous son  was  born  to  the  mother  of  our  subject,  who 
was  named  Henry  Philip  and  is  now  deceased. 
Mrs.  Catlierine  Koch  came  to  the  United  States 
many  years  afterward  and  died  at  tlie  liome  of  her 
son  Hartmann,  in  Darmstadt. 

The  early  years  of  Ilartniann  Koch  were  un- 
eventfully passed  in  his  native  land,  where  he  at- 
tended the  common  schools  and  learned  the  trade 
of  a  blacksmitli  with  an  uncle.  In  1854,  he  left 
the  Fatherland,  and,  cros.sing  the  Atlantic,  for  a 
few  months  after  landing  made  his  home  in  the 
city  of  Baltimore.  Later,  he  removed  to  St.  Louis, 
where  for  seven  years  he  worked  steadily  at  his 
trade.  Coming  thence  to  the  village  of  Darmstadt, 
he  opened  a  shop,  where  he  has  since  been  engaged 
at  his  trade.  In  connection  with  this  occupntifin, 
he  is  the  owner  of  tlnee  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  valuable  land,  whereon  lie  conducts  farming 
operations  witli  skill  and  success. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-five  years,  ]Mr.  Koch  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mar^-,  daugiiter  of 
Joseph  and  Clara  (Aple)  Dierburger,  and  they 
have  become  the  parents  of  nine  children,  three  of 
whom  died  in  infancy  and  George  and  Clara  in 
their  youth.  The  surviving  children  are  Mary, 
Elizabeth,  Amelia  and  Matheas.  In  his  relig- 
ious connections,  Mr.  Koch  is  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Churcli,  while  liis  wife  is  a  Catholic. 
His  political  preferences  have  brought  him  into 
sympathy  with  the  Republican  party,  and  he  is  one 
of  the  public-spirited  and  progressive  members  of 
that  party  in  the  county. 

Mr.  Koch  is  a  man  who  stands  high  in  iho 
esteem  of  all  who  know  him,  and  his  honorable 
life  and  uniform  kindness  of  heart   endear  him   to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  acquaintances.  In  writing  of  him,  one  is  re- 
minded of  tiie  picture  drawn  by  the  poet  Long- 
fellow, of  the  village  blacksmith: 

Week  in,  week  out.  from  morn  till  night. 

You  can  hear  his  bellows  blow; 
You  can  hear  him  swing  his  heavy  sledge, 

AVith  measured  beat  and  slow. 
Like  a  sexton  ringing  the  village  bell 

When  the  evening  sun  is  low. 

Toiling,  rejoicing,  sorrowing, 

Onward  through  life  he  goes; 
Each  morning  sees  some  task  begun, 

Each  evening  sees  it  close; 
Something  attempted,  something  done. 

Has  earned  a  night's  repose. 

Thanks,  thanks,  to  thee,  my  worthy  friend, 

For  the  lesson  thou  has  taught; 
Thus  at  the  flaming  forge  of  life 

Our  fortunes  must  be  wrought. 
Thus  on  its  sounding  anvil  shaped 

I^ach  burning  deed  and  thought. 


\T7=?)  MIL  .T.  FINKE.  The  original  of  this  notice 
l^  carries  on  tlie  largest  and  best-equipped 
i' — --^'  confectionery  establishment  in  the  city.  His 
grandfather,  who  was  a  merchant  in  Germany,  was 
the  first  of  the  familj'  to  come  to  America,  and 
here  he  followed  the  lucrative  business  of  a  black- 
smith in  the  State  of  Maine.  He  finally  located  in 
Belleville  and  there  ended  his  life.  Our  subject's 
father  bore  the  name  of  Adolph,  and  was  born  in 
the  Hartz  Mountains,  in  Germany.  He  w.as  but  a 
young  man  when  he  readied  America;  he  went  at 
once  to  Alton,  111.,  and  there  eng.aged  as  a  clerk  in 
the  Hopkin-Willow  drug  store.  Later,  he  bought  it 
and  conducted  it  until  1873,  when  he  came  to 
East  St.  Louis  and  started  a  drug  store,  becoming 
so  successful  that  he  was  enabled  to  build  the 
Finke  Block  in  1873.  lie  was  the  owner  of  other 
property,  but  in  1881  he  sold  his  store,  although 
he  retained  the  ownership  of  the  block,  and  re- 
turned to  Alton  and  resumed  his  drug  business. 
He  owns  the  block  there  and  conducts  a  flourish- 
ing drug  business.     The    mother   ot   om-   subject 


was  named  Ernestine  Bradfish,  and  was  born  in 
Saxonj',  (ieimany,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Chris- 
topher Bradfish,  also  born  in  Saxony-,  who  came  to 
America  and  settled  in  Alton  and  went  into  the 
shoe  business. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  a  family  of  seven 
children,  six  of  whom  are  living.  He  was  born  in 
Alton,  III.,  August  27,  1864,  and  was  reared  in 
Alton  until  his  ninth  j'ear,  then  remained  in  this 
city  with  his  parents  until  his  seventeenth  year. 
He  attended  the  public  schools  here,  but  when  his 
father  returned  to  Alton,  he  went  with  him  for 
two  years  and  then  returned  to  St.  Louis.  He  de- 
cided to  become  a  confectioner  and  served  an 
apiJi-enticeship  for  about  three  years,  after  which 
in  1886,  he  started  in  the  business  for  himself. 
He  went  to  Wichita,  Kan.,  and  opened  a  store  for 
sweets,  and  for  three'  years  made  a  success  of  it, 
also  dabbling  a  little  in  real-estate.  He  desired 
a  larger  field  and  in  1889  he  sold  his  business 
there  and  came  to  East  St.  Louis,  and  began  what 
has  been  a  very  successful  venture  since.  He  is 
located  on  CoUinsville  Avenue,  where  he  has  his 
manufactory  which  is  25x50  feet  in  dimensions. 
He  has  every  convenience  for  his  business,  and 
keeps  all  his  supplies  in  the  best  condition.  He 
has  parlors  for  the  accommodation  of  the  public  for 
ice  cream,  and  has  much  patronage  on  account  of 
the  manner  in  which  it  is  made  and  served.  He  is 
very  enterprising,  and  manages  the  business  him- 
self. Mr.  Finke  is  a  Keimblican  in  his  political 
opinions,  and  is  regarded  as  a  rising  young  man. 


JI^ATHER  JOHN  HARKINS,  A.  B.  and  A. 
jyjg;  M.,  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  Church,  at  East 
ili  "'  St.  Louis,  III.,  is  a  native  of  the  green  isle  of 
Erin,  where  he  first  saw  the  light  of  day  Decem- 
ber 1,  1862.  His  father,  John  Harkins,  was  a  ship 
contractor  in  Ireland,  but  in  1864  came  with  his 
family  to  America  and  settled  in  Carlinville,  Ma- 
coupin County,  111.,  where  he  eng.aged  in  general 
contracting,  a  calling  he  followed  until   his  death. 


378 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


which  oceuned  in  1887,  at  the  age  of  fort^'-nine  I 
}'ears.  His  wife  was  Elizabeth  Kelley,  a  daugliter 
of  Patrick  Kelle^y,  a  farmer  who  came  to  Carlin- 
ville  anri  died  at  that  place  at  the  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  Mrs.  Harkins  still  resides  in  that 
place;  she  became  the  mother  of  seven  children,  and 
with  the  exception  of  their  father's  death  there 
has  been  no  break  in  the  family  circle. 

Father  Harkins'  first  recollections  arc  of  C'arlin- 
ville,  and  in  the  parochial  schools  of  the  Catholic 
Church  of  that  place  he  obtained  his  early 
training.  At  the  age  of  seventeen  years,  or  in 
1879,  he  entered  the  University  of  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
which  was  taught  by  Jesuit  Fathers,  where  he  con- 
tinued successfully  pursuing  his  studies  until  188;5, 
graduating  in  June  of  that  year  from  the  classical 
course  with  the  highest  honors  of  his  class,  for 
which  he  received  a  handsome  gold  medal.  Three 
years  later,  he  received  the  degree  of  A.  M.  from 
his  alma  mater.  In  the  fall  of  1883,  he  entered  the 
Benedictine  Monastery  of  Spencer  County,  Ind., 
where  he  pursued  a  thorough  theological  course, 
completing  his  studies  in  June,  18('i6,  and  being  or- 
dained Priest.  He  celebrated  the  first  mass  in 
Carlinville  on  the  29th  of  June,  and  after  one 
montii  spent  there  in  rest  he  was  sent  to  Mound 
City,  Pulaski  County,  to  take  charge  of  St.  Mary's 
Church,  which  remained  under  his  care  for  three 
years.  He  also  had  charge  of  missions  at  Burnside, 
Johnson  County;  Stone  Foi't,  Saline  County;  and 
]Metropolis,  Massac  County. 

September  13,  1889,  he  was  appointed  to  St. 
Mary's  Church,  East  St.  J^ouis,  which  congrega- 
tion he  organized  on  tlic  13th  of  October,  1889, 
the  first  services  being  held  in  the  old  Franklin 
Building  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Converse 
Streets,  with  about  one  hundred  families.  Im- 
mediately after  taking  charge,  he  began  the  erec- 
tion of  St.  Mary's  Church,  the  corner  stone  being 
laid  July  4,  1890,  by  Right  Rev.  J.  .lanssen,  Bishop 
of  Belleville.  It  is  a  handsome  brick  edifice,  and 
the  first  services  were  held  in  it  in  Januar_y,  1892. 
It  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  135,000,  and  is  a  monu- 
ment to  the  religious  zeal  of  the  members  of  that 
church,  as  well  as  to  the  enterprise  and  earnestness 
of  Father  Harkins.  It  now  has  an  attendnnco  of 
two    hundred    and    twi'iil\-live    families,    ;ind  Si. 


Mary's  parochial  school,  which  is  under  the  man- 
agement of  four  competent  instructors,  has  an 
average  attendance  of  about  two  hundred  and 
twenty. 

Father  Harkins  belongs  to  the  Catholic  Knights 
of  Illinois,  as  well  as  to  several  other  worthy  organ- 
izations, and,  not  being  at  all  old-fashioned  or  be- 
hind the  times  in  his  views,  he  believes  in  voting 
and  is  himself  a  Democrat.  He  is  very  agreeable 
in  manners,  and  by  all  who  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  hearing  him  preach  he  is  considered  an  eloquent 
and  interesting  speaker. 


■  C,-' 


ERMAN  VOLKENINO.  This  gentleman 
)l'  is  one  of  the  leading  business  men  of  Lenz- 
burg,  where  he  is  engaged  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness, carrying  a  full  line  of  pure  medi- 
cines, together  with  a  variety  of  fine  toilet  articles. 
He  has  done  mucli  toward  advancing  the  prosper- 
ity of  the  village  by  embarking  in  this  enterprise, 
and  by  his  unceasing  application  to  business  has 
secured  a  comijetency,  and  his  unwavering  hon- 
est3'  and  true  nobility  of  character  have  won  him 
the  high  regard  of  his  fellow-men. 

Like  many  of  the  best  citizens  of  St.  Clair  Count3-, 
our  subject  was  born  across  the  waters  in  Prussia, 
the  year  of  his  birth  being  1 829.  He  is  a  son  of  Lud- 
wig  and  Louisa  (Tieman)  Volkening,  also  natives 
of  the  Fatherland,  where  the  former  was  engaged 
in  the  hotel  liusiness  and  also  served  as  a  .soldier. 
Our  subject  was  tlie  third  in  order  of  birth  in  tlie 
parental  family  of  five  children,  and  received  an 
excellent  education  in  his  native  land,  completing 
his  studies  in  one  of  the  best  colleges  in  Prussia. 

At  the  early  age  of  fourteen  years,  young  Vol- 
kening began  to  learn  the  drug  business  in  Ger- 
many, and  in  1854,  thinking  to  better  his  condi- 
tion in  the  United  States,  emigrated  hither  and 
established  in  tlic  grocery  business  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  llr  was  there  successfully  engaged  for 
a  i)eriod  of  thiitcen  years,  and  at  the  expiration 
of  thai  lime  ivinie  to  Lenzburgand  engaged  in  tlie 
aencral  nificMntik'  liusiness  in  this  village  before  it 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


379 


was  platted.  Later  in  life,  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  drug  business,  which  he  has  since  continued 
to  follow  with  marked  success. 

;Mr.  Volkening  finds  time  in  the  midst  of  his 
personal  interest  to  bear  an  active  part  in  the  po- 
litical affairs  of  his  neighliorhood,  and  during  elec- 
tions votes  a  straight  Democratic  ticket.  He  is 
also  interested  in  educational  matters  and  in  all 
movements  whicli  lend  to  the  geiieral  welfare  of 
the  village.  He  is  strictly  honorable  in  his  deal- 
ings and  is  therefore  kindl3'  regarded  liy  all  with 
whom  he  has  to  do. 

While  residing  in  New  York  City,  he  of  whom 
we  write  was  married  to  Miss  Helena  J>.  \'olken- 
ing,  the  date  thereof  being  1855.  The  lady  was  a 
distant  relative  of  our  subject,  and  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Augusta  Volkening,  natives  of  Prus- 
sia. Their  family  comprised  the  following-named 
four  children:   .Tolianna.    Fritz,  Helena  and  Menrv. 


-^^1 


/p^iERHARD  KNKWITZ.  Among  the  early 
/j  settlers    of    Dutch    Hill    Prairie,    St.   Clair 

^^^  County,  111.,  no  family  has  made  for  itself 
a  better  record,  and  one  upon  which  their  descen- 
dants may  justlj' look  with  pride,  than  the  Knewitz 
family.  Thej'  have  always  been  looked  upon  in 
this  community  as  people  of  correct  habits  and 
>ound  piiiuiples  and  as  progressive  in  their  ideas. 

Fi  f  ty-fi  vc  years  ago,  Gerhard  Knewitz,  tlieu  twen- 
ty-seven years  old,  left  his  native  land,  Germany, 
to  seek  that  better  fortune  which  he  felt  assured 
awaited  him  in  the  New  World.  He  had  received 
a  good  education  in  the  Fatiierland,  and  his  robust 
constitution  and  tine  physical  endowments  had 
cost  liim  SIX  years'  service  as  a  private  in  the  (ier- 
maii  aniiy.  wliich  duty  he  filled  with  honor  I., 
iiimself  and  liis  country,  licing  honorably  exempted 
after  his  approiitic('-lii|i  until  his  country's  needs 
demanded  her  wcll-traiurMl  -oldiers  tii  fight  cai'iiest 
battles. 

Coming  to  America  in  18:!s.  (Jerliard  Knewitz, 
Sr.,  owned  as  lii>  worldly  po,-scssi'jns  twent.y-five 
cents  in  money  and  a  somewhat  scanty  supply  of 


clothes.  This  limited  possession  of  earthlj'  effects 
compelled  him  to  begin  working  by  the  day  or 
month.  The  true  German  thrift,  economy,  patience 
and  perseverance  are  well  ill usti-ated  in  his  charac- 
ter, for  in  almost  an  incredibly  short  time  we  find 
that-  by  his  own  industry  he  had  accumulated 
enough  to  purchase  forty  acres  of  Government 
land  at  IL25  per  acre.  To  say  that  this  honest 
German  pioneer  made  a  success  of  life  would  be 
but  faint  praise  for  so  sterling  a  character,  whose 
ambition  was  to  achieve  success,  and  whose  pros- 
pects at  the  beginning  of  his  career  in  a  strange 
country  seemed  so  limited. 

Soon  after  the  acquisition  of  the  land  referred  to. 
Mr.  Knewitz,  Sr.,  married,  and  as  the  result  of  his 
union  five  children  were  born  to  him.  Two  of  his 
children  died  j'oungiu  life;  the  others  were  Henry; 
Gerhard,  .Jr.,  of  this  sketch;  and  Barliara,  who  be- 
came the  wife  of  Joseph  Ebner.  We  find  the  same 
habit  of  accumulating  practiced  all  along  the  years, 
and  the  forty  acres  of  land  first  purchased  by  Mr. 
Knewitz,  Sr.,  have  been  added  to  by  four  hundred 
acres,  until  at  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  recog- 
nized as  the  owner  of  one  of  the  finest  farms  in 
his  township,  as  well  as  the  maker  of  a  pleasant 
home  for  himself  and  family.  He  and  his  wife 
will  always  be  remembered  as  honored  and  re- 
spected members  of  the  Lutheran  Church.  In  the 
year  18.')").  Mrs.  Knewitz  passed  awaj',  leaving  a 
void  in  the  happy  household,  and  twenty-two 
years  after,  in  the  year  1877,  her  husband  sought 
the  rest  of  the  faithful  in  the  realms  of  the  eternal. 

Gerhard  Knewitz,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  in 
1843  on  Dutch  Hill  Prairie,  St.  Clair  County.  His 
mother  dying  when  he  was  twelve  years  old,  and 
he  being  tlie  second  youngest  of  the  family,  it 
would  not  have  been  strange  had  the  boyish  ten- 
dency to  elude  study  prohibited  him  from  acquir- 
ing tiie  knowledge  and  education  which  are  ever 
tlie  foundation  of  success  in  life.  An  excellent  stu- 
dent, however,  we  find  him  qualifying  himself  for 
broader  fields  bj^a  thorough  course  in  the  common 
schools  of  his  township.  After  leaving  school,  he 
followed  the  life  of  a  farmer  and  remained  with 
his  father  on  the  old  homestead.  In  1.866,  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Caroline  Hager,  a  daughter  of  Peter 
and   Louisa    Hager,  and   to  them   were  born    five 


380 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


cliildren,  namel^y:  Frederit-k,  Peter,  Rosa,  Barbara, 
and  Etta,  deceased. 

After  the  death  of  our  subject's  first  wife,  he 
•ngain  mari'ied,  his  second  wife  being  Miss  Eizabeth, 
daughter  of  Michel  and  P^lizabeth  (Oelshicli)  Nold. 
This  second  union  was  blessed  by  four  children, 
tluee  of  whom  are  living:  Otto,  Gerhard,  Jr., 
and  Louis.  Mr.  Knewitz  and  wife  are  working 
members  of  tlie  Lutheran  Church,  noted  for  llieir 
charity  and  kind  and  unostentatious  manner  of 
jjcrforming  Christian  and  neighborly  deeds.  Mr. 
Knewitz  votes  the  straiglit  Republican  ticket, 
and  has  officially  represented  his  Townsliip,  as 
well  as  filling  the  office  of  Trustee  for  two  years. 
He  now  owns  five  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  as 
fine  land  as  can  be  seen  in  this  part  of   the   State. 


<jl?  EMUELTODl).  The  gentleman  with  whose 
I  (^  name  we  introduce  this  sketcli  has  wit- 
■L^^  ncssed  and  materially  assisted  in  thegrowtii 
and  development  of  St.  Clair  County,  and  more 
especially  Prairie  duLong  Township.  He  belongs 
to  that  chiss  of  pioneer  residents  to  wliom  so  large 
a  delit  of  gratitude  is  due  from  the  present  genera- 
tion, owing,  as  it  does,  all  its  advantages  for  a 
more  easy  life  and  a  higher  degree  of  culture  to 
the  noble  hearts  who  endured  privation  and  hard- 
sliip,  and  opened  the  way  for  civilization  tlirough 
the  trackless  prairie. 

Tiie  father  of  Lemuel  Todd  was  Mr.  .John  Todd, 
a  native  of  Virginia,  in  which  State  he  spfentmany 
of  his  boyhood  days.  AVIien  quite  a  young  boy- 
he  moved  to  Tsortli  Carolina,  and  from  there  to 
Tennessee.  He  was  lirst  mairiod  to  :\Ii>s  Allen, 
of  Tennessee,  who  Ixire  him  fnuvtecn  c-hildren, 
the  subject  of  our  sketch  being  the  thirteenth 
child  in  the  family  group.  A  short  time  after 
the  birth  of  her  fourteenth  child,  Mrs.  Todd 
died,  leaving  a  mournful  houseful  of  bereaved 
little  ones.  Dr.  Todd's  second  wife  was  a  Miss 
Aurringtoii,  who  died  after  giving  birth  to  one 
child.     After    residing   in  Tennessee   for   a   nmu- 


ber  of  years,  Mr.  Todd,  .Sr.,  removed  to  Johnson 
County,  111.,  wdiere  he  remained  for  eleven  years, 
leaving  that  location  for  Washington  County,  and 
removing  thence  to  St.  Clair  County,  111.  Almut 
the  year  1836,  he  located  .at  New  Athens,  in  winch 
village  his  sons  rented  and  cultivated  a  farm,  while 
their  father  worked  as  a  carpenter.  During  this 
period  of  his  career  he  married  Mrs.  Sarah  Otter, 
of  Belleville,  from  whom  he  obtained  a  divorce, 
and  then  married  Miss  Nixon.  In  company  with 
his  last-mentioned  wife  he  removed  to  Waterloo, 
Monroe  County,  111.,  where  he  lived  until  her 
death,  after  whicli  event  he  married  Mrs.  Hill. 
From  Waterloo  he  removed  to  a  farm  in  Xew 
Athens  Townsliip,  where  he  remained  until  the 
time  of  his  death. 

Mr.  Lemuel  Todd,  the  subject  of  this  sketch,  was 
liorn  January  3,  1826,  in  North  Carolina.  He  came 
with  his  fatlier  to  St.  Clair  County,  when  very 
young.  At  the  age  of  nine  years  he  was  bound 
out  by  his  father  to  Archibald  Hood,  with  whom 
he  remained  for  four  3'ears.  The  life  of  a  bound 
boy  has  many  sad  reniiniscieuces  for  him,  as  the 
treatment  received  from  his  employer  necessitated 
his  father  cancelling  the  contract  and  taking  the 
boy  home,  where  he  remained  until  he  was  seven- 
teen years  old.  Iielping  his  father  on  the  farm. 
His  next  work  was  that  of  a  farm  hand  working  b3' 
the  month,  after  which  he  went  to  herding  cattle. 

At  the  age  of  twentj'-two,  Lemuel  Todd  married 
Miss  Phrebe  Hill,  who  lived  but  a  short  time  after 
their  union.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Jonathan 
Hill,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  count}-.  Af- 
ter his  marriage,  Mr.  Todd  located  on  the  farm 
w-here  he  now  lives.  The  issue  of  his  first  w-ife 
was  one  child,  Nancy  Jane,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
fourteen  years.  In  1883,  he  married  his  second 
wife,  who  was  Mrs.  Mary  Ritlenhouse,  a  daughter 
ofMicliMcl  Noldd.  She  was  born  in  Germany, 
and  '■amc  to  this  eouiitry  when  she  was  twelve 
years  old,  locating  with  her  parents  at  Freeling, 
where  she  remained  until  her  marriage  with  Will- 
iam T.  Kitteiihouse.  She  was  the  mother  of  two  chil- 
dren, one  of  whom  dird  when  ten  months  old. 

The  suhjtcl  of  our  sketch  now  live.-  on  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  twcnly-tlircc  acres. all  of  wliich 
is  under  lirsl-class   culti  valion,  and  which   he  still 


^^-- 


-^-fl^     "i^N 


*  .  ■v^i?^3jC"SWm>,^ 


Jru-Ou^iZi^    J^fviu-^4lh~ 


Portrait  and  biograi'hical  record. 


manages  and  gives  his  personal  supervision.  He 
is  an  autliorit}'  on  all  matters  pertaining  to  local 
history,  having  watched  the  growth  of  this  com- 
munity since  1837.  He  often  entertains  his  friends 
with  reminiscences  of  the  time  when  he  worked 
near  the  site  of  his  present  home  for  the  munifi- 
cent sum  of  13  per  mouth,  and  is  amused  at  the 
expressions  of  wonder  that  flit  over  the  faces  of 
some  of  his  young  audiences,  who  breathlessly  in- 
quire how  he  lived  on  it.  Few  men  have  the 
alnlity  to  recount  the  leading  incidents  of  their 
life's  history  with  the  truth  of  detail  which  Mr. 
Todd's  hearers  are  ever  able  to  discern  in  his 
stories  of  the  long  ago.  He  is  recognized  as  a 
stanch  adherent  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  is  ever 
ready  to  place  himself  at  the  service  of  the  good 
cause.  He  has  filled  tlie  ortice  of  Town  Supervisor 
for  six  years,  and  was  afterward  elected  to  the 
office  of  School  Director,  in  which  capacity  he 
served  for  a  term  of  three  years.  Few  men  in 
their  declining  years  can  look  back  over  the  vista 
of  years  and  view  a  better  record  tlian  the  one  en- 
joyed by  our  subject,  who  now,  in  the  autumn  of 
his  life,  is  calmly  enjoying  the  fruits  of  his  arduous 
labors,  surrounded  by  the  esteem  of  his  fellow- 
men  and  the  sincere  affection  of  those  who  express 
their  gratitude  to  him  as  a  friend  and  counselor. 


=1^4-^1 


^^  ITGUSTITS    C'HEXOT.    The    propriety  of 
%fJ\\    fire  insurance  is  recognized  by  all  prudent 
I   ii    men,   but  the   greatest    objection    that  is 
W  generally  made    to  old-line   companies  of 

recognized  solidity  is  that  the  insurance  as  fur- 
nished by  them  is  a  dear  investment,  the  premium 
charges  being  out  of  all  just  proportion  to  the 
amount  necessary  to  pay  losses  and  expenses;  and 
an  insurance  contract  combining  safety  with  econ- 
omy is  something  that  has  been  much  desired  by 
the  majority  of  the  insuring  public.  To  fill  this 
want  the  Belleville  St.  Clair  County  Farmers'  JIu- 
tual  Fire  Insurance  Company  was  incorporated  in 
1.S83  and  has  since  enjoyed  a  steady  increase  in 
business.  Tlic  company  has  earned  the  iitrov  of 
18 


the  business  community  and  the  confidence  of  the 
public  at  large  by  uniform  fidelity  in  the  execu- 
tion of  all  its  contracts,  and  is  now  an  active  factor 
in  the  insurance  business  of  the  count\'.  The 
affairs  of  the  company  are  in  the  hands  of  gentle- 
men of  prominent  and  substantial  business  stand- 
ing, Augustus  Chenot.  I  Ik  I'l  (-id rut,  being  a  gentle- 
man of  superior  executixc  ability  and  a  popular 
and  [jrogressive  citizen.  The  compan3'  is  noted 
foi'  the  promptness  and  fairness  with  which  it  ad- 
justs and  pays  losses,  and  is  an  excellent  medium 
for  the  procuring  of  safe  and  reliable  insurance. 
The  main   office  is  at  Belleville. 

Augustus  Chenot  is  a  native  of  France,  born  in 
Lorraine  October  1,  1828,  and  is  a  son  of  John  .1. 
and  Barbara  (Fistuer)  Chenot,  both  natives  of  that 
countrj'.  John  J.  Chenot  was  an  old  soldier  and 
held  the  rank  of  Captain  under  Napoleon.  He 
brought  his  family  to  the  United  States  in  1830, 
landing  in  New  York,  and  after  residing  in  differ- 
ent States  until  1842,  made  a  permanent  settlement 
in  St.  Clair  County-,  111.,  six  miles  north  of  Belle- 
ville, where  he  was  engaged  in  keeping  a  country 
store.  He  was  always  honorable  and  upright  in 
his  dealings,  was  highly  esteemed  in  the  commu- 
nit3',  and  was  a  man  of  true  worth.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  1863.  The  mother  had  passed  away  in 
1849.  Their  children,  seven  in  number  beside  our 
subject,  are  as  follows:  our  subject;  Charles,  of  St. 
Louis;  Francis,  also  of  St.  Louis;  Elizabeth  (de- 
ceased); Henry;  .Toseph,  in  Texas;  Mrs.  John  De 
Veaux;  and  Mrs.  Bishop,  of  Collinsville,  111. 

The  original  of  this  notice  received  a  college  ed- 
ucation in  St.  Louis  and  was  afterw.ard  busil.y  en- 
gaged in  the  store  with  his  fatlier  until  his  marriage 
April  14,  1857,  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Boul,  a  sister  of 
Hon.  Nicholas  Boul,  present  Representative  in  the 
Legislature.  The  following  children  were  born 
to  them:  Augusta,  wife  of  John  Rink,  of  Belleville; 
Albert,  William,  .John,  Edward,  Benjamin,  and 
Emma.  >Iis.  Chenot  died  on  the  30th  of  August. 
is.sc.  After  his  marriage  Mr.  Chenot  decided 
that  farming  was  the  occupation  to  which  he  wished 
to  devote  his  time  and  attention,  and  he  has  fol- 
lowed that  ever  since,  but  in  connection  therewith 
has  engaged  in  other  enterprises.  He  is  one  of  the 
most  siilislantial  and   iiromiiienl  farnicrs    of    this 


384 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


countiy,  owning  one  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
the  home  place,  one  hundred  and  ninety  in  another 
part  of  the  county,  a  good  farm  in  Madison  County, 
and  considerable  city  property.  In  superintending 
his  farm  and  in  attending  to  the  insurance  busi- 
ness our  subject  has  his  time  full}-  occupied,  but 
he  finds  time  to  discharge  his  duties  as  a  citizen 
and  public-spirited  man.  He  has  been  School  Di- 
rector for  twenty-four  years  and  was  County  Com- 
missioner for  two  years,  in  1874  and  1875.  He  be- 
came a  member  of  the  insurance  company  in  1876 
and  has  been  a  Director  and  officer  since.  He  has 
a  residence  two  miles  east  of  Belleville  and  is  one 
of  the  representative  men  of  the  county.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Cathedral,  in 
which  he  has  served  as  Trustee  and  has  been  Trea- 
surer for  seven  years.  He  has  been  connected 
with  the  St.  Clair  County  Fair  Association  for  the 
past  twenty  years  and  is  now  its  Vice-president. 


early  education  in  the  district  schools,  completing 
a  course  at  the  Central  Wesleyan  College,  at  War- 
rington, Mo.  He  was  married  in  1887,  to  Miss 
Julia  Stapf,  by  whom  he  has  two  children:  Emmetl 
Robert,  aged  four  years;  and  Alice,  aged  one  year. 
Mr.  Funk  is  operating  a  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty-five  acres  of  land,  owned  by  his  mother, 
on  which  he  grows  grain,  chiefly  depending  upon 
wheat  for  his  crop.  He  is  an  enterprising  young 
farmer,  and  understands  the  work  in  which  he  has 
been  engaged  all  his  life.  lie  is  a  member  of  the 
Mascoutah  AVitchland  Society.  Politically,  he  is  a 
Democrat,  and  upholds  the  principles  of  that  parly 
on  every  occasion. 


^i#^|-^"l^li^^l 


\I|!„„^ENRY  C.  FCNK.     Among  tlie  enterprising 

ij    jij  3'oung  farmers  of  Freeburg  Township,  St. 

il\^    Clair  County,  is  the  one  who   resides  on 

(^|)     section  11,  and  it  is  to  his  histor}^  that  the 

attention  of  the  reader  is  called. 

Mr.  Funk  is  the  son  of  Henry  Funk,  wlio  was 
one  of  the  early  settlers  of  this  very  beautiful 
county.  A  traveler  through  this  section  of  coun- 
try, as  his  e\^es  rest  upon  the  fields  of  waving 
grain  and  nodding  corn,  does  not  realize  the 
years  of  patient  effort  that  were  necessary  to 
bring  these  same  fields  to  their  i)resent  state  of 
perfection,  nor  does  one  to  whom  fanning  is  a 
mystery  begin  to  realize  the  hard  labor  required 
to  keep  this  degree  of  cultivation  up.  Trul}-,  in 
this  world,  "  there  are  no  gains  without  pains." 
Through  all  of  the  hard  work  attendant  upon 
the  breaking  of  a  new  country,  went  the  father  of 
our  subject,  and  his  son  endeavors  to  maintain 
the  same  state  of  excellence  on  the  farm  which  he 
is  operating  for  his  widowed  mother. 

Our  subject  was  born  on  the  ])laee  where  he 
now    resides,  Decemhei-   5,   18r)6,     He  received  his 


fAMES  A.  WYLIE.  An  honorable  position 
among  the  agriculturists  of  Marissa  Town- 
ship is  held  b.y  the  gentleman  above  named, 
who  is  the  fortunate  possessor  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres  of  fine  land  on  section  3.'5. 
The  well-tilled  farm  is  devoted  to  raising  mixed 
crops  and  the  ordinary  amount  of  stock,  both  grain 
and  animals  being  of  good  quality.  A  homelike 
dwelling  and  various  outbuildings  indicate  to  the 
passer-by  that  the  land  is  occupied  by  a  family  tif 
enterprise  and  good  judgment. 

Our  subject  is  the  son  of  Alexander  and  Nancy 
(Wilson)  Wylie  and  was  born  in  Randolph 
County,  this  State,  in  1854,  within  a  few  miles  of 
his  present  home.  His  father,  who  was  born  iii 
Scotland,  came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents 
when  quite  young,  and  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life  in  Randolph  County.  James  of  this  sketch 
was  reared  on  the  home  farm  and  received  such  an 
education  as  the  common  schools  of  his  day  af- 
forded. To  that  foundation  he  has  added  by  read- 
ing and  observation,  his  effort  being  to  keep  himself 
well  informed  regarding  current  events  and  the 
topics  of  general  interest.  When  starting  out  for 
himself,  he  rented  land  and  began  tilling  the  soil, 
gradually  accumulating  the  means  with  which  to 
l)Urchase  his  ijresent  fine  estate. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


385 


AVhen  reaehiug  his  majority,  James  Wylie  aud 
^li.ss  Sarah  C,  daiigliter  of  John  K.  and  Margaret 
White,  of  this  county-,  were  united  in  marriage.  A 
sketcli  of  Mrs.  Wylie's  parents,  wiio  are  prominent 
residents  of  Marissa  Township,  will  be  found  on 
another  page  in  this  volume.  To  our  subject  and 
his  wife  were  born  a  faniii\  of  five  children,  two 
of  whom  died  in  infancy.  Those  living  are  John 
W..  Nancy  A.  and  James  F.  Tlie  wife  aud  mother 
departed  this  life  March  7,  1887,  and  her  remains 
were  followed  to  their  last  resting-place  by  many 
relatives  and  warm  friends. 

Mr.  Wylie  is  an  ardent  Prohibitionist  in  iiis 
political  views  and  uses  his  influence  in  every  pos- 
sible way  to  advance  party  interests. 


R.  ALPIION.SO  XAVIKU  ILLINSKI. 
)  This  pioneer  physician  of  the  Mississippi 
Bottom  was  born  in  the  province  of  Yal- 
hejima,  Poland,  in  1817,  where  his  father, 
Alexander  lUinski,  also  a  native  of  Poland,  was  a 
land-owner  and  planter.  lie  was  a  very  promi- 
nent man  and  passed  his  entire  life  in  his  native 
country.  His  wife,  Anna,  was  also  a  native  of 
Poland.  They  were  the  i)arents  of  twelve  chil- 
dren, our  subject  being  second  in  order  of  birth. 
Two  of  our  subject's  brothers  were  exiled  to  Si- 
l)eria  and  served  their  time  in  the  mines.  One  is 
there  at  the  present  time,  as  is  also  one  nephew. 

The  original  of  this  notice  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  the  Gymnasium  of  Kremnitz,  and  pos- 
sesses a  strong  constitution,  great  will  power  and 
remarkable  endurance,  or  he  could  never  have 
stood  the  life  he  has  lead  as  a  physician.  He  re- 
mained in  the  Gymnasium  for  live  years  and  re- 
ceived a  classical  education.  At  this  institution 
the  study  of  the  Latin,  Greek,  French,  Russian, 
German  and  Polish  languages,  mathematics  and 
the  natural  sciences  was  obligatory.  Then  sciiool 
was  maintained  on  the  high-pressure  principle, 
studies  were  crowded  too  rapidly  one  after  another, 
and  youths  were  expected  to  accomplisli  tlie  work 
of  ailiilts,     Tliose   who  possessed  strong  (_ ^tilu- 


tious  stood  the  ordeal,  while  others  failed.  Our 
subject  stood  well  in  his  classes.  Prompted  b\- 
patriotism,  at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he 
joined  the  insurgents'  army  as  a  lancer,  but  was 
promoted  to  be  First  Lieutenant  before  the  close  of 
the  Kevolution.  After  the  capture  of  War.saw,  the 
command  to  which  he  was  attached  retreated  to 
Galicia.  a  part  of  Austria,  for  refuge,  and  he  re- 
mained there  about  a  year.  In  1834,  a  peremp- 
tor3^  order  was  issued  exiling  all  insurgents  either 
to  Russia  or  France.  Our  subject  naturally  chose 
the  latter,  but  the  order  was  in  the  meantime, 
changed  to  America  in  place  of  France. 

.\t  the  time  of  the  issuance  of  this  order,  our 
suljject  was  confined  in  a  prison  at  Olmutz,  with- 
out knowing  the  reason,  and  there  he  lay  for  six 
weeks.  He  believed  that  a  mistake  had  been  made, 
the  authorities  intending  the  incarceration  of  an 
older  brother,  Anthon}'  Illinski,  who  was  a  leader 
among  the  insurgent  soldiers,  and  as  such  was 
thought  to  merit  greater  punishment  than  simply 
to  be  exiled.  This  brother  made  good  his  escape, 
and,  true  to  his  military  instincts,  joined  the  French 
in  the  Algerian  War.  He  then  served  as  a  Turk 
and  joined  the  regular  army  of  that  people.  The 
love  of  Poland  as  a  dear  dream  yet  lingered  with 
him,  so  he  obtained  leave  of  absence  from  his  com- 
mand and  joined  Kossuth  in  his  vain  endeavor  to 
redeem  his  fair  land.  He  was  every  inch  a  soldier, 
and  life  presented  no  charm  for  him,  so  that  no 
sooner  were  Kossuth's  hopes  crushed  and  his  armies 
disbanded,  than  he  joined  the  Turks  again,  be- 
coming a  General  in  their  arm}'.  In  the  memor- 
aljle  charge  of  Balaklava,  he  received  a  wound 
from  which  he  soon  after  died,  in  1856. 

Dr.  Alphonso  X.  Illinski  came  to  America  from 
( lalicia,  and  lauded  in  the  city  of  New  York  on 
tlic  28th  of  March,  1834.  After  traveling  for  a 
year,  he  landed  at  Havana,  the  Queen  City  of  the 
Antilles,  and  there  obtained  employment  in  an 
hospital  because  he  could  speak  so  many  different 
languages.  He  there  develoi)ed  a  taste  for  the 
study  of  medicine  and  the  practice  of  surgery. 
Later  he  graduated  in  medicine,  and  in  1837  came 
to  Louisiana,  where  he  remained  until  one  year 
Inter,  wlien  he  came  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.  He  entered 
McDow.-irs  Mediciil  College  in    l.s4(t,  and  gradu- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ated  from  that  institution  two  years  later  with  the 
degree  M.  D.  He  then  came  immediately  to  St. 
Clair  County,  111.,  and  has  been  in  the  active  prac- 
tice of  his  profession  here  for  fifty  years,  or  since 
1842.  He  first  located  in  the  village  of  Cahokia, 
and  as  there  was  not  a  buggy  in  the  county  at 
that  time,  he  made  his  professional  rounds  on 
horseback  with  saddle-bags.  He  was  obliged  to 
swim  streams  during  the  high  waters  of  1844,  1858, 
1883  and  1892.  He  practiced  all  over  the  Missis- 
sippi Bottom  and  never  knew  what  it  was  to  feel 
fatigue  until  after  the  age  of  sixty-five. 

In  1887,  after  the  death  of  his  son-in-law.  Dr. 
Jennings,  to  whom  he  had  given  his  practice,  he 
located  in  East  .St.  Louis  to  assist  his  daughter  and 
keep  her  company.  He  has  practiced  since  then 
and  is  the  oldest  physician  in  St.  Louis.  He  had 
the  largest  practice  of  any  physician  in  the  county 
and  often  had  to  visit  as  many  as  sixty  patients 
in  a  daj-.  He  at  one  time  owned  farms  in  this 
county,  but  he  has  sold  them.  He  was  deeply  in- 
terested in  bee  culture  for  some  time  and  had  as 
many  as  seventeen  hundred  hives  wliile  at  Cahokia. 
The  Doctor  was  married  in  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  in  1843, 
to  Mrs.  Jane  (Butler)  St.  John,  a  native  of  St.  Clair 
County,  and  two  children  were  the  fruits  of  this 
union:  Cora,  Mrs.  Droit,  who  resides  in  Cahokia; 
and  Clementine,  widow  of  Dr.  Jennings,  who  resides 
in  East  St.  Louis.  The  Doctor's  second  marriage  was 
to  Miss  Virginia  Black,  a  native  of  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
and  three  children  were  born  to  tliem,  viz.: 
Anielka,  Seaii  and  Alexus.  The  Doctor  is  a  member 
of  the  St.  Clair  Medical  Society,  and  in  politics,  is 
a  stanch  supporter  of  Democratic  principles,  having 
been  a  delegate  to  county  and  State  conventions. 


m>^^<\ 


"'CESSER  is  one  of  the 
prominent  of  the  farm- 
He  is  the  owner  of 
*^^'  several  fine  farms  and  raises  great  crops  of 
the  cereals,  priucipall.y  wljeat  and  corn,  his  resi- 
dence being  situated  on  section  28,  Mascoutah 
'J'ownship,  St.  Clair  C'oimty, 


The  f.ather  of  our  subject  was  George  C.  Fuesser, 
'    who  was  a  native  of  Byne  in  Haslach,  Germany. 
:    and  was  boin  February  2, 1825.  He  was  reared  and 
I    received  his  education  in  his  native  place  entirely, 
and  in  1842  he  came  to  this  country.     When   he 
first  came  to  the  United  States,  he  engaged  in  the 
:    trade  of  wagon-making  and  he  followed  this  for 
some  time,  but  later    went  upon    a    farm,    where 
he  remained  for  two  years.     His   employer  was  a 
Mr.  Leitroch,  and  our  subject  gave  good  satisfac- 
tion in  his  work.     In    1846,  Mr.  Fuesser  married 
'    Miss    Mary    Dundor,    the    daughter   of    Andrew 
,    Dundor,  and    our  subject   at  this   time  bougiit  a 
j   farm  in  this  township,  where  he  remained  about  five 
I   years.     He  then  moved  to  Mascoutah,  but  did  not 
live  tiiere  long,  and  returned  to  the  farm,  where 
he  continued  until  1860,  when  he  moved  back  into 
the  town.    Here   lie  continued   for  a  space  of  six 
years  when  he  again  went  back  to   the  farm,  and 
remained  there  until  1873.     At  this  date  he  made 
his  final  removal,  coming  to  this  place  and    here 
living  until  his  death,  March  8,  1880.     His  wife 
still  survives  and  finds  a  pleasant  home  in  Mas- 
coutah.   There  were  four  children  of  this  marriage: 
George  Adam,  who  resides  upon  the  home  place; 
John  Philip,  who  is  our  suliject;   Anna,  who  lives 
in  Mascoutah;  and  Carl  Adolph.  who  nl^o  lives  at 
the  old  home. 

Our  subject  was  born  February  6,  1853,  in  this 
township,  and  here  was  reared  and  went  to  school. 
He  has  grown  up  to  be  a  practical  farmer,  one 
who  understands  the  business  and  knows  how  to 
make  it  a  paying  one.  He  owns  quite  a  deal  of 
land,  having  one  hundred  acres  here  in  Mascoutah 
Township,  and  also  one  hundred  and  fifty-three 
acres  in  Engelman  Township,  making  in  all  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty-three  acres.  Carl  Adolph,  his  brother, 
owns  one  hundred  and  five  acres  of  fine  land  in 
this  township,  and  the  farms  of  both  brothers  have 
been  carefully  cultivated,  and  show  care  and  proper 
tillage.  Looking  at  the  fields  of  waving  grain  of 
which  these  young  men  are  the  owners,  one  can 
not  think  that  Dakota  holds  the  best  wheat  farms 
in  the  West.  The  daughter,  Annie,  owns  fifty-three 
acres  of  land,  and  a  fine  residence  in  Mascoutah. 
Siie  is  a  pu|Hilar  stenographer,  the  only  one  in  Mas- 
coutah, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


387 


Politically,  Mr.  Fuesser  is  a  Republican,  and  takes 
quite  an  interest  in  all  that  interests  his  chosen 
party.  He  is  well  known  throughout  the 
county  and  possesses  the  respect  of  all.  He  is 
not  one  of  the  oldest  settlers,  but  his  father  was, 
and  in  this  way  his  name  is  well  known  to  all. 
The  old  settlers  are  fast  leaving  only  a  name  be- 
hind them,  and  this  Record  desires  to  so  preserve 
their  names  and  sketclies  of  their  lives,  that  future 
generations  may  see  who  and  what  manner  of  men 
were  those  who  first  conquered  the  wilderness, and 
made  the  land  tiie  pleasant  place  it  now  is  for  their 
descendants. 


EV.  HENRY  .JOHN  IIAGEN.  In  tiie  life  j 
of  the  Chancellor  of  the  Belleville  Diocese,  [ 
there  is  much  for  the  reader  to  admire  and 
emulate,  and  it  affords  us  pleasure  to  incor- 
porate in  this  volume  the  main  events  of  his  use- 
ful and  honorable  career.  A  man  of  brilliant  at- 
tainments, whose  splendid  education  has  been  of 
great  value  to  him;  with  genial  manners,  gentle- 
manly bearing  and  fine  physique,  tall  and  dignified, 
it  is  not  strange  that  he  occupies  a  place  so  promi- 
nent in  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-men.  He  possesses 
conversational  abilities  of  a  high  order  and  the 
executive  attainments  which  admirablj'  qualify 
him  for  the  responsible  position  of  Chancellor. 

Fatlier  Hagen  is  still  a  young  man,  and  tliisfact, 
together  with  his  unusual  talents  and  tiie  success 
already  achieved,  gives  his  friends  reason  to  liope 
for  a  career  of  honor  in  future  j'ears.  He  was  born 
in  Gerraantown,  Clinton  County,  111.,  May  21, 
1861,  and  has  alwaj's  been  a  resident  of  tliis.State. 
His  parentage  is  German,  his  father,  Theodore  H. 
and  his  mother,  Margaret  (Kreke)  Hagen,  having 
been  born  in  Oldenburg  and  Hanover,  Germanj-, 
respectively,  whence  thej-  came  to  America  as  chil- 
dren witli  their  respective  families  and  were  mar- 
ried in  Germantown,  Clinton  County',  111.  The 
father,  who  was  a  wagon-maker  by  trade,  followed 
that  occupation  in  his  native  land,  whence  he  emi- 
grated to  America  in  liis  young  manliood. 


In  the  village  of  Gerraantown,  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  received  the  rudiments  of  his  education 
in  the  parochial  schools,  and  afterward  entered  St. 
.Joseph  College  at  Teutopolis,  111.,  when  thirteen 
years  old.  He  pursued  his  studies  in  that  institu- 
tion of  learning,  from  which  he  was  graduated  at 
the  age  of  sixteen,  after  having  completed  the 
course  of  study  with  honors.  Having  resolved  to 
enter  the  priesthood,  he  commenced  the  stud.y  of 
theology  In  St.  Francis  Seminary,  near  Milwaukee, 
Wis.,  and  after  remaining  there  for  a  short  time, 
went  to  Europe  and  finished  his  education  in  the 
famous  University  of  Innspruck,  Austria,  gradu- 
ating in  1883. 

September  23  of  the  above-named  year.  Father 
Hagen  was  ordained  priest  at  Alton,  111.,  the  cere- 
mon}'  of  ordination  being  in  charge  of  the  late 
Bishop  Baltes.  The  first  pastorate  of  the  young 
priest  was  the  mission  at  Mt.  Vernon,  this  State, 
and  he  also  had  charge  of  the  missions  at  McLeans- 
borough  and  Okawville,  this  State.  During  the  six 
years  in  which  he  was  thus  engaged,  he  was  instru- 
mental in  advancing  the  welfare  of  these  missions 
and  also  in  increasing  their  numerical  strength, 
and  his  faithful  ministry  gained  him  a  large  num- 
ber of  friends. 

In  October,  1889,  Father  Hagen  was  transferred 
to  the  Cathedral  at  Belleville,  and  one  year  later 
was  appointed  Secretary  to  Bishop  Janssen  and 
Chancellor  of  the  Belleville  Diocese,  in  which  hon- 
orable place  he  still  labors.  He  is  a  worthy  adjunct 
to  so  grand  a  man  as  Bishop  Janssen.  The  finan- 
cial matters  of  the  diocese  almost  invariably  pass 
tlirough  his  hands,  and, being  thoroughly  informed 
in  business  affairs,  he  is  successful  in  this,  as  in 
other  departments  of  his  work. 


jli_  ON.  JOHN  THOMAS  is  descended  from 
Wjfi  Welsh  ancestors,  who  came  to  America  at 
/^^^  the  beginning  of  the  last  centurj'.  His 
(^  great-grandfather  became  the  head  of  a 
family  of  seven  sons  and  three  daughters;  one  of 
his  sons,  Griffith,  became  the  father  of  eight  sons 


388 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


aud  tvvt)  daugliteis.  Of  this  family  was  John 
Thomas,  the  father  of  the  suhject  of  this  sketch. 
He  was  born  in  North  Carolina,  and  was  united  in 
marriage  to  Miss  Jane  Smitli,  a  native  of  that 
State,  by  whom  he  became  the  father  of  a  large 
family  of  children,  onl_v  two  of  whom  are  living 
at  the  present  time.  Hon.  John  Thomas  was  born 
in  Wythe  County',  Va.,  Januai-y  11,  1800,  and  as 
his  father  was  a  blacksmith  and  farmer  of  strait- 
ened circumstances,  at  an  earl}-  day  he  had  to  as- 
sist in  supporting  the  family-.  Living  in  a  slave 
State,  where  wealtliy  planters  owned  inost  of 
the  land,  his  father  decided  to  move  to  a  free  State, 
where  his  children  could  have  better  educational 
and  social  advantages,  and  the  winter  of  1817-18 
was  spent  in  Indiana,  but  on  the  '28th  of  April, 
1818,  he  reached  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  and  they 
halted  near  the  present  village  of  Shiloh,  then 
known  as  the  Alexander  settlement,  where  the  fa- 
ther at  once  opened  a  blacksmith's  shop,  there 
being  already  a  mill  and  distillery  there.  Here 
he  followed  his  trade,  as  well  as  the  occupation 
of  farmer,  his  spare  moments  from  his  shop  be- 
ing devoted  to  clearing  his  land  from  timber 
and  brush.  On  this  farm  he  resided  until  his 
death  in  the  year  1848,  at  about  the  age  of  eighty 
years,  his  widow  surviving  him  until  1854,  when 
she,  too,  passed  away,  and  both  are  now  sleeping 
their  last  sleep  on  the  old  home  farm.  Her  father 
was  a  physician  and  served  in  the  Revolutionary 
War.  John  Thomas,  the  father  of  our  subject, 
served  in  the  War  of  1812  in  his  business  capacity, 
and  was  extensivelj^  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  horseshoe  nails.  Dr.  William  L.  Smith,  Mis. 
Thomas'  brother,  who  met  his  death  by  drowning, 
left  considerable  valuable  property. 

The  early  education  of  Hon.  John  Thomas,  as 
well  as  that  of  his  brothers  and  sisters,  would  have 
been  sadly  neglected  had  it  not  been  for  their  ex- 
cellent mother,  who  was  a  finely  educated  lady. 
She  taught  all  her  children  to  read  and  write  and 
instructed  them  in  the  rudimentary  branches. 
John  never  saw  a  schoolhouse  or  church  until  after 
he  was  eighteen  years  of  age,  but  he  was  an  indus- 
trious and  moral  young  man,  and  in  his  youth 
imbiticd  principles  of  industry  and  honor  that 
were   of   material   benefit   to   him    in    later    years. 


Like  a  dutiful  son,  he  assisted  his  father  on  the 
home  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
at  which  time,  feeling  the  need  of  a  better  educa- 
tion, he  divided  his  first  _vear  of  independent  life 
between  working  and  attending  school,  and  as  his 
mind  was  active  and  sound,  he  made  rapid  prog- 
ress in  his  studies.  He  learned  the  blacksmith*s 
trade  of  his  father  and  followed  this  occupation, 
in  connertidii  witli  tilling  rented  land  for  about 
six  years,  when,  in  1828,  he  made  his  first  purchase 
of  real  estate  and  stocked  his  farm,  and  from  that 
purchase  of  land  dates  his  prosperity.  He  was 
shrewd  and  far-seeing  and  knew  that  permanent 
prosperit\'  would  come  to  him  who  would  invest 
liberall}',  or  place  his  means  in  land,  and  that  it 
would  be  only  a  question  of  time  when  the  broad 
and  fertile  prairies  of  Illinois  would  be  brought 
into  market,  and  would  be  in  great  demand  by  the 
tide  of  immigration,  that  would  pour  in  from  the 
East  and  from  foreign  shores.  He  therefore  pur- 
chased all  the  land  he  could  get  and  pay  for,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  officious  friends  in- 
formed him  that  he  was  acting  foolishly  and  was 
inviting  bankruptej-.  He  had  an  abiding  faith 
that  real  estate  was  the  true  source  of  wealth,  and 
he  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  land  for  which 
he  paid  only  a  few  dollars  increase  in  value  to 
exceed  $400  per  acre.  The  history  of  his  success 
in  the  accumulation  of  a  fortune  is  the  history  of 
nearly  all  the  rich  men  of  Illinois.  In  1824,  an  elec- 
tion was  held  in  order  to  determine  whether  slavery 
[  should  exist  in  Illinois,  and  Col.  Thomas  bitterly 
opposed  the  measure  and  did  all  in  his  power  to 
defeat  the  scheme.  As  a  consequence  a  committee 
I  was  appointed  to  horsewhip  lam,  but,  having  a 
t  bod3-guard,  the  matter  was  compromised  by  a 
good  man  being  chosen  from  each  side  to  decide 
the  matter  in  the  fistic  arena.  It  resulted  in  the 
victory  for  the  Colonel,  and  a  majority  of  ninety- 
seven  votes  was  polled  against  slavery,  the  State 
I  going  seventeen  hundred  majority.  Lieut.-Gov. 
I  Kinney,  the  Colonel's  father-in-law,  was  the  owner 
!  of  about  a  dozen  slaves,  resided  about  three  miles 
from  Belleville  and  w.as  one  of  iiis  strongest  oppo- 
nents. 

In  early  life  he   was   very   devoted   to   military 
pursuits,  and  in  1832,  during  the  Black  Hawk  War, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


389 


he  enlisted  in  the  service,  and  raised  a  compan}'  of 
volunteers  and  started  for  Iowa.  Later,  he  was 
compelled  to  return  home  on  account  of  his  fani- 
113-,  but  on  some  slurring  remarks  being  made  of 
him  by  Gov.  Reynolds,  he  cast  aside  personal  con- 
siderations and  the  next  day  started  out  to  organ- 
ize a  company,  of  wliich  he  was  made  Captain. 
The  question  then  arose  who  should  l)e  Colonel, 
and  as  Capt.  Thomas'  knowledge  of  military  tac- 
tics was  well  known,  his  numerous  friends  chose 
him,  altliough  Gov.  Reynolds  was  in  favor  of 
Buckmaster  holding  the  position.  Col.  Thomas 
was  elected  b3'  thirty  majority,  and  with  liis  com- 
mand marched  witliin  fifteen  miles  of  Black  Hawk, 
where  they  were  joined  113-  Capt.  Stiliman  with 
three  hundred  men.  A  part  of  this  force  met 
Black  Hawk  in  battle,  but  were  defeated,  and  the 
following  day  the  entire  force  marched  against 
him,  but  only  found  the  smouldering  remains  of 
his  camp  fires.  They  then  went  to  Ottawa,  111., 
and  found  that  the  most  of  the  few  settlers  of  that 
place  had  been  murdered  by  the  redskins,  and  al- 
tliough Gov.  Reynolds  had  previousl3'  discharged 
his  men,  the  settlers  asked  for  his  protection  and 
Col.  Thomas  assisted  in  organizing  a  company, 
and  of  tills  and  three  other  comi)anies.  Col.  Frye 
was  placed  in  command.  At  this  time  Col. 
Thomas,  notwithstanding  Ivis  refusal,  was  elected 
Lieutenant  Colonel,  and  with  his  command,  com- 
prising three  companies  of  Regulars,  took  up  his 
station  at  Kilr03''s  Grove.  .Tune  16,  1832,  he  had 
a  brush  with  the  Indians  and  killed  seven  of  them 
and  lost  three  men. 

To  a  certain  extent  Mr.  Thomas  has  been  in  pol- 
itics for  many  years,  but  has  never  been  an  ofHce- 
seekei'.  He  always  freely  expressed  his  views  on  mat- 
ters of  public  interest,  and  his  position  upon  (pies- 
tions  of  importance  was  known  to  be  sound  and  the 
result  of  honest  conviction.  In  1838,  he  was  elected 
to  the  Legislature  as  an  independent  candidate, 
the  Whigs  and  Democrats  e.ach  having  candidates 
in  the  field,  and  made  a  very  capable  legislator. 
In  1836,  when  the  State  had  decided  to  adopt  the 
internal  improvement  system,  Col.  Thomas  be- 
came a  contractor  and  worked  about  two  or  three 
hundred  men.  He  took  a  ver3'  important  part  in 
many  measures  of  interest,   and    did   a   great   deal 


to  mould  public  opinion  in  the  early  history  of 
the  State.  He  constantl3'  labored  for  the  good  of 
his  section,  was  utterl3'  disinterested,  and  his  many 
brilliant  powers  of  mind,  his  soldierly  and  manl3' 
conduct,  and  his  kind  heart,  won  him  the  warm 
regard  of  such  noted  men  as  Abraham  Lincoln, 
John  J.  Hardin  and  E.  D.  Baker.  He  was  instru- 
mental, while  a  member  of  the  Legislature,  in  estab- 
lishing the  ferry  at  St.  Louis,  and  although  the  fight 
was  a  long  and  bitter  one,  it  eventually  resulted 
in  favor  of  its  establishment.  While  in  the  Legis- 
lature, he  introduced  a  bill  to  fence  in  stock,  leav- 
ing fields  open.  lu  the  year  1878,  he  was  put  upon 
the  Republican  ticket  for  State  Senator,  made 
a  strong  canvass,  and  carried  the  two  representa- 
tives with  him,  even  after  Esq.  Gilliland,  of 
Lebanon,  was  induced  to  make  an  independent 
canvass.  He  has  ever  been  a  wheel  horse  of  his 
party,  and  the  efficient  service  he  has  rendered  has 
been  fully  realized.  In  1862,  he  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  eleven  to  the  Legislature,  after  a  very 
hard  political  fight,  and  was  re-elected  in  1864 
b3'  a  big  majorit3'. 

The  same  year  Mr.  Thomas  was  a  delegate  to  the 
Baltimore  Convention,  where  he  made  a  strong 
speech  to  the  Illinois  delegates,  and  he  was  also  a  del- 
egate to  the  Chicago  Convention  of  1860.  He  has 
magnificent  and  very  extensive  farming  interests, 
his  land  consisting  of  about  four  thousand  acres, 
and  has  fed  as  high  as  two  thousand  hogs  at  one 
time.  He  is  an  extensive  stockshipper,  in  fact  it 
is  the  nature  of  the  gentleman  to  rise  above 
mediocrity  in  anything  he  undertakes.  While  a 
member  of  the  Legislature  in  1864,  he  presided  as 
Speaker  of  the  House  about  two  thirds  of  the  time, 
in  which  capacity  he  was  very  able  and  popular. 
While  yet  a  resident  of  Virginia,  he  imbibed  prin- 
ciples antagonistic  to  slavery,  for  he  knew  and 
felt  its  baleful  influence,  and  he  firmly  believed 
that  the  normal  condition  of  all  men  was  to  be 
free  and  equal  in  the  e^es  of  the  law.  In  1862, 
during  the  exciting  times  of  the  Rebellion,  he 
wielded  a  powerful  influence  in  the  Legislature, 
and  he  was  lo3'al  and  patriotic  to  the  core.  He 
favored  every  measure  for  the  speedy  termination 
of  the  "irrepressible  conflict"  and  the  preservation 
of  the  Union.     The    four  times  that  he  has  been  a 


390 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


member  of  the  Legislature  have  demonstrated  in  a 
marked  degree  the  high  estimation  in  which  he  is 
held  bj'  the  public.  He  is  a  truly  able  man  and  is 
warmly  in  favor  of  the  education  of  the  masses, 
and  believes  that  therein  lies  the  future  hope  and 
perpetuation  of  the  free  institutions  of  America. 

To  his  marriage  with  Miss  Kinnej^  ten  children 
have  been  born,  five  sons  and  five  daughters.  The 
mother  of  these  children  died  in  1868,  and  in  .Tan- 
uar}-,  1875,  he  married  Magdalena  Holdner,  a 
widow,  and  daughter  of  Jacob  A'onEue,  a  native 
of  Switzerland.  Such  in  brief  is  the  history  of 
Col.  John  Thomas,  a  man  of  brilliant  mental 
powers,  strong  individuality,  undaunted  courage 
and  manliness,  and  withal  kind  hearted,  gener- 
ous and  true.  A  model  American  citizen,  he  is 
also  a  model  husband  and  father,  and  a  loyal  and 
generous  friend. 


^7_^  ENRY  VOSKAMP.  A  compendium  of  bio- 
Wjii  graphical  sketches  of  St.  Clair  County, 
/^^^  would  be  incomplete  without  an  outline  of 
(^  the  life  of  .the  above  gentleman,  who,  al- 
though quite  young,  has  gained  an  excellent  repu- 
tation. The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a 
native  of  Holland,  and  after  coming  to  the  Uni- 
ted States  located  in  Johannisburgh,  AVashington 
Count}^,  111.,  where  he  died  at  the  advanced  age 
of  ninet3'-niue  years. 

Henry  Voskamp's  parents  were  Henr^-  and  Anna 
(Remmers)  Voskamp.  Henry  Voskamp,  Sr.,  was 
born  in  Osnabruck,  Holland,  in  the  year  1802, 
and  his  wife  was  born  in  Oldenburg,  Germany, 
in  the  year  1819.  After  obeying  the  laws  of 
liis  native  land  in  regard  to  educational  matters, 
Henry,  Sr.,  chose  the  vocation  of  forester  as  tlie  one 
in  which  he  would  seek  a  maintenance.  He  worked 
in  this  line  for  several  years  and  then  concluded 
tiiat  there  were  better  opportunities  for  him  in 
America,  so  he  invested  a  part  of  his  savings  for 
tlie  necessary  transportation  and  embarked  for  the 
United  States.  He  immediately  located  in  St. 
Clair  Countv  after   his  arrival,  and  his  first  enter- 


prise on^this'side  of  the  ocean  was  to  buy  a  small 
stock  and  commence  life  as  a  peddler  of  small- 
wares  and  general  merchandise,  taking  for  his 
route  that  portion  of  the  State  near  liis  new  home. 
He  soon  became  known  as  an  honest  dealer,  and 
success'crowned  his  efforts. 

Henry  A'oskamp  brought  with  him  not  only  the 
money  necessary'  to  start  in  business  but  the 
wealth  he  had  inherited  from  bis  Dutch  grand- 
fathers, namely:  tlirift,  industry,  energy  and  per- 
severance. In  a  very  few  years  after  his  arrival 
in  this  country,  he  opened  a  store  in  Fayetteville, 
where  he  sold  general  merchandise,  and  where  tlic 
people  for  miles  around  knew  they  could  obtain 
every  commodity  they  wanted.  The  success  of  this 
store  is  but  another  milestone  in  his  history,  sliow- 
iug  that  fortune  smiled  on  his  efforts,  and  Henry, 
Sr.,  was  known  as  one  of  the  solid  merchants  of 
Fayetteville  for  forty  years.  He  drifted,  througli 
business  transactions,  into  the  hotel  business, 
but  tlie  life  of  a  farmer  had  always  been  one  of  his 
dreams,  and,  selling  out  the  hotel,  he  undertook 
the  cultivation  of  three  hundred  r.eres  of  land 
which  he  had  .acquired,  and  lived  a  life  of  retire- 
ment from  mercantile  pursuits.  His  first  wife, 
Mary  Lueka,  having  died,  Mr.  Vo.skamp  married 
Miss  Anna  Remmers,  and  our  subject  is  the 
only  living  child  of  tliis  union  the  two  chil- 
dren of  the  first  wife  having  died  in  infancy. 
Politically,  Henry  Voskamp,  Sr.,  was  a  Democrat, 
and  worked  for  the  interests  of  his  party  when- 
ever its  standard  was  at  issue.  He  died  in  the 
year  1872,  his  wife  surviving  him  seven  years. 

Henry  Voskamp,  Jr.,  undertook  the  task  of  self- 
support  wlien  he  was  twenty-one  years  of  age. 
His  first  business  venture  was  in  a  general  merchan- 
dise store  in  Fa^'etteville,  which  position  he  occu- 
pied for  two  years.  He  then  sold  goods  and  clerked 
for  several  firms  for  a  number  of  years,  and  after- 
ward took  the  position  of  collector  and  general 
agent  for  the  News-Democrat  and  the  Zeitung,  two 
papers  published  in  Belleville,  111.  In  the  year 
1888,  our  subject  married  Miss  Emma,  daughter  of 
Rudolph  and  Anna  (Hermann)  Heimberger.  Tiio 
result  of  this  union  has  been  two  children,  namely, 
Hermann  and  Anna. 

Although  now  only  thirly-four  years  old.  Henry 


.    iffoMlUl) 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


393 


A'oskiimp  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  prominent 
citizens  of  liis  countj',  and  is  a  man  calculated  in 
ever^'  respect  to  make  for  himself  and  family  a 
place  in  the  front  ranks  of  Fa_yetteville  societ)'. 
His  political  sympathies  are  with  the  Democratic 
party,  and  he  has  ever  manifested  a  high  degree 
of  [)ublic  spirit,  interesting  himself  in  every  move- 
ment which  would  tend  to  advance  the  interests 
of  Ills  Cdiuity. 

IJdtli  y\v.  and  Mrs.  A'oskamp  are  liberal  and  in- 
telligent thinkers  and  together  take  an  active  in- 
terest in  matters  of  local  importance,  both  of  a 
social  and  public  nature,  and  wield  a  decided  in- 
fluence throughout  the- community  and  even  lie- 
yond  the  vicinity  of  their  home. 

The  heritage  of  sturdy-  ancestry  has  ever  been 
an  element  of  progression  in  this  country,  and  in 
this  instance  it  is  one  clearly  recognized  as  a  lead- 
ing factor  in  that  which  goes  to  make  up  the  best 
of  our  citizen.s.  No  family  can  boast  better  pro- 
genitors than  the  one  whose  representative  is  the 
subject  of  this  sketch,  and  the  characteristics  dis- 
played by  father  and  grandfather  have  descended 
until  the  third  and  fourth  generation. 


ll@^@l^^ 


JIJOUX  .JACOB  RAYHILL  is  now  the  oldest 
I  living  .settler  of  Engelman  Township,  and 
l|  one  of  the  most  honored  pioneers  of  .St. 
^j_/^  Clair  County.  He  was  born  on  the  farm 
which  is  yet  his  home  on  section  3,  his  birth  oc- 
curring on  the  4th  of  March,  1824,  and  for  almost 
.seven t}'  years  he  has  witnessed  the  growth  and 
upbuilding  of  this  county  and  aided  in  its  devel- 
opment. His  father  was  born  and  reared  in  Bote- 
tourt County,  Va.,  and  was  married  in  Alleghany 
Couuly  to  Sarah  Dew,  sister  of  Rev.  John  Dew, 
wlio  was  born  in  Hampshire  County,  Va. 

In  the  .State  of  his  nativity,  Mr.  Rayhill  followed 
farming  for  several  years,  and  was  for  three  months 
a  soldier  in  the  AVar  of  1812.  He  also  engaged  in 
teaching  school.  It  was  in  1818  that  he  emigrated 
to  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  locating  three  miles  east 
uf  Belleville,  on  what  is  known  as  the  John  Ryder 


farm.  A  year  later,  he  went  to  Engelman  Town- 
ship and  bought  land  on  sections  2  and  3.  At  one 
time  he  owned  over  one  thousand  acres,  and,  with 
the  exception  of  a  quarter-section,  he  entered  the 
entire  amount  from  the  Government.  In  the  fam- 
ily were  four  children  who  grew  to  manhood  and 
womanhood,  but  only  two  are  now  living:  John 
Jacob,  and  Virginia,  widow  of  James  Michell,  a 
resident  of  Marion,  Kan.  Charles  died  in  1882, 
and  Betsy  Ann  died  on  the  (itli  of  April,  1841. 
Mr.  Rayhill,  father  of  this  family,  was  a  faithful 
member,  active  worker  and  liberal  supporter  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In  politics,  he 
was  first  a  Whig  and  afterward  a  Republican.  He 
died  on  the  2d  of  October,  1867,  at  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy-nine  years,  and  his  wife  departed 
this  life  July  28,  1862. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  was  educated  in  the  subscription  schools 
of  this  county  and  grew  to  manhood  upon  the 
heme  farm.  On  the  7th  of  May,  18.56,  he  married 
Miss  Adeline,  daughter  of  Pintcher  and  Elizabeth 
Pitts,  early  settlers  of  this  county.  They  began 
their  domestic  life  upon  tlie  farm  which  is  now  the 
home  of  Mr.  Rayhill,  and  unto  them  were  born 
four  children,  but  three  are  now  deceased.  Vir- 
ginia M.,  who  became  the  wife  of  AVilliam  H.  Hug- 
ger, a  farmer  on  section  3,  Engelman  Township, 
died  in  1888;  George  died  in  1880,  and  Sarah 
died  in  infanc.y.  Charles  Edward  is  still  living 
on  the  old  homestead.  He  married  Miss  Bertha, 
daughter  of  Jacob  Ei.senmayer,  who  came  to  Ma«- 
coutah  in  an  early  day.  The  daughter  was  reared 
and  educated  in  Mascoutah.  Unto  Charles  and 
his  wife  have  been  born  two  children,  Wallaceand 
Edna.  The  mother  died  November  28,  1866,  and 
was  buried  on  the  old  Rayhill  farm.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Mr.  Rayhill  owns  five  hundred  and  thirty-six  and 
one-third  acres  of  land  in  Engelman  Towiislii[),  of 
which  three  hundred  acres  are  under  a  higli  state 
of  cultivation  and  improved  with  all  the  acces- 
sories of  a  model  farm.  As  before  stated,  he  is 
one  of  the  oldest  residents  of  the  county,  and  can 
remember  when  the  Indians  were  still  residents  of 
the  neighborhood  and  when  deer  and  other  wild 
game  were  to  be  had  in  abundance.     Throughout 


394 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  entire  life,  he  has  followed  farming,  except  in 
1850,  when  he  went  across  the  plains  to  California. 
While  en  route,  they  were  attacked  with  cholera 
and  two  young  men  of  the  party  died.  On  reach- 
ing his  destination,  Mr.  Rayhill  engaged  in  min- 
ing. The  return  trip  was  made  by  the  Isthmus  of 
Panama  and  New  York.  As  there  were  no  rail- 
roads, he  had  to  go  l)y  steamer  back  to  New  Or- 
leans and  tlience  came  up  the  Mississippi  to  St. 
Louis.  He  left  San  Francisco  on  the  1st  of  April, 
and  arrived  home  on  the  3d  of  May.  In  early 
life,  he  was  a  supporter  of  the  Whig  party,  but  has 
voted  the  Republican  ticket  since  the  organization 
of  that  party  and  is  one  of  the  st.anch  advocates  of 
its  principles.  He  is  a  jirominent  and  influential 
citizen,  widely  and  favorabl}'  known,  and  his  ster- 
ling worth  and  strict  integrity-  have  won  him  the 
confidence  and  high  regard  of  all  with  whom  he 
has  been  brought  in  contact. 


JJl  OSEPH  A.  KURRUS.  The  old  saying  that 
Ij  industry  brings  sure  reward,  as  surely  as  does 
l!  virtue,  is  proven  in  the  life  of  the  gentle- 
,^_Jj  man  whose  name  opens  this  sketch.  He  be- 
gan at  the  bottom  of  the  ladder  of  fortune,  but 
now  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  financial  pillars  of 
East  St.  Louis.  His  livery  and  undertaking  estab- 
lishment is  located  at  Nos.  104,  106  and  108  Third 
Street,  with  a  frontage  of  seventy-two  feet,  running 
through  to  Main  Street.  Tiie  buildings  are  all  of 
brick,  and  are  made  to  accommodate  the  necessary 
equipages  and  parapheuialia  necessary  for  the  car- 
rying on  of  the  largest  business  of  the  kind  in  this 
city. 

Our  siilijeefs  grandfather  was  in  the  wars  of  Na- 
poleon, and  had  removed  in  1792  from  Alsace, 
France,  to  Baden,  Germany,  where  he  died  in  1814. 
The  father  of  our  subject,  Frank,  was  born 
May  4,  1794,  in  Baden,  (Germany,  where  he  con- 
ducted a  trade  as  locksmith.  Frank  followed  the 
example  of  many  of  his  countrymen  and  came  to 
America,   reaching  here  in   1860,  and  locating  at 


East  St.  Louis,  as  a  locksmith,  where  he  died  Aug- 
ust 28,  1867.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  de- 
vout Catholic,  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  February 
2,  1802,  and  lived  in  this  country  until  she  was 
eighty  years  and  fifteen  days  old. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  these  lines  are  written 
was  the  fifth  of  a  family  of  six  children,  and  was 
born  March  13,  1840,  in  the  city  of  Endingen, 
which  is  a  iiistoric  old  fortified  town  of  Baden, 
with  but  three  entrances.  He  received  the  rud- 
iments of  an  education  in  the  German  schools 
and  made  himself  generally  useful  to  his  fa- 
ther and  also  to  his  uncle  in  the  grain  business. 
When  twenty  years  of  age,  Joseph  came  by  way 
of  the  sailing-vessel  "William  Frothingham"  to 
America,  landing  (after  a  voyage  of  fifty  days, 
forty  of  which  were  stormy)  in  New  York,  and 
then  traveled  to  different  places,  until  he  finally 
rested  at  East  St.  Louis,  April  19,  1861.  The 
young  man  did  not  wait  for  work  to  find  him,  but 
began  immediately  as  a  carpenter,  then  as  a  coal 
heaver,  and  at  last  worked  on  the  St.  Louis,  Alton 
&  Terre  Haute  Railroad  as  night  watchman  and 
night  baggage  man  on  Front  Street  for  twelve 
years,  until  1873,  when  long  frugality  enabled  him 
to  go  into  the  grocery  business  on  the  corner  of 
Fourth  and  Market  Streets.  He  there  continued 
until  1883,  when  he  began  his  present  business. 
This  was  begun  on  a  small  scale,  he  first  buying  out 
Meyer  &  Strotman,  and  when  the  business  war- 
ranted it,  built  his  present  large  establishment, 
stocking  it  with  everything  in  his  line;  he  also 
does  em.balming. 

Mr.  Kurrus  is  a  large  owner  and  dealer  in  real 
estate  in  the  citj-.  He  laid  out  the  Kurrus  place 
in  1891  on  the  Belleville  turnpike,  and  sold  all  of 
the  twenty-acre  tract  one  mile  e.ast  of  the  city 
court  house.  Our  subject  .also  sold  the  one  hun- 
dred and  three  acres  laid  out  as  Forest  Lawn,  and 
has  on  hand  a  number  of  residences  and  four  luick 
blocks,  besides  a  farm  in  this  count}',  and  is  a 
stockholder  and  Director  in  the  Glenn  Manufactoiy 
here.  In  November,  1 86.5,  our  subject  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  .Tohannes.  She  was  of 
German  birth  and  passed  her  whole  life  in  this  i)lace. 
She  died  and  left  her  sorrowing  husband  six  chil- 
dren: Frank  J.,  who  is  with  his  father  in   the  liv- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


395 


eiy  business,  Elizabeth,  Joseph  A.,  Charles,  Lena 
anrl  F"re(lerick.  Mr.  Kurrus  believes  in  the  prin- 
eii)les  of  the  Democratic  party,  and  gives  his  vote 
for  the  candid-ites  selected  by  it.  He  is  a  member 
of  St.  Henry's  Churcii,  and  is  a  man  who  stands 
very  iiigh  in  the  financial  circles  of  this  city. 


^Ip^  V.  RAAB,  M.  D.  There  are  some  doctors 
|fe]  who  diagnose  cases  and  administer  raedi- 
J' — -4  cines  very  much  after  the  manner  of  a 
priest  administering  extreme  unction.  Tiieir  pro- 
ceedings are  characterized  by  a  .solemnity  that 
makes  the  patient  feel  him.self,  even  when  his  ail- 
ment is  not  a  serious  one,  almost  witliin  the  grasp 
of  the  Grim  Destroyer.  There  are  other  phj'sicians 
wiio  seem  to  look  upon  the  patient  as  a  machine, 
the  parts  of  which  have  in  some  way  or  other  been 
tiirown  out  of  gear,  and,  losing  sight  of  the  fact 
that  the  machine  has  sensibilities  as  well  as  func- 
tions, they  proceed  with  hammer  and  tongs  to 
remedy  the  difHculties  complained  of.  Still  an- 
other class  of  physicians,  recognizing  the  fact  that 
there  is  something  more  than  a  barren  ideality-  in 
ministering  to  a  mind  diseased,  or  in  other  words, 
tiiat  the  mental  condition  of  the  patient  has  in 
many  cases  much  to  do  with  his  physical  condi- 
tion, always  leave  their  patients  in  that  happ_y 
frame  of  mind  which  contributes  in  no  small  de- 
gree to  speedy  recovery,  providing  the  nature  and 
character  of  the  ailments  or  the  intensity  of  suffer- 
ing are  not  such  as  to  make  a  placid  condition  of 
llie  mind  impossible. 

It  is  to  the  latter  class  of  physicians  that  Dr. 
Raab  belongs.  He  was  born  in  Belleville,  October 
20,  1859,  a  son  of  Henry  Raab,  the  Superintendent 
of  Public  Instruction  for  the  State  of  Illinois. 
Tiie  latter  was  born  June  20,  1835,  and  fortun- 
ately received  his  education  in  a  gymnasium  in 
(iermany.  When  seventeen  j'ears  of  age,  he  left 
home,  friends  and  native  land,  to  seek  a  home  in 
the  New  World,  and  in  1852  resided  for  some 
time  in  the  city  of  Cincinnati,  Ohio;  the  follow- 
ing year  he  was  in  both  .St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  Belle- 


vdle.  111.  He  followed  the  calling  of  a  teacher  in 
these  places,  and  so  proficient  was  he  that  for  many 
years  he  held  the  position  of  Superintendent  of 
the  city  schools.  In  this  capacitj^  his  fame  as  an 
educator  and  disciplinarian  went  abroad,  and  in 
1882  he  was  elected  State  Superintendent  of 
Public  Instruction,  and  w.as  re-elected  to  the  posi- 
tion in  1890,  during  the  interval  being  a  resident 
of  Belleville.  In  him  are  strikingly  exemplified 
those  characteristics  and  principles  which  conduce 
to  the  occupation  of  positions  demanding  the 
displa}^  of  great  mental  abilities,  and  which  have 
made  him  distinguished  as  an  educator  and  his 
career  a  succession  of  honors.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Matilda  Von  Lengerke,  a  native  of  Hanover, 
(iermanj-,  and  their  union  resulted  in  the  birth  of 
five  children,  tliiee  of  whom  are  living:  Dr.  E. 
P.;  Lena,  wife  of  Hugo  Eyssell,  of  Kansas  City, 
Mo.;  and  Matilda,  the  private  secretary  of  her 
father. 

Dr.  E.  P.  Raab  received  his  literary  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Belleville  and  in  Washington 
University,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  later  graduated 
from  the  Philadelphia  College  of  Pharmacy.  Fol- 
lowing this  he  read  medicine  with  Prof.  A.  W. 
Miller,  of  the  University  of  Pennsj'lvania,  and  at 
the  same  time  took  lectures,  graduating  in  the 
Class  of  '81.  For  some  time  thereafter  he  was  tlie 
resident  physician  of  the  German  Hospital  of  Phil- 
adelphia, and  still  later  was  assistant  to  Dr.  James 
M.  Collins,  of  Philadelphia.  During  this  time  he 
continued  to  pursue  his  medical  studies  .with  ear- 
nestness and  zeal  in  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, taking  the  auxiliary  course  of  medicine  and 
receiving  his  third  degree,  and  in  the  month  of 
June,  1882,  was  graduated  as  Doctor  of  Philosophy, 
lie  immediately  came  West  and  located  at  High- 
land, III.,  where  he  was  successfully  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  until  Februaiy,  1885, 
when  he  went  to  Europe  for  the  advantages  of 
further  study  and  preparation  for  his  work.  He 
spent  some  time  in  Berlin,  ^'icllna,  iMunich  and 
Leipsic,  in  the  renowned  medical  institutions  of 
which  places  he  further  fitted  himself  for  his  call- 
ing. He  spent  two  very  profitable  years  abroad, 
and  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the  Ger- 
man language.     He  then  returned  to  his  home   in 


396 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  IffiCORD. 


America,  and  in  December,  1886,  located  at  Belle- 
ville, where  he  at  once  entered  into  an  extensive 
practice,  for  which  he  had  thoroughly  fitted  him- 
self during  his  eight  years  of  preparation  and 
study. 

Our  subject  is  possessed  of  much  native  tact  and  a 
broad  knowledge  of  mankind,  and  while  diagnos- 
ing a  case  carefully  and  administering  expedi- 
tiously the  proper  remedies,  he  has  also  the  happy 
faculty  of  getting  that  class  of  patients  who  are 
not  quite  sure  whether  they  want  to  live  or  die) 
witii  whom  every  physician  has  more  or  less  to  do, 
very  much  in  tiie  notion  of  living.  There  is  a 
sunshine  in  the  presence  of  the  man  which  pen- 
etrates and  dispels  the  gloom  hanging  about  the 
chronic  sufferer,  and  there  is  a  heartiness  in  his 
greeting,  coupled  with  a  generous  sympathy,  which 
forces  upon  even  the  confirmed  hypochondriac  the 
conclusion  that  life  is,  after  all,  worth  living.  He 
is  eminently  fitted  for  his  calling,  both  by  nature 
and  training,  is  very  popular  and  is  highly  hon- 
ored by  his  professiojial  brethren. 

He  was  marrried  to  Miss  Minna  Fleer,  a  daugh- 
ter of  J.  II.  Fleer,  a  native  of  Herford,  Germany, 
their  union  taking  place  October  31,  1883.  It  has 
resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  bright  little  children: 
Ijise  Charlotte,  Henry  Frank  and  Anita  Emma. 
Dr.  Raab  is  a  member  of  the  Knigiits  of  Pythias, 
the  Illinois  Medical  Society,  the  .St.  Clair  County 
Medical  Society  and  the  Belleville  Medical  So- 
ciety, being  Secretary  of  the  latter,  and  ex-Sec- 
retary of  the  county  association.  His  office  and 
residence  are  at  No.  301  South  High  Street. 


»^l-^"i^li^^^< 


WILLIAI 
charge 
....      the  nil 


JAM  WINKELMANN.  The  honest  dis- 
I  of  evei'y  trust  reposed  in  his  hands, 
\V?^  the  unusual  ability  shown  in  different  di- 
rections, and  the  interest  he  has  taken  in  the  ad 
vancement  of  measures  for  the  good  of  St.  Clair 
County,  have  caused  William  A\Mnkelmann  long 
since  to  be  classed  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens  of 
this  part  of  the  State.  All  that  he  has  achieved  or 
gained  has  been  the  result,  of  his  own  good  fight- 


ing qualities.  He  is  now  one  of  the  prominent 
legal  lights  of  the  State  and  is  noted  for  his  legal 
attainments. 

Mr.  Winkelmann  was  born  in  Destel,  Prussia, 
February  28,  1829,  and  is  the  son  of  Christian  and 
Wilhelmina  Winkelmann,  the  father  a  practicing 
lawyer  and  a  large  property-holder.  He  was  a 
man  of  much  prominence  in  his  country  and  one 
whose  mental  capacity  was  far  above  the  average. 
He  was  the  second  of  ten  children,  three  of 
whom  are  now  living,  a  brother  in  Germany, 
and  a  sister,  now  a  widow,  residing  in  St.  Louis, 
Mo.  He  had  every  opportunity  for  receiving  a 
good  education,  but  he  was  satisfied  with  a  public- 
school  education,  being  of  such  a  disposition  that 
he  could  not  submit  to  the  dull  and  irksome  routine 
of  school  life.  His  knowledge,  therefore,  is  not 
derived  from  books,  but  from  actual  experience 
and  contact  with  the  world. 

To  a  youth  of  his  pushing  energy  and  ambition, 
the  better  chances  of  the  United  States  became  a 
temptation  that  could  not  be  resisted,  and  he  de- 
termined to  seek  his  fortune  on  this  side  of  the 
ocean.  On  the  25th  of  April,  1849, he  left  his  native 
country  and  came  direct  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  ar- 
rived on  the  2d  of  July  of  that  year,  without 
money,  or  relations  or  friends  to  apply  to  for  assist- 
ance. He  was  a  complete  stranger  in  the  city. 
Right  then  and  there,  for  the  first  time  in  his  life, 
he  realized  that  henceforth  his  success  in  life  must 
depend  upon  himself.  He  soon  found  work  at 
teaming,  for  which  he  received  $10  per  month  and 
board,  but  after  following  this  for  six  montlis 
his  employer  failed  with  some  of  our  subject's 
money  in  his  pocket.  The  latter  began  driving  a 
team  at  a  sawmill  in  St.  Louis,  receiving  as  com- 
pensation $25  per  month,  and  continued  at  this 
for  eighteen  months,  when  the  men  and  teams  were 
removed  to  Jefiferson  County,  ;\Io.  There  he  con- 
tinued the  same  occupation. 

At  the  end  of  six  month,  young  Winkelmann 
bought  a  wagon  and  team  and  liauled  iron  ore 
from  Pilot  Knob  and  Iron  IMountain  to  St.  Gene- 
vieve, a  distance  of  twenty-five  miles.  At  the 
end  of  two  years,  he  sold  his  wagon  and  traded 
his  horses  for  a  saloon  in  Caledonia,  AVashington 
County,  Mo.     On  the  7th  of  November,  1855,  he 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


397 


w:ts  married  at  Judge  Perryman's  to  Miss  Elizabetli 
II:inger,  an  American  lady,  and  the  next  day  left 
for  the  Prairie  State,  lauding  at  Monroe  City, 
;\Ionroe  C'ount\-.  At  that  place  he  conducted  a 
successful  saloon  business  for  two  years,  and  during 
tills  time  he  became  convinced  that: 

'•Honor  and  shame  from  no  conditions  rise. 

Act  well  your  part,  there  all  the  honor  lies." 

AVhile  thus  engaged  in  business,  our  subject  be- 
gan the  study  of  law,  secured  a  dictionary,  "Walk- 
er's American  Law,"  and  "Haine's  Treatise,"  and 
with  the  assistance  of  his  wife  and  the  dictionary 
overcame  the  difficulties  of  the  language.  He  be- 
gan practicing  in  justice  courts  and  met  with  signal 
success  from  the  first.  While  in  court  at  Waterloo, 
he  applied  to  Hon.  .T.  B.  Underwood,  of  Belleville, 
to  read  law  in  his  office  and  in  a  week  had  read 
■'I51ackstone"  through.  The  following  spring  he 
was  admitted  to  tlie  Bar  by  the  Supreme  Court, 
and  his  first  year's  fees  amounted  to  $1,500.  In 
1868,  he  came  in  contact  with  Judge  Gillespie  on 
a  question  concerning  an  injunction  suit,  which 
resulted  adversely,  but  lie  removed  his  case  to  the 
Sviprerae  Court,  where  he  became  victorious.  The 
better  class  of  citizens  began  to  recognize  his  mer- 
its and  to  employ  him,  so  that  his  practice  soon 
lirought  him  in  from  «<8.000  to  $10,000  per  year. 
He  made  large  investments  in  landed  property  and 
at  the  present  time  is  the  owner  of  twenty  farms, 
all  highly  cultivated,  and  comprising  forty-six 
hundred  acres  in  St.  Clair,  Clinton  and  Monroe 
Counties.  His  real  estate  aggregates  not  less  than 
%!200,0()0. 

Always  a  Democrat,  Mr.  Winkelmann  frequently, 
in  heated  campaigns,  takes  the  stump,  and  his 
speeches  are  noted  for  good,  sound  sense  and  a 
thorough  familiarity  with  the  questions  of  the 
day.  He  is  a  gifted  orator  and  commands  and 
holds  the  attention  of  his  audience  by  his  earnest- 
ness, logical  statements  and  forcible  delivery.  As  a 
lawyer,  he  is  well  read,  and  as  a  criminal  lawyer,  he 
excels.  His  aggressiveness  is  frequently  displayed, 
as  indicated  in  the  following:  The  judge  presiding 
over  a  trial  of  a  case  at  one  time,  being  in  a  bad 
humor,  said  to  our  subject:  "Mr.  Winkelmann,  you 
give  me  more  trouble  than  any  other  member  of 
the  Bar."     Quick  as  a  flash  came  the  answer  from 


Mr.  Winkelmann:  "May  it  please  the  Court,  I  have 
more  business  than  any  other  member  of  the  Bar." 
The  Judge  smiled  and  business  proceeded.  The  se- 
cret of  his  success  lies  in  his  self-reliance,  industry 
and  indomitable  will,  trained  in  the  hard,  rough 
school  of  adversity.  At  an  early  age,  he  learned 
to  depend  upon  himself,  and  as  a  consequence  has 
met  with  enviable  success  in  all  his  attempts.  He 
has  a  library  composed  of  eleven  hundred  volumes 
and  is  thoroughly  posted  on  all  subjects. 

In  1882,  Mr.  Winkehn.ann  became  the  owner  of 
the  Belleville  fair  grounds,  and  the  purchase  price 
and  improvements  he  has  made  on  this  have  cost 
him  $-10,000.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  in  the  State 
and  stands  next  to  that  of  St.  Louis.  It  is  a  gen- 
eral resort.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Fair  Asso- 
ciation. Mr.  Winkelmann  had,  in  the  early  part  of 
1882,  the  misfortune  to  lose  his  wife,  and  on  the 
5th  of  December,  1883,  he  married  Mrs.  Lucretia 
Shook,  widow  of  Isaac  Shook,  and  the  daughter  of 
Maj.  Wooters,  of  Monroe  County.  Her  husband, 
Isaac  Shook,  was  a  farmer  near  Belleville.  One 
son,  William,  was  born  to  our  subject's  first  union. 
He  died  in  1885,  when  thirty-two  years  of  age. 
Mrs.  Winkelmann  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  Church  and  is  a  woman  of  true  culture 
and  refinement.  Their  pleasant  home  is  located 
at  No.  417  B  Street. 


/^AFT.  MILTON  McFARLAND.  The 
(l(  original  of  this  notice  is  the  pleasant  and 

^^J^'  accommodating  Superintendent  of  the  Wig- 
gins Ferry  Company  under  Capt.  Sackmann.  He 
has  a  thorough  understanding  of  his  business  and 
is  one  of  the  most  efficient  men  in  the  em[)loy  of 
this  company. 

The  grandfather  of  our  sul)ject  was  a  planter  in 
North  Carolina,  of  Scotch  descent,  and  the  father 
was  born  in  the  same  State,  where  he  turned  to 
agricultural  [jursuits.  When  a  young  man,  he 
emigrated  to  Missouri  and  made  a  settlement  at 
Farmington,  where  he  married  and  bought  a  farm 
of  one  hundred  aad  sixty  acres,  which  he  improved 


398 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIDCAL   RECORD. 


and  operated  until  1866,  when  became  to  St.  Louis. 
Here  he  lived  retired  until  his  death  in  1873. 
He  was  a  quiet,  easy-going  man,  and  a  Democrat 
in  politics,  often  serving  in  township  ottices.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  Presb3'terian  Chinch.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  Amanda  Frezelle.  who 
was  born  in  North  Carolina,  and  died  at  her  home 
in  186.^.  She  was  the  mother  of  twelve  children, 
and  all  grew  to  maturity  and  ten  are  now  living. 
Three  brothers  of  our  subject,  John,  Newman  and 
George,  were  in  the  Civil  AVar  in  the  Confederate 
army. 

The  original  of  this  sicetch  w-as  reared  on  the 
farm  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  and  was 
given  the  rudiments  of  knowledge  in  the  little  log 
.schoolhouse  of  the  district.  His  birth  took  place 
at  Farmington,  Mo.,  December  14,  1849,  he  be- 
ing the  third  youngest.  He  was  reared  on  tlie 
farm  until  he  w.as  tired  of  its  duties,  and  as  there 
was  no  school  during  the  war,  he  learned  little  in 
books  in  those  disastrous  3'ears.  In  1866,  he  came  to 
St.  Louis  and  obtained  employment  with  the  Clii- 
cago  A  Alton  Railroad  Transfer  Company  in  Fast  j 
St.  Louis,  and  remained  there  until  the  spring  of 
1871,  when  he  began  with  the  Wiggins  Ferry 
Company  as  a  deck  hand  on  the  "Ed  C.  Wiggins" 
for  Ca[(t.  Pernoe,  and  then  for  Capt.  Trendley  on 
the  same  boat.  He  worked  his  wa^^  until  he  be- 
came pilot  on  the  old  "Simon  C.  Christy,"  and  for 
five  or  six  years  he  remained  as  pilot,  but  in  1880 
he  became  Captain  of  the  old  "Springfield"  and  ran 
it  for  four  years.  He  then  became  Captain  on  the 
tug  "Samuel  C.  Clubb,"and  for  three  years  he  ran 
that  noisy  little  boat  and  had  charge  of  various 
other  boats  until  in  181)0  he  was  made  Assistant 
Superintendent  under  Capt.  H.  Sackmann  and  this 
important  post,  requiring  a  man  of  energy  and  gk- 
perieuce,  he  has  held  ever  since. 

Our  subject  was  married  In  East  SI.  Louis,  in 
1873,  to  Charlotte  Miller,  a  native  of  Buffalo, 
N.  Y.  They  have  five  cliildren  living:  Harvey, 
FlOyd,  Lotta,  Pearl  and  Freddie.  The  Captain  is 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  tlie  Uniform 
Rank  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  in  politics  is  a 
Democrat,  but  lives  too  busy  a  life  to  care  for  office. 
He  has  clung  to  the  faith  of  his  ancestors  and 
attends  the  Presbyterian  Churcli. 


Capt.  McFarland,  like  all  the  other  captains  in  the 
emplo.y  of  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Campany,  is  a  whole- 
souled  man  and  is  also  a  thorough  business  man. 
We  cannot  account  for  it,  but  there  seems  to  be  a 
|)eculiar  spirit  of  friendliness  about  these  good 
cai)lains  wliicli  makes  them  pleasant  men  to  meet, 
and  tliey  all  have  long  tales  of  experiences  which 
never  happen  to  men  in  other  lines,  which  they  tell 
for  tlie  stranger's  entertainment.  Long  live  Capt. 
McFurland. 


y 


LIJAM  J.  :\11LLKU.  One  of  the  finest 
farms  in  Sraitlitun  Tii\vn>hi|)  and  the  first 
in  St.  Clair  Cniiiily  pnipcr  tliat  was  set- 
tled, is  the  one  upon  which  our  -iiliject  resides.  It 
is  comprised  in  Survey  389.  Mr.  Miller  came  of 
French  parentage,  being  the  son  of  Michael  Miller, 
born  in  Alsace,  France,  in  1811.  The  grandfathers 
of  Mr.  Miller  on  both  sides  fought  under  the  great 
Napoleon,  during  and  after  the  French  Revolu- 
tion, one  of  them  having  an  eye  shot  out.  Two 
relatives  of  his  father  fought  under  La  Fayette  in 
the  Revolutionary  War  in  America.  The  father  of 
William  came  to  this  country  when  a  boy  and 
located  with  his  parents  in  New  York  State,  and 
some  time  in  the  '30s  came  to  Illinois.  He  selected 
Ridge  Prairie  as  a  home,  and  took  up  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land  from  the  (Tovernment,  and 
after  making  some  improvement  sold  it  and 
bought  eighty  .acres;  but  in  1848  came  to  the 
Turkey  Hill  farm,  which  he  bought  and  there  lived 
until  seven  years  before  his  death,  when  he  moved 
to  Belleville,  and  died  July  16,  1883. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Christina  Karls- 
kind,  daughter  of  Sebastian  Karlskind,  a  farmer  of 
this  count}'.  Michael  Miller  had  six  children  and 
all  are  living,  as  follows:  Magdalena,  wife  of  N. 
J.  Biebel,  who  lives  in  this  county;  Peter,  who 
also  lives  iii  this  county;  Joseph  E.  and  D.  F.,  who 
live  here;  ;Mary,  Mrs.  Eckert;  and  W.  J.  The 
father,  :i  wealthy  man,  was  a  great  reader  and 
took  an  iuleresl  in  all  education.al  matters. 

Our  subject  wasl)oni  October  30.  1  8.50,  at  the  old 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


399 


homestead,  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  received 
his  education  in  the  district  schools,  supplemented 
with  a  course  of   instruction  at  the  scliool  of  the 


©ied, 


■  4t   the  frnnily  residence,  three  miles  Southeast  of 

East  St.  Lmds,  on  the  Centreidlle  Bond  on 

Sunday,   .lune    11th.   1893, 

at  r,  o'rlork  P.  ./)/.. 

ROSALIE   PFEIFFER, 

.Mother  of  Anthony  and  Ale.xander  F.  Pfciffcr. 
aged  OS  years,  ,;  months  ami  G  dar/s. 


Faneral  nill  fake  jd  a  re  from  the  family  reside 
on-  IV'ednesday,  June  l^th,  at  S.-.J/)  o'chiek 
A.M.,  to  French    MUage  Cemetery. 


Friends  of  the  family  invited  to  attend. 


m 


an  orpliiin  at  thcMge  (if  i-ii^lit  \r:u\sliut  was  reared 
to  a  farm  life  in  liis  n:iti\c  hind;  upon  attain- 
ing; a  suitable  awe,  h<'  ontor(!<l  the  French  army  and 


saw  seven  years  of  cavalry  service.  After  receiv- 
ing his  discharge,  he  began  working  at  the  shoe- 
maker's trade,  and  in  1847,  while  still  unmarried, 
ime  to  St.  Clair  Countj',  111.,  and  located  in 
iier,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  and  also 
ed.  In  1852,  he  was  married,  and  located  at 
roville  Station,  purchasing  a  farm  of  eighty 
I  four  miles  from  the  Mississippi  River,  which 
uccessfullj'  tilled  until  his  death  in  1875,  at 
ige  of  sixty-four  years.  He  was  well  educated 
spoke  with  equal  fluenc.y  French,  German  and 
lish.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Eliza- 
Pfifer;  she  was  l)orn  in  Alsace,  France,  her 
uts  having  been  born  in  Lorraine.  Her  father 
a  farmer  in  his  native  land,  but  after  coming 
uHierica  in  1836  was  a  resirleut  of  Birkner,  111., 
re  he  was  called  from  life.  Mrs.  Isch  died  in 
1,  at  the  age  of  forty  years,  having  become  the 
her  of  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to 
urit}^  and  six  are  now  living:  Kate  (Mrs.  Yoch) 
les  in  California;  Joseph  is  a  merchant  of 
allon;  Rose  also  resides  there;  Alex  resides  in 
Louis;  Nick  is  a  grocer  of  O'Fallon;  Lizzie,  de- 
ed, and  Anthony. 

'lie  last-mentioned  son  was  first  an  attendant 
tlie  public  schools  of  Centreville  Station,  and 
873  entered  Bryant  k  Stratton's  Business  Col- 
,  from  which  he  was  graduated.  When  his 
er  died,  he  was  the  eldest  child  at  home  and 
n  his  shoulders  he  took  the  burden  of  educat- 
the  younger  members  of  the  family.  He  de- 
'i\  the  farm  of  eighty  acres  to  the  raising  of 
etables  and  made  daily  trips  to  St.  Louis  to  sell 
luorluce.  Through  his  efforts,  the  family  was 
I  t(i<iethi'r,  but,  when  just  about  to  graduate  his 
■r  Lizzie  was  burned  in  the  Belleville  Convent 
which  was  a  sad  blow  to  the  entire  family. 
two  younger  brothers  were  graduated  from  tlie 
ne  Institute.  In  1885,  one  of  his  brothers  look 
burden  of  the  farm  from  his  shoulders  and 
<  freed,  he  came  to  the  city  as  Assistant  Cashier 
I  111'  Woikingmen's  Banking  Company,  but  in 
iiiilier  of  the  same  .year  he  was  made  Cashier. 
His  establishment  was  organized  in  1870  with  a 
capital  of  $50,000,  which  has  since  been  increased 
to  #150,1)00.  He  is  one  of  the  largest  stockholders 
and   also  a   Director.     He  is  a  stockholder  in   the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  operated  until  1866,  when  he  came  to  St.  Louis.  Capt.  McFarland,  like  all  tlie  other  captains  in  the 

Here  he  lived    retired  until  his    death    in    1873.   i   employ  of  the  Wiggins  Ferr^- Cam  pan  j,  is  a  whole- 
He  was  a  quiet,  easj'-going  man,  and  a  Democrat      souled  man  and  is  also  a  thorough  business  man. 
in  politics,  often  serving  in  township  offlces. 
was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
mother  of  our  subject  was  Amanda  Frezcllc, 
was  born  in  North  Carolina,  and  died  at  her  1 
in  1865.     She  was  the  mother  of  twelve  ciiik 
and   all  grew  to  maturity  and  ten  are  now  li\ 
Three  brothers  of  our  subject,  John,  Newman 
(icorge,  were  in  the  Civil  War  in  the  Confedi 
army. 

The  original  of  this  >ketch  was  reared  on 
farm  until  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age  and 
given  the  rudiments  of  knowledge  in  the  litth 
schoolhouse  of  the  district.  His  birth  took  j 
at  Farming-ton,  Mo.,  December  14,  1849,  he 
ing  the  third  youngest.  He  was  reared  on 
farm  until  he  was  tired  of  its  duties,  and  as  t 
was  no  school  during  the  war,  he  learned  littl 
books  in  those  disastrous  years.  In  1866,  he  can 
St.  Louis  and  obtained  employment  with  the 
cago  ife  Alton  Railroad  Transfer  Company  in 
St.  Louis,  and  remained  there  until  the  spriuj 
1871,  when  he  began  with  the  Wiggins  F* 
Company  as  a  deck  hand  on  the  "Ed  C.  Wigg: 
for  Capt.  Pernoe,  and  then  for  Capt.  Trendlei 
the  same  boat.  He  worked  his  wa3'  until  he 
came  pilot  on  tiie  old  "Simon  C.  Cliristy,"anc 
five  or  six  years  he  remained  as  pilot,  but  in  1 
lie  became  Captain  of  the  old  "Springfield"  and 
it  for  four  years.  He  then  became  Captain  on 
tug  "Samuel  C.  Clubb,"and  for  three  j'ears  he 
that  noisy  little  boat  and  had  charge  of  var 
other  boats  until  in  1890  he  was  made  Assis 
Superintendent  under  Capt.  H.  Sackmann  and 
important  post, requiring  a  man  of  energy  and 
perience,  he  has  held  ever  since. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  East  St.  Loui; 
1873,  to  Charlotte  Miller,  a  native  of  Hufl 
N.  Y.  They  have  five  children  living:  Har 
Floyd,  Lotta,  Pearl  and  Freddie.  The  Captai 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Honor  and  the  Unif 

Rank  of  the  Knights  of  Honor,  and  in  politics  IS  a       nve    iieif;    .u!ir\ .  mrs.   j'>cKen;   ana    \\.    ,j.      i  iiL- 
Democrat,  butlives  too  busy  a  life  tocare  for  office,    i    father,   a   wealthy   man,   was  a  great  reader  and 
He  has  clung   to  the  faith   of  his  ancestors  and    [    took  an  interest  in  nil  educational  matters, 
attends  the  I'rosbytorian  Cliurcii,  C)ursnhjcct  wasl)()rn  October  30.  (85(1, at  tluMihl 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


399 


homestead,  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  received 
his  education  in  the  district  schools,  supplemented 
with  a  course  of  instruction  at  the  school  of  the 
Christian  Brothers  in  St.  Louis.  In  November,  1876, 
he  married  Miss  Jenny  Terrell,  daughter  of  Isaac 
Terrell,  a  farmer  of  this  county,  and  an  old  settler 
from  Kentucky,  who  came  here  with  his  parents  in 
tlic  year  1829.  Our  subject  has  had  three  children: 
( 'ora,  Wilmer  T.  and  Don  K.,  all  at  home.  He  has 
a  line  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  under  cultiva- 
tion, and  also  a  mine  of  wealth  in  his  Perclicron 
and  French  Coach  horses,  his  Short-horn  cattle  and 
IJcrkshire  hogs.  All  of  these  are  registered,  and 
first  premiums  liave  been  taken  at  St.  Louis  at 
different  times  upon  various  animals  of  his  breed- 
ing, besides  many  other  premiums  at  various  other 
fairs.  Mr.  Miller  is  preparing  for  a  sale  of  blooded 
stock  to  take  place  soon. 

Our  subject  is  one  of  those  progressive  farmers 
wild  liave  left  the  old  methods  behind  and 
adopted  such  improvements  in  farming,  drain- 
age and  stock-raising  as  will  make  St.  Clair 
County  the  garden  of  the  Stale,  if  his  example  is 
generally  followed.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the 
(irauge,  holding  the  office  of  Treasurer,  and  be- 
longs to  the  order  of  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons.  Mr.  ^Miller  and  estimable  wife  have  a 
high  standing  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  suc- 
cess which  has  crowned  the  efforts  of  our  suliject 
lias  earned  for  him  the  good  opinion  of  all. 


l>^^<: 


J^;  NTHONY  ISCH,  Cashier  of  the  Working- 
@L!li    men's  Banking  Company,  has  held  his  po- 
|fli    sition    since    December,    1885,   and    has 
<^  proved  himself  the  right  man  in  the  right 

place.  He  was  born  at  Centreville  Station,  111., 
February  24,  1856,  his  father,  J.  N.  Isch,  being  a 
native  of  Alsace,  France.  His  grandfather  was  a 
soldier  in  Napoleon  Bonaparte's  armj'  and  made 
the  march  to  Moscow,  Russia.  J.  N.  Isch  was  left 
an  orphan  at  the  age  of  eight  years,  but  was  reared 
to  a  farm  life  in  his  native  land;  upon  attain- 
inn  ;i  suit;ilile  age,  he  entered  the  French  army  and 


saw  seven  years  of  cavalry  service.  After  receiv- 
ing his  discharge,  he  began  working  at  the  shoe- 
maker's trade,  and  in  1847,  while  still  unmarried, 
he  came  to  St.  Clair  Count3%  111.,  and  located  in 
Birkner,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  and  also 
farmed.  In  1852,  he  was  married,  and  located  at 
Centreville  Station,  purchasing  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres  four  miles  from  the  Mississippi  River,  which 
he  successfully^  tilled  until  his  death  in  1875,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-four  years.  He  was  well  educated 
and  spoke  with  equal  fluency  French,  German  and 
English.  The  maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Eliza- 
beth Pfifer;  she  was  born  in  Alsace,  France,  her 
parents  having  been  born  in  Lorraine.  Her  father 
was  a  farmer  in  his  native  land,  but  after  coming 
to  America  in  1836  was  a  resident  of  Birkner,  111., 
where  he  was  called  from  life.  Mrs.  Isch  died  in 
1874,  at  the  age  of  forty  years,  having  become  the 
mother  of  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  grew  to 
maturity  and  six  are  now  living:  Kate  (Mrs.  Yoch) 
resides  in  California;  Joseph  is  a  merchant  of 
O'Fallon;  Rose  also  resides  there;  Alex  resides  in 
St.  Louis;  Nick  is  a  grocer  of  O'Fallon;  Lizzie,  de- 
ceased, and  Anthon}'. 

The  last-mentioned  son  was  first  an  attendant 
of  the  public  schools  of  Centreville  Station,  and 
in  1873  entered  Brj'ant  &  Stratton's  Business  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated.  When  his 
father  died,  he  was  the  eldest  child  at  home  and 
upon  his  shoulders  he  took  the  burden  of  educat- 
ing the  younger  members  of  the  family.  He  de- 
voted the  farm  of  eighty  acres  to  the  raising  of 
vegetables  and  made  daily  trips  to  St.  Louis  to  sell 
his  produce.  Through  his  efforts,  the  family  was 
kept  together,  but,  when  just  about  to  graduate  his 
sister  Lizzie  was  burned  in  the  Belleville  Convent 
fire,  which  was  a  sad  blow  to  the  entire  family. 
His  two  younger  brothers  were  graduated  from  the 
Home  Institute.  In  1885,  one  of  his  brothers  took 
the  burden  of  the  farm  from  his  shoulders  and 
thus  freed,  he  came  to  the  city  as  Assistant  Cashier 
in  the  AVorkingmen's  Banking  Company,  but  in 
December  of  the  same  year  he  was  made  Cashier. 
This  establishment  was  organized  in  1870  with  a 
capital  of  850,000,  which  has  since  been  increased 
to  *150,0(l().  He  is  one  of  the  largest  stockholders 
and   also   a    Director.     He  is  a  stockholder  in   the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


First  Mutual  Loan  Association,  the  Etna  Buikling 
ife  Loan  Association  and  the  Missouri  (Tuarantee 
Building  <fe  Loan  Association. 

Our  subject  was  married  in  St.  Mary's,  ^I<>.,  De- 
cember 2d,  1890,  to  Miss  Mary  Kreilich,  vvlio  was 
born  in  Belleville,  111.,  a  daughter  of  Frank  Krei- 
lich, of  Lorraine,  France.  Mr.Isch  is  a  wide-awake, 
wliole-souled  young  business  man,  is  shrewd  and 
l)ractical,  and  gives  every  promise  of  becoming 
wealthy.  He  is,  politically,  a  Republican  and  is  a 
strong  worker  in  the  ranks  of  his  party.  While  at 
Centreville  Station,  he  served  in  tlie  capacit3'  of 
Township  Clerk  one  year.  He  belongs  to  St.  Pat- 
rick's Catholic  Church. 


.^^^^^^ .. 


yj;  D.  VANBLARCOM  is  a  gentleman  of 
thorough  experience  in  real  estate,  both  as 
^Jf^  a  means  of  speculation  and  permanent  in- 
vestment. For  soundness  of  judgment  and  keen 
appreciation  of  high-grade  real-estate  values,  he  lias 
not  his  superior  m  the  count}';  and,  being  prompt, 
energetic  and  thoroughly  reliable  in  all  his  deal- 
ings, and  honorable  in  carrying  out  his  undertak- 
ings, he  has  secured  the  confidence  and  favor  of 
the  public,  and  numbers  among  liis  most  regular 
clients  leading  citizens  in  all  walks  of  life.  He  was 
born  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  November  28,  1845,  to  the 
Hon.  .T.  A'.  R,  Van  Blarcom,  also  a  native  of  Pat- 
erson, through  whom  he  traces  his  ancestry  back 
thirteen  generations  to  the  first  settlers  of  Hobo- 
ken,  N.  J.,  who  came  from  Holland  in  1640.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Brant  Van  Blarcom,  was  born 
in  New  .Jersey  and  was  a  land-owner  and  agricul- 
turist of  that  State.  The  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch  was  a  merchant,  but  later  became 
known  throughout  the  State  as  a  leading  politician, 
and  for  some  time  was  a  member  of  the  Legisla- 
tuie  of  New  Jersey,  elected  on  the  Democratic 
ticket,  lie  died  in  1857,  when  just  in  the  meridian 
of  his  political  career,  at  the  age  of  thirty-nine 
years.  His  wife  was  Euphemia  Dixon,  who  was 
born  in  Paterson,  N.  J.,  a  daughter  of  William 
Dixon,  whose   grandfather    was   a    member   of   ;i 


wealthy  family  of  Steelville,  England.  The  mother 
died  in  1850,  and  three  of  her  six  children  survive 
her:  Gertrude,wife  of  J.  D.  Mercelis;  J.  C,  Cashier 
of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  of  St.  Loui?; 
and  W.  D.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

W.  D.  Van  Blarcom  was  reared  in  Paterson  aud 
was  educated  in  the  common  and  High  Schools  and 
in  time  became  a  good  classical  scholar.  In  April, 
1861,  he  enlisted  in  the  State  militia  of  New  .Ter- 
sey  and  went  to  Trenton  to  enter  the  service,  but 
an  uncle,  who  was  Quartermaster  at  that  point, 
informed  the  authorities  of  his  age,  and  his  services 
were  refused.  In  1863,  he  entered  St.  George's 
College,  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y.,  but  one  year  later 
left  that  institution  to  enter  Rutger's  College  at 
New  .Brunswick,  N.  J.  In  the  fall  of  18G5,  he 
turned  his  footsteps  Westward,  and  in  October  of 
that  year  reached  St.  Louis,  where  he  became  a 
salesman  for  Ford,  Dixon  &  Co.,  saddlery  and 
hardware  merchants,  and  remained  in  their  employ 
until  1868,  when  he  engaged  in  the  insurance 
business.  He  was  sent  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  to  open 
a  branch  department  for  "the  St.  Louis  Local  Life 
Insurance  Company,  and  at  the  end  of  six  months 
went  to  St.  Joseph  and  Kansas  City,  opening 
branch  houses  in  both  these  places.  At  the  end  of 
one  year,  he  returned  to  St.  Louis  and  retired 
from  the  life  insurance  business  to  engage  in 
the  fire  insurance  and  brokerage  business,  aud 
was  made  a  Director  in  the  Excelsior  Fire  In- 
surance Company  of  St.  Louis,  which  continued 
until  1872,  when  it  was  wiped  out  of  existence  by 
the  Ciiicago  fire.  Mr.  A'aii  IJlarcom  then  became 
manager  for  several  E.astern  insurance  companies, 
and  had  the  largest  agenc}'  of  anyone  in  St.  I.nuis. 
He  was  a  Director  in  the  Commercial  Insunuuc 
Company  of  St.  Louis,  and  did  a  very  extensive 
business. 

In  1875,  our  subject  was  taken  ill  with  typhoid 
fever,  but  upon  his  recovery  he  again  became  man- 
ager for  some  Eastern  companies,  continuing  until 
about  1885,  when  he  went  to  Durango,  Mexico,  at 
the  sdlicitatioM  of  a  mining  company  in  St.  Louis, 
and  remained  there  as  Superintendent  and  Busi- 
ness Manager  for  three  years.  While  there,  he 
learned  to  sj)eak  the  Spanish  language  and  acquired 
some   inlci'csl    in    mining  stock,  wliirh  lie  worked 


i^iy 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


403 


for  some  time  and  tlien  sold  out.  He  returned 
Nortli  in  1889,  and,  after  some  tliouglit,  decided 
to  locate  in  East  St.  Louis,  for  ho  believed  that 
the  town  had  a  brilliant  future  before  it,  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  place  since  January,  1890. 
He  first  opened  a  real-estate  office  on  Broadway, 
but  in  1891  located  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and 
C'ollinsville  Avenue.  He  makes  a  specialty- of  high- 
grade  business  and  investment  property  and  has 
made  more  sales  than  any  otiier  real-estate  agent 
in  the  cit}'.  He  sold  at  on*  time  seven  hundred 
acres  of  land  near  the  stock-yards,  which  was  the 
largest  single  acreage  sale  made  in  the  county,  and 
which  required  the  most  comprehensive  judgment 
and  finest  financial  ability.  His  sagacity,  skill  and 
invariable  success  have  made  his  name  a  mascot  to 
any  real-estate  enterprise. 

Mr.  Van  Blarcom  was  married  in  Troy,  N.  Y.,  in 
1869,  to  Miss  Fannie  Conant,  a  native  of  that  city 
and  a  daughter  of  A.  J.  Conant.  the  celebrated 
artist,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  New  York  City,  and 
is  considered  one  of  the  best,  if  not  the  foremost, 
male  artists  in  the  I'nited  States.  He  was  a  resi- 
dent of  St.  Louis  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  century. 
Mrs.  Van  Blarcom  was  reared  in  St.  Louis  and  is 
finely  educated.  She  has  borne  her  husband  six 
children:  W.  D.,. Jr.; Howell,  Blanche,  Carrie, Dixon 
and  Conant.  Mr.  Van  Blarcom  is  a  Knight 
Templar,  A.  F.  &  A.  M;  belongs  to  the  order  of 
Elks,  and,  politically,  is  a  Republican  of  the  most 
pronounced  type. 


OHN  SEIBERT,  one  of  the  most  extensive 
land-owners  of  St.  Clair  County  and  a 
j^llj  highly  respected  citizen,  residing  on  section 
y^''  34,  Shiloh  Valley  Township,  claims  Germany 
as  the  land  of  his  nativitj-.  He  was  born  March 
27.  1819,  and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Catherine  Sei- 
bert.  both  of  whom  were  natives  of  Olmstadt, 
Germany.  The  father  was  reared  in  the  city,  but 
was  ft  farmer  by  occupation,  AVhen  a  young  nmn, 
U^  was  married,  ftn(j|  by  tl+e  mlo\\  \ye\v  bu)!i  tliif«' 

J9 


sons:  Balth,  George  A.  and  John.  Tlie  father 
died  when  our  subject  was  only  about  six  vears  of 
age.  In  religious  belief,  he  was  a  Lutheran.  His 
widow  afterward  came  to  this  country,  crossing 
the  Atlantic  in  1832,  .-md  at  once  located  in  St. 
Clair  County,  111.,  where  she  spent  the  remainder 
of  her  life,  dying  in  1852. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  but  meagre 
educational  privileges.  He  attended  the  common 
schools  of  his  native  land  until  thirteen  years  of 
age,  and  then,  bidding  good-bye  to  the  old  home 
and  friends,  he  came  with  his  mother  to  America. 
He  began  life  for  himself  1)3'  purcliasing  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-eight  acres  of  Government  land,  a 
wild  and  unimproved  tract,  upon  which  not  a  furrow 
had  been  turned  or  an  improvement  made.  Of  his 
success  he  may  be  truly  proud,  for  it  is  evidence  of  an 
industrious  and  enterprising  life,  char.icterized  by 
perseverance  and  good  management.  As  his  finan- 
cial resources  have  increased,  he  has  extended  the 
boundaries  of  his  farm  until  it  now  comprises  one 
thousand  acres  of  valuable  land. 

As  a  companion  and  helpmate  on  life's  journey. 
Mr.  Seiberl  chose  Miss  Dorothea,  daughter  of  Wen- 
die  and  Anna  Knobeloch.  Her  father  was  a  pio- 
neer of  Shiloh  Vallev,  and  one  of  the  wealthy  and 
public-spirited  citizens  of  the  township.  Ten 
children  graced  the  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Seibert, 
seven  of  whom  are  yet  living,  as  follows:  Marv, 
wife  of  Henry  Fries;  George,  Charles;  Augusta, 
wife  of  Henry  Gauch;  Bertha,  wife  of  George 
Ruester;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Henry  Hebler,  and 
Otto.  The  mother  of  this  family  was  called  to  her 
final  rest  on  the  28th  of  September,  1891.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Seibert  had  traveled  life's  journey  to- 
gether for  forty-five  years  as  man  and  wife,  shar- 
ing with  each  other  the  joys  and  sorrows,  adversi- 
ties and  prosperities  of  life.  She  was  a  faithful 
companion  and  helpmate  to  him,  a  devoted  wife, 
a  loving  mother  and  a  cherished  friend,  whose  loss 
was  deeply  regretted   throughout  the  entire  com- 

In  political  sentiment,  Mr.  Seiberl  is  a  Democrat. 
He  is  also  a  self-made  man,  whose  possessions  stand 
.as  a  monument  to  his  own  labor.  Overcoming  the 
ubstntfles  in  his  path,  ho  has  steadily  mounted  the 
lHc(t|v|'  of  success  fHMl  luvs  !)ot  ouly   Illftf^c  s  goOf] 


404 


POKTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  EECORD. 


home  for  himself  but  has  also  given  liis  children 
good  homes.  He  is  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and 
integrity  and  has  the  respect  and  confidence  of  all 
who  know  him. 


=^ 


■ji^RAIsCIS  MAULE,  Vice-president  and  Sec- 
\-^^  retar_y  of  the  Maulc  and  the  National  Coal 
1^  ""  Companies,  is  a  young  man  of  great  natural 
ability  and  indefatigable  perseverance,  whose  posi- 
tion is  among  the  foremost  business  men  of  St. 
Clair  County.  Possessing  the  keen  insight  into 
affairs  which  has  contributed  to  the  attainment 
of  his  present  success,  his  prospects  for  the  future 
are  golden,  and  he  will  undoubtedly  become  the 
possessor  of  wealth  in  the  honorable  discharge  of 
his  business  obligations.  Among  the  citizens  of 
Belleville,  where  he  has  spent  the  greater  part  of 
his  life,  he  is  well  and  favorably  known  as  a 
worthy  representative  of  an  honored  family. 

Elsewhere  in  this  volume  will  be  found  a  sketch 
of  the  father  of  our  subject,  John  Maule,  as  well 
as  a  full  description  of  the  Maule  Mine,  which  was 
sunk  in  1886  and  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the 
county.  About  one-fourth  of  a  mile  west  of  the 
Maule  is  the  National  Mine,  which  is  located  on 
the  line  of  the  Belleville  ife  Carondelet  Railroad 
and  contains  complete  equipments  for  shaft  min- 
ing. The  yards  and  offices  of  the  Maule  Company 
are  located  at  No.  17  Clark  Avenue,  St.  Louis,  and 
there  is  a  brand)  office  at  East  St.  Louis.  The 
financial  position  of  the  company  is  assured,  and 
in  business  circles  they  have  attained  prominence 
and  great  intluence. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  .loliii  and  Mar- 
garet (Archibald)  Maule,  natives  of  Scotland.  The 
mother  died  in  August,  1870,  leaving  three  children 
beside  our  subject:  Maggie,  Mrs.  John  Doan;  Jean- 
nette,  wlio  is  the  wife  of  Fairly  Neilson;  and  Rob- 
ert, who  is  Superintendent  of  the  Maule  Coal 
Company.  Francis,  of  this  sketch,  was  born  at 
Cascyville,  ill.,  February  28,  1865,  and  passed  his 
cliildliood  d.ays  in  mingled  play  and  study.  Ills 
fdiuMlioM  was   ciMiijili'ted    ;it  !  he   High    S<-hool    (if 


Belleville  and  included  the  study  of  the  branches 
usually  taught  in  those  institutions  of  learning. 
His  culture  has,  however,  been  principally  self- 
acquired  and  proves  him  to  be  a  man  of  large  re- 
sources. 

In  connection  with  his  father,  our  subject 
learned  the  practical  part  of  mining,  and  also  was 
employed  for  some  time  as  locomotive  engineer, 
remaining  in  that  position  until  the  incorporation 
of  the  i\Laule  Coal  Company  in  1888,  two  years 
after  the  mine  was  opened.  From  the  time  of  its 
inception,  he  has  been  identified  with  the  company, 
and  to  his  energy  no  little  degree  of  its  success  is 
to  be  attributed.  The  local  affairs  of  the  cit3'  of 
Belleville  and  all  enterprises  of  a  public  nature  are 
sure  of  his  deepest  interest  and  unswerving  devo- 
tion, and,  although  by  no  means  a  partisan,  he  is 
a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Democratic  party. 

On  the  corner  of  Race  and  Franklin  Streets  an 
elegant  two-story  brick  house  is  being  built,  which 
when  completed  is  to  be  the  home  of  3Ir.  Maule 
and  his  family.  His  wife,  to  whom  he  was  married 
in  September,  1883,  was  known  in  maidenhood  as 
Elizabeth  Taylor  and  is  an  accomplished  and  cul- 
tured lady,  whose  ]josition  in  social  circles  is  one 
of  prominence.  She  is  the  daughter  of  Jonas  and 
Jane  (Taylor)  Taylor,  natives  of  England,  who 
have  for  many  years  resided  in  Belleville.  Four 
thildien  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mauie, 
who  are  Sarah,  Elizabeth,  Beatrice  and  John  T. 


M' 


\T^^REDERICK  KOEBERLIN,  M.  D.  The  sub- 
U^(g"  ject  of  the  following  sketch,  the  oldest  phy- 
/ll)  sician  of  the  town   of  Freeburg,   was  born 

in  the  village  of  Griesbach,  in  the  province  of 
Bavaria,  Germany,  in  1831,  and  there  he  remained 
until  the  .year  l.^^jl,  I  lis  descent  was  through  a 
line  of  ministcis  (in  Ixilh  sides  of  his  family,  his 
father  being  Rev.  Christopher  Koeberlin.  The  latter 
was  a  good,  pious  man,  who  long  labored  as  a 
minister  in  the  Lutheran  Church.  Our  subject 
(.ibtuiiifil   his    t'(hi(_-ali(iii    at    Augsburg,  and    came 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


405 


to  tliis  country  in  the  year  18.54,  having  received 
his  medical  education  in  the  best  scliools  of  Ger- 
man3-. 

After  reaching  America,  liis  first  location  was 
Lancaster,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  a  few  months 
and  then  went  to  Carrollton,  111.,  forming  a 
partnership  with  an  American  ph_vsician.  Our 
subject  soon  decided  to  find  a  larger  field,  so  went 
to  St.  Louis,  and  as  a  preparation  for  future  en- 
larged usefulness,  entered  the  medical  college 
there  in  order  to  familiarize  iiimself  with  the 
American  terms  used  in  practice.  Remaining 
tliere  until  his  object  had  been  attained,  he  then 
located  in  the  town  of  Freeburg.  This  village 
then  bore  the  name  of  Urbany.  Ever  since  that 
time,  1857.  Dr.  Koeberlin  has  been  a  successful 
practitioner  in  this  place,  relieving  p.ain,  curing 
disease  and  soothing  dying  beds  with  skill,  devo- 
tion and  kindness.  In  the  year  IHOO,  our  sub- 
ject was  married  to  Miss  Rosa  Ochs,  daughter  of 
Rudolph  Ochs,  one  of  the  early  settlers  in  the 
county,  having  come  here  in  1833  from  his  birth- 
place of  Frankfort-on-the-Main,  in  German}'.  His 
wife  died  at  an  advanced  age. 

Our  subject  became  the  father  of  ten  children,  but 
only  three  have  been  spared  him,  and  they  are: 
Millie,  Erwiu  and  Fred.  Krwin  is  a  druggist  in 
St.  Louis.  Dr.  Koeberlin  is  a  member  of  the  St. 
Clair  County  Medical  Society,  and  has  held  the 
office  of  President  in  it;  he  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Ancient  Free  and  Accepted  Masons,  and  has 
held  all  of  the  offices  of  the  lodge,  having  been 
AVorshipful  Master  of  the  Freeburg  lodge  for  over 
ten  years,  also  a  charter  member,  and  has  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  the  work  of  the  fra- 
ternity. 

Politically,  our  sul)ject  is  a  believer  in  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Republican  party;  was  a  member  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  city  for  a  number  of 
years,  and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  has  held  tlic 
office  of  Trustee  of  Schools.  l)i.  KoclitMlin  has  a 
very  large  practice  and  probiibly  kiuuvs  nioic  of 
the  inside  life  of  the  county  of  St.  Clair,  than  any 
other  man  in  it.  lie  is  beloved  and  respected,  and 
his  judgment  is  relied  upon  when  less  experienced 
pliysicians  quail  before  some  terrible  scourge  of 
disease,  as  they  feel  their  helplessness  to  cope  with 


it.  The  success  of  the  Doctor  lies  in  his  large 
sympathy,  as  well  as  in  his  superior  skill  and 
knowledge.  His  presence  inspires  confidence,  and 
faith  is  a  potent  factor  in  physic  as  in  religion. 
Patients  of  iiis  realize  that  he  makes  a  careful 
study  of  e.ach  particular  case,  and  that  his  best 
efforts  will  be  put  forth  in  their  behalf.  Dr. 
Koeberlin  keeps  abreast  with  the  times  in  his  pro- 
fession, availing  himself  of  all  possible  sources  of 
information  in  his  beloved  profession. 


\f7  EONARI)  TRAIBEL.  One  of  the  old  set- 
I  (@  flers  and  pleasant  business  men  of  East  St. 
Ill— ^^.  Louis  is  the  subject  of  our  notice,  who  has 
resided  here  since  1859  and  has  seen  many  of  the 
wonderful  ciianges  that  have  taken  place  on  both 
sides  of  the  mighty  river.  The  fatiier  of  our  sub- 
ject was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  and 
followed  the  trade  of  a  baker  in  his  native  country, 
where  he  died  in  1854.  The  maiden  name  of  his 
wife  was  Fredericka  Meidneiger,and  her  liirtliplace 
was  in  Wurtemberg,(iennany. 

Mr.  Traubel  of  this  notice  was  the  youngest  of 
four  children  and  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt, 
May  29,  1839.  He  attended  the  excellent  free 
schools  of  his  iiati\e  i)lace  until  his  fourteenth 
year,  wlien  he  began  tlie  trade  of  a  baker  under 
his  father.  Our  subject,  however,  concluded  to  try 
his  fortune  in  the  New  World,  and  accordingly 
set  sail  for  America,  landing  in  New  Orleans,  .lan- 
uary  8,  1857,  after  a  stormy  passage  of  fifty-four 
days,  although  regarded  by  him  as  a  pleasant  trip. 
He  remained  and  worked  in  that  city  at  his 
trade  for  sixteen  months,  but  in  the  spring  of 
1 858  came  up  the  river  and  located  at  St.  Louis,  and 
there  worked  along  until  1859,  when,  in  the  month 
of  August,  he  came  over  and  located  in  this  place, 
wliicli  was  then  called  Illinois  Town,  and  had  been 
laid  out  in  1817.  He  bought  out  Mr.  Weis,  whose 
name  is  an  old  and  familiar  one  here,  and  in  the 
spring  of  18(!1  built  on  Broadway  and  located 
there,  engaging  in  the  bakery  business  which  he 


406 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


continued  for  thirteen  years.  Our  subject  had  the 
largest  bakery  liere  and  sold  bread  all  through  the 
surrounding  country.  In  1872,  he  began  the  liquor 
business.  In  1865,  Mr.  Traubel  built  a  double  dwell- 
ing on  the  corner  of  Fourth  Street  and  Missouri 
Avenue,  and  in  1888  built  the  brick  business  block 
in  which  his  business  is  conducted.  This  is  .SOxlOO 
feet  and  two  stories  in  height. 

In  1872,  our  subject  had  the  misfortune  to  lose 
his  bakery  by  the  fire  which  destro^-ed  many  old 
landmarks,  notably  the  toll-gate  on  the  St.  Clair 
County'  turnpike,  but  in  1873  he  put  up  a  brick 
block.  Nos.  211-213  Broadway,  and  called  it  Trau- 
bel's  Hall.  This  has  thirty-one  feet  frontage,  is 
one  hundred  in  length  and  has  two  stories  and  a 
basement.  He  owns  also  a  residence  on  Sixth  and 
Missouri  Avenue  that  has  fifty  feet  frontage.  Mr. 
Traubel  was  married  here,  October  15,  1859,  to 
Miss  Annsten  Delht,  who  was  born  in  Kur-IIessen, 
Germany,  and  six  children  have  come  to  gladden 
their  hearts.  The.se  are:  Karl,  Robert,  Otto,  Will- 
iam, Laura,  and  Anna.  Mr.  Traubel  is  well-known 
here,  being  the  second  oldest  business  man  in  the 
city,  and  is  member  of  the  Ancient  Free  and  Ac- 
cepted Masons  and  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  at  Alton, 
and  was  Treasurer  of  the  Blue  Lodge  and  the 
Chapter  for  ten  years.  Our  friend  is  a  true-blue 
Republican,  and  boldly  expresses  his  opinions 
without  fear  or  favor.  He  has  lived  through  some 
very  exiting  times  here,  and  could  fill  a  volume 
with  interesting  reminiscences  of  his  eventful  ca- 
reer. 


'1!  J.  LINDLY.  The  gentleman  whose  honored 
I  name  appears  at  the  opening  of  this  sketch 
^l|  is  a  representative  of  the  men  of  energy, 
5^//'  ability  and  enterprise  who  have  made  St. 
Clair  County  so  prominent  in  the  State.  His  name  is 
associated  with  the  ri.se  and  progress  of  its  agricul- 
ture, as  one  who  has  made  a  success  of  tilling  the 
soil  and  of  improving  tlu^  stock  of  the  county  bv 
careful  breeding, 

Mr.  Lindly  was  born  in  Mftdison  County,  on  a 
Jirui  about  suve»  miWn  flOfto  pf  Lubauon,  Jnuuary 


20,  1831,  and  was  the  sou  of  John  and  Sarah  P. 
(Gonterman)  Lindly.  His  father  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 27,  1791,  in  North  Carolina,  where  his  father 
resided.  The  grandfather  took  part  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  and  was  descended  from  English 
parents,  who  could  point  with  pride  to  their"May- 
flower"  ancestors.  The  paternal  grandfather  was 
engaged  in  fanning,  and  also  was  a  preacher  in  the 
Baptist  Churcli,  traveling  about  in  thai  relation, 
administering  to  the  people  in  Kentucky  and  in 
Illinois.  He  moved  into  Kentucky  when  the 
father  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch  was  about  twelve 
years  old,  and  from  there  into  Illinois  just  be- 
fore the  War  of  1812.  He  died  about  tlie  year 
1840,  at  the  .age  of  seventy-five. 

Our  subject  is  doubly  well  born,  for  his  revered 
mother,  who  still  lives  in  beautiful  old  age,  can 
trace  an  unbroken  line  back  to  the  Puritan  band 
that  came  over  in  the  "Miiyflower"  and  settled  on 
the  bleak  New  England  coast.  .She  was  born  Feb- 
ruary 24,  1799,  and  her  life  has  been  one  of  great 
interest.  Slie  was  the  daughter  of  Jacob  and  Mary 
Gonterman,  and  was  born  near  Ilopkinsville,  Kj-., 
as  her  parents  did  not  come  to  Illinois  until  she 
was  about  seventeen.  They  were  of  Dutch  ances- 
try and  came  originally  from  New  Jersey.  They 
were  old  settlers  of  Madison  County,  and  located 
four  miles  e.ast  of  Edwardsville  and  lived  .and  died 
at  that  place.  Mrs.  Lindly,  Sr.,  has  two  living 
sisters:  Mary,  who  is  the  widow  of  the  lamented 
Julius  Barnsback,  a  merchant  of  P^dwardsville,  who 
died  about  forty  years  ago;  and  Lucinda.  who  is 
the  widow  of  Ross  Houk,  who  died  about  twelve 
years  ago. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  married  in  Mad- 
ison County  in  1818,  the  father  having  served  for 
three  years  in  the  War  of  1812,  for  which  service 
the  aged  widow  now  receives  a  pension.  He 
engaged  in  farming  after  marriage  and  attended 
to  his  religious  affairs  in  the  Baptist  connection 
as  carefully  and  as  conscientiouslj'  as  he  did  every 
other  duty  in  his  path  of  life.  He  believed  in 
the  principles  of  the  Republican  party  and  w.as  al- 
ways ready  to  uphold  them  to  the  last,  he  dying 
October  3,  1863.  He  had  been  twice  married, 
his  first  wife  being  taken  away  in  the  first  year 
u}'    her    ujttrried    life.     The    cUildjX'H    of    his   sec. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


407 


ond  marriage  were  numerous,  and  from  thera 
have  descended  some  of  tlie  best  families  of 
this  section.  "William  Madison  lives  near  Pana, 
111.,  and  married  Lizzie  Ann  Gears;  he  became 
tho  father  of  fourteen  children,  ten  of  whom  are 
still  living'.  Lucinda  lives  seven  miles  north  of 
Lebanon,  in  Madison  County.  She  first  married 
John  Van  Hoozer,  and  had  two  children,  one  of 
whom  died  in  the  service  of  his  country.  His 
name  was  Henrj',  and  he  belonged  to  the  One 
Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illinois  Infantry.  The 
other  son,  William,  was  also  a  member  of  that 
regiment  and  is  still  living.  Lucinda  married 
.Jefferson  Bergen  and  has  four  living  children; 
Hannah  lives  at  Alton,  and  married  Aaron  Van 
Hoozer,  who  was  a  farmer  and  died  in  1882;  he 
was  a  Lieutenant  in  the  late  war,  and  left  his 
widow  with  six  children.  Mary  is  living  in  Belle- 
ville. Her  first  husband  died  about  thirty  years 
ago,  leaving  three  children.  Her  second  husband 
was  Hezekiah  McCoy,  who  is  engaged  in  mining. 
She  has  three  children  by  this  marriage.  Sarah  P. 
was  the  wife  of  .John  Pyle,  a  farmer,  and  died  in 
188'2.  She  left  five  children.  Elizabeth  lives  with 
her  mother  and  is  the  wife  of  A.  W.  Brasher,  a 
merchant  in  this  town,  and  has  two  girls.  Ellen 
P.  is  single  and  lives  with  her  mother.  Two  chil- 
dren died  in  infancy. 

Our  subject  received  a  common-school  education 
and  had  the  advantages  of  a  two-years  course  in 
an  academy.  Removing  to  Lebanon  in  186(5,  he 
has  devoted  his  life  to  carefully  educating  his 
childien,  to  the  improving  of  his  farm  and  to  the 
raising  of  fine  stock.  Mr.  Lindly  was  married  in 
1853  to  Miss  Amanda  Palmer,  and  four  children 
were  the  result  of  that  union.  They  are  as  fol- 
lows: Joseph  N.,  married  to  Miss  Alice  Carson,  is 
a  merchant  living  in  Lebanon  and  the  father  of 
one  child;  Madison  N.  is  a  Deputy  United  States 
Marshal,  located  at  South  McAlester,  I.  T.,  a  law- 
yer by  profession  and  has  three  living  children. 
Cicero  J.,  the  next  son  of  Mr.  Lindly,  deserves 
more  than  a  passing  notice,  as  he  has  become  a 
very  prominent  man  in  his  State,  being  Judge 
of  the  Bond  County  Court  and  President  of 
the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  of  the 
State  of  Illinois.     He    rose    to  great    prominence 


during  the  last  contest  for  election  of  United  Stales 
Senator  at  Springfield,  111.,  in  the  winter  of  1891, 
he  being  the  candidate  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual 
Benefit  Association.  He  received  the  votes  of  the 
Republican  members  on  the  last  ballot,  but  the 
final  result  was  in  favor  of  John  M.  Palmer.  He 
married  the  daughter  of  Abraham  McNeil  and  has 
one  child.  The  next  child  of  our  subject  was  his 
daughter  Mary,  who  married  John  Taylor,  a  min- 
ister of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  has 
two  children. 

Mr.  Lindly  of  our  sketch  was  married  a  second 
time,  March  7,  1873.  Ilis  choice  was  Ella  II. 
Pierson,  a  native  of  New  York,  who  was  born  April 
29,  1846.  Two  children  have  been  added  to  the 
family  by  this  union,  namely:  Cleda  and  Albeit. 
The  sons  of  Mr.  Lindty  have  all  graduated  from 
the  schools  here  and  from  the  Commercial  College 
of  St.  Louis,  while  Cicero  and  Madison  are  also 
law  graduates.  Joseph  was  graduated  from  the 
Scliool  of  Pharmacy  in  St.  Louis. 

Mr.  Lindly  has  always  been  a  Republican,  but 
while  taking  great  interest  in  the  stirring  events 
of  the  life  of  the  Nation,  has  never  consented  to 
accept  an  ottice.  He  clings  to  the  faith  of 
'  his  ancestors,  and  liberally  supports  the  Baptist 
Church.  His  afipearance  is  that  of  a  strong  and 
rugged  farmer  and  stock-raiser,  whose  contented 
face  tells  of  the  success  that  has  crowned  his  labors. 


^i^i|-^i"i^ll^^€ 


^^DOLPHUS  NORTH.     Like    many    of    the 
^/    H     ''*'P'"*^S'^"tativeand  much-esteemed  citizens 
ijr^    of  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  Mr.  North  is  a 
^  native  of  the  Keystone  State,  born  in  Mc- 

Alisterviile,  Juniata  County,  November  14,  1834, 
and  his  parents,  John  and  J.ane  H.  (McAlister) 
North,  were  natives  of  the  same  county,  tlie  father 
born  in  1799  and  the  mother  in  1801.  The  elder 
Mr.  North  was  a  merchant  for  many  years  in  MeAlis- 
terville,  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  hotel  busi- 
ness. He  was  a  man  noted  for  his  honesty  and 
uprightness,  and  was  an  ardent  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  Church.     In  politics,  he  .afliliated  with 


i-ORTRAlT  AKD  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  Democratic  party.  His  death  occurred  on  the 
17th  of  Marcij,  1872,  and  his  life  companion  fol- 
lowed him  to  the  grave  on  the  14tii  of  August, 
1890,  when  eiglity-nine  years  of  age.  They  were 
the  parents  of  an  old-fashioned  family  of  eleven 
children,  who  were  named  in  the  order  of  their 
births  as  follows:  Calvin  Blythe,  Hugh  McAlister, 
Tliomas  Elliott,  Amelia  Evans,  Catherine,  Adol- 
phus,  Samuel  Evans,  Edmund  Dot_v,  Elizabeth, 
Jane,  John  Dallas  and  Alice. 

The  eldest  son,  Calvin  Blythe,  resides  in  Selin's 
Grove,  Pa.,  and  is  cashier  of  the  First  National 
Bank  there.  He  married  Miss  Annie  Richter,  and  has 
one  son,  Hugh  McAlister,  who  resides  in  Columbia, 
Pa.,  and  is  a  prominent  attorney  of  that  city.  The 
latter  is  wealthy,  being  worth  over  =^500,000.  He 
married  Mi.ss  Serena  M.  Franklin,  of  Lancaster,  Pa., 
and  has  a  son  and  daughter.  Thomas  Elliott  re- 
sides in  Carbon  dale,  111.,  and  is  a  merchant,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  North,  Campbell  iV  Co.  He 
married  Mrs.  Hattie  Campbell  and  became  the 
father  of  three  children.  Samuel  is  also  in  Car- 
bondale,  engaged  in  merchandising.  He  married 
Miss  Mary  Campbell  and  three  children  were  born 
to  his  union.  Edmund  Doty  is  a  lawyer,  and  resides 
at  Lancaster,  Pa.  Catherine  died  when  a  child. 
Elizabeth,  married  Dr.  W.  Richter,  wholesale  lum- 
ber merchant,  and  resides  in  Philadelphia.  They 
have  one  son.  Alice  died  in  childhood.  John  D., 
is  a  farmer  of  Kansas.  Amelia  was  the  wife  of 
Robert  Thompson,  and  died  when  about  twenty- 
six  vears  of  age.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
these  children  was  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
Pennsylvania. 

The  boyhood  of  our  subject  was  passed   at   Mc- 
Alisterville  and  he  received  a  rather  limited  educa- 
tion there,  experience  having  been  his  teacher  for 
the  most  part.     The  arduous   duties  of   the   farm 
occupied  his  attention  until   twent^'-two  years  of 
age.  but  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  had  begun  lea;-n- 
ing  the  blacksmith  trade,  and  continued  this  in  con- 
nection with  agricultural  pursuits  until  the  former   ! 
age.     He  then  branched  out  for  himself  as   travel- 
ing agent  for  F.  M.  Swyer  &  Co.,  of  Belleville,  his   | 
business  being  to  collect  money  for  the  firm.     He 
was  thus  engaged  for  four  years.     At  the  breaking   j 
out  of  the  war,  he  returned  to  Belleville,  and  on    | 


the  4th  of  April,  1861,  "he  was  married  to  Miss 
Paulina  Bradsby,  daughter  of  James  W.  Bradsby, 
and  a  native  of  Lebanon  Township.  The  follow- 
ing children  liave  been  born  to  this  union:  Alice, 
who  died  in  childhood;  James  Calvin,  Minnie  M., 
Jo!;n  Edwin,  one  who  died  in  infancy,  Samuel  Dal- 
las, and  Henry  D..  who  also  died  in  infancy.  The 
eldest  child  is  single  and  at  home;  Minnie  M.  mar- 
ried Louis  Reinliardt,  a  merchant,  and  has  one 
child;  John  E.,  single,  at  lK>me;  and  Samuel  I)., 
also  at  home. 

Mrs.  North,  a  lady  of  much  refinement  and  cul- 
ture, died  in  January,  1880,  when  about  forty-four 
years  of  age.  Mr.  North's  second  marriage  oc- 
curred on  the  17th  of  November,  1880,  to  Miss 
Laura  Louisa  Swyer,  a  native  of  Belleville.  Her 
parents  were  natives  of  Virginia.  Mr.  North  has 
resided  on  his  present  farm  since  his  first  marriage, 
and  has  a  tract  of  three  hundred  and  thirty-four 
acres,  all  well  cultivated  and  well  improved.  He 
has  been  School  Director  of  his  township  and  has 
also  been  Trustee  of  his  township.  Socially,  he 
is  a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  has  gone  through  all  the  chairs  of 
the  lodge.  In  his  religious  views,  he  is  a  Presby- 
terian. 


HH.LIP  ADAM  GAUCH.  Among  the  prom- 
inent agriculturists  who  were  born  across 
the  seas  and  who  have  brought  to  this 
^  country  those  characteristics  which  make 
them  successful  here,  is  the  subject  of  this  sketch, 
who  resides  on  section  10,  Smithton  Township. 
He  was  born  in  Berne,  Germany,  May  18,  1829, 
and  came  to  America  with  his  parents.  His  father 
was  Christian  Gauch,  also  a  native  of  Germany. 
When  the  family  first  came  to  this  co\intry  they 
located  in  New  York  City  for  the  first  winter. 

Mr.  Gauch  and  family  then  removed  to  Nor- 
wich, Conn.,  but  .that  place  did  not  seem  enough 
like  home  to  induce  them  to  remain, and  the3'  went 
on  to  Allegheny  City.  Pa.,  from  there  to  Belle- 
ville 111.,  and  finally  to  St.  Louis,  where  the  father 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


409 


settled  on  land  about  tliree-quarters  of  ;i  mile  from 
Douglas,  and  there  remaiued  for  a  yeav.  At  that 
time  he  was  looking  for  a  place  for  a  permanent 
home  and  found  it  in  the  land  which  our  subject 
now  owns.  Here  the  family  moved  and  the  father 
finally  died.  He  had  a  familj'  of  eight  children, 
only  four  of  them  now  living. 

Our  subject  was  about  twelve  years  old  wiien 
the  father  located  on  this  place.  He  worked  with 
his  parents  until  manhood,  and  in  due  time 
thought  of  a  home  of  his  own.  In  pursuance  of 
this  idea,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Anna  Mary  Bren- 
ner, the  daughter  of  George  Brenner,  an  early  set- 
tler here.  After  their  marriage,  the  young  couple 
made  this  tlieir  home,  but  on  the  loth  of  December, 
1891,  the  wife  died.  Her  birth  occurred  in  (Tor- 
many  in  1848,  and  she  had  lived  in  this  ((luntry 
since  her  ninth  year. 

The  farm  of  our  subject  contains  one  hundred 
acres  of  highly  improved  land,  on  which  he  raises 
both  grain  and  stock.  He  carries  on  a  system  of 
general  farming,  wliich  he  has  learned  the  secret 
of  making  very  profitable.  Mr.  Gauch  is  nicely 
located,  his  brick  house  and  neat  barn  and  out- 
buildings reflecting  great  credit  upon  liis  taste, 
lie  raises  a  great  man}-  apples  on  this  place  and 
never  has  any  difficulty  in  disposing  of  them.  Mr. 
Gauch  obtained  a  better  education  than  many  far- 
mer boys  and  is  a  very  intelligent  man.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Church  and  is  highly 
regarded  in  this  connection.  Politically,  he  is 
and  has  always  been  a  Republican,  and  is  a  man 
who  stands  well  with  every  class  in  liis  neiglibor- 
hood. 


||b       for   St. 
Ij^^  proves 


DWARD  D.  STOOKKY,  Deputy  Recorder 
Clair  County,  is  a  man  wiio  dis- 
the  statement  that  a  prominent  man 
never  lias  a  prominent  son,  as  both  he  and  his 
father  have  figured  conspicuously  in  the  histoiy 
of  this  county.  The  latter,  Maj.  Aaron  Stookey, 
son  of  Daniel  Stookey  was  born  September  21, 
1808,  and  was  educated  in  a  private  school  on  his   | 


father's  farm,  which  occupied  the  present  site  of 
Belleville. 

Aaron  Stookey  continued  to  reside  on  this 
farm,  and  served  as  one  of  the  early  militia- 
men during  the  Black  Hawk  War,  being  a  Major. 
After  the  close  of  that  war,  he  returned  to  the 
farm  and  married  Miss  Margaret  Miller,  also  a  na- 
tive of  this  county,  born  in  June,  1809,  a  daughter 
of  one  of  the  oldest  pioneers.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stook- 
ey lived  on  the  farm  and  reared  a  famil}-  of  six 
children :  Albert,  who  died  in  the  army,  a  member  of 
Company  E.  Fifty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry;  Vincent 
engaged  in  hardware  trade  at  Pinckneyville,  111.; 
Caroline,  who  was  born,  educated  and  died  in  this 
county;  William,  owner  of  a  large  stock  ranch  in 
Dawson  County,  Neb.;  Lewis,  a  farmer  of  St. 
Clair  Township;  and  our  subject,  the  3^oungest  of 
the  family.  The  father,  Aaron,  lived  on  the  farm 
taken  up  b^'  his  father,  and  our  subject  still  owns 
part  of  the  original  homestead,  it  never  having 
been  out  of  the  Stookey  family.  The  revered 
father  died  some  years  ago,  January  18,  1878,  but 
his  wife  survived  him  until  January  18,  1892, 
when  she  too  joined  the  unseen  throng. 

lidward,  our  subject,  received  his  education  in 
tlie  public  schools  of  Belleville  and  at  St.  Louis  in 
a  widely-known  commercial  college.  After  com- 
pleting a  course  at  the  last-named  institution,  he 
taught  school  for  twelve  years  in  this  county,  until 
1888,  when  he  was  appointed  to  his  present  posi- 
tion by  Mr.  Lill,  which  office  he  has  filled  efficiently, 
giving  the  most  perfect  satisfaction.  In  addition 
to  his  other  duties,  Mr.  Stookey  deals  somewhat  in 
East  St.  Louis  real  estate,  which  demands  his  at- 
tention and  presence  in  that  city  to  a  great  extent. 
In  April,  1880,  he  decided  that  it  is  not  good 
for  man  to  live  alone,  so  he  took  unto  himself 
a  wife  in  the  person  of  Miss  Clementine  Coop, 
of  Waterloo,  III.,  daughter  of  Thomas  Coop,  one 
of  the  first  settlers  of  Monroe  County,  having  emi- 
grated there  when  only  a  boy  in  1818,  and  becom- 
ing a  prominent  farmer  of  that  section.  Mrs. 
Stookey  was  born  September  18,  1857,  and  is  a 
graduate  of  St.  Joseph's  Convent  at  Waterloo.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Stookey  are  the  happy  i)arents  of  five 
children,  Albert,  Mary,  Chester,  Elmer  and  Cle- 
mentine, and  are   very  i)rominent  meinbers   of    St. 


410 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Luke's  Catholic  Church.  Mr.  Stookey  is  identified 
with  the  C.  K.  of  I.  W.C.U.,  and  is  Trustee  of 
Schools  for  St.  Clair  and  Belleville.  Thus  brieflj- 
have  we  endeavored  to  outline  the  life  of  one  of 
Belleville's  most  prominent  and  influential  citi- 
zens. 


"^  OHN  GRIFFIN  resides  on  section  2.5,  Free- 
I  burg  Township,  where  he  has  a  fine  farm 
^^1  of  two  hundred  and  nineteen  acres.  His 
^^^  prominence  among  the  citizens  of  St.  Clair 
County  is  tiie  result  of  liis  straightforward  deal- 
ings with  all,  as  well  as  the  enterprise  he  displays 
in  the  management  of  his  afl'airs.  He  is  well  known, 
for  he  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  this  county,  and 
has  ever  maintained  a  deep  interest  in  its  progress. 
His  father,  Abraham  Griffin,  was  also  a  native  of 
Illinois,  and  resided  where  our  subject  now  makes 
his  home. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  July  3,  1837, 
in  New  Athens  Township,  on  Grumm  Hill,  where 
he  was  roared  and  educated  in  the  district  schools. 
After  tlie  death  of  his  father,  whicli  occurred  when 
he  was  a  child,  lie  was  taken  into  the  home  of  his 
uncle,  John  Griffin,  after  whom  he  was  named.  He 
was  heir  to  1800  from  the  estate  of  his  fatlier,  and 
upon  receiving  it,  when  he  became  of  age,  lie  went 
to  school  during  one  winter  in  Mascoutaii.  He  then 
worked  out  for  a  year,  and  carefully  economized 
his  earnings  in  oider  that  he  might  establish  a  home 
of  his  own. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  (Triffln  united  him  with 
Miss  Mary,  the  daughter  of  Edward  McCaren,  for 
whom  he  had  been  farming.  After  his  marriage, 
our  subject  remained  with  his  father-in-law  for 
three  years,  and  then  bought  a  part  of  his  grand- 
father's place  for  $1,500,  paying  for  the  land  as  he 
was  able.  A  man  of  excellent  judgment,  lie  was 
wise  in  his  investments,  and  gained  a  competency 
thereby.  He  bought  eighty  acres  of  land  where 
Henry  Berte  now  lives,  and  after  cultivating  it  for 
a  year,  sold  it  to  Charles  Moloch  at  an  advance  of 
$1,300.  He  then  bought  from  Nathan  Laud  a  farm 


of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Freeburg Town- 
ship, and  a  year  after  purchasing  the  place  he  was 
able  to  sell  it  at  an  advance  of  *  1,300,  the  buyers 
being  Messrs.  Cooley  and  Etling.  He  then  bought 
from  Blaney  Pitts  the  place  where  he  now  lives, 
and  about  three  years  afterward  located  upon   it. 

Aftei-  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  our  subject 
married  Ellen  C,  the  daughter  of  William  Wilder- 
man,  who  was  an  early  resident  of  this  county. 
Mr.  Griffin  lias  had  a  family  of  five  children,  of 
whom  but  one  remains.  The  children  of  his  first 
union,  Cynthia  and  P-dward  (tlie  latter  a  physician 
of  Jackson  County),  are  botli  deceased.  John,  born 
of  his  second  marriage,  is  also  deceased.  Arthur  is 
the  only  son  now  living. 

Tlie  farm  of  Mr.  (iritlin  sliows  care  and  attention, 
and  proves  him  to  be  a  good  farmer.  He  raises 
grain  principally,  and  understands  the  soil,  so 
that  his  crops  are  never  a  failure.  Politicallj',  lie 
believes  in  the  doctrines  of  free  trade  as  held 
by  the  Democratic  party,  and  is  never  backward 
in  showing  liis  faitli  in  the  tenets  of  that  party. 
He  lias  taken  a  great  interest  in  educational  mat- 
ters, has  been  called  upon  to  assume  the  im- 
portant office  of  School  Trustee,  and  lias  served 
liis  district  as  School  Director  for  nine  years.  Mr. 
Griffin  has  been  a  very  hard  worker,  and  his  fine 
farm  and  comfortable  buildings  prove  his  industiy. 
He  has  made  all  of  the  improvements  on  the  place, 
there  having  been  nothing  here  but  a  barn  .and  an 
old  well  when  he  came. 


^i^^'  ^  I  ^  i^^Sii. 


jEORGE  and  PETER  KANZLEH.  Well-di- 
rected  energy  and  honorable  dealings  al- 
ways tell  in  business  as  in  everything  else. 
Kanzler  Bros,  have  conducted  a  very  prosperous 
business  since  1880,  and  during  the  whole  time 
that  has  elapsed  their  trade  has  advanced  by 
rapid  strides,  until  to-day  they  are  enjoying  per- 
haps tlie  largest  trade  in  the  city.  It  may  natur- 
alllj'  he  asked,  what  has  contributed  most  to  so 
great  a  success.'  Everytliing  connected  with  their 
business  and  their   manner  of  conducting   it   has 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


413 


each  and  all  contributed  to  this  result.  They 
have  their  quarters  at  Nos.  327  and  329  North 
Illinois  Street,  Belleville,  where  thej-  cater  to  a 
medium  and  fine  trade,  and  are  always  abreast  of 
the  times.  They  have  a  large  double  store  and 
carrj'  a  large  line  of  staple  and  fancy  drygoods 
and  groceries. 

Peter  Kanzler  was  horn  in  Belleville,  111.,  on  the 
1st  of  February,  185(1,  to  the  marriage  of  Charles 
F.  and  Johannah  (Rudolph)  Kanzler,  natives  of 
(lormany.  The  parents  were  reared  in  their  na- 
tive country,  and  were  there  married.  After  the 
birth  of  two  children,  or  in  1848,  they  sailed 
for  America,  and  in  the  same  year  located  in 
Belleville,  111.  The  father  had  followed  the  trade 
of  a  shoemaker  in  his  native  country,  and  he  con- 
tinued this  after  reaching  Belleville.  He  went 
still  farther  and  opened  a  shoe  store,  which  he 
carried  on  with  much  success  until  his  death,  in 
.lanuary,  1869.  Like  the  majority  of  his  coun- 
trymen, he  was  industrious  and  persevering,  and 
these  characteristics  brought  him  in  substantial 
results.  He  left  n  widow  and  two  sons,  George 
and  Peter. 

The  educatif)n  of  the  latter  was  received  in  the 
schools  of  Belleville,  and,  as  he  had  inherited  the 
thrift  and  energy  of  his  father,  he  began  clerking 
as  soon  as  he  left  the  schoolroom.  He  was  first 
with  J.  W.  Koska,  later  with  Burchard  &  Drees, 
then  with  AVest  it  Fuchs,  and  finallv  with  H. 
Deidesheimer,  with  whom  he  i-emained  for  a 
period  of  eight  years.  About  this  time,  he  had 
accumulated  considerable  means  and  a  strong  de- 
sire took  possession  of  him  to  embark  in  business 
for  himself  in  the  firm  of  Kohl,  Lind  &  Kanzler, 
dealers  in  drygoods  and  groceries.  This  partner- 
ship lasted  for  three  years  and  then  our  subject 
opened  a  small  grocery  store  for  himself  at  his 
l)resent  location.  This  was  in  1879,  and  after 
continuing  this  successfully  for  one  vear  his 
brother  George  became  a  partner  under  the  firm 
name  of  Peter  Kanzler  &  Bro. 

During  the  year  188.5,  Peter  Kanzler  sold  out 
and  went  to  Europe,  where  he  remained  some 
time,  but  upon  his  return  he  resumed  his  former 
business  under  the  firm  name  of  Kanzler  Bros. 
The}'  have  carried    on   business    under    that    title 


since,  and  are  meeting  with  success.  Their  store 
is  50x70  feet,  is  well  filled  with  a  full  and  com- 
plete stock,  and  is  located  four  blocks  north  of 
the  court  house.  From  a  small  beginning  they 
gradually  increased  their  business  until  now  they 
have  a  fine  large  stock  in  each  line. 

Mr.  Kanzler  chose  his  bride  in  the  person  of 
Miss  Ida  Amanda  Beyer,  of  Belleville,  111.,  and 
their  marriage  was  solemnized  on  the  17th  of  Feb- 
ruary, 1878.  She  is  a  daughter  of  Simon  B.  Beyer. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kanzler  are  the  parents  of  three  in- 
teresting little  children:  Johanna  C,  Charles  Fred- 
erick and  Arthur  Henry.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kanzler 
are  members  <if  St.  Paul's  Free  Protestant  Cliurcli. 


It-^ARRy  FRANCIS  PARRY.  The  business 
irjj,  in  livestock  of  all  kinds  engages  theatten- 
JW^'  tion  of  a  number  of  prosperous  firms,  and 
(^p)  the  number  of  animals  received  at  and 
shipped  from  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  makes  up  a  prom- 
inent item  and  one  which  adds  materially  to  the  ag- 
gregate of  the  city 's  trade.  One  of  the  most  exten- 
sive and  prosperous  firms  of  the  West  is  the  Camp- 
bell Commission  Company,  of  which  Mr.  Parry  is 
the  efficient  manager.  The  company  was  incorpor- 
ated with  a  paid-up  capital  stock  of  $125,000  and 
does  business  with  the  Union  Stock  Yards  of  Chi- 
cago, 111.;  the  National  Stock  Yards  of  East  St.  Louis, 
111.;  the  Kansas  City  Stock  Yards,  of  Kansas  City, 
Mo.;  the  Union  Stock  Y'ards,  of  South  Omaha,  Neb.; 
and  the  Union  Stock  Yards,  of  Sioux  City,  Iowa. 
The  gentlemen  composing  this  firm  meet  with  suc- 
cess that  is  warranted  by  the  fact  that  they  possess 
the  requisite  qualifications  for  conducting  the  busi- 
ness, their  knowledge  of  live  stock  and  their  ac- 
quaintance with  stock  men  being  extensive.  By 
fairness  in  their  dealings  with  the  trade,  they  have 
built  their  business  to  its  present  gratifying  pro- 
portions and  have  demonstrated  what  can  be  ac- 
complished by  enterprise  supplemented  by  experi- 
ence. 

Mr.  Pari'}'  was  born  at  Chester  Springs,  Chester 
County,  Pa.,  January  4,    1853,  to  Captain  Joseph 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Parry,  who  was  also  born  in  that  country,  in  1828, 
at  which  place  tlie  grandfather  was  also  born.  The 
great-grandfather  came  to  this  country  from  Wales, 
in  company  with  several  brothers  and  was  a  partici- 
pant in  the  Revolutionary  War,  after  which  he  set- 
tled in  Pennsylvania  where  lie  spent  the  remainder 
of  jiis  daj's.  The  grandfather  was  a  farmer,  and  on 
his  place  in  Pennsylvania  relics  of  the  Revolution- 
ary AVar  could  be  found  for  many  years  after.  His 
land  was  situated  near  Paola  Monument,  which  was 
erected  in  remembrajice  of  the  bloody  Paola  mas- 
s.acre,  and  was  the  scene  of  several  battles.  He 
reached  the  age  of  eighty-six  years  and  until 
almost  the  last  of  his  life  he  was  noted  for  his 
great  strength.  He  was  a  Quaker  and  possessed 
the  gentle  manners  and  peaceful  disposition  for 
which   that  religiou!*  sect  has  always  been  noted. 

Capt.  .Joseph  Parry  was  a  miller  by  occupation, 
and  after  his  marriage  to  Miss  Emma  Rogers  in 
Chester  County,  Pa.,  in  18.54,  he  removed  to  Del- 
aware and  located  at  Smyrna,  where  he  engaged  in 
milling  and  farming,  in  partnership  with  David  ,7. 
Murphy,  which  business  he  successfully  continued 
for  four  years.  While  on  business  in  Philadelphia, 
Pa.,  he  died  in  1872,  at  the  age  of  forty-four  years, 
and  his  death  coming  so  unexpected!}'  was  a  great 
shock  to  his  family.  He  obtained  his  title  of  Cap- 
tain while  a  member  of  Company  E,  Fifth  Delaware 
Infantry,  being  commissioned  by  President  Lincoln 
through  Secretary  Stanton.  In  October,  1862,  he 
was  honor.ably  discharged  and  returned  home.  He 
was  a  Democrat  politically  and  was  a  pillar  in  the 
Methodist  Ei)iscopal  Church.  At  the  time  of  his 
death  he  weighed  about  two  hundred  and  fifty 
pt)unds.  His  wife's  people  were  Friends,  or  Quakers, 
and  were  of  English  descent.  She  died  in  Dela- 
ware in  1861,  having  become  tiie  mother  ()f  four 
eiiildren,  two  of  whom  grew  to  maturity:  .lohn  L., 
a  stock  dealer  of  Kansas;  City,  Mo.;  and  Harry 
Francis,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

This  wide-awake  business  man  was  reared  in 
Smyrna,  Del.,  and  received  a  careful  industrial 
training  on  his  father's  farm,  and  a  practical  and 
thorough  education  in  the  common  and  High 
Schools  of  Smyrna,  and  in  Wilmington  College, of 
Wilmington,  Del.  Upon  the  deatli  of  his  father  he 
began  working  for  a  brother   in    the  milling  busi- 


ness, with  whom  he  remained  until  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age.  In  1873  business  considerations  in- 
duced him  to  remove  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  but  after 
some  time  devoted  to  the  milling  business  in  that 
city,  he  decided  that  the  work  was  too  arduous,  and 
formed  the  resolution  to  learn  telegraph}'.  The 
stock  yards  of  East  St.  Louis  were  just  about  com- 
pleted at  that  time,  and  as  he  had  early  in  life  de- 
veloped a  genius  for  the  successful  conduct  of 
business  affairs,  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
office  at  this  place,  of  which  he  was  the  successful 
manager  until  1885,  when  he  resigned.  With  an 
excellent  recommendation  from  his  former  employ- 
ers, he  took  charge  of  the  office  books  of  J.  H.  Camp- 
bell &  Co.,  and  when  the  firm  was  incorporated  he 
became  one  of  its  stockholders  and  manager  at  the 
National  Stock  Yards  of  East  St.  Louis,  having en- 
j  tire  charge  of  the  business  at  that  point.  The  estab- 
lishment with  which  he  is  connected  is  one  of  the 
largest  commission  houses  in  the  United  States 
and  is  well  and  most  favorably  known  to  stockmen 
throughout  the  country. 

Our  subject  is  a  stockholder  in  the  First  Mutual 
Building  &  Loan  Association,  and  the  Second  Mu- 
tual Building  &  Loan  Association;  he  belongs  to  the 
St.  Louis  Live  Stock  Exchange,  of  which  he  is  A'ice- 
president,  is  active  in  upholding  the  present  gov- 
ernment of  the  city,  and  w.is  one  of  the  three  com- 
missioners appointed  by  Judge  Hay  to  .assess   all 
j    property  owners  who  were  benefited  by  the  erec- 
:   tion  of  the  East  St.  Louis  Viaduct.     He  was  one 
of  the  prime  movers  in  the  organization  of  the  East 
St.  Louis  Public   Library  and  Reading  Room,  and 
j    is   now    Secretary  and    one    of  the    Board  of  Di- 
[    rectors.     A  Democrat  in  politics,  he  is  no  aspirant 
for  office,  much  preferring  the  duties  of  civil   life 
to  the  turmoil  of  politics.    Socially,  he  is  a  member 
of  the    Ancient   Free   and    Accepted    Masons,    in 
;    which  honored  order  he  was   for  two  years   Wor- 
shipful Master,  and  also  belongs  to  the  Order  of 
Owls.     Coming  as  he  does  from  good  old  Quaker 
j   stock,  he  inherited  all  the  physical  and  intellectual 
j    vigor  of  his  ancestry,  along  with    the    prudence 
I   and    good  judgment    which  have   always    distin- 
I   guished  that  sect,  and  has  always  i>een    quick    to 
perceive  and  grasp  at  an  opportunity  for  protitable 
[    investment.    His  code  of  morals  is  of  the   Quaker 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


type,  impelling  him  always  to  a  just  consideration 
of  the  rights  of  all  with  whom  he  is  brought  into 
contact,  and  to  a  conscientious  observance  of  all  the 
proprieties  of  life.  Thus  he  has  won  many  friend- 
ships, which  grow  stronger  with  more  intimate  ac- 
quaintance. 

Mr.  Parry  is  erecting  for  liimsclf  a  beautiful  resi- 
dence at  No.  634  Ninth  Street,  and  also  owns  other 
valuable  property  in  the  city.  He  was  married  in 
Delaware  in  January,  1875,  to  Miss  Mattie  Stock- 
well,  a  native  of  the  State  of  New  York,  a  daughter 
of  Louis  Stockwell,  of  the  old  Commodore  Stock- 
well  family.  She  died  in  1876,  leaving  one  child, 
Harry,  who  is  attending  Dover  Academy  in  Dela- 
ware. His  second  marriage  took  place  in  St.  Louis 
in  1881,  Miss  Jennie  Richards,  a  native  of  Belle- 
ville, 111.,  and  a  daughter  of  August  Richards,  be- 
coming his  wife.  Mr.  Parry  is  an  ideal  man  of 
business,  active,  energetic,  honorable  and  cordial, 
and  to  the  commercial  and  social  circles  of  p]ast  St. 
Louis  he  is  considered  a  decided  acquisition. 


'^W^  i-  DANIEL.  The  Blue  Grass  State  h.is 
I  '^\  given  to  Illinois  many  estimable  citizens, 
V_y  hut  she  has  contributed  none  more  worthy 
of  notice  or  more  highly  esteemed  than  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch,  who  is  one  of  the  prominent 
stockmen  of  the  State,  being  a  member  of  the 
Evans-Snider-Buel  Co.,  large  commercial  men  with 
a  capital  stock  of  1200,000.  He  was  born  in 
Winchester,  Clark  County,  on  the  24th  of  July, 
1848.  to  the  union  of  Willis  and  Sarah  G.  (.lack- 
son)  Daniel,  who  were  natives  of  Kentucky.  The 
paternal  grandfather  was  a  Virginian  by  birth,  but 
an  early  settler  of  Kentucky,  and  was  related  to 
the  celebrated  Daniel  Boone.  The  maternal  grand- 
father was  also  an  early  settler  of  Kentucky.  The 
father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native  State, 
and  after  marriage  followed  farming  near  Win- 
chester until  his  death  in  1852.  Afterward,  the 
mother  married  Dr.  S.  N.  Yates  and  removed  to 
Sturgeon,  Mo.,  where  her  death  occurred.  She  was 
a  member  of  the   Christian  Church.     To  the  first 


union  were  born  seven  children,  four  of  whom  are 
now  living,  and  three  children  were  the  fruits  of 
the  second  marriage,  two  now  living. 

T.  J.  Daniel,  who  was  next  to  the  youngest  in 
order  of  birth  of  the  children  born  to  the  fii'st 
union,  was  reared  in  Kentucky  until  eight  years  of 
age,  when  he  came  with  his  niothei-  by  boat  to  St. 
Louis,  in  1856.  They  went  \i)j  team  from  there  to 
Sturgeon,  and  our  subject  attended  the  public 
schools  there.  Later. 'he  entered  the  college  at 
Mexico,  Mo.,  and  remained  there  two  years.  From 
early  boyhood,  he  had  shown  a  marked  liking  for 
stock  farming,  and  in  1870,  when  twenty-two  years 
of  age,  he  started  out  for  himself.  He  came  to  St. 
Louis  and  entered  the  Ashbiook  yards,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  driving  stock  with  a  pony  for  a 
year.  Afterward,  he  was  employed  by  tlic  Irons 
Casting  Company,  was  with  them  for  six  years  and 
the  last  year  he  was  foreman  in  the  cattle  yards. 

In  1877  he  came  to  the  National  Slock  Yards, 
was  in  the  employ  of  the  company  for  three  j'oars, 
but  has  been  familiar  with  the  stock  yards  since 
1874.  In  1880  he  became  a  partner  with  Little, 
Jarvis  k  Co.,  acting  as  cattle  stockman,  and  con- 
tinued with  them  about  four  years,  and  then  en- 
tered the  employ  of  Hunter, Evans  &  Co.,  as  cattle 
salesman.  In  1889,  the  Evans-Snider-Buel  Co., 
was  incorporated  and  he  became  a  stockholder  and 
was  cattle  salesman.  This  company  is  doing  a 
flourishing  and  extensive  business  and  has  offices  in 
Chicago,  Kansas  City  and  here,  our  subject  super- 
intending all  the  sales.  Mr.  Daniel  is  the  owner 
of  considerable  real  estate  in  the  city  and  is  a 
member  of  the  First  Mutual  Building  and  Loan 
Association.  He  resides  at  No.  5.33  North  Eighth 
Street. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  to  Miss  Mary  .M. 
Yates  occurred  in  St.  Louis  in  1877,  and  three 
children  have  been  given  them :  James  H.,  deceased ; 
Thomas  Jefferson,  Jr.,  and  Flato  Willis.  Mrs.  Dan- 
iel, who  was  born  in  Missouri,  was  reared  in  St. 
Louis.  In  April,  1890,  Mr.  Daniel  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  School  Board  and  holds  that  position 
atthe  presenttime.  In  April  of  the  following  year, 
he  was  elected  Alderman  from  the  Sixth  AVard. 
He  is  at  present  Chairman  of  the  Water  Committee 
and  has  held  many  positions  of  trust  in   the  city. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  has  ever  been  an 
active  worker  for  his  party,  and  has  been  a  dele- 
gate to  count}'  and  State  conventions.  Socially, 
he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  He  is 
interested  in  all  religious  enterprises,  is  Deacon  in 
the   Christian  Cliurch  an<l  .assisted  in  building  the 


^-..^^|^^> 


^jS^DWARD  ,1.  SCOTT.  The  agreeable  and 
jU]  popular  Clerk  of  the  Circuit  Coiut  of  St. 
/'* — -^'  Clair  County,  at  Belleville,  was  born  in 
this  county  November  14,  1834,  and  was  the  son 
of  Felix  Scott,  one  of  the  old  settlers.  His  grand- 
father, Josepii;  of  Scolch-Irisii  descent,  was  a  very 
old  pioneer,  who  took  up  land  when  the  present 
State  was  yet  a  Territory,  having  come  from  Vir- 
ginia. The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  the 
same  place,  but  obtained  his  education  in  this 
county  and  here  grew  to  maturity. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  had  a  powder 
mill  on  his  place  and  provided  the  powder  used 
in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  The  old  gentleman  spent 
his  last  days  with  his  son  in  this  city,  and  died  in 
1871  or  1872.  Felix  Scott,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, married  Miss  Nicy  Moore,  daughter  of  Gen. 
James  Moore,  of  Monroe  County,  who  figured 
prominently  in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  The  Scott 
family  lived  on  the  old  homestead  until  Felix 
came  to  Belleville,  about  1878,  and  remained  here 
until  the  time  of  his  death,  about  six  3'ears  later, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years.  The  family 
consisted  of  two  sons,  our  subject  and  James  M., 
now  of  Huntsville,  Mo.,  who  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Our  subject  enjoyed  the  advantage  of  an  edu- 
cation at  Shurtleff  College,  in  Upper  Alton,  and  at 
McKendree  College.  His  career  began  on  a  river 
steamboat,  where  he  remained  for  two  and  one-half 
years,  and  then  worked  at  farming  until  the  peal  of 
the  war  bells  rang  out.  Then  he  enlisted,  in  August, 
1862,  in  Company  I,  One  Hundred  and  Seven- 
teenth Illinois  Infantry,  and  was  sent  to  Memphis, 
thence  down  through  the  States  where  the  war 
was  raging.    Mr.  Scott  was  at  Meridian,  Miss.;  Ox- 


ford, in  the  same  State;  through  the  campaigns  in 
Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Missouri;  thence  back  to  Ten- 
nessee; then  to  Mobile,  Ala.;  and  finally  reached 
.home  in  186.5.  Entering  the  struggle  a  private, 
for  meritorious  conduct  lie  was  promoted  to  be 
Orderly-Sergeant. 

After  his  return,  Mr.  Scott  engaged  in  farming 
fora  year,  and  then  went  to  Duquoin,  III.,  to  carry 
on  a  business  in  hay,  when,  one  year  having 
passed,  he  was  appointed  a  clerk  in  the  Census 
Department  in  Washington  City,  becoming  later 
a  clerk  in  the  Land  Office.  Our  subject  then  re- 
returned  to  the  farm  for  two  3'ears,  after  which 
he  was  elected  to  the  position  he  now  holds.  The 
old  home  farm,  which  his  grandfather  obtained 
from  the  Government,  is  his,  and  it  is  a  place  of 
interest  as  being  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  countj'. 
The  title  has  never  been  out  of  the  Scott  family. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Scott  took  place  January  17, 
I860,  with  Miss  Mary  E.  Wilderman,  a  daughter 
of  Francis  Wilderman,  one  of  the  old  settlers. 
One  child  is  the  result  of  thij  union,  Felix,  who  is 
at  school  in  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Scott  is  a  member  of 
Hecker  Post  No.  2,  G.  A.  R.  He  and  his  ple.is- 
ant  and  entertaining  wife  are  members  of  the  best 
circles  of  society  in  Belleville. 


-^^- 


^Tp5s.  AVID  D.  MILLER.  Sixty-two  years  of  resi- 
!l  Jl  dence  on  a  farm  must  create  an  affection  for 
y^  the  place,  which  no  doubt  is  understood  by 
the  subject  of  the  following  sketch.  He  was  the 
son  of  Absalom  Miller,  who  came  here  from  Vir- 
ginia at  a  very  early  day  and  bought  land  of  the 
Government.  He  had  first  settled  north  of  East  St. 
Louis,  but  remained  there  only  a  short  time,  when 
he  came  to  this  place  and  soon  married  Miss  Sallie 
Carr,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Henr_v  Carr.  The}- 
reared  a  family  of  six  children,  all  of  whom 
reached  a  good  age  but  are  now  deceased,  with  the 
exception  of  our  subject.  They  were  Alexander, 
Jefferson,  David,  Bethsheba,  Betsey  and  Mary. 
The  father  was  one  of  the  soldiers  who  did  such 
good  service  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  was  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


very  successful  farmer,  at  one  time  ownino;  two 
large  tracts  of  land  in  this  county. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  where  he 
now  lives  December  11,  1829.  He  was  reared  and 
educated  here  and  grew  up  to  understand  the  busi- 
ness which  has  occupied  his  life.  He  was  married 
in  1856  to  Miss  Sallie  Burnett  wiio  was  the  daugh- 
ter of  Alexander  Burnett,  a  farmer  on  Townsliip2, 
where  Mrs  Miller  was  reared.  Two  children  were 
born  to  Mr  and  Mrs  Miller:  Andrew  O.,  who  mar- 
ried Miss  Ella  8.  Smith  and  lives  with  our  subject, 
and  James,  who  married  Miss  Lizzie  Smith  and 
lives  near. 

The  farm  of  Mr  Miller  contains  one  hundred 
and  eighty-two  acres,  all  well  improved,  and  upon 
which  great  harvests  of  grain  are  raised.  Mr. 
Miller  is  a  member  of  tlie  Farmers"  Mutal  Benefit 
Association,  and  politically  is  a  strong  Democrat. 
Ha  has  held  the  office  of  School  Director,  and  lias 
given  such  good  satisfaction  that  lie  has  served  for 
twenty-seven  years  by  election.  He  has  taken  a 
very  active  part  in  th^  conventions  of  his  political 
party  in  the  county  and  in  1890  was  sent  as  a  del- 
egate to  the  State  convention  at  Springfield.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Central  Committee,  and  has  been 
Chairman  of  the  local  county  and  township  com- 
mittees. In  his  long  residence  here  he  has  seen 
many  improvements. 


DWARD  F.  BIHESACHEK  is  a  gentleman 
JO  has  held  the  important  office  of  School 
rector  for  twelve  years  and  is  one  of  tiie 
prominent  and  influential  farmers  of  his  localitv. 
He  is  of  German  descent,  as  both  his  parents  were 
natives  of  the  Fatherland,  the  father,  George, 
coming  to  America  in  1828,  landing  in  New  York, 
from  which  ]>lace  he  came,  two  years  later,  to  St. 
Clair  County,  settling  on  the  farm  where  his  son 
Edward  now  resides. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Christina  Koatli. 
came  to  the  United  States  aliout  four  years  later 
|,httu  he  wbo  WAS  destined  to  be  hec  husband,  laud< 


ing  in  New  Orleans,  from  which  place  she  made 
her  way  to  St.  Clair  County  and  married  Mr.  Brie- 
sacher  the  same  year.  These  two  carried  on  farm- 
ing on  the  little  farm  they  bad  bought,  and  here 
they  both  died,  the  mother,  November  28,  1880, 
aged  sixty-nine  years,  and  the  father,  February  28, 
of  the  following  year,  aged  seventy-two  years. 
They  were  blessed  with  nine  children,  of  whom  the 
following  are  now  living:  George,  born  .June  5, 
1836,  is  a  farmer  residing  in  Smithton  Township, 
just  across  from  the  St.  Clair  Township  line.  He 
married  Caroline  Vollmer  and  they  have  four  liv- 
ing children,  three  boys  and  one  girl.  Henry  is 
the  next  child  born  to  George  Briesacher,  Sr.,  and 
he  was  born  July  15,  1850.  is  now  a  traveling-man 
with  seven  living  children;  his  wife  is  deceased. 
Catherine  is  the  widow  of  Frederick  Peteis  and 
resides  in  Stookey  Townshij),  her  husband  having 
died  April  24,  1892,  when  nearly  fifty-four  years 
of  age,  leaving  his  widow  with  nine  children. 
Sophia  is  the  wife  of  John  Woltz,  a  railroad  man; 
they  have  no  family;  and  our  subject. 

Edward  F.  was  reared  on  the  home  farm,  where 
he  was  born  February'  8,  1854,  and  where  he  has 
since  resided.  Here  he  received  the  common- 
school  education  in  the  country  schools  and  re- 
ceived a  further  education  from  his  parents  in  the 
language  of  his  beloved  native  land,  Mr.  Brie- 
sacher now  being  able  to  read  and  write  in  Ger- 
man, as  well  as  in  the  language  of  his  own  land. 
He  owns  thirty-nine  acres  of  fine  land  on  section 
ai,and  devotes  himself  to  the  pursuit  of  general 
farming  with  great  success. 

Our  subject,  on  the  12th  of  April,  1880.  led  to 
the  altar  Miss  Elizabeth  Seifert,  a  native  of  St. 
Clair  Township,  who  was  born  just  south  of  Belle- 
ville. Her  father,  George,  died  in  August,  1875, 
but  her  mother  is  still  living,  residing  southwest  of 
Belleville.  Five  children  have  blessed  their  happy 
union,  namely:  Julia,  who  was  called  awaj'  ere  her 
tiny  lips  could  frame  the  names  of  her  parents; 
Amanda,  nine  years  of  age;  Adolph,  seven  years 
of  age;  Richard,  five  years  of  age,  and  baby  Theo- 
dore, just  two  years  old. 

Mr.  Briesacher  is  independent  in  polities,  always 
follows  his  own  -convictions,  regardlos.s  of  part)- 
lines,    lie  is  a  consistent  nieinber  of  tUe  JivangeJ. 


418 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGKAl'HICAL   RFX'ORD 


ical  Churcli,  in  which  body  he  exerts  a  large 
amount  of  influence.  He  and  his  wife  are  people 
who  are  widely  respected  and  universally  liked 
and  esteemed  liv  the  entire  eommunitv. 


IjUi^  ARTIN  W.  SCIIAEFER  is  State  Attor- 
11  l\\  "°-^  ^^'^  ^^'  ^^'^''"  t^ounty,  having  been 
I;  1  elected  to  that  office  in  November,  1888, 
'*  for  a  four-years   term  of   service,  and  he 

fills  the  position  in  a  manner  which  reflects  credit 
upon  himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  people. 
Mr.  Schaefer  was  born  at  the  village  of  Troy,  in 
;Madison  County,  111.,  on  the  20th  of  March,  1857, 
Iteing  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Margaret  (Noll) 
Schaefer,  natives  of  Germany,  who  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  settled  in  St.  Louis,  where  the  father  pur- 
sued his  trade  of  tailor.  In  1852,  the^'  removed 
to  Madison  County,  and  remained  there,  the  fa- 
ther pursuing  his  trade,  until  1858,  when  they  set- 
tled in  Lebanon,  this  county,  where  both  jjarents 
still  reside,  enjoying  the  evening  of  their  useful 
lives  at  peace  with  their  neighboi-s  and  consistent 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church. 

Martin  received  a  better  primary  education  than 
falls  to  the  lot  of  many  boys,  being  educated  at 
JIcKendree  College,  at  Lebanon,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '7G,  and  which  con- 
fei-red  the  degree  of  A.  M.  upon  him  in  1879.  The 
future  State  Attorney  at  once  began  the  study  of 
law,  and  was  graduated  from  the  law  department 
in  the  Class  of  '79,  being  admitted  to  the  Bar  in 
May  of  the  same  year.  While  pursuing  his  course 
of  law,  he  was  teaching  in  this  county-,  thus  earn- 
ing sufficient  money  to  carry  on  his  studies.  In 
1880,  he  entered  into  partncrshiii  in  the  bunking 
business  with  the  lion.  Henry  Seller  and  .lames 
]>.  Baker  in  Lebanon,  wliieli  continued  until  Ihr 
fall  of  1881,  when  he  came  to  Belleville,  and  in 
April,  1883,  was  elected  City  Attorney,  holding 
that  office  for  three  terms  of  two  .years  each,  and 
continuing  in  it  until  elected  to  his  present  jiosition 
in  1888.  In  the  fall  of  1882,  he  formed  a  part- 
nership in  law  with  Williauj  II.  Snyder,  Jr.,  sou  of 


Judge  Snyder,  which  continued  until  Mr.  Schaefer 
formed  his  present  partnership  with  the  Hon. 
James  M.  Dill  in  the  fall  of  1884.  They  have  a 
large  practice  and  both  gentlemen  are  considered 
men  of  great  ability  and  skill  in  all  legal  matters. 
The  marriage  of  Mr.  Schaefer  and  Miss  Louisa 
Weigel  took  place  November  11,  1879.  This 
charming  and  accomplished  lady  is  the  daughter 
of  John  Weigel,  one  of  the  older  citizens  of  Leb- 
anon, who  came  to  that  city  in  1852,  or  there- 
abouts, and  here  it  was  that  Mrs.  Schaefer  first  saw 
the  light.  She  and  her  husband  have  been  blessed 
with  five  children:  Edna,  Leota,  Elmer,  P^dwin 
and  Otho,  all  bright,  intelligent,  and  very  inter- 
esting children.  Mr.  Schaefer  is  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows, 
and  is  Grand  Master,  having  been  elected  in  No- 
vember, 1891.  He  is  a  man  that  commands  the 
respect  and  esteem  of  all  who  have  the  pleasure 
of  his  acquaintance,  which  is  extended.  Admir- 
ing friends  predict  a  bright  future  for  the  studious 
and  painstaking  young  lawyer. 


/^)  l^-^l^''^^"^  Rl'-iM15t-  ^I-  !->•■  who  is  eng.aged 
fl(  in  the  practice  of  the  medical  profession  in 

\^'  Mascoutah,  was  horn  in  Ilesse-Cassel,  Ger- 
many, in  the  year  185(5,  and  is  the  third  in  a  fam- 
ily of  five  children,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living. 
The  father  was  for  some  years  an  officer  under 
the  Prussian  (iovoriiment.  He  died  in  his  native 
land  in  .1881;  his  widow,  who  makes  her  home  in 
Germany,  still  survives. 

The  Doctor  spent  his  early  boyhood  under  the 
parental  roof  and  acquired  his  education  in  a 
gymnasium.  When  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  de- 
termined to  seek  a  home  in  .Vmerica,  and  in 
the  year  1872  crossed  the  broad  Atlantic,  He 
at  once  went  to  Martinsville,  Mo.,  thence  to  St, 
Louis,  Mo,,  and  began  the  study  of  medicine  in 
the  Missouri  Medical  College,  from  which  institu- 
tion lie  was  graduated  in  1878,  His  preceptor  was 
Dr.  11.  Staudiiiger,  of  Marthasville.  Mo,  After  his 
giaduatiuii,  he  lemuved    to    Fayetleville.  St.  Clair 


PORTRAIT  AND  EIOGRAPinCAL  RECORD. 


County,  opened  an  office  and  began  tlie  practice 
of  his  chosen  profession,  which  he  followed  at  that 
place  continuously  from  1878  until  November, 
181)0.  On  the  22d  of  thnt  niontli  he  came  to  Mas- 
coutah,  wliere  he  has  since  resided. 

Ur.  Rembe  was  married  in  1884,  the  lady  of  his 
choice  being  Miss  Lannie  Alta  Hogshead,  daugh- 
ter of  Andrew  Hogshead,  a  resident  farmer  of 
Washington  County,  111.  By  their  union  have 
been  born  two  interesting  children,  both  sons, 
Edward  Albert  and  Boyd.  The  Doctor  and  his 
wife  are  well-known  people  of  this  community  al- 
though they  are  numbered  among  tlie  later  ar- 
rivals, and  during  their  short  residence  liere  llie_v 
have  won"  man 3^  friends. 

Dr.  Rembe  holds  membership  with  the  St.  Clair 
County  Medical  Society.  lie  practices  in  the  regu- 
lar school  of  medicine  and  receives  a  liberal  pat- 
ronage, to  which  he  is  justly  entitled  b3'  his  skill 
and  ability.  Ills  office  is  located  at  his  residence, 
on  the  corner  of  Mill  and  Chestnut  Streets.  In 
his  social  relations,  the  Doctor  is  a  Mason  and  a 
Knight  of  Honor,  and  takes  (jiiite  an  active  part 
in  both  lodges.  Those  who  know  him  esteem  him 
highly  for  his  sterling  worth  and  among  his  pro- 
fessional brethren  he  ranks  high. 


YMAX  P.  STOOKKV,  M.  1).  The  subject 
of  the  following  sketch  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing phj-sicians  and  surgeons  of  Belleville,  a 
grandson  of  Daniel  Stookey  (of  whom  see  sketch) 
and  son  of  Moses  Stookey.  The  latter  was  born  in 
Virginia  in  1799,  and  when  one  year  old  came  with 
his  parents  to  Belleville  and  was  here  educated  and 
grew  to  matuiily.  llr  "m^  a  fanner  by  occupa- 
tion and  lived  in  wliiit  is  now  St.  Clair  Township 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  He  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Anderson,  who  was  born  in  Wilkes  Bane. 
Pa.,  in  1805  and  came  West  with  her  parents 
about  1808  or  1810,  settling  in  this  county.  The 
marriage  took  place  June  17,  1824,  and  they  reared 
a  family  of  eleven  children,  our  subject  being  tlie 
voungesl.     Tliev  were  Samuel,  who  died  after  ma- 


turity; Jane,  the  ,wife  of  Thomas  Tarr;  Enos  (de- 
ceased), who  went  across  the  plains  and  settled  near 
Salt  Lake  City;  Elizabeth,  now  Mrs.  Woods  of 
this  county,  the  only  remaining  daughter;  Bar- 
bara (Mrs.  Wilson),  who  died  some  years  ago;  J. 
D.,  a  farmer  in  St.  Clair  Township;  Malinda  (Mrs. 
Cooding),  now  dead;  M.  M.,  a  fanner  and  memlicr 
of  the  County  Committee  of  St.  Clair  Township; 
William,  deceased;  Emma  (Mrs.  Green),  dead. 
The  mother  of  this  family  was  a  pious  woman,  being 
for  juany  years  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  common  schools 
of  Belleville,  and,  displaying  studious  habits,  was 
sent  to  Shurtleff  College  in  Upper  Alton.  He 
taught  school  for  one  term  and  then  read  medi- 
cine, mainly  b}'  himself,  so  determined  was  he 
to  become  a  physician.  He  received  some  assist- 
ance from  Dr.  Perryman  and  then  attended  lec- 
tures at  the  Missouri  Medical  College  at  St.  Louis, 
graduating  in  the  Classof  '72,  and  at  once  located 
here  for  practice,  where  he  has  continued  in  it 
ever  since.  Appreciative  professional  brethren 
have  made  him  President  of  the  St.  Clair  Medical 
Society,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Southern  Illi- 
nois Medical  Society.  A  very  large  number  of 
enthusiastic  admirers  not  only  depend  upon  his 
skill  as  a  physician,  but  also  cherish  him  as  a  close 
and  dear  friend. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  Stookey  took  place  October 
22,  1867,  with  Miss  Louise  Brumbaugh,  the  daugh- 
ter of  Simon  K.  Brumbaugh,  whd  died  .Inly  M, 
1892,  in  Blair  County,  Pa.,  haviii-  hrci,  I,,,,,,  in 
1806  in  Hagerstown,  Md.  On  Sepleuiber  27,  1891, 
he  celebrated  his  golden  wedding.  Mrs.  Stook- 
ey was  born  October  26,  1845,  in  Woodbury, 
Bedford  County,  Pa.  There  have  been  five  chil- 
dren added  to  the  household  of  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Stookey-,  three  of  whom  are  living:  Lyman  B., 
Adele  and  Byron  L.  P.  Nettie  May  and  Bayard 
are  dead.     Dr.  Stookey  is  a  man  of  prominence  in 

the  Masonic  fraternity,  a  11 iIum-  <if  Lodge  No.  27 

and  Past  Grand  of  the  I'lidr  nf  tlir  West  Lodge, 
I.  O.  0.  F.,  being  one  of  its  chiuU'i-  iiienil)ers.  The 
Doctor  belongs  to  the  Baptist  denomination,  but 
Mrs.  Stookey  was  reared  a  Lutlieran.  both  being 
valued  members  in  their  respective  churches.  The 
Stookey  residence  is  at  No.  IG  South  High  Street, 


420 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


and  the  office,  with  drug  store  attached,  at  No.  14. 
The  family  are  bighl.y  connected  in  this  neighbor- 
hood, and  are  most  affectionately  regarded  in  the 
community. 


♦fl^l^E^M-^ 


,^^  A  Mr  EI.  CLARK  is  a  prominent  and 
'^^  representative  farmer  of  St.  Clair  County 
iLcUj)  "*^^'  making  his  home  on  section  23,Shiloh 
\'alley  Township.  He  w.as  born  Septenibor 
2.5,  1823,  in  Robinson  County,  Teun,  and  is  a  son 
of  Charles  and  P:iizabeth  D.  (Miller)  Clark.  The 
former  was  born  near  Richmond,  Chesterfield 
County,  Va.,  and  his  wife  was  a  native  of  the  same 
.State,  her  biilh  having  occurred  in  Lancaster 
County.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
.lesse  Clark,  was  also  born  in  the  Old  Dominion. 
The  father  grew  to  manhood  on  a  farm,  aud,  con- 
sidering that  schools  at  that  early  day  were  very 
scarce  and  poorly  conducted,  the  education  which 
he  received  was  very  fair.  He  further  studied 
until  he  became  very  well  informed  and  was  con- 
sidered a  most  intelligent  man.  He  was  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812,  but  was  never  in  a  battle, 
serving  most  of  his  time  as  one  of  the  guardians 
of  a  fort.  His  father  gave  him  a  farm  when  quite 
young,  but  he  was  not  content  to  settle  down 
to  agricultural  pursuits,  therefore  for  a  great 
m.auy  years  he  engaged  in  teaching  school.  When 
about  twenty  years  of  age  lie  was  married,  his  wife 
being  but  seventeen.  He  removed  to  Tennessee, 
but  all  of  his  children,  with  the  exception  of  our 
subject  and  one  sister,  were  born  in  Virginia.  His 
family  consisted  of  eight  children,  all  of  whom 
lived  to  reach  their  majorit.y:  Jesse  M.  has  now 
passed  away;  Mildred,  deceased,  was  tlie  wife  of 
Rev.  Larkin  Crutcher;  Julia,  the  wife  of  James 
Park,  is  also  deceased;  Elizabeth,  who  married 
William  Cox,  has  since  passed  away;  Charles  M.; 
Rhoda,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  William  Madox; 
Samuel,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  and  Maria  J., 
who  is  the  wife  of  Bernard  Struniberg. 

On  going  to  Tennessee,  Charles  Clark   made  n 
geltlewewt  \u  tl+o  ^IJdenjess  und  tUeie  (.leured  fiml 


developed  a  farm.  In  1830,  with  the  younger 
members  of  his  family,  he  removed  to  Illinois,  set- 
tling first  in  St.  Clair  County,  where  he  took  up 
forty  acres  of  land.  There  he  resided  for  some 
years,  and  then  located  in  Madison  County,  where 
he  cultivated  a  farm  until  the  time  of  his  death  in 
184.3.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Church  and 
was  highly  esteemed  for  his  noble  life  and  Christian 
character.  I'olitically,  he  was  an  advt)C!ite  <if  the 
Dcniocriuy. 

I'ntil  the  death  of  his  father  Samuel  Clark 
remained  with  his  parents,  .assisting  in  the  cultiva- 
tion of  the  home  farm.  His  early  days  having 
been  passed  in  the  wilderness  far  from  schools,  he 
received  no  educational  advantages,  but  has  become 
an  intelligent  and  well-informed  man  through  his 
own  study,  reading  and  observation.  For  some 
years  he  carried  on  the  home  farm  for  his  mother, 
who  relied  on  him  to  attend  to  her  business  and 
farming  interests.  In  1849,  during  the  California 
gold  fever,  in  company  with  six  companions  he 
crossed  the  plains  with  ox-teams,  taking  just  six 
months  to  make  the  journey.  He  located  on  Feather 
River,  Cal.,  where  for  two  years  and  a  half  he  mined 
quite  successfully.  He  then  returned  by  way  of 
the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  landing  at  New  Orleans. 
From  San  Francisco  he  took  passage  in  a  sailing- 
vessel  .and  was  sixty  days  on  the  bosom  of  the  Pa- 
cific. He  then  returned  to  Illinois,  coming  up  the 
Mississippi  River,  and  purchased  the  farm  where  he 
now  lives  with  the  earnings  of  his  Western  trij). 
He  first  purchased  eighty  acres,  but  now  owns  one 
hundred  and  ten  .acres  in  this  county  and  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres  in  Missouri.  All  of  this  is 
well  improved  and  valuable  property. 

In  the  year  18;)2,  Mr.  Clark  was  uiairied  to 
Sarah  Ellen  Henderlight,  a  daughter  of  AVilliam 
and  Lucy  Henderlight.  By  this  marriage  two  chil- 
dren were  born,  of  whom  the  younger  is  now  de- 
ceased. The  elder,  James,  is  now  in  Colorado, 
where  for  several  years  he  has  been  engaged  in 
mining  in  the  Rocky  Mountains.  After  the  death 
of  his  first  wife,  our  subject  was  again  married, 
Sophrouia  Alerrill  being  the  lad}' of  his  choice.  .She 
is  a  daughter  of  Sylvester  and  Susan  (Varner)  Mer- 
rill, To  our  worthy  subject  and  his  wife  tlie  fol- 
lowing (-■hiUlreii  were  boru;  Sylveslef  J^|.j.'5uswn  K., 


^ 


a?^. 


rORTRAlT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


423 


who  is  tlie  wife  of  Thomas  Kerr;  Samuel  D.;  Alfred 
S.;  Catherine  E.;  Jesse  Frederick  and  AnnalM.  Mr. 
Clark  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  Cliurch  at  Oak 
Hill,  and  takes  an  active  interest  in  its  work.  He 
is  a  supporter  of  the  Republican  party,  whose  cause 
he  does  all  in  his  power  to  forward.  He  is  well 
known  throughout  this  county  and  section,  wiiere 
lie  has  lived  for  forty  years,  and  may  well  be  ac- 
counted one  of  the  earliest  settlers  and  pioneers  of 
this  section.  He  has  witnessed  much  of  the  phe- 
nomenal growth  of  the  State  and  county,  in  whose 
development  he  has  very  materially  assisted. 


-^^- 


//rv4  ^^■'^-  I^^JI^-^  CANGE.  The  most  imperisha- 
'//  IV  ble  monuments  erected  to  commemorate 
the  virtues  of  friends  who  have  been  re- 
moved from  earth  are  not  those  built  of 
cold  marble  or  granite,  but  are  to  be  found  in  the 
memories  and  affec  tion  of  the  bereaved  ones.  In 
the  present  instance,  the  lady  whose  name  appears 
at  the  opening  of  this  sketch  has  cheerfully  given 
us  a  few  of  the  leading  events  in  a  life  which,  al- 
though now  ended,  is  not  forgotten. 

Paul  Cange  was  born  in  Natchez,  Miss.,  Febru- 
ary 27,  1837,  and  was  the  son  of  French  parents. 
His  mother,  whose  maiden  name  was  Margaret 
Tiibout,  came  to  America  about  1833,  and  is  still 
living.  The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Cange  bore  the 
maiden  name  of  Louisa  Marniella,  and  died  about 
twenty-five  years  ago,  leaving  the  following  chil- 
dren: Paul,  Louis  and  Joseph.  Paul,  who  is  a 
farmer,  married  Miss  Lina  Brickler,  and  they  have 
four  children;  Louis  is  unmarried,  and  lives  near 
Galveston,  Tex.;  and  Joseph,  who  married  Lizzie 
Ramsager,  is  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  at 
Wetaug,  Pulaski  County,  this  State. 

Tlie  second  wife  of  Mr.  Cange  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Louisa  Chivoron.and  died  in  July,  1873, 
leaving  the  following  children:  Charles,  wliose 
homo  is  in  St.  Clair  County;  Victor,  residing  in 
Pulaski  County;  Edward  and  Frank,  who  live  with 
their  grandmother  near  Belle\ilIo;  and  August, 
also  a  resident  of  St.  Clair  Comity. 
20 


The  subject  of  this  biographical  notice  was  born 
February  11,  1858,  the  daughter  of  Edward  and 
Minnie  Tvvele.  She  was  brought  to  America  by 
her  parents  when  oulj'  eight  years  old,  and  came 
to  Belleville  two  years  ago.  Her  father  moved  to 
St.  Louis,  where  he  still  resides.  Her  mother  died 
in  1868.  Our  subject  is  the  only  surviving  child 
among  four,  and  is  a  lady  of  education  and  culture. 
October  9,  1877,  she  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Mr.  Cange,  and  unto  them  were  born  six  children, 
one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  others  are  at 
home  with  their  mother  and  are  Minnie,  William, 
Jule,  Adolph  and  Louisa. 

The  death  of  Mr.  Cange,  which  occurred  August 
14,  1891,  was  the  result  of  a  sad  accident.  He  was 
run  over  by  a  train  on  the  Louisville  &  Nashville 
Railroad,  and  thus  suddenly  was  terminated  the 
life  of  one  of  St.  Clair  County's  most  highly- 
respected  men — a  good  son,  a  loving  husband 
and  father.  Mr.  Cange  was  the  owner  of  a  fine 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  which  is 
embellislied  with  a  substantial  set  of  farm  build- 
ings, and  contains  all  the  improvements  necessary 
to  modern  agriculture.  In  the  fall  of  1892,  Mrs. 
Cange  moved  to  Belleville,  where  she  now  resides, 
the  farm  having  been  sold  and  the  money  divided 
among  tiie  heirs.  In  her  home  she  was  ever 
a  devoted  wife,  and  is  a  wise  and  careful  mother. 
Of  a  kind  and  charitable  disposition,  her  benefac- 
tions are  numerous  and  cheerfully  bestowed. 


\Tn\JjEV.  HENRY  MEYER.  The  divine  command, 
|lk^  "Go  yc  into  all  the  world  and  preach  the 
^  *  Gospel  to  every  creature,"  has  for  more 
than  eighteen  hundred  years  been  accepted 
by  a  few  who  felt  that  the  words  were  spoken  for 
him  and  must  be  obeyed.  The  subject  of  this  sketch 
felt  the  personal  application  of  them  and  since  his 
ordination  in  1863  he  has  never  swerved  from  the 
path  i)ointed  out  to  hiin.  lie  is  now  the  pastor  of 
St.  IVter's  Evangelical  Chnich  in  East  St.  Louis. 
The  fallicr  of  oiii-  Mibjcct   was  ChristJau  Meyer, 


424 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


who  was  born  in  Oveastedt,  near  Minden,  Ger- 
many, where  he  had  a  farm  which  he  left  to  come 
to  the  new,  free  country  over  the  ocean.  In 
1854,  he  accomplished  this,  but  lived  only  a  short 
time  to  enjoj'  his  new  surroundings,  as  he  died  in 
the  same  year,  a  consistent  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Ciuirch.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Louisa  Meyer, 
was  born  in  the  same  place  as  was  her  husband  and 
bore  the  same  family  name,  altliougli  no  relation 
to  him.  She  died  in  1854,  in  Ft.  Wayne,  leaving 
nine  chihlrcn. 

IMr.  Me^er,  our  subject,  received  a  good  educa- 
tion in  the  excellent  German  schools  and  was  fif- 
teen when  he  came  to  America,  making  the  trip 
by  way  of  Bremen,  where  he  took  a  sailing-vessel 
the  "Wielaud," '  bound  for  New  York.  After  a  pass- 
age of  thirty  days  he  landed  there,  and  came  on 
to  Ft.  "Wayne,  where  his  father  bought  a  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  After  the  death  of 
his  parents  it  became  necessar\'  for  him  to  put  his 
shoulder  to  the  wheel  in  earnest.  He  kept  the 
children  on  the  farm  for  some  years,  stifling  his 
desire  to  study  for  the  ministry.  However,  in 
1857,  he  was  able  to  attend  Concfirdia  College,  at 
Ft.  Wayne,  and  in  1861.  Iir  -  ra^luiicl  fn.m  there, 
after  which  he  went  to  C'oiK'ordiM  (  ullage  at  St. 
Louis,  graduated  from  that  well-known  seat  of 
learning  in  18()3,  and  was  ordained  that  fall  as  a 
minister  in  the  Lutheran  Church.  He  entered  on  a 
pastorate  at  Hermansburg,  in  St.  Louis  County, and 
later  at  Litchfield,  111.,  where  he  remained  for  about 
three  years.  He  was  enabled  to  build  a  church 
there  and  was  the  organizer  of  the  first  congrega- 
tion and  was  the  first  pastor. 

Ill  1871,  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis,  and  took 
charge  of  the  membership  here,  wliich  only  in- 
cluded about  thirty  families.  This  mission  had 
been  started  in  1865  by  Rev.  Mr.  Burfiend.  The 
first  services  were  lield  in  the  old  building  now  used 
for  a  parochial  school.  In  1881),  the  present  edi- 
fice, called  St.  Peter's,  was  erected,  and  is  a  large 
l)riek  building  on  Eighth  Street.  The  congrega- 
tion has  now  increased  to  over  one  hundred  fami- 
lies and  the  school  has  eighty  pupils.  The  rever- 
end gentleman  has  done  a  noble  work  here  and  re- 
ceives the  love  and  gratitude  of  his  flock. 

Mr.  Mevoi'  was   married  in   SI,  Louis  ('mintv  l<> 


Miss  Mary  Fanlstich,  wlio  was  a  native  of  St.  Louis 
County,  and  nine  children  have  been  born  to 
them.  Frederick  is  a  clerk  in  East  St.  Louis; 
Louisa,  Dora,  Minnie,  Annie,  Mary,  Emma  and 
Adela  are  at  home:  Matilda  is  deceased.  The 
gentleman  of  tliis  notice  is  a  truly  good  man  and 
lias  the  confidence  of  the  citizens,  irrespective  of 
church  affiliations;  he  is  also  a  scholarly  man  and 
has  a  very  fine  library,  containing  some  rare  books, 
one  of  which  is  a  Bible  published  in  1686.  Mr. 
Meyer  is  very  pleasant  and  affable  and  his  knowl- 
edge of  German  literature  is  wonderful. 


IU^^I:NRY  R.  white.  The  subject  of  this 
Ijjl  sketch,  residing  on  section  1,  Millstadt 
l^^^  Townshii),  St.  Clair  County',  111.,  was  born 
(^)  in  Jackson  County,  Ga.,  in  August,  1811, 
and  came  to  the  State  of  Illinois  with  his  parents  in 
1814,  where  the  brother  of  his  father  had  prev- 
iously purchased  land.  They  settled  in  W.ishing- 
ton  County  and  there  our  subject  grew  to  manhood, 
surrounded  bv  the  hardships  and  vicissitudes  of  a 
life  of  toil  in  a  new  country.  His  opportunities 
for  education  were  extremely  limited,  but  at  man- 
hood very  naturally  his  desire  was  for  a  home  of 
his  own.  In  this  desire  he  was  seconded  by 
Miss  Miranda  Lacy,  who  was  born  on  the  place 
where  our  subject  now  makes  his  home.  The 
marriage  took  place  March  2,  1837,  and  after  this 
event  our  subject  bought  a  farm  in  Washington 
County,  between  Richview  and  Ashle}',  remaining 
there  nine  years,  when  he  sold  that  to  come  to  his 
present  place  of  residence.  Mr.  White  has  always 
followed  agricultural  pursuits,  but,  like  Cincinna- 
tus,  left  his  plow  to  become  a  soldier,  and  volun- 
teered in  the  Black  Hawk  War.  Peace,  however, 
was  declared  before  he  reached  the  scene  of  strife. 
Jlr.  and  Mrs.  Wliite  have  been  blessed  with  a 
family  of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  arc  now 
living.  The  one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  fine 
land  which  our  subject  owns  he  does  not  farm,  but 
rents  out  and  enjoys  the  income.  The  place  is  in 
a  fine  state  of  cullivation  :ind  Mr,  White  can  look 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


425 


at  it  with  pride  and  take  pleasure  in  the  improve- 
niPiits,  all  of  them  made  by  himself,  only  twent\-- 
livo  acres  having  been  cleared  when  he  came  upon 
the  place.  For  Mr.  AVliite  there  is  no. party  but 
the  Republican  party,  and  as  long  strength  of 
mind  and  body  is  vouchsafed  him  will  cast  his 
vote  for  that  party,  because  in  it  he  sees  the  true 
principles  of  good  government.  For  his  upright- 
ness of  character,  our  subject  often  would  have 
been  chosen  .as  the  occupant  of  some  official  posi- 
tion, but  had  nu  ambition  in  that  direction. 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  is  the  religious 
denomination  to  which  our  subject  belongs  and 
with  hiiu  his  two  daughters  join.  In  this  body 
they  are  regarded  as  very  highly  respected 
members  and  are  trul}^  good  people.  In  his  long 
life  in  this  county,  Mr.  White  has  seen  many 
changes,  and  remembers  well  when  the  floiu'ishing 
city  of  Belleville  was  little  more  than  an  Indian 
village.  Seventj'-flve  years  of  life  in  one  neigh- 
borhood must  cause  strong  affection  to  grow  and 
cling,  and  how  familiar  all  the  old  landmarks  must 
be  to  a  man  of  Mr.  White's  years!  Of  such  a  (piiet, 
unostentatious  life,  yet  so  just  and  upright,  the 
biographer  would  like  to  make  a  more  extended 
record,  for  in  these  days  of  hurry  it  serves  a 
good  purpose  to  view  the  contentment  which  a 
life  of  retirement  can  bestow,  when  it  follows 
long  years  of  true  manhood;  but  space  is  limited. 
It  only  remains  to  say  Mr.  White  is  one  who  has 
never  hid  his  light  under  a  bushel,  nor  dissembled, 
but  has  always  appeared  before  the  world  in  his  true 
character,  honest  in  conviction,  true  to  duty,  faith- 
ful in  the  right. 


\li-^  UGII  MACKEY  WILSON,  .Justice  of  tiie 
jv  jij  Peace  and  Police  .Justice  of  East  St.  lyouis, 
^^  111.,  was  born  in  Rockbridge  County,  \'a., 
{^;  fourteen  miles  from  the  noted  Natural 
Bridge,  on  the  2.5th  of  August,  18,52.  His  father, 
Hugh,  and  his  grandfather,  William,  were  also 
born  there,  and  both  were  extensive  plnnleis.  The 
latter   died   in    |Hfi:!,  at    the   a<rc  of  tight  \ -seven 


years,  his  wife  having  been  a  member  of  the  cele- 
brated Mackey  family  of  Virginia.  Hugh  Wilson, 
Sr.,sold  his  Virginia  plantation  in  1858,  and  lo- 
cated in  Miami  County,  Ohio,  where  he  became  the 
owner  of  a  tract  of  land  comprising  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  which  at  the  time  of  his  death 
in  1882.  at  the  age  of  sixty-eight  years,  was  a  finely 
cultivated  and  valuable  farm.  He  was  a  Democrat 
throughout  life,  and  for  many  years  was -an  elder 
in  the  Presbyterian  Church.  His  wife,  Mary  A. 
Robison,  was  born  in  Halifax,  Nova  Scotia,  a 
daughter  of  Joseph  Robison,  a  native  of  the  Isle 
of  Erin,  his  birth  occurring  near  Londondeny. 
After  a  short  residence  in  Nova  Scotia,  the  latter  re- 
moved to  Rockbridge  County,  Va.,  where  he  Ije- 
carae  a  wealthy  planter.  lie  also  ow:ned  a  large 
tract  of  land  near  Little  Rock,  Ark.,  and  just  be- 
fore his  death  rode  on  horseback  all  the  way  from 
his  home  to  that  place  to  dispose  of  this  property. 
After  reaching  the  place  he  wrote  a  letter  home 
saying  that  he  had  sold  the  land  for  cash.  He 
kept  the  money  in  his  saddle-bags,  and,  as  he  was 
never  afterward  heard  from,  it  is  supposed  that  he 
was  murdered  and  robbed.  He  had  been  a  soldier 
in  the  War  of  1812.  In  religious  views  he  was  a 
Presliyterian,  being  descended  from  Scotch  an- 
cestry. The  widow  of  Hugh  Wilson,  Sr.,  resides 
in  Troy,  Ohio. 

Hugh  Mackey  Wilson  is  one  of  three  surviving 
members  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  the  other 
two  members  being  John,  who  is  a  farmer  of  Miami 
County,  Ohio;  and  Frank,  a  grocer  of  Troy,  Ohio. 
The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  taken  to  Ohio  when 
a  lad  of  six  years,  was  reared  on  a  farm  in  that 
State,  and  was  educated  in  the  High  School  of 
Troy.  In  1870,  he  went  to  Rockbridge  County, 
\'a.,  to  make  his  home  with  his  Tncle  Robert,  and 
tiicre,  after  a  time,  engaged  in  teaching  school, 
making  a  specialty  of  penmanship  and  book-keep- 
ing, which  he  taught  in  different  colleges  of 
Virginia,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Indiana  and  Illinois.' 
He  was  very  successful  in  this  line  of  work,  but 
finally  became  a  book-keeper  for  Wolworth  & 
Cowell,  of  Columbus.  Ky.,  the  largest  manufac- 
turers of  whip  handles  anil  stocks  in  the  world. 
He  remained    tlu-rolive    years,  Imt     the  school  f.i- 


426 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  children  good  educational  advantages,  he  re- 
moved from  there,  and  in  1887  became  a  resident 
of  East  St.  J>oiiis,  111.  While  in  Kentucky,  he  or- 
ganiztid  the  first  Building  and  Loan  Association, 
which  became  a  very  prosperous  organization  be- 
fore he  left  the  place,  and  also  opened  two  or  three 
societies,  becoming  Secretary  of  all  of  them.  Af- 
ter becoming  a  citizen  of  East  St.  Louis,  he  en- 
gaged in  the  retail  paint  and  glass  business,  and 
(lid  considerable  painting  and  decorating,  which 
he  found  a  profitable  business. 

He  continued  to  pursue  this  calling  until  No- 
vember 16,  1890,  when  he  was  burned  out,  after 
which  he  turned  his  attention  to  the  real-estate 
business,  in  partnership  with  James  K.  Pawing,  the 
firm  being  known  as  Ewing  &  Wilson,  and  until 
elected  to  the  position  of  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
Ai)ril  5,  1891,  he  was  a  successful  real-estate,  loan 
and  insurance  agent.  His  otHce  is  located  at  No. 
110  North  Main  Street,  and  the  duties  of  his  po- 
sition keep  him  very  busy,  there  often  being 
twenty-nine  cases  a  day  on  the  docket.  He  is  a 
Democrat  politically,  is  a  Presbyterian  in  his  re- 
ligious views,  and  socially  belongs  to  the  Inde- 
l)endent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  was  married 
in  St.  Mary's,  Ohio.  October  18,  1877,  to  Miss  Ida 
Hapson,  who  was  born  and  reared  there,  and  their 
union  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three  children: 
Cliarles,  Leah  and  Hanv. 


*i(a-'       ""-f^ 


=«®> 


J'  OSEPII  HYACINTH  GERMAIN.  The  sub- 
ject of  the  following  lines  resides  on  the 
j  northeast  quarter  of  section  9,  Smithton 
^  '  Township.  His  father.  Hyacinth  Germain, 
was  a  native  of  Lorraine,  France,  born  April  19, 
1819,  and  emigrated  to  America  in  1832,  settling 
near  French  Village,  in  St.  Clair  County,  where  he 
l)ovight  land.  Here  he  was  married,  August  22, 
1843,  to  Miss  Anna  Mana,  the  daughter  of  Philip 
(lundiach,  one  of  tlie  early  settlers  of  this  county, 
who  came  liere  in  1812.  After  his  marriage,  he 
liicMted  on  section  10.  Sinilhton  Township,  where 
]\r    lidugiit  two  hundred  acres  of  land  at  $12  per 


acre.  He  kept  on  increasing  his  property  until  he 
owned  three  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of  land, 
and  was  considered  one  of  the  wealthiest  men  in 
tlie  county  at  that  time. 

Hv.icinth  and  Anna  Maria  Germain  were  the 
parents  of  nine  children,  eight  of  whom  grew  to 
years  of  maturity,  and  two  are  still  living:  our 
subject  and  Nicholas,  who  is  a  farmer  in  this 
township.  The  deceased  are  Elizabetli  Scheer, 
who  died  in  Missouri  in  1888;  Mary  S.,  Mary 
Magdalena,  Rosa,  Katherine  Agnes,  and  Jacob, 
all  of  whom  died  at  home;  and  Anna  Margaretta, 
who  died  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colo.,  April  17, 
1.892.  The  father  of  this  family  was  an  excellent 
man  and  a  public-spirited  citizen.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  which  he  served 
as  Trustee.  In  educational  matters,  he  was  much 
interested  and  filled  the  position  of  School  Director 
for  some  time.  The  brother  of  our  subject's  father 
was  one  of  those  who  made  the  trip  to  California 
in  1849,  during  the  great  gold  excitement.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  still  lives  and  is  tenderly 
cared  for  by  her  son  Joseph,  with  whom  she  re- 
sides. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  w.as  born  No- 
vember 16,  1852,  on  the  old  home  place  on  section 
10,  Smithton  Township,  where  he  was  reared.  His 
education  was  acquired  at  St.  Joseph's  College  and 
the  Christian  Brothers'  School  at  St.  Louis,  and 
at  Vincent  College,  in  AVestmoreland  County,  Pa. 
Thus  we  see  that  he  had  many  superior  advantages. 
In  1877,  he  took  a  trip  to  Colorado  with  his 
youngest  sister,  Katherine  Agnes,  who  remained 
in  Colorado  while  he  took  a  trip  into  California. 
Later,  Margaretta  went  out  to  Colorado  and  joined 
her  sister,  and  in  the  spring  all  returned  home. 

September  10,  1878,  our  subject  married  Miss 
Mary  Helena  Mueller,  who  was  the  daughter  of 
Joseph  1).  Mueller,  .i  prominent  farmer  in  this 
townshiii.  After  marriage  our  subject  located  on 
the  place  where  he  now  lives,  on  section  9,  Smith- 
ton  Township.  He  and  his  wife  had  three  chil- 
dren: John  and  Joseph,  who  were  born  October  8, 
1891 ;  and  Mary  Jane.  They  had  .an  adopted  son, 
Frederick  J.,  now  almost  twenty  years  old.  Mr. 
Germnin  was  bereaved  by  the  death  of  his  wife, 
October    22,   1891.  and  siie    was   buried    at    Wal- 


[* 


4    % 


I  I 


1 


■~  « 


fr  .^^sf'r  V  ''.'^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


429 


nut  Hill  Cemetery,  near  Bellerille.  She  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman  Catiiolic  Church  and  is  remem- 
bered for  her  lielpfulness  in  every  good  cause  in 
her  church  and  neighborhood. 

In  his  religious  convictions,  Mr.  (ierniain  is  a 
Catholic  and  is  highly  esteemed  for  liis  true  Chris- 
tian life.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  belief,  and  has  served 
as  School  Director,  being  a  man  well  known  and 
respected  in  the  community.  He  is  the  owner  of 
one  hundred  and  fifty-four  acres  of  well-improved 
land,  and  in  addition  to  general  farming  is  also 
successfully  engaged  as  a  stock-raiser. 


--~##@~— 


(l[_^  UGH  MILLS.  In  choosing  a  pursuit  in 
[TjVi  life,  taste,  mental  gifts,  opportunity  and 
/■y^^  disposition  to  labor  should  be  considered, 
(^P  as  every  young  man  who  has  any  ambi- 
tion to  become  a  respectable  and  useful  citizen 
desires  to  succeed  therein.  The  business  oppor- 
tunities in  this  country  are  great  and  are  open  to 
all,  whether  native  or  foreign  born,  and  all  a 
young  man  requires  is  to  determine  what  his  nat- 
ural gifts,  taste  and  capacitj-  will  enable  him  to 
successfully  grasp  and  prepare  himself  for  and 
when  thus  determined,  industriou,sly  persevere 
in  his  vocation,  observing  courteous  and  honoi-- 
able  methods  in  all  relations.  If  this  is  done,  suc- 
cess, the  aim  and  object  of  all,  will  be  the  reward. 
A  narrative  of  success  in  life  affords  a  lesson 
from  which  others  can  profit.  Near  Cumberland, 
in  Tuscarawas  County,  Ohio,  there  was  born  on 
the  6th  of  April,  1835,  a  boy  who  grew  up  to 
sturdy  manhood,  ambitious  to  excel  in  the  pur- 
suit of  his  choice.  This  was  Hugh  Mills.  His 
father,  Hon.  Jonathan  Mills,  was  a  native  of  West- 
moreland County,  Pa.  The  grandfather,  Thomas 
Mills,  was  also  a  native  of  the  Keystone  State, 
where  he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  until  1814, 
when  the  natural  advantages  of  what  was  then 
considered  the  Far  West  tempted  him  to  move  to 
the  IJuckeye  State.  He  made  the  trip  by  team 
and  wagon,  settled  in  Tuscarawas  County,  and, 
entering  land,  passed  the  remainder  of  his  days  in 


improving  it.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of 
1812,  and  inherited  the  sturdy,  energetic  character 
of  his  Welsh  ancestors. 

Hon.  Jonathan  Mills  was  reared  amid  rude 
pioneer  scenes  in  Ohio,  and,  when  old  enough, 
began  working  on  the  Ohio  Canal.  Later,  he  began 
following  the  pursuit  to  which  he  had  been  reared, 
farming,  and  in  addition  was  actively  engaged 
in  stock-dealing.  He  was  interested  in  the  building 
of  the  branch  of  the  Ft.  Wayne  Railroad,  the  first  in 
the  county,  and  shipped  produce  over  it.  He  was 
the  largest  stock-dealer  in  the-  county  during  the 
war,  and  handled  an  immense  amount  of  stock. 
He  was  a  very  prominent  horseman  in  the  county 
and  had  some  very  fine  animals,  owning  the  first 
trotting  horses  in  the  eount3^  In  185B  and  1857 
he  was  elected  to  the  Legislature,  being  the  first 
Republican  ever  elected  in  that  county.  He  was  a 
very  prominent  politician  and  was  one  of  the  or- 
ganizers of  the  Republican  party.  His  death 
occurred  in  1869.  lie  was  a  local  preacher  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  was  very  active 
in  all  good  work.  His  wife,  formerly  Miss  Sarah 
Downing,  was  born  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio,  and 
is  the  daughter  of  Hugh  Downing,  a  native  of 
Virginia,  who  came  to  Ohio  when  a  young  man. 
He  served  faithfully  in  tlie  War  of  1812,  and  was 
present  at  the  surrender  of  Hull  at  Detroit.  He 
was  a  brother  of  Gen.  Downing,  and  of  Scotch 
descent.  The  grandfather  was  a  fanner  and  dis- 
tiller in  his  native  country,  and  died  there  when 
eighty-seven  years  of  age.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  now  resides  in  New  Cumberland,  Ohio. 
Of  the  nine  children  born  to  this  union,  seven  are 
living  at  the  present  tiine.  Two  brothers  served 
in  the  Civil  Wnr. 

lluuh  MilN.  tlic  eldest  of  those  cliildivu,  passed 
ills  lioyhooil  and  youth  on  the  farm  and  his  edu- 
cation was  confined  to  tlie  common  schools,  taught 
in  the  log  schoolhouse  with  slab  seats,  etc.,  of 
those  days.  His  youthful  muscles  soon  became 
hardened  to  manual  labor,  and  when  sixteen  years 
of  age  he  began  to  take  a  decided  interest  in  live 
stock,  principally  liorses,  cattle  and  hogs.  He 
remained  under  the  parental  roof  until  nineteen 
years  of  age,  but  previous  to  that  he  had  run  the 
first  Buckeye  reaper  in  the  county.      At   the  last- 


430 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


mentioned  age,  be  began  for  himself  by  trading  in 
stock,  and  when  twenty-one  years  of  age  he  lo- 
cated on  a  farm.  In  1858,  he  came  to  Clay  City, 
111.,  purch.-isert  a  farm  in  Clay  County,  and 
branched  out  as  a  dealer  in  stock. 

In  the  fall  of  1861,  filled  with  a  patriotic  desire 
to  aid  his  country,  he  enlisted  and  raised  part  of  a 
company — about  twenty-five  men — for  the  Sixth 
Cavalry,  but  was  rejected.  He  subsequently  en- 
listed, but  was  again  rejected  on  account  of  phys- 
ical disability,  but  in  the  same  year  he  was  author- 
ized by  Dick  Yates  to  raise  a  conipauy. 

After  his  war  experience,  Mr.  Mills  added  to  iiis 
farm  until  he  owned  four  hundred  and  eigiity 
acres  of  nicely  improved  land  adjoining  Clay  City. 
In  1880,  he  came  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  engage  m 
the  stock  business,  and  entered  the  National  Stock 
Yards  as  a  member  of  the  firm  of  C.  M.  Keys  &  Co. 
In  1882,  he  located  with  his  family  in  East  St. 
Louis.  Since  joining  the  firm,  Mr.  Mills  has  han- 
dled the  business  continually  to  the  satisfaction  of 
a  large  circle  of  constituents,  and  few  houses  in 
this  or  other  businesses  stand  higher,  commercially 
speaking,  than  the  firm  of  C.  M.  Keys  &  Co. 
Having  ample  capital  to  handle  the  business  in 
every  legitimate  manner,  the  house  is,  from  its 
own  funds,  able  to  make  advances  to  stock-feeders 
and  shippers,  as  their  trade  requires.  They  do  a 
regular,  safe  business,  amounting  to  handsome 
proportions,  and  have  won  a  strong  position  by 
reliable  and  faithful  service.  They  also  have  a 
branch  house  in  Kansas  City  and  do  a  large  busi- 
ness there.  As  a  cattle  and  sheep  salesman  for  tlie 
firm,  Mr.  Mills  has  met  with  wonderful  success. 

Our  subject  resides  at  No.  716  Summit  Avenue 
and  has  one  of  the  finest  houses  in  the  cit3'.  He 
also  owns  a  farm,  and  is  engaged  in  breeding 
standard-bred  horses,  Mambrino,  Hambletonian 
and  Blue  Bull,  owning  "Dexey,"  a  pacer  with  a 
record  of  •2:22i.  He  was  the  owner  of  the  first 
Hereford  cattle  in  Clay  County  and  was  an  organ- 
izer and  Director  of  the  Clay  County  Agricultural 
Society  for  over  twenty  years,  being  President  of 
the  same  for  one  year.  He  is  Director  of  the  first 
Mutual  Building  and  Loan  A.ssociation,  and  is 
prominent  in  all  good  work.  He  was  married  in 
Dunkirk,  Hardin  County,  Ohio, 


",6,  to  Miss 


Ellen  Rubens,  a  native  of  Plymouth,  Ohio,  who 
bore  him  six  children,  four  living,  viz.:  Joseph, 
who  resides  in  St.  Louis  and  is  in  business  at  the 
National  Stock  Yards;  Emma,  at  home;  Charles, 
in  the  Kansas  City  Stock  Yards,  a  hog  salesman; 
and  Mary,  at  home.  Mr.  Mills  is  a  Chosen  Friend 
in  the  order  of  Masons,  and  in  polities  is  a  stanch 
supporter  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party. 


Jj^  NTON  SEHLINCEK.  The  gentleman 
Oi  whose  name  heads  this  biography  is  the 
I  li  President  of  the  Sehlinger  Grain  Company, 
^  incorporated,  with  a  paid-up  capital  stock 
of  $15,000.  His  son  Tony  is  the  Secretary  and 
Treasurer.  Mr.  Sehlinger  was  born  in  Baden,  Ger- 
many, February  23,  1837,  and  obtained  his  educa- 
tion there,  being  fourteen  years  old  when  his  father 
came  to  America.  The  latter  was  the  son  of  John 
and  Magdalina  (Schindler)  Sehlinger,  and  settled 
in  Belleville,  following  the  same  occupation,  that 
of  butcher,  as  his  father  and  grandfather  before 
him.  The  father  died  June  6,  1860,  leaving  three 
boys,  Anton,  Augustus  and  Charles,  the  two  latter 
now  being  in  Louisville,  K3'. 

Our  subject  went  into  the  country  three  miles 
northeast  of  town  and  lived  there  twelve  years. 
Being  too  young  to  settle  on  land  for  himself,  he 
resided  with  his  uncle,  Joseph  Schindler,  his  mo- 
ther's brother,  until  the  latter  went  to  Mascoutah 
and  started  a  tlouring-mill.  Anton  then  joined  with 
him  and  learned  the  business,  being  book-keeper 
and  manager  from  the  start.  He  was  married 
January  23,  1866,  to  Miss  Louisa  Faust,  daughter 
of  Nicholas  Faust,  of  this  city,  and  still  continued 
at  Mascoutah,  finally  becoming  a  partner.  The 
unele  died  in  1878,  but  Anton  continued  in  the 
business  until    1883. 

In  1887,  he  came  to  this  phiee  and  established  a 
grain  business  with  F.  Enkelke,  the  firm  being 
Sehlinger  k  Co.  Tliej-  dealt  heavily  in  grain  and 
flour  and  soon  our  subject  bought  out  the  entire 
business,    consisting    of    warehouse   and   elevator. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD, 


431 


with  a  capacity  of  fifty  thousand  bushels;  also  the 
residence  and  grounds  surrounding  it.  Since  that 
time  he  has  greatly  remodeled  and  improved  the 
property.  He  owns  300x130  feet  on  South  Abend 
Street,  from  Xo.  800  to  No.  812,  and  a  whole 
block  on  East  Eighth  Street.  His  house  does 
an  immense  business,  being  connected  with  the 
Cairo  Short  Line  by  switches,  and  doing  the 
heaviest  grain  trade  in  this  vicinity,  shipping  all 
througli  the  country.  In  addition  to  this  busi- 
ness, the  firm  has  a  flour  and  feed  store  opposite 
the  market  on  North  Illinois  Street,  where  they 
do  a  large  wholesale  and  retail  business.  He 
is  the  father  of  six  children:  Tony,  Mary  C, 
Lena  J.,  Anna  L.,  George  M.  and  Edward.  The 
family  are  members  of  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Church 
and  enjoy  the  society  of  a  large  circle  of  friends. 
Mr.  Sehlinger's  fellow-citizens  persisted  in  elect- 
ing him  to  the  office  of  Alderman,  but  he  declined 
the  honor  with  thanks  and  positively  would  not 
serve,  the  cares  of  a  wide  extending  and  steadily 
growing  business  requiring  all  his  time. 

JAMES  L.  PERRYMAN,  M.  D.  In  tracing 
the  genealogy  of  the  Perryman  family,  we 
find  that  its  members  were  originally  from 
England,  and  that  the  first  branches  that 
took  root  on  American  soil  were  three  brothers, 
James,  John  and  David,  who  came  here  with  Lord 
Calvert,  brother  to  Lord  Baltimore,  in  1():j2,  and 
formed  a  colony  in  Maryland.  One  became  sec- 
retary to  Lord  Calvert,  another  was  a  member  of 
the  first  Colonial  Parlia  nent,  and  the  third  be- 
came prominent  in  the  frontier  Indian  wars.  The 
great-grandfather  of  our  subject  held  an  appoint- 
ment under  the  King  of  England  which  required  his 
residence  in  the  colony  further  South,  in  fact,  in 
the  Carolinas,  he  being  something  of  an  executive 
officer  and  military  protector. 

James  S.,  grandfatlier  of  our  subject,  was  born 
ill  Carolina  and  reared  to  martial  life.  During 
the  Revolutionary  War,  he  was  with  the  Colonists, 
and  reached  tlie  rank  of  Colonel  under  Gen. 
Wayne,      lb-  i)aitici|i:iteil    in    the    battles  of  Sara- 


toga, German  town.  Brandy  wine  and  Yorktown. 
After  the  war,  he  settled  in  Claiborne  County, 
Tenn.,  and  married  Miss  Nancy  Condray,  becom- 
ing the  father  of  a  large  family.  His  son,  Chailes 
Mattison,  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  there  in 
1809,  and  there  made  his  home  until  1832,  when 
he  came  to  Illinois,  settling  near  Lebanon,  St. 
Clair  County.  Later,  he  moved  to  Jefferson  City, 
Mo.,  where  he  died  in  1854.  He  was  a  man  of 
superior  mental  attainments,  being  far  ahead  of 
the  majorit}-  of  men  in  his  choice  and  use  of  lan- 
guage. The  great  abilitj^  to  talk  or  write  well  is 
characteristic  of  the  Perryman  family,  and  many 
of  its  members  have  attained  distinction  as  orators. 

Charles  M.  Perryman  was  married  in  Tennessee 
in  1829,  to  Miss  Louisa  J.  CoUingswortli,  a  na- 
tive of  Claiborne  County-,  Tenn.,  her  birth  also 
occurring  in  1814,  she  being  the  daughter  of  a  Rev- 
olutionary soldier.  Dr.  James  L.  Perryman,  the  eld- 
est and  only  survivor  of  four  sons,  was  born 
April  11,  1831.  His  brother  Frederick  died  in  his 
fifteenth  year;  Bluford  Hamilton,  the  third 
brother,  became  a  prominent  physician  and  died 
in  1860;  and  Horace  M.,  the  youngest,  was  also 
educated  in  medicine  and  gave  great  promise  of  a 
brilliant  career,  but  was  cut  down  by  the  reaper, 
Death,  in  1870,  when  thirty-two  years  of  age. 
The  two  brothers  last  named  left  children,  most 
of  whom  found  a  comfortable  and  pleasant  home 
with  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Perryman,  and  are  now  grown 
up  and  settled  in  life. 

Dr.  Peri\vnian,  the  original  of  lliis  notice,  en- 
tered McKendree  College  when  in  his  sixteontli 
year  and  took  a  full  course,  manifesting  at  an 
early  age  a  diligent  interest  in  the  acquisition  of 
knowledge.  He  was  graduated  in  1849,  and,  hav- 
ing the  study  of  medicine  in  view,  entered  the 
office  of  Drs.  W.  W.  and  J.  A.  Roman  at  Belleville, 
where  he  remained  for  some  time.  Later,  he  took 
two  full  courses  in  the  INIissouri  State  University, 
at  St.  Louis,  being  graduated  with  the  degree  of 
M.  D.  After  practicing  for  a  short  time,  he  en- 
tered and  was  graduated  from  the  St.  Louis  Med- 
ical College,  and  then  took  a  course  of  surgical 
lectures  in  Jefferson  Medical  College,  in  Phila- 
delpliia,  and  also  in  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Snrueons  in  New  York  (itv. 


432 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Our  subject  intended  to  become  a  Professor  in 
tiie  University  of  Missouri,  but  his  father's  deatli 
disarranged  his  plans,  as  it  threw  tlie  entire  care 
of  tiie  family  upon  him.  He  toolf  cliarge  of  tlie 
family  and  educated  his  brothers  in  medicine  until 
they  became  self-supporting.  The  Doctor  is  a 
physician  of  established  reputation,  and  h-as  stead- 
ily risen  in  the  channels  of  medical  life.  He  is 
actively  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
and  is  one  of  the  eminent  physicians  of  the  county. 
He  is  progressive  and  advanced  in  his  ideas,  and 
is  a  member  of  all  the  medical  societies.  Polit- 
ically, he  affiliates  with  the  Republican  party,  but 
has  never  cared  to  hold  office.  He  often  takes  tlie 
stump  during  heated  political  campaigns  and,  as 
he  has  the  famil.y  gift  of  oratory,  he  is  warmly 
welcomed  everywhere. 

On  the  20th  of  April,  1855,  Dr.  Perr\  man  mar- 
ried Miss  Virginia  Bradsby,  daughter  of  Richard 
Bradsby,  an  old  settler  of  Kentucky,  whose  f.a- 
ther,  William  Bradsby,  and  brothers  were  Revo- 
lutionary soldiers,  going  from  Virginia  to  join 
Washington's  command.  William  emigrated  to 
Kentucky  with  Daniel  Boone  and  was  active  in 
the  events  that  made  Kentucky'  the  "dark  and 
bloody  ground."  Richard  Bradsby  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1804,  expecting  to  go  to  Missouri,  but  not 
being  able  to  cross  the  river,  settled  in  this  State. 
His  death  occurred  on  the  5th  of  September,  1875. 
Our  subject  is  possessed  of  all  those  qualities 
that  make  a  successful  and  popular  physician.  He 
is  urbane,  pleasant  and  sympathetic,  and  a  very 
attractive  conversationalist,  his  mind  being  well 
stored  with  history,  literature,  poetry,  philosophy, 
etc.  As  a  surgeon,  he  has  gained  a  wide-spread 
and  enviable  reputation,  and  is  one  whose  career 
lias  been  marked  by  success.  He  is  one  of  the 
substantial  men  of  the  county,  has  a  very  elegant 
home  in  this  cit_y,  and  is  surrounded  by  all  the 
comforts  of  life.  He  has  been  in  active  practice 
for  over  forty  years  and  gives  his  attention  prin- 
cipally to  diseases  of  women,  nervous  diseases  and 
surgery.  No  physician  in  the  countj'  has  a  better 
record  in  his  profession  than  he. 

Tiie  Doctor  speculates  in  lands  and  mines  in 
Colorado,  and  owns  much  good  farming  land  in 
Missouri  and    Illinois.     lie  has  an  adopted  daugh- 


ter, Anna  Mary  Schaedel  Perryman,  who  is  now 
seven  years  oC  age,  and  he  has  reared  nine 
nephews  and  nieces,  never  having  had 'any  chil- 
dren of  his  own.  The  Doctor  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  Church,  hut  his  wife  holds  membership 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 


^mm^^^m^m 


EORGE  J.  MUSKOPE,  one  of  the  rising 
III  L  ;  young  farmers  of  St.  Clair  Township,  is  a 
^^^l  gentleman  who  combines  independence  and 
self-reliance  with  energy,  and  with  these  qualities 
is  bound  to  make  a  success  of  whatever  he  under- 
takes. Our  subject  was  born  at  High  Prairie,  in 
Millstadt  Township,  on  the  21st  of  April,  18CG, 
being  the  youngest  of  three  children  liorii  to.lohn 
and  Catherine  (Probst)  Muskopf. 

Tiie  father  of  .lohn  Muskopf,  Henry, died  March 
3,  1883,  aged  eighty-five,  and  his  wife,  Charlotte 
Muskopf,  died  March  2,  1882,  aged  seventy-six. 
These  estimable  people  came  from  Germany  in 
1835,  and  settled  in  St  Clair  County  on  a  farm. 
The  maternal  grandfather  is  still  living,  a  vener- 
able old  gentleman  of  seventy-seven,  making  his 
home  in  Saxton,  Millstadt  Township.  His  wife, 
Catherine,  however,  died  about  sixteen  years  ago 
I  when  nearly  seventy  years  of  age.  The  grand- 
parents on  both  sides  were  honored  and  respected 
pioneers  of  this  great  State.  .John  Muskopf  died 
May  5,  1871,  his  wife  having  been  called  to  her 
heavenly  home  October  16,  1867.  Both  these 
good  people  breathed  their  last  in  Millstadt  Town- 
ship. They  had  three  children:  Catherine,  who 
died  in  infancy;  .John,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seven;  and  George  .1.,  our  subject. 

George  .1.  Muskopf  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Millstadt  Township,  and  received  a  com- 
mon-school education,  as  <lo  almost  all  of  the 
farmer  boys  of  this  generation.  While  yet  a  young- 
man  he  started  to  support  himself,  working  on 
farms  in  various  places  in  Southern  Illinois  and 
Eastern  Missouri,  and  the  experience  thus  gained 
fully  equipped  him  for  the  serious  duties  of  life. 
Returning  to  the  scenes  of  his  childluxxl.   our  sub- 


'^}fyyi^       Uu>^^'^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


435 


ject  bouglit  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  in  St. 
Clair  Townsliip,  two  years  ago.  It  is  a  fine  tract 
of  eiglity  acres,  known  as  the  August  place,  where 
was  born  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Bornman,  the  oldest  liv- 
ing person  born  in  St.  Clair  Township,  a  sketch  of 
whose  life  appears  elsewhere  in  these  pages.  Here 
he  has  made  a  comfortable  home  for  himself  and 
family,  whery  they  reside,  enjoying  the  respect 
and  confidence  of  all  their  neighbors. 

Mr.  Muskopf  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Sophia  Miller,  daughter  of  Peter  and  Mary  Miller, 
who  are  still  living,  residing  about  one  and  one- 
quarter  miles  north  of  Floraville.  The  cere- 
mony took  place  April  1,  1888,  in  Floraville, 
Millstadt  Township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Muskopf  have 
two  children:  Otto,  aged  three  years,  and  John 
F^dwin,  nearly  two.  Our  subject  is  indepen- 
dent in  politics,  always  voting  for  the  best  man 
in  his  estimation  for  an  office,  regardless  of 
party  lines.  His  high  sense  of  honor  and  gen- 
eral fitness  for  an}'  of  the  township  offices  are  well 
known  by  all  the  voters  of  the  township,  and 
there  is  no  doubt  but  that  he  will  be  called  upon 
in  the  future  to  till  at  various  times  most  of  the 
offices  that  lie  within  the  gift  of  the  people  of  the 
townsliip.  Mr.  Muskopf  and  liis  wife  are  consist- 
ent members  of  the  Evangelical  Cliurcli. 


J[OHN  RANK.  No  better  representative  of 
honest,  upright  manhood  can  be  found  than 
the  above-named  gentleman,  an  influential 
_^  citizen  of  Fayetteville.  He  is  a  native  of 
Alsace,  which,  at  the  time  of  his  birth  (1843),  was 
a  French  province,  but  is  now  owned  by  Prussia, 
having  been  lost  to  France  in  the  late  Franco- 
Prussian  war. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were  David  and 
Catherine  Rank,  l)oth  natives  of  France,  the  father 
born  in  1820  and  the  mother  in  1817.  David 
Rank  spent  his  early  life  in  his  native  village,  and, 
as  soon  as  he  was  old  enough  to  he  of  service,  was 
pLaced    liy   liis    fatlier  in  a  woolen   mill,  where  he 


learned  the  trade  of  a  weaver,  lie  was  (juite 
young  when  he  married  Catherine  Kocher,  and 
they  became  the  parents  of  eight  children,  three  of 
whom  were  born  in  France  and  five  in  America. 
The  only  surviving  members  of  the  family  are 
,Tohn,  and  INIary,  now  the  wife  of  .lohn  Neice. 

David  Rank,  ac.comi)anied  b}'  his  wife  and  three 
children,  emigrated  to  this  country  in  the  year 
1846,  and  settled  at  Belleville,  111.,  where  he 
worked  for  eight  years  as  a  biick-maker.  A  few 
hundred  dollars  was  the  extent  of  his  moneyed 
possessions,  but  after  obtaining  the  work  whicli 
seemed  to  him  most  lucrative  in  the  vicinity  where 
he  located,  his  true  thrift}' nature  asserted  itself, 
and  in  1851  he  moved  to  Fayetteville  and  bought 
village  property.  He  continued  the  business  of 
brick-making  in  his  new  place  of  residence,  where 
he  owned  his  own  plant,and  conducted  a  most  ex- 
cellent business  in  this  line  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  In  Fayetteville  in  1855.  A  man  of  up- 
right principles  and  strong  personal  characteris- 
tics, he  was  an  ardent  believer  in  the  Catholic 
faith  and  a  member  and  generous  supporter  of  the 
church.  His  widow  is  still  living,  .and  makes  her 
home  near  her  son  John.  She  is  beloved  for  her 
amiable  and  womanly  qualities. 

The  gentleman  with  whose  name  we  oi)eiiod  this 
biographical  sketch  commenced  his  acquaintance 
with  the  realities  of  life  at  the  early  age  of  thir- 
teen, at  which  period  he  accompanied  his  father 
to  the  brickyard,  and  there  assumed  the  duties 
his  youthful  years  allowed  him  to  perform.  He 
worked  at  this  trade  until  the  war  of  the  Union 
broke  out,  when,  fired  with  youthful  but  ardent 
ambition  for  the  land  of  his  adoption,  he  enlisted 
in  Company  F,  Ninth  Illinois  Regiment,  and, 
under  the  command  of  Gen.  Sherman,  went  to  the 
front.  Among  the  one  hundred  and  ten  battles  in 
which  he  participated  were  those  of  Ft.  Donelson, 
Shiloh  and  Corinth.  He  was  captured  at  Resaca 
and  placed  in  Andersonville  prison,  where  he  re- 
mained twelve  months.  From  Andersonville  he 
was  taken  to  Charlestown,  Ft.  Lawrence  and  Wil- 
mington, aiid  finally  transferred  to  the  Union 
ranks.  He  received  many  wounds  during  the  cam- 
paign, one  being  a  gun-shot  m  the  face,  received 
at  Ft.  Donelson,  and  he  was   shot  in  the  left  side 


436 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  face  at  Sliiloh.  At  Resaca  he  was  wounded 
in  the  head,  and  also  received  a  wound  in  his  leg, 
which  resulted  in  his  capture  by  the  enemy.  After 
serving  the  cause  of  the  Union  nobly,  he  was  mus- 
tered out  at  Springfield,  III.,  April  12,  186.5. 

After  returning  home  from  the  war,  John  Rank 
married  Miss  Johanna  AVaeltz,  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Barbara  (Dressel)  Waeltz.  To  them  were 
born  ten  children,  six  of  whom  are  yet  livfng: 
Kmnia,  wife  of  Martus  Aberle;  Mary,  John, 
Adolph,  Edward  and  Johanna.  After  his  mar- 
riage, our  subject  immediately  commenced  life  as 
a  farmer,  in  which  capacity  he  remained  for  fifteen 
years,  devoting  himself  to  the  pursuit  of  agricul- 
ture with  no  small  success.  As  he  advanced  in 
years,  however,  the  vicissitudes  of  army  life,  and 
the  wounds  received  in  his  country's  cause,  com- 
menced to  tell  on  hiss3-stem,and  he  became  a  con- 
firmed invalid.  His  indefatigable  courage  during 
his  many  encounters  with  the  enemy  vvon  for  him 
the  commendation  of  his  superior  officers,  and,  as 
a  reward  for  his  services,  he  is  to-day  the  recipient 
of  Uncle  Sam's  bounty  to  the  extent  of  $72  per 
month;  among  the  highest  pensions  paid  to  any  sol- 
dier of  the  late  war.  After  losing  his  health,  he 
moved  to  the  village  of  Fayctteville,  where  he  lives 
a  retired  life,  respected  by  all  who  are  honored  with 
his  acquaintance.  He  is  with  the  Republican  party 
as  one  of  its  most  ardent  adherents,  and  cast  his 
first  Presidential  vote  for  Abraham  Lincoln  for  his 
second  term. 


h^-^l 


|[l_.  ENRY  BOEMER.  The  intelligent  gentle- 
W~ji  man  whose  sketch  it  becomes  our  pleasure 
.!4\^^  to  place  before  the  public  is  a  teacher  in  the 
(l^  graded  school  of  Millstadt,  111.  He  li.as  a 
very  pleasant  home  in  this  city,  which  he  built  in 
1888,  and  there  he  lives  in  comfort,  surrounded  by 
his  books  and  music  and  attended  by  his  charm- 
ing wife. 

Mr.  Boemer  of  this  notice  is  the  son  of  Casper 
Boemer,  and  his  birth  occurred  January  31, 1859, 
at  the   old  lioineslead,    where   he   was  reared  from 


childhood.  This  was  the  home  of  his  parents  and 
is  situated  one  and  one-half  miles  west  of  Millstadt. 

Our  subject  attended  the  district  school  during 
boyhood  and  as  soon  as  of  proper  age  he  went  to 
St.  Louis,  and  there  attended  the  excellent  com- 
mercial college  of  Bryant  and  Stratton,  graduating 
from  there  April  26,  1877.  He  taught  school 
in  this  township  for  four  years  and  then  went  to 
the  Normal  College  at  Carmi,  111.,  and  began  teach- 
ing school.  He  was  retained  for  seven  years  in 
Stookey  Township,  and  then  came  home  and  taught 
for  two  years  in  liis  home  district.  In  1891,  he 
was  elected  to  a  position  in  the  graded  school  at 
Millstadt  and  has  been  attending  to  his  duties  here 
ever  since. 

Our  subject  has  traveled  quite extensivel3' in  the 
Northern  part  of  the  United  States.  He  is  partic- 
ularly interested  in  physical  geography,  and  in 
1880  made  an  extended  trip  through  Wisconsin 
and  Minnesota,  studying  the  geography,  and  the 
topography  of  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  the  up- 
per part  of  the  United  States,  gathering  many 
facts  and  exploding  many  theories  and  gaining  an 
experience  which  serve  to  make  him  a  more  com- 
petent teacher  than  before. 

Mr.  Boemer's  first  marriage  united  him  with  Miss 
Katie  AVilkins,  but  the  life  of  this  young  bride  was 
short,  for  in  one  year  she  had  passed  away,  leaving 
little  Katie,  who  was  also  taken.  After  this  break- 
ing up  of  his  household,  Mr.  Boemer  remained  at 
home  until  in  June,  1888,  when  Miss  Katie  Merod, 
the  daughter  of  Mrs.  Frederick  Merod,  became 
his  wife,  and  since  that  lime  his  domestic  affairs 
have  been  comfortable  and  pleasant.  One  son, 
Irving,  has  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boemer. 

The  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  claims  this 
worthy  cou[)le  as  members,  and  Mr.  Boemer  is  a 
member  of  the  choir,  his  musical  abilities  making 
the  position  one  of  peculiar  fitness.  Our  sub- 
ject has  all  the  talent  of  his  ancestors  in  music, 
which  he  enjoys  and  understands.  He  is  leader 
of  the  Liederkranz,  which  position  he  has  held 
for  a  great  many  years.  He  is  one  of  the 
foremost  workers  in  the  keeping  up  of  this  society 
and  has  been  an  officer  in  it  since  its  organization, 
being  Chairman  of  the  Building  Committee  and  also 
Treasurer,  and  lias  had  all    of    the    overseeing    of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


437 


the  work  on  the  Society's  building  to  look  after. 
He  has  taken  a  great  interest  in  all  the  musical  or- 
ganizations of  the  city  and  has  been  leader  of  the 
liand. 

The  Democratic  party  has  a  strong  adherent  in 
Mr.  Boemer  and  liis  vote  and  influence  are  given 
for  that  part^'.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  physical  health 
and  has  accomplished  a  great  deal  of  good  and  has 
attained  a  prominent  position  for  one  of  his  age. 
During  his  vacations  he  combines  pleasure  and 
business  and  travels  for  the  Mervin  School  Supply 
Company  of  St.  Louis.  At  the  last  meeting  of  the 
lioard  of  Supervisors  in  October,  1892,  he  was  ap- 
pointed by  that  body  Justice  of  the  Peace  for 
Millstadt  'rownshii). 


♦^^i@®Hi^l^^ 


jILLIAM  H.  PHILLIPS.  Here  and  there 
among    the    fertile   farms    of  the    Prairie 

^W  State  may  be  found  quiet,  retiring  people 
fif  l>olh  sexes  wlio  have  kept  out  of  the  vexing 
whirl  of  life  and  liave  found  peace  and  content- 
ment in  the  surroundings  of  a  retired  home. 
Such  has  been  the  case  with  the  subject  of  our 
sketch,  who  resides  on  section  18,  Freeburg  Town- 
ship, and  was  born  on  tlie  30th  of  December,  1832. 
His  father  was  Benjamin  Phillips,  a  native  of 
Orange  County,  N.  C,  born  iu  1793.  The  father 
removed  into  Tennessee  when  young,  and  was 
reared  there  until  the  opening  of  the  Wijr  of 
1812,  when  he  enlisted  and  took  part  in  the  bat- 
tle of  New  Orleans. 

After  the  war,  Benjamin  came  from  Tennessee 
to  St.  Clair  County  in  1815,  entered  land  from 
the  Government  near  Freeburg,  and  located  on 
section  7,  which  had  been  entered  by  George 
Wilderman,  and  here  lived  until  the  time  of  his 
death.  His  wife  was  Sallie  Wilderman,  daughter 
of  George  Wilderman,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of 
the  county,  who  bore  him  the  following  children, 
of  whom  six  are  still  living,  as  follows:  Elizabeth, 
Emclinc,  Sarah,  Jane,  Eliza  and  our  subject. 
Those  who  have  passed  out  of  this  life  were  Maria, 
Nancy,  IMinerva,  Patience  and  A'irginia.    This  sol- 


dier of  1812  was  a  valued  member  of  the  Baptist 
Clnirch,  and  had  served  several  years  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace. 

Our  suliject  first  saw  the  light  on  the  old  home- 
stead on  section  7,  was  educated  in  the  district 
schools,  and  has  lived  all  his'days  on  the  home 
place.  The  farm  consists  of  one  hnndred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation,  but 
Mr.  Phillips  does  not  farm  himself.  He  makes  liis 
home  with  his  sister  Sarah  Jane,  who  was  born 
on  the  old  place.  Mr.  Phillips  is  a  Democrat,  and 
so  votes  when  he  goes  to  the  polls.  He  has  lived 
so  quietly  that  the  great  questions  that  produce 
so  much  angry  discussion  the  country  over  do 
not  disturb  him  in  his  quiet  retreat.  Our  subject 
I  has  never  married,  yet  in  his  single  estate  has 
doubtless  enjoyed  life  fully  as  much  as  many  who 
have  become  benedicts.  Gentle  and  unobtrusive, 
I  Mr.  Phillips  accords  to  every  man  the  right  to 
j  his  opinions.  Honest  and  upright,  he  yields  to  all 
what  is  due  in  just  measure.  The  fame  of  his 
deeds  may  never  reach  the  outside  world,  yet, 
after  all,  no  higher  praise  can  be  bestowed  upon 
any  man  than  that  his  life  is  upriglit,  and  that  no 
wrong  or  oppression  was  ever  perpetrated  by  him. 
Such  may  be  trutlifully  written  and  said  of  kind- 
hearted  William  II.  Phillips. 


PvRANCIS  A.  WILDERMAN.  In  every  lo- 
j;  cality  reside  those  who  have  successfully 
accomplished  their  life  work  and  have 
earned  a  season  of  rest  while  the  work  is  resigned 
to  younger  and  more  eager  hands.  Tliis  is  the 
case  with  the  subject  of  the  present  sketch,  who  is 
a  retired  farmer  living  on  section  7,  Freeburg 
Township,  St.  Clair  County,  and  is  a  son  of  Dor- 
sey  Wilderman,  a  native  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  who 
was  born  there  February-  11,  1792,  the  son  of 
Joseph  and  Patience  Wilderman. 

The  paternal  grandparents  lived  first  near  Bal- 
timore, Baltimore  County,  Md.;  afterward  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  then  decided  to  remove  farther 


438 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


West.  They  went  down  the  Ohio  River  and 
stopped  six  months  in  Pittsburg;  thence  proceeded 
to  New  Design,  Monroe  County,  wliere  tliey  re- 
mained but  a  short  time,  when  they  came  to  >St. 
Clair  County.  That  was  in  1805,  at  which  time 
.loseph  Wildernian  entered  land  on  section  7,  and 
there  he  made  liis  home  until  he  died.  He  was  a 
soldier  in  the  Blaclc  Hawk  War.  The  name  of  his 
wife  was  Patience  Loury,  and  they  were  the  parents 
of  eleven  children.  John  started  with  the  family 
hut  left  them  at  Petersburg,  went  .South,  and  was 
never  heard  from  afterward.  George,  Levi,  Frank, 
William,  Henry,  James,  Dorsey,  Betsey,  Michael 
and  Sarah  were  the  remaining  children. 

Dorsey  Wilderman,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  married  to  Miss  Pluvbe  Carr,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Carr,  a  prominent  farmer  of  this 
county  and  an  early  settler,  having  come  here  in 
1790.  After  his  m.arriage  Dorsey  Wilderman  lo- 
cated on  the  pl.ace  where  our  subject  now  lives, 
and  remained  until  the  time  of  his  decease.  He 
left  eight  children:  Priscilla.  Mrs.  Adams,  de- 
ceased; Jacob  lives  in  Franklin  County;  Jeffer- 
son, deceased;  Mary,  who  was  married  to  John 
Chesney,  is  now  dead;  Sallie  is  married  to  Ris- 
den  A.  Moore,  and  lives  near  Belleville;  .James,  de- 
ceased; Cordelia  died  at  the  age  of  fifteen;  and 
Charles  lives  near  Equality,  Til.  Dorsey  Wilder- 
man  was  in  the  Black  Hawk  War,  and  died  Aug- 
ust 24,  1857. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  September 
8,  1832,  on  the  place  where  he  now  resides.  He 
was  educated  in  the  old  subscription  schools  of 
his  day,  and  passed  his  time  on  the  farm, 
doing  much  work  and  taking  his  ease  after- 
ward. His  marriage  occurred  in  1857,  with 
Miss  Martha  Pitts,  the  daughter  of  Kenchen  Pitts 
and  his  wife  Elizabeth.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Wild- 
erman was  born  in  South  Carolina  and  lived  there 
until  ten  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  North 
Carolina,  and  three  years  later  removed  to  Tennes- 
see, growing  up  to  manhood  and  marrying  there; 
thence  going  to  Morgan  County,  111.,  about  1827, 
and  entering  Government  land  in  this  county, 
about  two  miles  below  Freeburg.  He  died  in 
Nashville,  111.,  in  1875. 

After  his  marriage  oiu'  subject  continued  to  live 


on  this  place,  and  here  his  four  children  have  been 
born.  They  are:  Floia,  who  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Hertel,  of  Freeburg,  111.;  Millard,  who  married 
Emma  Herman,  lives  near  Freeburg,  and  is  a 
farmer;  Julius,  who  married  Mary  Wilderman, 
lives  in  this  township;  and  Myrtle,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Henry  K.  Kessler,  who  is  the  foreman  of 
the  Barnard  Gasoline  Stove  Works.  Our  subject 
has  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  acres  of  land, 
and  all  but  fifty  acres  are  well  improved  and  in  a 
good  state  of  cultivation.  He  has  retired  from 
active  labor  himself,  but  his  sons  operate  the 
farm  and  raise  grain  principallj'.  Politically,  he 
is  a  follower  of  Thomas  Jefferson. 

Mr.  Wilderman  has  filled  the  important  offices 
of  School  Trustee  and  School  Director  for  a  long 
time,  and  is  very  much  interested  in  all  things 
looking  toward  the  improvement  of  his  section. 
This  is  one  of  the  representative  families  of  this 
county,  and  of  its  members  old  St.  Clair  may  well 
be  proud.  Energetic,  honest,  progressive,  and 
upright,  these  are  the  kind  of  people  who  will 
build  up  an}^  section,  and  make  it  to  take  high 
rank  amona;  the  communities  of  this  great  State. 


J  JOHN  R.  LYONS.  Among  the  residents  of 
St.  Clair  County  who  have  prosecuted  their 
j  life  work  successfully  and  are  now  enjoy- 
'  ing  the  fruits  of  their  prudence  and  energy 
surrounded  with  comforts,  is  the  gentleman  above 
named,  who  is  now  occupying  a  pleasant  home  in 
Marissa  and  has  a  sutticient  income  to  afford  him- 
self and  family  a  maintenance  during  the  remain- 
der of  their  lives.  He  was  born  near  Winnsborough, 
Fairfield  Countj',  S.  C,  in  September,  1814,  and  is 
the  son  of  James  and  Jane  (Elder)  Lyons,  natives 
of  Ireland.  The  parents  were  married  in  the 
Emerald  Isle,  and  on  coming  to  America,  in  .laii- 
uary,  1805,  located  in  the  above-named  State, 
where  they  followed  farming.  When  leaving 
their  native  home,  they  were  accompanied  by  two 
children,  one  of  whom  died  while  en  route  to  the 
United  States. 


POETEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


439 


In  1833,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  Lyons  came  with 
their  family  and  few  worldly  effects  to  this  coun- 
ty, locating  on  (jublic  land  in  Marissa,  within  a 
few  miles  of  where  our  subject  is  at  present  resid- 
ing. They  reared  a  family  of  four  sons  and  three 
daughters,  four  of  wliom  are  still  living  and  occu- 
pying good  positions  in  life.  The  father,  who  was 
a  devoted  member  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian 
C'huich,  died  in  September,  1866,  while  his  good 
wife,  who  was  also  a  member  of  that  denomina- 
tion, preceded  him  to  the  better  laud  by  a  num- 
ber of  years,  her  death  occurring  iu  1852. 

When  reaching  his  twenty-first  year,  John  R. 
Lyons  of  this  sketch  began  life  for  himself  by 
operating  his  father's  farm,  and  he  continued  to 
make  his  home  with  his  parents  until  their  death. 
Young  L^-ons  commenced  at  the  bottom  of  the 
ladder,  and  so  successful  has  he  been  in  his  social 
calling  that  for  a  number  of  years  he  has  lived  re- 
tired, able  to  indulge  in  luxuries  and  recreations 
suited  to  his  years  and  tastes.  He  owns  five  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  the  records  showing  him  to  be 
one  of  the  heaviest  tax-payers  in  the  township. 
The  entire  amount  has  been  accumulated  by  energ}' 
and  perseverance,  united  with  economy  and  good 
business  qualifications,  and  the  youth  who  may 
peruse  this  sketcii  could  do  no  better  than  emu- 
late his  example.  His  life  has  been  well  spent  and 
his  work  well  done,  and  when  death  shall  have 
closed  the  scene,  his  memory  will  be  greatly  cher- 
ished, and  the  verdict  of  all  who  have  known  iiim 
will  be,  "He  has  done  what  he  could." 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  witii  Miss  Mary, 
daughter  of  William  and  Nancy  MuKey,  was  sol- 
emnized January  19,  1843.  Her  parents  were 
born  in  Ireland,  where  the  father  was  a  farmer  by 
occupation.  Mr.  Lyons'  pleasant  home  was  presided 
over  and  brightened  by  this  estimable  lady  until 
February  7,  1885,  when  she  passed  away.  She 
reared  a  family  of  seven  children,  only  one  of 
whom,  William  K.,  is  yet  living.  With  her  husband 
she  was  a  member  of  the  Reformed  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  was  always  found  to  be  active  in 
every  good  work. 

In  the  spring  of  1892,  our  subject  visited  his 
f)!d  home  in  South  Carolina,  which  was  his  first 
trip  to  the  old  place  since  1833,     It  was  very  hard 


for  him  to  realize  that  he  had  spent  his  boyhood 
days  there,  the  familiar  faces  having  passed  away 
and  the  scenes  changed,  until  it  seemed  to  him  more 
like  stepping  into  another  world.  Mr.  Lyons  is 
the  oldest  settler  now  living  in  Marissa,  and  al- 
though the  weakest  member  of  his  family  physi- 
cally, has  led  a  very  active  life  and  is  well  pre- 
served for  one  of  his  years.  One  of  his  sons, 
James  G.,  entered,  the  Union  army  when  nineteen 
years  of  age,  and  being  taken  sick  with  the  ty- 
phoid fever,  died  at  Ft.  Hinman  in  1863.  For 
years  Mr.  Lyons  worked  for  the  good  of  the 
Republican  party,  but  he  is  now  laboring  ardently 
for  Prohibition,  standing  high  in  the  councils  of 
that  political  party.  He  is  an  honest,  intelligent 
man,  has  true  hish  wit.  and  is  a  favorite  with  all. 


•f^^--- 


SLIEPEH.     Till 


this    notice 


engaged    in.  the     s;iluoii    business 


th: 


iin_ 

/jb  village  of  New  Athens.  He  is  the  son  of 
Frederick  Sliejier,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
there  married  Miss  Eleanor  Rockebant,  and  came 
to  this  country  in  1828.  His  first  location  was 
eleven  miles  from  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  fourteen  years;  he  then 
went  to  St.  Louis,  residing  there  until  his  death, 
in  1888.  Three  of  this  family  of  six  children  are 
li\  ing,  namely:  our  subject,  Christina,  and  Mena, 
who  now  lives  in  California.  The  birth  of  our 
subject  took  place  June  10,  1831,  on  the  old  home 
place  in  Missouri,  and  theje  he  grew  to  manhood, 
at  which  time  he  learned  the  trade  of  brick-mak- 
ing, which  he  followed  for  twenty-two  years,  the 
greater  part  of  the  time  being  spent  in  St.  Louis. 

In  1860,  our  subject  removed  to  Cairo,  built  a 
house  there  and  opened  a  saloon,  where  he  contin- 
ued seven  months,  and  there  his  eldest  son  was  born. 
About  this  time  he  became  engaged  in  coal  min- 
ing, and  followed  this  business  for  nine  years, 
lie  then  bought  a  farm  three-fourths  of  a  mile 
from  West  Belleville,  removed  to  it  and  lived 
there  for  a  period  of  nine  years.  He  tjioii  located 
on  a  farm  five  miles  south  of  New    Athens,  which 


440 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


he  still  owns,  consisting  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  In  1859,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Augusta  Shank,  daughter  of  Christian  Shank,  of 
Columbia,  111.,  and  eight  children  were  born 
to  them.  The  living  are  Ellen,  Mar_y,  Louisa, 
Willie  and  Ida.  Willie  is  opeiating  his  father's 
farm,  and  the  girls  are  all  married  but  Ida.  Those 
who  died  were:  Robert,  at  the  age  of  tiiirty-one; 
Louisa,  who  died  at  the  age  of  four;  and  one  wlio 
died  an  infant. 

Our  subject  belongs  to  the  Lutlicran  C'liuroh, 
and  is  very  liberal  and  good-hearted.  After  he 
left  the  farm  he  came  to  New  Athens  and  engaged 
in  his  present  businiss.  Mr.  Slieper  lost  his  wife 
April  12,  1892,  which  has  been  a  great  grief  to 
him,  but  his  children  arc  all  doing  well,  which  is  a 
source  of  comfoi-t  to  him.  To  these  our  subject 
displayed  a  generous  spirit  when  starting  them 
out  in  life.  He  is  a  very  intelligent-  and  much- 
traveled  man,  having  passed  man^'  years  steam- 
hoating  on  the  Mississippi  River,  and  liavingniade 
trips  all  over  the  United  States. 


^^EORGE  B.  GELWK'KS.  a  retired  coal  op- 
Itl  (-—  erator,  is  one  of  the  leading  and  most  pop- 
'%^(  ular  citizens  of  Belleville,  having  come  to 
this  beautiful  little  city  in  1850.  Although 
called  awaj'  from  its  confines  by  the  voice  of  duty 
in  1862,  he  returned  to  this  place  when  his  term 
of  enlistment  expired  and  has  since  made  it  his 
home.  This  place  is  very  dear  to  him,  as  Belle- 
ville is  the  scene  of  his  labors;  and  here  it  is  that  he 
climbed  from  obscurity  to  prosperit}-  and  made 
the  fortune  he  now  enjoys. 

Mr.  Gelwicks  is  the  son  of  George  and  Mary 
Ann  (Stephenson)  Gelwicks.  The  father,  George 
Gelwicks,  was  born  in  Ilagerstown,  Md.,. where  he 
engaged  in  coach-making  and  blacksniithing,  but 
came  to  Illinois  soon  after  his  marriage  with  Miss 
jNIary  Stephenson,  of  Baltimore,  making  the  re- 
moval about  1838.  After  arriving  in  Illinois  he 
settled  in  Calhoun  County  and  engaged  in  school- 
teachin"-.     In  addition  l<>  his  efforts  in    nn  educa- 


tional line,  he  owned  and  operated  a    farm,  where 


left  a 


mak- 


his  death  occurred  in  1840.  Mr.  Gelwicks 
family  of  five  children  and  a  faithful  and 
wife  to  mourn  his  loss.  The  latter  is  still 
and  now  makes  her  home  in  St.  Louis. 

Our  subject  earae  to  Belleville  in  IHuii 
ing  the  trip  with  his  mother.  After  his  arrival  in 
the  county  an  uncle  took  charge  of  the  little 
fatherless  boy,  and  reared  and  educated  him.  As 
soon  as  he  was  old  enough,  he  relieved  his  uncle 
of  the  burden  of  his  support  and  entered  a 
printing  office,  where  he  remained  until  .luly  4, 
18fi2.  when,  prompted  by  a  sense  of  patriotic  duty, 
he  enlisted  in  Compau}- F,  Seventieth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. The  regiment  was  sent  to  Camp  Butler, 
Springfield,  III.,  where  our  subject  was  detailed  to 
exchange  prisoners  at  Yieksburg  in  that  same 
year.  In  October,  1862,  he  received  an  honor- 
able discharge,  his  term  of  enlistment  havnig  ex- 
pired, and  he  returned  home. 

At  first  5Ir.  (ielwicks  resumed  his  former  occu- 
pation, remaining  in  the  ollice  of  the  Belleville 
Advocate  for  about  six  years,  but  about  that  time 
his  attention  was  called  to  mining,  and  he  resolved 
to  invest  his  spare  capital  in  a  mine.  Accordingly, 
he  purchased  a  mine  on  the  Mascoutah  Road, 
which  he  operated  for  seventeen  years.  One  of 
the  shafts  was  sixt^'  feet  deep,  and  the  vein  struck 
was  six  feet  through.  This  so  encouraged  Mr. 
(Jelwicks  that  he  cleared  off  ten  acres  and  gave 
active  emploj'ment  to  twelve  men.  As  was  only 
natural,  our  subject  made  a  large  amount  of 
money  from  this  mine,  and  when  he  felt  that  it 
was  being  exhausted  he  disposed  of  his  stock. 
Mr.  Gelwicks  has  been  so  successful  in  his- man- 
agement of  mines  that  he  was  offered  the  position 
of  Superintendent  of  the  mines  of  the  Electric 
Light  and  Coal  Company,  having  charge  of  all 
work  underground  in  the  mines  of  the  company, 
and  this  occupies  the  greater  portion  of  his 
time. 

Mr.  (iclwieks  was  married  to  Miss  May  Cecelia 
Majors,  horn  in  Belleville,  daughter  of  .lohn  P. 
Majors,  and  thirteen  children  were  born  to 
them,  of  whom  but  six  are  now  living,  namely: 
Mary  ('.,  (.Hivia,  (ierlrude.  Tvaura.  Nora  and  Rich- 
ard.    Oursiiliject    is    a    inemlx-r    of    the    Ancient 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


441 


Order  of  United  Workmen  and  Iron  Hall.  In  him 
Uie  Methodist  Church  has  one  of  her  stanchest 
members,  and  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  im- 
|)ortant  factors  in  that  Iwdy.  Through  the  Build- 
ing Association  Mr.  Gelwicks  bought  and  built  a 
neat  little  home  in  1885,  situated  at  No.  1010 
Mascoutah  Avenue.  Mr.  Gelwicks  may  well  be 
regarded  as  one  of  the  repiesentative  men  of 
Belleville,  where  so  many  years  of  his  life  have 
been  spent. 


,^  ONRAI)  KILIAN.  a  piominent  and  pros- 
[ti  p  perous  farmer  living  on  section  4,  Smitli- 
^^^'  ton  Township,  the  subject  of  the  present 
sketch,  is  the  son  of  John  Kilian,  who  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1804,  married  Barbara  Reiuhart 
there,  and  emigrated  to  this  country  iu  1844, 
locating  first  in  St.  Clair  County,  five  miles  north 
from  Belleville,  and  living  there  five  years.  Then 
he  came  to  Smithton  Township,  where  he  bought 
one  hundred  and  five  acres  of  land  at  $26  per 
acre,  and  kept  on  buying  until  now  two  hun- 
dred and  ten  acres  of  line  grain  land  and  meadows 
comprise  his  property,  which  he  has  gradually  paid 
for,  although  poor  when  he  began.  He  has 
had  six  children,  of  whom  four  are  living,  as  fol- 
lows: Katherine  Sutter,  who  lives  in  St.  Louis; 
Annie  Elizabeth  Vollralh,  who  lives  iii  Edwards- 
ville;  Jacob,  who  resides  in  Smilhton  Township; 
and  our  subject. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Kilian  of  this  notice  took  place 
August  18, 1832,  in  Germany,  he  being  twelve  years 
old  when  his  father  brought  him  to  this  country. 
Between  that  time  and  the  time  that  his  father 
bought  the  farm,  Conrad  largely  assisted  him  in 
every  way  possible,  and  it  was  principally  through 
his  efforts  that  the  place  was  bought  and  [jaid 
for.  In  course  of  time,  our  subject  married 
Mary  F.  Riplej',  the  daughter  of  William  and 
Elizabeth  Ripley,  her  father  being  a  prominent 
farmer  and  early  settler  of  this  county,  liut  a 
native  of  N'irginia,      .Mrs.  CoiuikI   Kilian  was   horn 


and  reared  on  the  old  Ripley  homestead,  and  edu- 
cated in  this  county.  After  his  marriage,  our  sub- 
ject settled  on  the  place  where  he  now  lives,  and 
has  remained  there  ever  since.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Kil- 
ian have  had  five  children,  as  follows:  Ellen,  wife 
of  Henr\'  Marsha,  lives  near  Springfield,  1 11.;  Eliza- 
beth Ann,  wife  of  Henry  Moeser,  of  Smithton 
Township;  John  E.,  living  at  home  with  his 
father;  Sarah  V.,  living  at  home;  and  Mary,  who 
also  remains  under  her  father's  roof. 

There  are  one  hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  good 
land  in  Mr.  Kilian 's  farm,  and  it  is  well  im- 
proved and  well  cultivated,  fifteen  acres  being  in 
timber.  Our  subject  holds  religious  connection 
with  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  and  there 
his  family  also  worship.  Politically  a  Repub- 
lican, Mr.  Kilian  always  votes  that  ticket,  and  has 
held  the  responsible  offices  of  School  Trustee  and 
School  Director  for  twenty  years,  to  him  being 
due  the  excellent  school  organization  of  his  dis- 
trict. 


J]  OHX  T.  WARD.  The  birthplace  of  the  sub- 
I  ject  of  our  sketch  was  Turkey  Hill,  St.  Clair 
1  County,  ni.,  the  date  of  his  birth  being 
_  '  October  28,  18.30.  He  was  the  son  of  hon- 
orable parents,  his  father  being  John  Ward,  a  na- 
tive of  South  Carolina,  born  in  1796,  and  his 
mother  Mary  Hill,  born  in  1801  in  Pennsylvania. 
In  the  year  1806,  the  father  and  grandfather  of 
our  subject  made  the  trip  overland  to  Illinois, 
making  a  settlement  on  Hazel  Creek,  near  where 
our  subject  was  born.  Then  the  country  was  in 
a  wild,  unsettled,  uncultivated  state  and  the  In- 
dians were  very  numerous  and  troublesome. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  ten  years 
when  he  reached  this  State.  Hebrew  up  like  a  giant, 
and  seemed  to  thrive  on  the  hardships  of  that 
time,  taking  part  in  the  Indian  wars  on  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  doing  his  share  in  subduing  the  savages. 
His  corn  was  raised  in  a  field  where  the  city 
of  Belleville  now  stands.  He  remained  near  Tur- 
key llill  until  1836,  when  he  removed  to  Belleville 
and  lived  in  that  city  for  eighteen  years, and  then 


442 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


came  to  the  place  on  which  our  subject  now  re- 
sides, be^'ond  the  western  limit  of  the  city.  His 
useful  life  ended  April  23,  1868. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  typical  pioneer 
woman  and  her  experiences  began  early  in  life. 
On  emigrating  to  Illinois,  she  and  her  mother 
came  down  the  Oliio  River  by  boat  and  then 
walked  the  distance  between  that  stream  and 
.St.  Clair  Count}'.  Our  record  of  her  life  is  not 
as  complete  as  the  biographer  desires,  but  we  know 
that  a  part  of  her  family  took  a  prominent  place 
ill  the  early  struggles  with  the  savages.  Her 
brother  David  lived  to  be  ninety'  years  old  and 
was  one  of  the  early  Indian  fighters.  Mrs.  Ward 
died  in  September,  188.3.  Only  two  children  were 
born  of  this  marriage,  our  subject  and  his  brother 
Mark,  who  now  resides  in  Wellington,  Kan.  The 
latter  has  been  twice  married,  his  first  wife  lie- 
ing  Mary  Jane  Kirkpatrick,  one  child  resulting 
from  this  union.  Ills  second  wife  was  Elinor 
Wilderman  a  cousin  of  Judge  A.  S.  Wilderman,  of 
Belleville;  there  are  three  children  l)y  this  marriage. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  Belleville  until  he  was 
about  fifteen  years  of  age.  From  1845  to  1848, 
lie  attended  McKendree  College  at  Lebanon,  III., 
and  after  he  left  there  he  engaged  as  a  clerk  for 
one  year,  but  at  the  expiration  of  tliat  time  he 
went  back  to  the  farm.  This  he  found  both  pleas- 
ant and  profitable  and  he  has  made  it  the  business 
of  his  life.  Tlie  marriage  of  Mr.  Ward  took  place 
May  1,  1849,  to  Miss  Lucy  Ash,  the  estimable 
daughter  of  Cliristo[)her  and  Nancy  Ash,  who  were 
natives  of  Ireland  and  the  State  of  Virginia,  re- 
spectively. The  children  who  have  been  added 
to  the  household  in  these  years  are  as  follows: 
AVilliara  Edgar,  who  is  a  lawyer,  married  Lizzie 
Phillips  and  resides  at  Belleville  and  has  a  family 
of  five  children;  Walter  Lee,  who  married  Amelia 
Davis,  resides  on  the  home  place  with  his  six  chil- 
dren; Albert  Grant,  who  married  Bertha  Louisa 
Freikert,  since  deceased,  resides  in  Belleville  with 
his  two  children;  Louis  Thomas,  who  was  lecently 
married  to  Miss  Philopena  Bauer,  lives  on  a  farm; 
Ella,  Kate,  Fannie  Beatrice  and  Mary  Louisa  are  at 
home.  The  first  wife  of  Air.  Ward  died  and  he 
married  her  sister  Catherine  in  March,  1878. 

Mr.  Ward  has  been  a  successful  horse-breeder  and 


has  confined  himself  to  Hambletonian  stock,  being 
one  of  the  first  in  this  section  to  recognize  the  fact 
that  imported  stock  was  the  best  investment.  Botii 
offices  of  Highway  Commissioner  and  School  Direc- 
tor liave  been  filled  by  him  to  the  satisfaction  of 
the  communitj'.  Our  subject  is  a  believer  in  tlie 
doctrines  of  the  Republican  party  and  has  voted 
that  ticket  for  many  years.  In  his  religious  con- 
victions, he  follows  the  teachings  of  John  Wes- 
ley. Mr.  Ward  has  lived  in  his  present  house 
for  thirty-three  years  and  his  first  home,  built 
forty-tliree  years  ago,  is  now  occupied  by  one  of 
his  sons. 


^€^^il-^"i^llS#H 


OIIN  BERTELOTIL  The  subject  of  this 
short  sketch  is  a  farmer  residing  on  section 
8,  Smitlitou  Township,  in  St.  Clair  Count}'. 
His  father  was  Peter  Berteloth,  who  was  born 
in  Germany  and  was  reared  there.  He  was  also 
married  in  that  country  to  Miss  Anna  Barbara 
Kilean.  When  he  first  came  to  this  country,  he 
located  in  Smith  ton  Township,  where  he  bought 
land  and  where  his  son  now  lives.  Only  two  of 
his  children,  Adam  and  our  subject,  are  now  living. 
He  owned  one  hundred  and  twent}'  acres  of  land 
which  he  had  earned  himself,  and  died  in  1870 
after  a  life  of  honest  toil;  his  wife  is  still  living. 

Oursubject  was  born  on  the  16th  of  October,  1842, 
in  Germany  and  was  but  nine  years  old  when  he 
came  to  this  country.  He  went  to  the  district 
schools  and  learned  very  quickly,  as  all  of  the  young 
German  lads  do,  often  putting  to  shame  the  Amer- 
ii;in  youth,  lie  was  married  to  Aliss  Ida  Weinel, 
the  daughter  of  George  Weinel  and  was  born  in 
St.  Clair  Township.  Her  father  was  born  in  Ger- 
many and  came  to  this  county  first  settling  in 
St.  Louis,  whence  he  came  to  St.  Clair  County. 
He  had  the  following  children,  of  whom  only  one 
licsidc  ihe  wife  of  oursubject  is  living:  Ida,  Fred- 
erick, (leorge,  Katherine,  Lena.Wilhelmina,  Louisa, 
M.agdalena  and  Henry.  Frederick  is  a  farmer  liv- 
ing in  Kansas.  Cieorge  Weinel  was  a  member  of 
the  Lulheraii  Church  when  a  \oung  inau,  but  later 


^p' 


't'T^Ui 


L^<L^e/ 


tMi-i^u/^       cJ tn^A^-^i-^ 


^ 


(rvyiJ^U-l-l4y' 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


447 


in  life  joined  the  Metliodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Iieniy  find  Frederick  were  both  in  the  Civil  War 
.and  the  former  died  there.  The  mother  of  Mrs. 
Berteloth  w:is  Catherine  Skaer  who  was  liorn  and 
married  in  Germ. any. 

After  liis  happy  marriage  our  subject  located  on 
the  place  where  he  now  lives,  and  has  faithfully 
and  industriously  followed  his  business  as  farmer 
ever  since.  He  built  his  present  comfortable  resi- 
dence in  1884.  He  cultivates  fifty  acres  of  his  own 
and  twenty  belonging  to  his  mother.  He  raises  grain 
and  is  very  successful.  He  has  a  pleasant  and  in- 
telligent family  of  six  children:  .\my,  Magdalene, 
Ida,  John,  Albert  and  Wallci-.  In  his  political 
preference,  Mr.  Berlelolli  is  a  Kc|iublieanand  votes 
with  that  party.  His  church  connection  is  with 
the  good  people  who  follow  the  rules  laid  down  by 
.Tohn  Wesley.  This  family  is  pleasant  and  hospi- 
table and  there  is  no  place  in  which  tlie  woithy 
stranger  finds  a  warmer  welcome  than  at  the  board 
of  this  large-hearted  German  citizen. 


\T^,ETER    M.    UOMELSER.      Men  are    to    be 

I  )))  J"*^S^'^  ^y  achievement,  and  it  is  always 
•^m?**^     safe   to  accept  results  as  a    proof  of  the 

Jl\  possessions  of  the  powers  and  capabilities 
which  lead  up  to  them.  Of  successes  in  the  busi- 
ness world  which  have  been  earned  by  the  exercise 
of  sound  judgment,  thorough  business  tact  and 
indomitable  energy,  there  is  no  more  eminent  ex- 
ample in  this  section  of  the  country  than  Peter  M. 
Romeiser,  who  is  now  at  the  head  of  a  large  retail 
clothing  house  in  Belleville.  In  these  days  of 
competition,  it  is  merit  that  wins  in  the  arena  of 
business,  and  the  high  commercial  character,  the 
discriminating  judgment,  the  eye  th.at  sees  and  the 
executive  ability  that  is  enabled  to  improve  op- 
portunities, are  attributes  which  are  possessed  b}' 
JNIr,  Romeiser  in  ii  marked  degree. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Steinau,  Electorate  of 
llesse,  Germany,  November  11,  1842,  but  left  his 
native  land  wUon  lesstlian  lifttien  years  of  age,  and 
21 


in  August,  1857,  crossed  the  ocean  in  a  sailing-ves- 
sel. After  a  voyage  of  ninety  days  from  Bremen, 
he  arrived  at  New  Orleans  in  the  latter  part  of 
November.  From  there  he  journe3ed  b}'  steamer 
to  St.  Louis,  after  which  he  went  to  Waterloo,  111., 
where  he  clerked  in  a  general  store  until  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War.  In  June,  1861,  he  en- 
listed at  Belleville  as  a  private  in  Com[)anj'  F, 
Twenty-second  Illinois  Infantry,  then  in  camp  at 
the  Belleville  Fair  grounds. 

Mr.  Romeiser  was  a  participant  in  the  battle  of 
Belmont,  was  through  the  New  Madrid  and  Island 
No.  10  campaign,  and  Later  was  in  the  siege  of 
Corinth,  Miss.,  during  which  time  the  battle  of 
Farmington,  Miss.,  was  fought.  During  the  sum- 
mer and  fall  of  the  same  year,  he  was  with  his  regi- 
ment at  Nashville,  Tenn.,  and  on  the  30th  and  3 1st 
of  December,  1862,  he  was  in  the  famous  battle  of 
Jlurfreesboro,  where  his  regiment  was  almost  an- 
nihilated. After  that  battle  he  was  appointed  one 
of  the  color-bearers  of  his  regiment,  and  went 
through  the  TuUahoma  campaign,  and  was  in  the 
battle  of  Chickamauga,  where  he  was  wounded, 
and  where  he  would  have  fallen  into  the  hands  of 
the  enemy  had  not  his  regiment  commander 
helped  him  off  the  field.  He  remained  in  the  field 
hospital  until  shortly  before  the  battle  of  Mission- 
ary Ridge,  when  he  re-joined  his  regiment,  al- 
though he  was  still  suffering  from  his  wound.  He 
took  part  in  that  battle,  his  regiment  being  a  part 
of  Gen.  Sheridan's  famous  division. 

On  the  27th  of  November,    186.'),  ^Ir.  Romeiser 
received  the  following  letter  from   the  command- 
ing officer  of  his  regiment,  which   he  cherishes  as  a 
proud  memento  of  the  war  for  the  Union: 
Hmd  Quarters  22d  HI.  Inf. 

Chattanooga,  Tenn.,  Noc.  27,  '63. 
Serijt.  Bomeaer,  Com.  F. 

Sir: — I  present  you  with  a  Sergeant's  warrant  in 
token  of  my  admiration  of  your  courage  and  good  con- 
duct in  the  battles  of  Chickamauga  and  Chattanooga 
fought  on  the  19th  <{•  20th  of  Septe^nher  and  25lh 
of  Nov.,  1868.  I  trust  you  will  live  to  carry  our 
banner  as  bravely  as  you  have  heretofore  done  until 
thin  fjebellion  is  efu^hcd. 

F.  Sirana-ick, 

Lt.  Cul.  Cvm'dij Jteg. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


After  the  battle  of  INIissionary  Ridge,  Mr.  Ro- 
iiieiser  went  with  his  regiment  to  East  Tennessee, 
and  in  the  spring  of  1864  became  a  part  of  Sher- 
idan's command.  He  was  a  participant  in  the  At- 
lanta campaign  as  far  as  New  Hope  Church,  and 
W.1S  in  the  battle  of  Resaea.  In  June,  1864,  the  i 
term  of  the  enlistment  of  the  regiment  had  ex-  j 
pii'ed.  and  Mr.  Romeiser  returned  with  it  to  Spring- 
field, 111.,  where  he  was  honorably  discharged  on 
the  7th  of  July.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he  en- 
tered a  store  at  Columbia,  111.,  wiiere  he  clerked 
until  October,  1.S6.5,  when  he  entered  a  commercial 
college  at  St.  Loiii;^,  Mo.,  and  took  a  course  in  tliat 
institution.  In  the  spring  of  1866,  he  accepted  a 
position  as  salesman  in  a  wholesale  clothing  house 
in  St.  Louis,  where  he  remained  until  the  1st  of 
January,  1868,  when  he  gave  up  his  position  to 
accept  a  situation  in  a  commercial  house  of  Rotter- 
dam, Holland.  However,  he  longed  to  be  back  in 
the  country  whose  flag  he  had  borne  in  times  of 
l)cril,  and  in  1869  he  returned  to  the  United  States, 
and  taking  Greeley's  advice  to  young  men  to  "go 
West,"  in  March  of  thatyear  he  found  himself  on  a 
homestead  on  the  Solomon  River  in  Cloud  County, 
Kan.  Hardly  had  he  settled  there  when  there 
was  an  Indian  outbreak  in  that  section,  and  all  the 
settlers  having  families  were  compelled  to  seek  safe- 
ty farther  back.  The  men,  mostly  those  without 
family  ties,  formed  themselves  into  a  militia  com- 
|)any,  which  Mr.  Romeiser  joined,  and  with  which  lie 
served  during  the  summer  and  fall  of  1869.  In 
the  spring  of  1H70  he  went  back  to  his  claim  and 
commenced  farming,  which  occupation  he  con- 
tinued with  indifferent  success  until  the  spring  of 
187.'5,  when  he  rented  his  land  and  went  to  St. 
lx)uis. 

In  June,  1873,  Mr.  Romeiser  came  to  Belleville 
and  accepted  a  situation  with  George  A.  Bradford, 
then  a  ])rominent  clothier,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  1878.  In  August  of  thai  year  he  rented  a 
small  store,  which  then  occupied  a  porticm  of  the 
site  of  the  present  store  building,  and  by  Septem- 
ber he  w.as  ready  to  open  his  establishment  to  the 
public.  Emil  Geil  was  then  his  first  and  only  as- 
sistant. In  1879  Charles  A.  Grossart,  who  at  that 
lime  was  little  more  than  thirteen  years  of  age,  en- 
Icicd  the  store.     Both  Mr.  Gcil  and  Mr.  Giossart 


proved  themselves  excellent  business  men.  As  a 
partial  acknowledgment  of  their  faithfulness  and 
ability  the}'  were  made  participants  in  the  business 
when  it  was  merged  into  a  stock  company,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1892,  with  a  fully  paid-up  capital  of  $50,- 
000.  Mr.  Romeiser  became  President;  Emil  Geil, 
Vice-president;  and  Charles  A.  Gross.art,  Secre- 
tary. 

Taking  into  consideration  the  very  conserva- 
tive character  of  Belleville,  the  growth  of  the  busi- 
ness has  been  phenomen.al.  Within  two  years  from 
its  beginning,  the  store  had  to  be  enlarged;  this 
in  turn  was  soon  found  to  be  too  small,  and  in 
1883  the  present  store  building  was  erected.  Of 
the  two  floors,  43x86  feet,  only  the  lower  one  was 
used  as  a  salesroom  at  first,  relegating  unseasonable 
goods  and  duplicates  to  the  second  floor.  But  the 
rapidly  increasing  trade  demanded  larger  assort- 
ments and  more  room  for  the  customers,  and  the 
second  floor  was  changed  into  a  salesroom,  and  now 
these  two  ver^'  large  rooms  are  actually  insufficient 
to  accommodate  the  ever-increasing  trade,  and 
from  present  indications  it  seems  but  a  question  of 
time  when  additional  room  must  be  provided. 

When  Mr.  Romeiser  entered  the  commercial 
arena  in  this  city,  in  1878,  "A  fair  field  and  no  fa- 
vor" was  inscribed  upon  his  banner,  and  he  has 
ever  given  careful  consideration  to  the  needs  of 
the  public,  and  has  m.ade  the  laige  establishment 
over  which  he  presides  a  lecognized  synonym  for 
all  that  is  popular,  progressive  and  honest.  Ilis 
personal  character  is  as  high  as  his  business  repute, 
his  honorable  deportment  in  all  the  affairs  of  life 
commanding  the  confidence  and  respect  of  all  who 
know  him.  He  is  a  member  of  Hecker  Post  of 
the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  and  was  twice 
elected  its  Commander.  At  the  Grand  Arm}'  State 
Encampment  held  at  Springfield  in  1892,  he  was 
elected  a  delegate  to  the  National  Encampment 
held  at  Washington,  D.  C,  in  September,  1892. 

On  the  18tli  of  May,  1876,  Mr.  Romeiser  married 
Elise  Hilgard,  and  they  are  the  proud  parents  of 
the  following-named  children:  Theodore,  Leonore, 
Emma,  Petra,  Edwin,  Corona  and  Roland.  In 
1889,  Mr.  Romeiser  erected  an  elegant  residence  at 
No.  228  Abend  Street.  It  is  a  two-story  brick 
building,  containing  ten  rooms,  improved  with  all 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


449 


modern  conveniences,  and  cost  110,000.  Every- 
thing in  his  liouse  and  about  tlie  grounds  shows 
tliat  he  ijossesses  excellent  taste  and  is  a  man  of 
refinement  and  culture.  His  busy  life  has  not  pre- 
vented him  from  active  participation  in  all  worthy 
projects  for  the  advancement  of  the  material  inter- 
ests of  the  city.  His  career  furnilies  one  of  the 
most  notable  examples  of  success  in  the  commercial 
history  of  the  place,  and  advancement  has  come  to 
no  one  more  worthy,  or  who  has  earned  it  more 
fairlv  than  he. 


S  ^"S3<^  T    >[=~  §) 

\l7  oris  (iKAXER,  the  gentleman  to  whom 
jl  (^  the  attention  of  the  reader  is  called  in  tiiis 
1^^  short  sketch,  holds  the  important  position 
of  County  Surveyor  for  St.  Clair  Count3-,  having 
been  first  elected  to  that  office  in  November,  1877, 
and  so  creditably  has  he  discharged  the  duties  of 
his  position  that  he  has  been  re-elected  continu- 
ously ever  since.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  this 
county,  having  been  born  in  St.  Clair  Township, 
February  12,  1853,  being  the  only  son  of  George 
V.  and  Louise  (Guentz)  Graner,  natives  of  He.sse- 
Cassel  and  Leipsic,  Saxony,  respectively. 

The  father,  George,  was-  born  in  Germany,  in 
1822,  and  there  learned  the  occupation  of  civil 
engineer.  When  he  emigrated  to  this  country, 
in  1849,  he  located  in  Shiloh  Township,  this 
county,  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  survej'or. 
As  very  little  of  the  country  had  been  surveyed,  a 
fine  field  was  before  him,  and  he  laid  out  a  large 
number  of  the  farms  and  towns  of  this  locality'.  He 
held  the  position  of  United  States  Assessor  under 
President  Lincoln  and  was  one  of  the  most  prom- 
inent men  of  the  county.  In  addition  to  his  other 
occupations,  the  father  of  our  subject  gave  pri- 
vate instruction  in  mathematics  and  continued  in 
the  discharge  of  his  duties  until  death  intervened, 
August  28,  1875.  George  Graner  married  Mrs. 
Guentz,  who  came  to  this  country  in  1848. 
She  bore  her  husband  but  one  child,  our  sub- 
ject. By  a  former  marriage  she  had  one  son. 
Henry  Guentz,  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  Belleville. 


Her  death  occurred  in  1880,  and  her  loss  was 
deeply  felt  by  her  affectionate  son  Louis. 

Louis  Graner  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  and  also  studied  civil  engin- 
eering under  his  learned  father.  With  such  a 
teacher,  he  could  not  help  being  a  good  surveyor, 
and  his  first  work  was  done  on  the  Cairo  Short 
Line  as  Assistant  Surve^^or.  So  satisfactory  was 
it  that  he  was  given  charge  of  the  survey  for  the 
Illinois  &  St.  Louis  Railroad  from  Belleville  to  St. 
Louis.  Much  additional  railroad  labor,  as  well  .as 
practical  surveying  throughout  the  town  and 
count}',  has  been  performed  by  our  subject.  When 
not  engaged  in  railroad  work,  the  citizens  of 
Belleville  embrace  the  opportunity  to  appoint  this 
talented  gentleman  to  some  office  where  his  skill 
will  benefit  the  town,  being  City  Engineer,  having 
filled  that  office  for  some  time. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  to  Miss  Au- 
gusta Meyer,  of  Alma,  Kan.,  occurred  May  28, 
1876.  This  charming  lady  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
August  11,  1858,  and  is  a  daughter  of  August 
Meyer,  a  merchant  of  that  city.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Graner  have  been  born  five  bright,  intelligent 
children,  as  follows:  George,  Louisa,  Emma,  Au- 
gusta and  Matilda.  This  family  occupies  an  ele- 
gant home  in  Highland  Addition  to  Belleville,  sur- 
rounded by  every  modern  convenience,  and  here 
this  highly-respected  and  esteemed  gentleman  is  to 
be  found  at  all  times,  when  the  cares  of  his  business 
do  not  compel  him  to  lie  absent,  in  the  midst  of 
his  wife  and  children. 


•^^I®#©l^l^^ 


J'~|AC0B  SCHWAEGEL.  The  gentleman 
whose  life  it  is  our  privilege  to  present  to 
1  our  readers,  is  one  of  the  enterprising  young 
__  '  farmers  of  Smithton  Township,  St.  Clair 
County.  He  is  of  fJerman  descent,  his  father, 
Charles  Schwaegel,  having  been  born  in  Ger- 
many, but  came  to  America  in  1845,  locating 
in  Millstadt  Township,  where  he  m.ade  his  home 
and  has  since  resided.  He  worked  perseveringly 
and  faithfully,  and  is  now    enjoying   the  fruits  of 


450 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD, 


that  industry,  being  regarded  as  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial men  of  the  townsliip,  as  well  as  one  f>f  the 
wealthiest. 

It.  is  tiiis  township  that  can  claim  the  honor  of 
being  the  birthplace  of  our  subject,  for  here,  on 
INIarch  14,  1860,  a  son  was  born  to  Mr.  Schwaegel, 
Sr.,  who  was  destined  to  become  the  subject  of 
this  sketch.  The  name  of  Jacob  was  bestowed 
upon  him,  and  here  ho  was  reared  and  educated, 
learning  to  manage  a  farm  on  his  father's  estate. 
In  due  time  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Louise  Munier,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Hya- 
cinth and  Anna  (Hess)  Munier,  natives  of  France, 
and  to  this  union  have  been  born  three  bright, 
interesting  children:     Joseph,  Adolph    and    Otto. 

Jn  1885  our  subject  located  on  his  present  farm 
on  section  30,  Smithton  Township,  St.  Clair 
Ctiunty,  where  he  has  a  fine  property,  upon  which 
is  raised  chiefly  grain.  Mr.  >Schwaegel  is  a  be- 
liever in  the  doctrines  and  teachings  of  the  Koman 
Catholic  Church.  In  political  matters  he  is  a  fol- 
lower of  the  princii)les  enunciated  by  Thomas 
.lefferson,  upholding  the  doctrines  of  Democracy 
in  every  particular.  He  is  very  industrious  and 
enterprising,  and  will,  make  his  mark  in  the 
township,  where  he  and  his  family  are  already  re- 
garded with  res|iect  and  esteem  liy  their  hosts  of 
friends. 


JiACOB  KHJAN.  The  subject  of  this  short 
sketch  resides  on  section  8,  Smithton  Town- 
I  ship,  St.  Clair  County.  The  father  of  this 
_  gentleman  was  John  Kilian,  who  was  born 
and  reared  in  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  and  was 
there  married  to  Miss  Barbara  Reinhart.  He  was 
a  tiller  of  the  soil  in  iiis  native  land,  and  decided 
to  continue  that  calling  in  a  section  wheie  the  re- 
turns would  be  greater  for  the  time  expended. 

Reaching  the  United  States  in  1845,  he  first 
located  in  St,  Clair  County,  about  four  miles 
Dortii  of  Belleville,  but  tliis  location  not  being 
rnlisfaclorv,  he  rcaiovcd    tu    the    farm    suutii    uf 


I    Belleville,  which  has  been  his   home   ever   since. 

I  Only  four  of  liis  family  of  six  children  remain,  as 
follows:  Kli/.abeth,  the  wife  of  Y.  Vollrath,  living 
at  Edwardsville,  Jtl.;  Katherine,  the  widow  of 
John    Sutter,  living  in    St.    Louis;    Conrad   and 

i   Jacob,  living  at   home.       Two   children    died    in 

I    infancy. 

j        The  birth  of   our    subject  occurred  .lanuary   7, 

I  1838,  near  Hesse-Cassel,  Germany,  and  about  seven 
years  of  his  life  had  been  passed  when  his  father 
emigrated  to  this  country.  Jacob  was  educated 
in  tiie  district  schools,  and  obtained  a  fair  educa- 
tion for  the  times.  In  1863,  he  decided  to  make  a 
home  for  himself,  and  went  about  it  by  marrying 
Miss  Sarah  Merrill,  the  daughter  of  Sylvester 
Merrill,  a  native  of  Connecticut,  who  had  come  to 
St.  Clair  County  when  a  young  man  and  had  set- 
tled at  Turkey  Hill,  three  miles  east  of  Belleville, 
where  Mrs.  Kilian  was  born  and  reared.  She  was 
next  to  the  youngest  of  thirteen  children.  Her 
father  was  quite  a  prominent  man  in  the  county', 
having  been  School  Commissioner  for  St.  Clair 
County,  a  fine  farmer  and  a  very  wealthy  man. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Kilian  located  on  the 
place  where  he  now  lives,  which  was  bought  in  the 
year  1859,  it  then  having  no  improvements  on  it, 
but  he  went  to  work  with  a  will,  and  now  has  one 
of  tiie  finest  places  in  the  district.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Kilian  have  five  children,  who  have  grown  up  to 
be  comforts  to  their  parents.  They  are  P^mma, 
wife  of  Henry  Sensel,  living  in  St.  Louis;  AValter, 
living  near  Trenton,  a  farmer;  Susie,  wife  of 
George  Hartnugel,  living  in  St.  Louis;  George 
and  Annie,  who  are  at  home. 

Our  subject's  fine  farm  contains  one  hundred 
and  seventy  acres  of  land,  all  well  improved,  and 
on  which  are  raised  the  best  of  crops,  attention  be- 
ing also  paid  to  stock-raising.  Mr.  Kilian  also  has  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  Sunimer- 
Held,  which  is  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation. 
Both  he  and  liis  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  he  belonging  to  the 
German  and  she  to  the  English  branch.  In  his 
political  belief,  Mr.  Kilian  is  a  Republican,  and 
upholds  the  principles  of  that  party  in  ever.v  way 
in  his  i)f)wcr.  Before  closing  this  brief  sketch  of 
a   veiy  prumiiiunl    man   in    his    district,    we    may 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


451 


mention  that  his  landed  possessions  amount  to 
live  hnndiod  and  four  acres  of  the  finest  Illinois 
soil.  Tlie  two  hundred  and  fourteen  acres  which 
he  owns  near  Trenton  arc  as  good  land  as  there  is 
in  that  vicinity,  and  are  occupied  by  his  son  Walter. 
This  family  is  ^ell  and  favorably  known  in  this 
locality,  its  members  being  honest,  hard-working 
and  God-fearing  people. 


Ir^  ^''  "KIMBERGEK.  The  name  with  which 
b^  we  liead  this  biography  needs  no  introduc- 
'■^\  tion,the  owner  being  well  known  in  public 
and  private  life  as  a  citizen  of  high  repute 
in  Fayetteville,  St.  Clair  Count.y.  Mr.  Ileimberger 
was  born  in  Mascoutah,  this  county,  in  the  year 
1«;58,  his  parents  being  Gustavus  and  Mary  (La- 
fontaine)  Ileimberger.  Mr.  Ileimberger,  Sr.,  was 
horn  near  the  banks  of  the  Rhine, at  a  place  called 
Speyer,  Bavaria,  German.y,  in  1809;  the  mother  of 
our  subject  was  born  in  Carlsrulic,  (iermany, 
August  29,  1818,  and  died  November  i;5.  1877. 

Our  subject's  father  was  educated  in  the  world- 
famed  college  of  Heidelberg,  Germany,  and  after 
llnishing  his  collegiate  course  adopted  the  pro- 
fession of  attorney.  He  was  a  man  of  distinctive 
traits,  and  soon  after  entering  his  professional 
career  became  identified  with  a  political  faction 
which  at  tliat  time  was  obnoxious  to  the  (Tcrnian 
(iovernment,  and  had  to  flee  his  native  land.  He 
reached  America  in  1833,  and  located  near  Belle- 
ville, 111.  Here  he  dropped  his  profession  and  be- 
came an  hotel-keeper  at  Mascoutah.  When  llie 
Mexican  War  broke  out,  Mr.  Hcimberger,  Sr.,  who 
was  then  in  the  South,  enlisted  in  the  Third 
Louisiana  Regiment  at  New  Orleans.  He  was  se- 
verely wounded  at  Tampico,  and  lost  the  use  of 
his  left  arm.  Being  a  very  higiily  educated 
man  and  master  of  seven  languages,  he  was 
appointed  Spanish  interpreter  for  (ien.  Shields 
during  the  remainder  of  tlie  war.  In  1840,  after 
the  close  of  the  Mexican  War,  he  went  to  Cali- 
fornia and  was  engaged  in  mining,  but  not  being 
successful  in  this  line,  he  departed  from  California 


and  located  at  Guatemala,  Central  America,  where 
he  was  engaged  in  trading  and  boating.  From 
this  last-mentioned  jilace  we  trace  him  to  Valpa- 
raiso, Chile,  and  from  Valparaiso  to  Brazil,  where 
he  was  engaged  as  a  foreman  in  a  diamond  mine 
for  several  years.  His  next  location  was  Cul)a, 
where  he  was  known  as  a  tobacco  exporter.  From 
Cuba  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  but  left  that  city 
in  185.5  because  his  political  views  did  not  co- 
incide with  those  held  by  the  people  of  the  Cres- 
cent City,  as  he  was  an  anti-slavery  man. 

Although  our  subject's  father  was  engaged  in 
many  different  kinds  of  business,  he  was  never  a 
financial  success.  He  was  a  well-known  newspaper 
correspondent  for  many  leading  newspapers  dur- 
ing his  travels,  and  was  a  man  of  marked  natural 
abilit}-.  He  departed  this  life  on  the  old  Hilgard 
farm,  near  Belleville,  in  the  year  1857.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  one  who  was  veiy 
much  respected  in  this  community  on  account  of 
her  amiable  disposition  and  the  keen  management 
which  she  displayed  in  her  home  affairs,  and  dur- 
ing her  husband's  wanderings  it  was  her  abil- 
ity which  kept  the  family  together.  She  departed 
this  life  in  the  year  1882. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  began  life  on  his  own 
responsibilities  at  the  age  of  twelve  years.  He 
obtained  his  first  employment  from  his  grand- 
father, who  then  owned  a  drug-store  at  Mascoutah. 
His  next  position  was  that  of  a  clerk  in  a  general 
merchandise  store  at  Belleville,  and  from  there  he 
went  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  watchmaker.  After 
learning  his  trade,  the  firm  with  whom  he  was  em- 
ployed broke  up -in  businesss,  and  he  went  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  became  engaged  as  a  gunsmith. 
He  remained  at  this  last  work  but  a  short  time 
and  returned  again  to  Belleville,  where  lie  took  a 
l)osition  as  clerk  in  a  store. 

In  1861,  our  subject  enlisted  in  Companies  E 
and  F,  Ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  under  Grant  and 
Sherman.  During  the  war,  he  took  part  in  sixty- 
three  engagements,  the  most  important  of  which 
were  Ft.  Donclson,  Pittsburg  Landing.  Corinth 
and  Atlanta.  At  Corinth,  he  received  a  sunstroke, 
which  necessitated  his  going  to  the  hospital  for  a 
few  weeks.  He  had  the  distinguished  lionor  of 
being   eolor-beaier    for    his    regiment  three  years 


452 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


nnd  never  received  a  wound  or  was  taken  pris- 
oner. He  received  liis  discharge  from  the  army 
on  the  28th  of  August,  1864,  at  Springfield,  111. 

After  returning  home  from  the  war,  our  sub- 
ject became  engaged  as  a  clerk  in  Belleville.  He 
served  various  firms  in  this  capacity,  and  for  sev- 
eral years  was  known  in  the  community  as  one  of 
the  most  popular  men  engaged  in  this  pursuit. 
November  8,  1866,  formed  a  new  era  in  his  life, 
as  on  that  date  he  married  Miss  Anna  Hermann, 
daughter  of  Joseph  and  Anna  Hermann.  The  re- 
sult of  this  union  has  been  four  children,  who 
are  Emma,  wife  of  Henry  Voskamp;  Anna,  Gus- 
tavus  and  Herman. 

Mr.  Heimberger  believes  that  the  best  American 
citizen  is  he  whose  possibilities  of  a  good  educa- 
tion are  not  limited,  and,  with  that  end  in  view, 
has  liberally  educated  his  family  both  in  the  Ger- 
man and  English  branches.  He  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, and  is  a  member  of  Hecker  Post  No.  443, 
G.  A.  R.,  at  Belleville.  He  was  for  many  years 
a  member  of  St.  Clair  Lodge  No.  24,  A.  F.  & 
A.  M.,  of  Belleville. 

In  the  year  1880,  Mr.  Heimberger  located  at 
Fayetteville  and  opened  an  office  as  real-estate 
agent  and  Notary  Public.  He  also  represents  one 
of  the  foremost  and  best-known  fire  insurance 
companies  in  the  West,  and  during  the  past  twelve 
years  has  built  up  a  large  and  lucrative  business 
in  these  lines.  He  is  respected  as  a  citizen  and 
solid  business  man  of  Fayetteville,  and  is  a  man 
of  more  than  ordin.ir\-  intellisenee  and  ability. 


•^^•^  — 


JHOSEPH  EDWIN  MIIJ.EH.  One  of  the 
best,  most  intelligent  and  scientific  farmers 
of  St.  Clair  Township  is  tlie  gentleman 
whose  sketch  is  now  under  consideration. 
His  home  farm  comprises  one  hundred  and  sev- 
enty-two acres  of  fine  land  and  is  situated  on  sec- 
tion 32.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  Peter  Miller,  who  served  under  Napoleon 
Bonaparte  from  1793  to  1800,  and  was  a  member 
of   the  Old   (;uard,   the    reply   of   whose  Sergeant, 


Cambronne,  at  Waterloo,  "The  Old  Guard  dies 
but  never  surrenders,"  has  gone  the  rounds  of  the 
world. 

Our  subject  was  born  .lune  8,  1842,  two  miles 
east  of  Belleville.  His  father,  Michael  Miller,  was 
a  native  of  Herbitzheim,  Alsace,  then  in  France, 
and  was  born  December  31,  1811,  and  died  July 
16, 1883.  His  mother  was  Christena  Karlskind,  born 
in  Langdorf,  Lorraine,  also  then  in  France,  Sep- 
tember 12,  1813.  Siie  was  one  of  a  family  of  two 
sons  and  seven  daughters,  of  whom  Mrs.  Cather- 
ine Kupferle,  now  a  resident  of  St.  Louis,  is  the 
onl}'  survivor.  Her  father,  Sebastian  Karlskind, 
served  in  the  wars  of  Napoleon,  and  was  seri- 
ously wounded  at  Austerlitz;  her  mother  died  in 
France.  In  1832,  her  father  came  with  tlie  chil- 
dren to  America,  and  landed  in  New  Orleans, 
where  he  remained  until  1838;  he  then  came  to  St. 
Clair  County,  and  settled  on  a  farm  about  three 
miles  northwest  of  Belleville,  where  he  passed  tlie 
remainder  of  his  days,  dying  October  5,  1890,  in 
the  seventy-eighth  year  of  his  age,  a  well-known 
and  respected  citizen  of  the  county. 

Our  subject's  father  was  fifteen  years  of  age 
when  his  parents  came  to  America,  bringing  the 
little  family  with  them.  They  landed  in  New- 
York  July  4,  1826,  on  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
the  Declaration  of  Independence,  on  which  day 
two  signers  of  that  immortal  document,  Jolin 
Adams  and  Thomas  Jefferson,  passed  out  of  life. 
The  family  of  Mr.  Miller  settled  in  Lewis  County, 
N.  Y.,  then  a  new  county.  After  remaining  there 
a  short  time,  they  removed  to  Cincinnati,  thence, 
in  1831,  to  New  Orleans,  where  Peter  Miller  died. 
In  1833,  the  father  of  our  subject  came  to  Illinois, 
and  settled  on  eighty  acres  of  land  on  Ridge  Prai- 
rie. In  1834,  he  went  to  New  Orleans,  but  re- 
turned in  1837,  and  purchased  a  tract  of  land  on 
which  he  resided  permanently'.  In  1838,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Christena  Karlskind,  and  six  chil- 
dren were  the  fruits  of  this  union:  Lena,  wife 
of  N.  J.  Biebel  (see  sketch);  Peter,  who  lives 
on  Turkey  Hill,  two  miles  east  of  Belleville,  mar- 
ried Barbara  Pairot,  has  two  children  and  is  a 
farmer.  The  other  brothers  and  sisters  are,  D.  F., 
who  lives  three  miles  e.ast  of  Belleville;  William 
J.,  of  Turkey  Hill;  and  jSIary,  IMrs.  Henry  Eckart. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


453 


Our  subject  was  the  the  third  child  of  tiie  fam- 
ily, and  grew  up  on  the  farm,  always  taking  a  deep 
interest  in  it;  he  received  a  good  common-school 
education  and  then  attended  the  Christian  Brothers' 
College,  in  St.  Louis,  for  three  j-ears,  or  until  he 
was  eighteen ;  he  then  attended  a  commercial  school 
in  Belleville,  returned  to  the  farm,  and  in  1866 
took  a  pleasure  trip  to  California,  remaining  away 
one  year.  The  marriage  of  our  subject  took  place 
June  9,  1870,  with  Miss  Eva  C.  Amrael,  daughter 
of  Martin  and  Frances  Aminel,  who  was  born  June 
15,  1851,  and  died  February  24,  1880.  Six  children 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller,  three  of  whom 
have  passed  away.  The  living  ones  are  as  follows: 
Matilda,  aged  eighteen;  Luretta,  aged  sixteen;  and 
Clementine,  aged  fourteen.  May  17,  1881,  Mr. 
Miller  was  married  to  Miss  Josephine  Glad,  daugh- 
ter of  Eugene  and  Catherine  Glad.  Six  children 
have  come  into  the  household  since  that  time,  and 
they  are  known  b}-  the  following  pretty  names: 
Ida  Kva,  Angenctte,  Lena,  J.  Edwin,  Albert  Eu- 
gene and  Lee  Warren. 

Mr.  Miller  has  for  years  been  ver^-  prominently 
before  the  public  as  an  advanced  agriculturist  and 
stock-raiser,  having  devoted  his  efforts  in  the 
latter  business  to  the  importing  and  breeding  of 
pure-blooded  Ilolstein  cattle,  of  which  he  now  has 
one  hundred  head  on  his  place.  In  addition  to 
his  home  place,  our  subject  has  seventy  acres  in 
section  6,  and  all  of  his  land  is  cultivated  in  the 
most  improved  and  scientific  manner.  He  has 
served  as  a  member  of  the  United  States  Grand 
Juiy  and  on  tlie  grand  and  petit  juries  of  the 
county,  has  filled  the  office  of  Township  Super-  j 
visor  for  two  terms,  and  has  been  both  Highway 
Commissioner  and  School  Director.  He  is  at  pres- 
ent President  of  the  Southern  Illinois  Dairy  Asso- 
ciation, and  has  served  as  Director  of  the  St.  <. 
Clair  County  Fair,  is  President  of  the  St.  Clair  i 
County  Farmers'  Club,  and  Master  of  the  St.  Clair 
County  Grange,  and  holds  the  position  of  Lec- 
turer of  the  Turkey'  Hill  Grange.  He  is  a  fre- 
(juent  and  valued  contributor  to  the  best  stock  j 
and  agricultural  journals  of  the  day,  and  is  a 
graceful  and  convincing  writer. 

The  personal  appearance  of  our  subject  empha- 
sizes his  known  character,  hi»  thoughtful  counten- 


ance and  deliberate  manner  telling  of  mental  ac- 
quirements. He  is  a  Democrat  in  ids  polit- 
ical opinions,  and  a  great  admirer  of  Grover 
Cleveland,  and  regards  Napoleon  and  Cleveland  as 
the  two  great  men  of  modern  times.  In  one  he 
admires  the  military  genius,  and  in  the  other  his 
statesmanship  and  lofty  ideas  of  what  should  con- 
stitute the  political  life  of  a  republic. 


JOHN  S.  WILDERMAN.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  resides  on  section  19,  Freeburg 
Township,  St.  Clair  County,  111.  He  was  the 
-.^-^  son  of  Joseph  Wilderman,  who  was  the  son 
of  George  Wilderman,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
the  county.  Joseph  Wilderman  was  born  in  Penn- 
s.ylvania,  came  to  this  county  about  1805, and  first 
located  where  James  Wilderman  now  lives,  in 
Freeburg  Township.  His  wife  was  Mary  Margaret 
Stuntz,  whose  father  was  also  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers, having  come  here  as  early  as  Joseph  ^\^il- 
derman. 

Joseph  Wilderman  lived  and  died  on  the  place 
which  he  bad  entered  from  the  Government. 
He  left  the  following  children:  George,  Lovina, 
Virginia,  Nanc}',  Edward,  May,  Eleanor,  Joseph, 
Josephine,  John  and  Jerome.  Of  these  five  are 
still  living, and  these  are:  Joseph,  John;  Mary,  wife 
of  Nathan  Fitz,  of  Kansas;  Eleanor,  the  wife 
of  Mark  Ward,  a  farmer  of  Kansas;  and  Josephine, 
wife  of  Charles  Hertel,  of  Freeburg,  111.  -losepli 
Wilderman  was  a  successful  farmerand  a  good  man. 
His  death  occurred  July  16,  1871. 

Our  subject  was  born  December  4,  1834,  at  the 
old  homestead  place  in  Freeburg  Township,  where 
he  was  reared.  lie  was  married  in  1857,  to  Miss 
Christy  Ann  Hill,  daughter  of  Josejjh  Hill,  who  was 
born  on  the  farm  where  the  Green  Mount  Ceme- 
tery now  is  located  in  Belleville.  The  grandfather 
of  Mrs.  Wilderman  was  Peter  Hill,  one  of  the  first 
settlers  of  this  county.  She  was  reared  in  Smith- 
ton  Township. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Wilderman,  of  this 
sketch,  first  located  in  Sniithton   Township  on  sec- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


tion  14,  where  he  lived  for  twelve  years,  when  he 
removed,  in  the  fall  of  1870,  to  where  lie  has 
resided  ever  since.  Our  subject  lias  had  but 
one  child,  Joseph,  who  married  Miss  Matilda, 
daughter  of  Jacob  Gaiich,  of  Smithton  Townshiii, 
who  lives  on  the  farm  with  his  father.  There  are 
two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  two  hundred  of 
which  are  where  he  now  lives.  He  has  all  tlie  land 
under  good  cultivation  and  raises  great  crops  of 
grain. 

Mr.  Wilderman  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
Church,  is  one  of  the  strongest  pillars,  assisting  it 
with  heart  and  soul,  and  is  a  Trustee  in  the  church 
in  Freeburg.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat  and 
believes  firmly  in  the  tenets  of  that  party.  lie  has 
been  one  of  the  Trustees  of  the  .School  Board  and 
has  long  been  one  of  the  Directors  of  the  district 
school.  Mr.  Wilderman  belongs  to  a  well-known 
and  representative  family  in  the  county  and  one 
of  whom  the  people  invariably  be.ar  good  testi- 
mony. 


"^1  OHN  HENRY  BESTE.  Tliis  successful  far- 
mer resides  on  section  26,  Freeburg  Town- 
ship. He  was  born  in  the  province  of  West- 
phalia, Germany,  August  16,  182.S,  and 
there  was  reared  to  manhood.  In  1852,  he  came 
to  th(!  United  States  and  located  in  Fa.yetteville, 
111.,  where  he  worked  two  years  in  a  sawmill  and 
about  one  3'ear  on  a  farm.  His  marriage  occurred 
in  18.'j4,  when  he  wedded  Miss  Mary  Rose,  whose 
])arents  were  born  in  Germany.  In  1859,  he  bought 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives. 

When  Mr.  Beste  reached  Fayette ville,  his  means 
were  so  low  that,  to  use  iiis  own  expression,  he  ''did 
not  own  a  copper  cent."  He  realized  that  mncli 
hard  work  was  necessary,  but  by  the  exercise  of 
economy  and  honest  efforts  he  has  succeeded.  His 
first  purchase  was  forty  acres  of  wild  timber  land, 
upon  which  he  located  in  1860  and  commenced  the 
work  of  clearing.  At  the  present  time  he  has  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  the  first  eighty  cleared 
tiirough  his  own  arduous  toil.  He  has  lieen  a  hard- 


working man  and  has  acquired  his  property  by  dili- 
gence and  thrift.  His  farm  is  well  improved  and 
in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  When  he  lirst 
took  possession,  lie  put  up  a  temporary  house, 
which  he  replaced  in  1875  with  the  neat  and  com - 
fortalile  frame  dwelling  that  now  stands  on  the 
place. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Besle  are  tlie  pnientsof  five  eliil- 
dren,  all  of  whom  have  been  spared  to  them. 
Mary  married  Christopher  Etling;  John  Henry 
married  Mary  Miller;  Eonisa  and  Emma  live  at 
home;  and  Louis  Kdw.iid  assists  his  father.  The 
family  attends  St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Church  at  Freeburg,  of  which  Mr.  Beste  is  one  fif 
the  charter  members,  and  in  which  he  is  now  a 
Trustee  and  a  very  prominent  member.  He  li.as 
been  a  very  liberal  supporter  of  the  church  and 
has  taken  a  deep  interest  in  all  public  enterprises 
for  the  good  of  the  neighborhood.  J'or  six  years 
past  he  has  served  as  School  Director  and  has 
taken  a  deep  interest  in  all  educational  matters 
in  the  township,  and  has  given  his  children  every 
advantage  in  his  power.  His  youngest  daughter, 
Fimma,  has  developed  great  talent  in  music,  which 
she  has  studied  both  at  home  and  under  the  best 
instructors  of  Belleville. 

Politically,  Mr.  Beste  is  a  Republican  and  has 
voted  that  ticket  ever  since  the  first  canvass  of  the 
lamented  and  beloved  President  Lincoln.  As  a 
citizen,  he  is  always  on  the  side  of  every  social 
and  moral  reform;  as  a  neighbor,  he  is  kind;  and 
as  a  friend,  stanch  and  true.  The  |)u(ir  and  dis- 
tressed find  in  him  a  cheerful  lielper.  to  whom  no 
appeal  is  made  in  vain. 


f     <»uis 

I   p)  Pi'f'sP" 
JlL^ton   T( 


OUIS  MILLER.  It  is  to  one  of  the  most 
•osperous  and  influential  farmersof  Smith- 
L'ownshii)  that  we  call  the  attention  of 
our  readers  in  this  brief  sketch.  Our  subject  is  the 
son  of  Louis  Miller,  a  native  of  Germany,  who 
came  to  America  in  1842  with  his  parents  and  lo- 
cated in  Centreviile,  111.  There  he  remained  dur- 
ing the  winter,  and  in  the  spring  of  the  following 


-J 


r\ti 


'$^y 


^- i  ,v;'/ 


&^ 


fi  ft^ 


Kf.5i  UENvlL  or     LuUi5     M  1  LLER  ,   J  CC.  o  )  ,  o /i  TriTOK     ir,^^    CLAlh    LU  ,  I  lL 


RrSlDEMCF  or  JOHK    fir.NRY    BE5TE,  SEC.  2G.,rREEBUHG  Tf^.ST.  CLAI  R  CO., ILL 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD, 


457 


year  removed  to  a  farm  of  eighty  acres  wliieh  his 
father  purchased  for  him.  He  married  Christina 
Udecli  and  tliey  l)ecame  tlie  parents  of  live  chil- 
dren, all  of  whom  are  still  living.  They  are:  Katli- 
erine,  wife  of  Fred  Boomer,  of  Millstadt  Township; 
Dur  subject  and  his  twin  brother,  Philip,  the  latter 
of  whom  lives  in  Millstadt  Township;  .Iacob,living 
on  the  old  fai-m,  and  Christina,  who  also  lives  at 
home  with  her  mother.  The  father  of  this  family 
died  August  13,  1889.  He  had  been  a  consistent 
nuMiiber  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  for 
many  years  and  was  highly  esteemed.  At  the 
time  of  his  death  he  owned  six  hundred  and  seven 
acres  of  good  land  and  was  well-to-do,  although 
he  had  come  to  this  county  very  poor. 

Our  subject  was  born  November  20,  1852,  on 
the  old  home  place  in  Millstadt  Township,  and 
here  he  and  his  twin  brother,  Philip,  were  educated 
in  lioth  English  and  Oerman.  The  brother  still  lives 
in  the  township  where  they  were  born  and  reared, 
Init  our  subject  has  his  fine  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  twenty-seven  acres  on  section  30,  Smithton 
Township.  The  land  is  highly  cultivated  and  is 
devoted  to  general  farming,  in  connection  with 
which  Mr.  Miller  is  successfully  operating  as  a 
stock-raiser. 

Mr.  ^Miller  has  been  twice  married.  His  first 
wife,  whose  maiden  name  was  Margaret  Hertel, 
died  in  the  year  1878,  one  year  after  their  marriage. 
His  second  wife  was  Miss  Louisa,  daughter  of  Jos- 
eph and  Anna  B.  (Coch)  Yeile.  The  marriage 
ceremony  was  celebrated  in  1879,  and  they  are  the 
parents  of  six  children,  namely:  Matilda,  aged 
twelve  years;  Louis,  eleven;  Albert,  nine;  Ellen, 
seven;  Selma,  four;  and  Caroline,  who  is  two  years 
old.  The  children  are  bright  and  intelligent  and 
give  promise  of  a  useful  future. 

.Toseph  Veile,  father  of  Mrs.  Miller,  was  born  in 
(lermany  November  2,  1831.  After  'emigrating 
to  this  country,  he  settled  in  .St.  Clair  County, 
where  he  became  prominent  in  public  affairs.  For 
five  jears,  he  held  the  office  of  County  Commis- 
sioner, in  which  position  he  served  acceptably.  He 
was  elected  to  represent  his  district  in  the  Legis- 
lature and  his  services  here  were  so  satisfactory  to 
his  constituents  that  he  was  twice  re-elected,  serv- 
ing three  terms  as  Re|)resentative.     At  the  time  of 


his  death,  which  occurred  September  24,  1892,  he 
was  Postmaster  at  Millstadt. 

Mr.  Miller  is  one  of  the  prominent  memliers  of 
the  farmers'  organization,  and,  politically,  he  is  a 
strong  Republican.  In  every  relation,  he  has  de- 
ported himself  as  a  Christian  and  an  enterprising 
business  man.  Now  in  the  prime  of  his  useful  life, 
he  is  surrounded  by  the  comforts  resulting  from 
his  own  efforts,  and  is  enabled  to  give  his  children 
the  best  of  advantages. 


^^=e^^ii-^"i^s^#^^  < 


J.  LISCHEH,  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  Mascoutah,  was  born  near  Red  Bud, 
Randolph  Countv,  111.,  on  the  15th  of  Feb- 
ruaiy,  1855,  and  came  to  this  city  when  about  a 
year  old  with  his  parents.  He  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  until  fifteen  years  old,  when  he  started 
out  in  life  for  himself,  his  first  work  being  to  learn 
the  cooper's  trade,  which  he  followed  until  Sept- 
ember, 1872.  At  that  time  he  tuined  his  attention 
to  newspaper  work,  and  entered  the  employ  of 
Fred  Dilg,  who  was  publishing  the  Mascoutah  An- 
zeiger,  and  carrying  on  a  job  printing  office  and  who 
w.as  also  Postmaster.  Mr.  Lischer  learned  the  print- 
ing trade  and  also  officiated  as  Deputy  Postmaster. 
He  helped  publish  the  Mascoutah  Anzeiger,  the 
German  weekly  newspaper,  which  was  established 
by    Mr.  Dilg  in  1876. 

Mr.  Lischer  continued  in  the  em|)loy  of  that 
gentleman  until  January,  1880,  when  he  abandoned 
the  printer's  trade  and  began  clerking  in  a  general 
merchandise  store  for  Fred  J.  Scheve.  He  was 
afterward  in  the  employ  of  John  Wolz,  the  suc- 
cessor of  his  former  employer,  and  continued  to 
act  as  his  salesman  until  July,  1889,  when  he  went 
to  St.  Louis  and  clerked  in  that  city  for  about  a 
year  and  a  half,  or  until  December,  1890.  At  that 
time  he  returned  to  his  first  love,  the  printing 
office,  securing  employment  with  .John  AVinkler, 
who  in  the  meantime  had  obtained  control  of  the 
.4)ixe«(7e?',  where  he  remained  until  May  1,1 891,  when 
he  bought  out  Jlr.  AVinkler.  He  is  now  the  sole 
owner  and  editor  of  the  aliove  paper.  It  is  a  weekly 


458 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


newspaper  published  in  the  interests  of  the  German 
citizens  of  this  community  and  it  has  secured  a 
liberal  patronage,  which  it  well  merits.  Mr.  Lis- 
cher  is  a  j'oung  man  of  good  bu.siness  abilit_v,  well 
informed,  and  lias  the  high  regard  and  confldence 
of  the  entire  community. 


flJJJAM  GUTGIER.  This  successful  man- 
ufacturer of  carriages  is  located  at  Nos. 
335  and  337  Collinsville  Avenue,  East  St. 
Louis,  where  he  has  a  large  brick  building,  50x90 
feet,with  two  stories  and  basement.  The  latter  is 
for  storing  iron,  the  first  floor  being  used  for  the 
smith  shop  and  for  wood  work,  as  well  as  for  stor- 
age, and  the  second  story  is  the  paint  and  trim- 
ming room.  This  is  the  largest  manufactory  of 
buggies  of  any  kind  in  tlie  county. 

The  father  of  oui-  subject  was  Carson  Ortgier, 
born  in  St.  Louis  of  German  parents.  He  carried 
on  the  business  of  teaming  in  his  native  city  until 
1840,  when  he  located  in  St.  Clair  County  on  the 
Collinsville  plank  road,  now  a  i)art  of  the  city. 
Here  he  began  farming  and  continued  it  until  he 
died  in  1859.  He  had  accumulated  a  property  of 
one  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  improved  land, 
which  is  now  owned  by  our  subject.  The  father 
was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church  and  died 
regretted  by  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Tlie  mother 
of  our  subject  was  Annie  Brenning,  born  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  who  came  with  her  sisters 
to  St.  Louis  when  but  eight  3'ears  of  age.  She  sur- 
vived her  husband,  her  death  occurring  in    1885. 

Mr.  Ortgier,  of  this  sketch,  was  the  third  in  a 
family  of  six  children,  only  four  of  whom  are  liv- 
ing. He  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  was  an  at- 
tendant at  the  district  schools  until  he  was  fifteen 
years  of  age,  when  he  was  sent  to  Warrenton, 
JIo.,and  attended  college  there  for  more  than  two 
years.  He  returned  to  the  farm  .and  was  married 
in  East  St.  Louis  in  1875  to  Miss  Rosa  Allen,  who 
was  born  in  Collinsville,  III.  He  continued  farm- 
ing on    the   lioine   place   until  1882,  then  started  a 


carriage  shop  on  Collinsville  Avenue  and  remained 
there  one  year,  when,  in  1883,  he  leased  here  and 
built,  but  his  business  increased  so  rapidly  that  he 
concluded  to  enlarge.  Consequently,  he  bought 
four  more  lots  and  erected  his  present  building. 
He  is  a  fine  workman,  a  practical  carriage-maker 
by  trade,  and  thoroughly  understands  his  work 
and  superintends  it.  He  employs  from  ten  to 
twelve  hands  and  has  two  forges.  Mr.  Ortgier 
rents  iiis  share  of  the  farm  to  others  that  he  may 
give  his  undivided  attention  to  his  manufactory. 
Our  subject  has  built  a  nice  residence  facing 
Main  Street,  in  which  is  a  family  of  six  children, 
who  make  it  a  happy  home.  They  are  George, 
Adah,  Olivette,  Chester,  Forrest,  and  an  infant. 
Mr.  Ortgier  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political  convic- 
tions and  hiis  held  the  office  of  School  Director  in 
his  district.  He  belongs  to  the  order  of  Modern 
Woodmen  and  is  a  man  highly  respected  by  his 
business  acquaintances,  his  neighbors,  and  by  all 
who  know  him. 


^^^ 


ERNHARD  I1ARTMA^'\  is  prominently 
identitied  witli  the  commercial  life  of  Belle- 
'  villc,  being  now  President  of  the  Star 
^^  Brewery  Company,  and  holding  the  same 
position  in  the  Belleville  Distillery  Company.  In 
no  industry  carried  on  in  the  city  have  the  advan- 
tages of  local  situation  and  surroundings  been 
utilized  with  more  important  results  than  in  this 
great  enterprise.  There  has  been  vast  improve- 
ment made,  both  in  the  quality  of  the  product  and 
the  facilities  for  manufacture,  in  recent  years,  and 
the  process  of  brewing  .and  distilling  on  the  mod- 
ern plan  now  requires  the  investment  of  large  capi- 
tal and  the  employment  of  a  greatly-increased 
number  of  men.  This  brewing  company  has  a 
capital  stock  of  1100,000  and  a  surplus  of  *45,00(). 
Bernhard  Hartmann  was  born  in  Ankum,  Pro- 
vince of  Hanover,  Germany,  May  11,  1840,  and  is 
the  son  of  Dr.  Bernhard  and  Christina  (Meyer) 
Hartmann,  both  natives  of  the  Fatherland.  AVhen 
sixteen  years  of  age,  the  elder  ^Ii .  Hartmann  went  to 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


459 


Arasteidam,  Holland,  and  clerked  in  a  dry-goods 
store  there  for  eight  years.  In  1864,  lie  came  to 
the  United  States,  locating  in  Belleville,  111.,  and 
in  1865  started  a  grocery  store  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  continuing  here  until  1872,  when  he 
and  his  brother  formed  a  partnership  in  the  Star 
Brewer\-,  under  the  firm  name  of  Hartmann  Bros. 
In  1881,  Mr.  Hartmann  became  sole  owner,  and 
continued  tiie  business  until  1887,  when  his  son 
Walter  became  a  partner,  the  latter  being  secretary, 
treasurer  and  manager.  The  capacity  of  this  great 
enterprise  is  annually  fifty  thousand  barrels,  and 
the  owners  have  recently  built  a  new  brewery. 
The  new  plant  cost  1200,000,  and  has  an  air-line 
railway  south,  extending  to  the  plant  of  the  stock 
house.  Tills  line  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $50,000. 
The  plant  is  located  in  North  Belleville,  on  a  tract  of 
twenty-one  acres,  with  two  ponds  and  two  artesian 
wells.  Employment  is  given  to  thirty  men.  One 
liundred  thousand  bushels  of  malt  and  fifty  thou- 
sand pounds  of  hops  are  used  annually,  and  the 
malt  is  made  on  the  premises. 

The  Belleville  Distillery  Company  was  organized 
in  1888  with  our  subject  as  president;  Walter,  treas- 
urer and  secretary;  and  Hubert  Hartmann,  our  sub- 
ject's brother,  as  bookkeeper;  and  Mr.  Emil  Seigel 
is  also  on  the  staff.  The  capacity  is  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  thousand  bushels  of  corn,  rye 
and  malt,  making  seven  hundred  and  fiftj-  thou- 
sand gallons  of  spirits,  witli  internal  revenue  of 
*675,000  per  year.  The  yeast  product  is  four  hun- 
dred thousand  pounds  annually,  and  they  have  a 
capital  stock  of  $47,000.  The  plant  is  located  on 
Main  Street,  Belleville,  and  twenty  men  arc  era- 
ployed.  Mr.  Hartmann  is  also  one-third  owner 
of  the  Belleville  Steel,  Iron  and  Nail  Works,  the 
l)lant  of  which  cost  $85,000.  He  is  a  Director  in 
the  Sucker  State  Drill  Company,  and  is  a  Director 
in  the  Belleville  Saving  Bank. 

On  the  4th  of  March,  1867,  Mr.  Hartmann  was 
married  to  Mrs.  Anna  Berg,  of  Belleville,  and  their 
union  has  been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  the  follow- 
ing children:  Walter;  Christiane;  Hubert;  Bern- 
hard,  a  student  in  Germany;  Hans,  in  the  drug 
business;  Hermann;  Anna;  Rolf;  and  Louise.  Mr. 
Hartmann  has  also  an  extensive  ice  plant,  with  a 
capacity  of  twenty-five  tons  per  daj-,  and  tliree  ar- 


tesian wells,  two  at  the  brewery  and  one  at  the 
distillery.  The  bottling  establishment  is  on  Main 
Street.  Our  subject  is  a  gentleman  whose  great 
energy  and  business  sagacitj'  have  largely  con- 
tributed to  the  success  of  the  city  in  this  branch 
of  trade.  His  liquors  are  of  a  high  grade,  and 
are  known  far  and  wide  for  their  rich  flavor.  Sys- 
tem in  management  and  merit  in  goods  have  se- 
cured for  the  house  its  position  of  leadership, 
while  its  ample  resources  and  unsurpassed  facili- 
ties give  every  advantage  for  the  successful  prose- 
cution of  the  business,  which  maintains  a  high 
reputation. 


j|:h;.'@:h 


!l«-^ 


ipjV,K\'.  WILLIAM  II.  TOMLINS.  The  sehol- 
\^  arly  man  whose  life  record  we  now  at- 
V  tempt  to  place  before  the  public  is  the  ef- 
*^  ficient  and  well-beloved  pastor  of  the  St. 
Mary's  Mission  at  East  St.  Louis,  III.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject  bore  the  family  name  of 
William  and  was  a  native  of  Gloucestershire,  Eng- 
land, where  he  was  engaged  in  coal  mining,  but 
came  many  years  ago  to  America  with  his  family 
and  located  in  the  rich  valley  of  Dutchess  County, 

I   N.  Y.,  where  he  died. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  also  named  Will- 
iam and  was  born  in  Gloucestersiiire,  England.  Ln- 
til  eighteen  years  of  age  he  remained  in  his  native 

I  country,  then  came  to  America,  and  soon  bought  a 
farm  at  Tomkins  Cove,  in  Rockland  County,  N.  Y., 

I   and  started  in  the  business  of  gardening  and  fiiiit- 

'  growing.  He  has  become  a  well-known  horticul- 
turist, is  very  much  respected  in  his  neighborhood, 
and  lives  in  comfort  on  his  beautiful  farm.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Episcopal  Church..  The  mother  of 
(nirsubject  was  Jane  Armstrong,  born  in  the  county 
of  Tyrone,  in  the  North  of  Ireland,  the  daughter  of 
Robert  Armstrong,  a  farmer  in  the  North  of  Ire- 
land, who  came  to  the  United  States  and   located 

5  in  Rockland  County,  N.  Y.,  and  became  a  farmer. 
His  ancestors  were  of  English  blood  and  he  was  a 
member  of  the  Chuich   of  England   until   coming 

i    to  America,  when  ho  liecanie  an   active  member  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  Protestant  Methodist  faith  and  was  a  local 
preacher.  Our  subject  was  the  eldest  in  a  family 
of  live  children  and  was  born  at  Fishkill  Landing 
in  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  January  28,  1848.  He 
was  reared  at  Tomkins  Cove,  which  is  on  the  Hud- 
son, forty  miles  above  New  York  City. 

From  the  age  of  seven  years  until  eighteen,  our 
subject  was  able  to  assist  his  father  on  the  farm. 
He  attended  the  common  schools,  which  were 
only  held  about  three  months  in  the  winter,  but 
as  he  was  very  ambitious  he  spent  his  evenings  in 
reading  and  study,  so  that  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years  he  received  a  certificate  and  taught  school  in 
the  old  schoolhouse,  his  first  Alma  Mater.  At  the 
age  of  twenty  years,  he  began  to  prepare  for 
college  and  pursued  a  course  of  study  for  one 
year  under  the  care  of  his  pastor.  Rev.  E.  Gay.  In 
1868,  he  entered  St.  Stephen's  College  at  Annan- 
dale,  N.  Y.,  and  took  a  course  of  five  years,  gradu- 
ating with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  He  next  entered 
the  General  Theological  Seminar}'  in  New  York 
City  and  graduated  from  that  institution  in  1876. 
Our  subject  was  then  made  Deacon  by  Bishop  Pot- 
ter, and  given  cliarge  of  the  missionary  work  at 
Stone  Ridge  and  Rosendale,  where  he  built  his  first 
church.  It  is  a  beautiful  stone  structure,  and  re- 
flects great  credit  upon  tlie  pastor  and  tlie  parish 
which  assisted  him. 

Mr.  Tomlins  was  made  a  priest  in  June,  1877, 
and  was  the  beloved  rector  of  this  charge  until 
1879.  At  this  time,  at  the  request  of  Bishop 
Seymour,  he  came  to  the  diocese  of  Springfield, 
111.,  and  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  missionary 
work  at  Mattoon;  and  iiere,  during  his  pastorate, 
an  old  Baptist  Church  was  bought,  renovated, 
beautifully  fitted  up  and  made  ready  for  the  wor- 
ship of  the  members  of  this  parish.  Soon  afterward, 
he  accepted  a  call  to  St.  Paul's  Church  at  Rantoul, 
Champaign  County,  111.,  an<l  remained  there  three 
years,wheu  lie  resigned  to  become  rector  of  St.  Paul's 
Church  at  Albion,  Edwards  County,  111.  His  pas- 
torate there  was  of  three  years'  duration  and  then 
he  was  appointed  priest  in  charge  of  St.  Mary's 
Mission  at  East  St.  Louis,  in  September,  1886. 

Wlien  Mr.  Tomlins  took  charge  here,  he  knew 
he  had  undertaken  a  herculean  task.  The  town 
had  the  name  of  l)eino'  "tough,"  and  of  a  danger- 


ous character,  but  this  earnest  man  entered  upon 
his  duties  boldly  and  cheerfully,  and  in  a  short 
time  made  many  friends.  He  seems  to  possess  the 
very  qualities  needed  for  successful  mission  work, 
and  his  heart  is  in  it.  In  1888,  this  good  man 
secured  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  on  Ohio  Avenue 
and  Sixth  Street  and  there  erected  a  commodious 
building,  and  in  1889  he  began  service  in  it.  The 
earnest  pastor  had  the  satisfaction  of  having  it 
blessed  January  21,  1889,  by  the  r.i>hc.i).  It  is  n 
fine  mission  house  and  consists  «_if  a  residence  for 
tlie  clergyman,  a  chapel,  and  apartments  for  a 
day-school.  The  beginning  here  was  a  little  dis- 
couraging as  he  had  only  a  dozen  communicants, 
but  now  they  number  over  eighty.  Mr.  Tomlins' 
work  is  principally  among  working  people  and  so 
broad  is  his  sympathy  and  so  real  is  his  religion, 
that  he  has  great  influence  among  those  who  often 
look  in  vain  for  real  friends. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  began  the  editing  of 
a  monthly  paper,  to  be  issued  in  the  interest  of  his 
mission.  The  llist  nmnlier  appeared  in  1887,  and 
it  now  h.as  a.  ciniiLitioii  of  about  one  thousand 
copies.  Mr.  Tomlins'  life  is  devoted  to  his  work. 
A  service  is  held  every  day  m  the  year  and  five 
services  on  Sunday.  He  gives  religious  instruc- 
tion in  the  school  every  day,  besides  teaching 
Latin.  Mr.  Tomlins  has  a  great  assistant  in  his 
life  vvork  in  the  person  of  his  estimable  wife,  whom 
he  married  in  Mattoon,  111.,  in  August,  1880.  Her 
maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  C.  Booth,  and  she  was 
reared  and  educated  in  Chicago.  Six  lovely  chil- 
dren have  come  to  bless  his  happy  home,  who 
are  as  follows:  Genevieve  Seymour,  William 
Henry,  Cyril  Booth,  Francis  Theion,  tieorgo 
Osmond  and  Florence  Irene. 

Mr.  Tomlins  holds  honored  mciiilicrshi|i  with 
the  Free  and  Accepted  Masons  ami  is  iiNo  n  nu-iii- 
ber  of  the  Eastern  Star.  In  his  priestly  connec- 
tion, he  belongs  to  the  Confraternity  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  and  the  Guild  of  All  Souls.  Our  record 
cannot  close  without  repeating  that  this  hard- 
working pastor,  who  has  formed  the  subject  of  our 
writing,  has  ministered  so  successfully  in  his 
Master's  work  because  he  has  gone  where  most 
needed.  He  has  not  sought  the  highest  places, 
and  his  past  must  lie  to  him  a  pleasant  retrospect, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


revealing  to  his  eyes  the  changes  wrought  through 
his  labors  in  behalf  of  the  great  head  of  the  church, 
.lesus  Christ. 


\IiL_  ON.  CHRIST  LISCHEK,  one  of  the  pronii- 
jKj,  nent  citizens  of  Mascoutah  and  an  honored 
%y<^'  pioneer  of  the  county,  has  long  been  iden- 
i^)  titled  with  the  history  of  this  community. 
His  father,  Conrad  Lischer,  was  born  in  Weingar- 
ten,  Germany,  and  came  to  this  country  in  1835, 
making  his  first  location  in  Shiloli  Valley  upon 
the  Benson  farm,  where  he  remained  a  j-ear.  He 
tlien  removed  to  tlie  Morclock  farm,  where 
lie  spent  about  a  year  and  afterward  went  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  died  of  the  cliolera  in  July,  1849 
his  remains  being  there  interred.  He  left  a  wife 
and  two  sons.  The  brother  of  our  subject,  Henry 
Lischer,  is  now  President  of  a  bank  and  editor  of 
a  paper  of  Daven[)ort,  Iowa.  In  1853,  Mrs.  Lis- 
cher came  with  her  children  to  Mascoutah,  where 
her  death  occurred  in  1867. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  educated  in  the 
schools  of  St. Louis  and  learned  the  trade  of  a  confec- 
tioner,but  not  finding  itcongenial  learned  the  trade 
of  a  carpenter,  at  which  he  worked  from  1851  until 
1865.  In  1853,  he  came  to  Mascoutah,  where  he 
followed  carpentering,  and  as  he  was  an  expert 
workman  did  a  good  business;  but  when  the  war 
broke  out  he  laid  aside  all  business  cares  to  enter  the 
service  of  his  country.  He  responded  to  the  call  of 
President  Lincoln  for  seventy-five  thousand  troops 
and  joined  Company  E,  Ninth  Illinois  Infantry, 
serving  as  Orderly-Sergeant.  After  his  first  term 
liad  ('xpircd  lie  re-enlisted  as  a  member  of  Company 
li,  One  llinuhed  and  Forty-fourth  Illinois  Regi- 
ment, serving  as  First  Lieutenant.  He  was  a  faith- 
ful and  valiant  soldier,  alw.iys  found  .it  his  i)ost 
of  duty. 

In  the  year  1862,  Mr.  Lischer  was  married  to 
Miss  Mary  Balsz,  of  St.  Louis,  Unto  them  were 
liorn  four  children,  three  sons  nnd  a  daugh^ 
ter,  all  of    whom    are   yet  living-,  namely' :    JuUu 


H.,  Adeline,  Louis  and  George  William.  The 
mother  of  this  family  died  in  1868.  Mr.  Lis- 
cher afterward  married  again,  his  second  union  be- 
with  Caroline  Freand,  who  after  the  death  of  her 
father  was  reared  by  her  grandmother.  Unto  them 
have  been  born  five  children:  Charles,  Robert, 
Beno,  Amelia  and  Peter,  all  of  whom  are  living. 
Mr.  Lischer  takes  considerable  interest  in  civic 
j  societies.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  frater- 
I  nity,  the  Odd  Fellows'  and  the  Knights  of 
Honor  and  has  filled  all  the  offices  in  these  various 
organizations.  In  politics  he  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Democracy  and  was  the  first  Mayor  of  Mascoutah 
after  the  organization  of  the  city.  He  has  filled 
the  office  for  three  terms  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  He 
served  as  Clerk  under  the  town  organizations  and 
for  nine  years  was  a  member  of  the  School  Board, 
proving  his  friendship  to  the  cause  of  education 
by  his  efficient  service  in  the  interests  of  the 
schools.  He  has  ever  borne  his  part  in  the  up- 
building and  development  of  the  county's  best  in- 
terests and  is  a  prominent  and  iufiuential  citizen, 
highly  respected  throughout  the  community,  where 
he  has  a  large  circle  of  friends  and  acquaintances. 


OSI  AH  P.  HILL.  Emerson  says"All  history  is 
only  biography,"  and  we  find  this  especially 
exemplified  in  the  community  in  wliich  Jo- 
^J^/-'  slab  P.  Hill  resides.  Its  history  is  only  the 
biography  of  the  lives  of  a  few  men,  chief  among 
whom  is  our  subject,  who  resides  on  section  2, 
Praii'ie  du  Long  Township.  He  was  here  born  May 
12,  1828,  on  the  farm  which  his  father  entered 
from  the  Government,  and  he  holds  a  patent  for 
land  signed  by  four  of  the  Presidents  of  the  U^nited 
.States. 

In  this  county  Mr.  Hill  received  his  education 
in  a  log  schoolhouse,  common  to  the  early  days. 
Hard-working  and  industrious,  it  was  not  his  priv- 
ilege to  enjoy  the  sports  to  whidi  the  boys  of  the 
present  generation  are  accustomed.  When  ready 
to  establish  a  home  of   his  own.  he    was  united  iu 


462 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


marriage  with  Miss  Jane,  daughter  of  Nathaniel 
Smith,  who  came  to  St.  Clair  County  as  earl3-  as 
1810.  Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hill  have  been  born 
seven  children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
Nathaniel  S.  is  a  telegraph  operator  at  Pontiac, 
111.;  Robert  M.  lives  at  Wellington,  Kan.;  ,)oiin 
manages  an  elevator  for  the  Crown  Milling  Com- 
pany, at  Freeburg;  Walter  M.  clerks  in  a  store  at 
AVcbstcr,Mo.;  Mary  Jane  is  the  wife  of  J.  M.  Jones, 
and  lives  in  Pontiac;  and  Clara  A.,  who  married 
J.  P.  Ilolcomb,  died  a  year  after  marriage,  leaving 
one  son.  The  mother  of  these  children  died  De- 
cember 22,  1878. 

The  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  Hill  is  presided  over 
by  his  cultured  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Martha  Livers,  and  became  his  wife  January  16, 
1881.  She  was  born  in  Monroe  County,  near  Ilar- 
risonville,  111.,  and  was  the  daughter  of  Joseph 
Livers,  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  to 
;Monroe  County  when  a  bo}-.  By  trade  he  was  a 
blacksmith,  and  followed  farming  in  connection 
therewith.  He  was  the  father  of  five  children,  of 
whom  Mrs.  Hill  was  the  first-born.  During  the  early 
Indian  Wars  he  served  in  defense  of  the  Govern- 
ment, and  was  an  upright,  public-spirited  man. 

The  farm  of  Mr.  Hill  comprises  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  fertile  land,  and  in  addition  to  this 
he  IS  the  owner  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in 
Franklin  County,  which  he  rents.  In  religion 
he  shared  the  belief  of  Robert  Ingersoll  and 
Tiiomas  Payne.  He  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the 
Republican  platform,  and  was  one  of  the  four 
members  of  the  first  Republican  convention  ever 
held  in  this  county.  He  was  a  member  of  theBoaid 
of  Supervisors  for  six  years,  served  as  Justice  of 
the  Peace  for  four  years,  and  during  the  late  war 
held  the  position  of  enrolling  officer  of  the  dis- 
trict. In  1880,  he  served  as  Census  Enumerator, 
and  has  filled  other  local  positions  of  trust  and 
responsibility.  With  one  exception,  he  is  the  old- 
est settler  in  Prairie  du  Long  Township,  and  has 
been  a  witness  to  its  rapid  progress  during  all  the 
years  of  his  residence  liere,  aiding  as  far  as  pos- 
sible to  promote  its  welfare. 

The  grandparents  of  our  subject  were  Jonathan 
and  Rutli  (Majjle)  Hill,  the  former  born  in  New 
Jersey,  of  P^nglish    pai'enlage.     In  earl}-    manliood 


he  moved  to  Erie  County,  Pa.,  where  he  spent  his 
remaining  years.  The  children  born  to  himself  and 
wife  were  William,  who  died  near  Freeburg,  this 
State;  David,  father  of  our  subject;  Sarah,  Jlrs. 
Thomas  Wright;  Jonathan  and  Henry,  deceased; 
and  Polly,  Mrs.  Ward.  David  Hill  was  born 
in  Erie  County,  Pa.,  March  10,  1794.  His  father 
died  when  he  was  a  small  boy,  leaving  the  mother 
with  six  children  to  support  and  educate,  although 
her  means  were  very  limited.  With  her  children, 
she  removed  in  1808  to  Illinois,  and  settled  on 
Turkey  Hill,  St.  Clair  Country.  Here  she  was  obliged 
to  undergo  the  hardships  common  to  a  new  countr^^ 
and  at  times  found  it  necessary  to  bar  the  doors  as 
protection  against  wild  animals.  After  a  faithful 
life,  she  passed  away  at  the  old  home. 

David  Hill  married  Isabella,  daughter  of  Zach- 
ariah  Burnett,  who  came  to  Illinois  from  Wa3'ne 
County,  Ky.  The  first  employment  of  Mr.  Hill  was 
that  of  pulling  blades  of  corn  in  the  field  which  was 
afterward  the  site  of  the  present  public  square  of 
Belleville.  He  served  one  and  one-half  years  in 
the  War  of  1812,  as  a  member  of  Jacob  Short's 
company,  which  was  under  Gov.  Edwards'  com- 
mand. Although  he  had  no  school  advantages  in 
early  life,  he  was  studious  and  observing,  and  ob- 
tained a  practical  knowledge  that  served  him  to 
good  purpose.  He  was  a  local  Methodist  preacher 
and  often  appeared  before  his  audiences  in  his  bare 
feet.  A  natural  orator  and  a  well-informed  man, 
he  was  considered  an  able  expounder  of  the  Gos- 
pel and  an  interesting  preacher.  He  was  a  good, 
conscientious  man,  and  much  respected  by  all  who 
knew  him.  He  died  August  6,  1881,  mourned 
throughout  the  community  where  he  so  long  re- 
sided. 

The  family  of  which  our  subject  is  a  member 
consisted  of  sixteen  children,  the  following  of 
whom  grew  to  maturity  and  survive:  Crawford 
A.,  who  lives  in  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.;  our  subject; 
Peter  C,  whose  home  is  in  Benton, 111.;  Jane  Ann, 
wife  of  Charles  Wilderman;  and  Mary  Angeline, 
who  married  Oliver  Charles,  and  lives  in  Mis- 
souri. The  deceased  are  Ruth,  wife  of  Ed 
Terrill;  Isabella,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eigh- 
teen; John,  wliose  deatli  occurred  wiien  sixteen; 
David    A.,    wh"     was    killed     in      the    jMexican 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


463 


War  in  1847;  Henry,  who  died  about  1880;  Jona- 
tlian,  wliose  death  occurred  in  Springfield,  Mo., 
in  February,  1890;  and  six  who  died  before 
reaching  maturity.  Crawford  A.  and  Peter  are 
both  pensioners  of  the  Civil  War.  A  sister  of  our 
subject's  father,  while  Hying  in  Erie  County,  Pa., 
at  about  the  age  of  three  years  was  carried  off  by  a 
panther  and  partially  devoured.  A  very  extended 
search  was  made  at  the  time  by  the  entire  neigh- 
borhood, but  they  failed  to  find  the  missing  child. 
A  distant  neighbor  dreamed  of  the  occurrence,  and 
also  of  the  place  where  the  remains  were,  and  on 
a  second  search  being  made,  the  remains  were  found 
under  a  fallen  tree-top.  Our  subject  has  some  val- 
uable old  family  relics  in  the  way  of  manuscript 
dating  back  to  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
ccntur\-. 


4^ 


•f^^-*- 


^^  llAKLESOROSSMANN.  Among  the  many 
(l(  ""®  farms  which  attract  the  stranger's   eye 

^^i^  in  this  part  of  St.  Clair  County,  the 
one  belonging  to  the  subject  of  our  sketch  de- 
serves especial  mention.  The  ownerof  this  pleas- 
ant piece  of  ground  is  Charles  Grossmann,  who 
is  of  German  birth  and  extraction.  The  father 
of  this  gentleman,  also  named  Charles,  came  to 
this  country  in  1832,  having  been  born  in  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,  Germany,  in  the  latter  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  and  was  reared  in  that  conn- 
try  to  a  life  of  toil. 

The  father  of  our  subject  married  Miss  Klizalielli 
Dehn  in  his  native  land,  and  when  the  family  had 
been  increased  by  five  children,  he  resolved  to 
seek  a  wider  field  for  his  offspring  than  he 
had  ever  found  for  himself.  Hence,  in  183-2,  he 
took  the  good  wife  and  the  five  children,  Louis, 
Margaret,  Barbara,  George  and  our  suljject,  and 
sailed  awa}'  far  over  the  sea  to  America — so  long 
ago  has  this  land  been  the  hope  of  the  poor  and  op- 
pressed in  other  climes.  After  arriving  here,  one 
more  child,  Pileanor,  was  added  to  the  family.  Not 
at  all  dismayed  at  so  many  little  hungry  mouths 
1<)  feed.  .Mr,  Civossmann  and    his    worthy   wife  set 


to  work.  They  made  their  way  to  St.  Clair  County- 
immediately  and  entered  land  Of  the  Government 
wliere  his  son  now  lives.  Here  the  father  be- 
gan improvements  and  worked  away  until  he 
owned  a  fine  farm  and  his  children  were  all  com- 
fortably off.  Mr.  Grossmann  had  -150  when  he 
reached  this  country,  and  that  money  he  expended 
for  two  cows  and  found  he  had  made  no  mistake  in 
so  using  it.  He  built  the  family  a  house  and 
made  many  improvements  before  his  death  in 
1868. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  in 
German}-,  June  3,  1832,  and  was  about  two  weeks 
old  when  he  began  his  travels.  His  memory  of 
the  long  ocean  journey  is  naturally  not  a  very 
distinct  one,  but  he  well  remembers  what  a  wilder- 
ness this  country  was  when  he  became  old  enough 
to  notice  his  surroundings.  He  can  yet  see  the  for- 
est and  underbrush  which  were  cleared  away  by  his 
father,  and  where  now  his  eyes  only  note  the  great 
fields  of  waving  yellow  grain,  or  therustlingcorn, 
he  can,  in  raemor}',  see  the  primeval  forest  or  the 
burned  stumps  of  the  beginning  of  civilization. 
His  education  was  necessaril}-  of  the  most  limited 
kind,  and  his  time  was  so  occupied  that  if  the  ad- 
vantages had  been  better,  he  would  scarcely  have 
had  time  to  enjoy  them. 

The  marriage  of  our  suliject  took  place  in  1-855, 
when  he  was  united  to  Miss  Katharine  Kelly,  who 
was  a  native  of  Hesse-Darmstadt  also.  She  lived 
but  eight  years,  and  b}-  that  time  there  were  five 
children,  of  whom  four  are  still  living.  They  are, 
Charles  C.  and  Louis,  who  live  in  Smithton  Town- 
ship;George,  who  lives  in  Millstadt  Township;  and 
Lizzie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Veille  and  livt'S  in 
this  township.  Katharine  died  at  the  age  of  three 
years.  The  second  marriage  of  Mr.  Grossmann 
took  place  in  this  county,  when  he  was  united  to 
Miss  Katharine  Hartman,  who  was  a  native  of 
Pennsylvania.  By  that  marriage  there  were  two 
children:  Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  Gustav  Ettling, 
who  conducts  the  hotel  at  Floraville;  and  .Jacob, 
who  remains  at  home. 

After  the  demise  of  the  second  Mrs.  Grossmann, 
our  subject  felt  his  loneliness,  and  it  was  not  until 
he  found  the  present  good  woman  to  occupy  his 
hcmie  that  he  grew  happy  again.     His  present  wife 


POSTKAIT  AND  BlOC^KAnilCAL   KECORD. 


was  Mis.  Margaret  Stahl,  (laughter  of  Philip  Joekel, 
who  was  born  iu  Ilesse-Darmstadt,  the  old  home 
of  her  husband,  and  came  here  iu  1854.  This 
marriage  took  place  December  6,  1875,  and  two 
children  have  resulted  from  this  union,  William 
Frederick  and  Jolin  II.,  who  arc  at  home.  The 
farm  of  Mr.  Grossmanu  consists  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres,  all  well  improved  and  now  under 
the  best  cultivation.  On  this  land  he  raises  corn, 
oats  and  potatoes,  but  wheat  is  the  principal  crop. 
The  family  of  3Ir.  Grossmaun  are  member?  of  the 
Evangelical  Church,  and  give  it  their  endorsement 
and  support.  lie  is  also  a  member  of  the  George- 
town Treubund,  and  he  has  held  the  oflice  of 
Deputy  Master  of  the  lodge.  Politically,  Mr. 
(4iossniann  is  a  Pepiil)lican  and  believes  that  a 
proi)er  following  of  tlic  principles  of  that  party 
will  lead  the  country  into  the  greatest  prosperity. 


.^#^^--,-^_. 


fl\  ICIIAEL  IIAKUULD,  Superintendent  of  the 
i\\  East  ,St.  LOuis  Electric  Street  Railroad  Com- 
lii  pan_y,fllls  his  responsible  position  in  a  man- 
ner that  reflects  credit  upon  himself  and 
the  oompan}-.  He  is  a  native  of  the  P^merald 
Isle,  born  in  County  Limerick  on  the  28th  of  Jan- 
uary, 1865,  and  his  father,  Thomas  Harrold,  as 
well  as  his  grandfather,  John  Harrold,  were  natives 
of  the  same  place.  The  latter  was  a  comfortable 
farmer  in  his  native  country,  and  there  passed  his 
entire  life. 

Thomas  Harrold  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
ancestors,  who  for  man}-  generations  had  been 
farmers,  and  tilled  the  soil  with  fair  success  dur- 
ing his  daj-s.  He  married  Miss  Kate  Long,  who 
was  also  a  native  of  County  Limerick,  and  their 
union  was  l)lessed  l)y  tlie  birth  of  eight  children, 
all  of  whom  are  now  living,but  only  one  in  Amer- 
ica. The  parents  were  highly  respected  in  their 
native  county  and  were  identified  with  the  Cath- 
olic Church. 

The  original  of  this  notice,  who  w;i,s  tlio  ilijrd 
in  order  of  birlliof  ihc  abovo-mciitioncd  cliildrcn, 
w»s  reared  on  a  funo  udjiniiliiy  the  town  of  >i'e\v. 


castle  West,  and  was  trained  to  the  duties  of  the 
farm  at  an  earl^-  age.  He  attended  .school  in  his 
native  country,  secured  a  good,  practical  educa- 
tion, and  iu  1883  crossed  over  to  this  side  of  the 
Atlantic,  leaving  Queenstown  in  the  spring  of  that 
year.  After  reaching  New  York  Cit}',  he  was  em- 
ployed at  the  wharves  for  three  years,  and  in  1886 
he  came  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  began  working  for 
the  Union  Depot  Street  Railway  Company  as  a 
conductor.  He  continued  in  that  capacity  for 
over  four  years,  and  was  there  when  the  electric 
cars  first  came  into  use.  Being  thoroughly  con- 
versant with  the  different  branches  of  the  road, 
he  was  sent  to  East  St.  Louis  by  the  company  as 
superintendent  in  charge  and  manager  of  the 
street  railwa\'. 

Our  subject  was  the  first  superintendent  ap- 
pointed to  operate  the  road  and  was  elected  to 
that  position  in  February,  1891.  He  is  a  most 
capable  man  for  the  position,  thoroughly  under- 
stands every  detail  connected  witii  it.  and  is 
wide-awake  and  thorough-going.  He  is  a  member 
of  St.  Patrick's  Catholic  Church,  contributes  lib- 
erally' to  its  support,  and  in  polities  is  a  stalwart 
Democrat.  In  all  public  enterprises  he  takes  a 
leading  part,  and  he  is  recognized  by  all  as  a  first- 
class  citizen. 


eHARLES  :MAUER.  One  of  the  most  suc- 
cessful men  in  the  hardware  line  in  East  St. 
Louis  is  the  original  of  this  sketch,  who 
was  born  at  Freeport,  111.,  March  28,  1853,  and 
was  the  son  of  C.  F.  Mauer,  born  in  the  Province 
of  Saxony,  Germany,  where  he  followed  the  trade 
of  a  baker.  Tiie  father  married  there  and  came  to 
America  in  1818,  going  to  Freeport,  where  he  re- 
m.ained  until  about  1856;  then  he  went  to  Bloom- 
ington,  111.,  and  began  his  trade,  but  died  there  in 
1863.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Elizabeth 
Ledevman,  born  in  Germany,  who,  after  the  death 
of  her  husband,  took  the  fninil,v  to  Pelyli),  >vhefesUe 
now  resides. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


Our  subject  was  the  second  youngest  in  a  family- 
of  live  children,  and  was  reared  in  the  towns  of 
Peiiin  and  Bloomington  until  1870.  There  he  re- 
ceived a  good  common-school  education,  and 
when  eleven  years  of  age  was  put  to  learn  the 
trade  of  a  tinsmith,  but  at  sixteen  he  decided  to 
become  a  miller  and  worked  at  this  for  two  years; 
subsequently,  in  the  fall  of  1870,  coming  to  St. 
Louis,  he  immediately  found  employment.  In  the 
■spring  of  1871,  he  crossed  the  Mississippi  .i.;;;'. 
weT.'u  into  iiic  SSyuCy  or  C.  ilaiiss,  of  East  St. 
I.ouis,  with  whom  he  remained  until  1878. 

^Ir.  Mailer  then  started  in  business  for  himself 
on  ColiinsviUe  Avenue  with  a  stock  of  hardware 
and  tinware,  and  here  he  has  been  in  business  since, 
and  has  been  so  successful  that  in  1883  he  built 
the  brick  block  he  now  occupies.  It  is  30x100 
feet  and  has  two  stories  with  basement  and  eleva- 
tor. In  his  immense  tin  shop,  he  employs  a  num- 
ber of  men,  and  in  1891  he  started  a  branch  store 
in  Madison.  He  is  a  stockholder  in  the  First  Na- 
tional Bank,  a  man  of  wealth,  owning  valuable 
real  estate,  and  in  1892  laid  out  the  Charles  Mauer 
Addition  to  East  St.  Louis.  Mr.  Mauer  was  mar- 
ried in  St.  Louis  County,  Mo., to  Miss  A.  H.  Luge, 
who  is  a  native  of  St.  Louis  County,  and  they 
have  two  children,  Charles  and  Edward.  Although 
A  stanch  Democrat  in  his  political  convictions,  he 
is  not  aggressive,  and  socially  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias.  Mr.  Mauer  is  well  known  as 
a  good  citizen,  and  as  such  receives  the  respect  of 
the  community. 


If  OIIN  MAULE.  This  gentleman  is  President 
of  the  Maule  Coal  Company  at  Belleville, 
which  was  incorporated  with  a  capital  stock 
_  of  $10,000  and  has  the  following  officers: 
-Toiiii  Maule,  President;  Frank  Maule,  Vice-pres- 
ident and  Treasurer;  and  Pobert  Maule,  Superin- 
tendent and  Manage)-.  He  also  belongs  to  the 
National  Coal  Company,  which  has  a  capital  stock 
of  -i^lO.OdO  and  the  same  officers. 

,l<iliM.  .M:iii|i'  was  bom  iu  Clackiii:unianshire,.lan- 


837,  and  passed  his  childhood  years  in 
ire,  Scotland.  His  parents,  Alexander 
net  (Hall)  Maule,  died  when  he  was  veiy 


iiaiv  ,T, 
Stirliiiu'! 
and  Mar 

young,  and  he  was,  therefore,  obliged  to  l)e  self- 
supporting  fri^ni  an  early  age.  He  came  to  the 
I'nitcd  States  in  1851,  and  began  working  in  a  co.al 
mine  five  miles  from  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  where  he  con- 
tinued for  twelve  years.  In  1863,  he  went  to 
CaseyviHe,on  the  Ohiocfe  Mississippi  Railroad,  and 
oi)oniiig  111)  a  mine  began  operating  for  himself. 
.\f  ter  remaining  there  seven  years,  he  sold  the  mine 
and  sunk  another  on  the  Vandalia  Railroad,  which 
he  named  the  Abbej-  Mines.  He  became  a  large  oper- 
ator, employing  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  men 
and  shipping  twenty-five  carloads  of  coal  every  day. 
He  had  the  first  large  mine  there,  and  was  very 
successful  until  he  sold  out  to  the  railroad  in  1868. 
His  next  venture  was  that  of  sinking  a  mine  to  a 
depth  of  five  hundred  feet,  but  he  failed  to  get 
coal. 

In  1868,  Mr.  Maule  came  to  Bellevilleand  opened 
a  mine  on  the  Pittsburg  Road,  mainly  for  the  local 
market.  After  exhausting  the  coal  supply  there, 
he  sunk  a  mine  on  the  Belleville  &  Carondelet 
Railroad,  in  1886.  This  is  known  as  the  Maule 
Mine  and  has  a  slope  entrance,  with  all  running 
machineiy.  He  has  an  annual  lease  of  one  hundred 
and  ten  acres,  and  furnishes  coal  for  the  largest 
furnaces  of  Belleville.  He  supplies  the  railroad 
from  the  Belleville  Steel  Works  to  Cairo,  and  the 
Short  Line  Railroad,  the  former  consuming  five 
thousand  bushels  a  day,  with  two  locomotives  and 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  cars.  This  plant  repre- 
sents *7o,000,  although  it  is  capitalized  at  $100,000. 
The  National  Mine  is  about  one-fourth  of  a  mile 
west  of  the  Maule,  and  is  a  shaft  on  the  Belleville 
it  Carondelet  Railroad,  with  complete  equipments 
for  shaft  mining.  The  Maule  mine  is  operated  by 
compressed  air  and  runs  a  railroad  to  all  parts, 
hauling  fifteen  hundred  feet  with  a  cable  wire. 
The  company  has  offices  and  3^ards  at  No.  17  Clark 
Avenue,  and  also  in  East  St.  Louis.  Our  subject 
divides  his  time  between  his  two  places  of  business, 
making  his  home  in  Belleville. 

The  career  of  Mr.  ]\Iaule  has  in  many  respects 
l)een  a  lemarkablc  one.  and  fuiiiishes  an  illustra- 
tion of    the  power  of   infliisliy.      Witliouf    friends, 


22 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  without  even  five  cents  in  his  pocket,  he 
came  to  Belleville,  where  now  he  is  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  citizens.  He  owns  real  estate  in 
the  city,  probably  to  the  amount  of  »i25,000,  which 
do(>s  not  include  his  fine  brick  residence  at  No.  415 
Franklin  Avenue. 

Mr.  Maule  first  married  Miss  Margaret  Archibald, 
of  Scotland,  born  near  Stirling,  he  having  sent  for 
her  to  his  old  home.  She  died  in  Augus^r^^^O^ 
leaving  four  children,  as  follows:  Maggie,  wife  of 
.lolin  Doan,  of  St.  i>ouis;  .Jeaunette,  wife  of  Fairly 
Nelison,  of  St.  Louis;  Francis  and  Robert.  After- 
ward, Mr.  Maule  married  Sarah  Wandless,  of 
Casey ville,  111.  Tiiey  have  six  children:  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  George  Roth  of  this  city;  William,  Alex- 
ander, James,  Eugene  and  Arthur.  TJiey  are 
highly  respected  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order 
of  United  Workmen  and  the  Knights  of  Honor. 
He  has  been  Alderman  for  the  Third  Ward  and 
was  appointed  by  the  Governor  State  Exam- 
iner of  Mines  of  Illinois.  Here  is  an  example 
where  honest,  thrifty  industry  has  obtained  its 
deserved  reward. 


EORGE  SCHROEUER.  The  subject  of  the 
(—^  present  notice  is  an  enterprising  j'oung  man, 
■'I   located  at  No.  919  Illinois  Avenue,  East  St. 


Louis,  where  he  manufactures  those  necessities  of 
hot  weather,  soda  and  mineral  waters,  and  conducts 
a  Weiss  beer  brewery.  He  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
.Tune  20,  1866,  and  his  father  was  Edward  Schroc- 
der,  a  native  of  Germany,  who  came  to  America 
when  a  young  man  and  located  in  St.  Louis, 
starting  the  business  wiiich  the  son  carries  on.  Two 
partners  were  first  connected  with  him,  but  ulti- 
mately he  bought  flioni  out  and  conducted  the 
business  successfully  alone.  Afterward  selling 
out  here,  he  went  to  Cairo  and  started  the  same 
industry,  but  finally  disposed  of  his  plant  there 
and  returned  to  St.  Louis,  and  in  1867  came  to 
East  St.  Louis,  becoming  tlic  originator  of  llie  soda 


and  mineral  water  business  in  this  place.  Starting 
from  the  l)ottom,  he  worked  himself  right  up  by 
that  perseverance  which  belongs  to  his  race.  The 
worthy  father  died  in  -July,  1887,  in  the  fifty -third 
year  of  his  age. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary  Keiuders, 
born  in  Germany,  the  daughter  of  Prof.  August 
Reinders,  who  was  a  teacher  in  his  European  houu'. 
l)ut  who  led  a  retired  life  after  coming  to  East  St. 
fotriS.  .  Jler  !i>'>l.u,<l  died  in  tlus  rity.  but  she  still 

lives  here  and  is  a  Mieml)er  ol  the  I  atliolii'  Chuicli. 
C)ur  subject  was  the  second  eldest  in  a  family  of 
four  children,  and  was  reared  in  East  St.  Louis, 
attending  the  public  school  here,  and  then  was  sent 
to  the  Washington  University  for  three  years. 
From  a  bo}'  he  was  familiar  with  the  details  of  his 
father's  business,  and  on  the  latter's  death  took 
charge  of  it,  conducting  it  for  the  family  under  the 
Hrns  name  of  E.  Schroeder  &  Co.  Mr.  Scliroeder 
was  the  manager,  and  in  1892  bought  the  entire 
interest  out,  and  has  since  conducted  it  alone.  In 
1889  he  put  in  improvements  and  engaged  in  the 
manufacture  of  Weiss  beer.  The  plant  has  steam 
power  and  is  in  everj^  way  the  largest  and  best 
equipped  in  the  city  for  that  business.  His  building 
is  35x85  feet,  and  has  two  stories.  His  marriage 
took  place  in  June,  1890,  with  Miss  Bertha  Schaub, 
daughter  of  George  Schaub,  a  hardware  merchant 
in  this  cit}'.  One  little  one  has  come  to  brighten 
his  home,  a  daughter,  Viola.  Mr.  Schroedi-i  is  ;i 
Democrat  in  his  political  opinions,  and  is  possessed 
of  a  laudable  ambition  to  make  asuccessof  his  life 
in  all  that  goes  to  make  up  a  worthy  manhood. 


vsp;;  MANUEL  WEBB  is  the  son  of  Henry  and 
1^  Louisa  (Spiecer)  Webb,  who  were  both  born 
;'j' — ^  in  the  village  of  Barlej^  Hill,  Staffordshire, 
England.  The  birth  of  Emanuel  Webb  occurred 
in  Caseyville,  Ky.,  on  the  8tli  of  February,  1844, 
and  he  now  m.akes  his  home  in  Caseyville  Town- 
ship, 111.  His  father  grew  to  manhood  in  his  na- 
tive town  and  received  his  education  in  the  com- 
mon s<;liools.  As  Ills  parents  were  vej'y  poor  he  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  IJIOGRAPmCAL   RECORD. 


obliged  in  early  life  to  coramenee  to  work  at  bard  la- 
bor, and  as  tlie3'  lived  in  a  mining  district,  be  tbere- 
fore  commenced  working  in  tbe  coal  mines,  which 
occupation  he  followed  during  his  stay  in  Eng- 
land. In  1840,  he  set  sail  upon  the  broad  Atlantic 
for  America  and  after  landing  in  the  United  States 
went  lirsl  to  reunsylvauia,  where  be  remained  for 
a  time  and  afterward  removed  to  Kentucky.  lie 
was  engaged  in  coal  min!;;^  all  his  life,  and  after 
j^tayni!^  ^'^j:  gynje  time  in  the  last-named  State,  re- 
moved to  Illinois,  where  he  worked  in  the  coal 
mints  of  different  parts  of  tbe  State.  lie  w;is  mar- 
ried in  Pennsylvania,  to  Miss  Spiecer,  and  unto 
tliem  were  born  seven  children,  two  of  whom  sur- 
vive: Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  J.  F.  Humstead,  and 
our  subject.  Ills  death  occurred  about  the  year 
18r)4, and  bis  wife  was  again  married  this  lime  to 
Peter  Brown.  She  lived  until  Christmas  Day  of 
18!)1,  when  she  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty-nine 
years. 

Emanuel  Webb  lived  under  tbe  parental  roof 
until  be  bad  grown  to  manhood.  In  1865,  he 
started  in  tbe  coal  mines  and  for  ten  years  labored 
there.  He  purchased  a  farm  of  twenty-four  acres 
in  1875  with  the  means  which,  by  strict  economy 
and  frugality,  he  had  carefully  saved  from  bis 
wages,  lie  has  carried  on  tiie  business  of  farming 
for  many  years  with  good  success.  In  1881.  he 
entered  tbe  general  merchandising  business  with 
P.  Gaven,  and  has  since  been   very  successful. 

On  tbe  17th  of  November,  1870,  Mr.  Webb  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  L.  Muilberger,  a 
daughter  of  Louis  and  Louisa  Muilberger.  Mrs. 
Webb  departed  this  life  on  the  27tb  of  July,  1871. 
Our  subject  was  again  married,  in  1875,  Miss  Sarah 
Mowe,  who  was  a  daughter  of  William  and  Lucy 
Mowe,  becoming  his  wife.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Webb 
have  been  born  five  children:  Ida  B.,  Albert,  Emily 
L.,  William  E.  and  Henry  C. 

Mr.  AVebb  has  alwa.ys  been  a  friend  to  education 
and  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  efficacy  of  good 
schools  and  the  best  of  teachers.  He  has  given  bis 
children  the  best  educational  advantages,  and  has 
served  as  School  Treasurer  of  the  township  since 
1887.  Socially,  be  is  a  member  of  Casey ville 
Lodge  No.  12(;,  1.  O.  ().  F.,  and  in  ISC:,  bccnnie  ;i 
member  of  Lodge  No.  43,  of  Cullin^vinc.     \\,\\\\- 


cally,  be  is  an  advocate  of  llie  Democratic  party. 
He  is  truly  a  self-made  man,  having  risen  from  the 
lowest  rounds  of  life,  financially  considered,  to  bis 
present  measure  of  success  and  prosperity.  He  has 
always  fulfilled  tiie  duties  of  citizenship  in  a  faith- 
ful manner  <i;.u  is  a  loyal  citizen  of  this  com- 
munity. For  many  years,  he  has  been  a  respected 
and  highly-esteemed  resident  of  this  county,  and 
by  his  integrity  and  genial  friendliness  lias  made 
a  host  of  friends. 


)  ^€^^i'^i"i^llE^i^< 


ICHOLAS  STAUB,  who  owns  and  operates 
two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  on  sec- 
'11^  tion  35,  Sbilob  Valley  Township,  is  a  na- 
tive of  France.  He  was  born  in  Alsace  in  1840, 
and  is  a  son  of  Stephen  and  Mary  (Stuner)  Staub, 
who  were  also  natives  of  tbe  same  locality,  the 
former  born  in  1813,  and  tbe  latter  in  1817.  The 
paternal  grar.dpaients  of  our  subject  were  John 
and  Emma  (Weaver)  Staub,  farming  people  of 
France.  Under  the  parental  roof  tbe  father  of  our 
subject  grew  to  manhood,  and  on  attaining  his 
majority  be  married  Miss  Stuner,  then  eighteen 
years  of  age.  Her  parents  were  Nicholas  and  Mary 
( De  Rush)  Stuner.  I  n  the  Staub  family  were  eight 
children,  Nicholas  being  the  eldest.  August  is  tbe 
second  in  order  of  birth;  Stephen  and  Daniel  are 
both  deceased;  Rosa  is  the  wife  of  Peter  Young; 
and  Jacob,  John  and  Peter  complete  the  family. 
It  was  in  1850  that  Stepiien  Staub  came  to  Amer- 
ie;i.  He  left  his  family  in  tbe  Fatherland  until 
tlie  following  year,  wlicn,  having  made  prepara- 
tions for  a  home,  lie  was  joined  by  his  wife  and 
children.  He  first  rented  land,  as  be  was  in  lim- 
ited circuir. stances,  but  afterward  purchased  a  farm, 
upon  which  he  resided  for  twelve  years.  In  tbe 
autumn  of  1863,  he  came  with  his  family  to  this 
county,  but  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  his 
new  home,  his  death  occurring  in  1865.  His  wife 
yet  survives  him,  and  is  now  living  in  Mascoutah 
Township.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
Clnucii. 

With  Ills  iwrciils,  Niciiohis  Stnuli  came  to  Amer- 


470 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ica.  In  the  spring  of  1863,  he  sought  a  home  in 
St.  Clair  Couut\-,  and  during  the  succeeding  sum- 
mer worked  by  the  mouth  as  a  farm  hand.  It  was 
through  his  influence  that  the  famil.v  came  to  this 
ccunUy.  llis  boyhood  days  were  quietly  passed  in 
the  usual  manner  of  farmer  lads  and  Ls  remained 
with  his  mother  until  his  marriage,  which  was  cele- 
brated in  1872,  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Stern)  Biebel,  becoming  his  wife.  The 
lady  IS  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County,  but  her  parents 
were  both  born  in  Alsace,  France.  Having  emi- 
grated to  this  country,  they  became  pioneer  settlers 
of  St.  Clair  County  of  1842. 

The  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Staub  has  been 
blessed  with  a  family  of  seven  children,  five  sons 
and  two  daughters,  namely:  Marshall,  Edward, 
Theodore,  Cornelia,  Alfred,  Anna  andlrvin.  The 
family  circle  j'ct  remains  unbroken  and  the  chil- 
dren are  still  under  the  parental  roof.  They  have 
a  pleasant  and  comfortable  home  upon  a  farm  of 
two  hundred  and  fifty  acres  in  Shiloh  Valley  Town- 
ship. Mr.  Staub  is  a  representative  farmer  who, 
by  his  good  management,  enterprise  and  persever- 
ance, has  overcome  the  obstacles  in  his  path  and 
gained  a  comfortable  competence.  His  success  is 
well  merited,  and  he  is  now  numbered  among  the 
substantial  agriculturists  of  the  community.  In 
religious  belief,  he  is  a  Catholic,  and  exercises  his 
right  of  franchise  in  support  of  the  Democratic 
iiartv. 


^P^  HRISTIAN  G.  RUEMMLKR.  In  order  to 
|l(  attain  success  in  business,  it  is  required  of 

^^!'  a  man  that  he  possess  sound  discretion, 
acute  perception  and  good  judgment.  Men  who 
possess  these  qualities  put  their  character  into 
every  work  they  may  enter  upon,  and  are  among 
the  most  powerful  agents  in  the  progress  of  their 
community.  It  is  of  such  a  man  that  we  write,  a 
man  who,  although  commencing  in  life  poor  and 
without  friends,  has  become  well-to-do-  tlinnigh 
the  exercise  of  tii(>se  traits  of  character.  A I  the 
present   time,    Mr.    Uuemmler    is    proinieloi'  of  a 


hotel  in  the  village  of  Darmstadt,  and  in  addition 
is  doing  etflcient  service  as  Postmaster. 

The  birthplace  of  our  subject  is  in  St.  Louis 
Mo.,  and  the  year  of  his  birth  IS'oS.  He  is  the  son 
of  Alexander  and  ]>ora  Ruemmler,  of  whom  fur- 
ther mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of  the  former, 
presented  on  another  page  of  this  volume.  In  his 
youth  he^aft&ncie*^  t,he  common  and  private  schools 
of  St.  Louis  and  remainetr  V,'ith  his  father  until  he 
attained  his  majority.  When  fourteen'^'eiii'S  "  .1 
he  entered  his  father's  ihoe  store,  and  learned  the 
trade  of  a  shoemaker,  which  he  followed  for  three 
years.  Afterward  he  engaged  as  a  teamster  for 
five  years,  subsequent  to  which  he  learned  the  trade 
of  a  painter  and  followed  that  occupation  for  thir- 
teen years.  Afterward  he  cmliarked  in  his  present 
business,  in  which,  as  already  stated,  he  has  met 
with  excellent  success. 

The  lady  who  June  12,  187(5,  became  the  wife 
of  Mr.  Rueinm.ler  was  known  in  maidenhood  as 
Elizabeth  Reuss,  and  was  one  of  two  daughters 
born  to  William  and  Cornells  (Scheckdanz)  Reuss, 
her  sister  being  Augusta,  wife  of  George  Erb. 
When  she  was  very  young  she  was  orphaned  b^' 
the  death  of  her  mother,  after  which  she  was  taken 
into  the  home  of  her  aunt,  where  she  grew  to 
womanhood.  She  is  a  lady  of  many  excellent 
qualities  of  heart  and  mind,  and  is  universally  es- 
teemed. Two  of  the  seven  children  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Ruemmler  died  in  infancy,  and  the  sur- 
vivors are  Alexander,  Jr.;  Christian,  Jr.;  Charles, 
Mary  and  Adam. 

The  growing  village  of  Darmstadt  counts  Mr. 
Ruemmler  as  one  of  its  most  enter[)rising  citizens, 
and  its  progress  is  due  in  no  small  measure  to  his 
untiring  labors.  Besides  the  property  where  he 
resides,  he  owns  eight  lots  in  the  village,  namely: 
lots  13,  14  and  15  in  the  Mill  Compan}'  Addition, 
and  lots  13,  14,  15,  16  and  17  in  George  P.  Roth- 
meier's  Addition.  He  is  quite  prominent  among 
the  Republicans  of  the  community,  and  beside 
the  position  of  Postmaster  wiiich  lie  now  holds, 
has  filled  other  offices  of  trust.  In  his  social 
connections,  he  is  identified  with  the  Hum- 
boldt Lodge  No.  15,  U.  O.  T.  B.,  and  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  a  German  order  called  the  Sick  Beneficial 
A>sociatioii,  was  Secretary  of  the  Heading  Societv 


'Cod.   y.  _A^^7^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


473 


for  four  years,  and  the  Eathney  Loan  Association 
of  St.  Louis.  In  his  religious  preference,  he  is  .at- 
tached to  the  doctrines  of  the  Lutheran  Church  and 
.a  faitliful  member  of  the  denomination. 


1^^@![ 


^^  HARLES  THOMPSON  .lONES  is  one  of 
(r.  „  the  prominent  and  influential  men  of  East 
^^'J  St.  Louis,  and  has  done  his  full  share 
toward  the  improvement  and  development  of  the 
city  since  his  residence  here.  He  is  superinten- 
dent of  the  St.  Louis  Stock  Yards,  an  enterprise 
in  which  much  pride  is  felt  by  every  resi- 
dent, and  discharges  the  duties  of  that  position 
in  an  able  and  satisfactory  manner. 

Mr.  .Tones  was  born  at  Dover  Plains,  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  7th  of  November,  1850,  is 
of  Welsh  descent  and  belongs  to  an  old  and  prom- 
inent Eastern  family.  His  father,  Jarvis  .Tones, 
was  also  a  native  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.',  and 
the  grandfather  was  a  farmer  in  that  county  all 
his  life.  He  served  in  the  War  of  1812.  Like  his 
father,  .Tarvis  .Tones  became  a  prominent  agricul- 
turist, but  in  connection  therewith  he  was  engaged 
in  the  dairy  business  until  1873,  when  he  sold  out 
and  entered  the  emplo.y  of  the  New  York  Condensed 
Milk  Comp.any,  the  largest  enterprise  of  the  kind  in 
the  world.  His  son-in-law  was  superintendent  of  all 
the  factories,  six  in  number,  and  he  himself  be- 
came general  foreman.  He  resided  in  the  Empire 
State  until  his  death,  in  187G.  He  was  a  worthy 
and  consistent  member  of  the  Methodist  Church, 
and  in  politics  was  alfiliated  witli   the  Republican 

'I'iie  mother  of  our  subject  bore  tlic  maiden 
name  of  .Tulia  Tliompson,  and  was  born  in 
New  Yoi'k  State.  Her  father,  Jarvis  Thompson, 
was  also  a  native  of  New  York  and  of  Scotcli  de- 
scent. He  was  engaged  in  farming  and  the  dairy 
business  quite  extensively,  having  over  one  hun- 
dred cows.  Mrs.  .Tones  is  now  seventy  j'ears  of 
age  and  makes  her  home  in  New  York.  The 
three  daughters  and  two  sons  born  to  this  union 
were    as  foUows:  (iiiliert,   wlm    was  killed  on  the 


New  York  &  Harlem  Railroad  when  twenty 
six  years  of  age;  .Tennie  (Mrs.  Bishop),  of  Was- 
saic,  N.  Y.;  Alice  (Mrs.  Hermans),  of  Carpenter- 
ville.  111.;  and  Ida,  who  resides  in   Wassaic,  N.  Y. 

The  third  in  order  of  birth  of  these  children, 
our  subject  became  familiar  with  the  arduous 
duties  of  the  farm  at  an  early  date,  and  assisted 
his  father  on  the  same  until  eighteen  years  of 
age.  He  received  good  educational  advantages, 
being  graduated  at  Dover  when  seventeen  years  of 
age,  and  was  naturally  possessed  of  a  bright,  ac- 
tive mind.  When  eighteen  years  of  age,  he  went 
to  Albany,  N.  Y.,  and  there  learned  the  carpen- 
ter's trade.  It  was  arranged  that  his  wages  should 
be  lift}'  cents  a  day,  but  when  ()ay  day  came  he 
received  $1..50  per  day  for  his  services,  and  at 
the  end  of  a  year  he  was  receiving  $3. 

After  remaining  in  Albany  for  one  year,  Mr. 
.Tones  was  sent  to  East  Buffalo  by  his  employers, 
who  were  organizers  of  the  stockyards  in  East  St. 
Louis.  He  was  to  build  an  addition  to  their 
yard  in  East  Buffalo,  and  he  there  remained  for 
one  year.  Returning  to  Albany,  he  remained 
there  until  June,  1871,  when  he  was  sent  by  his 
company  to  East  St.  Louis.  He  had  charge  of 
the  carpenter  work  and  laid  out  the  yards  and  at- 
tended to  other  necessar}'  matters.  In  the  fall  of 
1873,  the  yards  were  opened  and  he  then  became 
superintendent  of  the  hog  department,  serving 
in  that  capacit}'  for  two  years.  After  that  he  was 
general  foreman  until  1877,  when  he  became  su- 
perintendent of  the  entire  yards.  Since  then  these 
yards  have  increased  in  importance  and  are  now 
the  third  in  size  in  the  world.  About  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  men  are  employed  during 
the  entire  year  and  an  immense  amount  of  work  is 
done. 

Mr.  Jones  owns  consideralile  real  estate  in  the 
city. including  an  attractive  and  pleasant  residence 
at  No.  900  Pennsylvania  Avenue.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder and  Director  in  the  East  St.  Louis  Street 
Car  Companj'  and  is  a  member  of  the  Second 
Mutual  Building  &  Loan  Association.  He  has 
been  employed  longer  in  the  stock  yards  than 
any  other  man  and  is  popular  with  all.  On  the 
23d  of  September,  1874,  Miss  Patience  Smith,  a 
native  of  Chicago,  III.,  became  his  wife.     Her  fa- 


i'ORTRAIT  AND  mOGRAPlIICAL   RECORD. 


tlier  was  killed  in  the  array.  Four  children  have 
been  born  to  this  union:  Clyde,  Jessie  A.,  Earl  T. 
and  Reine  C.  Mr.  Jones  is  a  Rojal  Arch  Mason 
and  a  member  of  the  Owl  Club.  In  politics,  he  is 
a  Democrat,  but  does  not  aspire  to  office.  He  has 
been  a  delegate  to  county  and  State  conventions. 


1^-' 


^^i,  ATHAN  S.  ROBERTSON  is  a  native  of  this 
I  jj  county  and  resides  on  section  3,  Prairie  du 
IL,i^  Long  Township.  He  is  the  son  of  Joel 
Robertson,  who  was  born  in  St.  Clair  County  about 
five  miles  west  of  where  our  subject  at  present  re- 
sides. John  Robertson,  grandfatlier  of  Nathan  S., 
was  born  in  Peunsj'lvania,  and  came  to  this  county 
in  a  very  early  day,  where  he  boi'e  his  share  in  re- 
deeming the  If.nd  from  its  wild  state.  Joel  Rob- 
ertson was  reared  and  educated  in  this  county, 
and  when  he  attained  to  manhood  engaged  in 
farming  pursuits,  coming  in  1847  to  tlie  place 
where  his  son  now  lives.  He  purchased  the  home- 
stead of  Thomas  Temple  and  also  entered  forty 
acres  of  Government  land.  He  took  to  himself  a 
partner  for  life  in  the  person  of  Elizabeth,  daugli- 
ter  of  Michael  vSraith,  the  latter  also  an  earl3'  set- 
tler of  the  county.  The  result  of  tliis  union  was 
one  child,  Nathan  S. 

Joel  Robertson  was  a  Deacon  in  the  Baptist 
Church,  in  which  he  was  an  active  worker,  always 
giving  of  his  time  and  money  to  the  cause.  His 
wife  died  February  8,  185.5,  and  he  followed  her 
on  August  28111  of  the  same  year,  leaving  a  void 
in  the  community  which  was  deeijly  felt,  not  only 
by  the  church  in  which  he  had  been  .so  prominent, 
l)ut  in  the  social  and  business  circles,  where  he  had 
been  an  example  of  rectitude  and  probity. 

July  20,  1835,  was  the  natal  da^'  of  our  subject, 
and  he  was  born  about  four  miles  south  of  Mill- 
stadt,  in  this  county,  and  there  he  spent  his  chdd- 
hood  days  until  twelve  or  thirteen  years  of  age. 
At  that  time  he  removed  to  the  place  where  he 
now  lives,  and  which  has  since  been  his  home. 
His  marriage  with  Miss  Deborah,  the  daughter  of 
Hobert   Higgins,  occurred    August   24,1856.     She 


was  also  a  native  of  Prairie  du  Long  Township, 
and  since  llicir  marriage  they  have  remained  here. 
Of  their  fiuii'  ehildri'n,  three  are  still  living,  James 
O.  having  died  at  the  age  of  two  years.  Those 
living  are,  Charles  C,  who  is  mariied  and  resides 
on  his  father's  place;  Cynthia  A.,  the  wife  of 
Thomas  McOuyre,  who  makes  her  home  in  Ben- 
ton, Franklin  County,  111.;  and  (Lnra  ()..  who  lives 
at  home. 

Of  the  one  hiuidred  and  seventy-nine  acres 
owned  by  ^Ir.  Robertson,  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
are  finely  iniindvcd  find  kept  in  the  highest  state 
of  culliv;iliiiii.  :inil  are  devoted  mostly  to  the 
growing  of  cereals,  wheat  and  corn  being  the  prin- 
cipal crops.  Mr.  Robertson  is  a  member  of  the 
Baptist  Church,  as  are  also  his  wife  and  daughter, 
Cynthia.  .Sociallj-,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers' 
Mutual  Benefit  Association,  and  of  Lodge No.418, 
F.  it  A.  M.,  at  Freeburg,  in  which  latter  he  has 
served  as  Steward.  In  ijolitical  matters,  he  affili- 
ates with  the  Democratic  party,  and  has  given 
much  of  his  time  and  substance  to  aid  in  further- 
ing the  principles  of  that  party.  He  has  held  the 
[losition  of  School  Director,  and  has  also  served  as 
Trustee  of  the  township,  in  both  of  which  offices 
he  has  fulfilled  all  that  was  expected  of  him  by 
his  friends  and  neighbors,  and  has  proved  himself 
worthy  of  all  trust  reposed  in  him. 


^7,  NDREW    STOLBERC.     St. 
(©/Llli     abounds  in  a  fine  class  of  far 


Clair  County 
11     abounds  in  a  fine  class  of  farmers,  wlic)  have 
I    1)    given  to  this  part  of  the  State  an  excellent 
^  reputation,  and    have    been   of    hel[)    in 

liuilding  up  its  commercial  and  agricultural  inter- 
ests. The  subject  of  this  sketch  resides  on  section 
ll,Sniithton  Township,  and  is  the  son  of  John 
M.  Stolberg,  who  was  born  in  Germany  and  came 
to  this  countiy  with  his  parents  when  a  boy.  They 
made  their  first  settlement  in  liellcvilie.  III.,  whore 
they  engaged  in  t';iiMiinii.  mikI  iiciu  which  place 
John  M.  Stolberg  married  Klizaliclli  ('r;imer,  who 
W!is  the  daughter  of  a  farmer. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


475 


John  M.  Stolberg  had  ten  children,  seven  of 
whom  are  still  living.  After  his  marriage,  he 
lived  on  his  father's  place  for  ten  years  and  then 
bought  the  farm  which  has  descended  to  our  sub- 
ject. This  consists  of  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  acres,  on  which  John  M.  put  the  most  of  the 
improvements.  He  and  his  wife  are  both  living 
in  Belleville,  retired  from  active  labor.  .lohn  M. 
Stolberg  understood  agriculture  and  made  a  great 
deal  of  money  upon  the  property-,  and  also  upon 
two  farms  which  he  owns  in  Missotiri.  Altogether 
he  owns  over  seven  hundred  acres  of  land. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  in  lielle- 
ville.  III.,  in  1861,  but  he  was  reared  upon  tiie 
farm  and  has  lived  upon  it  ever  since  coming  to 
it.  His  marriage  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1889, 
with  Miss  Annie  Ileberer,  who  was  the  daughter 
of  Henry  Ileberer,  an  early  settler  of  this  county. 
One  beautiful  little  daughter,  Hilda,  has  come  to 
bless  the  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stolberg. 

Our  subject  grows  mucli  grain,  but  has  also 
raised  some  fine  hogs  and  has  a  fine  herd  of  Gal- 
lowaj'  cattle.  He  is  now  farming  three  hundred 
acres  of  land  for  his  father.  Politically,  IMr.  Stol- 
berg is  a  Democrat  in  his  views  on  public  ques- 
tions, but  is  very  liberal  and  only  desires  to  do 
his  duty  as  a  citizen.  The  father  of  our  subject 
is  known  throughout  tiie  county  as  a  successful 
agriculturist,  and  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  Mr. 
Stolberg,  Jr.,  will  keep  up  the  enviable  reputation 
of  his  sire. 


eHARLES  ECKERT,  one  of  the  men  who 
have  made  a  success  of  farming  and  grain- 
raising  in  this  favored  part  of  the  State  of 
Illinois,  is  the  gentleman  whose  name  opens  this 
article,  and  who  resides  on  section  23,  Millstadl 
Township,  in  St.  Clair  County. 

Nicholas  Eckert,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt  in  Germany,  in  the  year 
1805  and  there  he  lived  and  carried  on  a  successful 
trade  as  shoemaker.  He  was  one  of  the  early  set- 
tlers from  his  countiv  who  came  to  America   and 


took  part  in  the  war  with  Mexico.  It  was  in  the 
year  1848  that  he  came  into  St.  Clair  County,  111., 
and  settled  on  the  place  where  our  subject  now 
lives.  Here  he  passed  his  days  and  died  in  April, 
1888,  leaving  a  family  of  three  children  to  mourn 
his  decease.  They  were:  Catherine,  who  now  is  a 
widow;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  John  Kalbtleisli,  and 
the  subject  of  these  lines. 

Our  subject  was  born  February  8,  1848,  on  the 
place  which  has  been  his  happy  home  for  so  many 
years.  He  was  reared  here,  attending  the  district 
schools  in  winter,  and  was  early  initiated  into  the 
mysteries  of  farm  life,  and  no  doubt  became  as  tired 
of  the  "chores"  as  have  many  other  farmer  lads. 
His  marriage  took  place  December  25,  1870,  to  Miss 
Caroline  Henneke,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Chris- 
tian Henneke,  who  had  come  to  America  in  1852. 

After  this  important  event,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eckert 
set  up  their  household  goods  on  the  place  where 
they  have  lived  ever  since,  never  having  had  occa- 
sion to  make  an}^  of  those  changes  which  break  up 
old  friendships  and  old  associations  to  a  degree 
that  those  who  have  never  been  called  upon  to 
endure  them  cannot  understand.  Of  the  five  chil- 
dren born  to  them  those  gone  before  were 
named  Louisa  and  Nicholas;  and  those  who 
now  fill  the  parental  hearts  with  pleasure  are: 
Charles,  a  manly  boj-  of  eighteen;  Otto  who  is  ten 
and  promises  to  be  as  fine  a  young  man  as  his 
brother;  and  their  sister  Caroline,  a  maiden  of 
sixteen. 

The  fine  farm  of  Mr.  Eckert  consists  of  one  hun- 
dred and  ninety-nine  acres  of  good  land,  and  as  he 
has  adopted  all  of  the  latest  methods  in  the  culti- 
vation of  it,  the  yield  of  grain,  particularly  wheat, 
is  wonderful.  He  has  good  and  substantial  build- 
ings, a  fine  residence  and  barns,  and  all  that  he 
requires  to  be  happ3'  and  contented.  He  has  made 
the  most  of  the  improvements  on  this  place  himself, 
and  takes  a  pride  in  seeing  what  lie  has  accom- 
plished. 

In  his  political  views,  our  subject  is  a  stanch  Re- 
publican, devoted  to  the  success  of  that  party  both 
in  local  and  National  affairs,  and  ever  anxious  to 
cast  his  ballot  for  the  candidates  selected  by  that 
party. 

Sociallv,  Mr.  Eckert  is  a  valued  and  active  mem- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ber  of  Millstadt  Lodge  No.  567  I.O.  0.  F.,  and  also 
belongs  to  the  Millstadt  Treubund.  He  believes 
these  orders  do  much  good  in  various  waysand  his 
presence  is  always  welcome  among  his  brethren. 

lu  his  church  relations  our  subject  has  long  been 
a  member  of  the  Evangelical  LuUieran  Church,  and 
he  has  always  been  a  liberal  supporter  of  Gospel 
work.  He  is  a  good  man  and  one  whose  departure 
from  his  accustomed  places  in  public  or  private  life 
would  be  sadly  felt. 


■^1 


im- 


ENRY  KNEWITZ.  We  take  pleasure  in 
representing  within  tliis  volume  a  member 
of  one  of  the  leading*  pioneer  families  of 
St.  Clair  County,  and  one  who  has  done 
much  to  promote  the  interests  and  welfare  of  his 
communit}'.  Henry  Knewitz  was  born  on  tlie  farm 
where  he  now  lives  in  the  j^ear  1841,  the  son  of 
Gerhard,  and  Mary  (Schneider)  Knewitz,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Prussia  in  1811,  and 
the  latter  in  Bavaria  in  the  year  1817. 

Gerhard  Knewitz  was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  in 
compliance  with  the  exceedingl}^  strict  laws  of 
the  Fatherland,  his  parents  gave  him  all  the 
advantages  afforded  by  a  good  common-school 
education.  After  leaving  school  he  aided  his 
father  and  adopted  the  occupation  of  a  farmer 
as  his  life  calling,  having  no  desire  to  become  a 
tradesman.  As  soon  as  he  attained  an  eligible  age 
he  entered  the  ranks  of  the  German  army,  and 
there  studied  tlie  tactics  of  war  for  six  3'ears.  After 
leaving  the  army  he  returned  to  liis  parents,  witii 
tlie  idea  of  settling  near  them  and  pursuing  the 
even  tenor  of  his  way  as  liis  father  had  <li)ne  before 
him. 

One  of  the  truest  sayings  handed  down  to  us 
by  a  most  illustrious  man  of  letters  is  that, ''  Man 
proposes  and  God  disposes."  Soon  after  his  return 
from  army  life,  Gerhard  Knewitz  found  that  the 
tide  of  emigration  had  set  in  very  strongly  near 
his  paternal  home,  and,  becoming  imbued  with  the 
spirit  of  enterprise  himself, he  bade  good-bye  to  the 
Fatherland   and   sailed    for    the   riiited   States   in 


1838.  He  settled  in  Lenzburg,  St.  Clair  County, and 
very  soon  after  his  arrival  in  tliis  country  bought 
a  fort^'-acre  tract  of  land,  on  which  he  l)uilt  a 
house,  and  devoted  his  attention  to  agriculture 
and  stock-raising.  Industry,  thrift,  patience,  per- 
severance, and  economy  all  go  a  long  way  toward 
making  the  hill  of  fortune  easy  to  rlunb,  and,  being 
possessor  of  these  desiraMc  <  hai.K  tcristics,  Gerhard 
Knewitz  carved  his  way  ahuig  the  rugged  road  to 
fortune,  and  with  the  indomitable  will  that  ever 
succeeds,  soon  increased  his  modest  possession  of 
forty  acres  to  that  of  four  hundred  acres. 

In  1839  (Terhard  Knewitz  married  Miss  Mary, 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Barbara  Schneider,  an  es- 
timable lady  and  one  calculated  in  every  way  to 
prove  the  helpmate  that  a  man  in  his  circumstances 
needed.  The  result  of  this  union  was  eight  chil- 
dren, four  of  whom  died  in  infancv,  the  others 
being:  Henry,  subject  of  our  sketch;  Gerhard; 
Barbara,  who  is  deceased;  and  Mary,  also  deceased. 
Mrs.  Knewitz  died  in  1855,  leaving  a  wide  and 
sincere  circle  of  friends  to  mourn  her  loss.  Mr. 
Knewitz  married  again.  In  1856,  his  second  wife 
being  Miss  Catherine  Baer,  who  departed  this  life  in 
1861. 

(ierhard  Knewitz  had  earned  a  competence  as 
one  of  the  early  settlers  in  this  township,  and  to  the 
honorable  acts  of  his  life  was  added  the  approval 
of  his  fellow-men.  He  departed  this  life  in  1877, 
and  is  remembered  as  an  upright  citizen,  a  loving 
father,  and  a  man  whose  character  in  every  respect 
was  worthy  of  emulation.  He  was  a  Republican  in 
politics,  but  sought  no  distinction  at  the  hands  of 
his  party.  He  always  ad liered  to  the  religious  be- 
lief of  his  early  training  and  was  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church. 

Students  of  human  nature  tell  us  that  to  learn  of 
a  man's  ancestors  is  to  learn  whnl  Inline  years  are 
likely  to  develop  as  the  man'scharacteil.siics.  The 
gentleman  with  whose  name  we  opened  this  sketch 
had  parents  to  be  proud  of.  A  native  of  St.  Clair 
County  in  its  early  days,  he  enjoyed  the  educa- 
tional advantages  to  be  obtained  in  the  old  log 
schoolhouse,  the  first  institution  of  learning  built 
in  this  district.  He  afterwards  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  vicinity.  He  remained  with 
his  parents  until  his  marriage,  which  occurred  when 


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RL5  DENLF  or    PETER    M  1  LLER  ,  S  EC   e  TREEBURG  TP,ST    CLAIR   CO.   ILL 


RESIDENCE  OF  HENRY    KNEWITZ  ,  5CC.1G  .LENZBURG  TP.,ST.  CLAI  R  CO.,  I  LL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPfflCAL  RECORD. 


470 


he  was  twenty-three  years  old,  his  bride  being 
Miss  Wilhelmina,  Baer,  a  diiughter  of  Jac-ob  and 
Wilhelinina  (Kiihlman)  Baer.  To  this  union  wore 
born  four  eiiildren,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy, 
the  others  being  Mrs.  H.  Williams  and  Josephine 
M.  Henry  Knewitz  and  wife  are  well-known 
members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  which  body 
has  enjoyed  the  support  of  himself,  his  father 
and  grandfather.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics, 
and  has  received  from  the  hands  of  his  party  the 
position  of  Tax  Collector  of  the  township,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  three  successive  terms. 
He  has  also  officiated  as  School  Treasurer  several 
times.  He  is  to-day  the  possessor  of  two  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  land,  part  of  which  he  inherited 
from  his  father,  and  to  which  he  has  added  by  his 
own  industry  and  toil.  He  resides  on  the  old 
liomestead,  and  ranks  among  the  citizens  of  this 
eiiininunity  wliom  tlie  younger  generation  may 
safely  adopt  as  exiimplcs. 


-^^- 


\1^^ETER  MH.LEK.  Tliis  successful  farmer  re- 
I  Jjj  sides  on  section  6,  Freeburg  Township, 
'\f^  where  he  has  over  two  hundred  acres  of  fer- 
li,  tile  land  and  a  beautiful  home,  which  is  a 
model  of  comfort  and  elegance.  He  is  the  son  of 
Michael  Miller,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  the 
county,  and  was  born  on  the  old  homestead,  one 
and  one-half  miles  nortii  of  Belleville.  He  was 
but  a  small  boy  when  his  fatheV  moved  to  Smithton 
Township.  His  education  was  commenced  in  the 
district  schools  of  St.  Clair  County  and  was  finished 
at  the  school  of  the  Christian  Brothers,  in  St.  Louis. 
In  1864  occurred  the  marriage  of  I'eter  Miller 
to  Miss  Barbara  Foirot,  wlio  was  born  in  Lorraine, 
France,  and  was  foiu'teen  years  old  when  she  came 
to  this  country.  Her  father,  Xavier  Poirot,  fol- 
lowed tlfe  trade  of  a  shoemaker  in  the  Old  Country, 
but  after  emigrating  to  America  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  and  still  lives,  having  reached 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty-six  years.  After  mar- 
riage oiu'  subject  located  where  he  now  lives,  on 
Turkey  Hill,  one  of  the  most  beautiful  locations  in 


the  neighborhood.  In  1887,  he  built  the  handsome 
residence  which  now  adorns  the  place  and  he  has 
added  other  improvements  when  desirable.  He 
and-  his  wife  are  the  parents  of  two  children: 
Marshall,  who  married  Miss  Hermena  Stiehl  and 
lives  on  his  father's  farm,  and  Stella,  wlio  is  at 
home. 

Tlie  farm  belonging  to  Mr.  Miller  contains  two 
hundred  and  forty-eight  acres,  all  of  which  is  un- 
der a  high  state  of  cultivation.  He  carries  on  gen- 
eral farfliing  and  stock-raising,  and  devotes  mudi 
of  his  time  to  the  breeding  of  fine  Norman  horses, 
for  which  he  has  a  wide  reputation.  He  is  an  ar- 
dent supporter  of  all  good  enterprises,  and  is  a 
member  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association, 
of  which  he  is  a  general  organizer  and  a  very  ac- 
tive worker.  He  has  been  a  member  of  the  Grange 
for  eighteen  years  and  holds  the  office  of  Master 
in  the  Subordinate  Lodge  and  in  Pomona  Grange 
of  St.  Clair  County.  Politically,  he  is  a  strong 
Democrat,  and  an  energetic  supporter  of  party 
measures.  He  is  often  called  upon  to  m.ake  speeches 
in  tiie  campaigns,  and  his  eloquence,  keen  discern- 
ment and  familiarity  with  the  Democratic  princi- 
ples are  used  for  the  advancement  and  to  secure 
the  success  of  his  party. 


.^|<^^>.-^ 


eHARLES  PROBST,  of  whom  we  write,  tlie 
owner  of  the  fine  farm  located  on  section 
M  of  Millstadt  Township,  St.  Clair  County, 
istiieson  of  John  Christian  Probst,  wlio  was  born  in 
Saxon.y,  Germany,  in  1808,  and  was  reared  theri^ 
and  came  to  this  country  in  1834.  He  landed  in 
the  great  city  of  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  came  from 
there  in  wagons  to  the  fertile  lands  of  St.  Clair 
County,  III.,  rumors  of  which  had  reached  him  in 
his  little  home  in  Germany. 

The  father  located  in  Millstadt,  on  land  which 
our  subject  now  occupies,  and  entered  eighty  acres 
of  Government  land.  He  found  it  covered  with 
timber,  but  he  went  to  work  cheerily,  clearing  and 
making  trees  into  fencing  and  building  material. 
The  old  gentleman,  one  of  the  first  settlers  of  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIUCAL  RECORD. 


township,  experienced  all  the  trials  of  pioneer  life. 
His  wife,  Miss  Philopen.i  Weyngardt,  was  also 
born  in  Germany  and  liad  come  to  this  coun- 
tr}'  with  lier  parents  at  an  early  day.  Those 
were  tlie  days  of  large  families  and  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  .John  Ciirlstian  Probst  were  born  thirteen 
children,  live  of  whom  are  yet  living,  namely: 
William,  Fred,  Andrew, our  subject  and  Charlotte. 
This  hard-working  man  died  about  the  year  1883, 
his  wife  preceding  him  ten  years. 

The  birth  of  our  subject  took  place  Setitember, 
13,  1842,  on  the  old  liomestead,  liis  present  resi- 
dence, a  place  of  comfort  and  happiness  for  all  its 
dwellers.  He  was  reared  here  and  went  to  school 
with  the  other  children  of  the  neighborhood, 
over  bad  roads,  and  sometimes  through  snow  and 
storm;  but  all  unheeded  were  these  trials,  because 
those  were  the  days  when  nothing  better  was 
known  or  thought  of.  Probably  none  of  Mr. 
Probst's  children  can  ever  realize  the  trials  of  a 
little  school  boy  in  the  years  when  their  father 
and  mother  attended  the  district  scJiools.  The 
marriage  of  Mr.  Probst  to  Miss  Margaretta  Kess- 
linger  was  solemnized  in  1865,  and  I)y  her  dcivotion 
and  helpfulness  she  has  shown  what  a  good  wife 
can  do  for  her  husliand.  She  is  a  native  of  this 
county  and  was  the  daughter  of  (leurge  and  Eliza- 
beth (Cable)  Kesslingcr,  the  former  an  early  set- 
tler of  the  county. 

Another  side  of  our  subject's  life  is  presented 
to  the  readers  of  this  Record,  when  we  tell  of 
his  armj'  experience.  Charles  Probst  was  one  of 
the  brave  men  who  went  out  with  Company  D, 
Forty-third  Illinois  Infantry,  and  his  life  as  a 
soldier  would  fill  a  volume  witii  most  interesting 
reading.  Participating  in  many  bloody  battles, 
Mr.  Probst  proved  himself  a  man  of  great  personal 
courage,  finally  receiving  wounds  from  the  effects 
of  which  he  will  never  recover.  A  grateful  Gov- 
ernment bestowed  upon  liini  ;i  iieusion,  which  he 
lias  drawn  since  being  nuislercd  oul  in  l.S(;.").  Mr. 
Probst  is  a  highly-esteemed  member  of  Millstadt 
Tost  No.  G84,  G.  A.  R.,  and  is  always  an  interested 
attendant  at  the  meetings,  where  old  days  and 
dangers  are  talked  over.  The  fruits  of  his 
marriage  are  nine  children,  seven  of  whom  are 
living,  namely:   .lolin,  living  in  St.  Louis;  Cbarles, 


residing  at  Twelve  Mile  Prairie;  Fritz,  at  home; 
Katherine,  wife  of  Fritz  Metzger,  of  Floraville; 
Ida,  at  home,  as  are  also  Emma  and  Edward.  Louis 
and  Sophia  have  been  removed  by  death. 

The  fine  farm  of  our  subject  consists  of  one 
hundred  acres  of  good  land,  which  is  carefully 
cultivated,  wheat  being  the  principal  crop,  but 
much  fine  stock  may  be  seen  on  it.  Since  his  resi- 
dence in  this  township,  Mr.  Probst  has  proved 
himself  a  man  of  honesty  and  good  judgment  and 
has  been  called  upon  to  fill  the  position  of  High- 
way Commissioner  for  the  past  seven  years.  His 
political  views  are  in  accord  with  the  jn-inciples 
of  the  Republican  party.  His  family  belong  to  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  of  Floraville  and 
lead  lives  wliich  reflect  credit  on  that  connection. 


i?/^-^  ERMAN  SPITZNASS.  The  gentleman 
Ij  jY)  whose  honored  name  appears  at  the  heading 
/4W^  of  this  sketch  is  another  of  the  brave  sons 
{(^J  of  this  country  with  wlidin  German3r  has 
furnished  us.  Mr.  Spitziiuss  was  I  he  son  of  William 
Spitznass,  a  native  of  Prussia,  where  he  was 
reared  and  married.  The  lady  whom  he  married 
was  Miss  Johanna  Kelch,  with  whom  he  came  to 
this  country  about  1852,  locating  at  Turkey  Hill, 
where  he  bought  land,  and  here  it  is  that  our 
subject  still  resides,  on  the  old  home  place. 
The  father  lived  here  until  1872,  when  he  removed 
to  Belleville,  living  there  for  five  3'ears,  and  then 
removed  to  New  Athens,  where  he  still  resides,  es- 
teemed and  respected  by  all.  His  beloved  wife 
was  taken  from  him  in  1858,  and  he  has  never 
supplied  her  loss.  This  gentleman  is  a  good, 
brave  and  patriotic  man,  and  served  faithfully  and 
well  in  the  German  army.  He  and  his  wife 
were  the  happ}'  parents  of  seven  children,  six  of 
whom  are  living,  namely;  Emma,  our  subject. 
Otto,  Richard,  Clara,  Anna  and  Ida,  all  of  whom 
are  a  credit  to  their  father  and  an  honor  to  their 
respective  communities.  Otto,  taken  away  by 
death,  was  deeply  mourned  by  all. 

Our  subject,  .is  was  before  stated,  is  a  native  of 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  one  hundred  acres  of  fertile  Illinois  soil, 
was  born  September  23,  1837,  one-balf  mile  south- 
west of  his  present  homo,  upf)n  what  is  known  as 
the  "Phillips  Farm." 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Hardy  .lohnson,  was 
i)orn  near  New  Berne,  N.  C,  and  his  mother, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Smith,  was  a 
native  of  Columbia,  Maury  County,  Tenn.  The 
paternal  grandfather  was  an  old  sailor,  who  was 
in  the  navy  during  the  Revolutionary  AVar,  and 
died  at  Aberdeen,  Miss.,  at   the   advanced    age    of 


Germany,  having  been  born  in  Prussia,  October 
18,  1842,  and  was  only  eleven  years  of  age  when 
the  family  made  their  advent  into  this  country  of  ( 
freedom,  and  he  grew  to  manhood  in  the  place 
where  he  still  lives.  In  the  year  18fil,  he  nobly 
responded  to  the  call  of  his  country  and  entered  the 
Forty-third  Regiment  of  Illinois  Infantry, serving 
three  years,  and  taking  ))art  in  the  battle  of  Shiloh, 
as  well  as  numerous  minor  ones,  in  all  of  which  he 
gave  evidence  of  great  personal  courage  as  well  as 
of  unswerving  attachment  to  the  country  of  his 
adoption.  Upon  his  return  from  the  war,  our  sub- 
ject married  Miss  Rachel  Funk,  who  died  five  years 
afterward,  and  later  he  married  her  sister  Mary.  By 
his  first  wife  Mr.  Spitznass  had  one  child,  and 
nine  were  added  to  his  family  as  the  fruits  of  lij.s 
second  union,  namely;  George,  Otto,  Amelia,  Lou- 
isa, Theodore,  Henry,  Hilda,  Herman  and  a  babe 
unnamed.  Mr.  Spitznass  has  a  fine  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty-nine  acres,  all  in  a  fine  state 
of  cultivation,  on  which  are  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising.  The  farm  is  on  section  6, 
Freeburg  Township,  St.  Clair  County.  Here  our 
subject  has  spent  his  life,  having  a  record  as  an 
honest,  industrious  agriculturist.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Grange,  in  which  he  has  been  very  active, 
and  politically  is  a  strong  Democrat  and  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  the  affairs  of  his  party. 


'^U^INCKNT  G.  JOHNSON.     This  farmer    and 
intelliarent  a;entleman  livino-  on  a  fine  farm 


ninety-nine  years.  His  wife  was  very  old  when 
she  passed  away.  The  mother's  parents  were  Vir- 
ginians, who  emigrated  from  Virginia  to  Kentucky 
at  an  early  day.  Hardy  .Johnson  and  his  wife 
came  to  Illinois  in  1831.  They  had  started  for 
Brownsville,  Mo.,  but  in  p.assing  through  P'ranklin 
County,  III.,  were  so  pleased  that  the3'  remained 
there  three  years.  They  came  to  St.  Clair  County 
in  1834,  and  settled  on  the  place  where  our  subject 
was  born. 

The  father  of  Aincent  Johnson  died  March  20, 
1876,  at  the  age  of  eightj'-one.  He  held  no  offices 
during  his  life  time,  but  contented  himself  with 
doing  his  duty  by  church,  family'  and  State.  The 
devoted  mother  of  our  subject  was  so  overcome 
with  grief  that  she  only  lingered  twenty  days  after 
the  demise  of  her  husband.  Their  marriage  took 
place  in  1821  in  Maury  Count}-,  Tenn.,  and  they 
lived  near  Columbia  for  seveial  years  after  mar- 
iage.  They  were  the  ]iarents  of  the  following 
children:  Louisa,  who  married  for  her  second  hus- 
band J.  D.  Franklin,  a  farmer  living  in  Woodford 
County,  III.  She  had  two  children  by  her  first  mar- 
riage. Elziradied  in  Fohruary  1891, aged  sixl,\'-tw<i 
years,  the  wife  of  William  llai-ris,  nf  X:i,sli\ill(%  111., 
and  left  seven  children;  Mark  died  at  the  home  of 
our  subject  in  1884,at  the  age  of  fifty  years;  William 
R.  was  about  nineteen  when  death  claimed  liim; 
Mary,  wife  of  Joseph  Whiteside,  died  in  Logan 
County,  111.,  and  Margaret,  widow  of  L.  D.  Rob- 
erts, who  was  a  mechanic,  but  devoted  himself  to 
farming  during  his  later  years.  She  has  been  a 
widow  for  twelve  years,  and  has  one  daughter. 

The  subject  of  this  notice,  reared  on  a  farm  and 
thus  educated  for  his  life  work,  first  attended  the 
local  schools  and  then  took  a  course  in  the  Belle- 
ville High  School.  He  continued  an  inmate  of  the 
paternal  household  until  a  man  in  stature  and  age. 
His  marriage  with  Miss  Emily  Moore  took  place 
on  the  8tli  of  October,  1862.  She  was  the  daughter 
of  Risdon  A.  and  Ann  (Middlekoff)  Moore.  Her 
father  lives  in  Shiloh  Valley  Township,  about  two 
miles  east,  and  is  an  old  settler  and  prominent  citi- 
zen. Mr.  Johnson  lost  his  wife  in  1870  and  she  left 
one  child,  Maiy,  who  married  M.  O.  AVilderman,  and 
had  one  daughter. 

Our  subject  married  a  second  time,  Ma\'  20, 1873, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


this  union  being  with  Miss  Pinelda  C.  Breese,  of 
Irvington  111.,  daughter  of  John  and  Etheinda 
(Rieff)  Breese,  both  deee.ised.  Her  father  made  Illi- 
nois his  home  in  1849.  Farming  lias  been  the 
life  business  of  Mr.  .lolmson,  and  his  work  lias 
brought  him  happiness  and  success.  Like  his 
father,  he  has  been  a  Democrat  all  his  life  and 
peaceably  upholds  the  principles  of  the  party  when- 
ever called  upon.  Our  subject  is  now  serving  the 
townsliip  as  Highway  Commissioner.  Mr.  Johnson 
is  a  fiue  looking  man  and  his  quiet,  thoughtful 
countenance  tells  of  reserved  mental  strength. 
His  neighbors  esteem  him  highly  and  his  friends 
.are  greatly  attached  to  him. 


Tr^  EV.  JAMES  GI LLEN.  The  Catliolic  Ciiurch 
l^ij  at  Lebanon  is  fortunate  in  having  as  its 
/4i  \j\  pastor  a  gentleman  of  sucii  large  resources 
^p)  and  unquestioned  ability  as  Father  Gillen. 
Among  the  people  of  the  community  in  general,  as 
well  as  the  parishioners,  he  is  very  popular,  and  his 
genialitj'  of  manner  and  devotion  to  his  parish 
win  him  many  friends.  To  his  efforts  may  be  at- 
tributed the  large  measure  of  success  which  has 
come  to  the  church  in  recent  years,  and  he  has  been 
largely  instrumental  in  securing  the  erection  of 
the  magnificent  edifice,  which  when  completed  will 
be  one  of  the  most  elegant  churches   in  tlie  State. 

Father  Gillen  was  born  in  Ileisterburg,  Februaiy 
23,18(51.  His  parents,  John  and  Frances  (Gross) 
Gillen,  natives  of  Germany,  emigrated  to  America 
in  1875  and  settled  in  Ohio,  where  they  still  make 
their  home.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  received 
the  rudiments  of  his  education  in  the  parochial 
schools  of  his  native  pl.ace  and  afterward  en- 
tered St.  Joseph's  College  at  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
whore  he  remained  live  years.  His  literary 
studies  were  subsequently  pursued  at  Teutopolis, 
111.,  wiiere  he  improved  his  excellent  educational 
advantages  to  their  fullest  extent. 

On  the  completion  of  his  studies  at  Teutoi)olis, 
our^subject  took  a  philosophical  course  of  two 
years  at  Montreal,  Canada,  and  afterward  went  to 


Europe,  commencing  the  study  of  theology  at 
Rome  and  remaining  there  for  four  years.  Upon 
his  return  to  the  United  States,  he  was  ordained  to 
the  priesthood  at  St.  Francis,  Wis.,  May  9,  1886, 
and  on  the  14th  of  the  following  month  accepted 
tiie  pastorate  of  St.  Joseph's  Church  at  Lebanon, 
where  he  has  ever  since  resided.  This  parish  has 
been  established  about  twenty-five  j-ears  and  at 
the  present  time  consists  of  about  sixty-five  fami- 
lies. As  has  been  above  stated,  a  new  church  is  in 
process  of  building,  which  will  cost  $15,000  and 
will,  on  its  completion,  be  a  beautiful  edifice. 

Father  (iillen  is  a  very  popular  priest.  A  man 
of  educati<jn  and  great  energy,  to  his  persistent  ef- 
forts is  to  be  credited  the  fact  that  his  congrega- 
tion enjoys  a  steady  numerical  growth.  He  has 
devoted  himself  untiringly  to  the  task  of  I'aising 
the  money  necessary  for  the  erection  of  the  new 
church  and  has  been  rewarded  with  success.  Jlod- 
est  and  unassuming,  he  has  labored  not  for  his 
own  temporal  advancement  but  for  the  highest 
spiritual  welfare  of  his  paiishouors  and  it  is  not 
strange  therefore  that  lie  is  esteeuiod  by  each  one 
as  a  personal  friend. 


4m 


^^  ARON  STOOKEY.  Among  the  men  who 
'®^l|    liavc  filled  public   positions    in    St.  Clair 

///  ii  County,  the  gentleman  above  named  holds 
1^1^  a  prominent  place  as  one  who  thoroughly 

understands  the  business  in  which  he  has  been  en- 
gaged, and  fulfills  his  contracts  in  a  reliable  and 
conscientious  manner.  He  has  an  extended  ac- 
quaintance, and  the  estimate  of  those  who  know 
him  includes  a  hearty  respect  for  his  private  char- 
acter, as  well  as  their  good  opinion  of  liim  as  a 
skillful  manager  of  affairs. 

The  parents  of  the  above-named  gentleman  were 
Simon  and  Hannah  (Oooding)  Stookey,  ivliose 
family  consisted  of  seven  cliildren,  who  attained 
the  years  of  manhood  and  womanhood.  They 
were:  Daniel;  Aaron,  our  subject;  Simon  J.,  de- 
ceased; Sarah,  wife  of  Louis  Eyman,  but  now  de- 
ceased;   Hannah    A.,  wife    of    Marshall  W.  Weir; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


483 


.Tallies  M.  and  Melissa  J.,  deceased,  the  latter  of 
uhoiii  was  the  wife  of  Ferdinand  Hinckley. 

Simun  Stookej,  the  father  of  our  sn'oject,  caine 
to  St.  Clair  County  vvith  his  parents  in  the  year 
1802  and  settled  near  where  the  city  of  Belleville 
is  now  located.  The  family  brought  all  their 
earthly  effects  with  them  to  the  new  home  on  the 
l)rairies  on  wagons.  The  possibilities  of  this  dis- 
trict as  a  farming  country  arrested  the  attention  of 
Daniel  Stookey,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
and  he  and  his  wife,  Barbara  (Whetstone)  Stookey, 
concluded  to  remain  in  this  part  of  the  State. 
(;  rand  father  .Stookey  was  the  American  represen- 
tative of  an  old  and  respected  German  family, 
part  of  whom  were  early  settlers  in  Virginia.  He 
accumulated  quite  a  fortune  in  Illinois,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death  was  the  owner  of  four  hundred 
acres  of  fine  farming  land  and  was  known  as  one 
of  tiie  finest  raisers  of  stock  in  tiiis  section  of  the 
State. 

Simon  Stookey,  the  father  of  our  subject,  lived 
with  his  parents  until  the  time  of  his  marriage, 
when  he  located  on  a  farm  in  Millstadt  Township. 
He  began  life  on  his  own  account  with  but  limited 
means,  but  soon  accumulated  enough  to  purchase 
two  hundred  and  twelve  acres  of  land.  He  was  a 
man  of  strong  characteristics  and  dauntless  cour- 
age, and  held  many  local  oftices  in  his  township, 
for  many  years  representing  his  county  as  one 
of  its  Commissioners.  He  was  elected  to  the  State 
Legislature  but  never  honored  that  body  with  his 
presence,  as  soon  after  his  election  to  office  he  was 
stricken  with  an  illness  that  proved  fatal  and  de- 
parted this  life  in  the  year  following.  He  was  a 
self-made  man  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word.  A 
natural  student,  he  acquired  his  education  by  dili- 
gent study  after  the  close  of  the  day's  labors,  and 
was  known  as  one  of  the  best-posted  and  intelli- 
gent men  of  the  community. 

Aaron  Stookey,  with  whose  name  we  introduce 
this  article,  lived  with  his  parents  until  the  year 
1852,  when  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Mary  J.  Holcomb,  daughter  af  John  W.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Goodner)  Holcomb.  He  first  began  life  as  a 
farmer,  which  he  followed  a  number  of  years,  then 
engaged  in  the  livery  Itiisinoss  in  Belleville,  which 
enterprise  lie  coiiduiicd  suc<'(;ssfullv  U>r  a  period 


of  ten  years.  He  also  gained  an  excellent  reputa- 
tion as  a  judge  of  stock,  and  his  opinion  in  all 
matters  relative  to  the  same  was  relied  on  by  many 
and  older  heads.  A  clear  head, excellent  thinking 
powers,  and  the  ability  to  discriminate  are  among 
his  other  manly  attributes,  and  he  is  one  of  the  most 
successful  men  of  his  years  in  St.  Clair  County. 
The  sterling  (lualities  of  the  grandparents  have 
certainly  descended  to  this  representative  of  tlie 
Stookey  family.  He  has  been  honored  with  man^' 
political  offices  in  the  township,  and  has  at  different 
times  filled  the  positions  of  Supervisor  and  Assessor 
creditably  to  himself  and  satisfactorily  to  those  who 
placed  him  in  office. 

Mr.  Stookey  is  a  firm  discii)le  of  the  Keimlilican 
party  and  lends  his  assistance  to  the  furtherance 
of  its  principles  and  the  support  of  its  tenets  on 
all  necessary  occasions.  The  possessor  of  stanch 
ideas,  he  can  always  be  relied  on  whenever  he  has 
arrived  at  a  decision.  With  an  intelligent  concep- 
tion of  his  duties  as  a  citizen,  a  feeling  of  good- 
will toward  mankind  and  a  deep  regard  for  his 
family,  he  endeavors  to  honorably  fulfill  all  the 
duties  that  devolve  upon  liim,  and  in  so  doing  he 
gains  the  respect  of  all  who  come  in  contact  with 
him. 


AMES  W.  M(  CULLOUGH,  Passenger  and 
Freight  Agent  of  the  Air  Line  of  the 
lOuisville,  Evansville  &  St.  Louis  Railroad 
^^^^  at  Belleville,  111.,  is  one  of  the  most 
trustwortiiy  and  capable  officials  on  the  road,  as 
well  as  being  cordial,  accommodating  and  cour- 
teous. He  is  proving  himself  the  right  man 
in  the  right  place,  and  the  railroad  officials  are 
coming  to  realize  this  fact.  He  has  held  his 
l)iesent  position  since  March,  1892,  but  the 
town  of  Belleville  has  claimed  him  as  a  resi- 
dent since  1852,  at  which  time  he  was  nine 
years  of  age.  lie  was  born  in  Troy,  Lincoln 
County,  Mo.,  September  4,  1843,  to  George  and 
Loui-sa  (Pepper)  McCuUough,  the  former  of  whom 
died  at  Florisant,  St.  Louis  County,  IMo.  He*  was 
11  iialivi'  of  the  Ke\slouc  State,  but  of  Scutch    de- 


484 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPmCAL  RECORD. 


scent,  aud  inherited  many  of  tbe  attributes  for 
which  the  "canny  Scot"  is  noted.  He  was  married 
to  Miss  Pepper  in  the  Pelican  State,  but  lier  na- 
tive State  was  Virginia,  where  she  belonged  to  one 
<if  the  F.  F.  Vs.  George  McCuUough  was  a  phy- 
sician aud  surgeon  of  considerable  note  in  the 
carl}-  days  of  Missouri  and  his  patronage  extended 
over  a  wide  strip  of  territory-.  He  pursued  his 
nolile  calling  with  much  abilit}-,  until  the  hand  of 
death  cut  short  his  career,  after  which  his  widow 
with  her  family  came  to  Belleville,  in  which  city 
they  took  up  their  permanent  abode  in  18.')2.  Her 
family  consisted  of  one  son  and  one  daughter: 
James  W.,  and  Lonisa,  wife  of  Dr.  R.  D.  Valentine, 
of  Springfield,  Mo.     The  mother  died  in  1884. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  given  more  than 
ordinary  advantages  in  his  youth,  for  besides  at- 
tending the  public  schools  of  Belleville,  he  was  an 
attendant  of  the  Christian  Brothers'  Academy,  of 
St.  Louis,  Mo.,  for  two  years,  and,  unlike  man}- 
young  men,  pursued  his  studies  with  earnestness 
and  zeal  and  acquired  an  education  which  emi- 
nently fitted  him  for  the  practical  duties  of  life. 
His  school  days  were  followed  by  a  period  of  clerk- 
ing in  the  Circuit  Clerk's  office,  but  he  left  it  to 
take  up  arms  in  defense  of  the  Stars  and  Stripes, 
enlisting  in  Company  B,  Seventieth  Illinois  Infan- 
try, in  which  he  rose  to  be  Sergeant-lMajor 
His  war  record  was  a  clean  and  honorable 
one,  and  during  his  short  career  as  one  of  the 
"boys  in  blue"  he, was  noted  for  his  faithful  dis- 
charge of  ever}'  duty  and  for  his  upright  and 
soldierly  conduct.  Upon  his  return  home,  after 
the  strife  had  ended  by  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee, 
he  began  clerking  for  the  old  Major's  Express,  a 
local  express  from  St.  Louis  to  Jielleville,  on  the 
Cairo  Short  Line,  which  was  the  only  railroad 
between  the  cities.  When  the  road  was  extended, 
the  Adams  Express  Company  took  possession  and 
the  local  express  sold  out,  after  which  Mr.  McCul- 
lough  was  appointed  Agent,  which  position  he  held 
for  twenty-one  years  and  one  month,  resigning  in 
September,  1890,  and  removing  with  his  famih-  to 
St.  Louis. 

In  that  city  he  engaged  in  the  commission  busi- 
ness for  one  year,  and,  .after  clerking  a  short  time, 
he  accepted  the  position  of  Agent  on   Hie   Luuis- 


1  ville,  Evansville  &  St.  Louis  Railroad,  at  Belleville, 
which  is  one  of  the  most  important  offices,  outside 
the  terminal  offices,  on  the  road.  He  has  six  men 
under  him,  and  ni.anages  them  with  a  degree  of 
abilty  that  is  eminently  satisfactory  to  the  officials 
of  the  road.  As  a  man  of  affairs,  he  is  wide-awake 
and  up  with  the  times  in  every  respect,  well  posted 
on  the  general  topics  of  the  day,  alive  to  the 
interests  of  the  section  in  which  he  resides,  and  is 

i   generous  and  whole-souled  in  the  use  of  his  means 

,  in  behalf  of  enterprises  that  commend  themselves 
to  his  excellent  judgment. 

Mr.  McCuUough  is  a  member  of  several  secret 
organizations,  among  which  may  be  mentioned  the 
Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen,  the  Knights 

j    of  Pythias  and  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America. 

I    He  was  married  in  Springfield,  111.,  December   2.5, 

I  1867,  to  Miss  Callie  Lorch,  a  daughter  of  Charles 
Lorch.     Six  children — five  sons  and   one  daugh- 

'.  ter — have  been  born  to  their  union,  as  follows: 
Mary  Estella;  George;  J.  W.,  Jr.;  Ralph  E.,  John 
Robert,  and  Charles.  Our  subject's  life  has  been  a 
happy  one  and  he  has  endeavored  to  make  others 
happy  likewise,  and  lias  assisted  many  a  young 
man  to  gain  a  foothold  on   the   ladder  of  success. 


■^^^^^>l<^-^^ 


TF^jEV.  R.  D.  WOODLEY,  the  popular  i)astor 
jiyp  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  of 
Ji\v  Belleville,  111.,  is  a  man  keen  in  i)erception, 
clear  and  logical  in  reasoning,  and  one 
who  possesses  the  esteem  of  all.  His  church  is  the 
oldest  Protestant  structure  in  the  city  and  is  a  fine 
brick  edifice  with  a  capacity  of  six  hundred 
people,  and  located  on  First  Street,  between  High 
and  Illinois  Streets.  The  audience-room  is  above, 
and  the  church  parlors,  lecture-room,  dressing- 
room  and  pastor's  study  below.  This  was  erected 
in  1848.  .Vdjoining  it  on  the  west  is  the  parson- 
age, a  good  two-.-tory  Itrick  building,  and  both  are 
in  good  condition. 

Our  subject  \v:is  Norn  in  Columl)ia.  N.  ('..  ~\Iay 
21,  1848,  .and  is  m  son  of  Dnniel  and  .Alary 
(Wynne)    Woodley,  natives  also   of   North  Caro- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


485 


lina.    The  father  was  born  on  a  farm  in  that  State,   ] 
and  on  this  same  farm  passed  his  entire  life.     IHs 
father   had    also    resided    on    that    farm.     Robert 
Wynne,  the  maternal  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
was   a    leading  North    Carolina   politician   and  a   j 
very  prominent  Democrat.     Daniel  AVoodlev   was 
born  in  1799,  and   died  in  1881.     His  wife  passed    ! 
away  in  1862.     Both  were  prominent  members  of   | 
the    Baptist    CInirch,    and    most    exem((lary    and 
worthy  citizens. 

Rev.  R.  D.  Woodley,  tiie  only  child  born   to  his 
parents,  secured  a  good  practical  education  in  his   I 
native  State,  and  subsequently  finished  at  Pough- 
keepsie,  N.  Y.     Later,  he  was  engaged  in  cultivat-   ' 
ing  the  soil,  and  in  connection  branched  out  as  an 
educator,  wielding  the  fernle  with  much  success  in    j 
his  native  State.     When  about  eighteen  3'ears  of 
age,    he    began    to    be    interested    in    theological    { 
studios,  but  it  was  not   until  1878  that  he  became 
connected   with  Conference.     In    1881,  he  united 
with  the  White  River  Conference,  in  Arkansas, and 
subsequently  located  at  Poplar  Grove,  Ark.,  Osce- 
ola, Ark.,  and  Powhatan,  being  then  transferred  to 
Montana   and  stationed  at  Stevensville  and  ^Mis- 
soula. 

In  1885,  he  was  transferred  to  the  Southern  lUi-  1 
nois  Conference  and  was  stationed  at  Harrisburg, 
Saline  County,  where  he  remained  two  very  suc- 
cessful years.  After  this  he  was  in  Nashville, 
AV^asliington  County,  for  three  years,  and  from 
there  came  to  Belleville,  where  he  is  now  com- 
mencing his  third  year  in  this  church.  He  has  a 
membership  of  two  hundred  and  twenty-five,  and 
by  far  the  largest  Protestant  congregation  in  the 
city.  The  church  has  been  unusually  prosperous 
under  his  pastorate,  and  over  one  h\indred  and 
twenty-five  have  been  added  to  it.  Financially 
and  in  other  departments,  it  is  in  perfect  condi- 
tion and  the  church  is  one  of  the  best  in  the  South- 
ern Illinois  Conference. 

As  a  minister  of  the  Gospel,  Mr.  Woodley  has, 
combined  with  logical  reasoning  powers,  a  fair 
share  of  pulpit  eloquence  and  impressiveness.  A 
man  of  most  positive  convictions,  he  never  hes- 
itates to  attack  what  he  knows  to  be  evil,  however 
strongl}'  it  may  lie  entrencliod  in  pojiular  favor  or 
ill  whatever  guise  it  is  joislcd  upon  liis  Mttcnlion, 


Broadlj'  charitable,  he  is,  nevertheless,  pronounced 
in  his  views,  to  which  he  gives  expression  in  no 
uncertain  or  ambiguous  terms  whenever  occasion 
demands  it.  Combined  with  fervent  piety  and  a 
vigorous  intellectuality,  he  has  that  thoroughly 
practical  knowledge  of  the  affairs  of  every-day 
life,  which  makes  him  a  competent  adviser  in 
temporal,  as  he  is  a  conscientious  adviser  in  spirit- 
ual, matters.  Kindly  in  his  disposition,  cordial, 
warm-hearted  and  sympathetic,  ho  is  warmly 
esteemed  by  all. 

Mr.  Woodley  was  married  to  Miss  Mary  Tate,  of 
Harrisburg,  111.,  on  the  8th  of  Sei)tember,  188(5, 
and  this  union  has  resulted  in  the  birth  of  three 
interesting  children,  as  follows:  Mamie,  Robert 
John  and  Ralph  Daniel.  He  has  also  a  daughter, 
Maggie,  by  his  first  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Nannie  Rankin;  the  present  Mrs.  Woodley  is  the 
daughter  of  John  and  Sarah  Tate.  Sociall}-,  Mr. 
Woodley  ia  a  member  of  Washington  Lodge  No. 
55,  A.  F.  &  A.  ISI.,  and  also  a  member  of  the  Inde- 
pendent Order  of  Good  Templars. 


^^  DAM  PFEIFFKR.  It  is  a  pleasure  to  the 
(^0|  biographer  to  head  this  sketch  with  the 
III  li  name  of  the  man  who  is  in  every  sense 
(^  worthy  of  the  distinction  afforded  by  hon- 
orable mention  among  the  distinguished  citizens 
of  the  community  in  which  he  has  passed  the  ac- 
tive years  of  his  life, and  the  name  with  which  this 
paragraph  is  introduced  is  that  of  one  whose  con- 
nection with  St.  Clair  County  dates  back  with 
honor  to  himself  and  credit  to  the  communitj-. 

Adam  Pfeiffer  is  the  son  of  Andrew  P.  Pfeiffer, 
who  was  born  in  Germany,  and  the  early  part  of 
whose  life  was  spent  in  Prussian-Darmstadt.  Af- 
ter attaining  manhood's  estate,  he  married  Miss 
Christina  Boltz.  Andrew  P.  followed  the  trade  of 
a  carpenter  in  his  native  land.  He  emigrated  to 
America  about  the  year  1832,  and  located  at  St. 
Louis,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  ten  years. 
During  the  latter  part  of  his  residence  in  St.  Louis, 
he  was  known  as  the  Ueoper  t>f  a  private  boarding 


486 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


house.  After  the  expiration  of  the  time  men- 
tioned, lie  left  St.  Louis,  and  located  at  High  Prai- 
rie, Suiithton  Township,  where  he  bought  a  farm 
and  lived  for  about  forty  years.  Ilis  next  bu>i- 
acss  enterprise  was  to  trade  his  farm  for  a  housu 
and  saloon  in  Belleville.  His  famil3'  consisted  of 
seven  children,  two  of  whom  died  in  childhood, 
and  five  of  whom  are  living. 

Tiie  subject  of  this  sketch,  Adam  Pfeiffcr,  was 
born  on  High  Prairie,  Sniithton  Township,  St. 
Clair  County,  on  the  13th  of  March,  1843.  Af- 
ter gaining  a  common-school  education  in  his 
native  township,  he  removed  to  .St.  Louis,  and 
worked  as  helper  in  a  foundry.  He  remained 
there  four  years,  and  from  there  went  to  Smitliton, 
where  he  was  employed  in  a  flouring  mill.  On  the 
•id  of  December,  1863,  he  married  Miss  Catherine 
l-'orcade,  daughter  of  i\Ir.  Louis  Forcade  of  Prairie 
du  Long  Township.  For  two  years  succeeding  his 
marriage,  he  resided  in  Prairie  du  Lou^  Township, 
after  which  he  removed  to  his  father's  farm  in 
Piairie  du  Long,  and  from  there  went  to  High 
Prairie,  where  he  remained  for  nine  years.  His 
family  consisted  of  .seven  children,  two  of  whom 
There.ssa  and  Maggie,  died  in  childhood.  Those 
living  are  Louis,  Fritz  G.,  Adam;  Louisa,  wife  of 
Philip  Skoer;   and  Katie,  who  lives  at  home. 

Our  subject  is  the  possessor  of  a  fine  farm  num- 
bering some  one  hundred  and  thirt3--seven  acres, 
of  which  one  hundred  and  seven  are  all  well  im- 
proved, and  in  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  His 
principal  crop  is  wheat,  and  he  is  known  throiigh- 
out  the  countr3'  as  a  very  successful  raiser  of  this 
commodity.  He  is  a  member  and  liberal  supporter 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  and  Treu- 
bund  of  Smithton. 

(Jur  subject  is  a  stanch  Kepublicaii.  and  renders 
unstinted  assistance  to  his  party  both  in  municipal 
and  National  elections.  He  is  at  present  School 
Director  of  this  district,  and  also  Collector  of  the 
township,  to  which  latter  ollice  he  was  elected 
in  the  fall  of  1891.  His  principles  are  those  of 
a  true  American,  and  he  believes  that  every  man 
ought  to  vote  according  to  his  own  convictions. 

Adam  Pfeiffer  inspires  a  warm  interest  in  all 
wilh  \vh<)ni  he  corat-'s  iu  contact.     lU;  is  a  man  of 


genial  and  kindly  disposition,  one  whose  friend- 
ship is  sought,  and  with  whom  an  acquaintance  al- 
ways develops  into  a  kindlier  feeling.  He  is  one 
of  the  solid  men  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home,  and  a 
true  Auierican  citizen  in    the    fullest  sense   of   tlie 


M>-^^<m 


p^KKl)   L. 
1  ciRTueli 


KKl)  IJ.  MKlHilLLS.  I'he  uri.uinal  of  the 
sketch  is  one  of  those  pleasant  and 
ic  gentlemen  of  whom  it  is  safe  to 
predict  success.  Mr.  Merrills  opened  a  law  otKce 
in  Belleville  in  1889,  and  has  been  for  some  time 
with  the  law  firm  of  Koerner  tfelvoerner.  He  was  born 
August  20,  1864,  iu  this  count}-,  and  was  the  sou 
of  Fred  and  Catiierine  (IJayakin)  Merrills.  The 
father  was  also  born  in  this  count}-,  in  what  is  now 
St.  Clair  Township,  April  14,  1818,  was  educated 
here  in  the  common  schools  and  succeeded  his 
father  on  the  old  farm. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Giles 
County,  Tenn.,  and  in  1845  came  here,  having 
spent  her  early  life  in  Mississippi.  The  father  of 
our  subject  lived  on  the  old  farm  until  December 
5,  188.5,  when  he  was  removed  by  death,  leaving 
three  children  and  his  faithful  wife  to  mourn  his 
loss.  The  children  are  Alfred,  living  iu  Jackson 
County;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  Theodore  Ashlock, 
of  this  count}-;  and  our  subject.  The  mother  of 
our  subject  died  December  9,  1889,  mourned  by 
all  who  knew  her  as  a  good  woman  and  true 
friend. 

Sylvester  Merrills,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, came  unaccompanied  to  Illinois  iu  the  year 
1812,  being  a  clock-peddler  by  occupation.  He 
had  worked  his  way  from  his  native  State, 
Connecticut,  and,  upon  reaching  the  new  country, 
took  up  Government  lands,  which  he  held  to  his 
death,  passing  tlicm  down  to  his  son  Fred,  and  in 
time  they  reached  our  subject.  The  eighty-acre 
homestead  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Merrills 
and  will  not  deteriorate  under  him.  The  grand- 
father married  Susan  Varner,  of  Virginia.  At 
fuic  time  lie  held  the  office  of  Superintendent 
of  Schools,  at  another. lustice  of  the  l'(^a(/e,  and  was 


^^^U^ta/^Qr   ^ 


'^^^y^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


a  prominent  man  in  all  local  affairs.  WhtMi  niniU' 
Assessor,  it  was  for  the  whole  county.  Tliis  well- 
known  man  passed  away  in  1852. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  obtained  his  educa- 
luiii  at  Carbondale,  in  this  State,  and  at  tlie  Normal 
("niversity  there.  He  then  went  into  the  office  of 
Dill  it  Schaefer,  and  was  admitted  by  the  Appellate 
Court  to  the  practice  of  law  at  Springfield,  in  No- 
vember, 1889,  after  which  he  immediately  went 
enthusiastically  into  the  practice'  of  law  here  and 
has  done  well.  His  political  preference  is  for  the 
Democratic  party,  and  he  has  been  honored  by  it 
by  being  sent  as  delegate  to  the  congressional 
and  county  conventions.  Our  subject  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Virginia  Badgle3-,  the  daughter  of 
S.  P.  Badgley,  of  this  count}'.  This  marriage  took 
place  December  28,  1887,  and  two  children,  Fred 
and  Marshall,  fill  their  home  with  happiness.  This 
family  is  one  of  the  oldest  in  this  section,  and  a 
representative  of  it  established  the  lirst  Baptist 
Church  in  the  State. 


AKLES  GRIFFEN  lias  spent 


litre 


ife 
upon  the  farm  which  is  still  his  home.  It 
is  located  on  section  14,  Shiloh  Valley 
Township.  He  was  born  in  184r>,  of  the  union  of 
Joseph  and  Sallie  A.  (Collins)  Griffen.  His  father 
was  born  in  Clinton,  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  in 
1796,  and  was  one  of  the  four  sons  of  Jacob  Griffen. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  Greenville, 
Greene  County,  N.  Y.,  December  1,  1805,  and  was 
one  of  twelve  children. 

Joseph  Griffen  went  to  Albany  County,  N.  Y., 
with  his  parents  when  quite  young.  He  attended 
the  common  schools,  but  was  mostly  educated  by 
extensive  reading.  At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  went 
to  Western  New  York,  secured  a  horse,  fitted  out  ;i 
wagon  and  on  his  own  responsibility  began  ped- 
dling, continuing  as  far  West  as  the  Missis-ippi 
Kiver.  A  few  years  afterward  he  came  down  the 
Ohio  River  by  boat,  and  located  in  Handolpli 
County,  III.  This  was  in  1817.  While  on  tlie 
rivei  he  met  liis  lirst    wife,   Mrs.    .Mary    (Foulkes) 

23 


Shepherd,  daughter  of  Christopher  and  Margaret 
Foulkes.  She  was  the  widow  of  Thomas  II.  Shepherd 
and  had  one  child  by  her  first  husband. 

Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Griffen  were  born  eight  chil- 
dren, but  only  three  grew  to  manhood  and  woman- 
hood: Joseph,  now  deceased;  Sarah  A.  and  Maria. 

1  The  brother  first  married  Maggie  Shaw  and  after- 
ward wedded  Anna  B.  Murdougli,  by  whom  he  had 
six  children:  Alice,  deceased;  Cora  A.,  Henry  B., 
Maggie  B.,  Walter  and  Charles  H.  Sarah  A.  became 
the  wife  of  James  II.  Alexander  and  they  had  three 
children:  Joseph  II.,  Edgar  II.  and  Ottie  F. 
Maria  became  the  wife  of  George  Lemen,and  unto 
them  was  born  a  son,  George  C.  Her  second  hus- 
band was  Benjamin  Rentchler,and  they  became  the 
parents  of  three  children:  Chester  L.,  Charles  E. 
and  Albert  G.  Her  third  husband  is  W.  D.  Howard, 

I  and  unto  them  were  liorn  four  children:  Mary, 
Joseph,  Carrie  and  Leroy. 

After  a  few  years  spent  in  Randolph  County, 
Mr.  Griffen,  the  father  of  our  subject,  removed  to 
St.  Clair  County,  locating  first  on  Turkey  Hill.  He 
soon  afterward  bought  the  farm  on  which  Charles 
resides  and  made  it  his  home  until  his  death.  He 
was  truly  a  self-made  man,  as  he  started  out  in  life 
empty-handed  and  accumulated  about  thirteen  hun- 
dred acres  of  land.  After  the  death  of  his  first 
wife,  he  wedded  Sallie,  daughter  of  Joseph  and 
Hannah  (Silkman)  Collins,  who  were  natives  of 
Connecticut  and  were  of  Dutch  and  Irish  descent, 
respectively.  By  the  second  marriage  were  born 
four  children:  Boone,  who  died  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen years;  AUetta,  who  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
months;  Charles,  and  Jane  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seven  months.  The  father  of  this  family  died  in 
October,  1874,  in  the  faith  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
In  politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig  and  afterward  a 
Republican.  He  served  as  Justice  of  the  Peace 
several  years  and  was  a  prominent  and  inlluential 
citizen,  highly  respected  in  the  community.  His 
wife,  who  was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Cliurch,  (lied  in  April,  187(i. 

Our  sul>ject  remained  on  the  home  farm  with  his 
parents  until  their  deaths.  He  attended  the  com- 
mon schools  and  completed  his  education  in  tlie 
Comincicial  School  of  St.  Louis,     liccntered  upon 


490 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


farm.  As  a  companion  on  life's  journey  he  chose 
Miss  Mactha,  daughter  of  James  and  Julia  (Clark) 
Park.  Their  union  was  celebrated  in  1873.  The 
lady  is  a  native  of  this  cour\ty,  and  her  parents 
were  born  in  Kentucky  and  Virginia,  respectively. 
Tlie  Clark  family  is  of  Scotch  descent.  Unto  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Griffen  have  l)een  born  four  children: 
Cyril  A.,  Myrtle  A.,  Joseph  B.  and  Charles  L.  C. 

Mr.  Griffen  is  a  member  of  the  Grange  of  the 
county.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican  and  has 
filled  various  public  offices  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  He  is 
the  efficient  Postmaster  of  Grassland,  appointed  to 
that  position  in  November,  1890,  and  is  one  of  the 
extensive  land-owners  of  the  county,  his  possessions 
aggiegating  seven  hundred  acres.  His  farm  is  a 
Taluable  one,  and  in  connection  with  this  he  owns 
a  store  at  Grassland.  Mr.  Griffen  is  a  man  of  ex- 
cellent business  ability,  is  sagacious  and  far-sighted, 
systematic  and  methodical,  and  his  excellent  success 
is  the  result  of  his  own  well-directed  efforts,  enter- 
prise and  perseverance.  He  has  a  wide  acquaintance 
throughout  the  county,  and  is  held  in  the  highest 
regard  1)3- all  with  whom  business  or  social  relations 
have  brought  him  in  contact.  His  example  is  well 
worthy  of  emulation,  and  with  pleasure  we  present 
to  our  readers  this  record  of  liis  well-spent  life. 


^^^^EOKGE  F.  Hl'TTEK.  This  gentleman  is  a 
[II  _-,  native  of  the  viUage  of  St.  Libory,  St.  Clair 
'^^K  County,  111., and  was  born  in  the  house  he  now 
lives  in,  twenty-seven  years  ago,  his  birth  occur- 
ring November  18,  1865.  Mr.  Rutter's  father  and 
mother,  were  Henry  and  Gertrude  (Giassmeier) 
Kutter. 

Henry  Hutter  was  horn  in  Austinbrouk,  Prussia, 
in  the  year  1817.  He  received  a  common-sciiool 
education  in  accordance  with  the  strict  laws  of  his 
native  country,  but  iiis  parents  being  poor  the}- 
could  give  him  but  limited  educational  advan- 
tages, and  lie  had   to  begin    very  early    in  life  to 


ssnnie  the 


.f  his 


•lihood. 


In  1835,  he,  to  better  hisown  condition,  came  to 
the  United  States  and  located  at  St.  Louis,  where 
he  occupied  himself  as  a  teamster  and  drayman 
until  the  year  1845.  He  then  moved  from  St. 
Louis  and  came  to  St.  Libory,  St.  Clair  County, 
and  there  earned  his  living  as  a  peddler  of  vari- 
ous wares  in  the  surrounding  country.  By  his 
diligence  and  economy  he  was  able  to  buy  a  piece 
of  property,  and  his  first  purchase  in  the  real-es- 
tate line  was  tiie  homestead  which  his  son  now  oc- 
cupies. Through  industry  and  thrift  he  was  soon 
able  to  open  a  store  for  general  merchandise,  and, 
although  having  onl^'  small  capital,  his  persever- 
ance and  strong  business  ability  have  aided  the 
success  with  wliich  his  name  is  coupled  in  the  com- 
munity. He  was  quite  successful  from  the  begin- 
ning of  his  mercantile  career  and  was  soon  alile  to 
enlarge  liis  stock.  He  continued  to  buy  property 
and  added  farming  to  his  mercantile  enterprise. 

The  year  1845  marked  an  era  in  his  life,  as  the 
one  in  which  he  took  a  life  partner,  one  who  should 
make  him  the  wife  and  helpmate  needed  to  con- 
summate his  alread^^  assured  success.  To  this  union 
were  born  the  following  children:  Louisa,  wife  of 
Fritz  Lager;  Katie,  wife  of  Henry  Wessel;  Bernard, 
partner  of  the  subject  of  our  sketch ;  Mary,  wife 
of  Nicholas  Mayer;  Anna,  wife  of  Theodore 
Poclmann;  Gertrude,  and  George  F.,  whose  bio- 
graph)'  we  here  sketch.  In  addition  to  the  above- 
named  children  were  August  and  Mary,  two  chil- 
dren who  died  young  in  life. 

Henry  Rutter  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and 
an  ardent  follower  of  the  Roman  Catholic  relig- 
ion. His  ability  and  integrity  were  thoroughly 
appreciated  by  his  fellow-citizens,  and,  as  an  evi- 
dence of  their  confidence  in  him,  they  bestowed  on 
him  the  office  of  Justice  of  the  Peace,  wliidi  lie 
held  for  several  years,  to  his  own  credit  ami  tlif 
satisfaction  of  the  community.  Mr.  Rutter,  Sr.. 
died  in  the  year  1880,  on  the  10th  day  of  August, 
and  was  mourned  in  the  community  wliere  he  had 
passed  the  greater  portion  of  his  life  as  a  worthy 
citizen,  a  kind  and  genertius  father  and  husband, 
and  a  man  who  had  always  enjoyed  the  respect  of 
all  with  wliom  lie  came  in  contact.  His  estimable 
wife  survives  liim  and  makes  her  lionie  with  Jier 
son,    the    subject  of   this   sketch,  where   her  kind. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


491 


womanly  sympathies  are  souglit  by  all  the  com- 
uuinity  in  which  she  has  dwelt  so  long,  and  to 
whom  she  has  become  dear. 

(ieorge  F.  Riitter,  with  whose  name  we  coui- 
meiice  this  sketch,  finished  his  education  in  the 
University  of  St.  Lonis,  and  after  completing  his 
course  there  entered  into  the  mercantile  life.  Mis 
ability  was  such  that  the  year  in  which  he  attained 
his  nKijorily  found  liim  the  possessor  of  a  bus- 
iui's>  all  his  own.  Inheriting  the  ambition,  in- 
dustry, thrift,  and  ability  of  his  father,  he  has  gone 
steadily  forward,  acquiring  not  only  the  confi- 
dence of  his  patrons,  but  the  esteem  of  tlie  com- 
munity in  which  he  has  grown  from  boyhood  to 
manhood. 

Following  in  the  footsteps  of  his  father,  he  is 
one  of  the  prominent  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  to  which  body  he  gives  liberal 
support,  and  is  known  as  a  strong  expcuicut  of  its 
teachings.  He  is  also  a  member  of  liic  Catholic 
Knights  of  Ireland,  a  Roman  Catholic  order. 

Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  takes  an  ac- 
tive part  in  all  municipal  elections,  as  well  as  the 
Presidential  campaigns,  standing  loyally  by  his 
party,  and  aiding  its  nominees  to  the  best  possible 
interests  of  the  country.  Young,  popular,  ambi- 
tious and  deserving,  this  son  of  an  exemplary 
father  has  achieved  a  great  deal  in  life,  and  we 
trust  there  is  a  future  before  him  which  will  be 
adequate  to  his  abilities  and  highest  ambitions. 


!^i-^[ 


s^  ETFH  FHIE.S,  one  of  the  iirominent  farm- 
Jj]  ers  of  Engelraan  Township,  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  resides  on  section  13.  Here 
Mr.  Fries  owns  a  beautiful  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  wliicli  he  has  put  in  a 
fine  state  of  cultivation.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  is  a  native  of  the  county  in  which  he  le- 
sides,  and  his  birthday  occurred  .January  ;il.  IHl:?, 
he  being  the  son  of  (ieorge  and  Fiizabetli  Fries. 
He  was  reared  in  his  native  county,  and  received 
his  education  in  the  iniblic  schools  of  liis  district. 
'J'he   latter    were  conducted   in    a   vcrv  credilalilc 


manner,  and  the  teachers  were  generally  those  who 
had  attended  some  higher  school  of  learning, 
hence  the  ojiportunities  for  acquiring  an  education 
were  much  better  than  those  enjoyed  by  his  par- 
ents, and  our  subject  was  not  slow  in  embracing 
all  the  advantages  offered  him. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-four  years,  our  subject  be- 
gan to  think  of  founding  a  home  for  himself.  To 
this  end  he  selected  Miss  Dorothea  Wever  to  be- 
come the  partner  of  his  joys  and  sorrows.  She  was 
the  worthy  daughter  of  Mr.  Fred  Wever,  a  resi- 
dent of  Clinton  County,  111.  After  this  happy 
event,  which  took  place  in  1865,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Fries  looked  about  them  for  a  pleasant  location 
for  their. future  residence.  The  village  of  Turkey 
Hill  seemed  to  present  all  the  requirements  neces- 
sary for  the  enjoyment  of  country  life,  and  he  re- 
mained there  until  1867.  At  that  time  Mr.  Fries 
decided  to  purchase  a  farm  of  his  own,  and  he 
selected  his  present  jilace,  located  in  Engelman 
Township,  and  here  he  and  his  family  have  resided 
ever  since. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fries  have  three  living  children, 
one  of  whom  has  left  the  i)arent:il  roof  for  a  home 
of  her  own.  This  is  Eliza,  who  became  the  wife 
of  Adam  Larch,  an  engineer  of  New  Baden.  The 
two  other  daughters,  Susan  and  Emma,  remain  at 
home.  The  beautiful  farm  of  our  subject  consists 
of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  well-improved 
land,  on  which  are  found  fences,  neat  outbuild- 
ings and  big  barns,  all  in  good  condition,  and  a 
fine  orchard,  where  are  to  be  found  a  choice  variety 
of  apples.  Mr.  Fries  understands  all  kinds  of 
farming,  but  has  discovered  that  grain  is  his  most 
profitable  croj),  and  the  yield  is  sometimes  simply 
remarkable.  Within  the  neat  farmhouse  that  shel- 
ters this  family  can  still  be  seen  evidences  of  the 
skill  of  the  notable  housewife,  Mrs.  Fries,  who  man- 
aged the  estalilishmeiit  ever  since  she  changed  her 
name  of  Wever  for  that  of  Fries,  although  the 
willing  hands  that  ministered  to  her  family  have 
been  laid  to  rest  these  many  years,  she  having 
l)assed  away  in  1879,  leaving  her  husband  and 
three  children  to  iiiouin  her  loss.  Her  nienioiy  is 
still  tenderly  cherished  by  her  liusliand,  who  has 
never  filled  her  [ilai-c.  hut  is  eoiitent  nilli  the  iiiiii- 


492 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mr.  Fries  is  a  strong  advocate  of  the  principles 
of  the  Republican  party.  He  is  also  much  iuter- 
esterl  in  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association. 
Our  subject  is  a  devoted  member  of  tlie  New 
Memphis  Lutheran  Church.  He  has  alwa^ys  been 
an  industrious  man,  and  now  reaps  the  reward  of 
his  labors. 


=^=^^mm^^^wmm=^ 


The  prominent  ge I 


Jl'OllN  W.  GRISWOI 
tleman  whose  name  opens  this  sketch  is  an 
1  ex-county  official  of  Montgomery  County'. 
'  and  a  successful  real-estate  man,  who  now  is 
tlie  efficient  Superintendent  of  the  agents  of  the 
Safety  Homestead  Building  and  Loan  Association, 
of  East  St.  Louis.  He  is  an  Alderman  of  the  city 
of  Litchfield,  where  he  resides,  and  is  the  owner 
of  three  fine  farms  in  Montgomery'  Count_y. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  born  in 
\'erraont,  and  in  1824  moved  with  his  family  to 
(Jreene  County,  III.,  and  they  were  the  pioneer 
settlers  there.  This  assertion  may  not  mean  much 
to  the  casual  reader  of  this  Recoud,  but  tliere  are 
many  among  the  older  generation  wlio  will  have 
no  trouble  in  calling  up  memories  of  the  long 
jotu-ney  by  team;  of  the  storm  and  accidents  by 
tlie  way;  sometimes  of  the  littlegraves  which  were 
watered  by  tears  and  then  left  alone  on  the  wide 
prairie;  of  tlie  unbroken  forests,  from  which  must 
come  house  and  home;  of  tiie  want  of  the  merest 
conveniences  of  life;  and  of  the  dreadful  home- 
sickness which  attacked  the  bravest  at  times. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Ambrose  Gris- 
wokl,  a  native  of  \ermont,  who  was  onl_\  four 
years  old  when  he  was  brought  to  Greene  County, 
where  he  followed  a  farmer's  life  until  in  18.57, 
when  he  located  in  Montgomery  County,  in  Nash- 
ville Township,  and  there  bought  a  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  He  soon  began  to  put 
money  in  fine  stock,  and  in  time  I'aised  the  best 
thorough-bred  horses  in  the  State  and  made  a  great 
success.  In  time,  he  bought  more  land  and  now 
owns  five  farms,  including  in  all  one  thousand 
;irre.-,     His    residence    is  iu  Litchfield,  where    he 


is  much  esteemed  as  a  pi-ominent  member  of 
tlie  Baptist  Church.  The  political  opinions  of 
Mr.  Ambrose  Griswold  are  in  accordance  witii 
those  of  the  Democratic  party.  The  deceased 
mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  name  of  Sarah 
Williams,  and  was  born  in  Greene  County;  she  was 
the  daughter  of  a  former  pioneer,  and  her  death 
occurred  in   1877. 

Mr.  Griswold  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Kane, 
Greene  County,  111.,  April  9,  18.53.  He  has  one 
sister,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Jones  and  lives  near  Litch- 
field, and  one  brother,  who  resides  in  Tacoma, 
Washington.  Our  subject  was  reared  on  the 
farm,  was  early  taught  to  work,  and  lived  tlie 
usual  life  of  the  farmer  lad;  going  to  the  dis- 
trict school  in  winter  for  a  short  time  and  working 
in  llie  summer  at  the  plowing  and  sowing  of  grain, 
the  planting  of  corn,  the  iiay-making,  and  all  the 
other  agricultural  labor,  which  is  pleasanter  to  read 
about  in  after  3'ears  than  to  push  forward  in  youth. 
Our  subject  early  developed  a  fondness  for  dumb 
brutes,  and  at  the  age  of  seventeen  he  began  to 
deal  in  cattle  and  hogs  and  soon  was  shipping  them 
to  the  Union  Yards  at  St.  Louis  and  to  the  Stock 
Yards  of  Chicago.  He  continued  this  for  eight 
years,  and  because  of  his  fondness  for  the  animals 
he  was  a  kind  master  to  them,  and  was  ver^-  suc- 
cessful in  his  raising  of  them.  He  became  one  of 
tlie  largest  stock-men  in  the  county  of  ISIonl- 
gomeiy. 

About  this  time  Mr.  (inswold  >taited  in  the 
livery  business  in  Litchfield  and  kept  at  this  for 
five  years.  In  1880,  he  was  made  Deimty  Sheriff 
under  L.  G.  Fath  for  two  years,  and  then  under 
W.  A.  Pyle,  for  four  years.  In  1886,  he  was 
elected  to  the  oflice  of  Sheriff  by  a  fourteen 
hundred  and  fifty-six  majority,  wliich  was  the 
largest  majority  ever  [lolled  for  any  county 
office.  He  remained  at  Hillsboro  to  fill  his  term 
of  office,  but  returned  to  Litchfield  in  April,  1892. 
He  was  then  nominated  for  Alderman,  although 
he  had  not  passed  a  day  except  Sunday  in  Litch- 
field for  five  years.  The  ward  is  ninetj'  votes 
Republican,  but  Mr.  Griswold  was  elected  by  a 
majority  of  fift3'-four  votes.  He  is  Chairman  of 
the  Police  Committee  and  that  makes  him  Chief 
of  Police,     lie  is  also  on  other  coujiuitlees.     Iii 


^'- 


JOHN    PERRY. 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPmCAL  EECORD. 


4  95 


December,  1890,  lie  came  to  East  St.  Louis  and 
began  to  deal  in  real  estate,  and  the  firm  of  Mc- 
Lean &  Griswold  was  formed  on  Broadway 
and  there  the  business  is  at  present  carried  on.  He 
is  the  agent  for  the  Safety  Homestead  Building 
and  Loan  Association,  and  is  a  valued  member  of 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and 
the  religious  membership  of  his  family  is  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church. 

Mr.  Griswold  is  too  fine  a  gentleman  not  to  be 
a  family  man,  and  his  jnarriage  to  one  of  the 
maidens  of  Litchfield  took  place  February  23, 
1878.  The  young  lady's  name  was  Miss  Gertrude 
Brokaw.  Bessie,  Mamie  and  Ross  are  the.  names 
of  the  three  children  of  the  happj'  household.  Mr. 
Griswold  is  a  stanch  and  out-spoken  Democrat, 
and  has  represented  the  citizens  in  the  State  Con- 
vention. The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in  this 
section,  and  is  among  the  most  respected  in  the 
county. 


^ — 


J 


/  -f^*^* 


OHX  PP;RHV,  a  retired  broom  manufacturer 
and  formerly  one  of  the  enterprising  busi- 
I  ness  men  of  Belleville,  occupies  a  comfort- 
^^f,'  able  residence  at  No.  601  East  C  Street.  A 
brief  sketch  of  his  eventful  life  will  undoubtedly 
be  of  interest  to  his  many  friends  in  the  count3\ 
He  is  the  son  of  William  and  Phcsbe  (Sprinkle) 
Perry,  natives  respectively  of  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania.  The  father  was  a  member  of  the 
Thirtieth  New  York  Regiment  during  the  War  of 
1812,  where  he  served  with  bravery.  About  1829,  he 
came  West  to  Illinois  and  became  one  of  the  pio- 
neers of  this  State,  where  he  engaged  in  farming 
operations  until  his  death. 

Our  subject's  father  was  married  May  9, 
1829,  and  three  children  resulted  from  this  union: 
John,  of  this  sketch;  Hannah,  Mrs. Oliver, of  Silver 
Lake,  Kan.;  and  Mary,  wife  of  Henry  McCullough. 
Our  subject  was  born  in  Monroe  County,  111.,  near 
the  village  of  Waterloo,  April  11,  1830,  and  when 
six  years  old  was  orphaned  by  the  death  of  his 
father.     He  received  his  education   in   the  schools 


of  Monroe  County,  where  lie  grew  to  manhood. 
During  the  war  with  Mexico,  he  enlisted  as  a 
member  of  Company  G,  Sixth  Illinois  Regiment,, 
which  he  joined  in  July,  1847,  at  the  age  of  seven- 
teen. During  his  service,  he  marched  over  the 
sandy  countrv'  from  Vera  Cruz  to  Mexico  and  back 
again,  and  the  exposure  so  injured  his  e3'es  as  to 
cause  total  blindness.  After  an  absence  of  one 
year,  he  returned  to  his  home,  and  was  soon  sent 
to  the  blind  school  at  Jacksonville,  111.,  where  he 
pursued  his  studies  and  also  learned  the  trade  of 
broom-maker. 

For  a  time,  Mr.  Perr\'  followed  his  calling  at 
AYaterloo,  111.,  whence  he  removed  to  Monroe  City, 
ten  miles  distant.  In  September,  1861,  he  came  to 
Belleville  and  engaged  in  the  same  business  until 
about  1875,  when  he  retired  from  active  labors.  A 
man  of  untiring  industry,  he  did  not  allow  his 
blindness  to  fuinish  him  with  an  excuse  for  idle- 
ness, but  worked  steadily  at  his  trade  until  he  was 
able  not  only  to  comfortably  support  his  family, 
but  had  accumulated  sufficient  of  this  world's 
goods  to  insure  him  from  further  want.  He  is  one 
of  the  few  survivors  of  the  brave  soldiers  who 
fought  during  the  Mexican  War,  and  is  in  recei[)t 
of  a  pension  for  his  services. 

In  August,  1860,  Mr.  Perrj'  and  Miss  Nancy 
Harrison  were  united  in  marriage,  and  for  thirty 
years  they  have  resided  in  the  pleasant  home  at 
Belleville  which  they  now  occupy.  Mrs.  Perry 
was  born  in  St.  Clair  County,  February  2.5,  1824, 
the  daughter  of  George  and  Rlioda  (Quick)  Harri- 
son, natives  of  Pennsylvania.  She  is  a  descendant 
of  Thomas  Quick,  who  emigrated  from  Holland  to 
America  in  1733, and  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  Her 
grandfather,  Isaac  Quick,  was  a  distiller  and  a 
stock-broker.  George  Harrison  came  to  Illinois  at 
an  early  day  and  engaged  in  farming  operations 
until  his  death  in  1833;  his  wife  survived  him  for 
thirty  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  ten  chil- 
dren, of  whom  four  now  survive,  namely-:  Eliza- 
beth, who  resides  in  Colorado;  Lucretia,.  wife  of 
Jesse  Davis,  of  Washington,  Cal.;  Mary,  Mrs. 
Henry  Dagner  Randolph,  and  Mrs.  Perry,  who  was 
the  fifth  in  order  of  birth. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Perry  t(Jok  into  their  home  her 
nephew  David  S..  the  orphan  son  of  Isaac  Harrison. 


49(; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


;iih1  tlioy  gave  him  the  same  affectionate  care  and 
tiaining-  they  would  have  bestowed  upon  a  child 
of  their  own.  He  remained  with  tiieni  until  lie 
was  seventeen  years  old,  and  is  now  successfully 
following  the  carpenter's  trade  in  St.  Louis.  In 
their  religious  connections,  Mr.  Perry  and  his  wife 
have  for  many  years  been  identified  with  the 
Baptist  Church,  and  they  are  honored  wherever 
known  as  upright,  kind-hearted  and  thoughtful 
people. 


=— 4.^i#83!#-?-.-^ 


=^ 


|lt-^ENRY  ROE  WE.  Eew  men  fill  a  gre:iter 
ifjij  want  in  the  city  than  Mr.  I^oewe,  who 
iii^^  deals  in  flour  and  feed,  and  has  a  well-con- 
(^)  ducted  establishment.  In  Hour  a  saving 
can  be  effected  by  buying  from  him,  for  he  buys 
by  the  car-load,  and  can  therefore  afford  to  make  a 
reduction  from  what  is  usually  charged  by  the 
small  retail  stores.  He  pays  close  attention  to  his 
business  and  has  agood,  steady  trade,  which  is  well 
merited,  for  he  has  alwaj's  shown  the  utmost  honor 
in  his  business  transactions.  He  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany,  August  14,  1840,  to  Herman  and 
Lena  (Hanneke)  Roewe,  both  of  whom  were  born 
and  spent  their  lives  in  Germany.  The  former 
was  a  well-to-do  farmer  and  was  the  Tax  Collector 
of  his  district  for  years.  He  died  in  1874  and  the 
mother  in  1876,  both  having  been  earnest  and 
worthy  members  of  the  Catholic  Church.  To  their 
union  seven  children  were  born,  five  sons  and  two 
daughters,  five  members  of  which  family  are  still 
living.  One  son  was  in  the  Holstein-Danish  War 
of   l.StS. 

Henry  Hoewe  was  the  youngest  of  the  family-, 
was  reared  on  a  farm,  and  from  the  time  he  was 
six  until  he  had  attained  his  fourteenth  year  he 
was  an  attendant  of  the  common  schools.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  years,  he  became  an  apprentice  at 
brick-laying,  and  this  occupation  received  his  at- 
tention until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age,  princi- 
pally in  Oldenburg.  At  the  above-mentioned  age,  he 
enlisted  in  the  German  army,  in  the  Fifth  Company, 
Seventh   Kegiment,  and   served    during    1863-G4: 


during  the  fourteen  months  that  he  was  in  the  ser- 
vice his  time  was  |)riiicipally  spent  in  protecting 
the  North  Sea.  He  was  in  two  engagements  but 
returned  home  in  February,  1865,  and  again  began 
working  at  his  trade.  In  the  fall  of  1866,  he  left 
Bremen  for  Hull,  England,  and  after  four  months 
spent  at  his  trade  in  that  city,  he  went  to  London, 
and  then  to  Southampton,  where  he  took  passage  on 
board  a  steamer  for  New  York  City,  which  place 
he  did  not  reach  for  sixteen  days,  owing  to  the 
stormy  weather  they  encountered.  He  immedi- 
ately came  to  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  which  was  at 
that  time  only  a  small  place,  and.  as  money  was  a 
rather  scarce  article  with  him.  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  James  Smith,  and  until  the  following  sum- 
mer drove  one  of  his  delivery  wagons.  Succeed- 
ing this,  he  was  in  a  mill,  a  grocery  store  and  the 
coal  yard  of  Dunk  liros.,  but  in  1869  began  deal- 
ing in  flour  and  feed  on  his  own  responsibility,  be- 
ing associated  with  a  Mr.  Kemper,  on  Collinsville 
Avenue.  This  partnership  continued  harmoni- 
ously until  1883,  when  their  establishment  was  un- 
fortunately burned  and  they  did  not  again  resume 
business  relations.  In  the  latter  part  of  the  same 
yt'.ir.  .Ml.  Kof'we  began  doing  business  at  his  pres- 
ent stand  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  Street  and  Broad- 
way and  has  done  well.  The  liou.se  is  built  of 
stone  and  brick  and  has  a  frontage  of  fifty  feet 
and  a  depth  of  one  hundred  feet. 

ISIr.  Roewe  has  identified  himself  with  the  inter- 
ests of  East  .St.  Louis  and  is  a  stockholder  and 
Director  in  the  Workingmen's  Bank;  he  served  as 
Alderman  from  the  Third  Ward,  his  election  tak- 
ing place  in  1878,  and  in  1889  was  again  elected 
to  the  position  of  Alderman  on  the  Citizens'  ticket 
and  served  two  years,  during  which  time  he  was 
on  a  number  of  important  committees  and  was 
Chairman  of  the  Finance  Committee.  He  warmly 
espoused  the  movement  for  the  improvement  of 
the  streets,  and  has,  in  numerous  other  ways, 
showed  himself  an  active  worker  for  the  good  of 
the  city.  He  was  married,  in  1869,  to  Miss  Caro- 
line Seimer,  a  native  of  Oldenburg,  Germany,  but 
who  came  to  America  with  her  parents  in  1867. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roewe  the  following  children 
have  been  born:  Lizette,  who  is  in  a  convent; 
Car(;line,    who  is  a  clerk    in    a    drv-goods   store; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOORAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Heniv,  Jr.;  Herman, Cecelia, Cliristine,  August  and 
.Josephine.  Tbej'  liave  also  reared  an  adopted  son, 
Tlieodore  Wiesman.  Mr.  Roewe  was  one  of  tlie 
building  eonimittee  of  St.  Henry's  Church,  is  now 
a  Trustee,' and  for  many  years  past  he  has  been 
.Judge  of  Elections.  He  is  a  wide-awake  man  of 
business,  but  is  strictly  honorable  in  every  respect, 
as  liis  thriving  business  would  indicate.  He  and 
his  familv  are  members  of  tlie  Catholic  Church. 


-^-^^i^^^®!^^^ 


<^pf  U(;rST  l.KNZ  is  a  progressive  (Jernian  of 
(^fLlll     Belleville  and  is    the  President  and   sole 

///  li'  owner  of  the  Rogers  Foundry  &  Stove 
^'  Company,  which  was  incorporated   with  a 

capital  stock  of  $7.5,000.  These  works  cover  nearly 
three  acres,  about  one-half  of  whicli  is  under  roof, 
or  the  whole  front  of  six  liundredand  twenty-four 
feet,  and  are  in  close  proximity  to  the  Louisville  & 
>»ashville  Railroad,  which  affords  fine  shipping 
facilities.  Stoves  are  manufactured  exclusively 
and  are  exceptionally  well  made  and  perfect,  as 
this  line  of  industrial  activity  has  reached  some- 
thing closely  akin  to  perfection.  Employment  is 
given  to  one  hundred  and  fifty  skilled  workmen, 
and  in  few  brandies  of  trade  has  the  marcli  of 
progress  wrought  such  a  veritable  revolution.  This 
house  has  made  an  immense  amount  of  street-car 
cable  for  St.  Louis,  Kansas  City  and  Denver,  and 
is  thoroughly  prepared  to  continue  its  manufac- 
ture wiienever  it  receives  contracts.  Tlie  works 
are  lighted  up  by  electricity,  and  if  occasion  de- 
mands it  work  is  conducted  successfully  at  night 
as  well  as  in  the  daytime. 

Mr.  Lenz  first  became  connected  with  tliis  plant 
in  1884,  simply  as  a  stockholder,  at  which  time  it 
was  a  machine  foundry.  He  is  the  owner  of  the 
Lenz  Wire  Nail  Mill,  which  was  erected  about  1887 
with  a  capital  stock  of  about  #20,000.  It  is  fitted 
up  with  the  finest  machinery  for  the  manufacture 
of  wire  nails  from  one-half  to  seven  inches  in 
length.  He  conducted  that  business  until  1891, 
when  it  was  leased  toother  parties,  the  power  being 
furnished  by  plant.      He  is   "\'ice-piesident  of    the 


Brosious  Belleville  Oil  Company,  which  was  estab- 
lished in  1856  with  a  capital  stock  of  $80,000, 
which  manufactures  principally  castor  oil,  although 
linseed  oil  and  nut  oil  are  largely  manufactured. 
These  works  are  located  on  West  Main,  near  Mas- 
coutah  Street.  Mv.  Lenz  is  a  gentleman  of  push 
and  enterprise,  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
wants  of  the  trade  and  popular  alike  with  his 
patrons  and  trade  competitors.  No  Western  com- 
pany has  been  more  fortunate  in  establishing  and 
maintaining  a  high  reputation,  both  as  to  tlie 
superiority  of  the  goods  made  and  handled  and 
the  excellence  of  the  work  executed. 

Our  subject  has  a  beautiful  home  situated  on 
fifty  acres  of  land  four  miles  from  Belleville  on  the 
Rock  Road,  the  grounds  surrounding  his  residence 
being  especially  beautiful  and  well  kept.  All  kinds 
of  fruits  are  raised  in  abundance,  and  his  is  an  ideal 
country  home,  well  removed  from  the  din  and 
bustle  of  eit3'  life.  Mr.  Lenz  was  born  near  Cologne, 
Prussia,  .July  17,  1827,  but  is  a  remarkabl}'  well 
preserved  man  for  his  years  and  looks  much 
younger  than  he  reall3^  is.  He  is  a  son  of  Arnold 
and  Maria  Lenz,  and  prior  to  their  removal  to 
America  in  18.32,  he  had  .acquired  the  principal 
part  of  his  education.  After  coming  to  America, 
the  father  settled  on  a  farm  in  Missouri  and  passed 
from  life  at  his  old  home  in  Franklin  County,  in 
the  vicinity  of  which  the  most  of  his  children  yet 
reside.  He  w.as  a  useful  and  progressive  citizen 
and  was  honored  and  respected  alike  by  his  ac- 
quaintances and  family. 

The  boyhood  days  of  August  Lenz  were  spent  in 
following  the  plow  on  the  old  homestead,  but  he 
afterward  became  an  employe  in  the  firm  of  F. 
Dings  it  Co.  on  Main  Street,  St.  Louis,  with  which 
he  remained  from  1849  to  1872,  becoming  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  in  later  years  which  was  known  as 
Ziock  &  Lenz.  They  started  in  business  on  Main 
Street  and  continued  as  business  associates  from 
18()2  to  1872,  and  Fortune  smiled  on  their  connec- 
tion. In  1872,  Mr.  Lenz  bought  and  built  a  fine 
residence,  to  which  he  wished  to  retire  from  the 
active  duties  of  life,  but  so  active  was  his  nature 
that  he  was  not  satisfied  until  he  was  again  in  busi- 
ness, and  since  that  time  he  h.as  conducted  his  affairs 
in  an  energetic  and   iiraiscwoitliv   manner.      He   is 


498 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  sole  manager  of  the  Rogers  Foundry  &  Stove 
Company,  and  has  developed  a  flourishing  trade, 
that  has  penetrated  into  man}'  States  of  the  Union 
and  has  assumed  proportions  of  flattering  magni- 
tude. The  low  scale  of  prices  renders  every  cus- 
tomer a  permanent  one,  and  Mr.  Lenzis  to  be  con- 
gratulated upon  the  large  measure  of  success 
achieved  in  his  undertaking. 

Mr.  Lenz  was  united  in  marriage  witii  Miss 
Amelia  Halbach,  of  St.  Louis,  on  the  21st  of  Sep- 
tember, 18.51,  and  by  her  is  the  fatiier  of  the  fol- 
lowing five  children:  Rosa,  wife  of  F.  M.  Preston, 
of  East  St.  Louis;  William  and  George,  who  are  as- 
sociated in  business  with  their  father;  Carl  and 
Emma.  Mr.  Lenz  is  a  shrewd  financier  and  always 
grasps  at  any  opportunity  for  bettering  his  financial 
condition,  but,  withal,  is  not  in  the  least  penurious, 
and  is  the  soul  of  honor.  He  is  of  that  class  of 
foreigners  whom  America  gladly  welcomes  to  her 
shores,  for  lie  is  not  only  industrious  and  enter- 
lirising  but  he  is  also  public-spirited  and  loyal,  an 
American  at  heart,  although  of  foreign  birth. 


J  I  OSEPH  C.  BURR.  Proli.ably  no  man  iu  St. 
Clair  County  has  a  higher  reputation  for 
thorough  honesty  and  reliability  than  the 
'  above-named  gentleman.  He  is  the  owner 
and  occupant  of  one  of  the  finest  farms  in  this 
section  of  the  State,  and  numbers  among  his  pos- 
sessions eight  hundred  acres  of  land,  the  accumu- 
lation of  whicli  was  actuated  by  a  desire  to  obtain 
and  vest  in  himself  all  land  ever  owned  by  the 
Burr  family  in  Illinois. 

Mr.  Burr  is  a  native  of  St.  Clair  County  and  was 
born  on  the  farm  where  he  now  lives  in  1836. 
Here  he  became  of  age  and  began  his  own  work  in 
life,  earning  the  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact,  and  becoming  the  possessor  of  not 
only  a  competence,  but  sufficient  of  earth's  good 
tilings  to  place  him  in  the  foremost  ranks  of  the 
rich  men  of  his  countv.  In  politics,  he  is  a  Repub- 
lican, a  stanch   adherent   of    the   principles  of    his 


party,  and  keenly  interested'  in  all  that  pertains 
thereto. 

Chauncey  S.  and  Parmelia  (Yoeman)  Burr,  the 
parents  of  our  subject,  were  both  born  in  the  city 
of  Hartford,  Conn.,  the  father  in  the  year  1802, 
and  the  mother  in  1801.  The  parents  of  Chauncey 
S.  Burr  died  when  he  was  very  young,  and  he 
made  his  home  from  early  infancy  among  stran- 
gers. He,  however,  received  an  excellent  common- 
school  education,  and  when  about  eighteen  years 
of  age  started  in  life  for  himself.  His  first  venture 
was  as  a  merchant  in  a  small  way, or  as  the  people 
of  his  district  termed  the  enterprise,  he  commenced 
as  a  book  peddler.  After  six  years  of  traveling 
with  various  wares.  My.  I'lUir,  Sr..  settled  for  a 
short  time  in  Hartford.  Cmiii..  where  he  married. 
To  him  and  his  estimable  wife  were  born  eight 
children:  August  and  Julian  C,  deceased;  Joseph 
C;  Adeline  and  Emeline,  twins;  Julia  P.,  Sophronia, 
and  Montgomeiy,  who  IS  deceased.  Miss  Emeline 
Burr  has  never  married  but  is  housekeeper  for  her 
brother  Joseph;  Adeline  is  the  widow  of  Newton 
Bratncy;  Sophronia  is  the  widow  of  Ebenezer  Lib- 
ingworth,and  Julia  P.,  now  deceased,  was  the  wife 
of  Raley  Rawls. 

After  emigating  to  lllinoi.-,  Mr.  Burr,  Sr.,  located 
in  Randolph  County  where  he  kept  tavern  for  six 
years.  He  afterward  bought  eighty  acres  of  land 
in  St.  Clair  County  from  a  Mr.  Jones,  and  after 
moving  here  he  entered  all  the  land  that  the  Gov- 
ernment would  allow  him.  He  w.as  a  great  student 
of  the  political  history  of  our  country,  and,  being 
the  possessor  of  a  good  memory,  was  authoritj^ 
among  his  neighbors  and  friends  for  information 
referring  to  matters  of  the  natifni  and  (lOvern- 
ment. 

After  removing  to  St.  Clair  County,  Chauncey 
Burr  established  himself  as  a  thorough  farmer  and 
stock-raiser.  In  politics,  he  was  first  a  Whig  and 
in  his  later  years  his  sympathies  and  support  were 
given  to  the  Republican  party.  He  held  theoHice 
of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in  his  township  creditably 
to  himself  and  acceptablv  to  the  community.  The 
demise  of  his  wife  in  1871  was  one  of  the  saddest 
features  of  his  prosperous  career.  For  some  years 
previous  to  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1877,  he 
retired  frem  active   life,  and   his  son,  our  subject. 


"i^A^^^^^ 


RESIDENCE  OF  JOSEPH    C.  BU  RR  ,5ec.27,  LENZBURG  TP,ST.  CLAIR  CO., ILL 


A.^'&jv-jsiL^:^  ~~>^~<~T'Sk-%sr:S*'^'^',^  -^r2!=»Kj«rvT' 


^itl^^'i'iU.iX 


RESIDENCE  OF  GEORGE  P.  LI  EBIG,  SEC.12  FNGLEMAN   TR,  ST.CLAI  R   CO.,  ILL. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


501 


assumed  all  the  care  and  responsihilitv  of  liis  fa- 
ther's business. 

So  much  of  the  cliaraeter  is  foreshadowed  in  the 
history  of  one's  ancestors,  tiiat  it  will  not  be  amiss 
to  record  the  fact  that  this  branch  of  the  Burr 
family  can  trace  their  descent  to  one  of  the  earliest 
New  England  families,  their  ancestors  coming  to 
the  United  States  in  the  "Mayflower,"  which  landed 
at  Plymouth  Rock.  Aaron  Burr  was  a  scion  of  the 
same  family  and  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  Joseph 
C.  Burr,  is  a  lineal  descendant  of  this  distinguished 
Revolutionary  character. 

By  his  economy  and  industry,  .loseph  C.  Burr  is 
now  the  owner  of  one  of  the  most  attractive 
homes  in  this  county,  both  in  its  external  sur- 
roundings and  in  the  home  life  under  its  roof. 
He  is  a  man  of  broad  intelligence  and  progreseive 
ideas,  a  practical  and  successful  agriculturist  and 
one  who  in  every  department  of  life  fulfills  the 
duties  that  lie  before  him  in  a  creditable  manner. 
He  has  never  married,  his  home  being  presided 
over  by  his  sister,  a  lady  of  housewifely  skill 
and  many  estimable  traits  of  character.  His 
life  has  exhibited  the  qualities  of  sturdy  man- 
hood, which  are  certainly  the  heritage  of  estimable 
ancestors  as  well  as  the  development  of  surround- 
ings, and  laudable  ambition. 


^^^^;EORGE  P.  LIEBIG,  who  owns  a  line  farm 
'il  ^_ — ,  of  three  hundred  and  seventy-two  acres  on 
'\^JJ|  section  12,  Engelman  Township,  was  born 
on  the  .")th  of  December,  1836,  in  Baltimore,  Md., 
and  is  of  German  descent.  His  father,  Valentine 
Liebig,  was  a  native  of  Darmstadt,  Germany,  and 
emigrated  to  America  in  183(;.  lie  spent  about  a 
year  in  Baltimore,  Md.,  and  then  removed  with 
his  family  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  resided  for  a 
year  and  a  half.  AVhen  he  came  to  this  country 
he  was  married  and  had  three  children.  On  loca- 
ting in  St.  Clair  County,  he  took  up  his  residence 
in  what  is  now  Freeburg  Township,  where  he  pur- 
chased forty  .acres  of  land.  This  he  sold  on  re- 
moving to  Engelman  Townslii|i.     In  1847,he|jur- 


chased  the  farm  on  which  our  subject  now  resides, 
and  made  it  his  home  until  18()4,  when  he  removed 
to  Mascoutah,  and  there  resided  until  his  death 
in  1876.  His  wife,  who  bore  the  maiden  name  of 
Elizabeth  Schuchmann,  is  also  deceased.  They 
were  highly  respected  citizens,  widely  and  favor- 
ably known  in  this  community.  Their  family 
numbered  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  yet 
living. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  has  spent  almost  his  entire  life  in  this 
county.  He  was  reared  to  manhood  under  the 
j)arental  roof,  and  in  the  summer  months  worked 
upon  a  farm,  while  in  the  winter  season  he  at- 
tended the  common  schools,  where  he  acquired  his 
education.  He  remained  at  home  until  his  mar- 
riage, which  was  celebrated  on  the  23d  of  A]n-il, 
1863,  Miss  Margaret  AVeaver  becoming  his  wife. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  Frederick  "Weaver,  who  came 
to  America  when  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  resided 
in  Clinton  County,  111.,  where  Mrs.  Lieliig 
was  born  and  where  she  spent  her  maiden- 
hood daj's.  The  young  couple  began  their  domes- 
tic life  upon  his  father's  farm  on  section  13,  En- 
gelman Township,  where  they  spent  about  a  year 
and  a  half,  when,  in  the  autumn  of  1864,  they  re- 
moved to  the  farm  which  has  since  been  their 
place  of  residence. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Liebig  has  been 
blessed  by  the  presence  of  ten  children,  nine  of 
whom  are  yet  living,  Fred  having  died  at  the  age 
of  six  months  and  eight  days;  Henry  V.  is  married, 
and  resides  on  section  13,  Engelman  Township; 
Philip  aids  his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  the 
home  farm;  Lizzie  is  now  the  wife  of  .John  lirown, 
a  telegraph  operator  on  the  Ohio  &  IMississippi 
Railroad  at  Baden,  111.;  Emma,  .John,  Mary,  (ieorge, 
Annie  and  Susanna  are  still  under  the  parent;il 
roof. 

As  before  stated,  Mr.  Liebig  owns  a  farm  of 
three  hundred  and  seventy-two  acres,  of  which 
two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  are  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  He  is  engaged  in  general  farm- 
ing and  stock-raising,  and  the  neat  appearance  of 
his  place  indicates  his  careful  management,  while 
.all  tlie  improvements  upon  the  farm  stand  as 
monuments  to  his  thrift  and  enterprise.     Sociall\', 


)02 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mr.  Liebig  is  a  Mason,  and  has  always  taken  an  ac- 
tive interest  in  tiie  work  of  that  fraternity.  lie  is 
also  an  active  member  of  the  Farmers'  Mutual 
Benefit  Association,  and  was  the  first  Vice-presi- 
dent of  tlie  first  society  started  in  this  township. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat,  and  lias  been  honored 
with  the  offices  of  School  Dirccloi-,  School  Trustee 
and  Highway  Commissidnei'.  wliich  he  filled  for 
five  years.  Perseverance  and  enterprise  are  among 
his  chief  cliaracteristics,  and  by  good  management 
and  excellent  business  ability  he  has  won  success  in 
his  life  work. 


]>-^<t 


ellARLES  P.  FLEISC'IIBKIN.  Any  citizen 
of  Belleville  would  spe.ak  of  the  subject  of 
our  sketch  as  one  of  the  most  resjjected  and 
pvomiiient  of  her  many  fine  men.  He  de.ils exten- 
sively in  fine  imported  wines  and  cigars,  and  does 
a  very  successful  and  flourishing  business. 

Our  subject  was  born  in  this  city  October  22, 
1840.  and  was  the  son  of  Jacob  and  Louisa  (Lutz) 
Fleisclibein.  Jacob  Fleischbein  was  born  in 
Rhenish  Bavaria  and  tiiere  married  Miss  Louisa 
Lutz.  They  came  to  this  county  in  1833,  and 
here  Jacob  engaged  in  farming  at  Shiloh  Val- 
ley, being  among  the  party  who  settled  that 
place.  He  remained  tiiere  but  a  short  time  and 
then  came  to  Belleville  and  established  the  first 
brewery  in  this  vicinity,  it  being  located  near  the 
corner  of  Illinois  and  First  Streets.  Here  he  con- 
tinued until  18.55  and  built  up  a  large  trade.  He 
died  in  1856,  leaving  a  widow  and  seven  children. 
They  are:  Catherine,  widow  of  John  Wilding;  Rosa, 
widow  of  M.  Ellerman,of  Chicago;  Louise,  wife  of 
Charles  Becker,  of  this  city;  Fred  H.;  Theodore  O., 
who  is  Deputy  County  Clerk;  and  the  subject  of 
this  writing. 

The  latter  was  educated  in  this  city  and  for  a 
time  was  engaged  in  railroad  work.  In  1861,  he 
became  one  of  Uncle  Sam's  defenders  and  joined 
Company  D,  Ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  He  was  taken 
sick  at  Cairo  and  brought  to  Belleville,  where  he 
remained  until  his  recovery,  when  in  1862  he  re- 


enlistcd  and  with  Company  F,  Seventh  Illinois  In- 
fanti'y,  was  sent  to  guard  prisoners  at  Camp  Butler 
in  Alton,  and  was  also  employed  in  taking  prison- 
ei's  to  Vicksburg.  He  served  as  First  Lieutenant  of 
Company  F.  He  was  mustered  out  in  October,  1863, 
and  returned  to  St.  Louis  but  later  went  to  Madison , 
AVis.,  where  he  went  into  business.  He  returned  in 
1872  and  spent  some  time  in  traveling  for  a  St. 
Louis  house  and  for  tlic  Western  Brewery  Company. 
In  1884  he  lirst  fsluiili^lu-d  hi>  present  business 
on  Illinois  Street,  opposite  the  City  Hall,  but  after- 
ward moved  to  East  Main  Street. 

He  has  been  an  active  worker  in  the  Democratic 
party  for  man}'  years,  and  for  fourteen  has  been  a 
inember  of  the  Central  Committee  and  is  now  one 
of  the  Executive  Committee  and  Treasurer  of  the 
same.  He  is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  is  a  member  also  of  the  (Trand  Army 
of  the  Republic. 

Oursubject  was  married  to  Miss  Joanna  Mabry,  of 
this  city,  June  26,  1864.  They  have  four  daughters, 
as  follows:  May,  wife  of  Joseph  Ammerman,  of  Leb- 
anon; Sarah,  wife  of  Edgar  Sager,  of  Lebanon; 
Alma  and  Luella. 


REDERICK  EDWARD  RICHTER,  who  is 
)^  now  living  a  retired  life  in  Mascoutah,  is 
one  of  the  extensive  land-owners  of  the 
county  and  a  self-made  man,  whose  example  is  well 
worthy  of  emulation  and  should  serve  to  encour- 
age others  who,  like  himself,  have  to  begin  life  at 
the  lower  round  of  the  ladder.  A  native  of  (!er- 
mMuy,  he  was  born  on  the  4th  of  October,  1825, 
and  when  about  live  years  of  age  removed  to 
Hesse-Darmstadt,  where  he  acquired  his  education. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  nineteen  years  when,  in 
1844,  he  bade  good-bye  to  home  and  Fatherland 
and  sailed  for  America  in  company  with  :i  hrother, 
sister  and  their  mother.  On  landing  in  this 
country,  they  made  their  way  to  Illinois  and 
located  about  a  mile  and  a  half  northeast  of  Mas- 
coutah, where  they  purcha.sed  forty  acres  of  land 
and  a  ten-acre  timber  tract.     The    brother,    Louis, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


now  reside!*  north  of  the  city.  The  .sister  is  tlie 
widow  of  Adam  .Stoc-k  .and  ni.akes  her  lionie  in 
.Mascoutah. 

On  coming  to  this  connt.v.  iMr.  Hichter  ol'  this 
sketch  worlced  in  the  fields  for  a-lialf  (h)llar  per 
day.  At  that  time  the  farm  produce  was  sent  to 
market  at  St.  Louis,  and  during  the  Mexican  War 
they  got  only  about  sixteen  cents  per  busliel  for 
oats.  Our  subject  shared  in  the  hardships  and 
trials  of  pioneer  life  and  is  familiar  with  the 
iiistory  of  the  county  from  that  early  day.  He 
was  first  married  to  Miss  Mary  Blum,  and  unto  them 
were  born  tliree  children:  Louis,  who  resides  on 
his  father's  farm;  Charles,  who  also  carries  on 
.agricultural  pursuits;  and  George,  who  operates 
a  part  of  his  father's  land.  The  mother  of  tliis 
family  was  called  to  her  final  rest  in  March,  1854, 
and  Mr.  Richter  was  married  in  the  autumn  of 
the  following  year  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Rheinhart, 
daughter  of  Conrad  Rheinhart,  who  resided  in 
Mascoutah  Township,  about  a  mile  south  of  the 
city.  Five  children  graced  this  marriage,  but  the 
first-born  died  in  infancy;  Philip,  is  now  living  in 
Mascoutah  Township;  Mary  is  the  wife  of  Ernest 
R.  Ilagist,  a  business  man  of  this  place;  Lizzie  is 
the  wife  of  Fred  Justus,  who  is  engaged  in  general 
merchandising  in  Mascoutah;  and  Matilda  Cather- 
ine, now  the  wife  of  John  Mann,  a  resident  farmer 
of  Clinton  County,  111. 

Mr.  Richter  resided  on  tlie  old  homestead  until 
186.5,  when  he  removed  to  a  farm  six  miles  north- 
cast  of  Mascoutah,  there  making  hi.s  home  for  a 
period  of  twelve  years.  On  the  expiration  of  that 
time,  he  bought  a  farm  near  the  old  homestead,  to 
which  he  removed,  engaging  in  the  cultivation 
and  improvement  of  his  land  until  about  a  year 
ago,  when,  in  the  latter  part  of  August,  1891,  he  re- 
moved to  the  city  and  has  since  lived  a  retired 
life.  He  now  owns  five  hundred  and  ninety-seven 
acres  of  valuable  land,  all  of  which  is  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation,  with  the  exception  of  his 
limber  tracts.  This  yields  to  him  an  excellent  in- 
come. 

Mr.  Richter  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  is  President  of  its  Board  of  Trustees,  has 
always  lieen  an  active  worker  in  the  church,  and  is 
one  of   its   liljeral  supporters.     In  polities,  he  is  a 


Republican,  and  for  five  years  served  as  .Supervisor 
of  his  township.  He  was  School  Director  for  many 
years,  and  the  cause  of  education  finds  in  him  a 
warm  friend.  His  life  has  been  a  busy  and  useful 
one.  He  caine  to  this  country  empty-handed,  but 
depending  on  his  own  resources,  he  has  steadily 
worked  his  way  upward,  overcoming  all  the  ditti- 
culties  and  obstacles  in  his  path,  and  making  his 
way  gradually  to  a  position  of  wealth  and  af- 
fluence. He  is  now  enjoying  a  well-earned  vest, 
surrounded  by  all  the  comforts  of  life,  which  he 
has  won  through  his  well-directed  efforts.  He  is  one 
of  the  prominent  citizens  of  the  county,  a  man 
widely  and  favorably  known,  and  one  of  its  early 
settlers,  who  for  almost  half  a  century  has  wit- 
nessed its  progress  and  upluiilding. 


(^ll  F.  METELMANN.  This  gentleman  is 
11  \V  one  of  the  rising  merchants  of  Darmstadt, 
Ij  <¥>  St.  Clair  County.  His  first  acquaintance 
*  with  this  mundane  sphere    began    in    St. 

Loui.s,  Mo.,  in  the  year  1861.  lie  is  a  descendant  of 
an  old  respected  German  family,  and  came  to  his 
present  location  when  he  was  twentj'-three  years 
old,  settling  here  and  entering  into  mercantile  life 
with  sufticient  vim  and  energy  to  found  a  business 
of  which  he  is  to-day  the  successful  proprietor. 

Rev.  John  H.  Metelmann,  father  of  our  subject, 
was  born  in  Mecklenburg,  Germany,  in  1814. 
He  was  a  prominent  man  in  the  part  of  the  country 
where  he  lived,  and  was  called  on  to  represent  his 
district  in  Congress.  Honest,  firm  and  unyielding 
in  his  views,  the  dark  days  of  the  revolution  ne- 
cessitated his  leaving  his  native  land  and  fleeing 
to  the  shores  of  this  new  and  more  Democratic 
country.  John  II.  Metelmann  was  a  very  highly 
educated  man,  he  having  been  a  student  at  the 
noted  schools  of  Sweerin  and  Ludwiglust.  His 
political  career  ended  with  his  exile  from  his  native 
land,  and  after  settling  in  the  United  States  he 
adopted  the  ministry  as  his  chosen  profession  and 
life  work.     He  espoused  the   Lutheran   creed   and 


504 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


was  known  during  his  life  as  an  earnest  and  devout 
exponent  of  the  life  and  principles  of  the  founder 
of  liis  church.  His  most  successful  pastoi  ate  was  that 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  at  Highland,  111.,  where 
he  preached  the  Gospel  for  thirteen  successive  years, 
organizing  a  church,  and  liuilding  up  a  community 
which  to-da}'  bears  evidence  of  his  ability  as  a 
scholar,  and  as  the  pastor  of  a  people  who  appre- 
ciated his  efforts  in  their  behalf  and  recognized  in 
him  a  help  and  counselor  to  the  community. 

Our  subject's  fatlier  was  married  in  his  native 
land  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Hanke.  and  to  them  wore 
born  five  children,  only  one  of  whom  survives, 
namely  ^Mrs.  'Slnvy  Bush,  wife  of  Jacob  Bush,  who 
is  Master  Machinist  in  the  shops  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  A-  (iuincy  Railroad  Company  at  Keokuk, 
Iowa.  His  first  wife  dying  in  German\',  Rev.  Mr. 
Metelmann  was  again  married,  this  time  to  Emma 
Karlsburg,  daughter  of  Carl  and  Elizabeth  (Ratul- 
fla)  Karlsburg,  and  to  thein  were  born  five  children, 
three  of  whom  are  vet  living:  Paul  A.,  general  man- 
ager of  a  large  wholesale  establishment  in  St.  Louis; 
Louisa,  wife  of  William  Popp,  of  Biddleborn,  111.; 
and  M.  F.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch. 

Mr.  M.  F.  Metelmann  began  the  career  for  wiiich 
nature  intended  him  at  the  age  of  fourteen.  At  vari- 
ous periods  of  his  early  boyhood,  he  held  positions 
as  newsboy  and  clerk  in  a  store.  Such  were  the  fields 
in  which  he  sought  to  gain  his  future  fortune.  He 
moved  to  his  present  location  from  Highland  in  the 
year  1879,  and  then  opened  a  general  store  in  a 
small  way.  Prudence,  industry,  economy  and  thrift 
have  ever  characterized  his  undertakings,  and  the 
growth  of  his  small  business  enterprise  ought  cer- 
tainly to  be  a  source  of  pleasure  to  Mr.  Metelmann, 
as  he  looks  b.ick  over  the  years  and  views  in 
memory  his  small  starting  point. 

Tiie  marriage  of  Mr.  Metelmann  took  jil.ace  in 
1.S84.  his  wife  being  Miss  Margaret  Schaeferle, 
(laughter  of  George  and  Anna  (Keim)  Schaeferle, 
and  one  of  seven  children.  Mr.  Metelmann  has  by 
his  own  work  and  perseverance  made  a  place  among 
the  solid  business  firms  in  this  community,  and  if  the 
l)rosperity  of  coming  years  increases  in  proportion 
CO  that  of  the  years  he  has  already  passed  in  busi- 
ness, St.  Clair  County  will  have  good  cause  to  be 
proud  of  thisenteri>rising  merchant.     He  now  car- 


ries a  full  line  of  merchandise,  which  as  standing 
stock  will  invoice  in  the  neighborhood  of  16,000 
or  17,000.  Having  achieved  so  much,  and  being 
able  to  enjoy  alw.ays  the  confidence  and  respect  of 
his  neighbors  and  patrons,  Mr.  Metelmann  will  un- 
doubtedly soon  reach  the  goal  of  his  higliest  am- 
bition. 


^^+^ 


^I^RANK  GUNDLACH.  The  original  of  the 
\\-^S)]  following  sketch  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of 
/ll>  ""  Gundlach,  Gauch  &  Muren,  prominent  in 
the  livery  and  undertaking  business  in  the  city  of 
Belleville.  Their  place  of  business  is  located  at 
the  corner  of  A  and  High  Streets,  where  they  oc- 
cupy 60xl(;o  feet. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  Philip  Gundlach. 
of  German  birth,  who  came  to  Belleville  in  1844, 
and  first  engaged  in  farming;  he  then  went  into  the 
malt  and  brewery  business,  and  later  conducted  a 
grocery  business;  he  finally  returned  to  farming  in 
Carlyle,  Clinton  County,  111. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Josephine  Wcin- 
gartner,  a  daughter  of  an  old  settler  here.  She  was 
born  in  Germany,  came  here  about  the  same  time  as 
her  husband,  and  now  lives  at  Carlyle.  They  reared 
a  family  of  eight  children,  as  follows:  Henry,  de- 
ceased; Frank  and  Mary;  Katie,  wife  of  Thomas 
Sharp,  of  Clinton  County;  Josie.  deceased;  Anna, 
wife  of  Ralph  Hirschfield,  of  Clinton  County;  Ed- 
ward, and  FAla..  Our  subject  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  this  city,  after  which  he  settled 
in  Clinton  County:  he  there  learned  the  trade  of 
carriage-smith,  worked  at  that  until  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  and  then  went  on  his  father's  farm 
for  seven  years. 

After  this  Mr.  Gundlach  went  into  the  undertak- 
ing and  furniture  business  in  Carlyle.  and  carried 
that  on  for  three  3-ears,  and  then  came  to  Belle- 
ville to  enter  this  firm.  It  was  first  started  as 
Gundlach  &  Gauch,  and  continued  successfully  un- 
til March  2.3,  1892,  when  Frank  C.  Muren  was  ad- 
mitted, and  now  it  is  the  most  complete  establish- 
ment of  its  kind  in  the  southern  part  of  Illinois. 
Thev  deal  in  all  kinds  of  metallic  and  rosewood  cas- 


'x?^/^^-<2^^ 


^^''^-€^-7<z^-'"Z-'''Z''^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


507 


kets  patent  and  walnut  coffins,  and  also  in  all  kinds 
of  trimmings,  shrouds,  etc.  In  the  livery  business, 
lliey  have  twenty-five  horses,  besides  vehicles  of  all 
kinds — landaus,  carriages,  wagons,  hearses  and 
everything  that  their  extensive  business  requires. 
The  head  of  tlie  Arm  is  a  practical  erabalmer,  hav- 
ing received  instructions  in  common  and  arterial 
embalming  under  Svillivan.  and  can  take  entire 
charge  of  bodies,  giving  the  best  of  satisfaction,  and 
preserving  the  beloved  features  often  absolutely 
lifelike.  Our  subject  was  married  May  1,  1889,  to 
Miss  Pauline  Ganz,  the  daughter  of  John  Ganz,  of 
C'arlyle,  111.  She  was  born  in  Belleville,  IMarch 
23,  1859,  and  removed  to  Carlyle  in  18fi().  Mr. 
Gundlach  has  made  a  success  of  his  business  by 
close  attention  to  it.  lie  began  without  means, 
but  now  is  one  of  the  wealthy  liusiness  men  of 
Belleville. 


^  -^f ^^l-^-i^ilE^i^ 


\l ERMAN  SUEMNICHT.     The  fine  farm  that 

If  )|1  impresses  the  traveler  so  favorably  on  sec- 
JW^  tiou  11,  New  Athens  Township,  belongs  to 
(^j  the  gentleman  whose  name  opens  this 
sketch.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  Fi-ederick 
.^uemnicht,  a  Prussian  by  birth,  who  w.as  born  in 
1818,  and  married  in  his  native  country.  lie  came 
to  America  in  1856.  and  located  in  the  State  of 
Wisconsin,  where  he  eng.aged  in  farming  and  re- 
mained until  1859.  At  that  time  he  came  to  St. 
C'lair  County,  111.,  and  located  on  Turkey  Hill, 
where  others  of  his  nationality  bad  settled. 

After  remaining  there  for  three  years,  Mr.  Suem- 
nicht  went  to  Ingham  Township,  St.  Clair  County, 
and  there  resided  until  1867,  when  he  removed  to 
this  place.  His  death  occurred  here  in  1873.  He 
left  a  family  of  four  children,  three  of  whom  are 
yet  living,  namely:  Gustavus,  who  lives  in  New 
Athens,  this  county;  Louisa,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Dr.  Saltemberger,  a  physician  at  Millstadt,  III.;  and 
our  subject.  Born  February  28,  1844,  in  Prussia, 
Germany,  Herman  Suemnicht  was  eleven  years  old 
when  he  accompanied  his  father  to  this  county. 
His  marriage   took  place   in   the   year    1873,   to 


j  Miss  Lisette  Saltemberger,  of  this  county.  Af- 
ter tills  important  event  he  located  on  the  place 
where  he  has  lived  ever  since.  He  has  seen  hon- 
orable service  in  the  army,  and  was  a  member  of 
Company  B,  Ninth  Illinois  Infantry.  In  October, 
I  1862,  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  army  on  account 
'  of  wounds  received  at  the  battle  of  Shiloh.  He 
was  in  the  thickest  of  that  terrible  fight,  and  also 
took  part  in  the  battle  of  Ft.  Donelson,  and  for 
bravery  there  he  was  promoted  to  be  a  Corporal. 
On  that  bloody  ground  his  company  left  a  lieuten- 
ant and  several  corporals. 

Five  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Suem- 
nicht, namely:  Mary,  William,  Bertha,  Alvin  and 
Lizzie.  The  devoted  wife  and  mother  departed 
this  life  February  19,  1890.  The  family  occupies 
a  high  position  socially,  and  its  members  are  prom- 
I   inent  in  their  community. 

i       One  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land,  all  well 
I   improved  and  cultivated,  comprise  the  homestead 
!    where  Mr.  Suemnicht  and  his  family  live  in  com- 
fort.    He   carries    on    general    farming,  and  may 
justly  be  classed  among  the  most  prosperous  resi- 
dents of  the  county.     He  has  served  his  district  as 
School  Director,  and  takes  great  interest  in  all  im- 
j    provements.     In  politics,  he  affiliated  with  the  Re- 
I    publican  party  until  1872,  and   since  .then  has  sup- 
ported the  principles  of  Dem(;cracy. 


^^.EOKGE  R  M(C.  R(XiEKS.  The  Excelsior 
;|/  (— ,  Foundry  Company,  which  was  incorporated 
^^Jjj  .lanuary  1,  1892,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$10,000,  has  for  its  officers  E.  P.  Rogers,  Presi- 
dent, and  George  B.  McC.  Rogers,  Secretary  and 
Treasurer.  This  enterprise  was  established  on  the 
1st  of  .January,  1891,  under  the  firm  name  of  Rog- 
ers Bros.,  at  Third  South  and  Spring  Streets,  cov- 
ering one-fourth  of  a  block.  They  have  one 
furnace,  and  melt  about  five  tons  per  day,  manu- 
facturing country  hollowwaie  and  general  cast- 
ings. They  give  employment  to  a  force  of  about 
thirty    men,  three-fourths  of    whom  are  skUled 


508 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


workmen,  thii.s  milking  a  [my  roll  of  from  11,200 
to  $1,300  per  mouth.  The  work  turnerl  out  by 
this  foundry  is  always  first-class,  and  enjoys  a 
reputation  for  the  superiority  of  its  materials  and 
excellence  of  workmanship.  This  high  standard  is 
obtained  b3'  close  supervision  over  all  the  details 
of  manufacture. 

(ieorge  B.  McC.  Rogers  first  saw  the  light  of  day 
in  Hamilton,  Ohio,  on  the  10th  of  September,  1862, 
and  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Laura  (Fairchild)  Rog- 
ers, the  former  a  native  of  Ireland,  born  in  July, 
1834,  and  the  latter  of  Dayton,  Ohio,  born  in 
1837.  TheelderMr.  Rogers,  although  a  native  of  the 
green  isle  of  Erin,  was  of  Scotch  origin,  and  while 
growing  up  learned  the  moulder's  trade  of  his  fa- 
ther, William  Rogers,  who  was  a  foundrj'man.  He 
was  but  three  years  of  age  when  he  came  with  his 
parents  to'the  States,  and  was  reared  in  Hanover, 
Ind.,  whither  his  parents  had  removed.  In  the 
year  1856,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Fairchild,  and 
after  his  marriage  began  working  at  the  foundry 
business  in  both  Cincinnati  and  Hamilton.  In 
March,  1876,  he  came  to  Belleville,  111.,  and  here 
established  the  first  foundry  in  the  city.  This 
subse(juently  became  known  as  the  Rogers  Foun- 
dry and  Stove  Works,  and  at  its  incorporation  he 
was  President  until  selling  out  on  the  1st  of  Jan- 
uary, 1892.  After  selling  out,  he  established  the 
Standard  Foundry  Company  for  the  manufacture 
of  stoves  near  the  Louisville  &  Nashville  Passenger 
Depot.  He  is  one  of  the  representative  business 
men  of  the  city,  and  is  thoroughly  alive  to  all  en- 
terprises of  moment.  He  has  held  the  oflice  of 
Alderman,  and  has  filled  other  positions  of  trust. 
His  wife  is  still  living.  To  their  union  were  born 
six  children,  who  are  as  follows:  Eddy,  I'resi- 
dent  of  the  present  company;  George  B.  McC; 
Charles  G.,  with  the  Standard  Company;  Robert 
D.,  Jr.,  formerly  with  the  Rogers  Foundry  Company 
but  now  with  the  Cairo  Short  Line  Railroad;  Ida, 
wife  of  Samuel  Hyde,  Sedalia,  Mo.;  and  Bessie  J. 
Mr.  Rogers  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of 
I'nited  Workmen,  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias. 

Eddy  Rogers  was  born  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  on 
the  27th  of  May,  1860,  and  .secured  good  educa- 
tional advantages  in  Indianapolis  and  Cincinnati. 
Later,  he  learned  ornninenlal  )jlastering  and  decora- 


ting, and  then  the  moulding  and  foundr\'  busi- 
ness with  his  father  and  an  uncle  at  Erie,  Pa.  He 
was  Superintendent  of  the  Rogers'  F'oundry  and 
Stove  Company  from  its  organization  until  Janu- 
ary 1,  1891,  a  period  of  twelve  years,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  two  years,  when  he  was  engaged  in  the 
same  business  in  St.  Louis.  He  was  married  to 
Miss  Lillie  Bauman,  daughter  of  G.  F.  Bauman,  of 
Belleville,  in  the  year  1881,  December  15,  and  two 
children  have  blessed  this  union.  Harry  Eddy  and 
Frank  1!.  Mi-.  li^)gers  is  a  uicnibcr  of  the  Masonic 
fratciiiily.  and  an  attendant  and  supporter  of  the 
I'lcsl.Vtc.ian  Cliiirrh. 

(ieurg(!  11.  McC.  Rogeis  was  educated  in  Cincin- 
nati and  Indianapolis,  and  attended  the  Bryant  and 
Stratton  Business  College  at  St.  Louis.  Later,  he 
entered  the  foundry  and  learned  the  whole  busi- 
ness b}'  serving  his  time.  Afterward,  he  entered 
the  office  as  Secretar\',and  continued  to  fill  that  po- 
sition until  they  sold  out.  Then,  with  his  brother, 
he  established  the  business  here.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Prcsbyteiian  Church,  and  is  an  exemplary  and 
much  esteemed  young  man,  both  in  a  business  and 
social  point  of  view.  He  was  married  on  the  1st 
of  December,  1885,  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Rentchler, 
daughter  of  J.  B  Rentchler,  and  this  union  has 
been  blessed  by  the  birth  of  one  child,  Georgianna 
Rentchler.  Mr.  Rogers,  like  his  brother,  shows  a 
decided  liking  for  secret  organizations,  and  is  a 
Mason  and  a  Knii^lit  of  Pvthias. 


APT.  FREDERICK  DIL(i.  The  subject  of 
this  sketch  resides  in  the  city  of  Mascoutah, 
St.  Clair  County,  111.  He  is  the  son  of 
John  Nicholas  Dilg,  who  was  born  in  the  same 
place  that  afterward  became  the  birthplace  of  his 
son,  Bolanden,  in  Germany,  and  was  an  inhabi- 
tant of  that  place  when  his  marriage  with  Miss 
Catherine  Howenstein  was  solemnized.  Her  birth 
occurred  at  this  place  June  24,  1806,  and  after  she 
had  become  the  happy  mother  of  four  children 
she  agreed  with  her  husband  that  America  would 
be   the   best   place   in  which  they  could  make  their 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


509 


home  and  give  their  offspring  a  proper  start  in 
life.  Therefore,  in  1845,  the  father,  motlier  and 
four  children  made  the  long  journey,  and  finally 
reached  this  county,  and  here  located  one  and 
one-half  miles  south  of  Maseoutah,  where  the 
family  lived  until  1852,  when  they  moved  into 
Maseoutah  and  the  father  went  into  the  manufac- 
ture of  brick.  He  had  been  a  carpenter  in  Ger- 
many, but  now  followed  the  brick-making  trade 
until  1862,  and  in  1876  he  moved  to  New  York. 

All  three  of  his  sous  were  brave  soldiers  during 
the  Civil  War.  George  Philip  was  in  Texas  at 
the  breaking  out  of  the  war  and  was  forced  into 
the  Confederate  service,  but  he  managed  to  escape 
and  join  a  Union  cavalry  regiment.  He  is  now 
living  in  Williamson  County,  111.,  and  is  engaged 
in  farming  there.  Nicholas  was  in  an  artillery 
regiment  of  Missouri  Volunteers,  and  both  he  and 
his  brother  were  warrant  officers  during  the  war. 
Nicholas  died  in  1869.  Katherine  is  the  wife  of 
John  Arndt,  of  this  city. 

Our  subject  was  born  February  o.  li^Ui,  in  Bo- 
landen,  Germany,  and  was  live  years  old  wlien 
he  came  to  this  country.  He  grew  to  manhood 
here  in  INIaseoutah  and  was  educated  in  the  schools 
of  this  place.  In  1856,  he  was  apprenticed  to  learn 
the  drug  business  in  Helleville.  III.,  where  he  re- 
mained until  1859. 

On  the  1st  of  June,  1860,  a  paper  was  started 
in  Maseoutah  called  the  Neivs-Letler,  on  which 
our  subject  set  the  first  type.  At  the  close  of 
that  year  the  News-Lette)-  was  consolidated  with 
the  Belleville  Advocate,  and  our  subject  remained 
with  the  new  paper  until  President  Lincoln  issued 
his  call  for  seventy-five  thousand  patriots,  when 
he  volunteered  and  joined  Company  D,  Ninth  lUi- 
iTois  Infantry,  the  regiment  known  to  history  as  the 
"Bloody  Ninth."  He  remained  a  part  of  this 
regiment  until  the  close  of  the  war,  and  was  mus- 
tered out  of  the  service  July  10,  1865.  This  regi- 
ment was  in  one  hundred  and  ten  battles,  and 
some  of  the  most  bloody  struggles  of  the  war. 

Our  sulijeet  was  with  Sherman  on  his  march  to 
the  sea  and  up  through  the  Carolinas,  and  was  in 
the  triumphal  parade  in  Washington  on  Pennsyl- 
vania ,\venue  at  the  close  of  the  long  season  of 
strife.      The    regiment    wns    ^e-enli^(r(t    in     18C2, 


and  did  both  infantr3'  and  cavalry  duty.  Our 
subject  was  appointed  Corporal  at  Cairo,  111.,  and 
was  promoted  again  at  Paducah,  Ky.,  to  the  rank 
of  Sergeant,  and  while  the  siege  of  Atlanta  was 
going  on  he  was  made  First  Lieutenant'.  He  was 
close  to  the  spot  where  the  brave  McPherson  was 
killed.  The  Captain  of  his  company  was  killed 
in  the  swamps  of  South  Carolina  in  February, 
1865,  and  he  w.is  then  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
Captain,  remaining  w^ith  that  rank  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  He  was  in  the  battles  of  Ft. 
Donelson,  Shiloh.  the  siege  and  battle  of  Corinth, 
and  the  battle  of  Atlanta,  and  also  in  front  of 
Savannah,  Ga. 

No  doubt  one  of  the  proudest  moments  in  tiie 
life  of  this  hero  was  when  he  was  shown  a  mark 
of  appreciation  and  affection  in  Louisville,  Ky., 
June  27,  1865.  As  a  token  of  the  high  regard 
in  which  he  was  held,  the  members  of  Capt.  Dilg's 
company  presented  him  with  a  handsome  sword 
with  appropriate  ceremonies  to  commemorate  the 
occasion.  This  gift  is  among  his  most  precious 
possessions,  and  will  be  kept  as  an  heirloom  of 
priceless  value  to  iiand  down  to  future  genera- 
tions. 

Immediately  after  peace  had  settled  over  the 
land  again,  Capt.  Dilg  came  home  and  opened 
a  book  and  stationery  store  in  Maseoutah  in 
August,  1865,  and  followed  it  until  June  1, 
1869,  when  he  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  the 
town.  At  this  time  he  connected  a  job  print- 
ing oflfice  with  his  business,  and  in  1876  he  es- 
tablished the  Maseoutah  Anzeiger.  This  paper  he 
sold  out  in  .Tune,  1889,  but  it  is  still  conducted 
by  other  parties,  who  also  run  the  store.  He  was 
Postmaster  from  1869  until  the  Cleveland  admin- 
istration, and  was  re-appointed  in  May,  18S9, 
under  the  Harrison  administration. 

The  marriage  of  Capt.  Dilg  took  place  in  June, 
1868,  when  he  wedded  Miss  Sophia  Hauser,  the 
daughter  of  Frederick  Hauser,  of  St.  Louis,  and 
eight  children  have  been  added  to  the  family,  of 
whom  seven  are  still  living,  viz:  Kugene,  who  is 
attending  college  at  Jacksonville,  111.;  Lilli  L., 
Theodore,  Fred,  Rosamond,  Pearl  and  Klma.  Al- 
fred died  in  1878. 


510 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


of  Honor,  and  is  also  Senior  Post  Commander  of 
Mascoutali  Post  No.  682,  G.  A.  K.  Politically, 
Capt.  Dilg  is  a  strong  Republican  and  ver.y  fear- 
lessh-  speaks  his  mind.  Socially,  lie  is  a  favorite, 
as  his  generous  impulses  and  his  genial  manners 
in  society  win  him  regard,  as  they  cemented  the 
affections  of  the  veterans  of  war  times.  His  ac- 
complished wife  assists  him  in  all  the  duties  which 
fall  to  his  share  as  a  public  man,  and  in  the  town 
of  their  residence  none  are  more  highly  regarded. 


•^-N^i^lH-^Sj^l*^- 


Jl^-  ENUY  AVAGNEK.  Numerous  instances 
IjjV  might  be  cited  of  men  in  St.  Clair  County 
/^^^  who,  Ity  dint  of  persevering  application 
(^  and  enei-g3',  have  risen  from  a  position  of 
]ioverty  to  one  of  usefulness  and  influence.  They 
furnish  proofs  of  cheerful,  honest  labor,  and  a 
zealous  determination  to  make  the  most  of  every 
advantage  offered.  Among  this  class  of  successful 
men,  mention  belongs  to  the  gentleman  with 
whose  name. we  introduce  this  sketch,  and  who  is 
well  known  as  a  prominent  farmer  of  Marissa 
Township. 

In  tracing  the  lineage  of  our  subject,  we  find 
that  his  grandfather  was  John  Peter  Wagner,  who 
was  boru,  reared  and  passed  his  entire  life  in  Ger- 
many, where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  linen- 
weaver,  although  his  principal  occupation  through- 
out life  was  that  of  a  farmer.  The  father  of  our 
subject,  Ileiyv  Wagner,  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm,  and  early  in  life  gained  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  agricultural  pursuits,  wliicli  he  followed 
during  the  most  of  his  active  life.  By  trade  he 
was  a  linen-weaver,  but  never  devoted  much  time 
to  that  occupation.  He  never  left  his  native  land, 
l)ut  there  closed  his  eyes  to  the  scenes  of  earth  in 
1843,  when  in  tlie  prime  of  his  useful  and  honor- 
able life.  Ills  mai-riage,  which  uiiiltMl  liim  with 
Miss  Anna  ;\[.  Kern,  resulted  iu  lli^.'  biith  of  ten 
children,  two  sons  and  eight  daughters,  of  whom 
Henry  and  two  sisters  are  now  the  only  surviving 
memliers. 

Born  in  Germany  ju  1S3C,  Henry  Wagner  was 


there  reared  to  a  sturdy  manhood,  receiving  his 
education  in  the  excellent  schools  of  that  countr\-. 
In  his  youth  he  learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker, 
but  after  coining  to  the  United  States  tlid  not 
actively  engage  in  that  occupation.  Having  re- 
solved to  seek  a  home  in  America,  where  better 
advantages  were  offered  to  the  poor,  he  emigrated 
hither  in  ]8;j4,  at  the  age  of  eighteen  years,  and 
caine  at  once  to  St.  Clair  County,  where  he  settled 
on  a  portion  of  his  present  farm.  His  means  were 
quite  limited  and  it  was  only  after  great  exertions 
and  ceaseless  economy  that  he  was  enabled  to  pur- 
chase and  improve  his  estate.  He  is  now  tiie 
owner  of  a  splendid  farm  consisting  of  three  hun- 
dred and  fifty-eight  acres  of  as  fine  land  as  is  to  be 
found  in  Marissa  Township,  and  upon  the  place  he 
has  erected  the  necessery  buildings  and  made  first- 
class  improvements. 

The  lady,  who  on  March  6,  1860,  became  the 
wife  of  Mr.  AVagner,  was  Miss  Anna  Mary, 
daughter  of  Peter  and  Cornelia  Steinheimer,  and 
unto  them  have  been  born  the  following-named 
children:  Anna  Maggie,  whose  marriage  to 
Michael  Triefebach  occurred  September  14,  1886, 
has  one  child,  Michael,  two  j'cars  of  age;  Henry, 
Adam,  Anna;  Peter,  George,  Conrad  and  Katie 
are  all  deceased.  Henry,  who  resides  with  his 
father  and  superintends  the  home  farm,  was  mar- 
ried in  1889  to  Miss  Katie,  daughter  of  Charles 
and  Katie  Rice,  and  they  have  become  the  parents 
of  two  children,  Micliael  being  the  only  one  now 
living. 

The  Lutheran  Church  finds  in  Mr.  AVagner  a 
devoted  and  consistent  member,  and  all  religious 
enterprises  receive  his  hearty  sui)port.  In  his 
political  connections,  he  is  a  Democrat  and  is 
numbered  among  the  influential  members  of  that 
party  in  Marissa  Township.  His  fellow-citizens 
have  elected  him  to  various  positions  of  trust  and 
honor,  and  he  li.as  always  served  with  credit  to 
himself  and  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  concerned. 
l'"<ir  six  years  he  lilled  the  position  of  Highway 
Comiiiissioncr  aiid  for  eighteen  3'ears  served  as 
School  Director  in  his  district.  The  respect  ac- 
corded him  by  his  children,  in  whose  esteem  and 
aft'ection  he  enjoys  tli(>  solace  given  after  years  of 
toil  fui-  Ihcir  welfare,  and  the  conlideiiw^   which  he 


'^  ^^^ 


cnAy^r~o 


AyViA^Mj 


Cl^, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


513 


inspires  in  all  with  whom  he  conies  in  contact,  all 
prove  tliat  St.  Clair  County  has  in  liini  a  citizen 
of  wiiom  it  ma_y  be  justly  said  that  he  is  a  credit 
t<i  the  eomtininitv  in  whicli  he  lives. 


^\  HAHLES  KAEMPEK,a  popular  and  ener- 
(l(  /■  S^^^^  citizen  of  Millstadt  Township,  was 
'^^'  born  in  Monroe  County.  111.,  in  1856.  In 
tiie  county  of  his  birth  he  was  leared  to  mature 
years  within  tiie  home  of  his  parents,  Frederick 
and  Katharine  (Schroeder)  Kaemper.  In  the  dis- 
trict schools  the  fundamental  principles  of  his 
education  were  acquired,  and  afterward  he  pursued 
iiis  studies  at  the  Central  Wesleyan  College,  at 
Warrenton,  Mo.,  where  he  applied  himself  with 
j;reat  diligence  to  the  acquirement  of  knowledge. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  Mr.  Kaemper 
removed  from  Monroe  County  to  St.  Clair  County 
and  settled  upon  the  place  which  is  still  his  home. 
He  lias  never  married,  but  makes  his  home  with 
his  mother.  His  landed  possessions  consist  of  three 
fine  farms  in  Monroe  County,  which  he  rents,  and 
which  are  among  the  most  valuable  estates  of  that 
county.  A  man  of  broad  intelligence  and  general 
information,  he  is  alw.ays  interested  in  the  issues, 
both  national  and  local,  before  the  people  of  to-day, 
and  is  identified  with  many  progressive  measures  j 
on  behalf  of  his  community. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Frederick  Kaemper, 
was  born  in  Prussia,  Germany,  in  18-24.  Of  his 
early  life  we  know  little,  but  his  parents  must  have 
been  wise  and  kind;  otherwise,  their  son  would  not 
have  displayed  the  traits  of  character  which  render 
hisniemory  dear  tohissurvivingrelatives.  In  1845, 
having  reached  the  age  of  twenty  years,  he  emi- 
grated to  America,  and,  after  landing,  proceeded 
directly  to  Illinois  and  settled  in  Monroe  County. 
By  industry  and  thrift  he  became  the  owner  of 
considerable  land  in  that  county,  where  he  re- 
mained engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  for  twen- 
ty-two years. 

About  ten  \ears  after   einiaralini'-    to   .\ineriea, 


Frederick  Kaemper  married  Miss  Katharine  Schroe- 
der. Her  father,  Renke  Schroeder,  was  born  in 
Oldenburg,  Germany,  and  emigrated  to  America  in 
1844.  where  he  located  near  Waterloo,  111.,  his  farm 
being  near  that  of  Mr.  Kaemper.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  a  member  of  the  Evangelical  Church, 
and.  is  still  remembered  as  a  valued  and  active 
worker  in  that  denomination.  His  death  occurred 
.July  2,  1876,  and  was  regarded  as  a  public  loss  by 
his  fellow-citizens  generally. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  a  second  time 
married,  becoming  the  wife  of  Charles  F.  Kaemper, 
a  brother  of  Frederick,  her  former  husband.  This 
gentleman  had  previously  been  married  to  Miss 
Schaefer,  who  died  in  1872,  leaving  eight  children, 
five  of  whom  are  now  living,  viz.:  Henry,  Charles 
C,  George  and  Fred,  who  live  in  Franklin  County, 
and  Philip,  who  resides  in  St.  Clair  County. 
Charles  F.  Kaemper,  who  died  m  1884,  was  a  na- 
tive of  Germany,  and  for  many  years  resided 
in  section  .34,  Millstadt  Township.  By  his  second 
marriage,  he  became  the  father  of  one  child,  Ida, 
who  is  at  home.  The  mother  of  our  subject  is  the 
owner  of  a  finely-improved  and  highly-cultivated 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  from  the 
rental  of  which  she  receives  a  good  income. 


m^' 


\\  ARY  ANN  SCHMISSEUR.   The  name  that 
opens  this  sketch    is  that  of  one    of  the 
wealthiest  ladies  in  the  State.     She  occu- 
*  pies  one  of  the   finest    and    largest   resi- 

dences in  Southern  Illinois  outside  of  a  city,  and 
is  surrounded  \>y  every  comfort  that  money  can 
procure.  The  home  place  contains  six'hundred 
and  ten  acres  of  land,  and  the  mansion  is  sur- 
rounded by  extensive  and  beautiful  grounds. 

Mrs.  Schmisseur  is  a  native  of  Lorraine,  France, 
having  been  born  in  that  country  in  182(1,  but 
came  to  America  with  her  parents  when  she  was 
only  ten  years  old,  so  is  essentiality  an  American. 
The  family  landed  in  New  Orleans  and  settled  in 
French  N'ill.age  near  East  St.  Louis,  where  the  Inther 
and  UKJllier  died,     When  our    subject  was  twenty 


24 


514 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


years  old  she  became  the  bride  of  Nicholas  Louis, 
who  died  in  1850.  By  this  marriage  she  became 
the  mother  of  six  children,  two  of  whom  are 
living,  namely:  Margaret,  wife  of  George  Bauer, 
a  resident  of  Clinton;  and  Nicholas  Louis,  a  resi- 
dent on  a  farm  adjoining  tiiat  of  his  mother. 

In  1853,  Mrs.  Louis  married  John  N.  Schmis- 
seur,  who  was  born  in  Toulon,  France,  in  1814, 
and  who  died  in  186.3.  By  this  husband  Mrs. 
Schniisseur  became  the  happy  mother  of  four 
children,  three  sons  and  one  daughter:  The 
eldest  resides  with  his  beloved  mother  on  tlie 
home  place.  Helena  is  wife  of  Peter  Voellinger,  a 
farmer  living  near  Reed's  Station,  in  this  town- 
ship. Mary  Ann,  wife  of  Anton  Pfeiffer,  resides 
near  O'Fallon  and  has  a  family  of  six  children. 
Mary,  is  the  wife  of  .loseph  Rich,  a  merchant  in 
(VFallon. 

Mrs.  Schmisseur  is  a  very  wealthy  person,  own- 
ing eighteen  hundred  acres  of  fine  land,  worth 
-SlOO  an  .acre.  Although  possessing  so  much  prop- 
erty, she  is  a  very  modest  and  pleasant  lady  and 
never  fails  to  respond  to  any  and  all  demands 
upon  her  that  she  deems  worthy  of  support.  Mrs. 
Schmisseur  is  a  lady  Who  enjoys  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  the  entire  neighborhood  and  is  the  pos- 
sessor of  manv  fine  traits  of  character. 


[JULIUS  KNOBELOCH,  who  is  engaged  in 
||  agricultural  pursuits  on  section  19,  Shiloh 
Vallej^  Township,  was  born  in  1855,  on 
^^/'  the  old  homestead  in  this  count_y,  where  his 
father  is  yet  living.  His  parents,  Baltzer  and 
Elizabeth  (Liebrock)  Knobeloch,  are  mentioned 
in  the  sketch  of  Henry  Knobeloch  on  another  page 
of  this  work. 

The  subject  of  tliis  sketch  acquired  his  early 
education  in  the  common  schools  and  it  was  sup- 
plemented by  study  in  the  Belleville  schools.  lie 
also  was  a  student  in  a  German  school  in  Mas- 
coutah.  This  well  prepared  him  for  tiie  duties  of 
life  and  he  is  a  s\U'cessful  business  nian.  llis  fa- 
llier  was  well-lo-d(i.;ind  so  he  iciiiaiiied  :i(  home  un- 


der the  parental  roof  until  1881,  when  he  removed 

I  to  the  farm  where  he  now  resides,  a  tract  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation. 

On  the  5th  of  December,  1878,  Mr.  Knobeloch 
was  married  to  Miss  Lizzie  Haege,  daughter 
of    Jacob   and    Annie   C.    (Perschbachei')    Haege, 

,  the  former  a  native  of  Bavaria,  and  the  latter  of 
Darmstadt,  Germany.  The  father  vvas  born  Sept- 
ember 24,  1824,  and  the  date  of  the  mother's  birth 
was  August  19,  1831.  Mr.  Haege  was  about 
twenty  of  age  when  he  came  to  America,  having 
just  completed  an  apprenticeship  to  the  black- 
smith's trade.     He  took  up  his  residence  in  Shiloh, 

'  St.  Clair  County,  established  asmith^',  and  engaged 
in  his  chosen  occu]iation  for  many  j-ears.     He  was 

:  a  genius  and  invented  the  gang  plow  and  manu- 
factured all  kinds  of  implements.  His  death 
occurred  on  the  28th  of  April.  1891.  His  wife 
still  survives  him    and    yet   makes    her    home    in 

'  Kansas.     They  reared   a  family   of   live   children: 

i  Philip;    Lizzie,    the  honored  wife  of  our  subject; 

j   Anna,  wife  of  August  C.  Meckfessel;  Jacob  H.  and 

j    William  B. 

I  By  the  union  of  Mr.  and  ^NFrs.  Knobeloch  has 
lieen  born  a  family  of  six  children,  of  whom  five 
are  yet  living,  as  follows:  Amelia,  William  B.,  Ar- 
thur, Albert  and  Rudolph.  Jacob,  the  youngest, 
died  at  the  age  of  three  months. 

^Ir.  Knobeloch  is  a  practical  and  progressive  far- 
mer, and  his  well-tilled  fields  yield  to  him  a  golden 
tribute  in  return  for  the  care  and  labor  he  bestows 
upon  them.  He  has  many  excellent  improvements 
upon  his  farm  which  indicate  his  thrift,  and  he  al- 

j  ways  has  the  latest  improved  machinery.  He  ever 
keeps  abreast  with  the  times  and  is  always  willing 
to  investigate  any  new  plan  that  will  save  labor 
and  produc-e  better  crops.  In  politics,  Mr.  Knobe- 
loch is  a  supporter  of  the  Democracy  on  questions 
of  National  importance,  but  at  local  elections  votes 
for  the  man  whom  he  thinks  best  qualified  to  fill 
the  office,  regardless  of  partj-  affiliations.  At  this 
writing-in  the  autumn  of  1892,  he  is  serving  as 
School  Director  of  his  district,  a  position  he  has 
filled  for  several  years  with  credit  to  himself  and 
to  the  satisfaction  of  his  constituents.  '  He  is  a 
niemliei-  of  the  Farmers"  Mutual  Benefit  Association 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


515 


and  a  valued  citizen  of  the  eommunitj-,  one  whose 
sterling  worth  and  integrit_v  have  won  him  the 
high  esteem  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been  brought 
in  e^>nlact. 


GKOKliK  P.  LIKXESCH.a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential farmer  who  resides  on  section  6, 
Sliiloli  Valley  Township,  where  he  owns  a 
fine  farm,  is  a  native  of  Germany.  The  date  of 
his  birth  w.as  1818,  and  the  place  was  Hanover, 
lie  is  a  son  of  Herman  P.  and  Gertrude  (Stienmau) 
Lienesch.  Our  subject  was  the  only  child,  and  his 
mother  died  when  he  was  about  six  months  old. 
He  is  the  descendant  of  a  very  wealthy-  and  historic 
(Jerman  family.  In  their  native  land,  they  were 
farmers  by  occupation  and  owned  a  large  estate, 
which  is  still  known  as  the  Lienesch  Pl.ace.  Herman 
P.  Lienesch  was  a  son  of  John  Garhart  Lienescli,  a 
descendant  of  Michael  Lienesch,  the  third  of  that 
name.  Since  tlie  Reformation  of  Martin  Luther,  the 
family  has  been  Lutheran  and  stanch  defenders  of 
tliat  faith.  The  old  mansion  of  Lienesch  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of 
twelve  years,  and  in  its  flames  perished  most  of  the 
valuable  papers,  some  of  which  dated  back  several 
centuries.  The  fatiier  of  our  subject  was  a  second 
time  married,  the  lady  of  his  choice  being  Mar- 
garet Pahlmann,  of  another  old  German  family. 
]}y  this  marriage  one  son  was  born,  who  now  occu- 
pies the  old  homestead,  whicli  was  given  him  by 
his  generous  elder  brother. 

George  P.  Lienesch  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old 
estate  and  received  a  fine  education.  His  primary 
studies  were  pursued  in  the  Catholic  schools  near 
his  home,  and  liis  classical  education  was  received 
in  the  kingdom  of  Hanover,  where  he  became  a 
proficient  scholar  in  French,  English  and  Latin. 
When  he  was  about  twenty  years  of  age,  after 
reading  the  history  of  the  United  States,  he  formed 
a  desire  to  travel  and  see  sometliing  of  {he  New- 
World.  Accordingly,  that  year  lie  took  pa>s,nge  in 
a  sailing-vessel  and  was  se\cnty  days  uiion  the 
bosom  of  the  l>ron(l  Atlantic.      DiuIiil;-  the  voxaw. 


they  suffered  many  hardships  and  perils,  a  descrip- 
tion of  which  is  given  in  a  very  interesting  manner 
by  our  subject.  He  landed  in  New  Orleans  on 
New  Year's  Day,  1839,  and  remained  in  thatrcity 
but  a  short  time.  Wishing  to  see  the  sights 
of  the  Crescent  Citj-,  he  visited  slave  markets, 
among  other  things,  which  made  him  very  much 
disgusted  and  indignant  with  the  traffic  there 
carried  on  in  human  beings.  He  next  made  his 
"ay  to  St.  Louis,  coming  up  the  Mississippi  by  boat. 
He  had  left  home  and  an  assured  income  in  the' 
old  homestead  and  wished  to  make  his  own  fortune 
in  the  New  World.  In  this  independent  spirit,  he 
hired  out  to  a  farmer,  receiving  110  per  month. 
He  worked  about  a  year  at  this  employment  in 
St.  Clair  County.  The  first  work  which  was  given 
him  to  do  was  trampling  out  grain  on  the  threshing 
floor.  With  his  carefully  saved  earnings  he  soon 
purchased  thirty  acres  of  land  at  110  an  acre,  near 
the  farm  where  he  now  lives.  Later,  he  received 
considerable  money  on  the  settlement  of  his  father's 
estate  in  Germany,  which  he  invested  and  now 
owns  three  hundred  acres  of  fine  and  well-culti- 
vated land. 

In  1840,  Mr.  Lienesch  married  Permelia  Mes- 
senger, the  daughter  of  John  and  Anna  (Lyon) 
Messenger.  Her  father  was  a  surveyor  and  made 
the  first  map  of  Illinois.  Her  maternal  grandfather 
was  at  one  time  Governor  of  Arkansas  and  a  noted 
Congressman.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lienesch  were  blessed 
with  three  daughters:  Augusta,  now  deceased,  who 
married  Charles  Hofl'man;  Anna  Gertrude;  and 
Rebecca  L.,  wife  of  .Tames  Huckstep.  After  the 
death  of  his  first  wife,  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  A.,  daughter  of  Col.  John  and  Isabella  (Kin- 
ney) Thomas,  of  Belleville,  a  sketch  of  whom  aji- 
pears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

To  our  subject  and  his  wife  have  l)een  lioru 
four  children:  John  T.;  George  W.;  Belle,  the  wife 
of  Herman  Cleibecker;  and  Jessie  Fremont,  wife 
of  Ralph  Pierce.  The  mother  of  these  children 
was  for  some  time  an  invalid  and  her  failing  health 
induced  our  subject  to  take  a  trip  abroad;  accord- 
ingly, they  spent  a  season  in  Europe,  visiting  the 
Inline  of  his  vovitli  and  the  Paris  Exposition  of 
ISCT.  Ill  spiteof  the  \(>yageand  change  of  scene, 
the  wile  friih'il  rapiilly  and  soon  passed  away,     lii 


516 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1872,  Mr.  Lienescli  married  Mary  C,  daughter  of 
Bernard  and  Clara  (Walker)  Cleibecker.  B3'  this 
union  has  been  born  one  son,  Walter  H. 

In  Tiis  political  affiliations,  Mr.  Lienosch  is  an 
advocate  of  the  Republican  party,  of  whose  prin- 
ciples he  is  a  loyal  defender.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Churcli,  as  were  his  ancestors  for 
many  generations.  For  over  half  a  century,  Mr. 
Lienesch  has  resided  in  this  county,  which,  when 
lie  first  settled  here,  was  almost  a  wilderness.  He 
has  many  interesting  recollections  of  those  early 
pioneer  days,  when  game  was  still  abundant  and 
Indians  still  made  it  their  hunting-grounds.  He 
brought  with  him  from  (rerraany  a  gun.  witii  which 
he  killed  eleven  deer  in  this  county  soon  after  his 
arrival  here.  He  has  been  quite  an  extensive 
traveler  and  has  crossed  the  ocean  nine  times.  He 
is  a  man  of  breadth  of  mind  and  wide  information 
and  general  knowledge,  and  seldom  errs  in  his 
judgment  of  people  or  affairs. 


\Ii=TZ'RANK  LEAKE  is  the  Cashier  of  the  Bank 
|H;j(g))  of  Mascoutah,  located  in  Mascoutah,  111. 
11^  This  bank  was  organized  in  October,  1891, 
by  the  well-known  banker,  J.  N.  Hagins,  of  the 
Columbia  National  Bank,  of  Chicago,  who  is  also 
proprietor  of  a  bank  in  St.  .4nne,  111.,  and  another 
at  Gillespie.  111.  The  Bank  of  Mascoutah  is  the 
only  one  located  in  this  city,  and  it  does  a  general 
banking  business,  loans  money,  receives  deposits, 
makes  drafts,  collects  and  pays  interest  on  time 
deposits  of  over  three  months'  standing.  The  bank 
is  located  in  the  Odd  Fellows  Building,  which  is 
owned  by  Mr.  Hagins.  It  is  provided  with  a  fire- 
proof and  burglar-proof  safe,  manufactured  by  the 
Mosler  Safe  Company,  and  this  is  enclosed  in 
a  strong,  well-built,  fire-proof  vault.  The  safe 
and  vault  are  according  to  liie  latest  impiu\'ed 
manufacture,  and  the  patrons  of  the  bank  can  feel 
perfectly  safe  in  making  deposits  therein.  Al- 
though the  bank  has  been  in  operation  only  about 
;v  year,  it  has  done  a  coiisjdejable  amount  of  busi- 


ness, exceeding  the  expectations  of  the  owner,  to 
whom  the  management  has  been  very  satisfactory. 
Mf.  Leake,  the  efficient  Cashier,  is  an  able  busi- 
ness man,  well  qualified  for  the  position  he  holds. 
As  he  is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  com- 
munity, we  feel  assured  that  this  record  of  his  life 
will  prove  of  interest  to  many  of  our  readers.  He 
is  a  native  of  the  Buckeye  State,  his  birth  having 
occurred  in  Erie  County  in  1861.  His  father,  John 
Leake,  was  a  prominent  plow  manufacturer  of 
North  Amherst,  Ohio,  and  it  was  in  that  place  that 
our  subject  acquired  his  early  education,  which 
was  afterward  supplemented  bj'  a  course  in  Oberlin 
College,  of  Ohio,  where  he  completed  his  literary 
studies;  He  was  then  fitted  for  his  life  work,  and 
for  the  past  ten  j'ears  he  has  been  engaged  in  the 
banking  business,  mastering  it  in  all  its  details. 
His  honorable  and  straightforward  record  in  the 
p.ast  is  a  recommendation  to  him  in  the  i)Osition 
he  now  fills.  He  is  ever  true  to  hjs  duties  and  has 
the  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he  has  been 
brought  in  contact,  either  through  business  or 
social  relations.  Mr.  Leake  is  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  also  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows. 

One  of  the  important  events  in  the  life  of  our 

subject  was  his  marriage,  which  occurred  in  Hart- 

1    ford.   Wis.,   September    11,   1888,  to  Miss   Agnes 

j    Schoenke,    daughter    of  Henry    and    Albertiena 

i    (Schwe)  Schoenke. 


0 


ALPH  B.  TAKLTON.  Nowhere  within  the 
iff  limits  of  St.  Clair  County  can  be  found  a  man 
*A  \V  of  more  energy,  uprightness  and  integrity 
^~  than  Ralph  B.  Tarlton,  who  was  born  in 
Callaway  County,  Mo.,  opposite  Jefferson  City,  on 
the  Missouri  River,  May  25,  1844.  His  parents,  M. 
H.  and  Mary  E.  (Locke)  Tarlton,  were  native  Ken- 
tuckians,  the  father  born  in  Bourbon  County.  The 
elder  Mr.  Tarlton  was  a  planter  in  his  native  State 
until  184;!,  when  he  removed  to  Missouri,  bought  a 
plantation  near  the  Jlissouri  River,  in  Callaway 
County,    and    became    one    of    the    most    promi- 


k^    A 


WT 


^- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BTOGRAPmCAL  RECORD. 


.19 


nent  planters.  Tbe  war  damaged  him  tinanciallv, 
but  lie  made  his  home  there  until  his  deatii, 
in  187^i,  when  seventy-five  years  of  age.  Mrs. 
Tarlton  resides  with  her  children,  is  at  present 
making  her  home  with  our  subject,  and  is  over 
seventy  years  of  age.  She  is  an  exemplary  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churcii.  Her  fa- 
ther, John  Locke,  was  a  farmer  of  the  Blue  Grass 
State.  Their  children  were  in  the  order  of 
their  births  as  follows:  Ben,  deceased;  C'loyde,  de- 
deased;  Theresa,  Mrs.  P.  E.  Chappie,  of  Kansas 
City;  Ralph  B.,  our  subject;  M.  R.,  in  Fayette, 
Howard  County,  Mo.;  Locke,  deceased;  and  Mary, 
Mrs.  H.Morris,  deceased. 

Like  the  majorit3'  of  farmer  boys,  our  subject 
received  his  education  in  the  common  district 
schools,  where  he  swung  his  3'outhful  limbs  from 
the  slab  benches  in  the  log  schoolhouse  of  that 
day.  When  sixteen  years  of  age,  he  entered  Fay- 
ette College,  remained  there  about  a  year  and  a 
half  and  then,  on  account  of  the  breaking  out  of 
the  war,  lie  returned  home  and  look  charge  of  a 
part  of  ills  father's  farm,  lie  carried  on  about 
four  hundred  acres  of  this  until  after  the  war,  and 
then  bought  five  hundred  acres,  which  he  tilled 
successfully  until  about  1871,  when  he  left  the 
farm.  He  went  west  to  Kansas,  hunted  buffaloes, 
and  was  in  Dodge  City  when  it  was  first  started.  Re- 
turning to  .Jefferson  City,  he  remained  there  a  few 
weeks  and,  in  187.3,  came  to  the  old  Pacific  Yards 
in  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  employed  by  William 
Humphreys  as  a  commission  merchant.  Three 
months  later,  he  came  home  and  engaged  as  sales- 
man for  Humphreys,  Short  &  White,  but  later  was 
in  the  employ  of  Nick  Moody,  a  commission  mer- 
chant doing  business  under  the  firm  name  of 
Moody,  Ray  &  Co.  Still  later,  he  was  with  Daw- 
son &  Underwood.  He  was  then  a  partner  of 
the  firm  of  Jaekman,  Hickman  &  Co.  until  tliey 
broke  up,  after  which  he  was  in  business  with  Met- 
calf,  Moore  &  Co.,  remaining  with  them  until  the 
firm  title  was  changed  to  Joseph  Metcalf  &  Co.  In 
January,  1875,  the  present  partnership  of  Tarlton,  1 
iloody  and  Co.,  general  commission  merchants, 
was  formed.  Our  subject  has  charge  of  the  hog  I 
department  and  is  one  of  the  oldest  stockmen  here. 

Mr.  Tarlton  resides  at    No.    636    Ninth    Street,   ' 


and  his  fine  home  is  presided  over  by  his  estimable 
wife,  who  was  formerly  Miss  Fanny  Stapleton. 
whom  he  married  in  1880.  She  was  born  in  How- 
ard County,  Mo.  Two  children  have  been  born 
to  this  union,  Locke  and  Laura,  both  unusuallj- 
bright  and  intelligent.  Mr.  Tarlton  is  a  member 
of  the  Chosen  Friends,  and,  in  politics,  is  a  Dem- 
crat. 


\T  WEHRLE  A  SON.  the  oldest  and  most 
I  prominent  jewelers  of  Belleville,  are  the 
^^11  subjects  of  this  sketch.  Joseph  Wehiie  was 
^^/J  born  in  Baden,  Germany,  October  20,  1820. 
In  his  native  land  he  received  his  education,  and 
learned  his  trade,  serving  a  full  apprenticeship  and 
working  as  a  journeyman  until  1842,  when  he 
came  to  Canton,  Ohio.  He  remained  there  three 
years  and  then  removed  to  St.  Louis,  frpm  which 
city  he  came  to  Belleville,  and  at  first  worked  for 
others  at  his  trade.  In  1849,  he  established  him- 
self in  business,  and  has  continued  thus  engaged 
for  forty-three  years.  He  had  in  186.3,  during  the 
summer  of  the  Crystal  Palace  Exhibition,  a  shop  in 
New  York  on  the  public  square.  He  bought  his  pres- 
ent building  in  1859,  and  has  been  in  this  location 
since  1860.  The  firm  carries  a  full  line  of  jew- 
elry, watches,  clocks  and  silverware,  only  of  the 
best,  and  the  store  is  considered  one  of  the  most 
reliable  in  this  section  of  the  country. 

November  22,  1859,  Mr.  Wehrle  was  married  to 
Miss  Fredrika  Kessler,  of  this  city,  who  was  born 
in  Baden,  September  25,  1831.  He  took  his  fam- 
ily to  Germany,  and  remained  there  from  1871  to 
1872.  Two  of  the  four  children  born  to  his  mar- 
riage still  survive,  namely:  I'>ed  G.,  who  is  his 
partner,  and  Josephine,  who  is  the  wife  of  Fred 
Dunck,  of  this  city.  Mr.  Wehrle  is  a  member  of 
the  Free  Protestant  Church. 

Fred  G.,  the  son  and  partner  of  the  above- 
named  gentleman,  was  born  August  30,  1860,  He 
was  educated  in  Belleville,  and  when  his  schooling 
was  completed,  he  learned  his  trade  with  his  f.i- 
ther,  after  which  he  entered  a  finishing  school  at 
New  York,  where  he  remained  for  one  year.    Upon 


.■)20 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


his  return  be  formed  a  partnership  with  his  father, 
June  18,  1883.  He  was  married  to  Miss  Louisa 
Grieser,  of  this  city,  at  St.  Louis,  November  10, 
1886,  and  thej'  are  the  parents  of  two  children, 
Leroy  and  P'redericlv. 


/p»iERHARDT  H.  KEMPER.  One  of  the  most 
|| j  ,_^  prominent  of  the  Gerraiin-Ameriean  citizens 
^^^i  of  East  St.  Louis  and  one  who  has  done 
much  for  the  advancement  of  this  portion  of  the 
city,  is  the  gentleman  wliose  biography'  it  now  be- 
comes our  dutj^  and  pleasure  to  write.  He  is  the 
present  proprietor  of  the  oldest  feed  store  in  the 
city,  a  man  of  means,  and  one  of  the  Dii'ectors 
of  the  First  National  Bank;  also  a  member  and 
Director  of  the  Clearmont  Laud  Association,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Merchants'  Exchange  of  St.  Louis,  and  is 
now  serving  the  city  as  Alderman  from  the  Fourth 
Ward.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject  was  a  na- 
tive of  the  Province  of  Melle,  Germany,  where  lie 
followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer  and  where 
our  subject's  father  was  born.  Tlie  grandfather 
was  a  teamster  in  Napoleon's  arm}-  and  took  part 
in  the  march  to  Russia;  subsequently  following 
his  son  to  America,  he  lived  quietly  liere  until  his 
death,  in  New  Melle.  Mo.  Frank  Kemper,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  came  to  America  in  1837. 
Having  received  a  good  education  in  his  native 
country,  lie  engaged  in  St.  Louis  as  a  clerk  for  a 
short  time  and  then,  on  account  of  failing  liealtli, 
located  land  in  what  is  now  New  Melle.  There 
he  began  farming  and  in  connection  with  it  op- 
ened a  country  store,  thus  becoming  the  founder 
of  the  thrifty  little  town  of  New  Melle,  where  he 
became  a  very  successful  man.  Wlien  the  dread 
disease,  cholera,  swept  over  the  land  in  1852,  he 
was  one  of  its  victims,  five  members  of  his  family 
dying  in  two  days.  Themotherof  our  subject  was 
Clara  Mary  Kuhlman,  who  was  born  in  Germany. 
After  the  deatli  of  lier  first  husband,  Mrs.  Kem- 
per married  Mr.  Bredenkamp,  and  at  hei  death 
left  a  family    of  six  children  b\'   her  first  marriage 


I  and  two  by  the  last  union  to  mourn  her  loss. 
Our  subject  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  attended 
I  the  public  and  parochial  schools,  where  he  received 
I  a  good  common-school  education.  Wiien  he  was 
j  only  eighteen  years  old  he  enlisted  in  Krakel's 
i  Battalion  Home  Garrison  Missouri  Militia,  and 
I  served  seven  months,  until  discharged.  Eighty 
days  later  he  enlisted  again  under  Colonel  Bailej^'s 
State  militia  of  fighting  bushwackers,  and  contin- 
ued with  them  for  three  months.  Coming  then  to 
St.  Louis,  he  worked  a  year  in  a  mill  at  Camp 
Springs,  111.,  but  the  summer  of  1864  was  spent 
upon  a  farm,  and  in  the  fall  of  1865  he  returned 
to  the  old  farm  and  there  remained  until  1867, 
when  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis.  At  this  time  our 
subject  was  twenty-four  years  old.  having  been 
born  January  28,  1843,  at  his  father's  home  in 
New  Melle,  Mo.,  and  had  had  many  experiences  for 
one  of  his  years.  He  later  entered  the  service  of 
Henschen  Krite  <fe  Company,  as  clerk  and  retailer. 
In  the  year  1869  deciding  that  he  had  gained 
enough  experience  to  become  a  merchant,  he 
formed  the  firm  of  Kemper  &  Roewe,  and  engaged 
in  the  feed  business,  thus  continuing  for  thirteen 
years,  doing  a  good  business  in  fioiir  and  feed. 
In  1883  Mr.  Kemper  bought  his  partner's  interest 
and  kept  on  alone  for  six  months,  when  he  took 
in  his  half-brother,  and  made  the  firm  (t.  H.  Kem- 
per cfe  Co.  It  has  so  continued  until  the  present 
time,  doing  a  very  large  business.  They  suffered 
in  1883  from  fire,  but  rebuilt  immediately.  Their 
brick  block  h.as  now  fift}^  feet  lie  nit  with  sixty- 
five  feet  depth  and  is  on  a  lot  two  hiiiidred 
and  forty  feet  deep.  Mr.  Kemper  built  a  handsome 
residence  on  Fourth  Street  and  owns  two  other 
houses.  The  important  position  he  occupies  in  the 
commercial  life  of  the  city  we  mentioned  in  our 
opening  paragraiih,  and  his  inlluence  is  widely 
felt. 

Mr.  Kemper  was  married  in  St.  Louis  May  11. 
1867,  to  Miss  Mary  Trebbe,  who  was  born  in 
the  Province  of  Melle,  in  Germany,  but  was  reared 
in  St.  Louis.  Three  children  have  been  born  to 
this  couple,  Matilda,  Annie  and  John.  Mr.  Kemper 
has  always  been  very  active  in  those  improvement 
schemes  which  he  thought  were  advisable,  and  was 
one  of  the  first  to  take  measures  to  have  the  streets 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


521 


reduced  to  the  present  grade.  His  services  liave 
been  required  on  the  Ways  and  Means  Committee 
of  the  City  Government,  and  he  lias  been  three 
times  elected  as  an  Alderman.  Our  subject  is  as 
prominent  in  tiie  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  he  is 
an  honored  member,  as  he  is  in  public  life.  He  was 
one  of  the  buijding  committee  when  the  large 
church  of  his  denomination,  St.  Peter's,  was  built 
and  he  is  still  its  Treasurer.  Mr.  Kemper  is  a  Arm 
believer  in  Republican  principles, and  warmly  sup- 
ports that  party,  and  has  been  frequently  called 
upon  to  serve  on  both  the  grand  and  the  petit 
juries.  Our  subject  is  a  man  held  in  high  esteem 
in  his  city  and  has  the  proud  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  the  confidence  of  the  people  is  deserved. 
As  Superintendent  and  Treasurer  of  St.  Peter's 
Cemetery,  he  has  sold  all  the  lots  that  have  been 
disposed  of  in  it. 


"N— =— f^^-r 


?RED    S.    WECKLER. 


Among    the    many 


\rr^j  residents  of  Darmstadt,  St.  Clair  County, 
/l^  who  deserve    notice   in  a    volume  of  this 

nature,  Fred  S.  Weckler  is  most  certainly  not  one 
of  the  least.  He  is  the  son  of  Peter  and  Barbara 
Weckler.  Peter  Weckler  was  born  in  Wurteni- 
berg,  Germany,  in  the  year  1810.  After  complet- 
ing the  course  in  the  common  schools  of  his 
native  town,  he  entered  the  High  School,  and 
thus  became  possessed  of  more  than  ordinary 
education  to  assist  him  in  the  battle  of  life.  After 
leaving  the  High  School,  he  commenced  to  learn 
the  trade  of  a  bookbinder,  which  vocation  he 
followed  with  success  in  his  native  country. 

At  the  age  of  twenty-two  years,  Peter  Weckler 
became  interested  in  the  subject  of  emigration, 
and  chose  America  as  the  Mecca  of  iiis  future 
hopes  and  fond  anticipations.  He  arrived  in  this 
countiy  in  the  3'ear  1832,  and  located  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, residing  in  a  community  of  those  belong- 
ing to  his  own  nation,  who  had  preceded  him  in 
their  attempt  to  seek  a  fortune  in  the  New  World. 
His  first  employment  was  obtained  on  the  con- 
struction of   the  Erie    Canal,  and.  after  following 


this  work  for  some  time  he  moved  to  the  State 
of  Ohio.  The  result  of  this  economy  and  indus- 
try in  Pennsylvania  enabled  him  to  purchase  a 
smalLtract  of  land  in  Ohio,  and  after  retaining  it 
for  some  time  he  accepted  an  offer  at  an  increase 
of  his  purchase  price,  sold  the  land  and  moved  to 
Peru,  Ind.,  where  he  settled  and  made  his  per- 
manent home,  living  at  this  place  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1872. 

During  his  stay  in  Pennsylvania,  Mr.  Weckler 
married  Miss  Barbara  Keller,  a  daughter  of  Adam 
Keller,  and  to  him  were  born  ten  cliildren,  one 
of  whom  died  in  infancy;  the  rest  were  as  follows: 
Jacob;  Mary,  wife  of  Isaac  Cochran;  William, 
killed  at  the  battle  of  Chickamauga;  George; 
Fred  S.,  subject  of  this  sketch;  Alexander,  de- 
ceased; Elizabeth,  wife  of  Cyrus  Crider;  Frances, 
wife  of  Frank  Hinton;  and  Kate,  deceased. 

Peter  Weckler  occupied  a  very  prominent  posi- 
tion in  Indiana,  was  an  active  arid  respected  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  a  strong  Repub- 
lican in  politics.  He  held  the  office  of  Justice 
of  the  Peace  for  many  3'ears.  An  honest  man 
and  worthy  citizen,  he  was  ambitious  for  the 
good  of  the  people,  and  always  manifested  the 
real  public  spirit  toward  his  fellow-men. 

The  son  of  so  illustrious  a  fatlier  is  of  necessity 
the  recipient  of  a  goodly  heritage.  Fred  S.  Weckler, 
endowed  witli  a  bright  mind  and  the  capabilities 
which  grasped  the  opportunity,  received  from  his 
father  an  excellent  education.  He  was  graduated 
from  the  common  schools  of  Peru,  Ind.,  entered  the 
High  School,  and  afterward  finished  his  education 
in  the  college  of  Notre  Dame,  at  South  Bend,  Ind. 
At  the  age  of  nineteen,  he  began  life  for  himself 
by  teaching  school.  His  work  was  most  accept- 
able, and  he  received  an  offer  from  St.  Clair 
County.  111.,  where  he  taught  school  for  sixteen 
years  and  also  for  one  year  in  Fayette  County,  111. 

In  the  year  1875,  Mr.  Weckler  married  Miss 
Anna  Twenhafel,  daughter  of  Bernhard  and  Ap- 
polonia  Twenhafel,  a  sketch  of  whose  life  appears 
elsewhere  in  this  book.  This  result  of  his  union 
with  this  estimable  lady  was  seven  children:  Ben- 
jamin H.,  Lizzie;  Appolonia  and  Gustave,  both 
deceased;  Hattie,  Florence  and  Julia.  Mrs.  (Twen- 
hafel) Weckler  departed   this  life  in   Jlarch,  1890, 


522 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


while  still  in  the  prime  of  life.  She  was  a  woman 
whose  goodness  was  felt  and  appreciated  through- 
out the  community. 

Our  subject  has  always  occupied  a  very  prom- 
inent position  in  the  community-  where  he  has 
lived,  and  by  his  sterling  worth  has  gained  the  re- 
spect, admiration  and  confidence  of  his  neighbors, 
and  of  all  with  whom  he  came  in  contact.  He  is  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  a 
member  of  the  Ancient,  Free  Av  Accepted  Masons, 
of  Freeburg,  and  also  of  the  U.  O.  T.  B.,  of 
Darmstadt,  a  well-recognized  German  order.  Po- 
litically, he  is  a  Republican,  and  in  1891  was 
elected  Supervisor  of  his  township,  which  oltice 
he  now  holds,  as  well  as  being  Justice  of  the  Peace, 
whicii  latter  position  he  has  held  three  terms.  In 
the  year  1880,  he  was  Census  Enumerator  of  the 
to^Tiship,  and  has  been  Notary  Public  for  twenty 
jears.  His  landed  possessions  cover  a  territory 
of  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres.  His  life  is 
one  of  the  best  exemplifications  of  one  who  com- 
menced as  a  poor  boy,  and  by  indusfrj',  ability 
and  perseverance  achieved  the  position  of  an  af- 
fluent and  respected  citizen.  November  8,  1892. 
In-  was  elected  to  the  Slate  Legislature. 


^^^E 


H«»:[I11 


OTTO  F.  SCHOTT,  who  resicks  on  section  4, 
Siiiloh  Valley  Township,  is  a  well-known 
and  enterprising  farmer  of  this  section.  He 
is  a  native  of  this  county,  his  birth  having  oc- 
curred on  the  18th  of  Deceinber,  1836,  upon  the 
farm  which  is  still  his  home.  He  is  one  of  four 
children  born  unto  Anton  and  Augusta  (Keiser) 
Schott.  His  father  was  born  in  Frankfort-on-the- 
Main,  July  17,  1805,  and  his  mother  February  10, 
180-1,  in  the  same  locality.  Anton  Schott  was 
reared  in  that  city,  attended  college  and  was  edu- 
cated for  a  preacher.  From  his  Alma  Mater  he 
received  the  degree  of  Doctor  of  Languages.  He 
could  speak  English,  French  and  German  fluent- 
ly, and  was  a  finished  scholar. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  Anton  Scliott  emigrated 
to  this  country,  and  in  1834  located  upon  the 
farm  which  is  now  the  home  of  fmr  subject.      He 


was  quite  well-to-do,  and  purchased  three  hundred 
and  seventy-five  acres  of  land.  As  he  had  no  ex- 
perience in  agriculture  and  was  forced  to  depend 
on  hired  labor,  he  was  not  very  successful.  In 
politics,  he  was  a  Democrat,  and  his  personal  pop- 
ularity is  ishown  by  tlie  fact  that  in  a  Republican 
township  he  was  elected  Treasurer  of  the  schools 
I  for  many  years.  He  was  always  a  great  worker 
and  died  with  his  pen  in  his  hand,  while  making 
out  his  report  of  office  for  the  schools.  He  was 
also  Secretary  of  the  Agricultural  Society  of  St. 
Clair  County,  and  served  as  its  President  (mo 
year. 

This  wortiiy  gentleman  was  called  to  his  tlnal 
rest  April  4,  1870,  and  his  wife  died  on  the  2()th 
of  June,  1850.  Their  children  were  Charles  H., 
who  was  born  in  German}-;  Otto  F.;  Anna,  wife 
of  Jacob  Speis;  and  Adolphus.  The  fatiier  was 
the  originator  and  one  of  the  founders  of  the  first 
library  in  the  county,  which  was  founded  about 
1836  and  for  a  number  of  years  was  located  in  his 
residence,  whence  it  was  removed  to  Belleville. 

We  now  take  up  the  personal  history  of  our  sub- 
ject, who  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  this  county 
and  is  well  known  to  its  citizens  as  an  honorable, 
upright  man.  His  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  schools  and  his  time  was  spent  in  the 
usual  manner  of  farmer  lads.  He  assisted  his 
father  until  1865,  when  was  celebrated  his  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Mary,  daughter  of  Frederick  and 
Matilda  (Skratsch)  Claser.  Their  union  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children,  two  of  whom  are  j-et 
living,  Matilda  and  Vina,  both  yet  under  the  pa- 
rental roof.  The  family  is  one  of  prominence  in 
the  community  and  its  members  rank  hi<;li  in 
social  circles. 

Throughout  his  entire  life,  Mr.   Schott   has  fol- 
lowed farming  and  now  owns  and  operates  sixty- 
two  acres  of  iiighly   improved   laud,    one   of    the 
valuable  farms  of  the  community.     Enteri)riseand 
industiy  are  numbered  among  his  chief  character- 
istics, and  have  won  him  the  success  which   is  to- 
1    day  his.     In  political  sentiment,  Mr.  Schott  is  a 
Democrat,  and  is  now  the  efficient  Supervisor  of 
j    his  township,  having  been  elected  to  the  office  in 
I    1892.     For  about  twenty  years  he  has"  served  as 
I   School  Director,  and  the  cause  of  education    finds 


riZS  ZL>  CZ  07    LR'AST    D  RE5SEL  ,  SEC  .^  ,  LE\ZB  JRG  TP,  C^  CL "  1  P  CO  ,i  lL 


RESIDENCE  or   0.    T  SCHOTT  ,  SEC.4,  5HIL0H  VALLEY  TP„  ST.  CLA<R  CO.,  |U. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


".•2."i 


ill  him  a  warm  friend.  He  takes  an  active  inter- 
est ill  all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare  of  the  coiii- 
imuiity  wheie  his  entire  life  has  been  passed.  His 
straightforward  and  upright  dealings  have  won 
him  universal  confidence,  and  with  pleasure  we 
present  to  our  readers  this  record  of  hi-;  life. 


"ip^RNEST  DRESSEL.  That  portion  of  St. 
|W|  Clair  Countv^  familiarlj-  known  as  "  Dutch 
'ij— ^;  Hill  Praii-ie  "  contains  among  other  enter- 
prising residents  the  gentleman  whose  name  is 
•■iliove  given  and  who  is  one  of  its  early  settlers. 
Altliough  not  a  native  of  America,  he  is  loyal  to 
Ihi'  country  of  his  adoption,  and  unswervingly  de- 
voted to  the  interests  of  Lenzburg  Township, 
where  he  has  resided  for  many  years.  In  character 
unimpeachable,  in  generosity  and  benevolence  un- 
tiring, he  is  well  worthy  the  prominent  jiosition 
he  occupies  among  the  people. 

The  many  friends  of  Mr.  Dressel  will  be  inter- 
ested in  learning  something  concerning  his  parent- 
age and  history.  He  was  born  in  the  Province  of 
Saxony,  Germany,  Jul}'  26,  1826,  and  is  the  son  of 
Sebastian  and  Margaret  (Dressel)  Dressel.  Like 
himself,  his  parents  were  natives  of  Saxony,  his 
father  having  been  born  in  1789, and  his  mother  in 
17!I5.  Sebastian  Dressel  was  reared  in  a  village, 
an<l  received  a  good  education  in  the  common 
schools.  In  his  boyhood,  he  learned  the  trade  of 
a  lilacksmith,  which  he  followed  for  a  livelihood  in 
his  native  country,  but  after  emigrating  to  the 
liiited  States  he  turned  his  attention  to  agricul- 
ture. 

Tpon  coming  to  America,  Mr.  Dressel, Sr.,  landed 
at  New  Orleans,  whence  he  proceeded  to  Illinois 
and  located  in  St.  Clair  County.  Here  he  entered 
eighty  acres  of  Government  land  on  Dutiih  Hill 
I'rairie,  the  land  being  a  portion  of  the  estate  now 
owned  by  our  subject.  The  father  followed  farm- 
ing pursuits,  clearing  the  land  and  improving  it, 
until  at  his  death  he  left  one  of  the  finest  estates 
in    the    county.     He    was    a    man    of    enterprise. 


strength  of  character  and  firmness  of  purpose,  and 
by  industry  and  economy  surrounded  his  family 
with  all  the  comforts  of  life.  He  died  in  1842,  and 
his  wife  in  1868.  Their  marriage  was  blessed  by 
the  birth  of  six  children,  two  of  whomi  now  sur- 
vive. 

Prior  to  emigrating  to  this  country,  our  subject 
gained  a  good  education  in  the  schools  of  Ger- 
many. He  accompanied  his  father  to  St.  Clair 
County  and  remained  with  him  until  his  decease, 
when  he  took  charge  of  the  farm.  His  marriage, 
which  occurred  in  April,  1845,  united  him  with 
IMiss  Dora  Hagaman,  who  was  born  in  .June,  1825, 
and  died  November  25,  1879.  Six  children  were 
born  to  this  union,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
Carolina  and  Mary  (twins),  born  February  3, 1851, 
died  when  young;  Paulina  was  born  September 
14,  1853,  and  died  March  6,  1881;  Henry  and 
Emma  (twins)  were  born  .Tune  11,  1855. 

Mr.  Dressel  is  a  man  of  much  strength  of  cliar- 
Jicter,  and  of  a  kind  and  loving  disposition,  who, 
although  he  has  seen  much  trouble  in  his  life,  has 
always  borne  it  cheerfully,  and  is  never  disposed  to 
make  others  help  him  bear  his  burdens,  or  to  sad- 
den them.  He  gives  liberally  of  his  means  to  all 
good  objects,  and  his  fellow-men  have  ever  found 
him  sympathetic  and  generous  where  charity  was 
needed,  and  in  his  family  he  h.as  always  been  a  de- 
voted husband  and  indulgent  father.  In  his  poli- 
tical belief,  he  is  a  Republican,  and  takes  great  in- 
terest in  local  and  national  affairs. 


-^#^- 


^^EORGE  SEMMELROTII,  the  proprietor 
(Ij  __,  and  able  publisher  of  the  Belleviller  Post^ 
^>^J  both  daily  and  weekly,  is  a  man  of  intelli- 
gence, push  and  enterprise,  eminently  fitted  to 
discharge  the  duties  incumbent  upon  his  present 
position.  In  a  community  where  those  of  German 
birth  and  German  parentage  are  not  only  influen- 
tial on  account  of  numbers,  but  from  the  fact  that 
they  are  among  the  wealthiest  and  most  intelligent 
!  of  our  people,  the  newspaper  published  in  their  in- 
I   terests  must  of  necessity  be   a  strong    one.     The 


526 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPIilCAL  RECORD. 


Belleviller  Post  is  one  of  the  most  sensible  of 
the  press  productions  of  the  West,  and  its  dicu- 
lation  extends  over  a  large  territory-.  Mr.  Sem- 
melroth  was  born  in  Kurhessen,  Germany,  March 
•24,  1840,  and  in  the  public,  schools  of  his  native 
land  he  obtained  a  practical  education.  At  the 
age  of  sixteen  years  he  came  to  America,  and  at 
once  located  in  Belleville,  and  here,  in  1856,  he 
began  his  journalistic  career  as  a  printer's  "devil." 
He  followed  the  calling  of  a  type-setter  until  he 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  January  27,  1865. 
serving  until  the  war  closed  in  Company  Il.One 
Hundred  and  P'orty-nnith  Illinois  Infantry,  in  the 
State  of  Georgia.  When  his  term  of  enlistment 
expired,  at  the  end  of  one  year,  he  returned  home, 
and  soon  after  resumed  liis  position  of  foreman 
of  the  Belleviller  Zeitung.  but  during  the  same 
jear  he  purchased  a  one-half  interest  in  a  paper 
called  the  Ste)-ns  des  Westens  (English  translation, 
.Star  of  the  West),  in  1866,  but  after  a  short  time 
purchased  the  entire  plant  and  published  the  paper 
.IS  a  daily  until  1872,  when  he  sold  out,  but  re- 
tained the  position  of  busine.ss  manager  for  two 
years. 

In  1874,  he  bought  a  one-half  interest  in  the 
Belleviller  Zeihing,  and  with  this  paper  he  was 
connected  until  1886,  when  he  sold  his  inter- 
est and  bought  a  one-half  interest  in  his  present 
paper,  and  has  since  been  its  able  manager.  His 
partner  is  Gen.  AVilliam  C.  Kueffiier,  and  their  busi- 
ness connection  has  continued  very  harmoniuusl3' 
and  profltably  to  both.  Mr.  Semmelroth  is  a  gen- 
tleman of  influence  in  the  community,  and  is  a  man 
of  erudition  and  force,  eminently  fitted  to  publish 
such  a  journal  as  the  Belleviller  Post,  a  paper  that 
has  wielded  much  influence  in  political,  educa- 
tional and  moral  matters.  The  editorial  policy 
of  the  paper  is  ably  managed,  and  the  articles  han- 
dle intelligently  topics  of  public  import,  and  in 
its  manner  of  keeping  thoroughly  abreast  with  the 
times,  and  as  an  advertising  medium  is  appre- 
ciated and  known  throughout  Southern  Illinois. 
The  progressive  ideas  of  tiie  proprietors  are  re- 
llecied  in  every  part  of  llie  paper  and  its  man- 
agement, and  in  every  way  it  is  a  credit  to  the 
town. 
.  Sociallv,  Mr.  Seiumehotli    is    a    member    of    St. 


Clair  Lodge  No.  24,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Lodge 
No.  3.38.  1.  ().  ().  F.;  Lodge  No.  138,  A.  0. 
r.  W.;  tlie  Druids;  the  Liederkranz  Singing 
Society;  the  Kronthal  Liedertafel.  and  the  Ger- 
inania  Liederkranz  Turnverein.  Mr.  Semmelroth 
was  married  to  Miss  Minnie  Deeke,  of  Belleville, 
who  was  born  in  Germany  .Inly  26,  1845,  their 
union  taking  jjlace  September  15,  1866.  Their 
children  are  as  follows:  Anna,  Dora,  Lulu,  Her- 
man, Emma,  August,  Clara  and  Frieda.  Jost 
Heinrich  Semmelroth,  the  father  of  the  subject  of 
this  sketch,  came  to  America  in  1858,  and  here  re- 
sided until  his  death  in  1883,  his  wife  having 
passed  from  life  in  German}'  before  his  removal 
from  that  country.  He  was  a  very  estimable  gen- 
tleman, was  honest  and  upright  in  character,  and, 
like  all  Germans,  industrious  and  thrifty.  Two  of 
his  sons,  Henry  and  William,  died  in  Belleville. 
The  home  of  Mr.  Semmelroth  is  at  No.  415 
Kretschmer  Avenue. 


^>^^^<m^- 


'  OHN  N.  HACKER,  a  prominent  and  highly 
res|)ected  citizen,  is  a  son  of  Alexander  and 
Christena  Hacker,  both  natives  of  Germany, 
_^  the  former  born  February  22,  1823,  near 
Heldenburgen,  Grose  Dasem,  Darmstadt.  He  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  which  vocation  he  followed  in 
his  native  country.  After  landing  on  American 
shores,  in  1847,  however,  the  great  possibilities  to 
be  developed  in  farming  attracted  his  atten- 
tion, and  he  entered  into  agriculture,  which  pur- 
suit absorbed  most  of  his  active  years.  He  set- 
tled in  St.  Clair  County  immediately  after  his  ar- 
rival in  this  country,  being  then  nineteen  years 
old,  and  his  worldly  effects  consisting  of  a  good 
education  and  practical  trade.  On  the  17th  of 
April,  1849,  he  married  Miss  Anna  Christina 
Weilmenster,  a  daugliter  of  Martin  Weilmenster. 
She  was  born  on  the  4th  of  February,  1829,  in 
the  same  province  as  her  husband,  and  died  Jan- 
uary 28,  1874.  The  father  died  -Septembers,  1875. 
To  them  were  born  eleven  children,  as  follows: 
Alexander,    born    December    14,    1849;    John    G., 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


August  22,  l»ol;  ileuiy  II.,  January  1,  1853;  Mar- 
garet, October  3,  1857;  John  X.,  Febr\iary  12, 
1861;  Rosina  R.,  July  1,  1863;  Mary,  September  8, 
1868;  and  John  F.,  March  18.  1871.  Coonrofl.  liorn 
November  27,  l'S,")5;  Adam,  March  11,  18(;5,  and 
Anna  C,  January  25,  1874,  are  deceased. 

Industry  and  economy,  coupled  with  native  abil- 
ity- and  thrift,  developed  Alexander  Hacker  into 
the  possessor  of  three  farms  in  Marissa  Township, 
his  first  purchase  being  a  tract  of  eighty  acres. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  were  active  members  of 
the  Lutheran  Church  of  Darmstadt,  which  body 
mourned  an  esteemed  member  when  Mrs.  Hacker 
passed  away  in  1874,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one  years. 
Mr.  Hacker  was  a  strong  exponent  of  Republican 
principles,  and  clung  closely  to  the  party  he  emu- 
lated until  the  time  of  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1875. 

Jolni  X.  Hacker,  tlie  subject  of  our  sketcli,  was 
born  in  St.  Clair  County  in  1861.  He  received  his 
education  at  the  Belleville  High  School.  The  cir- 
cumstances surrounding  him  were  such  that  at  the 
death  of  his  father  tlic  stern  requirements  of  ex- 
istence threw  him  upon  his  own  resources  and 
compelled  him,  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  years,  to 
enter  the  combat  of  life,  develop  his  own  abilities 
and  become  the  founder  of  his  own  career. 

Upon  reaching  his  majority',  Mr.  Hacker  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Sander,  July  25,  1882.  She  was 
the  daughter  of  Henry  and  Catherine  (Masmauii) 
Sander,  and  was  born  December  31,  1860.  She 
bore  him  three  children,  respectively:  Mary  Emma, 
horn  April  5,  1883;  John  N.,  November  23,  1884; 
and  Anna  C.  L.,  January  25,  1888.  Tlie  mother 
of  these  children  died  September  27,  1888. 

Three  years  after  the  death  of  his  first  wife,  Mr. 
Hacker  m.arried  Miss  Elizabeth  Knervice,  daughter 
of  Phillip  and  Elizabeth  (Harman)  Knervice.  She 
was  born  March  19,  1861.  Two  children  were  the 
result  of  this  second  marriage;  Theodore  P.,  born 
February  12,  18U1;  and  Dorothea  M.,May  6,  1892. 
Although  trained  in  a  Republican  element,  upon 
deciding  the  question  of  the  political  party  for 
liiniself,  Mr.  Hacker  espoused  the  cause  of  Democ- 
racy, and  in  this,  as  in  all  things,  is  stanch  to  his 
principles  and  convictions.  He  followed  in  the 
footsteps  of    his  parents,  with    regard  to  religious 


beliefs,  and  has  always  adhered  to  the  precepts  and 
teachings  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  holds  mem- 
bership at  Marissa. 

The  sketc  h  would  be  imperfect  did  we  not  refer 
to  the  kindly  feeling  for  his  fellow-men  displayed 
In-  Mr.  Hacker  as  a  member  of  a  German  secret 
order  which  benefits  the  sick,  and  as  an  esteemed 
member  of  the  same  Mr.  Hacker  is  held  in  high 
regard   liy  all  who  know  him. 


EKE  I.  LINEHAN,  Manager  of  the  Western 
I'nion  Telegraph  Company,  National  Stock 
Yards,  East  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Mobile, 
Ala.,  January  14,  1859.  His  father,  who  was 
born  near  Queenstown,  Ireland,  emigrated  to  this 
country  when  quite  young,  and  in  1856  was  mar- 
ried at  Mobile  to  Miss  Kathleen  Alexander,  who 
had  left  the  "banks  and  braes  of  bonnie  Scotland" 
only  a  few  years  previous.  Immediately  after  his 
marriage,  Mr.  Linehan  purchased  the  then  cele- 
brated Moss  Rose  Tavern  and  oyster  grounds,  lo- 
cated about  half-way  out  on  the  famous  clam- 
shell road  that  skirts  the  western  coast  of  Mobile 
Bay. 

Fortune  smiled  broadly  and  kindly  upon  Mr. 
Linehan,  Sr.,  in  his  undertaking,  and  he  was  do- 
ing an  extensive  and  profitable  business  when  the 
Civil  War  broke  out.  While  he  regarded  war  as 
an  instrument  of  honor  and  uselessness,  yet  he 
responded  to  the  initial  call  for  volunteers,  became 
a  member  and  afterward  First  Lieutenant  of  the 
Battle  Guards,  a  company  organized  and  equiijpcd 
by  Mrs.  Battle  and  a  few  other  wealthy  and  chiv- 
alrous ladies  of  Mobile.  This  company  was  com- 
posed of  men  of  prominence,  mettle  and  valor,  and 
was  organized  at  the  breaking  out  of  hostilities. 

After  participating  in  nearly  all  the  important 
engagements  of  the  war,  the  father  of  our  subject 
was  killed  by  a  shell  during  the  l)ombardment  of 
Ft.  Gaines,  which  is  in  Mobile  Bay,  August  7, 1864.- 
As  he  was  the  first  man  killed  in  what  was  then 
termed  the  defense  of  Mobile,  the  siirvivint;'  women 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


who  had  organized  the  Battle  Guards  early  in  the 
war  caused  to  be  erected  over  his  grave  in  Spring 
Hill  Cemetery,  at  Mobile,  a  handsome  monument, 
suitably  inscribed.  After  the  war,  like  thousands 
of  others  in  the  Southland,  the  widow  and  mother 
found  that  her  commercial  possessions  had  so 
greatly  deteriorated  in  value  as  to  be  almost 
worthless.  This,  togetlier  with  the  fact  that  her 
home  and  the  homes  of  her  friends  were  filled  with 
desolation,  distress  and  deatli,  influenced  her  to 
remove  to  East  St.  Louis,  where  she  had  relatives 
who  had  escaped  the  awful  results  of  the  war. 
During  the  summer  of  1866  she  came  to  this  city 
accompanied  bj'  Jere  I.  and  two  j'ounger  chil- 
dren, and  here  she  afterward  made  her  home. 

At  the  age  of  ten  years  our  subject,  through  the 
influence  of  friends,  secured  the  position  of  oflice 
boy  to  Superintendent  McComas,  of  the  Eads 
Bridge,  which  spans  the  Mississippi  River  at  East 
St.  Louis,  and  which  was  in  course  of  construction 
at  that  time.  He  worked  in  tliat  capacity  until  the 
spring  of  1871,  when  ho  procured  the  position  of 
"water  boy"  to  a  portion  of  the  workmen  under 
the  supervision  of  Thomas  H.  White,  one  of  the 
several  superintendents  engaged  in  the  building  of 
the  National  Stock  Yards  at  East  St.  Louis.  He 
remained  in  that  position  until  the  stock  yards 
were  finished  and  formally  opened  for  business  in 
the  autumn  of  1872,  when  he  entered  the  employ 
of  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  Company  at  the 
stock  yards  as  messenger,  under  the  management 
of  H.  F.  Parry,  under  whose  personal  and  able 
guidance  he  became  an  expert  telegraph  operator. 
After  working  with  Mr.  Parry  as  operator  for 
about  one  year,  he  .accepted  a  position  in  the  prin- 
cipal office  of  the  Western  Union  Company  at  St. 
Louis,  and  afterward  worked  as  telegraph  opera- 
tor in  all  the  large  cities  of  the  West  until  1881, 
when  he  returned  to  his  old  home. 

During  the  year  above  mentioned,  Mr.  Linchan 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Eliza  Walsh,  of 
East  St.  Louis,  whom  he  had  known  from  childhood. 
Tliree  children  have  been  born  to  them,  two  of 
whom  tliey  have  lost  by  death,  Lester  dying  at  the 
age  of  two  years,  and  Bessie  when  seven  years  old. 
The  surviving  child,  Viola,  is  a  handsome,  bright 
and    interesting   girl  of  six  years.     Shortly   after 


his  marriage,  Mr.  Linehan  accepted  the  position  of 
assistant  chief  operator  with  the  Mutual  Union 
Telegraph  Company  of  St.  Louis,  and  was  thus 
engaged  until  Februaiy  1,  1886,  at  which  time  Mr. 
Parry  resigned  the  position  of  manager  of  the 
Western  Union  Company  at  the  National  Yards. 
The  company  wished  a  man  with  the  requisite 
qualifications  to  succeed,  and  Mr.  Parry  chose  our 
subject. 

Soon  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Linehan  became  ac- 
tively identified  with  the  East  St.  Louis  Lyceum,  a 
local  dramatic  organization.  He  displayed  notice- 
able and  unquestionable  ability  as  a  comedian 
while  a  member,  and  received  offers  to  go  on  the 
road  from  several  well-known  dramatic  companies 
at  the  time  the  telegraph  company  offered  him  the 
position  of  manager,  but  friends  and  acquaintances 
persuaded  him  to  accept  the  position  he  now  holds. 
As  his  connection  with  the  National  Stock  Yards 
dates  back  to  the  time  of  their  erection,  he  is  nat- 
urally considered  an  "old-timer"  in  that  vicinity, 
and  his  acquaintance  with  people  engaged  in  the 
live-stock  business  is  extensive.  Being  courteous 
and  efficient,  he  is  deservedly  popular  with  the 
commission  men  who  do  business  at  the  stock  yards, 
and,  in  fact,  witli  all  who  know  him,  "his  ac- 
quaintances are  his  friends." 

In  his  religious  belief,  Mr.  Linehan  is  a  Roman 
Catliolic.  He  is  identified  with  several  social  and 
mutual  benefit  societies.  In  politics,  he  is  Demo- 
cratic in  National  and  State  questions,  and  votes 
for  the  man  whom  he  considers  best  qualified  in 
county  and  municipal  affairs.  He  has  held  one  or 
two  minor  public  offices,  and  has  been  tendered 
the  nomination  of  several  positions  of  (lublic 
trust,  but  invariably-  declines,  and  it  is  said  of  him 
that  he  makes  efforts  to  further  the  interests  of 
other  good  men  in  political  affairs,  ratiier  than  to 
advance  his  own.  He  is  a  warm  supporter  of  the 
present  reform  municipal  government,  and  takes 
a  pride  in  the  development  and  advancement  of 
East  St.  Louis,  and  St.  Clair  County. 

Circumstances  having  made  it  absolutely  neces- 
sary for  Mr.  Linehan  to  begin  working  at  the 
early  age  of  ten,  his  educational  advantages  were 
very  circumscribed  and  limited,  and  he  attended 
about  one  year  altogether  during   his  career,  that 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


629 


being  between  the  ages  of  eiglit  and  ten.  What 
knowledge  lie  possesses  is  practical,  and  was  ac- 
fiuired  by  self-study  and  contact  with  his  mental 
superiors,  the  association  with  which  class  he  has 
always  eagerly  sought.  He  is  a  man  of  ability  and 
broad  knowledge,  and  has  done  some  reportorial 
work  on  the  East  St.  Louis  Daily  Journal  und  other 
local  papers.  His  impressions  of  the  world  and 
appreciation  of  prosperity  have  come  from  the 
hard  school  of  experience  and  adversity.  He  is 
comfortably  and  pleasantly  located  in  his  own 
home  at  No.  806  Baugh  Avenue,  where  he  is  sur- 
rounded with  all  the  comforts  of  life.  Sanguine 
in  temperament,  refined  in  nature,  merry  in  dis- 
position and  reserved  in  manners,  he  is  deservedly 
popular,  and  the  prominent  position  which  he  oc- 
cupies has  been  reached  by  the  force  of  his  ability, 
integrity  and  industry. 


^^  LHEKT  L.  KEKt'HLKH.  No  reference  to 
l^Oi     East  St.  Louis  of  a  statistical  nature,  even 

///  14>  of  the  most  infinitesimal  character,  would 
<^  be  complete  without  passing  reference    at 

least  to  the  National  Stock  Yards,  and  the  part 
they  play  in  tlie  world's  economy.  Among  those 
prominently  identified  with  this  vast  enterprise  is 
Albeit  L.  Keechler,  who  is  one  of  the  most  popu- 
lar young  men  at  the  yards.  He  is  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  extensive  handlers  of  Texas  cattle  in  the 
I'nited  States,  is  a  very  successful  salesman,  and 
commands  the  confidence  of  all  with  whom  he 
comes  in  contact  in  a  business  way.  He  is  thor- 
ough-going, wide-awake  and  enterprising.  Not 
only  is  he  prominent  in  business  circles,  but  as  a 
citizen  he  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  foremost 
men.  Although  young  in  years,  he  has  held  a 
number  of  responsible  [lositions,  being  at  present 
a  member  of  the  School  Board  at  East  St.  Louis, 
and  also  a  member  of  the  Library  Board. 

Mr.  Keechler  was  boiii  in  the  Buckeye  State, 
ill  Columbus,  on  the  l.'Uli  of  .March,  1858, 
;iiiU    comes   of  sturd\'   Cierwan   stuck,  his  father. 


Louis  Keechler,  being  a  native  of  the  Father- 
land. When  a  young  man.  the  elder  Mr.  Keechler 
came  with  his  parents  to  America,  and  later  was 
married  in  Columbus,  Ohio,  to  Miss  Maria  McCa- 
mish,  a  native  of  Kentucky,  but  who  was  reared  in  . 
Ohio.  After  this,  Mr.  Keechler  was  engaged  in  the 
restaurant  business,  and  was  thus  employed  dur- 
ing the  war.  Later,  he  kept  an  hotel  on  the  Island 
of  East  St.  Louis,  but  subsequently  went  to  Cincin- 
nati, Ohio,  where  he  resides  at  the  present  time, 
engaged  in  keeping  a  restaurant  and  eating-house. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Democrat.  His  wife  died  in 
1870;  they  were  the  parents  of  three  children,  two 
of  whom  are  living  at  the  present  time. 

Albert  L.  Keechler,  the  eldest  of  these  children, 
attained  his  growth  partly  in  East  St.  Louis,  and 
partly  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio.  He  attended  the  city 
schools  of  the  latter  place,  and  in  June,  1873,  he 
started  out  for  himself.  He  came  to  East  St.  Louis 
with  little  else  save  a  pair  of  strong  arms  and  a 
determination  to  succeed,  and  was  employed  in  the 
stock  yards  as  water  boy  while  the  yards  were 
building.  In  1874,  he  began  working  in  the  hog 
department,  was  thus  engaged  for  two  years,  and 
then  became  foreman  of  the  hog  department, 
where  he  remained  for  two  years.  Later,  he  be- 
came yard-master  of  the  cattle  department,  and 
continued  as  such  until  1881,  when  he  went  to 
work  for  Irons,  Cassidy,  Scruggs  &  Cassidy  as  yard- 
man in  the  cattle  department.  After  this  he  was 
made  cattle  salesman,  and  on  the  1st  of  April,  1890, 
he  was  taken  in  as  partner,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Cassidy  Bros.  &  Co.,  and  has  been  cattle  salesman 
since.  He  has  charge  of  the  sale  of  Texas  cattle, 
and  does  an  immense  business,  there  having  been 
one  hundred  and  sixty-six  thousand  cattle  sold  by 
them  last  year. 

Mr.  Keechler  owns  considerable  real  estate  in  the 
city,  and  is  a  member  of  the  First  Mutual  Build- 
ing and  Loan  Association.  He  was  married  in  this 
city  on  the  4th  of  October,  1881,  to  Miss  Emma 
Hake,  a  native  of  Bloomiugton,  111.,  and  the 
daughter  of  ex-Mayor  S.  S.  Hake,  who  was  a  con- 
tractor and  painter,  and  a  large  property  owner. 
He  is  now  deceased,  but  his  widow,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Hake,  still  resides  in  East  St.  Louis.  They  were 
the  parents  of  five  chiUlrcu,  three  of  whom  are  liv- 


530 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


ing.  Mrs.  Keechler  was  educated  in  East  St.  Louis, 
and  is  a  lad^- of  superior  attainments.  In  1888, 
our  subject  was  elected  School  Director,  and  in 
such  a  capable  manner  did  he  fill  that  position, 
that  he  was  re-elected  in  1891  without  opposition. 
He  takes  a  deep  interest  in  educational  matters, 
was  active  for  the  reform  city  government,  and 
was  a  member  of  the  Board  when  the  Franklin  and 
Webster  school  buildings  were  erected  at  a  cost  of 
$40,000  each.  A  full  system  was  established  in  tiie 
school.  Mr.  Keechler  is  a  Knight  Templar  in  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  is  Past  Master  of  the  East 
St.  Louis  lodge.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  Owls, 
St.  Louis  lodge.  He  assisted  in  the  ceremony  of  lay- 
ing the  corner-stone  of  Summit  Avenue  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church,  laid  by  the  Masons.  Mrs. 
Keechler  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  In  politics,  our  subject  is  a  worthy  Dem- 
ocrat, and  has  been  a  delegate  to  county  conven- 
tions. In  the  spring  of  1891,  he  was  appointed  by 
Mayor  Stephens  as  Director  of  the  Library  Board. 


-^^-f^e 


^l(;_^  r(;H  W.  HARRISON.  In  the  year  1848. 
llT  J'  ^^^  mechanics,  .John  Cox  and  Cyrus  Rob- 
J^^'  erts,  located  in  Belleville,  111.,  and  with  in- 
i^fj  telligence  and  industry  and  a  perception 
of  the  wants  of  tlfe  wheat-raisers  in  the  matter  of 
a  machine  to  save  their  grain,  the  farmers  at  that 
time  trampling  out  their  wheat  with  horses, 
they  commenced  l)uilding  a  machine  of  the 
vibrator  class.  They  secured  a  number  of  pat- 
ents on  their  machine,  which  w.as  then  called 
the  Cox  tt  Roberts  Thresher,  lint  later  changed  to 
the  Belleville  Vibrator.  Mr.  F.  M.  Middlecroff, 
a  farmer  and  practical  meciianic,  and  our  sub- 
ject, Mr.  Harrison,  after  being  in  the  eniiiUn-  of 
Cox  and  Roberts  several  years,  purchased  Mr. 
Cox's  interest  in  the  business  in  1855.  At  this 
time  tlie  business  had  grown  from  eight  to  ten 
machines  built  the  first  year  to  over  one  hundred. 
Mr.  Roberts  sold  his  interest  to  Mr.  Buchanan  in 
18.57,  and  since  then  Mr.  Harrison  and  Mr. 
liucluuKUi  have  been   together,   perfecting  and  im- 


proving this  style  of  machine.  They  have  de- 
voted all  their  energies  to  the  important  interest 
of  building  a  grain  saver  and  cleaner,  and  to  their 
growing  business.  In  1878  it  was  deemed  best,  for 
many  reasons,  to  organize  under  the  State  law  as  a 
stock  company,  with  Cyrus  Thompson  and  Hugh 
W.  Harrison  as  associates  of  the  old  members  of  the 
firm  and  under  the  corporate  name  of  the  Harrison 
Machine  Works.  As  others  claimed  the  iiivcntiuu 
of  thciuuuc.  Ihr  r.cUcvillo  \il.rat..i.  to  cli.~t  iimmsli 
a  diffcreiil  marliiiic.  MrsMs  llariison  ralliMl  theirs 
the  Belleville  Sepaiatoi-.  It  li.as  since  been  suggested, 
owing  to  its  inei  it  in  saving  the  largest  percent- 
age of  grain,  that  it  be  called  the  Belleville  (irain 
Saver.  The  experience  of  nearly  forty  years,  the 
suggestions  received  from  thousands  of  the  best 
threshers  the  hundreds  of  tests  they  have  made  in 
all  grain,  and  the  success  and  great  demand  for  the 
"Belleville"  in  all  parts  of  the  country,  must  and  do 
impress  (he  threshers  and  farmers  and  help  them  in 
deciding  where  to  get  reliable  threshing  machineiy. 
They  guarantee  and  assure  the  threshers  and  grain- 
raisers  a  machine  that  will  save  the  grain. 

The  threshing-machines  they  build  are  not  cxpcii- 
ments.  In  the  season  of  1880  many  new -style  llncsli- 
ers  were  thrown  on  the  market  in  their  vicinity,  but 
they  failed  to  save  the  grain  and  were  returned  to 
the  manufacturers  or  their  agents.  Farmers  and 
threshers  cannot  afford  to  lose  ten  or  twelve  days' 
time  on  an  untried  machine,  or  one  that  will  not 
save  the  grain.  The  Belleville  Separator  in  no 
instance  failed  to  give  entire  satisfaction.  The 
Belleville  is  built  by  experienced  men,  well  edu- 
cated in  the  requirements  of  this  class  of  work, 
with  long  years  of  experience,  and  ample  facilities 
for  testing  every  improvement.  In  August,  1873, 
this  company  purchased  large  buildings  near  their 
thresher  works  and  fitted  them  up  with  the  best 
tools  obtainable  for  building  first-class  engines. 
There  is  no  similar  establishment  better  fitted 
East  or  AVest  than  this  for  making  good  thresh- 
ing ciigi  lus.  Tlicse  engines  have  proved  all  and 
more  than  the  manufacturers  expected  of  them,  in 
having  moie  [tower,  consuming  less  fuel,  requiring 
less  water,  using  steam  more  economically,  and  be- 
ing more  durable  and  more  easily  managed.  The 
extension  of  tliis  eiit;ine  and  tlireslier  trade  to  var- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


531 


ions  parts  of  the  country  is  a  noticeable  feature, 
speaking  much  in  favor  of  the  machinery.  They 
sell  thresher  outfits  in  Illinois,  Missouri,  Iowa, 
Kansas.  Nebraska,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Kentucky,  Ten- 
nessee, Louisiana,  Texas,  Montana,  Dakota,  Color- 
ado and  Mexico.  In  this  age  of  steam  and  tele- 
graph, when  knowledge  is  quickly  and  widely' 
disseminated,  the  best  is  sought  and  will  be  had. 

The  Harrison  Machine  Works  are  located  on  the 
C!airo  Short  Line  Railroad  in  Belleville,  cover  sev- 
eral acres  of  ground,  and  are  fitted  up  with  the 
latest  and  most  improved  machinery,  having  all 
the  convenience  for  doing  a  large  and  satisfactory 
business.  The  completeness  and  magnitude  of 
the  works  are  an  agreeable  surprise  to  all  who 
visit  them,  and  by  the  addition  of  large  shops, 
and  the  purchase  of  new  lathes  and  tools,  they  have 
increased  their  capacity  twenty-five  to  fifty  per 
cent.  It  is  a  pride  to  the  locality  to  know  that 
such  an  establishment  has  grown  up  in  the  Mississ- 
ippi Valley  in  the  face  of  the  sternest  competi- 
tion, and  through  the  energy  and  pluck  of  men  born 
and  reared  in  St.  Clair  County,  111.  While  there 
arc  larger  works  elsewhere,  of  greater  age  and 
more  extensive  capital,  yet  there  are  none  more 
complete,  with  better  tools  or  more  skilled  mechan- 
ics. Their  traction  engines  have  and  will  attract 
much  attention.  Messrs.  Harrison  and  Buchanan 
have  made  special  efforts  to  build  an  engine  pro- 
pelled by  its  own  motive  power  attached  to  rear 
or  hind  wheels,  and  this  they  have  accomplished 
more  successfully  than  in  any  in  the  market.  Their 
speciality  and  business  is  making  threshing  ma- 
chinery. They  build  nothing  else,  and  devote 
their  entire  energies  to  making  and  perfecting 
machinery  to  thresh  and  save  the  grain  of  the 
farmer  in  the  easiest  and  cheapest  way. 

Hugh  W.  Harrison,  Secretary  of  the  Iburisoii 
Machine  AVorks,  is  a  native  of  Illinois.  Iioin  in 
Belleville  April  26,  1853,  and  is  a  son  of  Tlioinas 
O.  and  Eliza  .1.  (Calbreath)  Harrison.  His  grand- 
father, .lames  Harrison,  with  his  great-grandfather, 
Thomas  Harrison,  were  among  the  earliest  pioneers 
of  St..  Clair  County.  Thomas  O.  Harrison,  father 
of  our  suject,  was  educated  in  Belleville  ;ni(l  at 
McKendree  College,  Lebanon.  111.  When  a  young 
man  he  entered  the  mill  with  liis  f.-itlier  and   Iheie 


learned  the  business  thoroughl3'.  Later,  with  his 
brother,  C.  G.  Harrison,  who  is  now  in  Los  Ange- 
les, Cal.,  he  purchased  the  business.  The  Harrison 
Mill  was  located  at  the  west  end  of  Main  Street, 
and  still  stands  as  built  by  the  Harrisons.  It  is  the 
leading  mill  of  the  city  and  the  flour,  which  is  well 
known  throughout  Europe,  is  still  known  as  the 
•'T.  Harrison  Brand."  They  sold  that  mill  in 
about  the  year  1858  or  1859,  and  went  to  Hast- 
ings, Minn,,  where  they  built  flouring  mills  and 
operated  them  until  the  death  of  Thomas  O.,  which 
occurred  in  1861,  C.  G.  Harrison  then  sold  out 
and  went  to  Los  Angeles,  Cal.  Thomas  O.  Harri- 
son had  married  in  Belleville,  111.,  Miss  Calbreath, 
daughter  of  Hugh  Calbreath,  of  Shiloh  A'alley  and 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  that  place.  To  Mv.  and 
Mrs,  Harrison  were  born  five  children,  four  sons  and 
one  daughter,  who  are  named  in  the  order  of  their 
births  as  follows:  Hugh  W„  C.  W.,  F.  L.,  T.  G., 
and  Olive,  who  is  now  the  wife  of  K.  F.  Waugli, 
of  Belleville, 

The  educational  advantages  of  our  subject  were 
received  in  Hastings,  Minn,,  St,  Louis  and  Mc- 
Kendree College,  after  which  he  entered  the  Har- 
rison Machine  Works,  where  he  learned  the  trade 
of  machinist,  boiler-maker  and  moulder,  becoming 
familiar  with  all  departments.  He  entered  the 
business  first  in  1870,  and  for  sixteen  years  has 
filled  the  position  .of  Secretary,  He  is  a  persever- 
ing, thorough-going, energetic  business  man  and  is 
eminently  deserving  of  all  business  success.  He 
is  highly  esteemed  in  the  community.  Mr.  Harri- 
son was  married  in  Virginia,  111,,  on  the  26th  of 
September,  1877,  to  Miss  Parthcnia  F,  Tureman, 
daughter  of  J,  H,  Tureman,  and  he  and  wife  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  in 
which  he  is  at  present  Steward,  He  has  been 
Trustee,  Usher,  etc,  Mr,  Harrison  has  shown 
his  great  appreciation  of  secret  organizations  in 
general  by  becoming  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Free 
&  Accepted  Masons,  Knights  of  Pythias,  Knights 
of  Honor,  Associated  Order  of  United  Workmen, 
Modern  Woodmen. of  America,  and  is  a  Knight 
Templar  in  the  first-mentioned  order.  Mr.  Harri- 
son gives  almost  his  entire  attention  to  the  ma- 
chine m.anufacturing  business,  and  the  present 
otlicers  of  the  Harrison    jMachiiie  W. irks  are  Will- 


532 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


iain  C.  Buchanan,  President;  Lee  Harrison,  Vice- 
president;  Cyrus  Thompson,  Treasurer;  and  Hugh 
W.  Harrison,  Secretary.  The  works  cover  about 
ten  acres  and  give  employment  to  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  men.the  year  round.  The  cap- 
ital stocii  IS  ii300,00n. 


>.^f^^|^..|^||^#i#^^ 


AMP:s  AMOS  WILLOUGHBY  is  Postmaster 
II  of  Belleville,  111.,  and  associate  proprietor 
^,  tj.  with  Mr.  Thomas  of  ihe  Advocat£.  In  an 
^^/'  early  -day  there  arrived  in  America  the 
Willoughby  family,  representatives  of  the  Eng- 
lish race,  which  has  contributed  so  much  to  the 
thrift,  industry  and  prosperity  of  this  country; 
and  one  of  their  direct  descendants  was  AVilliam 
E.  AVilloughb\-,  who  was  born  in  Kent  County, 
Del.,  March  7,  1823.  He  came  with  his  father, 
William,  to  Illinois  in  1833,  where  he  grew  up, 
and,  so  far  as  outward  circumstances  could  mould, 
l)ecame  thoroughly  Americanized.  They  settled  on 
the  American  Bottom,  in  St.  Clair  County,  near 
Cullinsville,  where  William  Willoughby  was  called 
from  life. 

William  E.  Willoughby  was  first  married  to  Miss 
Penn,  who  died  without  issue,  and  ou  the  1st  of 
.lanuary,  1852,  was  united  to  Miss  Mary  Moore, 
their  union  proving  a  very  happj'  one.  She  is  the 
second  daughter  of  William  and  Margaret  (Alexan- 
der) Moore,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Geor- 
gia and  the  latter  in  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  Wil- 
loughby was  born  on  the  14th  of  June,  1825,  at  the 
old  family  homestead,  near  Belleville,  where  her 
parents  settled  either  in  lHilorl815.  Through 
the  ardent  devotion  of  her  fatlier  to  i-duc.itional 
interests,  she  had  all  the  advantages  in  that  line  that 
the  unorganized  subscription  method  of  that  day 
afforded — in  chance  empty  cabins,  on  slab  seals, 
with  neither  backs  nor  desks,  with  the  light  peep- 
ing through  a  single  row  of  gUiss,  8x10  inches  in 
size,  sashed  in  by  the  removal  of  as  much  log  on 
either  side  of  the  humble  edifice,  where  usually 
the  "rule  of  three"  was  the  goal  of  ambition. 

After  his  marriage,  William  K.  ^Viiloughb_\  lo- 


cated on  a  farm  on  Looking  Glass  Prairie,  north 
of  Sunimerfield,  where  he  actively  and  success- 
fully j)uisued  the  avocation  he  had  been  reared 
to — agriculture  and  stock-raising.  As  a  result 
of  his  marriage  vow,  his  family  was  enlarged  by 
the  birth  of  four  children,  of  whom  James  Amos 
was  the  second  in  order  of  birth;  he  first  saw 
the  light  of  day  on  Looking  Glass  Prairie  May  2, 
1855,  and  was  brought  up  on  a  farm,  where  dur- 
ing his  minor  years,  when  not  at  school,  he  took 
cheerfully  an  active  part  in  the  routine  labors  of 
agricultural  life.  By  studious  application  he  mas- 
tered tlie  common  English  branches;  after  which 
he  entered  McKendree  College, and  in  the  Class  of 
'74  was  graduated  in  the  scientific  department 
with  the  degree  of  A.  B.  He  next,  wishing  to 
acquire  a  knowledge  of  law,  the  underlying  stratum 
of  our  liberties  and  the  ethical  channel  through 
which  justice  is  measured  to  the  people,  entered 
the  University  of  Michigan,  at  Ann  Arbor,  as  a 
law  student,  and  in  1876  received  a  diploma 
of  admission  to  the  Bar  of  Ann  Arbor,  and  a 
short  time  later  of  Belleville,  111.  Attracted  by 
the  seeming  fair  profits  druggists  were  receiv- 
ing at  that  time,  Mr.  Willoughby  engaged  in 
that  business  in  1877,  and  followed  it  at  Leba- 
non, 111.,  until  December,  1880,  although  the  busi- 
ness did  not  meet  his  expectations  remuneratively 
or  congenially. 

Our  subject  then  entered  the  political  mcua 
and  was  elected  the  first  Recorder  of  St.  Clair 
County  by  the  Republican  party,  over  John  Ben- 
ner,  in  1880.  and  held  the  position  very  effici- 
ently for  four  years.  Upon  again  making  tlie 
race,  in  1884,  he  was  defeated  by  two  hundred 
and  eighty-two  votes,  as  the  county  had  a  I^emo- 
cratic  majority  of  seventeen  hundred  votes.  In 
1885,  soon  after  the  expiration  of  his  official  du- 
ties, in  connection  with  Mr.  Thomas,  he  began 
publishing  the  Belleville  Advocate,  the  leading  Re- 
liublican  pa|)er  of  the  county,  and  is  still  pursuing 
tliut  calling,  stimulated  to  action  through  the  in- 
spiintion  of  a  strong,  ardent  and  unwavering  faith 
in  the  assumed  fact  that  Republican  politics  will 
best  .serve  public  interest.  He  is  an  honest  man, 
true  to  his  convictions,  and  enjoys,  regardle.ss  of 
poliliiul  theor\-,  the  esleem   and  conliiience  of  his 


oiT.(:yrL  -^^;^4^wf. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


535 


acquaintances,  and  now,  as  a  result  of  a  spotless 
life  and  active  political  devotion,  is  Postmaster  of 
Belleville,  to  which  position  he  was  appointed 
February  1  1.  ISlin,  entering  upon  the  duties  of 
his  otlice  Aiiril  1.  The  postal  receipts  for  the 
year  ending  April  1,  1892,  were  |!12,000.  The 
city  lias  a  free  deliver3",  with  seven  carriers,  and 
two  men  are  constantly  required  in  the  office, 
Samuel  Stookey  being  Deputy. 

Although  not  a  member  of  any  church,  ^Ir. 
AVilloughby  is  a  believer  in  and  leans  toward  the 
Methodist  doctrine.  Realizing  the  fact  that  it 
is  not  good  to  live  alone,  on  tlie  Uth  of  No- 
vember, 1886,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Lizzie  V.  Hughes,  daughter  of  ex-Sheriff  and 
Postmaster  James  Hughes  (deceased).  Socially, 
Jlr.  WiUoughby  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient,  Free 
it  Accepted  jNIasons.  The  Advocalfi  is  an  ably  con- 
ducted paper  and  has  a  circulation  of  eighteen 
hundred.  His  fatlier  is  still  living  at  Lebanon, 
and  is  highly  honored  throughout  that  section  as 
an  upright,  useful  and  loyal  citizen.  The  mother 
is  deceased. 


EWIS  M.  .lOlIXSON.  We  kn.-w  that  the 
poor  we  have  always  witii  us,  and  the  gen- 
tleman whose  name  opens  this  sketch  has 
had  the  sorrows  of  this  pre |)on derating  class 
brought  innie  closely  to  his  notice  than  have  the 
majority  of  pcoiilc  He  who  becomes  Overseer  of 
the  Poor  in  any  district  must  unite  in  himself 
many  qualifications,  among  which  should  be  great 
kindness  of  heart  with  great  firmness  of  will. 
These  desirable  characteristics  Mr.  .lohnson  pos- 
sesses, and  is  therefore  well  fitted  for  the  dillic-ult 
position  which  he  holds. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Moses  Johnson, 
was  a  very  early  settler  in  Orleans  County,  N.  V., 
where  he  brought  his  family  in  1811.  lie  became 
a  farmer  in  that  fertile  section  and  (here  he  re- 
mained until  the  death  of  his  wife,  when  he 
removed   to  the  Far  ^Vest,  and  there   died,     The 


father  of  our  subject  was  born  in  eastern  New 
York,  and  bore  the  name  of  Lyman.  He  was 
reared  in  Rochester  and  there  married.  He  car- 
ried on  farming  until  1850,  when  he  located  iii 
Rochester  and  became  connected  with  the  police 
and  detective  department,  and  was  one  of  the  most 
valuable  officers  in  the  Government  employ  dur- 
ing the  war,  causing  desolation  to  the  bounty 
jumpers.  The  mother  of  our  subject,  Charlotte 
Drew,  was  born  in  Oneida  County,  N.  Y.,  and 
passed  away  in  184.S.  She  was  the  daughter  of  an 
early  settler  in  Oneida  County  who  followed  the 
trade  of  basket-making. 

Our  subject  was  the  tliird  eldest  child  in  a  family 
of  seven  children,  and  is  the  only  one  now  living, 
one  brother  having  given  up  his  life  for  his 
country.  Lewis  Johnson  was  born  in  Rochester, 
N.  Y.,  June  13,  1837,  and  was  reared  in  his  native 
city,  where  he  attended  the  public  schools.  In 
1856  he  went  to  Saginaw  City,  Mich.,  and  ran  an 
engine  for  one  season.  During  the  following  year 
he  became  second  engineer  on  the  steamer  "  James 
Raymond,"  and  towed  the  floating  palace  with 
Spaulding  &  Reger's  circus  from  Hennepin,  III., 
to  New  Orleans,  and  up  the  Red  and  Cumberland 
Rivers,  and  then  back  up  the  Ohio  to  New  Al- 
bany, where  he  left  them.  He  then  went  to  Pa- 
ola  and  ran  an  engine  in  a  gristmill  for  four 
months.  Tiring  of  that  occupation  he  took  charge 
of  the  stage  between  Paola,  Ind.,  and  Louisville, 
Ky.,  and  drove  it  with  four  horses.  In  1859  he 
went  to  Orleans,  Ind.,  and  became  connected  with 
a  firm  dealing  in  lightning-rods,  but  in  the  winter 
of  1860  he  worked  in  a  sawmill  at  tiiat  place. 

The  marriage  of  our  subject  took  place  May  16, 
1861,  in  Orleans,  to  Miss  Jennie  R.  Hamilton,  who 
was  born  in  Orange  County,  Ind.  About  that 
time  the  call  came  for  defenders  of  the  country, 
and  Mr.  Johns^in  was  among  the  first  to  respond. 
He  enlisted  .hily  lo,  1861,  in  Company  G, 
Twenty-fourth  Indiana  Infantiy,  and  helped  to 
raise  the  company  for  the  three  months'  service. 
When  the  call  came  for  three  3'ears,  he  again 
bravely  went  forth  to  meet  the  uncertainties  of  a 
soldier's  life,  lie  was  mustered  in  as  Sergeant  in 
a  company  at  Vineennes  under  ex-Goy,  Uovey, 
and  was  sent   to   Mi^^souri    in    Hie   Army   of   the 


536 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRArHICAL  RECORD. 


West.  There  they  were  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of 
Price  and  then  were  stationed  at  Carondelet, 
guarding  the  gunboat  while  it  was  being  built. 
Later,  the  regiment  was  sent  South  and  was  soon 
in  the  thickest  of  the  struggle.  They  were  at 
P'ts.  Donelson  and  Henry,  Shiloh,  Corinth,  the  ex- 
pedition of  the  Gulf  and  While  River,  Champion 
Hill,  Black  liiver,  tlie  siege  of  Yicksburg,  then  on 
to  Jackson  and  New  Orleans,  in  the  campaign  in 
Louisiana,  and  the  expedition  up  the  Red  River. 
During  this  time  and  in  the  Grand  Review  at 
New  Orleans,  our  subject  was  in  command  of  the 
company.  When  his  time  of  service  expired,  in 
the  spring  of  1864,  the  regiment  was  at  Natchez, 
and  there  he  received  an  honorable  discharge.  He 
had  a  fine  record,  and  there  are  those  who  remem- 
ber that  at  Grand  Gulf  he  it  was  who  volunteered 
to  drive  the  engine  of  a  transport  to  run  the 
blockade. 

In  1864  our  subject  began  work  for  the  Ohio 
and  Mississippi  Railroad  as  brakeman.  but  later 
became  fireman,  and  afterward  was  engineer  from 
Yincennes  to  Seymour,  Ind.,  until  1869,  when  he 
took  a  position  on  the  Vandalia  Railroad,  and  ran 
from  East  St.  Louis  to  Effingham.  In  1870  he  de- 
cided to  make  this  city  his  home,  and  was  an  en- 
gineer until  January,  1892,  when  he  left  tlie  road 
on  account  of  sickness.  He  has  had  a  very  fortu- 
nate railroad  life,  as  he  is  one  of  the  oldest  engi- 
neers and  his  only  accident  was  one  in  which  his 
shoulders  were  injured.  He  had  the  honor  of 
taking  the  first  engine  over  Eads  Bridge,  to  test 
its  strength,  which  was  also  a  test  of    his  courage. 

In  addition  to  his  pleasant  residence,  which  is 
located  at  No.  449  Collinsville  Avenue,  Mr.  John- 
son owns  other  real  estate,  and  is  well-to-do.  He 
is  the  father  of  two  children:  Fannie  C,  now 
Mrs.  S.  P.  Chapin,  of  East  St.  Louis;  and  Frank  I., 
who  is  an  engineer  on  the  Merchant's  Bridge. 

In  1892,  Mr.  Johnson  was  elected  Chief  Super- 
visor of  East  St.  Louis  Township  and  city.  He  is 
a  member  of  tlie  committee  on  the  equalization  of 
public  property,  and  in  the  spring  of  1892  was  ap- 
pointed Overseer  of  the  Poor  by  the  Mayor  and 
Council.  In  the  McDowell  Post  No.  507,  G.  A. 
I?  ,  he  is  a  prominent  member  and  was  the  first 
Commander.     He  belongs  to   Eureka    Lodtfe    No. 


81,  K.  P.;  Rathbone  Division  U.  R.  K.  P.,  No.  17, 
and  now  is  Brigadier-Major  and  Aid-de-Camp  of 
the  Brigadier-Commander  of  Illinois  of  the  U.  K. 
K.  P.  He  is  also  identified  with  the  Knights 
and  Ladies  of  Honor,  and  has  been  an  officer 
and  an  active  member  of  the  Locomotive  En- 
gineers. He  has  not  neglected  politics  in  his 
busy  life,  but  has  been  a  delegate  to  tlie  Kepubli- 
can  State  and  countv  conventions. 


^^;NDHEW  B.  smiley,  a  retired  farmer, 
@/l){'     living  in  a  beautiful   home  on  tlie  corner 

ij  il  of  South  Jackson  and  Sixth  Streets,  was 
^  born   in   this   county   December    8.    1846. 

His  parents,  Mathew  A.  and  Mary  C.  (Christy) 
Smile^v,  were  natives  of  Kentucky'  and  Ohio,  re- 
spectively-, the  former  coming  to  this  State  when 
about  thirty-  years  of  age.  He  was  married  here 
and  died  three  months  before  the  birth  of  his  son, 
our  subject.  The  mother  continued  to  reside  in 
the  old  home  place  in  Caseyville  Township,  where 
our  subject  grew  to  maturity. 

Mr.  Smiley,  our  subject,  received  his  early  edu- 
cation at  the  public  schools,  and  from  there  went 
to  the  AVesleyan  LTni versify  at  Bloom ington.  III. 
Upon  his  return,  he  engaged  in  fanning  with  his 
mother  until  her  death,  which  occurred  Jul}-  27, 
1889.  Mr.  Smile_y  has  one  brother,  Samuel  C., 
and  a  half-brother  and  sister,  Joseph  Porter  and 
Mrs.  Filizabelh  Begole,  on  his  mother's  side;  and 
two  half-brothers  and  two  half-sisters  on  his  fa- 
ther's side,  namely-:  James  A.;  William  G.;  Martha, 
•Mrs.  John  Dugger;  and  Emily,  married  and  liv- 
ing in  the  South. 

Our  subject  remained  on  the  home  farm  for 
about  six  months  after  the  death  of  his  mother 
and  then  invested  in  two  fine  farms  for  himself, 
one  of  one  hundred  and  sixt}-  and  the  other  of 
one  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  in  O'Falion  Town- 
ship. Later,  Mr.  Smile^y  purchased  land  and  built 
a  beautiful  two-story,  pressed  brick  residence,  of 
modern  design,  25x63  feet,  finished  in  hard  wood 
and    lu'Mted    with   the    hot-water    system   through- 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


537 


out.  It  is  one  of  the  most  modern  houses  in  con- 
stiuftion  in  the  town  and  is  finished  inside  and 
out  in  the  best    and    most   complete  manner  pos- 

Mr.  Siiiilev  was  married  Deeomber  17,  liH72,  to 
Miss  Susan  G.  Bowler,  of  the  same  township. 
She  is  a  daughter  of  tin-  soil,  and  her  father, 
Benjamin  F.  Bowler,  was  one  of  the  early  settlers. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smilev  have  one  son,  Frank  B.,  now 
attending  the  Missouri  Military  Acadenw,  in 
Mexico.  Mr.  .Smiley  is,  politically  speaking,  a 
Democrat,  but  prefers  to  use  his  influence  in  a 
quiet,  private  way,  feeling  that  more  good  can 
be  accomplished  in  this  way  than  in  office.  He  is 
an  active  and  popular  member  of  St.  Clair  Lodge 
iS'o.  24,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  Mr.  Smiley  and  his  esti- 
mable wife  are  charming  peoiile,  whom  it  is  a 
pleasure  to  meet,  and  they  enjoy  the  respect  and 
esteem  of  the  hosts  of  friends  tiiey  have  made  for 
tiiemselves,  not  only  in  the  city  of  Belleville,  but 
wherever  thev  have  been. 


-♦^^^1®^®!^,^^ 


J  I  OSEPH  REICllEirr.  The  sketch  which  we 
now  place  before  the  public  concerns  the 
President  of  the  Keichert  Milling  Company 
_^  '  at  Freebnrg,  St.  Clair  County,  111.  He  is 
the  son  of  Joseph  Reichert,  who  was  born,  reared 
and  married  in  Germany.  For  many  years  he  had 
cherished  thoughts  of  the  land  across  the  ocean,  to 
which  so  many  of  his  countrymen  had  gone  and 
obtained  homes,  ,'ind  when  his  family  had  been 
increased  to  the  niunber  of  eight  beside  himself 
and  wife,  he  decided  to  make  the  long  journey. 
The  biographer  has  often  thought  of  the  courage 
that  a  course  of  this  kind  nuist  linve  demanded. 
Many  of  our  (icrnian  citizens  had  never  before 
left  the  shadow  of  the  home  trees  l)efore  they  set 
out  on  that  voyage  into  the  strange  country, 
where  the  language  was  unknown  to  them, and  the 
customs  of  the  people  totally  strange.  However, 
this  record  gives  little  space  for  moralizing.  Suffice 
that    the    father    of  our  subject    was    one  of    the 


with  his  family  set  sail  for  America.  They 
arrived  in  New  Orleans  M.iy  30,  1847,  thence 
made  their  way  up  the  Mississippi  River,  and  finally 
settled  in  St.  Clair  County ,where  the}'  found  many 
honest,  hard-working  people  from  the  Fatherland. 
There  .Joseph  Reichert  bought  land  adjoining  the 
town  of  Freeburg  and  lived  a  good  and  useful 
life  until  his  death  in  July,  1869.  His  birth  oc- 
curred January  24, 1791.  The  aged  motherof  our 
subject  was  born  December  14,  1799,  in  Bargn.  a 
village  of  Baden,  in  Germany, and  died  in  1882. 

After  the  arrival  of  the  family  in  this  county, 
the  subject  of  oiu"  sketch,  who  was  then  a  sturdy 
boy,  offered  his  sci'vices  to  a  neighboring  farmer  at 
a  salary  of  *6  a  month  and  was  accepted.  Joseph 
was  at  first  awkward  with  the  cradle,  which  was 
given  him  with  which  to  cut  the  wheat,  for  this 
rapid  and  convenient  agricultural  implement  was 
totally  unknown  to  him.  But  he  watched  the 
others  and  by  the  second  day  was  able  to  keep  up 
with  th(!  nen  who  were  receiving  regular  harvest- 
ing wages.  The  lad  was  not  offered  more  pay,  al- 
though he  did  as  much  work  as  any,  but  he  con- 
tinued here  for  three  months.  In  the  fall  of  the 
year,  he  went  to  St.  Louis  and  learned  the  trade  of 
a  cooper,  remaining  there  about  two  years. 

Mv.  Reichert  then  returned  to  his  home  and  on 
the  28th  of  (October,  1850,  he  was  united  in  matri- 
mony with  Miss  Maria  Rauth.  From  this  union 
there  have  been  eleven  children,  eight  of  whom  are 
still  living:  Louisa,  wife  of  Henry  Senth;  Mary, 
wife  of  John  Curan,  of  Belleville;  George,  living 
at  Freeburg,  and  the  Vice-president  and  manager 
of  the  Reichert  Milling  Company;  Catherine,  wife 
of  Ciiarles  Becker,  a  coal  operator  of  Freeburg; 
William,  Secretary  and  Treasurer  of  the  milling 
company;  Emma,  wife  of  John  Reiter,  of  Free- 
burg; Lena,  wife  of  August  Barthel,  of  Belleville; 
and  Ida,  living  at  home. 

For  four  years  succeeding  his  marriage,  our  sub- 
ject followed  his  trade  of  cooper  and  with  it  eoni- 
Inned  farming,  but  in  1854  he  opened  a  cooi)ei- 
shop  in  Freeburg.  In  1857,  he  had  Ijecomeso  well 
and  favorably  known  that  he  was  elected  Con- 
stable of  the  Fayetteville  precinct,  which  office 
he  held  until  1862,  when  he  resigned  and  went 
intn  llie  luillinu  business.   Mr.  Reichert  was  oblioe.l 


538 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


to  go  deepl}'  in  debt  for  the  mill  property,  but 
this  action  laid  tlie  foundation  for  that  success 
which  has  crowned  the  efforts  of  his  life.  Fitted 
by  nature  for  this  iKTrtioular  business,  all  has  gone 
well  with  him. 

During  the  Civil  War,  our  subject  watclied 
closely  the  fluctuations  of  the  wheat  and  flour 
markets,  .and,  by  taking  advantage  of  the  changes, 
made  a  fortune.  His  practical  knowledge  of  coop- 
ering, combined  with  the  milling  business,  greatly 
aided  him  in  bringing  about  results.  To  be  inde- 
pendent was  his  watchword,  and  he  has  striven  to 
make  all  branches  of  his  business  work  together. 
He  owns  and  controls  a  coal  mine  as  a  valuable 
adjunct  to  his  mill,  and  lie  has  bought  several 
farms.  His  eminent  business  qualifications  led  his 
fellow-citizens  to  elect  him  a  member  of  the  Town 
Council,  of  which  body  he  was  made  President, 
holding  the  office  for  seven  or  eight  years,  in 
fact  as  long  as  he  would  accept  it.  Mr.  Reichert 
takes  a  great  interest  in  agricultural  affairs  and 
was  for  five  years  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Direc- 
tors of  the  St.  Clair  County  Agricultural  Associ- 
ation, serving  one  year  as  Vice-president  of  that 
organization,  and  in  1879  was  chosen  President. 

In  1879,  desiring  to  see  his  old  home  which  he 
had  left  when  a  lad,  our  subject  made  the  trip  to 
his  birthplace  in  Bargn,  Baden,  Germany,  where  he 
was  born  November  17,  1828,  and  after  this  visit 
was  more  than  ever  pleased  with  the  value  of 
American  institutions.  One  of  the  pleasant  memo- 
ries of  his  life  will  ever  be  his  attendance  upon  the. 
golden  wedding  of  his  parents  at  the  home  of  his 
brother,  October  1,  1868.  There  were  gathered 
together  on  that  occasion  eight  children,  tliirty- 
four  grandchildren  and  nine  great  grandchildren. 
The  event  was  enlivened  with  music  by  the  Belle- 
ville band,  and  speeches  were  made  by  friends, 
among  them  Father  Bartel,  of  Hanover,  and  Bre- 
feld,  of  Hill;  Maurer,  of  Columbia;  and  Janssen,of 
iNIud  Creek.  Altogether,  it  was  an  occasion  of 
much  good  cheer  and  a  source  of  rejoiciug  to  the 
father  and  mother. 

Politically,  Mr.  Reichert  has  always  been  a  Dem- 
ocrat and  active  in  the  ranks  of  his  party.  This 
party,  recognizing  his  wortii  and  desiring  his 
.services,  have  twice  nomimitefl  him  as  Representa- 


tive. Hosts  of  friends  gather  about  him,  and  the 
general  verdict  is  that  he  has  made  a  success  of  his 
life  because  of  his  promptness  and  energj'  in  every 
emergencj'.  His  church  is  the  Roman  Catholic  and 
to  that  church  he  looks  for  consolation  in  his  hours 
of  need.  The  family  is  one  of  the  most  prominent 
in  this  i)art  of  the  countv. 


\i^REDERICK  TRAl'TMANN.  who  owns  a 
iU^j(s);  large  farm  on  section  9,  Casey vi lie  I'own- 
/i\  ~  ship,  is  a  native  of  our  sister  Republic, 
France.  He  was  born  in  1838,  in  Alsace,  and  is  a 
son  of  Philip  and  Caroline  (Hueckel)  Trautmann. 
The  parents  of  our  subject  were  both  born  in  the 
same  province.  The  father  was  reared  in  a  village 
and  when  in  his  youth  he  went  to  Paris,  he  en- 
tered the  service  of  a  gentleman  and  worked  for 
some  time  as  his  servant.  After  his  marriage,  he 
carried  on  a  store  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1840.  His  wife  survived  him  about  ten  years. 
Their  family  consisted  of  two  sons:  Philip,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  seventeen,  and  Frederick,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch. 

For  two  j'ears  after  his  mother's  death,  Frederick 
made  his  home  with  an  aunt  and  then  went  to  the 
city  to  learn  the  trade  of  a  saddler  and  harness- 
maker.  After  mastering  that  trade,  he  followed 
the  same  occupation  in  his  native  countr3-,and  for 
two  years  after  his  arrival  in  the  United  Stales.  In 
18,08,  bidding  adieu  to  his  friends  and  the  scenes 
of  his  youth,  he  set  his  face  Westward  and  came  by 
ship  to  America.  He  first  located  in  St.  Louis, 
where  he  engaged  in  harness-making  for  some  time. 
In  1862,  he  purchased  his  present  home  where  he 
has  since  resided.  He  now  owns  a  well-cultivated 
farm  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Illinois, 
and  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  situ- 
ated in  Missouri. 

In  St.  Clair  Cuiiiily,  ;Mr.  Trautmann  was  united 

in  niati'i ny  Ic  Dnrothc  Deck,  daughter  of  Philip 

and  Uoiotlic  ( K(iehloeffer)  Deck.  The  ceremony 
was   perl'onnt-d    iu    1859.     By  liiis    marriage,  si.\' 


-<^t^^^->^2^e^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


541 


children  were  born  who  are  still  living  and  two 
who  died  in  infancy.  Those  who  survive  are: 
Fred,  who  married  Louisa  Baldus;  Emma,  wiio  is 
the  wife  of  Henry  Stolberg;  Louisa,  wlio  is  the  wife 
of  .John  Stolberg;  Philip,  Caroline  and  William. 
These  children  have  all  had  the  advantage  of  a 
good  education. 

In  religious  faith,  Mr.  Trautmanu"s  family  arc 
Protestants.  Politically,  he  is  a  supporter  of  the 
Republican  party  and  takes  an  active  interest  in 
its  welfare.  He  served  as  Supervisor  of  Roads  in 
his  township  ff)r  one  j"ear,  to  the  satisfaction  of 
his  fellow-citizens.  His  large  farms  are  models  of 
thrift  and  bespeak  tlie  care  and  industry  of  their 
owner.  He  has  a  ple.asant  home  which  is  surrounded 
by  substantial  farm  buildings.  He  has  always  been 
a  faithful  and  industrious  agriculturist,  and  has 
devoted  his  time  almost  exclusively  to  his  business 
.affairs.  By  a  simple  and  unassuming  life,  he  has 
won  many  friends  who  esteem  him  highly  for  his 
sterling  character  and  worth. 


JOHN  NIEMES.     Men  who  live  in  our  daily 
sight  and  from  an  humble  position  work  out   | 
a  truly  noble  character,  are  the  most  valuable   j 
teachers.     The  life  of  Mr.  Niemes  is  full  of 
lessons  of  self-help  and  self-respect,  and  shows  the 
efflcac}'  of  these  characteristics  in   gaining  for  a   ! 
man  an  honorable  competence  and  solid  reputation.   I 
He  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Niemes  &  Reimann, 
contractors  and  builders,  of  East  St.  Louis,  and  is   ' 
one  of  the  most  enterprising  business  men   of  the 
city. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Henry  Xeimes,  was  a 
native  of  Germany,  and  in  that  country-  carried 
on  business  as  a  contractor  and  builder.  Dpon 
emigrating  to  America  he  located  in  Tivoli,  Dutch- 
ess County,  N.  Y.,  and  there  engaged  in  the  same 
emplo}^ment.  He  was  accidentally  killed  by  fall- 
ing from  a  building.  In  religious  matters,  he  was  \ 
a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  which  he 
assisted  in  every  way  within  his  power.  The 
principles  of  the  Democratic  i)arty  always  received 


his  active  support.  The  mother  of  our  subject, 
Barbara  Ledig,  was  born  in  Germany,  whence 
she  came  to  America,  living  to  the  advanced 
age  of  seventy  years.  Of  the  four  children 
born  to  this  worthy  couple,  only  two  remain: 
John,  the  subject  of  this  notice;  and  William, 
a  brave  soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  who  now  resides 
in  Turner's  Falls,  Mass. ' 

John  Niemes  was  born  in  Bavaria,  near  Kircheim, 
Germany,  June  15,  1838.  His  childhood  w.as 
spent  in  his  native  country  until  he  was  eleven 
years  of  age,  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to 
America.  No  doubt  the  vo3'age  was  a  great  ex- 
perience for  both  parents  and  children,  but  all 
were  glad  when  the  good  sailingship,  the  "Rhine," 
anchored  at  New  York,  after  a  passage  of  thirty- 
eight  days.  The  boys  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Tivoli,  and  so  quick  and  intelligent  was  John 
that  in  six  months  he  could  speak  the  F^nglish 
language.  His  father  was  a  practical  man,  and, 
when  .John  was  sixteen  years  old,  he  took  the  boy 
under  an  apprenticeship  to  himself,  and  taught 
him  brick-laying. 

In  the  summer  of  1857,  our  subject  came  West 
to  Chicago,  and  worked  at  his  trade  there  until  he 
went  to  Watertown,  AYis.,  where  he  remained  until 
the  spring  of  1858.  From  that  place  he  removed 
to  »St.  Louis,  where  he  was  married  January  31, 
1861,  to  Miss  Theresa  Heacker,  who  was  born  in 
Germany  and  reared  in  Louisville,  Ky.  In  1862, 
he  located  permanently  in  East  St.  Louis,  and 
began  building  and  contracting,  and  working  in 
stone  and  brick.  He  erected  the  Heims  Brewery 
the  Franklin  and  Webster  Schools,  and  the  Beatty 
and  Adelle  Blocks,  the  largest  in  the  city.  He 
also  built  the  East  St.  Louis  Water  Works,  and  the 
retaining  wall  on  Broadway  and  Collinsville 
Avenue.  At  times  he  has  employed  as  many  as 
one  hundred  and  fifty  men. 

In  1883,  Mr.  Niemes  formed  a  partnei-sliip  with 
Peter  Reimann,  and  in  1884  opened  the  Falling 
Springs  Stone  Quarry,  with  railroad  connections. 
He  is  the  owner  of  some  real  estate  in  the  city,  and 
was  a  stockholder  in  the  first  loan  association  in 
the  Workingmen's  Bank.  He  has  been  honored 
by  his  fellow-citizens  by  being  called  upon  to  act 
as  Alderman  for  three  terms,  and   has  served   ac- 


542 


PORTRAIT  AND  EI'JGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


ceptably  on  many  different  committees.  He  is  a 
Ro.yal  Arch  Mason  and  Knight  Templar,  and  is 
identified  with  tlie  Knights  of  Honor.  In  his 
political  faith,  Mr.  Nienies  is  a  stanch  Republican, 
and  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  State  and  county 
conventions.  He  has  a  very  fine  residence  at  'So. 
327  North  Seventh  Street,  which  is  one  of  the 
most  attractive  homes  of  the  city.  He  and  his 
wife  are  the  parents  of  five  children:  Franli  ,].,  who 
is  in  business  with  his  father;  John  H.,  George, 
Theresa  A.  and  Minnie  B.  Mr.  Niemes  is  a  liberal, 
public-spirited  man,  and  a  representative  of  the 
successful  business  men  of  East  St.  Louis. 


^i;  BRAHAM  GRIFFEN  owns  a  farm  on  sec- 
(©YlJI;  tion  1.5,  Shiloh  Vallej' Township.  He  was 
I  IS  born  in  Albany  County,  N.  Y.,  on  tlie  1st 
^  of  May,  1843,  and  is  a  son  of  Jacob  and 
Jane  A.  (Peers)  Grififen.  His  father  was  born  in 
Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  in  180.5,  and  his  wife  was 
also  born  in  the  Empire  State,  on  the  4th  of  June, 
1810.  The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject 
was  Jacob  Grififen.  Tlie  father  was  the  j-oungest 
of  four  sons,  Joseph,  Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob, 
who  all  received  good,  common-school  educations. 
Jacob  came  to  Illinois  in  1843  with  his  family  and 
settled  near  the  place  where  our  subject  now  lives. 
Previous  to  coming  West  he  had  married  in  New 
York  State  Jane  A.  Peers,  daughter  of  Henry 
Peers.  He  first  carried  on  a  farm  of  fort}'  acres, 
which  he  received  from  his  brother  Joseph.  He 
operated  that  land  quite  successfully,  but  for  many 
years  previous  to  his  death,  in  18.50,  was  in  veiy 
poor  liealth.  Tiie  death  of  his  wife  occurred  in 
1889.  In  their  family  were  eightchildren:  Peers; 
Joseph;  Emeline,  who  married  Edwin  Alexander 
and  has  four  children:  Cora  A.,  Jane  and  Lucy 
(twins),  and  George  E.;  George,  deceased;  Jacob, 
who  makes  his  home  in  Randolph  County,  Mo.; 
Mary,  who  married  Nathaniel  Cox  and  has  a  family 
of  five  children,  of  whom  two,  Isaac  and  Frank,  are 
living;  Isaac,  deceased;  and  Abraham,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  who  completes  the  family.     Isaac 


enlisted  in  Company  A,  One  Hundred  and  Seveu- 
teenth  Illinois  Infantry,  and  died  during  the  war 
of  lung  trouble. 

Abraham  (iriffen,  who  was  the  youngest  of  liis 
father's  family,  lived  with  his  mother  upon  the 
home  farm  until  her  death.  Since  that  time  he 
has  been  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Joseph, 
and  has  engaged  quite  extensively  in  agricultural 
l)ursuits  and  stock-raising.  They  carry  on  the  old 
homestead  place  and  have  added  to  that  tract  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres,  making  one  hundred 
and  sixtv  acres.  The  farm  is  highly  cultivated 
and  shows  on  every  hand  the  attention  and  thrifti- 
ness  of  its  owners.  On  the  place  is  a  substantial 
residence,  barns  and  other  necessar}-  farm  build- 
ings. By  the  careful  management  of  Mr.  Grififen, 
it  has  steadilj'  increased  in  value,  and  is  now  con- 
sidered one  of  the  best  farms  of  the  township. 

Our  subject's  father  was  a  Whig  in  politics,  and 
his  son  is  a  stanch  supporter  of  the  Republican 
principles  and  party.  Mr.  firiffen  takes  a  leading- 
part  in  local  affairs  and  his  influence  is  devoted  to 
the  advance  of  the  best  interests  of  the  community' 
in  which  he  resides.  He  has  made  many  friends 
during  his  long  residence  in  this  count}-,  who  es- 
teem him  highly  for  his  worth  and  upright  char- 
acter. 


,^1  UGUST  TIEMANN    is  one  of  tlie  old  and 
(@yLll     honored  residents  of  the  city  of  Helleville, 
11    lil    for  here  he  has  resided  since  18r)0.    lleen- 
^fl  joys   the  reputation    of  being  not  only  a 

substantial  and  progressive  citizen,  but  a  thor- 
oughly posted  man  in  all  public  affairs.  He  has 
always  been  noted  for  honorable,  upright  dealing, 
and  his  example  of  industry  and  his  earnest  and 
sincere  endeavor  to  succeed  in  life  are  well  worthy 
of  imitation  by  the  rising  generation.  He  was  born 
in  Minden,  Prussia,  in  1833,  and.  when  a  boy  of 
fifteen  years,  came  directly  Irnni  that  place  to 
America,  bringing  a  brother  and  two  sisters  younger 
than  himself,  whose  support  fell  upon  his  slender 
and  youthful  shoulders  at  the  death  of  their 
mother.     He  was   not  afraid   of  work  and  showed 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


543 


much  judgment  in  looking  after  liis  sisters  and 
brother  and  in  securing  eraploj-ment  that  would 
bring  him  the  means  of  livelihood. 

Our  subject  learned  the  cabinet-maker's  trade, 
at  which  he  worked  for  four  yeais,  but  upon  crip- 
pling his  arm  he  had  to  seek  other  employment, 
when  he  embarked  in  the  hotel  and  saloon  business, 
lie  built  the  Tiemann  House  in  1860  at  the  corner 
of  Main  and  ISIascoutah  Streets,  a  large  three-story 
brick  building,  in  which  he  is  still  conducting  a 
successful  business.  His  establishment  is  noted  for 
home-like  appointments,  its  excellent  table  service 
and  its  reasonable  prices.  Mr.  Tiemann  makes  an 
admirable  host,  for  he  is  not  onl\'  anxious  to 
supply  every  want  of  his  guests,  but  he  is  very 
courteous,  genial  and  accommodating.  He  has 
always  been  alive  to  his  own  interests,  has  grasped 
all  opportunities  for  making  money,  but  has  ever 
been  the  soul  of  honor  in  his  business  transactions 
and  has  the  unbounded  satisfaction  of  knowing 
that  he  has  never  wronged  anyone  or  taken  what 
was  not  rightfully  his. 

■  Ml'.  Tiemann  is  a  prominent  member  of  the 
Sucker  State  Drill  Works,  is  one  of  its  largest  stock- 
lioldcrs,  and  for  some  time  was  President  of  the 
same.  Although  he  has  filled  the  position  of  Al- 
derman and  has  always  manifested  considerable 
interest  in  political  matters,  both  local  and  na- 
tional, he  has  never  been  an  aspirant  for  public 
favor,  and  what  honors  he  has  received  in  this  way 
have  come  to  him  unsought. 

Our  subject  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Au- 
gusta Henschel,  of  Belleville,  but  who  was  born  in 
Auswalde,  near  Berlin,  Germany,  and  came  to 
America  in  her  youth.  Her  union  with  Mr.  Tie- 
mann resulted  in  the  birth  of  eight  children: 
Bertha,  the  wife  of  William  B.  Huff,  of  Belleville; 
Lizzie,  wife  of  John  Brosious;  Augusta,  wife  of 
Fred  Sattler;  Ida,  wife  of  C.  H.  Lennig;  Pauline, 
wife  of  Adolph  Kuobeloch;  Emily,  Lena,  and  Louis 
E.,  who  is  the  third  of  this  family  in  order  of 
birth. 

Louis  E.  Tiemann  was  born  in  Highland,  HI., 
November  12,  1859,  and  was  fortunate  enough 
to  receive  the  greater  part  of  his  scholastic  educa- 
tion in  the  Morgan  Park  Military  Academy,  of 
Chicago,  III.,  after  which    he   obtauied  a   practical 


education  through  hard  experience  in  the  every- 
day affairs  of  life.  Following  his  school  days,  he 
was  in  the  wholesale  grocer3'  business  in  St.  Louis 
until  his  father  was  disabled,  when  he  returned  to 
Belleville,  in  1882,  and  at  the  present  time  is  the 
efficient  and  successful  manager  of  the  Park  Theater 
and  Garden,  also  of  a  saloon  opposite  the  Air  Line. 
He  is  the  city  bill  poster  and  the  agent  for  the  An- 
heuser-Busch Brewery  of  St.  Louis.  He  is  a  wide- 
awake young  man,  prompt  and  energetic,  honorable 
and  courteous,  and  the  establishments  over  which 
he  has  control  are  quiet,  yet  very  popular,  places  of 
re.sort  and  are  patronized  by  the  elite  of  the  city. 
Mr.  Tiemann,  Jr.,  is  a  stockholder  of  the  Williams ' 
Liyery  Stable,  which  is  a  well- patronized  establish- 
ment, owing  to  the  fact  that  it  is  supplied  with 
excellent  vehicles  of  all  description,  and  g'ood 
horses  that  are  properly  cared  for  and  are  alwa^ys 
ready  for  use.  He  is  Vice-president  of  the  State 
Bill  Posters'  Association,  and  has  in  various  other 
ways  shown  that  he  is  a  man  of  progressive  and 
independent  ideas.  September  20,  1882,  he  was 
married  to  Miss  Laura  Wilding,  by  whom  he  has 
three  sons:  Leon,  Clarence  and  Norman. 


=^^W(^^- 


\^^N  HILIP  M.  GUNDLACH.  Among  the  luan- 
jl  jY  ufacturing  corporations  of  Belleville  whose 
'i^  capital,  energy  and  enterprise  have  been 
[Iv  and  are  the  most  important  factors  in  the 
development  of  the  resources  and  expansion  of 
the  trade  in  the  city,  may  be  mentioned  the  fac- 
tory established  and  carried  on  by  Mr.  Gundlacli 
for  the  manufacture  of  grain  drills.  Although 
small  in  its  inception,  it  has  rapidly  expanded  to 
it«  present  dimensions,  and  now  occupies  a  posi- 
tion among  the  largest  houses  of  the  State.  Its 
success  is  entirely  due  to  the  push  and  persever- 
ance of  the  owner,  and  it  will  therefore  be  of  in- 
terest to  note  a  few  facts  with  reference  to  his 
life  and  work. 

July   13,  1831.  Mr.  Gundlacli    was   burn    in   the 
Dukedom  of  Nassau,  the   village    of    Niederhaeg- 


-)U 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


stadt,  near  P'rankfort-oii-the-Main,  Prussia.  His 
parents  were  Philip  and  Susie  (Scliitz)  Gundlach, 
natives  of  the  same  place  as  himself.  Tiie  father, 
wliose  occupation  was  that  of  a  farmer,  was  in 
Gen.  Blucher's  army  at  the  famous  battle  of 
Waterloo.  To  him  is  due  the  credit  for  the  intro- 
duction of  tlie  process  of  burning  briclis  by  coal. 

On  coming  to  America  in  1842,  Mr.  Gundlach, 
Sr.,  located  three  miles  east  of  Belleville,  where 
he  purchased  a  half-section  of  land  and  made  his 
home  until  death  terminated  his  career  in  1862, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-one.  His  widow  survived 
him  some  years,  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  years.  They  were  the  parents  of  five 
children,  of  whom  Philip  M.  was  the  youngest, 
the  others  being:  John  and  Jacob,  who  reside 
upon  the  old  homestead;  Mary,  the  widow  of  Hy- 
cinta  Germain;  and  Kate,  whose  husband  was  the 
late  John  Biebel.  They  all  reside  in  or  near  ihe 
city  of  Belleville,  and  are  highly  respected  in  the 
community. 

When  a  child  of  about  eleven  years,  our  subject 
accompanied  his  parents  to  America,  and  with 
them  came  to  Belleville,  where  he  grew  to  a  vig- 
orous manhood  upon  his  father's  farm.  His  edu- 
cation, which  was  meagre,  was  obtained  in  the 
schools  of  the  vicinity,  but  his  time  was  princi- 
pally devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits.  His  mar- 
riage occurred  May  17,  18.55,  when  he  was  about 
twenty-three,  and  he  was  then  united  with  Miss 
Eleanor  Boehning,  whose  native  home  was  in 
Germany.  Their  children  are:  Susie,  who  mar- 
ried S.  Poirot  and  resides  in  Missouri;  John, 
Philip  A.,  Alois  and  Joseph,  who  are  emploj'cd  in 
the  factory  and  are  sturdy,  self-reliant  young 
men. 

In  1858,  Mr.  (iundlach  began  to  manufacture 
grain  drills,  on  which  he  secured  letters  patent. 
The  commencement  of  the  enterjjnse  was  small, 
and  during  the  first  year  of  its  existence  the 
manufactory  turned  out  only  twenty-five  ma- 
chines. It  has  increased  to  such  an  extent  that 
they  now  have  an  immense  plant,  making  about 
two  thousand  grain  drills  per  year  and  furnish- 
ing steady  work  to  one  hundred  employes.  The 
demand  for  the  goods  is  proved  by  the  fact  that 
the  sales  each  year  usually  average  180,000.     The 


establishment,  in  fact,  is  one  which  reflects  credit 
upon  the  enterprise  and  acumen  of  its  founder. 
The  family  residence  is  an  elegant  and  commodi- 
ous house,  surrounded  by  sixty  acres  of  fine  laud 
north  <if  the  lity  limits,  where  the  plant  is  lo- 
cated. 


I^^M 


I  AMES  DUNN,  who  for  nearly  three-score 
I  years  has  lived  in  this  county,  owns  a  farm 
^jl'  on  section  15,  Stookey  Township.  He  was 
'S^'  liorn  (111  the  same  farm  where  he  now  lives, 
in  18;i.i.  nnd  was  a  son  of  Peter  and  Susan  Dunn. 
His  father  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York  in 
1808,  but  his  wife  was  of  a  very  old  pioneer 
family  of  Illinois,  and  was  bom  in  St.  Clair  County 
a  few  j-ears  later  than  her  husband.  The  father 
lost  his  parents  when  he  was  very  young,  and 
from  that  time  on  he  was  thrown  among  strangers. 
The  first  family  with  which  he  made  his  home 
treated  him  so  unkindly  that  he  ran  away  from 
them. 

Believing  in  the  great  possibilities  for  a  young 
man  possessed  of  determination  and  enterprise, 
Peter  Dunn  came  to  Illinois,  and  was  soon  after- 
ward married  in  this  county  to  Miss  Susan,  a  daugli- 
ter  of  John  and  Ersilla  Teeter.  They  had  a  family 
of  four  children,  as  follows:  Adeline,  wife  of  John 
Boul;  Mary  A.,  wife  of  Walter  Gown;  Maria,  now 
deceased,  formerly  the  wife  of  Matthew  Stookey; 
and  James,  our  subject.  After  coming  to  Illinois, 
Mr.  Dunn  entered  a  tract  of  Government  land,  the 
same  on  which  his  son  now  resides.  When  he  first 
located  in  this  county,  he  had  no  means,  but  bor- 
rowed the  money  to  enter  this  piece  of  property. 
By  his  industry  and  economy  he  made  a  good 
home,  and  before  his  death  had  accumulated  about 
eight  hundred  acres  of  fine, arable  land.  The  grand- 
father of  our  subject,  James  Dunn,  was  a  native  of 
Ireland,  and  came  to  this  coimtiy  in  the  early 
part  of  the  present  century. 

Mr.  Dunn,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch,  was 
united  in  marriage  in  1857  with  iNIartha  Pulse, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  Louis  and  Jane  Pulse.  To 
our  worthy  subject  and  his  wife  were   liorii   eight 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


.547 


children,  four  of  whom  died  in  infanc}'.  Those  sur- 
viving are  Maria,  tiie  wife  of  Edward  Gump;.Tftnc; 
Susau,  wife  of  Fred  Murker;  and  Madison.  Tlie 
mother  of  these  children  departed  this  life  in  187t>, 
mourned  by  a  large  circle  of  friends. 

Like  his  father  before  him,  Mr.  Dunn  is  a  stanch 
Democrat.  He  is  a  member  of  tiie  Baptist  Church, 
to  which  he  gives  his  lo3'al  support.  His  duties  of 
citizenship  are  always  faithfully  performed,  and 
as  is  indicated  by  his  success  and  prosperity  in 
life,  he  has  always  attended  strictly  and  exclusively 
to  his  large  farm  and  business  interests.  His  life 
work  was  begun  by  renting  his  father's  farm,  and 
after  the  death  of  his  father  he  came  into  possess- 
ion of  a  large  portion  of  the  estate,  and  by  toil  and 
perseverance  has  added  to  the  original  tract  until 
he  now  possesses  three  hundred  and  eighty-one 
acres  of  as  fine  land  as  can  be  found  in  the  countyf 
During  his  long  years'  residence  in  this  locality,  he 
has  won  the  respect  and  esteem  of  many  friends 
and  ncquaintances. 


w^m^^^wmm^ 


^^  HARLES  HAUSS.  A  leading  and  popular 
[lf^_.  house  identified  with  the  trade  in  hardware 
^^^'  specialties,  stoves  and  house-furnishing 
goods,  is  that  of  which  Mr.  Hauss  is  the  proprietor, 
located  at  the  corner  of  Collins  and  Mi-ssouri  Ave- 
nues. Mr.  Hauss  was  born  in  Germany,  at  Baden 
on  the  Rhine,  in  which  section  his  father,  Charles 
Hauss,  was  also  born.  Wiien  the  Revolution  of 
1848  opened,  he  left  that  country  with  his  wife 
and  two  sons  and  came  to  America,  settling  at 
Louisville,  Ky. 

Ciiarles  Hauss  was  the  eldest  of  this  family  and 
w.as  reared  in  Louisville,  in  the  public  schools  of 
which  city  he  acquired  a  practical  education.  At 
the  age  of  seventeen  years  he  was  apprenticed  to 
a  tinsmith,  and  at  the  end  of  three  years  began 
working  as  a  journeyman.  In  December,  1862.  he 
began  working  at  his  trade  in  St.  Louis,  but  in 
April  of  the  following  year  he  came  to  East  St. 
Louis,  and  for  three  years  was  in  the  employ  of 
the  Ohio   &    Mississippi    Railroad   Companj-.     In 


1866,  he  opened  a  tin  and  hardware  store,  under 
the  Hrm  name  of  Schaub  &  Hauss,  but  in  1868  he 
sold  out  to  Mr.  Schaub,  and  embarked  in  the  same 
business  on  Missouri  Avenue.  In  1885.  he  built 
his  present  business  block,  which  is  .')0xl4(i  feet. 
made  of  pressed  brick,  two  stories  and  a  basement 
in  height.  He  occupies  one  of  the  stores  himself, 
and  the  other  is  used  as  the  Postofflce.  He  is  a 
stockholder  and  Director  in  the  Building  and  Loan 
Association,  and  in  1890  formed  a  stock  "company 
known  a&  the  Hauss  Stove  &  Hardware  Co.,  of 
which  he  became  President,  C.  F.  Hauss,  Vice-pres- 
ident, and  William  H.  Hauss,  Secretary.  The  cap- 
ital stock  is  $15,000. 

Tinware  of  an  excellent  quality  is  manufactureil, 
and  a  large  stock  of  all  articles  in  his  line  of  trade 
is  kept  constantly  on  hand.  Mr.  Hauss  was  mar- 
ried here  in  1865  to  Miss  Anna  C.  Hecker,  who 
was  born  in  Washtenaw  County,  Mich., and  died  in 
188!l,  having  become  the  mother  of  three  children: 
C.  F.  and  William  H.,  who  .are  associates  in  busi- 
ness, and  Ed  A.,  who  resides  in  Detroit.  Mr. 
Hauss'  second  marriage  was  to  Miss  Louise  Zin- 
graff,  who  was  born  in  the  Buckeye  State.  He  has 
always  been  a  stanch  adherent  of  the  Republican 
party,  and  from  1890  to  1892  was  an  Alderman 
from  the  Fourth  AVard.  His  establishment  ranks 
A  1  in  extent  of  trade  and  excellence  of  reputa- 
tion, and  in  his  dealings  with  the  public  Mr.  Hauss 
is  prompt,  reliable  and  energetic,  and  is  very  popu- 
lar in  the  communitv. 


x^,  HARLES  KARCII,  a  well-to-do  and  encr- 
llf  _,  getic  fanner  residing  on  section  31,  Engel- 
^^'  man  Township,  was  born  on  the  2d  of 
June,  1843,  on  what  is  now  the  Stoph  farm,  in 
P^-eeburg  Township,  St.  Clair  County.  The  family- 
numbered  five  children.  The  parents  were  Ernest 
and  Catherine  (Seip)  Karch,  the  former  a  native 
of  Saxony,  Germany,  and  the  latter  of  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt. In  18.S3,  Ernest  Karch  emigrated  to  Amer- 
ica, locating    first   on    Dutch    Hill,  and  after   his 


548 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOORAPIIICAL   RECORD. 


marriage  lie  took  up  his  resirleiice  near  Mascoiitali, 
in  what  is  now  Freeburg  Township.     However,  lie    | 
lived   there  but  a  short  time  when,  in  1850,  he  re-    I 
moved  to  a  farm  on  section  31,  Engelman   Town-    | 
ship,  the   same  upon   which  our  subject  now    re- 
sides.    There  he  made  his  home  until    1854,  «hen 
he  removed  to  Fayetteville,  where  he  resided  until 
1858.     His  death  occurred  on  the  30th  of  January 
of  that  year.     His  wife  still  survives  him  and  has 
now  reached  an  advanced  age.     Only  two  of  their 
children  are  now  living:    Charles  of  this   sketcli, 
and    Gustave  E.,  who   is    engaged    in    mercantile 
business  in  Colorado. 

Our  subject  was  educated  in  the  public  schools, 
and  was  early  inured  to  the  labors  of  the  farm,  be- 
ginning work  in  the  fields  as  soon  as  he  was  old 
enough  to  handle  a  plow.  To  agricultural  pursuits 
he  has  devoted  his  time  and  attention  throughout 
his  entire  life,  and  he  now  owns  a  fine  and  valua- 
ble farm, comprising  two  hundred  and  seventy-six 
acres  of  land,  of  which  two  hundred  and  thirty-six 
acres  are  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation,  yielding 
a  ready  return  for  the  care  and  labor  bestowed 
upon  it  by  the  owner.  Wiieat  is  his  principal  crop. 
He  has  made  all  the  impiovements  upon  the  place 
and  the  farm  is  complete  in  all  its  appointments, 
supplied  with  all  modern  conveniences  and  every- 
thing pertaining  to  a  model  farm  of  the  nineteenth 
century. 

On  the  17th  of  Octolier,  1><G7,  Mr.  Karch  was 
married  to  Miss  Mary  Ilebercr,  daughter  of  George 
Henry  Heberer,  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Free- 
burg Township.  They  began  their  domestic  life 
upon  the  farm  which  is  still  their  home,  and  their 
union  has  been  blessed  with  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren: Gustave,  who  is  now  twentj'-four  3ears  of 
age;  Laura,  a  3'oung  lady  of  twenty-one  sum- 
mers, and  Charles,  a  j^outh  of  seventeen,  wTio  is 
now  a  student  in  the  State  Normal  University  of 
Normal,  111. 

Socially,  Mr.  Karch  is  a  member  of  the  Knights 
of  Honor  of  Mascoutah,  and  in  his  political  affili- 
ations is  a  stalwart  Republican,warmly  advocating 
the  principles  of  that  party.  He  has  held  the  office 
of  School  Treasurer  continuously  since  1880,  a  fact 
indicating  his  personal  popularity  and  tiie  con- 
fldence  reposed  in  iiiiu.     He  was  also  Supervisor  of 


the  township  for  one  term  and  has  been  School 
Director  in  his  district.  His  entire  life  has  been 
spent  in  this  county, with  the  exception  of  a  short 
period  passed  in  Colorado  on  a  visit  to  his 
brother.  His  honorable,  upright  career  has  won 
him  many  friends  and  he  has  the  high  regard  of 
all  with  whr)m  he  has  been  brought  in  contact. 


■^^^-r"^ 


ih^^\  AURICE  F.  TISSIER.  A  potent  influence 
in  all  matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of 
East  St.  Louis  and  vicinity  is  wielded  hy 
the  Weekly  Herald,  SL  favorite  paper  among 
the  citizens  of  St.  Clair  County.  The  editor,  Mr. 
Tissier,  is  a  forcible  and  pleasing  writer,  and  pre- 
sents news  from  the  world  at  large,  as  well  as  a 
complete  report  of  local  affairs.  The  paper  is  a 
five-column  quarto,  issued  weekly,  and  was  for- 
merly Democratic  in  its  political  affiliations,  but  is 
now  independent,  supporting  those  measures  and 
men  best  adapted  to  promote  the  general  progress 
of  the  community. 

Mr.  Tissier  was  born  in  Florisant,  St.  Louis 
County,  Mo.,  on  Christmas  Day,  1853.  His  fa- 
ther, Francis,  was  a  native  of  the  canton  of  Valais, 
Switzerland,  and  his  mother,  whose  maiden  name 
was  IMary  Tormaz,  was  also  there  born,  of  Swiss- 
French  parentage.  The  father  was  a  tailor  by 
trade, and  followed  that  occupation  in  his  native 
country,  from  which  he  emigrated  to  America  in 
1849,  and  sojourned  for  a  time  in  Chicago.  From 
that  place  he  removed  to  Wisconsin  early  in  the 
'50s,  and  was  there  engaged  first  in  the  lumber 
business,  but  later  came  to  St.  Louis  and  began 
business  as  a  grocer.  At  present,  he  is  success- 
fully following  mercantile  pursuits  at  Xo.  1 14.'i 
Biddle  Street,  St.  Louis,  and  is  a  prominent  and 
prosperous  business  man. 

Of  the  eight  children  born  to  Francis  and  Mary 
Tissier,  only  two  are  now  living,  Maurice  F.,  be- 
ing the  elder,  and  Joseph,  who  is  still  single  and 
remains  with  his  parents.  Maurice's  boyhood 
days  were  passed  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis,  and  he 
was  the  recipient  of  an  excellent  education.     Dur- 


l^ORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


iiig  18(j.")-()7.  he  was  a  student  at  the  Christian 
Brothers'  College,  later  attended  St.  Vincent  Col- 
lege at  Cape  Girardeau,  Mo.,  for  three  years,  and, 
lastl3-,  entered  St.  Vincent's  Seniinar\-,  German- 
town,  Pa.,  where  he  completed  the  course  of  study, 
and  graduated  in  1871  with  the  degree  of  Bach- 
elor of  Arts.  It  will  thus  be  seen  that  he  was  af- 
forded splendid  educational  opportunities,  and  to 
say  that  he  availed  liiniself  to  the  utmost  of  his 
advantages  is  hut  to  state  what  actuall_y  occurred. 
Some  3-ears  after  graduating,  the  degree  of  Master 
of  Arts  was  conferred  upon  him. 

Returning  to  St.  Louis  at  the  close  of  his  col- 
lege life.  ^Fi-.  Tissier  embarked  in  commercial  pur- 
suits, and  from  the  first  success  rewarded  his 
efforts.  In  187.5,  he  commenced  in  the  grocery 
business  on  the  Island,  and  was  thus  engaged  for  a 
few  years,  his  fair  dealing  and  upiightness  in  busi- 
ness transactions  winning  for  him  a  large  trade,  as 
well  as  a  high  place  in  the  regard  of  those  whom 
he  met.  Tiie  Mayor  of  East  St.  Louis  in  1877  ap- 
pointed him  City  Clerk,  in  which  place  he  ctfici- 
ated  to  the  satisf.action  of  all.  In  1877,  he  was 
also  appointed  Notary  Public  by  Gov.  Culloin, 
and  has  since  held  that  position.  Since  the  in- 
ception of  the  East  St.  Louis  Herald  in  1878,  he 
has  had  charge  of  its  editorial  department,  as  well 
as  of  the  general  oversight  of  its  business  manage- 
ment. Its  job  office  is  now  one  of  the  best 
equipped  in  the  county,  and  contains  everything 
necessary  for  first-class  work  in  that  line.  In  ad- 
dition to  his  editorial  duties,  Mr.  Tissier  is  serving 
as  .Justice  of  the  Peace,  to  which  office  he  was 
elected  in  1888.  At  that  time  liis  election  was 
contested,  but  he  brought  suit  and  fought  the 
case  in  the  Supreme  Court,  the  result  being  a  de- 
cision in  his  favor. 

At  East  St.  Louis,  August  18,  1875,  Mr.  Tissier 
was  married  to  Miss  Catherine  Meyers,  who  was 
l)orn  in  Carondelet,  St.  Louis  County-,  lier  parents 
being  August  Meyers  and  Mary  (Annette)  Mey- 
ers. Of  the  marriage  there  have  been  born,  as 
Mr.  Tissier  says,  "one  boy  for  every  daj'  in 
tiie  week  and  one  girl  for  Sunday."  They  are 
Louis,  Mary, Maurice,  Joseph,  Frank,  Charles  and 
Paul.  The  children  are  all  at  home,  and  the  eld- 
est son,  Louis,  is   assisting  his  father  in  the  man- 


agement of  the  Herald.  In  religious  matters,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Tissier  are  identified  -with  St.  Patrick's 
Catholic  Church,  and  he  is  a  member  of  the  or- 
ganizations known  as  the  Catholic  Knights  of 
America  and  of  Illinois.  Successful  in  his  busi- 
ness pursuits,  Mr.  Tissier  has  become  the  owner  of 
some  real  estate,  and  has  gained  that  which  is  bet- 
ter still — the  esteem  of  his  fellow-citizens. 


[©•^S! 


ERMANN  OTTEN.  The  subject  of  this 
sketch  spends  the  days  of  his  maturing 
manhood    beneath     the    same    roof    under 

^  which  he  was  born.  His  parents  were  Her- 
mann and  Anna  (Winckler)  Often,  both  natives 
of  Hanover,  Germany.  The  father  of  Hermann 
Often,  S]-.,  was  Hermann  Henry  Otten,  a  native  of 
(iermany,  in  which  country  he  inirsued  the  trade 
of  wagon-maker  and  remained  until  the  time  of 
his  death. 

Hermann  Often,  Sr.,  father  of  our  subject,  re- 
ceived a  good  common-school  education  in  his  na- 
tive country,  and  after  leaving  school  adopted  the 
trade  of  his  father  and  grandfather,  that  of  wagon- 
maker.  He  inherited  no  small  amount  of  skill, 
and  with  an, aptitude  for  study,  natural  quickness 
and  ability,  he  was  recognized  at  the  age  of  six- 
teen as  one  who  had  thoroughly  mastered  the 
trade  to  which  he  had  devoted  himself  as  a  means 
of  livelihood.  His  natural  ambition  and  laudable 
industry  perceived  in  the  possibilities  of  his  Father- 
land but  a  limited  field  for  enterprise,  and  soon 
after  acquiring  his  trade  and  being  pronounced  .a 
competent  workman,  he  sought  the  shores  of  the 
New  World  as  a  better  field  for  labor.  It  was  in 
his  sixteenth  year  that  he  started  for  America  in 
a  sailing-vessel  and  landed  in  this  country  at  New 
Orleans,  La.  From  New  Orleans  he  sailed  up  tlie 
river  to  St.  Louis,  at  which  place  he  followed  his 
trade  for  several  years,  and  from  there  he  went  to 
St.  Joe,  where  he  worked  as  wagon-maker  for  two 
years.  In  1852  he  married,  his  bride  being  Miss 
Anna  Winckler,  also  a  native  of  Hanover,  born 
there  about  the  year  1820.     The  results  of  this  mar- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


liage  were  seven  children,  namely:  Rosa,  deceased; 
Hermann,  the  siibjecl  of  tliis  sketch;  William; 
Elizabeth,  wife  of  Barnard  Stumpier;  Anna,  wife  of 
Barnard  Lohmann;  Marj',  deceased;  and  Joseph. 
Three  years  after  his  marriage,  Mr.  Otteu,  Sr., 
moved  with  his  family  to  St.  Clair  County  and  set- 
tled at  St.  Libory,  where  with  but  a  small  capital  he 
opened  and  operated  a  general  store.  He  proved 
himself  as  capable  a  merchant  as  tradesman,  and 
with  thrift,  industry,  prudence  and  foresight,  con- 
tinued to  build  up  his  business  and  became  recog- 
nized as  one  of  St.  Clair  County's  solid  merchants. 
In  addition  to  following  his  mercantile  pursuits, 
he  became  one  of  the  (Irist  Mill  Company,  of  St. 
Clair  County,  and  also  operated  a  farm  for  five 
j-ears  with  the  same  amount  of  success  which  char- 
acterized his  other  enterprises. 

lu  religion,  he  was  a  member  and  strict  adher- 
ent of  the  tenets  of  the  Catholic  Church,  in  which 
body  he  was  respected  and  looked  to  for  the  as- 
sistance which  he  ever  liberally  bestowed.  His  po- 
litical sj'mpathies  were  with  the  Republican  party, 
and  his  support  was  counted  on  at  all  elections  by 
the  representatives  of  that  body  in  St.  Clair 
County.  He  departed  this  life  in  the  year  1874, 
being  then  fift3'-four  years  old,  and  will  always  be 
remembered  in  the  community  in  which  he  spent 
a  greater  portion  of  his  life  as  a  man  of  sterling 
characteristics,  strong  principle,  and  one  ever 
ready  to  promote  the  interests  and  welfare  of  his 
fellow-men.  His  wife  survived  him,  and  after- 
ward became  the  wife  of  Henry  Nienaber.  She  is 
still  living  and  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  esti- 
mable ladies  in  St.  Clair  County. 

Hermann  Otten,  Jr.,  whose  biography  we  are  I 
writing,  was  born  March  16, 1857,  and  is  nowcarrj'- 
ing  on  business  in  the  house  within  whose  walls  he 
Hist  saw  the  light.  He  received  a  good  common- 
school  education  and  profited  by  the  educational 
opportunities  afforded  him  in  the  township  in 
which  he  was  raised. 

In  the  year  1880,  at  the  age  of  twenty-three 
years,  he  married  Miss  Katie  Shoemaker,  daughter 
of  Henry  and  Katie  Shoemaker,  and  the  result  of 
this  union  was  one  son,  who  is  now  dead.  His 
first  misfortune  after  assuming  the  responsibilities 
of  wedlock  was  the  loss  of  his  wife,  a  most  popular 


and  agreeable  lady,  who  depaited  this  life  in  1881. 
After  her  death  our  subject  married  Miss  Theresa 
Miller,  daughter  of  Henry  and  Theresa  (Ding- 
worth)  Miller,  and  to  them  were  born  seven  chil- 
dren, only  one  of  whom  is  now  living,  their  daugh- 
ter INIary. 

Hermann  Otten,  Jr.,  commenced  life  in  the  year 
1880  on  a  farm,  and  after  a  few  years  acquired 
enough  by  patient  industry  and  economy  to  start 
in  business  for  himself.  He  has  kept  saloon  in  St. 
Clair  County  for  many  years  and  is  respected  by 
all  will)  know  him.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican, 
and  liotli  he  and  his  wife  are  active  members  in 
the  Rfiman  Catliolic  Church.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  Knights  of  Ireland,  a  Catholic 
order  of  Illinois.  Our  subject  h.as  held  the  office 
of  Collector  of  the  township  and  is  now  Township 
Clerk. 


ACOH  OAUCH.  The  subject  of  this  mem- 
orial sketcli  has  passed  away  from  the  scenes 
^  I  of  life,  but  this  record  shows  that  a  man  of 
^^  his  Christian  character  is  not  forgotten. 
Jacob  Gauch  was  born  on  the  1 1th  of  August,  1819, 
at  Alpstein,  in  Germany,  where  he  was  reared  un- 
til he  came  to  America  with  his  parents  when  a 
boy.  They  first  located  in  New  York,  then  went 
to  Pittsburgh  and  later  came  to  St.  Clair  County. 
Here  the  parents  entered  land  and  remained  until 
their  death. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  married  on  the 
7th  of  January,  1849,  to  Miss  Anna  Maria  Skaer, 
the  amiable  daughter  of  Jacob  Skaer,  who  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1827,  and  was  nearly  nineteen 
> ears  old  when  she  came  to  this  country.  After 
marriage,  Mr.  Gauch  and  his  wife  first  located  on 
section  14  and  here  Mr.  Gauch  resided  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  February  27,  1871,  lamented 
by  all.  He  lived  a  life  of  peace  and  good- 
will and  left  ten  of  the  twelve  children  born  to 
him  to  mourn  the  loss  of  a  good  father.  Marv 
died  at  the  .age  of  two  years;  Jacob  lives  in  Belle- 


O/M^ttyri.     ?Ml/fcc^^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


553 


ville  and  is  engaged  in  tlie  livery  and  undertak- 
ing business;  Heniy  lives  at  Rentchler  Station 
and  IS  a  farmer;  Louisa  died  at  tlie  age  of  twent^-- 
four  years;  Edward  lives  on  a  farm  in  Monroe 
County;  John  William  died  at  the  age  of  eleven 
months;  Sophia  Helena  married  Charles  Gross,  who 
lives  at  Waterloo,  III.;  Emma  Lena  married  Henry 
Press,  who  lives  in  St.  Louis;  Matilda  married 
.Toseph  Wilderman,  who  lives  in  Freeburg,  and 
Philip  Adam  and  Eliza  Johanna  at  home.  Annie 
Mar}'  died  at  the  age  of  eleven  years. 

Mrs.  Gauch,  tlie  relict  of  the  subject  of  this  notice, 
has  one  hundred  and  forty-five  acres  of  land  on 
which  she  lives.  This  is  the  old  home  place,  and  as 
her  husband  was  a  successful  farmer,  she  has  every- 
thing verv  comfortable  around  her.  Jacob  Gauch 
and  family  were  all  members  of  the  Lutheran 
Church  at  Freeburg,  of  which  Mr.  (iaucii  was  a 
Trustee.  He  was  highly  regarded  in  it.  and  his 
presence  was  always  welcome,  and  now  his  absence 
is  deeply  felt.  This  testimony  is  given  of  a  go(»d 
m.an. 


STEPHAN  YAHLKAMP,  Mayor  of  Fay- 
etteville,  deserves  worthy  mention  as  be- 
ing one  of  the  most  useful  members  of  his 
community.  He  is  a  native  of  Prussia, 
and  was  born  July  11,  1839.  His  parents,  Theo- 
dore and  Anna  (Borgmann)  Vahikamp,  were  born 
near  the  same  place  as  our  subject,  the  father's 
birth  occurring  in  1792,  and  the  mother's  in  1800. 
Theodore  Vahikamp  received  his  earlj'  training 
on  a  farm  situated  on  the  outskirts  of  a  Prussian 
village.  He  received  the  education  of  his  early 
boyhood  in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  vil- 
lage, and  afterward  was  a  pupil  in  a  High  School 
of  the  province.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two  he 
turned  his  attention  to  the  trade  of  a  stonemason, 
and  became  so  proficient  in  this,  his  chosen  line  of 
work,  that  he  soon  added  the  l)usiness  of  con- 
tractor and  builder. 

Native  energy,  enterprise  anil  true  business 
ability  brought  Theodore  \ahlkainp  success  in 
his    native    land,  and  at  the  age    uf    twenty-eight 


years  he  had  amassed  a  competence  suflScient  to 
qualify  him  in  assuming  the  responsibilities  of 
the  head  of  a  family.  He  and  his  wife  became 
the  parents  of  eleven  children,  three  of  whom 
died  in  early  childhood,  and  eight  grew  to  ma- 
turity. They  are  respectively:  Henry;  Chris- 
tina, wife  of  Albert  Donewald;  Gertrude,  who 
is  the  wife  of  Matthew  Diekamper;  Bernard; 
Fred,  deceased;  Stephan,  the  subject  of  our 
sketch;  George;  and  Mary,  wife  of  E.  Erhard. 
Theodore  Vahikamp  amassed  quite  a  fortune  in 
his  native  land,  but  the  tide  of  emigration  set  in 
near  his  native  home,  and  in  1848  he  concluded 
to  try  his  fortune  in  other  lands,  and  together 
with  his  wife  and  children  embarked  for  America. 
On  his  arrival  in  the  United  States  Theodore 
Vahikamp  located  in  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  and 
soon  became  convinced  of  its  great  possibilities  as 
a  farming  country.  His  first  investment  was  one 
of  several  thousand  dollars,  with  which  he  bought 
a  large  tract  of  land  and  turned  his  attention  to 
farming.  This  venture  was  crowned  with  success, 
and  the  results  of  his  keen  judgment,  great  en- 
ergy, and  executive  ability,  soon  netted  him  a 
competence  in  this  then  new  district.  He  became 
thoroughly  absorbed  in  his  farming  interests,  and 
never  resumed  his  trade  after  settling  in  this 
country.     He  is  well  remembered  in  the  commun- 

{  ity  as  one  of  its  solid  citizens,  a  man  of  sterling 
character,  and  upright  in  his  dealings  with  his 
fellowmen.  He  was  a  communicant  in  the  Catho- 
lic Church,  in  which  body  his  assistance  could  al- 
ways be  relied  on.  His  political  sympathies  were 
enlisted  on  the  side  of  Democracy,  and  he  was 
ever  ready  to  do  all  in  his  power    to    promote  the 

I  int^•^(■^fs  of  his  party.  He  de|)arted  this  life  in 
IM.J'.i.  Iii>  \\\(i-  >ui-vi\'ing  him  twenty  years. 

Tlir  siilijcct  of  this  sketch,  Stephan  Vahlkam(), 
assumed  the  responsibilities  of  liis  own  support  at 
the  age  of  twenty-one  yenis.  lie  had  been  reared 
on  a  farm  and  therefore  turned  to  good  account 
the  intelligence  gleaned  under  his  father's  surveil- 
lance by  entering  the  arena  of  the  working  world 
as  a  farmer.  Shortly  after  establishing  himself, 
he  married  Elizabeth  Hank,  daughter  of  David 
and  Katherine  (Kocher)  Hank.  The  result  of  their 
uniou  was  eleven  chikUen,  Un'c  of   wlioin   aru    xnl 


554 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


living,  namelj  :  Tlieodore;  Ida,  wife  of  Bernard 
Dressier;  Sophia,  wiio  married  Hermann  Dressier; 
Henry  and  John.  In  the  j'ear  1889,  iMrs.  Elizabeth 
Vahlkamp,  a  lady  of  most  excellent  and  endear- 
ing (|ualities,  passed  away.  Some  time  after  her 
demise  Mr.  Vahlkamp  married  Miss  Angelica 
(Jeier,  a  daughter  of  Anton  and  Anna  Geier. 

The  business  life  of  Mr.  Vahlkamp  dates  back 
to  1865,  when  he  opened  a  store  for  the  sale  of 
general  merchandise.  His  next  enterprise  was  the 
opening  of  an  hotel,  this  proving  a  success. 
He  again  became  interested  in  the  vocation 
of  his  earlj'  manhood,  and  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  farming  and  stock-raising.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  five  hundred  acres  of  fine  farming  land, 
and  proves  his  ability  as  a  stock-raiser  by  tlie  fine 
cattle  seen  grazing  on  his  pasture.  His  political 
labors  arc  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  Demo- 
cratic party,  and  his  ability  as  an  exponent  of 
party  virtues  has  won  for  him  the  admiration  of 
the  community.  He  has  been  Mayor  of  Fayette- 
ville  for  many  j'cars,  and  has  held  many  other  lo- 
cal offices,  all  tendered  to  him  as  the  hearty  ap- 
preciation of  his  character  as  a  man,  and  as  tokens 
(if  esteem  with  which  he  is  regarded  by  his  fellow- 
citizens.  His  religious  support  is  given  to  the 
Catholic  Church,  of  which  body  he  is  a  member  in 
good  standing,  and  one  whose  faith  in  its  teach- 
ings governs  his  daily  life. 


IVJLLI  AM  SOLOMON  SC(  )TT.  a  well-knt 

\rJ//    find    representative    farmer    residing    on 


section  32,  O'Fallon  Township,  was  born 
on  the  old  homestead  in  this  county,  December  8, 
1836.  His  grandfather,  .lohn  .Scott,  was  born  in 
Maryland  and  reared  in  Washington  County,  Pa., 
whence  he  removed  to  Licking,  Ky.  He  there 
married  Miss  Wilson.  :iiiil  in  1797  removed  to 
Kaskaskia,  Randol|)li  County.  111.  He  afterward 
settled  in  the  American  Bottoms  in  the  western  part 
of  Monroe  County.  His  first  wife  having  died,  he 
was  married,  in  179S,  to    I'ollv    Iviiikade,   who  was 


born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1776,  and  came  to  Illi- 
nois in  1786.  Two  children  were  born  of  the 
first  union,  John  and  Solomon,  and  nine  of  the 
second  marriage.  The  grandfather  served  as  a 
soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  died  at  the  home 
of  his  son.  Garrison  Scott,  in  1840. 

Benjamin  Scott,  the  oldest  of  the  second  mar- 
riage and  the  father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in 
Monroe  County  January  23,  1799,  and  acquired  a 
common  school  education.  September,  27, 1824,  he 
married  Clarissa  Garretson,  daughter  of  James 
Garretson,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  this  State. 
He  then  settled  in  the  American  Bottoms,  but  the 
high  water  of  1824  drove  him  from  that  locality. 
In  connection  with  his  brother,  William  Heniy 
Harrison  Scott,  he  bought  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Ridge  Prairie,  in  1828. 
and  was  there  engaged  in  farming  until  his  death. 
He  was  a  prominent  and  influential  citizen,  highly 
respected  throughout  the  community  in  which  he 
made  his  home.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Whig  until 
the  dissolnlion  of  that  part}',  when  he  became  a 
Democrat,  lie  held  membership  with  the  Bethel 
Baptist  Church  for  many  years.  His  death  oc- 
curred September  1,  1877,  when  about  seventj-- 
nine  years  of  .age.  His  wife  was  born  February 
16,  1806,  in  the  same  locality  as  her  husband. 

In  the  family  of  this  worthy  couple  were  eight 
children:  Dilyou,  born  December  7,  1825,  is  the 
wife  of  David  Moore,  a  resident  of  Knobnoster, 
Mo.  They  have  had  eight  children,  of  whom  five 
daughters  are  yet  living  and  all  are  married. 
Louisa,  the  eldest,  married  David  Phelps;  Edith 
is  the  wife  of  B.F.Taylor,  of  Oregon;  Mary  is 
the  wife  of  Commodore  Fewell;  Edwin  died  in 
1890,  leaving  a  widow  and  two  children;  Ida, 
wife  of  John  Ellis,  died  in  1888,  leaving  four 
children:  Nellie  is  now  Mrs.  Hauna;  Augusta  is 
the  wife  of  Albert  Leake,  of  Sedalia,  Mo.;  and 
Martha  died  in  infancy.  Mary,  the  second  child 
of  the  parental  family,  was  born  April  2, 1829.  Sal- 
lie,  born  May  .iO.  18.31,  died  in  January.  ISI2. 
.b>hn  (;..  who  i>  now  living  a  retired  life  in  .I:iek- 
sonville,  111.,  was  born  April  24,  1834,  and  married 
Miss  Headle,  by  whom  he  has  four  children  who  sur- 
vive: Julian  W.,  his  eldest  child,  is  a  physician  of 
N'enice,  III.;   Ralph   is  n   druggist  of  Jncksony ille; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


555 


Blanche  and  Benjamin  are  living  in  the  same 
city.  AVilliam  is  the  next  jounger  of  the  Scott 
family.  James  Wilson,  born  December  7,  1840, 
married  Jliss  .Sarah  Wetherell,  of  Lebanon,  111., 
and  resides  in  the  West.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Lela,  the  wife  of  Fred  Schwartz,  of  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  Micha  Ann,  born  March  10,  1843,  became 
the  wife  of  E.  F.  Waite,  of  Bond  County,  and 
died  at  her  home  in  O'Fallon  Township,  October 
20,  1875,  leaving  one  child,  Olive  Scott,  who  is 
now  living  with  her  father  in  Texas. 

As  before  stated,  AVilliam  Solomon  Scott  was 
born  on  the  old  homestead  which  his  father  took 
possession  of  in  1828.  His  education  was  acquired 
in  the  subscription  schools,  but  he  afterward  at- 
tended Shurtleff  College,  of  Upper  Alton.  Subse- 
quently, he  was  a  student  in  Upper  Alton  and 
at  Jones'  Commercial  College,  of  St.  Louis,  and 
while  not  in  the  schoolroom  his  time  and  atten- 
tion were  given  to  farming.  He  remained  on  the 
home  farm  until  twenty-one  years  of  age,  and 
then  began  life  for  himself.  In  March,  18.j8,  he 
removed  to  the  Stites  farm,  which  lie  operated 
for  about  fifteen  years. 

On  the  1st  of  November,  18.')7,  Mr.  Scott  was 
married  to  Mary  E.  Rader,  daughter  of  John 
Rader,  who  died  in  Lebanon.  The  lady  was  born 
May  29,  1838,  in  Monroe  County,  and  came  to 
St.  Clair  County  in  1842,  when  only  about  four 
3'ears  of  age.  She  had  four  sisters  and  a  brother, 
but  only  two  of  the  sisters  are  now  living:  Mrs. 
.lohn  H.  Cook,  of  Lebanon,  and  Mis.  Richard 
Marshall,  who  resides  near  (4olden  City,  Mo. 
Unto  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scott  have  been  born  five  chil- 
dren: Emma,  born  November  12,  1858;  Lyman 
L.,  January  29,  1864;  Edith  C,  November  30, 
1869;  Ruth  Rader,  December  29,  1875;  and  Ben- 
jamin G.,  January  15,  1881.  The  family  circle 
yet  remains  unbroken  and  tiio  children  are  still 
under  the  parental  roof. 

Mr.  Scott  has  led  a  busy  and  useful  life,  yet 
has  found  time  to  serve  his  fellow-townsmen  in 
several  official  positions.  He  was  Highway  Com- 
missioner for  two  years,  for  two  years  was  Town- 
ship Supervisor,  and  at  this  writing  is  President 
of  the  Board  of  Education  of  O'Fallon.  He  has 
long    been   a   faithful    inember    of   the   Missionary- 


Baptist  Church,  of  Oak  Hill,  and  in  polities  is  a 
Democrat.  He  is  classed  among  the  substantial 
farmers  of  this  community,  owning  three  hun- 
dred and  seventy  acres  of  valuable  land,  which 
yield  to  him  a  golden  tribute  in  return  for  the 
care  and  cultivation  he  bestows  upon  it.  He  is  a 
valued  citizen  and  takes  an  active  interest  in 
everything  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity, ,Tnd  well  deserves  re])resentation  in  this 
volume. 


=1^ 


p^ROF.  FREDEIHCK  MOESER.  This  gentle- 
)|l  man  is  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  Free- 

^  burg,  and  occupies  the  responsible  position 
of  Principal  of  the  Public  Schools.  lie  is 
the  son  of  Henry  Moeser,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many August  12,  1807,  and  came  to  America 
when  a  young  man.  He  brought  with  him  energy 
and  brawn,  and  hired  out  to  a  man  as  a  laborer 
and  helped  to  clear  land  where  part  of  the  city  of 
St.  Louis  now  stands.  Later,  he  came  to  High 
Prairie,  Smithton  Township,  where  he  located  and 
bought  land.  He  was  satisfied  with  his  choice 
and  remained  here  until  the  time  came  for  him  to 
resign  earthly  things,  October  3,   1865. 

Henry  Moeser  first  married  Catherine  Weber 
and  they  had  a  family  of  four  children:  Elizabeth, 
the  wife  of  Philip  Skaer,  of  Twelve  Mile  Prairie; 
George,  who  lives  in  Wellington, Kin.;  Catherine, 
Mrs.  Charles  Etling,  now  deceased;  and  Margaret, 
deceased.  Mr.  Moeser  married  for  his  second  wife 
Mrs.  Christine  Long,  me.  Stephens.  Six  children 
were  born  of  this  marriage,  five  of  whom  are  now 
living:  Henry,  who  lives  in  Smithton  Village; 
William,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead,  one 
and  one-half  miles  west  of  Smithton;  Mary,  the 
wife  of  William  Press,  lives  on  a  farm  three-fourths 
of  a  mile  east  of  Smithton;  our  subject;  and 
Philip,  who  is  practicing  medicine  in  New  Athens. 
Sophia  died  when  young.  Our  subject  was  the 
next  to  the  youngest  of  the  family.  The  father 
started  out  in  life  with  no  means,  but  at  the  time 
of  liis  dentil  he  hail  acquired  considerable  property. 


556 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


and  was  able  to  give  all  of  his  children  a  good 
start  in  life.  He  was  a  consistent  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church  in  Belleville. 

Our  subject  was  born  at  the  old  homestead  in 
Smithton  Township,  September  13,  1857,  and  lliero 
he  was  reared  and  received  his  early  education. 
He  was  not  satisfied  with  a  limited  fund  of  infor- 
mation, as  he  was  of  a  studious  and  ambitious  dis- 
position, and  he  attended  the  spring  term  of  the 
Belleville  Public  School.  Latei,  he  entered  Mc- 
Kendree  College,  at  Lebanon,  111.,  from  which  he 
was  graduated  in  1882  with  the  degree  of  Bach- 
elor of  Science.  During  that  time,  Mr.  Moeser  liad 
not  been  idle,  but  in  the  intervals  between  terms 
he  taught  the  Broad  Hollow  School  on  Twelve 
Mile  Prairie.  At  the  close  of  his  first  term  of 
teaching,  he  took  advantage  of  the  Normal  Scliool 
at  Valparaiso,  Ind..  and  at  the  expiration  of  his 
second  year  he  took  a  course  in  elocution  with 
Prof.  Brownley,  at  Carbondale,  111.  He  then  re- 
entered McKeudrec  College  and  was  graduated 
from  there  in  1882,  as  above  stated.  In  the  au- 
tumn of  that  3'ear,  he  entered  the  law  department 
of  the  Missouri  State  University,  and  upon  exam- 
ination was  admitted  to  the  senior  class.  He  was 
graduated  from  that  institution  in  1883,  with  the 
degree  of  Bachelor  of  Laws. 

In  the  fall  of  1883,  our  suljject  married  Miss 
Melissa  J.,  daughter  of  William  .Smith,  a  prominent 
farmer  of  Smithton  Township,  who  has  since  moved 
to  Perry  County,  four  miles  west  of  Tamaroa, 
where  he  still  lives.  After  his  marriage,  Mr. 
Moeser  located  in  Belleville,  where  he  continued 
his  law  studies  with  Wildermann  &  Hamill.  In 
the  fall  of  1884,  he  accepted  the  position  of  Prin- 
cipal of  the  Smithton  school.  lie  labored  there 
one  year  and  then  was  elected  to  the  responsible 
position  he  has  since  held.  Three  children  have 
come  to  bless  the  congenial  union  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Moeser,  as  follows:  Ralph  Eugene,  Frederick 
Adolphus  and  Mary  Ellen  Geneva. 

Politically,  Mr.  Moeser  is  a  Democrat,  anfl  never 
fails  to  cast  his  vote  for  the  principles  in  which  he 
believes.  He  was  elected  Clerk  of  Smithton  Town- 
ship, but  could  not  qualify  as  he  was  a  non-resident. 
He  is  identified  with  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  is 
Secretary  of  Lodge  ♦No.  -118,  A.  F.  iV  A.  U.,  at  Freu- 


burg.  It  is  the  wish  of  his  friends  that  he  may  live 
long  to  instruct  the  youth  of  the  county,  and  enjoy 
the  fruits  of  the  faithful  labors  of  past  years,  lie 
and  his  family  are  imiiortant  factors  in  the  social 
life  f)f  Freeliurg. 


#:ii^s^i^M^i^^i 


i^^HOMAS  KXOEBEL,  Pm.  (i.  This  popular 
/^^Sv  i>harmacist,  as  well  as  intelligent  gentle- 
^^^J  man,  conducts  a  flourishing  business  at  No. 
209  Collinsville  Avenue,  East  St.  Louis.  Born  at 
Belleville  August  30, 18o9,the  ninth  of  the  ten  chil- 
dren of  Carl  Knoebel,  hespent  his  boyhood  days  at 
that  i)lace,  graduating  from  the  Belleville  High 
School  in  1876.  Accepting  a  position  with  Adolph 
Finke,  of  East  St.  Louis,  as  drug  apprentice,  he 
shortly  after  entered  the  St.  Louis  College  of 
Pharmacy,  graduating  in  the  spring  of  1880  with 
honorable  mention. 

Realizing  the  value  of  the  microscope  in  [tliar- 
macy,  Mr.  Knoebel  again  entered  the  St.  Louis 
College  of  Pharmacy,  taking  a  special  course  in 
microscopy.  In  1881,  he  bought  the  drug  stock 
and  fixtures  from  his  former  employer,  and  in 
1888  purchased  property  at  No.  209  Collinsville 
Avenue,  where  he  moved  his  stock  of  goods,  and 
where  he  has  been  located  since  that  time. 

Mr.  Knoebel  has  always  been  an  active  worker 
in  all  things  pertaining  to  the  upbuilding  of 
pharmacy  as  a  profession.  He  took  a  prominent 
partin  securing  the  Pharmac\' Law  in  Illinois. and 
has  also  been  identified  with  the  Illinois  I'liinma- 
ceutical  Association,  having  served  in  it  in  various 
capacities  as  both  an  ofHcer  and  member.  He  is 
also  a  member  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical 
Association  and  the  St.  Louis  Club  of  Micro- 
scoi)ists,  and  is  one  of  llu'  active,  conscienti(uis 
and  progressive  \<iuiig  pliaimacists  of  the  West, 
lie  enjoys  literary  work  and  fie(|ncntly  contributes 
to  the  local  piess. 

As  a  citizen  of  East  St.  l.oiiis,  Mr.  Knoebel  has 
ever  had  unbf>unded  faitli  in  its  fuiure  and  is  ;i 
strong  supporter  of  all  uieasures  to  further  its 
advanceiucul.  In  proof  of  this  is  cited  the  fact  thai 


r    .^ 


^.  ^ 


POETKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


559 


his  was  the  first  building  on  CoUinsville  Avenue 
raised  to  the  new  grade  establislied.  Public-spir- 
ited, deliberate  and  generous,  his  name  has  been 
and  ever  will  be  closely  allied  with  the  best  interests 
of  the  new  East  St.  Louis.  Mv.  Knoehel  was  married 
March  20,  188.S.  to  Miss  Minnie  D.  Eslaman,  of 
Belleville,  111. 


E^^- 


IfclLLIAM   WAELTZ  is  a  not 
//     and  citizen,  who  by  indefati 


tewortli\-  farmer 
*  ^.  If:  and  citizen,  who  by  indefatigable  industry, 
W^  persevei'ance  and  good  common  sense 
raised  himself  from  poverty  to  affluence,  and  is  to- 
day one  of  the  wealthy  men  of  his  coinnuinity. 
His  pleasant  home  is  on  section  W,  Fayettevillo 
Township.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, Germany,  June  27,  1821.  His  father,  Conrad 
Waeltz,  was  also  a  native  of  that  province,  where 
he  married  Miss  Margaret  INIetzler  and  worked  at 
the  shoemaker's  trade. 

In  183.3,  Conrad  Waeltz  came  to  .-Vmerica  with 
his  wife  and  seven  children,  five  boys  and  two 
girls,  and  located  on  Turkey  Hill,  where  he  resided 
until  his  death  in  18;5().  The  mother  remained  a 
widow  three  years,  when  she  married  Henry  Funk. 
Both  are  now  deceased. 

William  Waeltz  served  a  two-years  apprentice- 
ship in  a  blacksmith  shop  in  Mascoutah  before  his 
mother's  second  marriage.  Later,  he  located  in 
Columbia,  Monroe  County,  and  worked  at  his  trade 
one  year,  at  the  expiration  of  which  time  he  came 
to  Darmstadt  and  opened  a  blacksmith  shop,  which 
he  operated  for  twelve  succes.sive  years.  While  here, 
our  subject,  realizing  that  it  was  not  well  for  man 
to  live  alone,  took  for  his  life  companion  Miss 
Barbara,  daughter  of  Mr.  Dressel,  who  was  formerly 
a  blacksmith  but  in  later  years  turned  his  attention 
to  farming,  and  i)assed  away  in  this  county. 

From  Darmstadt,  Mr.  Waeltz  removed  to  Hill 
Prairie,  where  he  operated  a  farm  for  three  years. 
At  the  end  of  that  time  he  came  to  Fayetteville, 
where  he  eng.aged  in  the  milling  business  two  and  a- 
half  years,  when  his  mill  burned  down.  Then  he 
located  west  of  the  city  and  cajried  on  farming 
26 


until  1874,  when  he  removed  toFreeburg  and  re- 
tired from  business.  During  his  residence  here  in 
1880,  his  wife  died,  leaving  a  family  of  three  chil- 
dren: Regina,  wife  of  Volentine  lleil,  lives  near 
Marissa,  this  county;  Lena,  the  wife  of  George  Erb, 
resides  on  a  portion  of  the  home  farm;  and  Hannah, 
wife  of  John  Rank,  who  was  crippled  in  the  late 
war  and  is  supported  by  his  pension,  lives  in  Fay- 
etteville. 

After  residing  in  Freeburg  for  seven  j'ears,  Mr. 
Waeltz  spent  a  year  in  visiting  among  his  daugh- 
ters, and  at  the  end  of  that  time  he  married  Mrs. 
Catherine  Sauerwein.  Two  children  have  been 
born  to  them,  namely:  Charles  E.  H.  E.,born  April 
2,  188.3;  and  William,  March  29,  1888.  For  two 
years  after  his  second  marriage  he  made  his  home 
in  Fa3'etteville,  and  then  located  upon  his  present 
farm,  which  comprises  four  hundred  and  sixty-two 
acres  of  well-cultivated  land.  The  place  is  notice- 
able for  the  neat  and  substantial  buildings,  as  well 
.as  the  appearance  of  thrift  which  shows  that  the 
owner  is  a  careful  manager  and  understands  the 
best  metliod  of  conducting  his  work. 

In  his  religious  connections,  Mr.  Waeltz  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  and  an  honorable 
exponent  of  its  faith.  He  closely  identifies  him- 
self with  local  politics  as  a  Republican,  and  has 
served  as  .ludgeof  Elections  for  the  past  twenty- 
five  years.  In  1892,  he  cast  his  thirteenth  vote  for 
President,  and  during  the  3'ears  that  have  inter- 
vened he  has  lost  no  opportunity  of  promoting 
the  interests  of  his  chosen  p.arty.  He  is  a  member 
of  Freeburg  Lodge  No.  418,  F.  &  A.  M.,  and  has 
served  as  its  Treasurer. 


-^^^^#^r^i-^ 


J^i  LEXANDER  WILDY,    a   prosperous   and 
'-@A-J|i    representative    agriculturist  of  St.    Clair 
I    lii    County,   and    for    many   years  a  leading 
^^  business    man     of     Lenzburg   Township, 

was  born  in  18o4,  within  a  few  miles  of  his  present 
homestead,  and  is  universally  respected  in  tiie 
neighborlio(xl  where  he  has  spent  his  useful  and 
Inisy  life,     His  parents  were  .lohii   and  Jacopena 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAI'HICAL   RECORD. 


Wild3'.  John  Wildly  was  born  upon  the  old  farm, 
in  1827,  and  was  the.  son  of  Samuel  and  Susan 
(Stinson)  Wild.y.  Samuel  Wildy,  the  paternal  | 
grandfather  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  Swilzer- 
land,  and  emigrated  to  America  when  a  young 
man,  before  his  marriage,  and  settled  upon  Dutch 
Hill  Prairie,  in  Lenzburg  Township,  St.  Clair 
County,  111. 

-Tohn  Wildy  had  but  few  educational  advantages 
and  earlj^  engaged  in  the  active  work  of  life.  His 
father  had  bequeathed  to  him  about  two  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  of  land,  and  in  1853  he  married 
Jacopena  Traup,  a  daughter  of  .Jacob  and  Maggie 
(Farber)  Traup,  all  natives  of  Wurtemberg,  Ger- 
many. Tiie  mother  of  our  subject  was  born  in  the 
Fatherland  in  18.32,  and  her  father  was  born  in  tlie 
year  1800,  her  mother  in  1797.  Jacob  Traup  was 
a  shoemaiier  by  trade,  and  followed  this  avoca- 
tion until  he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1848, 
when  he  settled  upon  a  farm  in  St.  Clair  County, 
and  entered  into  the  duties  of  agricultural  life. 
Tins  worthy  man  and  excellent  citizen  died  in 
1856,  and  his  good  wife  passed  away  in  1853. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  was  one  of  two  daugh- 
ters, her  sister,  Mary,  being  the  wife  of  John  Piau- 
ersaehs. 

Alexander  Wildy,  our  subject,  is  one  ^)f  nine 
children,  one  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The 
family  of  brothers  and  sisters  are  Alexander; 
Albert,  who  married  Carrie  Buegcr;  John,  who 
married  Lizzie  Schneider;  Mary,  Amelia,  Calvin  J., 
Herman  P.  and  Frank  R.  Our  subject  remained 
with  his  mother  after  the  deatli  of  his  father  until 
he  iiad  attained  manhood,  and  coin])leted  his  edu- 
cation in  Warrenton  College  of  Missouri,  being 
liien  well  lifted  for  the  battle  of  life.  Devoting 
most  of  his  efforts  to  agricultural  pursuits,  he  has 
also  handled  successfully  general  merchandise, 
lunning  a  store  in  Lenzburg  with  his  brother,  .John. 

In  1885,  Mr.  Wildy  was  married  to  Miss  Katie 
Schneider,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and  Elizabeth 
.Schneider,  natives  of  Germany,  who  early  emi- 
grated to  America,  making  the  land  of  the  free  the 
birthplace  of  their  children.  .Airs.  Wildy  is  a  na- 
tive of  St.  Clair  County,  and  luas  n  large  circle  of 
friends  in  her  lifeliin  ■  home.  Four  children  have 
lieen  born  unto  our  subject  and  his  estimable  wife. 


namel3':  Harry;  Pearl;  Grant  and  Clark,  twins. 
The  pleasant  home  of  the  family  is  upon  the  well- 
improved  farm  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wildy  are  valued  members  of  tlie 
German  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  are  ever 
ready  to  aid  in  its  social  and  benevolent  work. 
Mr.  Wildy  is  a  Prohiliitiouist,  and  believes  in  the 
ultimate  triumph  of  the  party.  Our  subject  is  a 
man  of  strong  convictions,  and  as  an  earnest  and 
public-spirited  citizen  commands  the  regard  of  all 
his  friends  and  neighbors. 


-^^ 


.ETER    STAUDER.     Belleville    has 


full 


quota  of  vigorous,  enterprising,  thorougli- 
11^     going   business    men,  whose    popularity   is 

based  upon  both  their  social  qualities  and 
their  well-known  integrity  and  business  activity. 
None  among  these  is  better  liked  by  those  who 
have  dealings  with  them  than  he  of  whom  we  now 
write.  Born  in  St.  Clair  County.  III.,  on  the  2d 
of  March,  1837,  Mr.  Stauder  inherits  his  thrift 
and  energy  from  his  Teutonic  ancestors,  his  pai- 
ents,  John  and  Magdalena  (Klonich)  Stauder, 
being  natives  of  Germany. 

The  father  w.as  reared  in  the  Fatherland  and 
when  still  a  single  man  decided  that  America  was 
the  land  of  promise,  and  in  1833  crossed  the  ocean. 
He  settled  in  St.  Clair  County,  III.,  was  married 
in  Belleville  to  ]\Iiss  Klonich,  and  then  began 
working  at  the  stonemason's  and  bricklayer's 
trades.  He  was  a  contractor  and  builder,  who  fur- 
nished the  stone  from  the  quarry  and  the  brick 
from  his  own  yard.  He  put  up  many  of  the  first 
good  buildings  in  the  city  and  inan^-  I'esi- 
dences  both  in  the  city  and  country.  This  busi- 
ness he  continued  very  successfully  until  his 
death  in  1879.  He  left  a  widow  and  seven  chil- 
dren, but  three  of  the  children  died  shortly  after- 
ward. Those  surviving  are:  Peter,  our  subject; 
.Margaret,  wife  of  Fred  Swatzenba;  Adam,  in 
Belleville;  and  Joseph,  of  St.  Louis. 

The  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Adam  Stauder, 
also  came  to  the  United  States  find  bought  a  farm 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


561 


on  Rich  Prairie.  On  this  he  erected  a  chapel  of 
the  Catholic  Church,  this  being-  the  first  in  this 
section,  and  it  was  erected  even  before  any  in  Belle- 
ville. There  was  also  a  Catholic  cemetery  on  his 
place  and  many  were  buried  there  before  the 
cemetery  was  laid  out  in  the  city.  A  Catholic 
priest,  Father  Meier,  was  here  at  that  time.  In 
1844  the  church  was  moved  to  Belleville  during 
tlie  time  of  high  water.  The  grandfather  followed 
the  occupation  of  a  farmer  and  was  one  of  the 
prominent  early  German  Catholics  here.  Before 
the  county  farm  was  l)uilt  he  had  charge  of  the 
countj-  poor,  the  lirst  one  under  his  charge  being 
Blind  Fritz. 

The  scholastic  training  of  our  subject  was  re- 
ceived from  Father  Donne,  and  at  an  early  age 
he  commenced  learning  his  father's  trade.  After 
reacliing  man's  estate,  he  married  Miss  Catherine 
Schmidt,  a  native  of  Germany  and  the  daughter 
of  Anton  Schmidt.  This  union  took  place  on  the 
:^A  of  May,  1859,  and  directly  afterward  Mr.  Stauder 
began  contracting  and  doing  brick  and  stone  work, 
lie  has  erected  many  good  building.s — the  Rench- 
ler  Building  in  1863,  many  fine  brick  buildings, 
and  many  city  residences  and  stores.  The  City 
Hospital  was  erected  by  him,  the  Orphan  Asylum, 
St.  Libori  Church,  New  Athens  Catliolic  Church, 
Catholic  Church  in  Bartelso  (III.),  Fulton  Lutheran 
Church,  Baptist  Church  of  Belleville, and  St.  Luke's 
Church.  During  busy  seasons  he  usually  works 
about  twent_y  men  in  all.  Besides  a  fine  lot  in 
Belleville  Mr.  Stauder  owns  a  line  lot,  80x70  feet, 
on  Second  Street,  opposite  the  hospital,  where  he 
has  a  fine  large  building. 

Our  subject  has  made  his  honio  at  Belleville 
ever  since  1883,  and  owns  real  estate  interests  in 
the  St.  Clair  Addition,  where  he  is  now  building. 
He  had  born  to  his  marriage  eleven  children,  six 
of  whom  are  now  living,  viz:  Mary,  wife  of 
Charles  Ebhie;  Christian;  Joseph,  who  married 
Miss  Pauline  Koch;  Anna,  Adilla  and  Peter 
Michael.  .Mr.  Stauder  is  a  member  of  St.  Peter's 
Cluiivli  and  is  active  in  all  good  works.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Catholic  Knights  of  America  and 
Catholic  Knights  of  Illinois.  He  was  Alderman 
of  the  Fourth  Ward  for  four  years,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Bankers'  Insurance  Company. 


Mrs.  Stauder's  father,  Anton  Schmidt,  was  born 
in  Prussia,  Germany,  in  1813,  and  was  there  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Elizabeth  Keizer.  He  came  to  Amer- 
ica and  settled  in  Belleville  in  1852,  where  he  was  a 
successful  farmer.  Mrs.  Stauder  was  liorn  in  (Ger- 
many on  the  24th  of  May,  1839. 


ICHAKI)    WAXGELIN.      Tlu 


inal    of 


|W|  this  sketch  is  the  Cashier  of  the  Belleville 
A  'Al  Savings  Bank  and  has  held  the  position 
^i;^  since  1882,  having  entered  the  bank  April 
1,  1865.  as  Teller,  in  which  place  he  continued 
until  1878,  when  he  became  Assistant  Cashier  and 
later  Cashier.  This  bank  opened  its  doors  for 
business  February  11,  1860,  with  a  subscribed  cap- 
ital stock  of  !SG6,000,  of  which  twenty  per  cent,  was 
paid.  The  bank  remained  where  it  was  opened 
until  1865,  when  the  present  bank  was  built.  The 
first  President  was  Edward  Abend,  who  is  the  pres- 
ent President.  The  capital  stock  has  been  in- 
creased by  earnings,  until  now  $150,000,  with  a 
surplus  of  over  $100,000,  represents  the  stock.  In 
1891  they  put  in  a  fine  Safety  Deposit  Vault  from 
the  Diebold  Safe  and  Lock  Company,  and  also  a 
burglar-proof  safe  inside,  with  time  lock  and  auto- 
matic self-locking  device. 

Our  subject  was  I)orii  in  Slulnh  \alley.  in  this 
county,  .lanuaiy  27,  1845,  and  was  the  son  nf 
Hugo  Wangelin,  who  came  early  to  this  county 
from  German V,  in  1833,  when  only  sixteen  years 
old.  He  married  Miss  Bertha  Schubert,  of  Shiloli. 
who  also  came  from  Germany.  After  the  birth  of 
our  subject  the  family  came  to  Belleville,  where 
the  father  engaged  in  merchandising  and  after- 
ward in  milling  in  Lebanon.  He  later  served  as 
Colonel  of  theTwelftii  Missouri  Infantry  until  the 
close  of  the  war,  when  he  received  the  commission 
of  Brigadier-General  and  then  was  made  Postmaster 
of  this  city  for  eight  years,  and  .also  served  as 
Alderman.  His  death  occurred  in  February,  1882, 
at  the  age  of  sixty-four  years,  he  leaving  a  wife  and 
seven  children  to  mourn  his  de:ilh.     The  children 


562 


PORTEAIT  AKD  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


are  as  follows:  Anna,  wife  of  Frederick  Ropiequet 
of  this  city;  Louisa;  Edward,  Otto,  who  lives  in 
Boulder,  Colo.,  and  who  is  editor  of  tlie  HprrtUl  of 
that  place;  Irvin  H.  and  Walter. 

Our  subject  was  educated  at  Belleville  and  at 
McKendree  College  in  Lebanon,  and  after  leaving 
school  was  appointed  Deputy  Postmaster  at  Belle- 
ville and  later  Deputy  Circuit  Clerk  of  St.  Clair 
County,  in  which  capacity  he  served  until  he  en- 
listed in  Company'  H,  One  Hundred  and  Forty- 
second  Illinois  Infantry,  on  the  18th  of  May,  1864. 
He  was  made  First  Sergeant  and  was  sent  to  Tenn- 
essee and  was  with  that  arm}^  until  the  expiration 
of  his  service.  After  his  return  he  took  a  course 
in  Bryant  and  Stratton's  Commercial  College  in 
St  Louis,  then  entered  the  bank,  where  he  retained 
liis  position  for  twenty-seven  years.  Mr.  Wange- 
lin  is  the  oldest  Cashier  in  this  city.  Our  subject 
was  married  May  23,  1867,  to  Miss  Sophia  Evans, 
of  Belleville,  and  seven  children  have  resulted 
from  this  union,  as  follows:  Hugo  E.,  who  is  prac- 
ticing medicine  in  this  city;  Ernest  E.,  paj'master 
at  the  Belleville  Steel  Works;  Olive,  Wanda,  Fred- 
rick, Louis  and  Hettie  Maj'.  Mr.  Waugelin  is  a 
member  of  the  Orand  Army  of  the  Republic,  the 
Liederkranz,  and  is  very  liighly  regarded  by  iiis 
em  [)loyers. 


^^iP;ORGE  HENTZEL,  a  prosperous  and  ex- 
Ill  — .  tensive    farmer   and   for  more  than  a  half- 

\^^'  century  a  resident  of  St.  Clair  County.  111., 
was  one  of  the  pioneer  agriculturists  of  Dutch 
Hill  Prairie,  and  well  known  to  all  the  community 
in  and  about  Lenzburg  Township,  where  he  is 
iiighl}'  respected  as  an  energetic,  industrious  and 
upright  citizen.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Germany 
m  the  year  1832.  His  parents,  .Jacob  and  Mnry 
llentzel,  were  also  natives  of  the  Fatlierland,  and 
were  reared  and  educated  and  married  in  tlie  home 
of  their  childhood.  Wlien  little  ones  clustered 
about  them,  they  talked  of  emigrating  to  the  land 
beyond  the  ocean,  wliere  there  would  be  greater 
()ji])ortunities  foi'  their  sou*  ;)j)d  daughters. 


The  father  had  been  trained  to  the  duties  of 
farming  and  had  from  his  earliest  days  taken  an 
active  part  in  the  work  of  life,  and  although  he 
liad  but  little  capital  did  not  fear  to  try  his  for- 
tunes in  America.  In  1836,  when  our  subject  was 
a  little  bo}'  only  four  years  old,  his  parents  with 
their  family  and  a  few  belongings  bade  adieu  to 
the  scenes  of  their  lifetime  and,  parting  from  old 
friends  and  associations,  left  behind  them  the 
shores  of  the  Old  World  and  safely  crossing  the 
broad  Atlantic,  landed  in  the  United  States.  Jacob 
llentzel  first  brought  his  famil}'  to  St.  Louis,  where 
he  found  employment  working  out  by  the  day. 
Both  the  father  and  mother  desired  to  settle  upon 
a  farm  with  their  family,  and  an  opportunity  of- 
fering itself,  the\' were  about  to  avail  themselves 
of  it.  when  the  good  wife  sickened  and  died  in  St. 
Louis. 

The  desolate  father  left  with  the  care  of  his  fam- 
ily soon  after  removed  to  St.  Clair  County  and 
made  an  excellent  investment,  buying  at  a  low 
piice  a  good  farm,  which  has  increased  ten-fold  in 
value.  Mr.  .Jacob  llentzel  married  again,  but  did 
not  long  survive  his  second  union,  dying  in  1838, 
and  leaving  our  subject  an  orphan  indeed.  Thrown 
upon  his  own  resources  at  a  very  early  age, 
(ieorge  Hentzel  began  to  be  self-supporting  when_ 
eleven  years  old.  Working  steadily  for  others  un- 
til he  was  twenty -three  years  of  age,  he  managed 
out  of  his  small  wages  to  get  together  a  little  cap- 
ital, and  having  now  arrived  at  mature  years  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Elizabeth  Wildy,  a 
daughter  of  .Jacob  and  Margaret  Wildy.  early  set- 
tlers in  the  locality. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hentzel  are  the  parents  of  nine 
children,  of  whom  three  daughters  .and  two  sons 
yet  survive:  Jacob,  Mary,  Caroline,  George  and 
Josephine.  The  brothers  and  sisters  are  in  their 
various  homes  well  known  and  are  useful,  honest 
and  industrious  citizens,  respected  b^-  all  who  know 
them.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hentzel  are  lifelong  members 
of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  have  ever  aided  in 
tlie  support  and  good  work  of  that  religious  or- 
ganization. Politically,  our  subject  is  a  strong 
Republican,  and  a  firm  believer  in  the  principles  of 
the  party.  Beginning  life  without  influential 
friends  or  capital,  the  energy,  courage  and  persev- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


565 


erance  of  Mr.  Hentzel  have  been  rewarded  with 
(iimncial  prosperity,  and  his  fine  farm  of  six  liun- 
drerl  and  fifty  acres,  all  under  excellent  cultivation, 
gives  evidence  of  his  good  management,  thrift  and 
natural  ability. 


J  I  OlIN  A.  DAY,  proprietor  of  the  Day  Brick 
Company  at  Belleville,  the  largest  and  most 
prominent  brick  manufactory  in  .St.  Clair 
County,   was  born    in  St.  Louis  February 

25,  1855.  His  father.  Ignatius  A.  Day,  emigrated 
from  Germany  to  America  and  settled  in  .St.  J.,ouis 
in  1849.  He  married  Miss  Clara  Mueller,  who 
then  resided  in  St.  Louis,  although  she,  like  her 
husband,  was  a  native  of  Germanj',  the  former 
having  been  born  in  Eisfelt  and  the  latter  in 
Berncastel,  on  the  Moselle.  Mr.  Day  engaged  in 
the  tobacco  business  on  Second  Street  and  was  a 
prominent  citizen  of  St.  Louis.  In  1866,  accom- 
panied by  his  family,  he  returned  to  Germany  and 
remained  in  Trier  until  his  death,  Januai-y  1, 1887. 
His  first  wife  died  in  1857,  and  he  afterward  mar- 
ried Miss  Bertha  Abend,  of  Centreville,  111. 

In  the  parental  family  there  were  five  children, 
but  our  subject  was  the  only  one  of  these  who  re- 
turned to  America  and  established  a  home.  The 
others  are:  Mrs.  Edward  Lintz,  who  resides  in 
Dusseldorf,  Germany;  Mrs.  Angelica  Sieben,  of 
Aix  la  Chapelle;  Anna  B.  and  Ferdinand  .loseph, 
who  make  their  home  in  Trier. 

John  A.  Day  attended  school  in  Cierraany  from 
the  time  he  was  eleven  years  of  age  until  he  was 
nineteen,  when  he  was  graduated  from  the  school 
at  Trier.  Afterward  he  was  employed  as  clerk  for 
three  years  in  tlie  wholesale  drug  business  at  Ant- 
werp. In  1879,  he  returned  to  the  llnited  States  and 
spent  three  years  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  in  the  employ 
of  Nicholas  Kuhnen,  wholesale  tobacconist.  He 
next  spent  three  years  in  St.  Louis  in  the  employ  of 
Meyer  Bros.  &  Co.,  wholesale  drug  dealers,  and  at 
■the  expiration  of  that  time  he  came  to  Belleville 
and  embarked  in  the  brick  business,  which  he  is 
now  successfully  conducting.     The    plant  repre- 


sents a  capital  of  135,000,  and  has  an  output  of 
forty  thousand  brick  per  day.  The  factory  is  lo- 
cated on  the  Freeburg  Road,  corner  of  Tenth  Street, 
where  fifty  acres  are  devoted  to  brick  manufac- 
ture. The  yard  was  in  1882  established  by  Mr.  Day 
and  Mr.  Ed.  Abend,  who  has  lately  sold  out  his  inter- 
est to  Mr.  Day,  and  contains  all  the  modern  improve- 
ments for  the  manufacture  of  brick.  From  forty  to 
sixty  men  are  given  steady  employment  and  the 
enterprise  has  proved  most  successful.  Switching- 
lines  connect  the  yards  with  the  Cairo  Short  Line, 
by  which  the  company  ship  their  goods  to  all 
parts  of  the  country.  They  manufacture  the  reg- 
ular pressed  bricks  of  a  fine  grade  and  also  com- 
mon bricks. 

November  3,  1886,  Mr.  Day  married  Miss  Lena, 
daughter  of  Edward  Abend,  and  they  have  one 
child,  Helen  Josephine.  The  family  residence  is 
pleasantly  located  at  No.  322  South  Illinois  Street. 
Mr.  Day  is  a  Director  of  the  Belleville  Savings 
Bank  and  the  Belleville  Gas  Light  <fe  Coke  Co. 
He  is  a  successful  business  man  and  throughout 
his  entire  life  has  exhibited  great  talent  in  that 
direction.  He  enjoys  the  respect  of  his  fellow- 
citizens  and  the  esteem  of  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 
Being  well-to-do,  he  is  enabled  to  exercise  his 
benevolent  spirit  and  is  always  ready  to  aid  the 
deserving  and  the  industrious. 


I^A  M.  PRIESTER,  merchant  tailor  and  agent 
-'  for  the  Acme  Brewing  Company,  is  the 
owner  of  one  of  the  most  decided  acquisi- 
tions in  mercantile  enterprises  in  East  St.  Lduis. 
llis  house  is  the  headquarters  for  fashionable  tailor- 
ing, where  garments  to  measure  embody  every 
feature  of  grace  and  elegance.  The  measuring  and 
cutting  are  done  upon  correct  principles,  and 
a  stock  of  very  fine  woolens  is  kept  to  select 
from  that  covers  all  the  imported  novelties  in 
shades,  patterns  and  textures.  F.  M.  Priester  was 
born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  February  23, 
1854,  in  which  countr3'  his  father  is  a  successful 
merchant  tailor.      The  latter  w.as  in  the  Rebellion 


o6C 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  1848  in  Schleswig-Holstein.  His  wife,  formerly 
Miss  Anna  M.  Fainkauff,  died  in  1889.  Nine 
sons  were  born  of  this  union,  tbiee  of  whom  are 
living:  N.  J., a  traveling  salesman  of  Minneapolis; 
Leon,  a  business  man  of  St.  T^ouis;  and  F.  M.,  the 
subject  of  this  sketch. 

F.  M.  Priester  attended  common,  private  and 
High  School,  and  finished  his  education  under  a 
private  tutor,  entering,  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years, 
his  father's  tailoring  establishment,  where  he  ob- 
tained a  practical  insight  into  the  business.  After 
a  time  he  entered  the  School  of  Cutting  at  Dres- 
den, where  he  remained  until  about  twenty-one 
years  of  age.  After  traveling  for  some  time  he 
entered  the  German  arm^',  becoming  a  member 
of  the  Twenty-fifth  Regiment,  Eleventh  Arm}- 
Corps,  of  Hesse-Darmstadt,  serving  until  honor- 
abl}'  discharged  at  the  end  of  three  years.  Later, 
he  served  six  months  longer,  then  got  his  pass  to 
come  to  America  for  the  purpose  of  visiting  the 
country,  but  became  so  favorably'  impressed  with 
it  that  he  decided  to  sta3^  The  voyage  from  Brem- 
en to  New  York  occupied  eight  days,  and  the 
steamer  in  which  he  sailed,  "Pomerania,"  sunk  on 
its  way  back  to  the  Old  Countr}'.  After  a  short 
residence  in  Philadelphia,  he  went  to  Ann  Arbor, 
Mich.,  where  he  worked  at  his  trade  for  two  years, 
but  on  the  6lh  of  October,  1879,  came  to  Belle- 
ville, 111.,  and  started  in  business  for  himself,  his 
thorough  knowledge  of  his  calling  winning  him 
almost  immediate  recognition  in  East  St.  Louis 
and  neighboring  towns,  as  well  .as  in  Belleville. 
Since  1890,  he  has  been  a  resident  of  East  St. 
Louis,  his  establishment  l)eing  located  at  No.  310 
Broadway. 

His  business  necessitates  the  employment  of 
eight  or  nine  men,  and  sometimes  twice  that 
number  are  employed  with  profit.  The  garments 
made  at  that  house  are  recognized  by  a  critical  pub- 
lic as  perfect  in  style  and  fit,  and  artistic  in  work- 
manship, and  to  seek  his  services  once  is  to  be  his 
patron  always.  Among  his  permanent  customers 
are  manj-  of  Flast  St.  Louis'  best-dressed  citizens, 
who  thoroughly  appreciate  and  understand  the 
merits  of  a  first-class  tailor.  He  is  an  accomplished 
master  of  the  art  of  cutting  and  fitting,  liberal  and 
just  in  his  dealings, and  has  won  success  by  deserv- 


ing it.  In  1891,  he  became  connected  with  the 
American  Brewing  Company  as  agent  for  Illinois, 
and  keeps  two  men  constantly  on  the  road,  besides 
doing  a  great  deal  of  work  in  that  line  himself. 
He  is  interested  in  an  ice  manufactory  of  the 
place,  and  has  in  other  ways  shown  himself  to  be 
an  enterprising  citizen. 

He  was  married  in  Belleviile  m  December,  1853, 
to  Miss  Rose  E.  Lenz,  who  was  born  in  St.  Louis, 
a  daughter  of  August  Lenz,  a  pioneer  citizen  of 
the  former  place.  Their  union  has  resulted  in  the 
birth  of  three  children:  August,  Annie  and  Rosa. 
Mr.  Priester  is  a  Democrat  politically, and  on  vari- 
ous occasions  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  county 
and  State  conventions. 


R.  PADFIELD  i>  a  representative  of  one 
\\\A///  ^^  ^^^  ^'*^'  ^^"^'1'^^  ^'^  ^''^  State,  for  to  this 
>Jf^  region  his  father  came  in  IftU  with  (ien. 
Hopkins,  and  with  him  participated  in  the  Indian 
wars  of  this  section.  W.  R.  Pad  Held  was  born  at 
L'nion  Grove,  within  two  and  a-half  miles  of  his 
present  residence,  September  30,  1.S21,  a  son  of 
Thomas  and  Temperance  (Hill)  PadtieUl.  whose 
union  was  celebrated  on  the  10th  of  August, 
1820.  The  father  was  l)orn  in  the  State  of  Mary- 
land, in  1775,  but  when  he  was  about  two  years  of 
age  his  parents  removed  to  the  vicinity  of  Hop- 
kinsville,  Ky.,  where  he  was  educated  and  grew  to 
manhood.  In  1815,  he  and  his  father  came  to  St. 
(lair  County  and  located  on  a  farm  near  Union 
(irove,  where  the  grandfather  operated  a  fiour  and 
corn  mill.  He  was  a  substantial,  enterprising  and 
intelligent  man  of  business,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years.  After  his  death,  Thomas  Pad- 
field  conducted  the  mill,  which  w.as  one  of  the  first 
in  this  section  of  the  country,  and  was  (jatronized 
by  the  settlers  for  many  miles  around.  He  always 
enjoj'ed  excellent  health  and  lived  to  the  advanced 
age  of  ninety -eight  years,  dying  in  1873.  His  wife 
was  called  from  life  February  20,  1863,  at  the  age 
of  sixty-three  years.  They  were  the  parents  of 
four  children,  of  whom  W.  R.  Padfield,  the  subject 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


5(;7 


of  this  skelcli,  was  the  eldest.  The  other  iiiembeis 
were  Isaac,  who  died  at  tlie  age  of  nineteen  3^ears. 
.lames,  who  died  May  21,  1890,  when  about  sixty- 
one  years  of  age,  having  been  an  honest  and  pros- 
jierous  farmer  of  Crawford  County,  Kan.  He  was 
married  to  Miss  Adeline  Moore,  a  daughter  of 
Robert  and  Nancy  (Abernathy)  Moore.  The 
youngest  member  of  the  paternal  famil}'  is  Julia, 
the  widow  of  Dr.  E.  P.  Bland,  formerly  of  Mas- 
CDUtah,  111.,  who  is  now  residing  in  Monmouth, 
Crawford  Count^^,  Kan. 

W.  R.  Padfield,  whose  name  heads  this  sketch, 
resided  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinit}'  of  Union  Grove 
until  he  was  fifty-eight  years  of  age,  during  which 
time  lie  received  the  benefits  of  the  common 
schools  near  his  rural  home,  after  which  he  became 
a  resident  of  ]iis  present  place  of  abode.  He  is  a 
man  who  possesses  the  instincts  and  training  of  a 
true  gentleman,  whicli  he  manifests  in  his  daily 
walk  through  life,  and  these  attributes,  in  connec- 
tion with  his  generous  and  kindly  disposition, 
have  won  him  a  host  of  friends,  to  whom  he  is 
loyal  and  true.  He  was  first  married  in  June,  1853, 
l)ut  his  married  life  only  continued  until  March, 
18.54,  at  which  time  his  wife,  whose  maiden  name 
was  Caroline  Alexander,  was  called  from  life.  She 
was  a  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret  Alexander, 
who  were  born  in  Maryland  and  Virginia,  respec- 
tively. In  the  year  1862,  he  took  for  his  second 
wife  Miss  Eva  Kline,  their  marriage  being  cele- 
brated on  the  22d  of  November,  but  this  wife  also 
left  him  a  widower,  her  death  occurring  April  18, 
1874.  March  18,  1875,  his  third  marriage  was  cel- 
ebrated. Miss  Elizabeth  Kline  becoming  his  wife. 
He  is  the  father  of  three  children:  Damon,  born 
December  25,  1875;  Sideros,  October  22.  1880.  and 
Siloros,  November  14,  1885. 

Mr.  Padfield  is  an  honest  "  son  of  the  soil  "  and 
in  the  conduct  of  his  affairs  has  shown  liimself  to 
be  thrifty,  jiractical  and  intelligent.  His  occupa- 
tion is  a  healthful  and  independent  one  and  he 
seems  to  be  well  fitted  for  the  business.  He  has 
served  in  the  capacity  of  Highway  Commissioner 
and  for  the  past  twelve  years  has  held  the  office  of 
Justice  of  the  Peace  and  has  adjusted  his  neigh- 
bors' difficulties  with  the  utmost  fairness.  He  has 
been   a  member  of   the  Ancient    Free  &   Accepted 


Masons  for  the  past  forty  years  and  belongs  to 
Summerfield  Lodge  No.  342,  in  which  he  has  held 
all  the  offices  except  Worthy  Master.  Although  a 
Republican  in  national  politics,  he  is  independent 
in  local  affairs. 


^IL^ENRY  HOFF.  It  may  well  be  the  pride 
III  jl  of  our  subject  that  he  has  reclaimed  a 
JW^  fruitful  tract  of  land  from  its  natural 
(^y  condition,  transforming  it  into  a  finely- 
improved  and  highly-cultivated  farm,  one  of  the 
best  in  Fayetteville  Township,  and  in  so  doing  has 
materially  aided  in  perfecting  the  development  of 
the  rich  agricultural  resources  of  St.  Clair  County. 
By  persistent  labor  he  wrought  a  wondrous  change 
in  the  land,  until  that  which  was  once  a  wilderness 
became  one  of  the  best-tilled  farms  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. Having  accumulated  a  competency,  Mr. 
Hoff  retired  from  active  labor,  and  now  makes  his 
home  in  the  village  of  Fayetteville,  where  he  is 
passing  his  declining  years  quietly  and  retired 
from  active  life. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  (ieorge  Menkie,  was 
born  in  Germany  and  there  reared  to  the  occupa- 
tion of  a  farmer,  which  he  followed  throughout 
his  entire  life.  Upon  his  marriage  to  Miss  Adeline 
Hoff,  who  was  the  owner  of  considerable  landed 
property  in  Germany,  he  dropped  his  own  name 
and  took  that  of  his  wife,  a  common  occurrence  in 
that  country  where  the  possession  of  valuable 
property-  is  involved.  During  the  latter  part  of  his 
life,  the  father  of  our  subject  crossed  the  Atlantic 
to  the  United  States,  where  he  died  in  the  home 
of  his  daughter. 

The  parental  family  comprised  the  following 
seven  children:  Henry,  our  subject,  who  was  born 
in  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1828;  Clemans,  deceased; 
Mary, who  is  married;  Barney,  deceased;  G.  Henry, 
a  resident  of  Washington  County,  111.;  Caroline, 
wife  of  Barney  Laike,  and  Christena,  who  became 
the  wife  of  Tlieodore  Ambers.  In  the  common 
schools  of  Germany,  Henry  Hoff  gained  a  good 
education,  and   upon    the   removal    of   the  famih- 


j(i8 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


to  the  United  States  in  tlie  3'ear  1853,  accompanied 
them  hither  and  settled  in  St.  Clair  Coimt.y  near 
the  village  of  Faj-etteville.  Farming  liad  engaged 
his  attention  in  the  Fatherland, and  upon  locating 
here  lie  purchased  about  one  thousand  acres  of 
land  ill  Fayetteville  Township,  to  the  cultivation 
of  which  he  gave  his  entire  time  during  the  years 
that  followed.  He  has  prospered  so  well  that  he 
has  not  only  been  enabled  to  aid  iiis  children 
financially  by  giving  them  large  tracts  of  land,  but 
he  still  has  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  live  in  com- 
fort. 

When  twenty-one  years  of  age,  Mr.  Hoff  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Anna,  daughter  of 
Theodore  and  Adeline  (Britmann)  Dicker.  Six 
children  have  been  born  of  the  union,  as  follows: 
Barney,  Frank,  August,  Herman,  John  G.  and 
Anna,  the  last-named  being  the  wife  of  John 
Meuse.  The  children  have  received  excellent  edu- 
cational advantages  and  are  well  informed  and 
cultured.  F'rank  fitted  himself  for  the  profession 
of  ateacher,wliich  he  follows  in  Randolph  County, 
this  State.  In  his  religious  connections,  Mr.  Hoff 
is  identified  with  the  Catholic  Church.  Politically, 
he  is  firm  in  bis  adherence  to  the  princijiles  of  the 
Republican  parly. 


.,ILLIAM  PREDIGP:R.  St.  Clair  County  is 
justly  proud  of  her  native-born  citizens, 
who  are  honorably  bearing  their  share  in 
sustaining  her  interests  and  extending  her  wealth. 
Among  these  is  the  subject  of  this  biographical  re- 
view, who  is  engaged  in  farming  on  section  7, 
Lenzburg  Township,  and  is  one  of  its  most  pro- 
pressive  and  enlightened  farmers.  His  estate, 
which  comprises  two  hundred  and  thirty'  broad 
acres,  is  placed  under  substantial  improvement, 
the  fields  arc  well  tilled,  and  a  neat  set  of  farm 
buildings  adorns  the  place. 

The  original  of  our  sketch  was  born  in  this 
county  in  1853,  on  the  farm  where  he  is  at  present 
residing.  His  parents,  Peter  and  Nancy  (Mc- 
Kahey)    Prediger,  were  natives    of   Germany,  the 


father  born  in  1807  and  the  mother  in  1826.  Peter 
Prediger  spent  the  first  six  years  of  his  life  in  his 
native  land,  and,  on  accompanying  his  parents  to 
the  United  States  in  1823,  located  with  them  in 
St.  Louis,  ^lo.,  where  they  made  their  home  for  a 
short  time.  Afterward  the  parents  came  to  Dutch 
Hill  Prairie,  where  they  purchased  Government 
land,  and  resided  until  theii-  decease. 

The  father  of  our  subject  received  only  a  lim- 
ited education,  but  added  to  the  knowledge  gained 
in  the  common  schools  by  a  thorough  and  sj'Stematic 
course  of  reading,  and  kept  liimself  well  posted 
with  regard  to  what  was  going  on  in  the  world. 
He  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  the 
early  age  of  nine  years,  and,  when  old  enough  to 
choose  a  life  work,  became  a  farmer,  and  at  his  death 
left  an  estate  of  seven  hundred  acres.  When  at- 
taining liis  twenty-first  year,  he  was  married  to 
Nancy,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Margaret  Mc- 
Kahey,  who  bore  him  a  family  of  eleven  children, 
eight  of  whom  are  yet  living.  The  elder  Mr. 
Prediger  was  a  Democrat  in  politics,  and,  as  a* 
good  citizen  should  be,  was  earnest!}'  interested  in 
all  that  pertained  to  his  township  and  county. 
His  career  was  begun  as  a  poor  boy,  but  by  eneigy 
and  perseverance,  united  with  economy  and  good 
business  qualifications,  he  became  wealthy,  and  the 
records  show  him  to  have  been  one  of  the  heav- 
iest tax-payers  in  his  township.  He  died  in  1890. 
His  wife,  the  mother  of  our  subject,  has  attained 
the  age  of  sixty-five  years,  and  now  makes  her 
home  in  Marissa. 

William  Prediger,  of  tliis  sketch,  obtained  a 
good  education  in  the  public  schools,  was  well 
trained  by  his  father  and  mother  in  all  that  goes  to 
make  an  honorable  man,  and  was  thoroughly 
drilled  in  farm  work  while  yet  young,  so  that  he 
came  to  his  vocation  well  fitted  to  perform  its 
duties.  In  1875,  he  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Anna,  daughter  of  Francis  and  Margaret 
Eisfelder,  and  to  them  has  been  born  a  family  of 
nine  children:  Anna,  Lizzie,  William,  Mary,  Lena 
(deceased),  Jennie,  Jessie,  Louisa  and  Viola  (de- 
ceased). Our  subject  began  life  for  himself  by 
working  on  a  portion  of  his  father's  farm,  where 
he  remained  until  his  marriage.  He  is  a  man  who 
has  so  conducted    himself  in  all  the  affairs  of  life 


RESIDENCE    OF  WILLIAM     PREDIGER^  5EC   ?  ,  LENZBURG  TP.  ,ST,  CLAIR  CO.,  ILL 


^"^S^S^        .  ^-ik^-Z  I  >r-  ^c  .-V  .! 


RESIDENCE    OF       FRED    R  H  El  N  ,  SEC  A  .SMITHTON   TP.ST.  CLAI  R  CO.,1  LL 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


as  U)  win  llie  fuiitidcnce  of  his  fellow-citizens. 
His  political  convictions  are  identical  with  the 
principles  piomulgaLed  by  the  Democratic  party, 
to  which  lie  gives   hearty  support. 


-^^IS^II^I^^ 


on  the  youthful  manager,  who  despite  his  being 
only  twenty-two  3'ears  old,  could  instruct  many 
an  older  farmer  in  the  art  of  cultivating  the  soil 
to  the  best  advantage.  Mr.  Rheiu  follows  general 
farming  on  his  place  and  is  one  of  the  most  enter- 
prising young  men  of  the  township. 


PHED   HHEIN.     As  iiis  name  indicates,  this 
;  gentleman   is  of  German  descent,  and  the 
__  success  that  his  family  has  attained  is  only 

another  example  of  what  industry  and  persever- 
ance can  accomplish  upon  American  soil.  lie  is  a 
prosperous  farmer  of  Smitiiton  Township,  and  his 
estate  is  among  the  finest  in  the  county. 

Our  subject's  father  bore  the  same  name  si.'*  him- 
self and  was  born  in  Bavaria,  Germany.  When  a 
small  child  he  came  to  this  country  witli  his  [inr- 
entf,  who  made  their  first  settlement  in  Si.  Louis, 
but  being  dissatisfied  with  that  city  tliey  removed 
from  there  to  St.  Clair  County.  There  they  set- 
tled and  there  the  grandparents  of  our  subject 
died. 

Fred  Khein,  Sr.,  took  unto  himself  a  helpmate  in 
tlie  person  of  Miss  Charlotte  Neneninger,  also  a  na- 
tive of  the  Fatherland.  An  enterprising  and  suc- 
cessful farmer,  he  owned  at  the  time  of  his  death 
a  large  amount  of  property,  amounting  to  two 
hundred  and  thirty  acres  of  land.  He  and  his  es- 
timable wife  had  seven  children,  six  of  whom  still 
remain  to  cheer  the  last  days  of  tlieir  mother.  The 
one  deceased  is  Louis,  and  those  living  are:  Adam 
and  Maggie  (twins);  Phcebe,  Anna,  George  and  our 
subject.  The  father  was  a  consistent  Christian,  and 
his  death  was  mourned  not  only  by  his  family, 
liut  by  those  with  whom  he  had  been  connected, 
both  religiousl}'  and  socially.  The  mother  still  j 
resides  i>n  the  old  homestead  with  her  son,  our 
subject,  and   is   highly  esteemed   by  all  who  know 

Fred  Khein,  .Ir.,is  a  native  of  this  township  and 
county,  liaving  been    born    in   the  year   1870    on    , 
the    old    homestead.      He    operates  the    farm    of 
two  hundred  and   thirty  acres  left  by  his  father,   i 
This  is  one  of    the    best-improved  estates   in  the    1 
county,  and  its  fine  appearance  reflects  great  credit   | 


5W(§F^' 


J^f  T.  CL.\RK,  a  well-known  citizen  of  St.  Clair 
v^£jj    Count}',  is    the    present   manager    of    the 

|/  *  store  owned  by  D.  Hentchler,  of  Rentchler 
'^  Village.     His  life  record  is  as  follows:  He 

was  born  in  Cayuga  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1847,  and 
is  a  son  of  Dr.  Philo  and  Augusta  (Palmer)  Clark, 
the  former  a  native  of  Hampshire  County,  Mass., 
born  in  18(17,  and  the  Latter  born  in  Cayuga 
County.  N.  Y..in  181,').  The  boyhood  days  of  the 
father  were  spent  among  the  hills  of  his  native 
county,  and  his  education  for  his  profession  was 
accpiired  in  the  Geneva  Medical  Instil ute,  of  New 
York.  He  had  previously  removed  to  Cayuga 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  had  served  as  guard  in  the 
Auburn  State  Prison  for  a  few  years.  After  being 
graduated  in  medicine,  he  began  practice  in  the 
village  of  King's  Ferry,  N.  Y..  where  he  prosecuted 
his  profession  for  over  lialf  a  century.  Having 
then  reached  an  advanced  age,  and  the  arduous 
duties  of  a  practitioner  resting  heavily  upon  linn, 
he  entered  a  drug-store  and  is  still  engaged  in 
that  business.  His  wife  was  a  daughter  of  Wynes 
and  Annie  (Lyons)  Palmer,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Connecticut  but  were  of  English  descent. 
The  Clark  family  traces  its  ancestry  back  to  three 
brothers  wiio  came  from  England  to  this  countrv 
in  Colonial  days  and  were  noted  men  in  resisting 
the  persecutions  of  the  English  Government. 

When  but  fifteen  years  of  age,  our  subject  b(^gan 
life  for  himself  b}-  teaching  school  in  his  native 
State.  The  following  year,  1862,  he  responded  to 
the  country's  call  for  troops. enlisting  in  the  Union 
service  as  a  member  of  Company  K,  One  Hundred 
and  Eleventh  New  York  Infantry  under  Gen.  Miles. 
He  participated   in  several    important    battles,  in- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


eluding  the  ciigagenients  at  Colfax,  Culpeper, 
Peach  Oreliard  and  Harper's  Kenv.  At  the  last- 
named  j)laee  he  was  captured,  and  after  being  pa- 
roled.returned  to  his  home. 

Mr.  Clark  then  engaged  in  teaching  school, 
which  jirofession  he  followed  for  a  short  time, when 
he  took  lip  the  stud^-  of  medicine  with  his  father. 
He  afterward  attended  the  same  medical  school  in 
which  his  father  was  a  student,  but  did  not  gradu- 
ate. It  was  in  1871  tliat  he  came  West,  making 
his  first  location  in  Iowa  City,  Iowa,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  practice  for  two  years,  when,  his  healtli 
failing  him, he  changed  his  occupation  and  in  IST-'i 
went  upon  the  road  as  a  tniveling  salesman,  being 
thus  employed  for  a  year.  .Ibout  this  lime,  in 
1874,  he  was  married,  in  Alton,  111.,  to  Miss  Adelia, 
daughter  of  L.  W.  and  Eliza  Moore.  Their  union 
h.as  been  blessed  with  one  child,  a  son,  Ambrose  I). 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Clark  engaged  in  busi- 
ness with  his  father-in-law  for  one  year  as  proprie- 
tor of  the  St.  Charles  Hotel,  of  Alton,  111.  He  then 
removed  to  Belleville  and  resumed  his  old  profes- 
sion of  teaching,  being  thus  employed  for  three 
years  in  St.  Clair  Count}'.  In  1879,  he  became 
manager  of  the  store  of  ^Ir.  Renlchler,  and  has 
since  had  charge  of  the  same.  Faithful  to  the  in- 
terests of  his  employer,  he  has  his  eutire  confidence. 
In  1884,  Mr.  Clark  was  chosen  Justice  of  the  Peace 
and  re-elected  in  1888.  In  1892,  he  was  appointed 
Township  Treasurer,  discharging  his  duties  with 
promptness  and  fidelity,  which  have  won  him  the 
commendation  of  all  concerned.  In  political  sen- 
timent, he  is  a  stanch  Republican,  and  by  those  who 
know  him,  he  is  held  in  high  regard. 


^^+^4 


/^EOlUiF,  SCllArH.  In  few  branches  of 
f|  __  trade  has  the  march  of  progress  wrought 
V^ilj  such  a  veritable  revolution  as  in  the  stove 
and  agricultural  imi)leiTient  business.  What  with 
invention,  improvement,  and  the  development  of 
skill,  something  closely  akin  to  perfection  has 
been  reached  in  these  departments  of  industrial 
activity.     A  popular  and  prosperous  establishment 


in  these,  lines  is  that  of  Gedrge  Schaub,  which  has 
been  in  successful  operation  for  many  years.  Mr. 
Schaub  was  born  in  Germany,  fifteen  miles  from 
Ilesse-Cassel,  March  4,  18.32,  to  AVilhelm  and  Sa- 
billa  (Steidz)  Schaub.  who  were  also  natives  of  that 
place,  where  they  spent  their  lives.  The  father 
was  a  tanner  and  currier  by  trade,  which  occupa- 
tion lie  foll<»wed  in  earlv  life,  but  he  later  became 
a  tiller  of  the  soil  and  the  owner  of  considerable 
land.  He  was  a  Protestant,  and  died  at  the  age  of 
eighty-three  years. 

George  Schaub  was  one  of  a  family  of  seven 
children,  three  of  whom  came  to  America  and  are 
the  only  ones  now  living.  He  was  reared  in  the 
land  of  his  birth,  learning  the  rudiments  of  farm- 
ing, and  obtained  a  common-school  education,  but 
at  the  age  of  fourteen  years  he  was  apprenticed  to 
a  coppersmith  for  three  years  and  at  the  end  of  his 
term  of  service  he  entered  the  employ  of  his  pre- 
ceptor, and  was  afterward  a  journeyman  through 
Prussia.  Upon  examination,  he  was  freed  from 
military'  service,  and  in  18.53  he  left  Bremen  in  ,i 
sailing-vessel  and  June  29,  1853,  landed  in  New 
Orleans.  He  came  up  the  Mississippi  River  to  St. 
Louis,  where  he  began  working  at  his  trade,  and 
from  1855  to  1857  was  an  employe  in  the  sugar 
factor}-  in  St.  Louis.  In  the  spring  of  the  latter 
year  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis,  which  was  then 
a  village  known  as  Illinois  Town,  and  in  the  vi- 
cinitj'  began  gardening,  making  a  trip  to  St.  Louis 
every  day  for  the  purpose  of  selling  his  i)roduce. 
This  occupation  received  his  attention  for  about 
a  year,  when  the  high  water  drowned  him  out  and 
he  spent  the  following  year  in  St.  Louis. 

In  the  spring  of  1859  he  returned  to  East  St. 
Louis  and  worked  as  a  coppersmith  on  the  Ohio 
&  Mississippi  Railroad  for  seven  years,  having 
charge  of  this  department.  At  the  end  of  this  time, 
in  partnership  with  Charles  Hauss,  he  opened  a 
small  tin-shop  on  Broadway,  but  at  the  end  of  two 
years  Mr.  Schaub  became  sole  proprietor  of  the 
establishment  and  began  gradually  to  add  hard- 
ware to  his  stock.  In  the  spring  of  1873,  he  built 
a  substantial  brick  business  house,  and  has  since 
carried  a  large  and  select  stock  of  hardware,  tin- 
ware and  agricultural  implements.  In  1877.  he  built 
a  store  adjoining  his  brick  establishment  and   now 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


has  a  double  store  .jOxIOO  feet  with  basement,  and  I 
two  oi-  three  stories  high.  Ho  owns  some  real  es- 
tate in  the  city  and  has  built  a  number  of  houses. 
He  bee.ime  a  member  of  the  first  and  second  build- 
ing and  loan  associations  of  the  city,  and  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Workinomen's  linnk.  He  heli)od  to 
iiieor|jinati;    the  city  in   l.sr,.').  \ 

Socially,  5Ir.  Scliaub  is  a  nieiiiber  of  the  Ancient. 
Free  and  Accepted  Masons  of  Belleville;  the 
Knights  of  Honor,  and  the  Knights  and  Ladies  of 
Honor,  and  in  his  political  views  is  a  stanch  ad- 
herent of  the  Republican  party.  He  and  his  fam- 
ily worship  in  the  Lutheran  Clinrch.  He  was 
married  in  ISI!:?  to  Miss  Elizabetli  Milt,  luiru  near 
Columbia,  111.,  by  whom  he  ha^  foui-  eliildren:  | 
Kmma,  Mrs.  .Jordan,  of  East  St.  I.oiiis;  Bertha,  Mrs. 
George  Schroader,  of  East  St.  Louis;  Anna  and 
Lillie  at  home.  Mr.  Schaub  is  a  gentleman  of  push 
and  enterprise,  thoroughly  conversant  with  the 
wants  of  the  trade,  and  popular  alike  with  his 
patrons  and  trade  comijctitors. 


fDAM  GINTZ.  Humanity  has  always  de- 
manded stimulants,  and  it  is  fairly  ar- 
;  gued  that  those  engaged  in  offering  a 
mild,  wholesome  form,  to  take  the  place  of 
the  fiery  exhilarants  of  positive  injury,  should  be 
encouraged  and  regarded  as  public  benefactors. 
As  a  forcible  illustration  of  this  conclusion,  they 
point  to  the  Germans,  a  people  among  whom  the 
consumption  of  lager  beer  to  the  exclusion  of 
other  beverages  is  as  common  as  tea-drinking  in 
other  nations;  yet  there  are  no  steadier,  more  in- 
dustrious or  more  order-loving  citizens  to  be  found 
llian  are  embraced  in  our  Teutonic  population. 
One  of  tlie  most  important  industries  that  center 
in  Belleville  is  the  manufacture  of  lager  beer,  em- 
ploying, as  it  does,  a  large  amount  of  capital,  and 
giving  employment,  directly  and  indirectly-,  to 
more  [jeoplc  than  is  done  by  any  other  one  in- 
terest. 

AdamGintz,whois  the  proprietor  of  the  Western 
Brewery,  is  engaged  in  one  of  the  most  important 


industries  in  the  flourishing  city  of  Belleville, 
and  is  one  of  the  most  energetic,  enterprising  and 
successful  business  men  of  the  place.  He  was  born 
at  Rheinpfalz, Germany,  on  the  10th  of  July,  1850, 
and  was  there  educated  until  sixteen  years  of  age. 
In  1 86fi  he  came  to  the  I'nited  States  and  made 
his  way  directly  to  Belleville,  where  he  entered  the 
employ  of  a  brewing  company  there,  the  firm  being- 
New  it  Gintz,  the  latter  no  relative  of  his.  He 
learned  all  departments  of  the  business,  and  soon 
became  a  practical  brewer.  In  1873  the  above 
mentioned  firm  sold  out  to  four  men,  Adam  Gintz, 
.John  Kloes,  AYilliam  Brandeuberger  and  Valentine 
Steeg,  and  Mr.  Gintz  was  placed  in  charge  of  the 
business,  conducting  the  same  and  being  backed 
by  the  other  gentlemen  until  1881. 

Having  made  a  financial  success  of  the  venture, 
Mr.  Gintz  purchased  the  entire  plant,  and  has 
since  conducted  it  most  successfully.  He  has  madi^ 
a  great  many  improvements  in  the  plant,  erected 
new  buildings  at  an  immense  cost,  and  has  given 
employment  to  a  large  number  of  men  and  boys. 
Mr.  Gintz  takes  a  foremost  place  among  the 
brewers  of  the  county,  and  this  leadership  is  not 
only  in  the  proportions  upon  which  the  manufac- 
ture is  carried  on,  but  also  in  the  qualit.y  of  the 
product,  and  the  large  territory  covered  by  the 
sales.  The  demand  for  this  beer  is  wonderful 
and  this  is  not  only  for  local  consumption,  but 
also  for  shipment.  Car-loads  are  shipped  daily 
to  all  points  of  the  compass.  The  beer  is  a 
healthy  and  nutritive  family  beverage,  made 
from  the  choicest  materials  and  free  from  salicylic 
acid  or  other  deleterious  preservatives.  The  di- 
mensions of  the  establishment  are  marvelous,  and 
the  plant  is  located  in  AVest  Belleville.  Our  sub- 
ject's large  brick  residence  stands  in  close  proximity. 

Mr.  (iintz  is  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the 
county,  and  has  made  all  his  property  by  his  in- 
dustry and  excellent  business  acumen.  He  owns  a 
great  amount  of  real  estate,  and  is  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  being  prominently  identified  with  every 
important  enterprise  for  the  advancement  and  de- 
velopment of  the  city.  He  inherits  all  the  thrift 
and  energy  of  his  German  ancestors,  and  has  suc- 
ceeded where  others  would  have  failed.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  strong  supporter  of  Democratic  i)rinci- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RFX'ORD. 


m 


1 


pies.  On  the  9tb  of  November,  1871,  be  was  mar- 
ried to  Miss  Rosa  Gintz,  daughter  of  Peter  Gintz, 
wtio  had  formerly  operated  the  brewery.  Her 
jjarents  are  both  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gintz 
are  the  parents  of  three  fliildren:  Walter,  Fred- 
erick and  Katie. 


^,  HILIP  H.  SOPP.  The  subject  of  the  pres- 
))j  ent  too  brief  sketch  holds  tiie  prominent 
and  responsible  position  of  Principal  of  the 
school  of  East  Carondelet,  Sugar  Loaf 
Township,  St.  Clair  County.  Our  subject  was  born 
in  Waterloo,  Monroe  County,  111.,  October23, 1860, 
was  reared  in  that  pleasant  little  village  and  was 
sent  to  the  schools  of  that  place.  Alwa.ys  devoted 
to  books,  he  was  not  satisfied  with  ihe  educational 
advantages  of  those  places  of  instruction,  but 
went  to  St.  Louis  and  there  took  a  course  in  the 
Ames  Scliool,  wliere  he  completed  certain  branches 
according  to  the  curriculum,  but  Mr.  Sopp  is  too 
good  and  e.xperieuced  an  educator  to  consider  an 
education  as  ever  really  finished. 

After  being  graduated  from  this  phice,  our  sub- 
ject took  charge  of  the  Deer  Hill  School,  which  is 
located  five  miles  west  of  Waterloo,  and  was  so 
pleased  witli  the  position  and  gave  sucli  great 
satisfaction  to  liis  patrons,  that  his  residence  there 
stretched  out  over  a  space  of  four  years.  He  was 
tlien  offered  his  present  position  of  Principal  of 
the  East  Carondelet  Schools,  which  he  accepted, 
and  has  remained  here  ever  since,  devoting  himself 
to  the  work.  His  ability  is  recognized  and  his  pro- 
gressive ideas  find  acceptance  among  the  intelli- 
gent people  of  East  Carondelet,  while  liis  manage- 
ment has  had  the  very  best  results.  The  tentli 
term  is  now  fairly  under  way,  and  Mr.  Soi)p  bids 
fair  to  remain  willi  this  community  for  ten  years 
to  come. 

An  interesting  event  in  the  life  of  our  sub- 
ject,which  made  the  year  1883  memorable,  was  his 
marriage  to  tiie  daughter  of  Henry  Tebbenlioff, 
who  was    one  of  the  oldest  settlers  of  New  Han- 


over  Township.     Annie   E.   Tebbenhoff  was   the 
name  of  the    lady  who  became  his  bride  and  who 

I  lias  proved  a  sympathetic  and  congenial  compan- 
ion. Three  children  came  to  bless  their  home. 
Lulu,  Robert  and  Harry. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  is  a  liighl^- 
valued  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 

!  Fellows,  and  has  done  much  to  advance  the  order. 
In  his  political  preferences,  he  is  an  ardent  and 
active  Democrat,  believing  that  the  principles 
winch  were  announced  by  Jefferson  and  which 
were  in  vogue  under  the  Jacksonian  administra- 
tion are  the  ones  best  fitted  for  securing  the  pros- 
perity of  our  country.  Mr.  Sopp  keeps  himself 
well  posted  on  current  affairs  and  is  a  fine  conver- 
sationalist. 

Our  subject  lias  been  honored  by  his  township 
with  the  office  of  Collector  and  is  a  very  active 
worker  in  all  that  tends  to  advance  the  interests 
of  the  place  in  whicli  he  finds  a  home.  He  has 
been    Postmaster  of  the   village,  but  other  duties 

,    now  claim  his  time.    A  professional  school  teacher, 

]   many  doors  of  preferment  stand  open  to  him,  and 

I    it    may  be  only  a  question   of    years    before    Mr. 

I  Sopp  takes  one  of  the  foremost  places  in  the  edu- 
cational departments  of  the  county.  His  present 
school  contains  eighty  [)upils  and  is  managed  in 
two  rooms.  The  religious  denomination  to  which 
Mr.  Sopp  and  his  excellent  wife  belong  is  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran,  and  tlicre  they  hold   places 

I    of  esteem  and  respect. 


-^^,>^^<m^' 


<jt^RASTUS  ALLEN  THOMAS,  the  widely 
1^  known  and  successful  car-tracer  for  the 
/|^ — '-^  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad,  is  one  of 
the  highly  valued  emplo^'es  of  this  line  of  rail- 
road, and  a  public-spirited  and  enterprising  citizen 
of  East  St.  Louis,  residing  at  No.  1600  St.  Louis 
Avenue.  Our  subject  was  born  December  7,  1843, 
in  Morristown,  St.  Lawrence  County,  N.  Y.  His  pa- 
ternal grandfather,Gen.  Isaac  Thomas,  fouglit  brave 
ly  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution  and  made  a  record 
of  which  his  descendants  may  well  be  proud.     Lewis 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


575 


Tliomas,  the  son  of  the  Revolutionary  hero  and 
the  father  of  Erastus  Allen  Thomas,  was  a  native 
of  Pennsylvania,  and  served  in  the  War  of  1812 
as  a  captain.  He  was  stationed  at  Morristown  and 
fought  in  the  battle  of  the  Windmill. 

f  )ar  subject  has  a  pair  of  horse-pistols  and  holders 
used  ill  the  struggles  of  1776  and  in  the  War  of 
1S12.  These  valuable  relics  have  also  been  used 
ill  hunling  moose  and  elk.  Lewis  Thomas  mar- 
ried ill  Pennsylvania  at  eighteen  years  of  age.  He 
went  to  St.  Lawrence  County  and  took  up  land  on 
the  liaiiks  of  tlie  St.  Lawrence  River.  Clearing 
llif  land  liimself,  he  built  him  a  house,  and,  full  of 
ambition  and  energy,  became  one  of  the  most  pros- 
perous of  the  pioneer  farmers  of  those  early  days. 
A  Presbyterian  in  faith  and  a  Republican  in  poli- 
tics, Lewis  Thomas  commanded  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  all  who  knew  him,  regardless  of  the 
religion  or  politics  of  his  friends  and  acquaint- 
ances; and  when  he  passed  away  in  1875  he  was 
mourned  as  a  public-spirited  citizen  and  a  man  of 
sterling  integrity  of  character. 

The  maiden  name  of  the  mother  of  our  subject 
was  Rachael  Sampson;  she  was  a  native  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  the  mother  of  ten  childien,  nine  of 
whom  were  sons.  She  died  before  her  husband, 
after  sharing  his  pioneer  experience  in  the 
days  of  their  youth.  Following  the  exam|)le  of 
his  courageous  ancestors,  Lewis  Thomas,  a  brother 
of  our  subject,  named  in  honor  of  his  father, 
enlisted  in  the  year  1860,  in  the  New  York  Vol- 
unteer Infantry,  and  as  a  dauntless  color-bearer, 
was  killed  at  Gettysburgh.  Erastus  Allen,  raised 
upon  the  banks  of  the  St.  Lawrence,  attended  the 
common  schools  of  his  neighborhood,  and  was 
never  from  home  until  he  went  into  the  army  at 
nineteen  years  of  age,  when,  running  away,  he  en- 
listed in  the  United  States  Regulars.  His  parents 
both  had  a  horror  of  the  regular  arm}'  life,  and  his 
father  brought  him  home  again,  promising  that  he 
might  enlist  in  the  New  York  Volunteers,  which 
he  did,  joining  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixth  New 
Vork  Regiment,  Company  B.  He  was  mustered 
in  at  Ogdensburg  in  August,  1862,  and  .sent  South, 
camping  at  Martinsburgh,  where  the  regiment  re- 
mained until  the  spring  of  1863,  about  the  time 
his  brolher  was  killed  at  Gettysburgh. 


Our  subject  participated  in  the  battles  of  Fair- 
mount,  and  Wade  Hampton,  and  although  suffering 
privations  and  in  constant  peril,  also  had  amusing 
experiences.  After  a  time  the  regiment  returned 
to  Martinsburgh,  and,  a  battle  taking  place,  were 
forced  to  retreat  to  Harper's  Ferry,  where  they 
joined  the  Army  of  the  Potomac.  Next  came  the 
siege  of  Petersburgh  and  the  battle  at  Brady's 
Station,  about  which  time  Mr.  Thomas  was  put  on 
the  signal  corps,  and  there  remained  until  the 
close  of  the  war.  At  Culpeper  Court  House,  he 
was  in  charge  of  a  squad  corps,  and  was  wounded 
by  the  cut  of  a  sabre  across  the  face,  but  being 
near  the  handle  it  only  stunned  him.  Our  subject 
participated  in  the  Grand  Review  of  the  troops  in 
Washington,  and  believes  both  parties  were  heartily 
glad  that  the  long  and  bitter  fight  was  over.  Mr. 
Thomas  was  mustered  out  at  Alexandi'ia,  A'a.,  in 
July,  1865,  and  although  he  was  rejoiced  that  the 
horrors  of  civil  war  were  ended,  he  left  the  active 
service  in  behalf  of  his  countiy  with  regret.  Re- 
turning to  the  home  of  his  [jareuts,  he  remained 
with  them  one  year,  and  February  23,  1866, 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Dettie  E.  Whit- 
nej',  a  native  of  Hammond,  St.  Lawrence  County. 
This  estimable  lad^-  was  the  daughter  of  Samuel 
Whitney,  born  in  Massachusetts  in  1790,  and  a 
successful  farmer  anf?  early  settler  of  St.  Lawrence 
County.  His  wife,  Elizabeth  White  Whitney,  was 
a  native  of  Southern  New  York. 

After  the  marriage  of  our  subject  he  operated  a 
1  farm  one  }ear,  and  then  came  to  Detroit,  and  en- 
j  gaged  in  a  bakery  and  ran  it  successfully  seven 
years.  In  1874,  Mr.  Thomas  removed  to  Chicago, 
and  tlicre  found  employment  as  a  photographic 
artist  for  three  years.  In  1877,  lie  returned  to 
Morristown  and  settled  upon  the  old  lioincsiead, 
where  he  devoted  himself  to  agricultural  i)uisuits 
for  five  years  and  bought  the  old  home  and  made 
it  a  dairy  farm.  In  the  year  1882,  our  subject 
located  in  East  St.  Louis  and  was  employed  as  as- 
sistant ticket  agent  in  the  railway  depot  until  1885; 
he  then  became  clerk  for  the  Louisville  &  Nash- 
ville local  freight  depot,  and  soon  received  the 
position  of  car-tracer  for  the  Short  Line,  holding 
this  work  for  four  years,  when  the  Louisville  A 
Nashville  Railroad   brought  hiin  back  here,  where 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


he  has  remained  ever  since.  His  business  terri- 
tory is  the  terminals  of  St.  Louis  and  he  has  eigh- 
teen separate  lines  to  take  care  of.  The  business 
of  a  car-tracer  is  often  complicated  and  reciuires 
judgment,  energy  and  natural  ability  in  the  hand- 
ling of  its  work. 

Mr.  Thomas  has  been  prospered  and  lias  made 
excellent  investments,  owning  valuable  property 
and  having  built  several  houses  in  East  St.  Louis, 
the  last  one  erected  upon  the  corner  of  St.  Louis 
Avenue  and  Twelfth  Street,  costing  4510,000.  Our 
subject  is  a  member  of  Pride  of  the  Valley  Lodge 
No.  43."),  I.  0.  O.  F.,  of  which  he  is  Past  Noble,  and  of 
National  Union  No.  56.3.  Mrs.  Thomas  is  a  Daugh- 
ter of  Rebekah,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyter- 
ian Church  and  active  in  all  good  work.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Thomas  arc  the  parents  of  one  child,  a  daugh- 
ter, Mabel  F.  Politically,  our  subject  is  a  strong 
Republican  and  an  ardent  defender  of  the  princi- 
|)los  of  the  good  old  party,  and  is  alvva\-s  interested 
in  the  local  and  National  issues  of  the  dav. 


^^USTAVIIS 
ll  (— -,  and  surve 
'%^(   and    rcprci 


F.  FULGARD,  civil  engineer 
surve^'or.  Among  the  accomplished 
rescntative  civil  engineers  of  the 
State  of  Illinois  may  be  mentioned  Gustavus 
F.  Hilgard,  whose  place  of  business  is  at  No. 
30.5  South  .Jackson  Street,  Belleville,  111.  He  has 
had  a  long  and  valuable  exi)erience  in  his  profes- 
sion, and  is  well  qualified  tor  all  the  duties  pertain- 
ing thereto.  He  makes  examinations  and  furnishes 
reports,  attends  to  municipal  engineering,  and  is 
ever  ready  to  offer  his  services  in  consultations  on 
works  of  any  magnitude.  He  has  made  an  evin- 
able  record  as  a  practical,  skillful  and  experienced 
engineer,  and  has  filled  some  very  responsible 
positions  in  a  veiy  able  manner. 

He  was  born  on  a  farm  three  and  a-balf  miles 
east  of  Belleville,  June  17,  1835,  a  son  of  Theodore 
Hilgard,  .Jr.,  and  Emma  (Heiraberger)  Hilgard, 
who  settled  on  a  fa-rm  in  St.  Claii-  CouiUy  in  .Inly, 
1832.  The  former  was  bum  near  the  K'liiiip  kivei- 
in  Geniianv,  and  nftc-y  coining  U>  Amcrira   lesjdcd 


j  on  a  farm  the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  became 
I  the  father  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters,  all  of 
whom  reside  in  Belleville:  Anna,  wife  of  E. 
Abend  ;  Emma  ;  Charles,  in  the  insurance  busi- 
ness ;  Theodore,  who  is  in  a  store  with  his  young- 
est brother ;  Emily ;  Ernst,  a  merchant  ;  Eliza, 
wife  of  Mr.  Roemiser.  the  jjopular  clothier  of  Belle- 
ville, and  Gustavus  F. 

The  latter  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  until 
he  was  seventeen  years  of  age,  at  which  time  he 
I  began  studying-  surveying  with  G.  F.  Graner, 
I  father  of  the  present  County  Surveyor;  soon  after 
which,  in  1854,  he  took  a  position  in  the  City 
j  Engineer's  oftice  in  St.  Louis,  under  H.  Keiser. 
[  During  the  two  years  that  he  remained  in  this  po- 
;  sition  he  continued  to  pursue  his  studies  with 
much  diligence,  after  which  he  entered  the  Missis- 
ippi  State  University  at  Oxford,  where  he  took  a 
mathematical  and  civil  engineering  course,  and 
graduated  in  the  Class  of  '58.  The  instructors 
at  that  time  were  men  of  eminence  and  acknowl- 
edged intellect,  and  Mr.  Hilgard  made  the  most  of 
his  opportunities  and  thoroughly  fitted  himself  for 
his  profession.  Upon  his  return  to  Belleville  he 
became  Deputy  County  Surveyor  under  S.  Tindale, 
and  in  1860  was  elected  to  the  position  of  County 
Surve_vor  over  .his  old  instructor,  G.  F.  Graner, 
and  filled  the  office  with  marked  ability  until  1876 
(with  the  exception  of  two  terms),  making  twelve 
years  of  actual  service  for  his  county.  During  his 
service  a  levee  three  and  a-half  miles  long  was  built, 
also  sixteen  miles  of  drainage,  but  after  the  dis- 
trict had  expended  ■■<  1 20.0(1(1  (in  it.  it  was  aban- 
doned. 

He  is  a  well-known  coal-mine  surveyor,  and  no 
personal  career  among  the  many  honorable  records 
of  the  county  can  be  pointed  out  with  greater 
pride  than  his.  On  the  16th  of  October,  1862,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  .\lvina  Gleaser,  and 
by  her  he  is  tlie  falliei'  of  the  following  children  : 
Eugene  F..  wIhi  w;is  l„,in  August  3,  1863,  has 
been  in'tlie  railroad  service  since  he  was  sixteen 
years  old,  and  is  now  head  clerk  in  the  freight  and 
jiassenger  depot  of  the  St.  Louis  Short  Line;  Edgar 
Iv,  who  was  horn  October  3o,  1865,  died  August 
II.  1S67  ;  Walter  w;is  born  .Iiiiie  7,  1868,  and  died 
•Inlv  s.  ISS.-,.     Mrs.  lliiiinni  is  ,■,  daughler  of  Fred-, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


577 


eiick  and  Matilda  (^Gratch)  Gleaser,  who  came  to 
America  from  German}*  about  1835.  The  father 
was  a  farmer,  and  died  in  1890  in  his  seventieth 
year,  his  wife  liaving  been  called  from  life  in  1885. 
They  were  the  parents  of  the  following-named 
children  :  Marie,  wife  of  Otto  Schott,  a  farmer 
residing  near  Shiloh  ;  Alvina,  Mrs.  Ililgard  ; 
Charles,  in  the  clothing  business  ;  Emma,  wife  of 
William  Mangelin,  of  Webb  City,  Mo.;  Adolph, 
who  is  the  proprietor  of  a  cutlery  store  at  Bruns- 
wick, Mo.;  and  Fannie,  wife  of  William  Fisher, 
a  drv-goods  merchant  of  Belleville. 


J">ILLIAM  H.GRUPE,  the  popular  ex-Alder- 
man from  the  Fifth  Ward,  a  successful  and 
extensive  grocer  and  dealer  in  produce  and 
feed,  has  been  an  energetic  and  prosperous  citizen 
of  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  for  the  past  score  of  years, 
and  is  widely  known  as  a  progressive  and  enter- 
l)rising  man.  Born  in  the  Province  of  Osnabruck, 
Hanover,  German}',  May  2,  1856,  our  subject  is 
the  descendant  of  an  excellent  German  family, 
who  had  bepn  distinguished  for  bravery,  and  as 
citizens  were  intelligent,  honest  and  industrious. 
His  paternal  grandfather,  Herman  Grupe,  served 
with  fidelity  in  the  German  army  in  the  celebrated 
march  to  Russia.  Herman  H.  Grupe,  the  father, 
was  the  owner  of  a  small  farm  in  the  Fatherland 
and  patiently  cultivated  the  soil;  he  also  served 
with  abilit}'  as  an  official  of  the  town,  and 
held  the  various  responsible  positions  of  School 
Director,  Church  Trustee,  and  President  of  the  Dis- 
trict Assembly,  there  being  in  Hanover  seven  Pro- 
vincial Assemblies  which  have  the  right  of  i>ailici- 
pating  in  the  provincial  legislation. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary  SiedlidH, 
the  daughter  of  a  German  soldier,  who  was  killed 
during  a  campaign.  Mrs.  Mary  (.Siedhoff)  (irupe 
was  the  mother  of  ten  children,  of  whom  William 
II.  i.s  the  fourth  of  the  family  of  brothers  and  sis- 
ters now  living.  He  was  raised  upon  his  father's 
farm,    and   ;ilteuded    both    private    and    cdimji.ui 


schools  in  his  native  land,  and  at  sixteen  years 
of  age  entered  the  g3nTinasiura  near  his  home  and 
studied  the  classics,  pursuing  the  course  in  an  ex- 
cellent Government  institution  for  one  year,  when 
he  decided  to  emigrate  to  America.  In  the  fall 
of  1873,  Mr  Grupe,  bidding  adieu  to  his  friends 
and  early  home,  boarded  the  steamer,  "Phoenix"  at 
Bremen,  and  after  a  safe  voyage  was  landed  in 
New  York,  and  from  the  Empire  City  came  direct 
to  St.  Louis,  where  he  received  from  a  brother 
immediate  employment  in  a  grocery  house.  At 
the  expiration  of  one  year,  our  subject  entered 
the  Jones  Commercial  College,  and  having,  after 
the  required  preparation,  graduated  from  this  excel- 
lent institution,  soon  became  book-keeper  in  the 
Capitol  Bank,  of  St.  Louis,  and  remained  with 
this  financial  institution  until  its  failure  in   1876. 

During  the  fall  of  this  latter  year,  Mr  Grupe 
came  to  East  St.  Louis,  and  was  engaged  by  F. 
Hinze,  a  grocer,  and  remained  in  his  employ  until 
1882,  when  the  services  of  our  subject  were  se- 
cured by  the  German  American  Bank,  of  St.  Louis, 
with  which  banking  establishment  he  was  con- 
nected as  book-keeper  until  1884,  when  he  re- 
turned to  East  St.  Louis  and  bought  an  interest 
with  Mr.  Hinze  in  the  grocery  business,  the  firm 
then  being  Grupe  &  Hinze.  One  year  later,  our 
subject  became  by  purchase  the  sole  proprietor  of 
the  business,  which  was  one  of  the  oldest  regular 
grocery  establishments  in  East  St.  Louis,  and  which, 
under  the  skillful  management  of -Mr  Grupe,  who 
also  handled  extensively  feed  and  flour,  soon  as- 
sumed larger  proportions,  and  is  now  one  of  the 
most  prosperous  in  the  city.  Our  subject  was 
married  in  1884  to  Miss  Annie  Hinze,  a  most  es- 
timable lady,  widel}'  known  and  highly  respected 
in  East  St.  Louis,  which  is  her  birthplace. 

^Ir.  and  Mrs.  Gruiie  have  been  blessed  with  tlie 
liirMi  of  a  sou,  Arthur,  a  promising  lad,  intelligent 
Mud  manly.  Mr.  Grupe  is  ft  stockholder  in  the  St. 
(lair  Building  and  Loan  Association,  and  was  an 
organizer  and  Vice-president  of  the  same.  Our 
subject  is  a  stalwart  Republican,  aiidjn  1890,  was 
elected  one  of  the  City  Fathers,  and  as  the  repre- 
sentative  Alderman  from  the  Fifth  Ward,  exe- 
cuted the  wishes  of  his  constituents  efficiently  and  in 
the  (libchargo  of  his  v;nious  official  duties  rendered 


578 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


excellent  service  to  the  Citj-  Government,  and  dis- 
played a  marked  ahilit}'  on  important  committees. 
;\rr  Orupe  is  a  Knight  of  P^'thias  and  is  a  member 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen  National  Union.  He  is 
a  valued  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church  in  St. 
Louis,  and  is  ever  ready  to  aid  in  worthy  social, 
lienevolent  or  religious  enterprises.  In  both  pri- 
vate and  business  life  our  subject  is  esteemed  as  a 
man  of  honor  and  integrity,  and  cf)mniands  the 
confidence  of  a  host  of  friends. 


^^iN"i^ll^^€ 


/^<\  C.  .TOHiS'SON,  freight  and  passenger  agent 
(((  r  ^^  ^^^  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroad  at 
"^^^  Belleville,  111.,  to  which  position  he  was 
appointed  May  1,1880, was  born  in  Shelby  County, 
Ind.,  near  Shelby  ville.  He  is  a  son  of  Nathan  and 
Sarah  (Angleton)  Johnson,  and  the  grandson  of 
Benjamin  Johnson,  the  latter  being  of  Germau  de- 
scent and  a  native  of  Pennsylvania.  Benjamin 
was  a  pioneer  of  Indiana,  where  he  married  Miss 
Anna  French,  and  made  their  home  in  Shelby 
County  until  1865,  when  they  removed  to  Richland 
and  resided  there  up  to  the  time  of  their  death. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  of  Scotcli-Irisii 
descent,  her  ancestors  coming  over  to  America 
from  Scotland.  She  was  born  in  Crittenden  County, 
Ky.,  April  28,  1838,  and  died  in  Richland  in  tiie 
yeai  1873.  His  father,  Nathan,  was  born  January 
22,  1834,  and  was  married  in  1853.  Removing  to 
Richland  County  in  1859,  he  engaged  in  farming 
and  worked  at  his  trade  as  a  carpenter.  He  is  still 
living  in  Richland  County,  where  he  has  filled  the 
offices  of  Justice  of  tiie  Peace,  Supervisor  of 
the  Highways  and  School  Director.  He  holds  a 
membership  in  the  Christian  Church.  His  wife 
bore  him  four  children,  as  follows:  C.  C.,  our  sub- 
ject; JohnS.;  Ella,  wife  of  James  Jeffries,  of  Hous- 
tonville,  Ky.,  and  an  infant  which  died  soon  after 
its  mother. 

Our  subject  received  his  scholastic  training  in 
countrj'  schools  and  at  the  Olney  High  School, 
after  which  he  went  into  the  St.  Louis  &  South- 
eastern (now  the  Louisville  &  Nashville)  Railroad 


office  at  Opdyke,  where  he  learned  the  entire  busi- 
ness, including  telegraphy.  While  there,  he  was 
also  Adams  Express  Agent  and  Deput}-  Postmaster. 
After  remaining  at  Opd^yke  three  years,  he  was 
transferred,  in  December,  1877,  to  Morton's  CJap, 
Ky.,  and  in  April,  1878,  to  Belleville  as  operator 
and  clerk.  Shortly  afterward,  he  was  removed  to  the 
Belleville  agency  in  Jefferson  County,  then  soon 
to  the  agency  at  McLeansboro,  Hamilton  County; 
followed  in  1880  by  the  transfer  to  the  agency  at 
Belleville.  This  occurred  May  1, since  which  time 
he  has  filled  the  position  with  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  patrons  of  the  rail- 
road. A  heavy  freight  business  is  done  here,  Mr. 
Johnson  having  nine  men  under  him,  and  it  re- 
quires his  entire  time  to  execute  the  work  of  his 
agency. 

The  (irst  wife  of  Mr.  Joimson  bore  the  maiden 
name  of  Ema  Felts.  They  were  married  at  Opdyke, 
where  she  resided,  and  where  she  died  in  1880. 
His  second  wife  was  Miss  Matilda  O.  Hurd,  of 
Belleville,  born  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  and  a  daugh- 
ter of  B.  Hurd,  one  of  the  older  citizens  of  Belle- 
ville. The  marriage  took  place  January  24,  1881, 
three  children  l^eingthe  fruit  of  this  union,  namely: 
Leah  B.,  Allan  W.,  and  Helen  Martha.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  Ignited 
Workmen,  being  at  this  time  Master  of  the  Belle- 
ville lodge.  In  the  Presbyterian  Church,  he  is  an 
active  member  being  an  Elder  and  a  Trustee  in 
that  body. 


OICIIOLAS  HOISMENUE,  of  East  Caronde- 
let.  Sugar  Loaf  Township,  St.  Clair  County, 
111.,  son  of  Joseph  Boismenue,  was  born 
Januai'y  10,  1844,  at  Prairie  du  Point,  where  he 
was  reared.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Cahokia,  after  which  he  worked  the  farm  for  his 
mother.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  born  at 
Cahokia,  St.  Clair  County,  and  died  at  Prairie  du 
Point  in  October,  1844.  The  mother,  who  died  in 
1866,  bore  her  husband  six  children,  only  two  of 
whom  are  living,  our  subject,  and  Miirgai'el.  Mrs. 
Touraiijo.  wild  lives  at  St.  Louis, 


rORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


581 


The  ancestors  of  our  subject  were  French-Cana- 
dians, while  those  of  liis  wife  were  French.  He 
\va>  married  in  18(J7  to  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter 
of  Charles  C'iiuony,  born  in  Lorraine,  this  province 
at  that  time  being  a  part  of  France  but  now  be- 
longing to  Germany.  Mr.  Ciniony  left  Lorraine 
to  make  a  home  in  this  country.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Boisnienue  have  been  born  six  children,  as  follows: 
Julia  Mary,  who  is  at  home;  .Jesse,  Laurie,.Eli  Am- 
brose. Agnes  Annie,  and  Elizabeth. 

Settling  at  Prairie  du  Point  immediately  after 
his  marriage,  our  subject  carried  on  farming  for 
thirteen  years,  then  removed  to  East  Carondelet, 
in  1880,  where  for  eight  years  he  engaged  in  the 
retail  liquor  trade.  At  the  expiration  of  this  time, 
in  1888,  he  opened  a  general  grocery  store,  which 
he  lias  conducted  up  to  the  present  time.  Although 
he  takes  no  pronounced  part  in  educational  mat- 
ters, Mr.  Boismenuc  feels  a  keen  interest  in  schools 
and  has  manifested  tlial  interest  by  giving  his  chil- 
dren a  good  common-school  training.  He  is  de- 
cidedly of  the  opinion  that  that  parent  is  remiss  in 
his  duty  who  fails  in  this  particular.  Mr.  Boismenue 
was  elected  Collector  of  his  township,  and  so  satis- 
factorily did  he  discharge  the  duties  of  that  posi- 
tion that  he  was  re-elected  again  and  again,  hold- 
ing the  office  for  four  continuous  3'ears.  Keeping 
to  the  faith  of  his  fathers  our  subject  lias  his  mem- 
bership in  the  Roman  Catholic  Church. 


mw^^i 


l^^-^ 


JOSEPH  P.  SMITH.  Tlie  subject  of  the 
present  sketch  is  a  prosperous  farmer  and 
dairyman,  living  on  section  19,  Freeburg 
Township.  The  grandfather  of  our  subject, 
John  .Smith,  was  a  native  of  Lincoln  County,  Me., 
and  brought  his  family  to  Ohio  in  181(),andin  1818 
or  1819  he  moved  to  this  county  and  settled  near 
Georgetown.  The  land  here  was  unimproved,  hut 
he  cultivated  the  soil  and  developed  a  fine  farm. 
He  died  here  in  1821,  while  in  the  act  of  carrying 
water,  during  a  great  scarcity  of  that  necessity. 
He  was  the  first  adult  who  died  in  what  was  t-lien 
liichliuid  I'rociiict  but   is  now  Sniitlion  Township, 

27 


The  marriage  of  John  Smith  took  place  in  the 
State  of  his  birth,  and  at  his  death  he  left  five 
sons  and  lour  daughters.  Benjamin  J.,  the  last 
survivor  among  the  sons,  died  September  lo,  1891, 
at  the  age  of  ninety  years.  The  only  surviving 
daughter  is  Sarah,  the  wife  of  W.  W.  Johnson,  who 
lives  in  Monroe  County.  The  father  of  our  sub- 
ject was  bom  in  Lincoln  County,  Me.,  November 
27,  1814,  and  when  four  years  old  was  brought  to 
this  county,  where  he  grew  to  manhood.  January 
16,  1840,  lie  married  Miss  Mary  McCulley,  who 
was  born  in  St.  Clair  County  October  22,  1820, 
and  died  August  7,  1878.  Her  parents  were  na- 
tives of  Virginia  and  were  among  the  early  settlers 
of  the  State.  Her  father,  John  McCulley,  was  a 
prominent  man  in  St.  Clair  County,  which  he  rej)- 
resented  in  the  State  Legislature.  Six  children 
were  born  to  the  parents  of  our  subject:  John  J., 
who  died  December  26,  1874;  Russell  B.,  whose 
death  occurred  October  16,  1889:  Sarah,  the  wife 
of  George  K.  Tate,  whose  biography  will  be  found 
on  another  page  of  this  volume;  Clarinda  J.,  wife 
of  T.  O.  Holcomb,  of  Piatt  Couutj-,  an<5  Mary, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Joseph  Crawford,  of  Indianapo- 
lis, Ind. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  is  the  eldest  of  the 
children  and  was  born  near  Georgetown,  March  3, 
1841.  He  was  reared  on  the  old  homestead,  and 
his  education,  which  was  commenced  in  the  public 
schools,  was  completed  in  McKendree  College,  at 
Lebanon,  111.  At  an  early  age  he  eng.aged  in  the 
profession  of  teaching,  and  taught  for  nine  succes- 
sive winters.  By  that  time  his  health,  which  had 
been  delicate,  was  materially  improved  and  he  con- 
sidered himself  robust  enough  for  farming.  lie 
looked  about  for  a  suitable  location  and  finally 
settled  upon  a  farm  near  Freeburg  and  in  1869  be- 
gan the  life  of  an  agriculturist.  He  was  success- 
ful in  his  work  and  in  1873  purchased  the  farm 
where  he  has  remained  ever  since.  The  soil  of  his 
land  is  good,  the  grazing  fine,  and  the  markets  are 
conveniently  located. 

On  the  9t4i  of  Septemlier,  1  H(;9,  Mr.  Smith  married 
Miss  Ellen  E.  Adams,  who  was  born  near  Freeburg, 
and  died  there  November  1,  1873.  They  had  one 
son,  Ivlwin,  wlio  preceded  his  mother  in  deatii. 
On  ihe  Uh  of  Jauiuiry,    1876,   Mr.  SnilLli  married 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Miss  Ruth  M.  Chesney,  an  amiable  young  lady, 
the  daughter  of  a  resident  of  St.  Clair  County, 
where  she  w.as  born  October  1,  18.56.  By  this 
marriage  five  children  were  added  to  the  family, 
but  death  took  the  eldest,  Delphia  Eloise,  when 
less  than  a  year  old.  Glenn  Rollin  was  born  April 
«,  1878;  Vinta  Blanche,  April  12,  1880;  Robert  ,1., 
May  27,  1882,  and  Lee  Russell,  .lune  22,  1891. 

Mr.  Smith  is  a  ver^'  important  member  of  the 
Turkey  Hill  Grange  No.  1.370,  of  which  he  was  a 
charter  member.  He  has  held  the  offices  of  Master 
and  Secretary,  and  is  at  present  Overseer.  He  is  also 
a  member  of  the  Farmers' Mutual  Benefit  Associa- 
tion, and  is  Secretary  of  the  county  organization 
at  the  present  time.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat. 
V)clieving  that  the  principles  of  that  party  will 
liest  advance  the  interests  of  the  nation.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Democratic  Central  Committee  and 
lias  long  been  an  active  worker. 

The  farm  belonging  to  Mr.  Smith  is  well  im- 
proved, and  he  has  found  it  profitable  to  connect  the 
dairy  business  with  that  of  agriculture.  He  breeds 
.lersey  cattle  and  has  one  of  the  finest-bred  herds 
in  Illinois.  He  manufactures  a  grade  of  delicious 
butter  that  brings  thirty  cents  a  pound  all  the  year 
round.  His  wife  is  interested  in  the  business  and 
has  the  reputation  of  being  a  famous  butter  maker 
as  well  as  a  capable  housekeeper.  She  has  taken 
the  first  premiums  .at  the  State  Dairy  Association 
of  Southern  Illinois  and  also  for  St.  Clair  County. 
In  addition  to  his  dairy  business,  Mr.  Smith  is  suc- 
cessfully eng.aged  in  raising  Bronze  turkeys  and 
Plymouth  Rock  fowls.  Socially,  Mr.  Smith  and  his 
wife  are  esteemed  for  their  hospitality,  and  the 
pleasant  farm  wiiere  they  reside  is  the  home  of  peace 
and  plenty. 


J^l  DOLVH     KNOBELOCH,    who    resides   on 
©Ol    section  29,  Shiloh  Valley  Township,  is  one 
III   *    of    the    most    prominent    and    promising 
^  young   farmers  of   llie  county.     Mis  life 

i'(!f>rd,  wiiicli  we  feel  assured  will  prove  of  interest 
II  many  of  our  readers,  is  us   follows;     He   was 


born  on  the  12th  of  October,  1861,  on  the  farm 
which  is  now  his  home.  His  father,  George  A. 
Knobeloch,  was  a  native  of  Darmstadt,  German}-, 
who  was  born  m  1814.  and  with  his  parents,  John 
W.  and  Mary  (May)  Knfibeloch, came  to  the  United 
States  in  1832.  Ills  education  was  acquired  in  the 
common  schools  of  liis  native  country.  His  par- 
ents were  well-to-do  farmers,  and  he.  remained  un- 
der the  parental  roof  until  his  marriage  in  May, 
1860.  His  Avife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Cathe- 
rine Haege.  Mr.  Knobeloch  from  the  time  of  his 
marriage  lived  with  his  brother  Tiioraas,  who 
owned  tlic  farm  on  which  our  subject  now  resides. 
He  was  a  highly  respected  citizen,  and  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1872,  was  deeply  regretted  by 
many  friends.  His  widow  is  yet  living  and  makes 
her  home  in  Belleville.  Of  their  family  of  five 
ciiildren,  Adolpli  is  the  eldest.  He  was  followed 
by  George  W.;  Anna,  wife  of  .John  E.  Thomas; 
Emma,  wife  of  W.  A.  Davis,  and  Walter  T. 

After  the  death  of  his  father,  which  occurred 
when  our  subject  was  a  lad  of  eleven  summers, 
he  lived  with  his  uncle,  Thomas  Knobeloch, 
and  by  him  was  reared.  The  uncle  was  also  a  na- 
tive of  Darmstadt,  German}-,  and  came  to  America 
with  the  parents  of  our  subject.  In  1846,  he  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Anna  M.  Haege,  daughter 
of  Philip  IT.  and  Susan  Haege.  They  had  no  chil- 
dren of  their  own,  but  gave  to  their  nephew  a 
home  .as  pleasant  and  as  comfortable  as  though  he 
were  their  own  son.  Thomas  Knobeloch  met  his 
death  by  accident,  being  thrown  from  his  buggy 
November  19,  1889.     His  wife  }et  survives   him. 

The  primary  education  of  our  subject,  which  was 
.acquired  in  the  common  schools,  was  supplemented 
by  a  course  of  study  in  Belleville,  and  he  was  af- 
terward a  student  at  Washington  University  in 
St.  Louis.  He  took  charge  of  his  uncle's  farm  in 
1879,  and  has  since  his  death  managed  his  estate. 
He  is  an  able  manager  and  prosperity  has  crowned 
his  well-directed  efforts.  The  farm  upon  which 
he  resides  seems  complete  in  all  its  appointments, 
the  improvements  are  good,  the  fields  are  well 
tilled,  and  the  whole  forms  one  of  the  valued 
farms  of  the  community. 

In  1892.  Mr.  Knobeloch  WHS  joined  in  wedlock 
with  Miss    Pauline    Tiejuanu,   the   accomplished 


i'ORTRAIT  AND  BIOGKAPHJCAL   RECORD. 


583 


daughter  of  August  and  Augusta  (Henschel)  Tie- 
mann.  Her  parents  were  both  nativesof  Germany, 
and  are  numbered  among  the  honored  pioneer 
settlers  of  St.  Clair  County.  They  had  a  family 
of  seven  daughters  and  one  son.  Mrs.  Knobeloeh 
is  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement,  who  presides 
with  grace  over  her  hospital)lc  home.  In  the  sub- 
ject of  this  sketch  we  see  one  of  the  wide-awake 
and  progressive  young  farmers  of  the  county,  who 
is  widely  and  favorably  known  in  the  community. 
Those  who  have  known  him  from  boyhood  are 
numbered  among  his  best  friends,  a  fact  which  in- 
dicates his  well-spent  and  upright  life. 


^J!  DOLPH  STKIN.  This  prominent  citizen 
(.©/lJI!    of     Fayetteville    was    born    in    Hanover, 

ink  Germany,  December  2fi,  1849.  His  par- 
(^  ents,  Rudolph  and  Dorothy  (Meiyer) 
Stein,  were  likewise  natives  of  Germany,  the 
former  born  In  1807,  and  the  latter  in  1809.  Dur- 
ing the  early  part  of  his  life,  the  father  followed 
his  trade,  that  of  a  brick  mason,  but  subsequently 
he  was  proprietor  of  an  hotel.  He  always  re- 
mained in  his  native  land,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred iu  18.57,  when  in  life's  prime.  His  wife  sur- 
vived him  a  few  years,  her  decease  occurring  in 
1866.  In  their  religious  coniicclions.  they  were 
active  members  of  the  Luther.in  (  Iniicli  a}i(l  reared 
their  children  in  that  faith. 

The  family  of  whicli  our  siilijcct  is  a  member 
consisted  of  nine  children,  fuur  of  whom  died  in 
childhood.  Of  the  others  the  following  is  recorded: 
Caroline  married  Louis  Kickenberg;  Louis  chose 
as  his  wife  Miss  Maggie  llessings;  Henry  married 
Miss  Mary  Nienaver;  Sophia  is  the  wife  of  Carl 
Wilsnsmeyer;  and  Adolpli,  our  subject,  completes 
the  family  circle.  At  the  age  of  fourteen,  the  last- 
named  commenced  to  work  on  a  farm,  but  some 
time  afterward  was  apprenticed  to  learn  the  trade 
of  a  shoemaker,  which  he  followed  until  he  em- 
igrated to  the  United  States, 

When  Mr.  Stein  first  came  to  (lils  couiiii'v,  he 
located  lu.'iu'  JJanustadt,  in  St.  Clair  (Jyunt} ,  for 


one  year,  after  which  he  was  in  the  employ  of  vari- 
ous people  near  this  village  until  1878.  At  that 
time  he  rented  land,  and  continued  thusengaged  for 
three  years,  when  he  entered  the  saloon  business 
at  Fayetteville  and  has  since  been  occupied  in  this 
way.  The  lady  who  became  his  wife  in  1877  was 
formerly  Mrs.  Mary  Wrueckner,  and  at  the  time  of 
her  marriage  was  the  widow  of  Lemuel  Grossman 
by  whom  she  hud  one  daughter,  Matilda,  now  the 
wife  of  George  Drasser.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stein  are  the 
parents  of  four  children,  namely:  Arthur,  Iva, 
Adolpli.  .Ii-.,  and  Cclin.  deceased. 

In  his  religious  views,  Mr.  Stein  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Evangelical  Protestant  Church,  in 
Fayetteville,  of  which  he  is  Secretary  and  has  been 
for  thirteen  jears.  In  his  political  affiliations,  he  is  a 
Republican,  and  has  served  in  positions  of  import- 
ance and  trust  in  the  village.  At  present  he  is 
filling  the  office  of  Treasurer  of  the  village.  Our 
subject  has  worked  from  the  bottom  of  the  ladder 
up  and  is  a  worthj-  example,  as  he  has  risen  from 
a  poor  boy  to  be  a  highly  respected  citizen  with  a 
good  competence. 


/^  HRISTIAN  MIIETZE.  The  dental  profes- 
ll(  _  sion  has  one  of  its  most  able  representatives 
^^^  in  this  gentleman,  who  is  conducting  a  lu- 
crative and  increasing  practice  in  the  city  of  Belle- 
ville. Although  he  has  been  located  here  but  a 
short  time,  he  has  won  for  himself  a  place  among 
the  most  talented  professional  men  of  St.  Clair 
County,  and  is  also  well  and  favorably  known  as  a 
public-spirited  and  enterprising  citizen,  to  whom 
the  welfare  of  the  community  is  ever  a  matter  of 
interest. 

A  native  of  (Germany,  which  has  contributed  to 
this  country  so  many  of  its  ablest  and  most  suc- 
cessful citizens,  Mr.  Muetze  was  born  in  Marburg, 
Hesse-Nassau,  January  17,  1869,  and  is  a  son  of 
Peter  and  Louisa  Muetze,  natives  of  the  Father- 
land, who  passed  their  entire  lives  in  that  country. 
In  the  excellent  common  schools  of  Marburg  our 
subject   I'cccivtHl   his  education,  beiug  a  gvadiuiUi 


584 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  the  schools  there.  After  completing  the  course 
of  stud}',  he  resolved  to  come  to  America  and  seek 
a  home  in  the  "land  of  the  free." 

Prior  to  emigrating,  Mr.  Muetze  studied  Eng- 
lish for  four  years,  and  was  able  to  converse  flu- 
ently in  our  language  when  he  came  to  America 
in  1884.  At  once  after  landing,  he  proceeded  to 
Belleville,  where  he  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in 
a  mercantile  establishment  and  remained  thus  em- 
l)loyed  for  several  years.  Subsequently- he  entered 
the  office  of  Dr.  Ilenr}'  Muetze,  his  brother,  at  St. 
Louis,  and  later  took  a  course  of  lectures  at  the 
dental  department  of  "Washington  University  in 
that  city.  After  studying  for  two  terms,  he  was 
graduated  in  the  Class  of  '92,  with  the  degree  of 
Doctor  of  Dental  Surgery.  In  February  after 
graduating,  he  opened  an  office  in  Belleville,  where 
he  has  since  remained  in  active  practice.  He  has 
gained  an  enviable  reputation  for  skill  and  thor- 
oughness, and  has  an  elegant  suite  of  rooms  at  No. 
1.3  West  Main  Street,  where  his  office  is  located. 
A  frank  and  genial  conversationalist,  devoted  to 
his  profession,  but  equally  alive  to  all  matters  of 
public  moment,  he  is  held  high  in  the  regard  of 
the  citizens  of  Belleville  and  the  surrounding 
country. 


JT^ATHKR  .TAMES  M.  CHOUGH  is  the  pastor 
l-^g;  of  St.  Luke's  Catholic  Church  at  the  cor- 
li\  ner  of  Cliurch  and  C  Streets,  Belleville, 
111.,  which  church  was  separated  from  St.  Peter's 
Cathedral  in  .lanuary,  1883,  which  at  that  time 
embraced  the  English-speaking-  Catholics,  nuinliej-- 
ing  about  seventy  families.  The  first  services  were 
held  in  the  liali  of  the  St.  Agnes  Orphan  Asylum 
until  tlic  fire  at  the  Convent  .January  .'),  1885, 
when  tiiey  began  holding  services  in  the  present 
e<lifici',  which,  in  the  meantime,  was  in  course  of 
construction.  This  church  is  of  Gothic  architec- 
ture, is  beautiful  in  ajjpearance,  is  substantially 
built  of  brick  and  is  100  i(  4'^  feet  in  dimensions. 
Jt  lias  a   seating  ca[)acitv    of  six    hundred,   but 


twelve  hundred  persons  have  been  in  the  church 
at  one  time.  The  interior  is  beautifully  fin- 
ished, and,  taking  it  all  in  all,  it  is  one  of  the 
handsomest  and  finest  finished  churches  in  the 
diocese.  The  congregation  now  numbers  over 
three  hundred  families,  and  embraces  among  its 
numbers  the  first  citizens  of  Belleville.  At  the 
time  of  erection  the  church  was  thought  to  be 
much  too  large  but,  in  fact,will  soon  prove  too  small 
to  accommodate  the  congregation.  At  different 
times  there  has  been  spent  over  $40,000  on  this 
church,  but  it  is  a  model  of  beauty  and  convenience, 
and  does  credit  to  the  pastor  and  flock,  illustrating, 
as  it  docs,    their  zeal,  earnestness  and  energy. 

In  connection  with  the  church  a  fine  parochial 
school  has  been  established,  which  is  successfully 
conducted  by  Sisters  from  Notre  Dame,  five  in 
number,  the  pupils  in  attendance  being  over  two 
hundred.  This  school,  of  course,  is  under  the  con- 
trol of  Father  Gough,  who  resides  near  by  in  a 
fine  brick  jiriest's  house,  which  has  also  been  erected 
since  he  has  taken  charge  of  his  present  congre- 
gation. He  was  born  in  Providence,  R.  I.,  May 
19,  1861,  a  son  of  Michael  and  Ann  (Gough) 
Gough,  both  of  whom  were  from  the  North  of 
Ireland,  but  were  not  related  in  any  wa3',  so  far  as 
known.  The  father  was  a  business  man  of  War- 
wick and  was  respected  throughout  that  section 
as  a  man  of  honor  and  a  useful  and  valuable  citi- 
zen. The  initiatory  training  of  Father  .Tames  M. 
Gough  was  obtained  in  the  public  schools  of  Prov- 
idence, after  which  he  entered  Bryant  <fe  Strat- 
ton's  Business  College  of  Providence,  where  he  ob- 
tained a  thorough  and  practical  education.  This 
he  followed  up  with  a  four-years  Latin  course  in 
St.  .losepii's  College,  at  Teutopolis,  111.,  and  later 
pursued  liis  studies  for  six  years  in  the  Grand 
Seminary  of  Jlontreal,  Canada  (SulpiL-ian  Semi- 
nary), during  which  time  he  took  a  very  thorough 
course  in  theology  and  philosophy  for  the  pur- 
pose of  entering  the  priesthood,  his  kindly  nature 
instinctively  turning  to  tliat  broad  and  noble  field 
for  his  life  work. 

He  was  ordained  by  Archbishop  Edward  Fabre 
at  the  above  mentioned  seminary,  which  is  the 
largest  in  America,  and  received  the  degree  of  S. 
T,    t$.  I'oi-    the    diocese    of  41tuUr  being   assigned 


Wieut   (^\ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHTCAL   RECORD. 


to  Belleville  by  Rt.  Rev.  Peter  Joseph  Baltes, 
before  the  division  of  the  diocese.  The  church 
at  Belleville  has  been  his  first  and  only  charge 
and  he  has  been  a  resident  of  this  town  since 
the  19tli  of  January,  1883.  He  was  the  first 
pastor  of  the  church  and  is  the  oldest  priest  in 
point  of  residence  in  the  city.  He  has  been  a 
faithful  laborer  in  the  vineyard  of  his  Master  and 
has  received  a  portion  of  his  reward  in  this  world, 
for  he  has  the  respect  and  affection  of  outsiders, 
as  well  as  of  the  members  of  his  congregation.  He 
is  at  the  head  of  several  important  societies  in 
connection  with  his  church,  and  is  a  stanch  sup- 
porter of  temperance  and  advocates  its  doctrines 
on  all  occasions.  He  is  of  a  benevolent,  generous 
and  kindly  disposition  and  those  who  seek  his  aid 
or  counsel  are  given  sound  advice  and  substantial 
assistance. 


Il-,  ON.  MICHAEL  REIS.  The  subject  of  this 
i|  j)  notice  is  the  .senior  member  of  the  firm  of 
/^^  M.  &  H.  Reis,  old  and  prominent  lumber 
(^  dealers  of  Belleville.  He  is  a  well-known 
business  man,  having  been  here  for  thirty  years. 
Born  in  Hesse-Darmstadt,  Germany,  November  25, 
1831,  he  is  the  son  of  Valentine  and  Catherine 
(Freihaut)  Reis,  who  emigrated  to  the  United 
States,  landing  at  New  Orleans  in  July.  1846,  and 
proceeding  thence  to  St.  Louis.  Our  suhjeet  was 
educated  in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  coun- 
try, and  after  he  arrived  in  St.  Louis  he  entered 
the  shoe  shop  which  his  father  had  established  there, 
and  learned  the  trade. 

At  that  time  an  uncle  of  oursubjeet,  Bartel  Reis, 
owned  a  lumber  yard,  in  which  young  Michael  be- 
came first  acquainted  with  the  rules  of  the  busi- 
ness. He  remained  in  his  employ  for  five  years, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  that  time  his  father  em- 
barked in  the  same  business,  and  Michael  went 
with  him.  When  his  father  went  North,  our  sub- 
ject engaged  with  Joseph  Hauscs.  In  1866,  he 
and  his  brother  Henry  opened  a  yard  under  the 
firm   name  of  ^1.   &    H.  Reis,  and  have  since  c(tri- 


ducted  a  safe  and  profitable  business.  The  firm 
handles  lumber,  sash,  blinds,  doors  and  everything 
pertaining  to  building  and  furnishings.  With  the 
exception  of  O.  Heinricks,  our  subject  is  the  oldest 
lumberman  in  the  city. 

Mr.  Reis  has  been  Alderman  for  the  Third  Ward 
for  two  terms.  He  was  Mayor  for  two  terms,  dur- 
ing which  time  the  cedar  block  pavement  was  put 
in,  the  water-works  were  completed,  and  the  street 
railroad  was  finished.  During  his  able  administra- 
tion the  city  made  remarkable  progress,  and  manv 
needed  improvements  and  reformations  were  in- 
augurated. He  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
America,  of  which  he  is  now  President.  In  St. 
Peter's  Benevolent  Society  he  has  held  the  office  of 
President  fourteen  of  the  twenty  years  it  has  been 
in  existence. 

M.ly  13,  18.56,  Mr.  Reis  was  married  to  Miss  Ap- 
polonia  Eberle,  of  St.  Louis,  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  seven  children  have  blessed  the  union:  Anna, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Anthony  Phillips,  of  Shakopee, 
Minn.;  Ida,  the  wife  of  Julius  Kohl,  of  Indianapo- 
lis; Henry  G.,  Rosalie,  August,  and  two  sons  who 
died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Reis  and  his  family  are 
highly  respected  in  Belleville,  and  his  business 
standing  is  very  high. 


m^-^^ 


llJ^-^OBERT  X.  Mc  CRACKEN,  M.  D.,a  success- 
IIWj  fill  and  prosperous  physician  and  surgeon 
j!i  \V  residing  in  Fayetteville  Township,  St. 
A;^  Clair  County,  has  an  excellent  and  rapidly 
increasing  practice  in  his  neighborhood  and  vicin- 
ity, and  is  well  known  as  an  able,  intelligent  and 
energetic  citizen,  worthy  of  confidence  and  esteem. 
Our  subject  is  a  son  of  Robert  and  Cora  (lllinski) 
McCracken,  both  natives  of  East  St.  Louis.  The 
father  was  educated  in  the  city  of  his  birth  and 
attended  the  public  schools  in  early  life;  he  after- 
ward studied  law  and  fitted  himself  for  the  prac- 
tice of  the  profession,  but,  preferring  other  pursuits, 
never  became  an  attorney.  He  was  married  when 
quite  young  but  had  no  children  b3-  his  first  wife, 
who  did  not  survive  her  marriage  many  years. 


r)8H 


I'ORTRAIT  AXD  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


The  mother  of  our  subject,  who  was  united  in    i 
marriage  with    her   husband  some   time  after    iiis 
tirst  wife's    death,  was   a    daughter    of    Dr.  A.  X. 
lllinski,  who    pracaiced    medicine    successfully   in 
St.  Louis  for  over  fifty  years.     The  mother  of  Mrs. 
Cora  (lUinski)  McCvacken  was    in    girlhood    Miss 
Ophelia  Lebur,  and  by  her  first  marriage  she  be- 
came the    widow    of   Dr.    Butler;    she    afterward 
married  Dr.  lllinski  and   now  survives  him.     The 
maternal  grandmother  of  our  subject  is  an  attract-    j 
ive  lady,  possessing  a  large  circle  of  friends,  tried    [ 
and  true.     Dr.  McCracken  was  one  of  three  chil- 
dren born  unto  his  father  and  mother,  and  is  now   I 
the    only  child  living.     One  died  in  infancy,  .ind   ) 
Kicholas,  a  promising  young  man,  died  at  twenty 
j-ears  of  age. 

Dr.  McCracken 's  father  was  one  of  the  few  [ 
seekers  of  gold  in  far-off  California  who  there 
achieved  financial  prosperity.  He  was  for  sev- 
eral years  engaged  in  a  store  in  East  St.  Louis  and 
Cahokia.  Politically,  he  was  a  Democrat  and  was 
a  devout  member  of  the  Catholic  Church.  He 
died  when  our  subject  was  but  four  years  old,  and 
Ills  wife,  who  is  yet  living  in  Cahokia,  afterward 
married  C.  W.  Droit,  and  by  this  union  had. two 
daughters,  Pauline  and  Camille.  Dr.  McCracken 
is  the  grandson  of  Robert  and  Arthouts  (.Tarrot) 
McCracken,  who  were  very  early  pioneers  of  Ca- 
hokia, where  the  grandfather  ran  a  distiller3-. 
After  his  death,  his  widow  married  again  and  be- 
came the  wife  of  Dr.  Brackett.  Our  subject,  a 
direct  descendant  of  the  pioneers  of  the  southern 
part  of  Illinois,  was  born  in  the  old  village  of  Ca- 
hokia in  the  year  1864.  He  enjoyed  excellent 
educational  advantages  and  attended  the  Christian 
ISrothers'  School  at  St.  Louis  for  three  years.  He 
studied  at  Jeradon  one  year  and  was  at  Jesenett 
one  year,  and  also  attended  school  at  Valparaiso, 
Ind.,  and  received  a  term  of  instruction  in  Foster's 
Academ.y,  a  commercial  school  in  St.  Louis. 

Later,  Dr.  McCracken  studied  medicine  at  St. 
Louis  Medical  College,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1889.  Beginning  the  duties  of  his  pro- 
fession in  Cahokia,  our  subject  practised  medicine 
in  the  home  of  his  childhood  one  year  and  then 
came  to  his  present  location,  where  he  has  built  up 
an  extended  and  largely  increasing  practice, and  has 


won  the  regard  of  the  general  public.  Politically, 
Dr.  McCracken  is  a  Democrat,  and  in  religious 
atliliations  is  a  Catholic.  An  earnest  and  energetic 
citizen,  theroughly  devoted  to  the  duties  of  his 
profession,  he  takes  an  interest  in  the  local  pro- 
gress and  leading  movements  of  his  home  neigh- 
liood  and  vicinity  and  is  proving  an  important 
factor  in  the  upbuilding  and  advancement  of 
]n'ominent  enterprises  of  the  day. 


J  ( )11N  K  I  K  F  E  U  .  If  by  success  in  life  we 
mean  securing  a  comfortable  home  and  the 
I  means  for  a  good  support,  then  is  our  sub- 
^_^  ject  one  of  the  successful  men  of  St.  Clair 
County.  He  owns  and  occupies  a  farm  consisting 
of  eighty-four  acres  of  land  on  section  7,  Marissa 
Township,  which  has  been  developed  and  placed 
in  its  present  state  of  improvement  by  himself, 
and  thus  attests  his  industry  and  thrift.  Many 
of  the  best  and  most  successful  farmers  of  this 
part  of  Illinois  are  natives  of  the  Fatherland,  and 
such  is  the  case  with  Mr.  Kiefer.  He  was  born  in 
(Germany,  December  2(>,  1826,  and  is  the  son  of 
Lenzburg  and  Mary  (Woleriek)  Kiefer,  also  natives 
of  the  German  Empire. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  tailor  by  trade, 
which  occupation  he  followed  his  entire  life.  He 
was  a  son  of  Christopher  Kicfei',  and  in  religious 
affairs  was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Lutheran 
Church.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lenzburg  Kiefer  were 
born  three  children,  of  whom  our  subject  is  the 
second  in  the  family.  The  others  were  Christo- 
pher, and  Philapena,  who  is  now  deceased. 

The  gentleman  of  whom  we  write  began  life  on 
his  own  account  at  the  earlj"  age  of  fourteen  years, 
at  which  time  he  engaged  to  work  in  a  brewery, 
where  he  was  employed  for  four  years.  Later,  he 
hired  out  .as  a  farm  hand,  and  remained  in  his 
native  country  until  18,03,  at  which  time  he  set 
sail  for  American  shores,  landing  in  Xcw  York 
City  with  but  14  in  money.  Being  very  industri- 
ou's  and  ambitious  to  gain  a  competence   for  him- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


589 


self,  he  immediately  found  work  on  a  railroad  and 
was  thus  engaged  for  two  montiis.  At  the  expi- 
ration of  that  time  he  came  to  Belleville,  this 
county,  and  aided  in  the  constructiou  of  the  plank 
road  from  Belleville  to  Freeburg.  Finall.y,  how- 
over,  renting  laud,  he  cultivated  the  soil  for  twelve 
years.  His  industry-  resulted  in  making  him  the 
possessor  of  as  well-improved  a  farm  as  may  be 
found  in  this  vicinity,  which  he  purchased  in 
1885.  Mr.  Kiefer  is  a  keen,  wide-awake  man  who 
has  gained  much  information  b^'  actual  experience 
and  bj'  observation,  and  takes  a  higii  rank  among 
his  fellow-agriculturists. 

The  lady  to  whom  our  subject  was  married  in 
18;j3  was  Miss  J.acobicn,  daughter  of  Philip  and 
Rosa  Sharfer  Kepler.  To  them  have  been  born 
the  following  six  children:  Elizabeth,  Otto,  John, 
Margaret,  Mary  and  Edith.  Both  he  and  his  good 
wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and 
their  names  are  associated  with  ever3-  good  work. 
He  takes  great  interest  in  politics,  and  always 
votes  with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  recognized 
as  one  of  the  intelligent  as  well  as  successful  citi- 
zens of  the  county,  enjoys  the  confidence  of  the 
business  community,  and  commands  the  esteem  of 
his  neighbors. 


-^^^^il-^i-^ii^^ 


flL^  ENRY  BARTHEL.  One  of  the  prominent 
ll)))  men  of  this  city  is  named  in  the  opening 
4W^  of  tins  notice.  He  was  born  in  the  village 
[^^  of  Langenselbold,  in  Central  Germany, 
August  28,  1827.  His  parents  were  William  and 
Catherine  Barthel,  who  emigrated  from  the  Father- 
land to  America,  and  landed  in  New  Orleans. 
They  made  their  way  to  Belleville,  where  many 
(iermans  had  preceded  them  and  they  were  sure 
of  hearing  the  familiar  tongue.  'i'hey  looked 
about  for  a  new  home,  and  found  it  about  a  mile 
and  one-half  east  of  Freedom,  Prairie  dn  Long 
Township,  but  tliey  lived  but  a  short  time  to  en- 
joy the  pleasures  of  the  new  country  they  had  un- 
dergone so  mucli  to  reach.  William  Barthel  died 
in  1841,  and  his  wife  only  survived  him  one  vear. 


Henry,  the  subject  of  our  sketch,  was  thus  left 
an  orphan,  and  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  was  there 
ajiprenticed  to  the  trade  of  harness  and  saddle 
making.  At  the  age  of  nineteen  j-ears  he  was  en- 
gaged by  the  Quartermaster's  Department  of  the 
Government  service,  and  was  sent  to  Santa  Fe.  N. 
M.,  in  184G.  Here  the  superintending  of  manu- 
facturing and  repairing  of  saddles  became  his  busi- 
ness. The  following  year  the  most  of  the  troops 
were  sent  to  the  front,  leaving  Gen.  Price  in  com- 
mand at  Santa  Fe  with  but  few  men,  and  now  and 
then  our  subject  was  enabled  to  break  the  monotony 
of  his  work  with  a  round  of  guard  duty.  Here  he  re- 
mained for  five  3'ears,  when,  in  1851,  he  returned 
to  Illinois  and  settled  on  a  farm  about  three  miles 
east  of  Freedom,  Monroe  County.  After  three 
years  of  farm  life,  he  removed  to  Freeburg,  where 
he  has  since  resided.  His  early  education  was  ob- 
tained in  one  of  the  rough  schoolhouses  of  Prairie 
du  Long,  where,  in  companj-  with  Hon.  William 
R.  Morrison,  he  attended  a  school  tauglit  by 
Mathew  Donohoo.  His  reader  was  the  old  Illinois 
form  book,  and  that  of  Morrison  was  a  history  of 
the  United  States.  This  reader  indelibly  impressed 
upon  his  mind  the  forms  of  legal  papers  and  docu- 
ments. This  has  been  of  great  service  to  him  in 
his  career  as  Justice  of  the  Peace,  to  which  posi- 
tion  he  was  first  elected  while  living  in  Monroe 
County  in  1852,  and  again  soon  after  making  a 
change  of  home  and  moving  to  Freeburg.  This 
office  he  held  for  twenty-four  years,  and  his  life  in 
his  official  position  was  replete  with  incidents,  and 
he  often  mentions  the  ''thank  you"  weddings.  He 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners of  St.  Clair  County  in  1876.  During 
his  long  term  of  office,  many  public  improvements 
were  inaugurated.  The  first  iron  bridge  over  the 
Kaskaskia  at  New  Athens  was  built,  the  macadam- 
izing of  the  Centreville  and  St.  Louis  road  was 
done,  the  court  house  square  was  enclosed,  and 
other  like  enterprises  were  consummated.  I  n  chang- 
ing from  county  to  township  organizations,  he  was 
appointed  on  the  commission  to  divide  the  county 
into  townships,  in  conjunction  with  the  Hons.  T. 
H.  Portal  and  Joseph  B.  Messick,  and  was  Chair- 
man of  that  commission. 

In  p(.)litics,  Mr.  Barthel  has  always   been   a   con- 


590 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sistent  Democrat,  although  his  first  Presidential 
ballot  was  cast  for  Gen.  Scott.  This  vote,  he  says, 
was  so  cast  because  he  was  acquainted  with  Scott, 
and  not  with  Pierce.  In  business  affairs  Mr.  Bar- 
thel  lias  always  been  energetic.  He  oiiened  the 
first  saddlery  establishment  in  Freeburg  in  18.54. 
and  sold  it  in  1858,  and,  in  company  with  others, 
erected  a  brewery,  from  which  he  withdrew  the 
same  year.  In  1861,  he  went  into  general  mer- 
chandizing, and  has  continued  in  it  ever  since. 

Our  subject  was  married  April  12,  1852,  to 
Margaret  Mohr,  who  died  .lanuary  14.  1859.  He 
married  Anna  Maria  Bumb  in  1859,  who  died  Sep- 
tember 8,  1872.  His  present  wife  was  Gertrude 
Bumb,  to  whom  he  was  married  May  12,  1873,  and 
six  children  are  the  result  of  this  union.  Mr. 
Barthel  has  lived  an  honest,  upright  life,  and  is  an 
honor  to  the  community  in  which  he  has  lived  so 
long. 


(t^ENJAMIN  J.  WEST.  The  original  of  this 
]L>^  sketch  is  one  of  the  oldest  residents  of 
,/M)  I  Belleville,  having  come  here  with  his  par- 
'^^^  ents  in  1818.  He  was  the  son  of  Tilghman 
H.  and  Mary  (ISIitchell)  West,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  in  Montgomery  County,  Md.,  in  1767, 
and  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  West,  who  had  re- 
sided in  Virginia  for  a  number  of  years.  A  very 
interesting  family  history  could  be  written  from 
the  authentic  and  copious  history  of  the  ancestors 
now  contained  in  the  family  bible,  where  the  direct 
line  is  traced  back  to  the  reign  of  Edward  II, 
King  of  England. 

Tilghman  H.  West  left  Virginia  on  account  of 
slavery  and  moved  into  a  free  State.  In  Virginia, 
he  could  not  free  his  slaves,  as  the  law  did  not 
permit  that  then,  but  he  could  take  them  into  a 
free  State  and  give  them  liberty,  and  that  is  wliat 
he  did.  It  cost  him  a  great  deal  to  live  up  to  his 
convictions  and  he  made  manj'  sacrifices  and  en- 
dured many  hardships  at  first.  The  father  of 
Tilghman  H.  West  was  Benjamin,  who  died  in 
1820.  at  the  age  of  ninety-one  years,  and  his  wife. 


who  was  Elizabeth  (Hilliarj')  West,  died  at  the  age 
of  ninety-six,  in  1824.  Their  family  were  Wash- 
ington, Henry,  Valinda  and  Elizabelli. 

The  marriage  of  Tiigliman  II.  West  took  place 
in  Fincastle.  \n.,  and  to  him  were  born  ten 
children:  Nancy,  wife  of  Richard  Randall;  Sarah, 
wife  of  William  P.  McKce;,  Mary,  wife  of  Rev. 
John  Hogan,  who  died  in  April,  1892,  .aged 
eight3'-eight  years;  Susan,  wife  of  Dr.  J.  N.  Banks, 
of  Chicago;  Henry  H.,  who  married  Miss  White  in 
1837;  Benjamin,  who  married  Louisa  A.  Mitchell; 
and  Edward,  who  married  Julia  Atwater.  Tilghman 
H.  West  bought  a  large  tract  of  land  five  miles 
east  of  the  city,  which, was  then  new,  at  12,  $3  and 
*5  an  acre,  and  improved  it,  and  there  made  his 
home  until  the  death  of  his  beloved  wife.  Hisown 
death  occurred  July  7,  1851.  He  had  been  a  life- 
long member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
was  always  opposed  to  human  slavery,  and  was  a 
strong  Whig. 

Benjamin  J.  West  was  born  at  Fincastle,  Va., 
August  23,  1812,  and  with  his  parents  came  here 
in  1818,  just  being  able  to  remember  the  journey 
of  six  weeks  when  they  camped  out  every  night. 
It  was  a  new  and  bitter  experience,  as  they  had  al- 
wa^-s  been  in  comfortable  circumstances.  Our  sub- 
ject remembers  seeing  many  Indians,  of  whom 
he  was  afraid.  The  education  of  our  subject  was 
obtained  in  a  schoolhouse  which  his  father  and 
two  others  had  erected  on  his  father's  land,  and 
which  two  educated  men  taught.  AVhen  he  was 
seventeen  years  old,  he  went  to  Belleville  and  be- 
gan his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  the  dry-goods 
store  of  James  Mitchell.  Here  he  remained  for  some 
years,  and  then  bought  Mr.  Mitchell  out  and  ce- 
mented their  relations  b.y  marrying  his  eldest  daugh- 
ter. He  continued  here  until  1885,  having  been  con- 
tinuously in  this  business  for  fifty  years.  His  lo- 
cation was  on  the  corner  of  the  Public  Square  and 
Main  Street,  but  at  first  adjoining  the  place  where 
the  Thomas  House  now  stands.  He  was  a  success- 
ful merchant  and  also  carried  on  a  large  farm, 
giving  especial  attention  to  fruits,  but  now  he  is 
living  retired,  spending  iiis  summers  and  falls  in 
Minnesota,  where  he  ti)ids  the  climate  agrees  with 
iiim. 

The  m.irriage  of   Mr.    West    occurred    in    June, 


s±1 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOORAPHJCAL  RECORD. 


1836,  to  Miss  Louisa  Mitchell,  who  was  born  at 
Liberty,  Va.,  February  24,  1817.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  James  Mitchell,  wlio  was  among  the 
first  men  to  settle  in  Belleville.  Tlie  two  living 
cliildreu  of  Mr.  and  Jlrs.  West  are  Benjamin  .]., 
now  of  Minneapolis,  and  Robert  ('..  of  this  city. 
Mr.  West  lias  never  been  a  ixiliticinn.  He  became 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  K|>isc<>pal  Church  in 
1832,  and  has  been  President  of  its  Board  of 
Trustees  for  thirty  years.  There  arc  many  thriv- 
ing German  farmers  of  this  county  who  obtained 
their  start  liy  Mr.  AVest's  good  .idvicc  and  heliiing 
hand. 


3[;h^@i 


1^  I>.ILL1AMBRANDENBUKGER.  This  prom- 
\aj/j  inent  citizen  of  Belleville  is  a  native  of 
W^  Prussia,  born  at  Kreulznach  -  Mandel 
April  17th,  1823.  His  parents,  Andrew  and  Kath- 
rina  Brandenburger,  were  upright  and  substan- 
tial residents  of  their  native  land.  In  1849, 
William  Brandenburger,  with  his  wife,  whose 
maiden  name  was  Christina  Mavzi,  and  their  two 
children,  came  to  America  in  search  of  a  home  and 
at  once  located  at  Belleville,  at  which  time  they 
had  onlj'  enough  money  to  commence  house-keep- 
ing with  on  a  very  modest  scale.  Mr  Branden- 
burger, was  without  any  knowledge  whatever  of 
the  English  language  when  he  came  to  this  country. 
There  was  at  that  time  very  little  on  which  to  base 
a  prophecy  of  the  success  in  store  for  him,  but 
with  characteristic  energy  and  jierseverance  he  at 
once  set  about  finding  work,  securing  a  position 
in  a  distillery,  where  he  was  employed  half  the 
day  and  half  tiie  night.  His  spare  moments  were 
spent  in  doing  various  odd  jobs,  for  which  he  re- 
ceived some  slight  remunerations. 

After  this  work  had  contiiined  for  two  years,  the 
attention  of  Mr  Brandenburger  was  called  to  the 
great  veins  of  coal  in  the  vicinity  of  Belleville,  and 
the  small  operations  of  a  coal  mine  there,  which 
set  him  thinking.  He  began  making  some  pri- 
vate calculations,  learned  what  it  cost  to  operate  a 
mine,  how  much  was  paid  for  mining,  and  con- 
cluded that  there  was  money  in  the  business.     By 


{  dint  of  much  economy,  he  managed  to  purchase 
two  acres  of  land,  by  making  a  small  payment,  and 
at  once  began  to  sink  a  well,  mainly  by  his  own 
exertions.  He  was  confident  that  the  coal  vein 
was  there  and  that  his  labors  would  be  rewarded. 
The  coal  vein  was  successfully  reached  and  an  in- 
come was  soon  realized.  He  got  out  a  few  wagon 
loads  each  day,  and  it  being  before  au3'^  railroad 
had  reached  the  field,  hauled  it  away  by  ox- 
teams  to  St.  Louis,  Lebanon  and  such  places  as 
as  would  afford  a  market  for  what  little  was  mined. 
A  railroad  was  built  soon  after  this  and  a  market 
was  at  once  opened  for  all  the  coal  that  could  be 
got  out.  Ere  the  railroad  had  been  finished,  Mr. 
Brandenburger  bought  an  additional  seven  acres 
of  coal  land  and  had  three  shafts  in  operation  soon 
after  its  completion.  He  arranged  for  contracts 
with  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Company,  the  Lindell  and 
other  St.  Louis  hotels,  and  for  various  important 
manufactories  that  began  to  spring  up  when  it 
was  found  that  coal  could  be  so  easily  obtained.' 

By  giving  strict  attention  to  business,  living 
economically,  and,  more  particularly,  meeting  every 
obligation,  either  with  his  miners'  wages  or  his  store 
account,  Mr  Brandenburger  soon  became  known 
among  business  men  as  a  careful  manager  who  paid 
cash  for  everything,  and  his  credit  was  such  that 
he  could  have  obtained  any  favor  or  any  sum  of 
money  had  he  so  desired.  Friends  who  had  money, 
seeing  the  fruits  of  his  management,  preferred  to 
loan  him  their  money  rather  than  risk  their  own 
judgment  in  investing  in  coal  lands.  From  time 
to  time  he  continued  to  purchase  coal  lands  to  the 
extent  of  hundreds  of  acres,  and  prosperity  was  as- 
sured. He  made  no  show  or  parade,  as  do  manv 
whose  finances  have  been  unexpectedly  increased, 
but  kept  on  in  his  own   unostentatious  way. 

Some  five  years  since  Mr  Brandenburger  sold 
his  coal  shafts  and  business,  including  about  two 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  coal  land,  to  tlie  Consol- 
idated Company,  and  since  then  has  lived  a  less 
active  life  and  is  enjoying  his  well-eaiiied  rest. 
The  most  of  his  attention  is  given  to  the  con- 
duct of  his  farm,  which  contains  about  two. hun- 
dred and  fifty  acres,  all  of  which  is  underlaid  with 
coal,  and  to  platting  and  selling  city  lots  in  the 
various  additions  he  has  made  to  the  cily  of  West 


594 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Belleville,  near  where  he  resides  in  a  handsome 
and  commodious  brick  dwelling.  Probably  no 
other  man  in  this  section  has  done  so  much  to 
develop  the  natural  resources  of  the  immense  coal 
fields  underlying  his  section  of  the  State,  furnished 
so  many  men  with  employment  or  added  so  largely 
to  the  material  wealth  of  Belleville  as  Mr.  Branden- 
burger.  The  lesson  learned  from  his  life  is  a  val- 
uable one  and  should  be  heeded  by  the  young 
men  of  to-day  who  start  out  witli  no  capitul  but  a 
pair  of  willing  hands. 

Mr.  Branden burger  was  so  unfortunate  as  to  lose 
his  wife  soon  after  getting  started  in  the  coal 
business.  He  was  left  with  a  family  of  nine  chil- 
dren to  look  after.  He  then  found  it  doubly  dif- 
ticuit  to  make  progress,  but  he  determined  to  keep 
his  family  together  and  they  all  worked  in  har- 
mony and  were  accordingly  of  great  assistance  to 
each  other. 

Mr.  Braudenburger's  career  has  been  a  very  honor- 
able and  useful  one  and  he  is  a  model  citizen,  being 
persevering,  industrious,  honest  and  patriotic.  He 
IS  much  esteemed  throughout  St.  Clair, as  wall  as  the 
surrounding  counties,  and  counts  as  his  friends 
ail  with  whom  he  has  had  business  relations,  which 
speaks  in  an  eloquent  manner  as  to  his  upright 
l)usiness  methods.  He  is  a  Republican  politically; 
in  religion,  he  is  an  honored  member  of  the 
Free  Protestant  Church. 


ANIEL  HENTCIILEH,  a  prominent  farmer 
residing  on  section  S3,  Shiloh  Valley 
Township,  St.  Clair  County,  was  born  in 
.lacksonville,  Morgan  County,  111.  De- 
cember 10,  1837,  was  the  date  of  his  birth.  His 
|)arents  were  Jacob  and  Elizabeth  (Baker)  Rentch- 
ler.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  native  of  the 
Keystone  State,  and  was  born  in  Union  County  in 
in  the  year  1799,  being  reared  to  manhood  on  a 
farm.  He  was  a  son  of  John  Rentchler,  who  was 
also  a  native  of  Pennsylvania  and  a  farmer  by  oc- 
cupation.    The  great-grandparents  of  our  subject 


emigrated  to  the  United  States  from  German}'  in 
the  eighteenth  century.  In  the  possession  of  our 
subject  is  an  old  chest  which  they  brought  to  this 
country.  At  tliat  early  date  the  family  name  was 
spelled  Rentschler.  The  spelling  of  the  name  has 
been  changed  by  the  descendants  and  in  some 
families  it  has  become  entirely  different. 

Jacob  Rentchler  received  a  limited  education  in 
the  common  schools  of  that  early  day,  but  by  study 
and  reading  posted  himself  on  all  of  the  leading 
questions  and  issues  of  the  day,  and  his  experience 
in  business  also  added  to  his  knowledge  and 
widened  his  view' of  mankind.  He  was  a  mill- 
wright by  trade,  and  in  his  native  State  operated 
a  saw  and  grist  mill  and  also  carried  on  a  store. 
His  business  qualifications  may  readily  be  seen  in  a 
brief  sketch  of  his  life  career.  In  1837,  he  went  to 
Morgan  County,  I II.,  and  a  few  years  later  located 
in  this  county,  where  he  purchased  eight  hundred 
acres  of  land,  giving  812  per  acre.  Here  for  many 
years,  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  and  also 
bought,  sold  and  traded  live  stock.  In  this,  as  in 
all  business  undertakings,  he  was  very  successful 
and  showed  marked  ability. 

When  about  twenty-six  years,of  age,  Mr.  Rentch- 
ler was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth,  the  daugh- 
ter of  John  H.  and  Elizabeth  (Rickey)  Baker,  all 
of  whom  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Ten 
children  blessed  this  union,  all  of  whom  grew  to 
maturity:  John,  deceased;  Jacob;  David  and  Will- 
iam, deceased;  Maria  is  the  wife  of  James  H. 
Richardson;  Benjamin  is  deceased;  Daniel,  our 
subject;  Henry  and  Levi  have  also  departed  this 
life;  and  Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  .Fames  Hobbs. 
The  father  of  this  family  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  and  in  that  faith  brought  up  his 
children.  Politicall}',  he  was  a  Whig.  His  death 
occurred  in  1853,  and  his  wife  yet  survives  him 
and  lives  with  our  subject  upon  the  old  homestead. 

Our  subject  was  reared  upon  Ins  father's  farm 
and  received  his  education  in  the  district  schools, 
which  he  completed  by  a  course  at  Union  Semin- 
ary. His  health  failed  him  before  he  had  finished 
his  studies  and  he  then  returned  home.  However, 
in  1861,  he  entered  the  Business  College  of  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  and  received  a  thorough  preparation 
for  business  life.     In  1864,  he  went  into  the  agri- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BTOGRAPHTCAL  RECORD. 


59;' 


cultural  implement  and  machine  business  at  Belle- 
ville, where  he  was  located  until  1878.  In  that 
occupation,  he  was  rewarded  by  great  success,  but 
was  obliged  to  return  to  the  farm,  wliere  his  and 
his  mother's  interests  demanded  his  sole  attention. 
In  addition  to  his  farm,  which  he  has  greatly  im- 
jirovcd  and  which  on  every  liand  shows  the  care 
and  attention  of  the  owner,  lie  for  several  years 
ran  a  store  at  a  point  known  as  Ren tchler  Station. 
About  twenty  years  ago,  he  leased  the  coal  on  his 
land,  but  as  the  lease  was  dropped  after  a  few 
years  he  lias  operated  the  bank  himself  during 
most  of  this  time,  lie  owns  five  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  where  he  now  lives  and  fourteen  hundred  and 
eighty-two  acres  situated  in  various  States.  Po- 
litically, he  is  a  standi  supporter  of  the  Republican 
party  and  its  principles.  For  over  fifty  years,  he 
has  been  an  honored  and  respected  resident  of  this 
community,  where  he  is  widely  and  favorably 
known.  He  is  a  well-informed  man  on  all  the 
leading  questions  of  the  day  and  takes  an  active 
part  in  all  local  and  educational  affairs. 


J'  OHN  SCHALLER.  A  position  of  influence 
among  the  (ierman-Amerioan  citizens  of  St. 
Clair  County  is  held  by  the  gentleman 
whose  name  introduces  this  sketch,  and 
who  is  numbered  among  the  wealthiest  residents 
of  Lenzburg  Townsliip.  The  large  property  of 
which  he  is  owner,  amounting  to  seven  hundred 
acres,  has  been  gained  througli  his  unaided  exer- 
tions, and  shows  what  may  be  accomplished  by  in- 
dustry and  energy,  when  coupled  with  good  bus- 
iness judgment  and  a  determination  to  succeed. 

The  parents  of  our  subject,  Philip  and  Elizabeth 
(Ilentzel)  Schaller,  were  born  in  Germany,  in 
1805,  and  were  married  in  the  land  of  tlieir  birth. 
They  became  the  parents  of  five  children,  three  of 
wliom  died  when  young,  the  only  surviving  mem- 
ber of  the  family  beside  our  subject  being  Lena, 
the  wife  of  Peter  Dichnian.  During  his  youth 
Pliilij)  Schaller  followed  farming  pursuits  and  was 
quite  successful  in  that  occupation   in   his  native 


country.  However,  in  his  early  manhood,  he 
learned  the  trade  of  a  shoemaker,  at  which  he  was 
occupied  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life,  al- 
though he  also  engaged  in  agriculture  to  some  ex- 
tent after  emigrating  to  this  countiy.  In  the 
Fatherland  he  received  an  excellent  education  and 
prepared  himself  for  the  profession  of  a  teacher,  but, 
not  feeling  satisfied  with  it,  abandoned  the  work 
after  teaching  for  a  short  time. 

In  1844,  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  children, 
Philip  Schaller  emigrated  to  the  United  States, and 
after  landing  at  New  York  proceeded  at  once  to  Ill- 
inois and  settled  at  Belleville.  His  means  were  lim- 
ited, and  for  two  years  he  operated  as  a  renter,  but 
at  the  expiration  of  that  time  he  had  accumulated 
sutticient  money  to  enable  him  to  purchase  a  small 
farm  in  Dutch  Hill  Prairie.  Thereafter,  farming 
operations  engaged  his  attention,  and  his  time  was 
devoted  to  farming  on  his  place,  which  he  brought 
to  a  good  state  of  cultivation.  In  his  political 
views,  he  was  an  adherent  of  the  Rei)ublican  party, 
the  principles  of  which  he  always  stanchly  up- 
held by  his  ballot  and  influence.  His  death, 
which  occurred  in  1870,  deprived  the  community 
of  a  good  citizen  and  his  family  of  a  loving  hus- 
band and  father.  His  wife  survived  him  ten 
years,  when  she  too  closed  her  eyes  to  the  scenes 
of  earth. 

A  native  of  Germany,  the  subject  of  this  biogra- 
phical notice  was  born  in  1837,  and  was  therefore 
a  lad  of  about  seven  years  of  age  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  America.  His  education, 
which  was  gained  in  the  schools  of  St.  Clair 
County,  was  quite  coniplete  and  thorough,  and  by 
subsequent  reading  he  has  become  a  well-informed 
man.  He  remained  under  the  parental  roof,  aid- 
ing his  father  in  the  farm  work,  until  his  mui- 
riage,  which  occurred  Ainil  19,  1863.  The  lady 
who  then  became  his  wife  was  Alwine,  daughter  of 
August  and  Renida  Kunze.  natives  of  Prussia, 
where  she  was  born. 

Seven  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  Schaller 
and  his  excellent  wife,  of  whom  we  record  the  fol- 
lowing: Anna  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Skeer;  El- 
vina  married  Charles  Schneider;  Philip,  William, 
Katie  and  Lena  remain  at  home  and  are  bright, 
intelligent  young  people,  of   whom   their  parents 


596 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


are  justlj-  proud.  The  religions  home  of  the  fam- 
ily is  in  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which  they  are 
active  members,  and  their  influence  is  ever  given 
toward  tiiose  measures  which  are  calculated  to 
promote  the  interests  of  the  communit}',  along 
moral,  religious  and  educational  lines.  In  his 
political  preference,  !Mr.  Sclialler  is  a  Republican 
of  no  uncertain  tone,  ancl  he  is  regarded  by  the 
people  of  Dutch  Hill  Prairie,  where  he  resides,  as 
one  of  their  most  active  and  progressive  citizens. 
He  is  a  man  of  enterprise,  zealous  in  his  advocacj' 
of  the  cause  of  justice  and  riglit.  and  ever  fore- 
most in  good  works. 


flLLIAM  A.  MeCASLAMD,  a  successful 
//  dealer  in  real  estate,  located  in  East  St. 
W^  Louis  is  widelj'  known  as  a  man  of  sterling 
integrity  of  character,  and  commands  the  confi- 
dence and  esteem  of  all  who  have  the  pleasure  of  his 
acquaintance.  Our  subject  is  a  native  of  Indiana 
and  was  born  in  Jefferson  County,  near  Hanover.  He 
came  to  Morgan  County,  111.,  with  his  parents  when 
only  six  jearsof  age,  and  was  raised  upon  the  farm 
of  his  father,  James  McCasland,  and  received  his 
primary  education  in  the  little  log  sehoolhouse, 
with  slab  seats  and  desks.  Arriving  at  mature  age, 
William  McCasland  married  Anette  Pcmberton, 
born  and  raised  in  Oldham  County,  Ky.  ' 

Our  subject  began  farming  in  Morgan  County, 
111.,  but  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  War  inter- 
rupted the  peaceful  labor  of  agricultural  life,  and 
in  February,  1862,  he  volunteered  in  the  ser- 
vice of  the  Government,  and  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany A,  Thirty-eighth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
after  three  years  at  the  front,  constantl}-  exposed 
to  the  dangers  of  the  prison  pen  and  death  upon 
the  battlefield,  he  was  mustered  out  of  the  service 
at  Huntsville,  Ala.,  in  February,  1865.  A  citizen  of 
courage  and  resolution  and  a  true  patriot,  our 
subject  bravely  engaged  in  the  siege  of  Corinth, 
was  an  active  participant  in  the  long  march  from 
Ripley,  Miss.,  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  the  Union 
forces  turned  back  the  advance  of  {4en.  Bragg  and 


forced  him  to  retreat  to  Crab  Orchard,  and  was 
finally  engaged  in  the  battle  of  Remyville. 

Mr.  McCasland  took  part  in  the  battles  of  Stone 
River, Chickamauga,  Missionary  Ridge, and,  in  fact, 
was  present  in  all  the    principal  engagements  of 

I  the  Georgia  Campaign.  From  Atlanta,  returning 
to  Nashville  under  Hood,  our  subject  participated 
in  the  battles  of  Spring  Hill  and  Franklin,  and,  be- 
ing upon  the  outer  line  of  skirmishers,  was  con- 
stantly exposed  to  the  rain  of  the  enem3''s  bullets. 
The  officer  of   the    day  had  left  twenty  men   on 

I  picket  duty  until  the  forces  were  all  over  and  the 
bridge  was  burned.     It  was  fully  one  hour  before 

'  Gen.  Schofield  knew  of  the  deadly-  peril  of  the 
faithful  and  courageous  pickets,  who  were  at  last 
relieved  from  their  post  of  duty  by  the  oflBcers  de- 
tailed for  that  purpose  by  the  General.  Immedi- 
ately following  the  battle  of  Nashville,  Mr.  Mc 
Casland,  honorably  discharged  from  the  service  of 
the  Government,  returned  to  his  home  unwounded, 
although  he  had  never  lost  a  day  from  active  duty. 
Few  of  the  brave  boys  in  blue  can  show  a  longer 
record  of  marches,  skirmishes  and  battles,  in  which 

j  our  subject  fearlessly'  engaged,  and  no  soldier  of 
those  troublous  times  can  furnish  a  more  honorable 
record  of  faithful  and    devoted  service  in  behalf 

I   of  National  existence. 

In  1869,  Mr.  McCasland  bought  a  one  hundred 
and  sixtj-  acre  farm  in  Morgan  Countj',  111.,  near 
Waverly,  and  there  continued  the  pursuit  of  agri- 
culture until  1881.  In  the  meantime,  he  dealt  ex- 
tensively in  stock,  buying,  feeding  and  shipping 
cattle.  In  1881,  he  located  in  Waverly  and  re- 
mained there  until  1889,  when  he  made  his  home 
in  East  St.  Louis,  handling  real  estate  exclusively. 
Our  subject  owns  property  in  the  Clearmont  Addi- 
tion, which  is  rapidly  increasing  in  value  and  has 
found  ready  sales,  tlie  location  being  one  of  the 
finest  sites  in  the  citJ^  The  convenient  office  of 
Mr.  McCasland  is  in  the  Opera  House  Building, 
Room  46,  and  all  desirous  of  investing  in  one  of 
the  finest  pieces  of  property  in  East  St.  Louis 
should  seek  the  services  of  our  subject,  who  .<ic 
cords  to  all  visitors  the  kindly  courtesy  and 
prompt  attention  which  their  business  demands. 

Mr.  McCasland  was,  in  1879,  deepl3- stricken  l)y  a 
succession  of   crushing   bereavements.     He  had  a 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


599 


devoted  wife,  and  their  hearth  and  home  were 
blessed  b}'  the  birth  of  nine  children:  Sarah  Jane 
died  at  nineteen  ^-ears  of  age;  Josepliiue  died  at 
three  years  of  age;  Rosa  M.  passed  away  when 
fourteen  years  old;  Anna  L.  died  at  six  j'ears  of 
age;  Gracie  B.and  Ida  live  in  Waverly,  111.;  Edith 
died  when  six  years  old;  Henry  passed  awa3'  in 
November;  one  little  one  died  in  infancy.  Edith 
died  April  14,  1879;  Sarah  J.,  April  15,  1879;  the 
beloved  wife  April  19,  1879;  and  Rosa,  April  24, 
1879.  These  victims  of  the  dread  scarlet  fever  all 
passed  away  within  ten  days,  and  the  other  chil- 
dren were  also  ill,  Henry  having  been  left  deaf  by 
this  terrible  and  fatal  nialad\'.  Our  subject  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Church,  and  nothing  but 
a  faith  in  another  and  better  world  sustained  him 
in  these  hours  of  bitter  anguish.  Mr.  McCasland 
is  a  Republican  in  word  and  deed,  but  he  is  a  "free 
silver"  man,  and  mainly  desires  the  prosperity  and 
best  good  of  the  American  nation,  to  whose  ser- 
vice he  gave  the  unswerving  devotion  of  a  true 
American   citizen. 


L'^^HOMAS  II.  WHITE,  Vice-president  of  the 
m^\\  Michigan  Beef  and  Provision  Company,  of 
^V^^'  Detroit,  Mich.,  stock-dealer  at  the  National 
Yards,  also  representative  of  Swift  &  Co.,  of  Chi- 
cago, and  Alderman  of  the  Seventh  Ward  of  Ea.st 
St.  Louis,  is  one  of  the  most  popular  and  well- 
known  residents  of  the  city.  He  is  a  native  of 
the  Empire  Stale,  born  at  Beekman,  in  Dutchess 
County,  on  the  1st  of  July,  1849,  and  is  a  son  of 
Leonard  T.  White,  who  was  also  a  native  of  New- 
York  State,  as  was  the  grandfather,  Isaac  AVhitc. 
A  brother  of  the  latter,  William  White,  owned  the 
Dutchess  County  Iron  Works.  The  grandfather 
served  in  the  Mexican  War,  and  was  an  extensive 
farmer  in  Dutchess  County,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred when  ninety-two  3'ears  of  age.  His  wife, 
whose  maiden  name  was  Mary  Doty,  and  who  was 
of  English  desceiit,  died  when  ni)lPty-.three  years 
of  age, 


The  father  of  our  subject  became  familiar  with 
agricultural  pursuits  when  a  small  boy,  and  it  was 
but  natural  that  when  reaching  mature  years  he 
should  select  farming  as  his  chosen  occupation. 
He  died  in  1857,  when  forty -seven  years  of  age. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church,  and  in  politics,  supported  the  principles 
of  the  Republican  party.  He  married  Miss  Char- 
lotte Wright,  who  was  also  born  in  Dutchess 
County,  N.  Y.,  and  who  passed  away  in  185li. 
Eight  children  were  born  to  their  union,  seven  of 
whom  grew  to  mature  yeais  and  are  now  living. 
The  second  in  order  of  birth  was  our  subject,  who 
was  left  without  the  counsel  of  a  father  and  the 
loving  care  of  a  mother  when  eight  years  of  ago. 
At  that  age  his  school  days  were  practicality  ended, 
but  being  possessed  of  a  naturally  bright  mind, 
and  being  a  man  of  observation,  lie  became  well 
posted. 

In  1858,  Mr.  White  went  to  Dover,  N.  Y.,  to 
live  with  his  uncle,  William  A.  White,  with  whom 
he  remained  two  j^ears,  and  then  returned  to 
Beekman  to  learn  the  carriage-making  trade  with 
his  uncle,  William  Wright.  At  the  end  of  eighteen 
months  he  went  to  Westchester  County,  and 
worked  in  a  carriage  shop  for  two  years,  after 
which  he  returned  to  his  Uncle  William  Wright, 
and  was  in  his  carriage  shop  for  some  time.  Later, 
he  went  to  Amenia,  Dutchess  County,  and  worked 
in  a  grain-cradle  factory  for  George  Morgan,  the 
greatest  cradle  manufacturer  of  his  day.  From 
there  he  removed  to  Beekman,  remained  there  for 
one  year,  and  in  1867  went  to  Albany  to  assist  in 
building  the  West  Albany  Yards  for  Allerton, 
Dutcher  &  Moore,  the  organizers  of  the  National 
Yards  here.  After  finishing  the  yards  he  went  to 
Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  reopened  the  yards  after  the  fire. 
and  became  builder  and  Superintendent.  He  was 
in  charge  of  a  set  of  men  as  foreman  during  this 
time,  and  when  the  yards  were  completed  he  re- 
turned to  Albany-,  and  remained  there  until  1871, 
when  he  came  to  East  St.  Louis  to  assist  in  building 
the  National  Yards.  He  was  in  charge  of  excavat- 
ing and  the  grading  of  yards  and  of  laying  the 
sewers.  He  was  activelj'  engaged  in  this  for  two 
years,  when  the  yards  were  opened  for  use. 

At  that  time,  Mr,  White  assuiued  charge  of  the 


600 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


cattle  department  as  Yardmaster,  filled  this  posi- 
tion for  about  three  years,  and  then  resigned  it  to 
engage  in  the  cattle  business  for  himself.  He  em- 
harked  in  buying  and  selling  for  himself,  but  later 
hecamc  connected  with  Swift  ct  Co.  as  a  representa- 
tive and  buys  all  their  calves  for  them,  amounting 
to  over  forty  thousand  last  year.  He  also  represents 
the  Michigan  Beef  and  Provision  Company,  of 
Detroit,  buys  all  their  stock,  and  still  buys  on  his 
own  account.  He  has  been  the  largest  individual 
stock  buyer  in  this  city.  His  office  is  in  the  Exchange 
Building,  and  he  buys  largely  on  orders,  lie  built 
a  fine  residence  at  No.  816  Baugh  Avenue,  and 
also  owns  three  other  residences  on  that  street  and 
one  on  Summit  Avenue.  He  is  a  stockliolder  in 
the  First  Mutual  Building  and  Loan  Association, 
and  is  prominent  in  all  enterprises  of  importance. 
In  February,  1871,  Mr.  White  was  married  at 
Pawling,  N.  Y.,  to  Miss  Fannie  M.  Griffin,  a  native 
of  Connecticut,  and  they  have  one  child,  Clarence. 
Mr.  White  was  Trustee  of  District  No.  9,  for  twelve 
years  and  was  President  of  the  Board  for  six 
years  of  that  time,  holding  the  office  until  1891, 
longer  than  any  other  man.  In  1889,  he  was 
elected  Alderman  from  the  Seventh  Ward  on  the 
Citizens'  ticket,  and  was  one  of  the  first  Aldermen 
elected  under  the  new  law.  and  one  of  the  first 
from  the  Seventh  Ward.  He  was  re-elected  in 
1891  and  has  served  on  different  committees,  and 
he  has  been  Chairman  of  the  Streets,  Alleys  and 
Bridge  Committees  since  1 889.  He  has  always  been 
in  favor  of  the  new  reform  government,  and  is  a 
"true-blue"  Rei)ublican  in  a  Democratic  ward. 
Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
and  the  Owls,  as  well  as  of  other  orders. 


M>^^<f 


.^s^  AMUEL  B.  ^L\LI^KE,^n  enterpjisingand 
^^^  progressive  citizen  and  valued  member  of 
\^^  the  City  Board  of  Education  of  East  St. 
Louis,  111.,  is  the  head  roller  at  the  well- 
known  Tudor  Iron  Works,  and  as  an  expert  and  sci- 
entific niochanic.  commands  one  of  the  lai'gest 
sttlarias  ever  itaid  in  this  liuu  uf  work,     Mr.  Ma- 


linee  is  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  was  horn 
May  26,  1855,  in  Newport.  His  father.  .1.  W.  Ma- 
linee,  born  in  Ohio,  removed  in  adult  life  tu  New- 
port, Ky.,  but,  being  an  iron-worker,  afterward 
settled  in  New  Albany,  Ind.,  and  there  started  the 
first  iron  works  ever  located  in  the  vicinity,  and 
which  was  known  as  the  Hoosier  Rolling  Mill. 
During  the  war  the  services  of  .1.  W.  Malinee 
were  required  by  the  Government,  who  engaged 
him  to  iron  the  "Tuscumbia"  and  "Monitor."  Af- 
ter having  remained  in  business  in  New  Albany 
for  a  number  of  years,  Mr.  Malinee  retired  and 
soon  afterward  died,  passing  away,  deeply  re- 
gretted, in  the  month  of  August,  1876. 

The  Malinoes  are  of  English  descent,  and  the 
mother  of  our  subject,  Elizabeth  (Simpson)  Ma- 
linee, was  liorii  in  England.  (Jrandfather  Simp- 
son was  a  man  of  leisure,  and  possessed  means 
which  enabled  him  to  travel  extensively.  He 
and  his  wife  died  and  their  daughter  Elizabeth 
was  afterward  raised  and  educated  in  Indiana. 
She  became  the  mother  of  ten  children,  four  of 
whom  are  now  living:  Samuel,  our  subject; 
Rutii  (Mrs.  Fox),  resides  in  New  Albany,  Ind.; 
Edward  lives  in  St.  Louis,  and  is  a  boss  roller  at 
the  Tudor  Mills;  William  is  foreman  at  George- 
town, Ind.  Samuel  B.  Malinee  was  raised  in  New 
Albany,  and  early  attended  the  public  schools,  and 
when  at  the  tender  age  of  nine  years  he  entered 
the  iron  mills,  he  availed  himself  of  the  night 
schools,  and,  ambitiously  gleaning  all  the  book 
learning  within  his  reach,  made  progress  in  the 
practical  knowledge  of  his  trade,  and  swiftly 
climbed  upward  to  a  higher  ]io-iiiion  and  increased 
salary. 

.\fterlhe  death  of  his  father,  our  subject  worked 
in  the  old  rail  mill  in  New  Albany,  and  at  seven- 
teen years  of  age  became  boss  roller;  soon  after 
this  promotion  he  went  East  and  found  ready 
employment  as  boss  roller  in  New  York,  Philadel- 
phia, Paterson,  Pittsburgh,  and  finally  settled  in 
Louisville.  Ky.  In  1870,  Mr.  Malinee  came  to  St. 
Louis  and  wa-  employed  in  the  Laclede  Iron 
Works,  remaining  for  nearly  a  half-score  of  years 
a  valued  employe- of  these  mills.  In  188(1,  he  en- 
gaged as  head  roller  in  East  St,  Louis  and  re- 
uittiued  ill   th(;  Tudur  Works  about  three   years; 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


then  accepted  the  position  of  head  roller  in  the 
steel  works  in  Belleville.  In  1864,  our  subject  re- 
turned once  more  to  the  Tudor  Works,  and  has 
remained  here  as  head  roller  ever  since.  For 
twenty  years  he  has  held  tlie  position  of  head 
roller,  and  stands  at  the  top  round  of  his  profes- 
sion, and,  combining  with  his  native  ability  a  long 
and  practical  experience,  is  unrivaled  in  the 
knowledge  and  expert  handling  of  his  work. 

Years  of  well-paid  employment  have  rewarded 
our  subject  with  a  substantial  competence,  and 
lie  owns  valuable  property  on  Bond  Avenue,  on 
which  he  has  erected  two  very  handsome  houses, 
Nos.  612  and  614.  Mr.  Malinee  and  his  family 
reside  in  No.  612.  Samuel  B.  Malinee  and  Miss 
Sarah  Houpt  were  married  in  New  Albany,  Ind., 
in  1874.  Mrs.  Malinee  is  a  native  of  Alleghany 
County,  Pa.,  and  is  a  daughter  of  .lohn  Houpt, 
l)orn  in  Somerset.  I'a.,  a  saddler  by  trade,  and 
afterward  a  foreman  in  Pennsylvania,  who  after 
retiring  from  active  business  removed  to  Indiana, 
where  he  died.  His  wife,  Sarah  (Johnson)  Houpt, 
was  also  a  native  of  tlie  Quaker  State, and  was  the 
youngest  in  a  family  of  ten  children.  She  also 
died  in  her  Indiana  JKime.  Mrs.  Malinee  was 
raised  in  her  native  State  until  she  had  reached 
the  age  of  twelve  years,  when  she  came  with  her 
parents  to  New  Albany,  and  completed  her  edu- 
cation here.  The  happy  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Malinee  has  been  blessed  with  the  presence  of 
three  children:  Floia  E.,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
seven  years;  John  C.  and  Minnie  M.  both  at  home. 

In  1890,  our  subject  was  elected  a  member  of 
the  School  Board  of  the  city,  and,  an  ardent  advo- 
cate of  educaticmal  advancement,  has  by  his  intel- 
ligent abilit.y  amply  (Iciiiunstrated  his  special  lit- 
ness  for  the  i'cs|iuii^iMc'  position  which  he  now 
holds.  He  is  also  coiiiiiited  by  membership  with 
the  .\ncient  Order  of  United  Workmen  and  also 
artilia'ves  with  the  Pride  of  the  Valley  Lodge,  Grand 
Encampment,  I.  O.  O.  F.  Mr.  ^Malinee  is  an  of- 
ficial of  the  Amalgamation  of  Iron  and  Steel 
Workers'  Association,  and  is  widely  known  and 
highly  respected  in  this  extensive  membership. 
Mrs.  Malinee  is  a  member  of  the  Daughters  of  Re- 
bekah,  and  is  also  connected  with  enterprises  social 
aucl  beuevokut.    Uui'  subject  is  iu  poUtigii  au  lu- 


dependent,  giving  his  vote  to  the  man  he  thinks 
best  adapted  to  suitably  discharge  the  duties  of 
public  office  with  energetic  efficiency,  and  as  a 
true  American  citizen  is  himself  ever  foremost  in 
the  promotion  of  local  progress  and  reform. 


\ll^  ENRY  W.  VOELKER,  a  valued  and  inttu- 
ilTjl  ential  member  of  the  Board  of  School  Tr\is- 
Is)^^  tees  of  East  vSt.  Louis  and  the  popular  and 
^g)  able  representative  of  the  widely  known 
and  reliable  J.  S.  Merrill  Drug  Company,  of  St. 
Louis,  has  spent  his  entire  life  among  the  associa- 
tions of  childhood,  having  been  born  Ma_v  1,  18.59, 
on  the  old  homestead  upon  the  Belleville  Turn- 
pike, now  a  part  of  East  St.  Louis.  His  father. 
Michael  Voelker,  was  a  German  sailor,  and  engag- 
ing as  a  cook  aboard  a  vessel  plying  between  the 
Fatherland  and  America,  finally  decided  to  make 
his  home  in  the  I'nited  States  and  located  in  St. 
Louis.  He  first  went  into  business  in  French- 
town,  but  before  1844  settled  in  Popstown  and 
opened  the  Drover's  Retreat,  or  West  Brighton 
House. 

After  keeping  an  hotel  for  some  time,  Michael 
Voelker  engaged  in  the  drug  business,  and  in  1871 
died  much  regretted  by  all  who  knew  him.  He 
was  an  excellent  business  man  and  an  upright 
and  worthy  citizen.  In  political  affiliations  he 
was  a  Republican,  and  was  a  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran Church.    His  wife,  Veronika  Kaiser,  was  horn 

!  in  Switzerland.  Canton  Aargau,  and  came  to  St. 
Louis  with  her  parents  when  very  j-oung.  She 
survived  her  husband  twelve  years,  passing  peace- 
fully away  in  1883.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Michael  Voelker 
were  the  parents  of  five  children,  four  of  whom 
are  yet  living;  Anna,  Mrs.  Benson,  resides  in 
San  Francisco:  Theodore  is  engaged  on  the  Van- 
dalia  Railroad  and  lives  in  Terre  Haute;  Edward 
was  killed   in  an  accident  on   the  A'andalia  Rail- 

j    road;  and  Lizzie,  Mrs.  Galloway,  is  in  Kansas. 
Our  suliject  was  educated  in  the  public  schools 
of  East  St.  Louis,  and    at    thirteen   years   of   ngc 

J  began    clerking   iu    a.   grocery   store,    riimaiuiug 


602 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAl'HICAL  RECORD. 


seven  years  with  Richard  Roe.  In  the  year  1879, 
Mr.  Voelker  started  a  groeer3'  house  on  St.  ClaU 
Avenue,  near  the  stock  j^ards.  He  ran  the  store 
.'ibout  one  year  in  partnership,  the  firm  being 
Voelker  &  Poller;  the  partnership  was  tlieii  dis- 
solved, our  subject  afterward  engaging  in  the 
same  l)usincss  with  his  brother  Theodore,  the  firm 
of  H.  W.  &  T.  Voelker  running  for  two  years 
at  the  corner  of  Pennsylvania  and  Collinsville 
Streets.  For  a  brief  time  Mr.  Voelker  was  in  tlie 
cigar  business,  but  since  1886  has  been  with  the 
long-established  and  enterprising  drug  house,  where 
his  untiring  and  efficient  service  is  appreciated, 
the  patronage  coming  from  St.  Louis,  East  St. 
Louis  and  Belleville. 

In  1889,  Mr.  Voelker  built  a  fine  residence  on 
the  site  of  the  old  homestead,  an  attractive  location. 
No.  816  Ninth  Street.  He  is  now  erecting  an  ele- 
gant residence  on  Tenth  Avenue,  and  also  owns 
other  valuable  real  estate.  In  the  year  1878  our 
subject  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Dora 
Daniel,  a  native  of  Sturgeon,  Mo.,  and  a  daughter 
of  John  H.  Daniel,  born  and  reared  in  Kentucky. 
Her  paternal  grandfather,  Willis  Daniel,  was  a 
native  of  Virginia.  .John  H.  Daniel  was  a  farmer 
and  stock-raiser  of  IJoone  County,  Mo.,  and  served 
bravel}'  in  the  Confederate  army.  In  1872,  he 
entered  into  the  stock  business  in  St.  Louis,  and 
afterward  engaged  successfully  in  the  same  busi- 
ness in  East  St.  Louis,  but  finally  returned  to  Stur- 
geon, and  resides  there  among  a  host  of  old-time 
friends  and  acquaintances.  His  wife,  Mrs.  Ollie 
(Ilulett)  Daniel,  was  born  in  Boone  Countv  and 
was  the  daughter  of  Harrison  Hulett,  born  in  Ken- 
tucky, but  an  old  settler  in  Missouri.  Mrs.  Voelker 
is  the  eldest  in  a  family  of  eight  children, six  sons 
and  two  daughters.  The  hapjiy  home  of  Mr. 
Voelker  and  his  estimable  wife  has  been  bright- 
ened by  the  ))rpsenee  of  their  daughter,  Fannie 
Fern. 

In  1S'J2,  our  subject  was  circled  Id  the  ixisition 
of  School  Trustee,  and  has  with  ctliciont  ahilitv 
discharged  the  duties  of  tin-  oflir.',  liis  cxcelknl 
judgment  and  interest  in  educational  ad\ance- 
ment  aiding  materially  in  the  wise  disposition  of 
numerous  Important  matters  connected  witli  t\\{> 
mUwiion  of  tho  young.   Fraternally,  Mi',  \oelkei' 


is  a  Knight  of  Pythias  and  a  Knight  of  Honor, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  He  is  a  valued  Trustee  of  the  Chris- 
tian Church  of  East  St.  Louis,  and  is  ever  ac- 
tive in  its  good  work  and  enterprises.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  stanch  Republican  and  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  the  party.  Known  as  a  citizen  of 
upright  character,  energetic  and  able  in  all  the 
duties  of  life,  our  subject  is  highly  resi)ectcd  and 
commands  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who 
know  him. 


\I^_^^ENRY  MOESER.  The  subject  of  this  short 
ifj  sketch  resides  in  the  village  of  Smithton, 
'M^^  St.  Clair  County,  where  he  holds  the  im- 
\^)j  portant  office  of  Constable.  He  was  the  son 
of  Henry  Moeser,  and  was  born  one  and  one-half 
miles  west  of  Smithton,  in  the  year  1845,  on  the 
old  home  place  in  that  township.  He  grew  to 
manhood  there,  .and  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  this  county.  He  was  twenty  years  of 
age  when  his  father  died,  and  all  of  the  respon- 
sibility of  the  family  devolved  upon  him.  He 
remained  on  the  old  place  until  he  was  married, 
w4iicli  event  took  place  March  2,  1876,  to  Miss 
Elizabeth  Becker,  who  was  the  daughter  of  Peter 
and  Elizabeth  Becker,  who  lived  west  of  Belleville, 
in  this  county. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Moeser  first  located  on 
the  old  home,  where  he  continued  for  eight  years. 
His  wife  died  on  the  1st  of  .January,  1881,  and 
he  then  sold  out  and  traveled  through  the  West, 
finally  buying  a  place  three  miles  southwest  of  Belle- 
ville, in  this  township.  He  moved  to  this  place, 
and  in  1^*8:5  he  was  married  to  Miss  Lizzie  Kilian, 
on  the  l.")tli  of  March.  She  was  the  daughter  of 
Conrad  Kilian.  of  this  township.  Mr.  Moeser  con- 
tinned  lo  live  there  until  the  fall  of  188:?.  when 
he  sold  his  fann  anil  moved  to  the  place  which  is 
now  his  home.  He  was  the  father  of  two  children 
by  his  first  wife,  but  neither  of  them  js  now  liv- 
ing, He  1ms  had  one  chihl  by  this  it)»rriage,  Ma^ 
mie  Fiiiiu'Cs,  wbo  is  now  seven  years  o|d, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


605 


Mr.  Moeser  has  forty  acres  of  land  near  Smitli- 
lon,  and  does  some  farming,  lie  buys  and  sells 
horses,  and  does  a  great  deal  of  successful  trading. 
The  family  are  members  of  the  Evangelical  Lu- 
theran t  liurch,  and  to  tliis  denomination  Mr.  Moe- 
ser gives  of  his  means,  and  in  it  his  family  is 
highly  regarded.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Treu- 
hund  here  in  Smithton,  and  he  has  been  the  Treas- 
urer of  his  lodge.  In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Moe- 
ser is  an  ardent  Democrat,  and  he  has  been  very 
(irominent  in  all  local  matters.  He  has  filled  the 
t)fHce  of  Constable  so  acceptably  that  he  has  kept 
liis  i)lace  for  four  years.  Mr.  Moeser  has  a  beauti- 
ful home,  and  his  family  and  self  are  among  the 
prominent  social  people  of  the  pleasant  little  vil- 
lage of  Smithton. 


^f^^il'^-i^^i^t^ 


^  DOLIMl  M.  SCHEEL,  M.  D.,  A.  B.,  a  suc- 
■^0     (■o>>ful  and  leading  physician  of  Belleville, 

/.  I  WM-  li(ii-n  in  this  city  January  18,  1851, 
qJ  .•nid  i-  the  son  uf  .lohn  and  Elizabeth  (En- 

gelmann)  .Scheel,  nativts  of  Rhenish  Bavaria,  of 
whom  further  mention  is  made  in  the  sketch  of 
John  Scheel,  presented. elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
In  their  native  country  they  were  highly  respected 
as  industrious  and  energetic  people,  and  these 
traits  of  character  aided  them  in  their  efforts  to 
establish  a  home  in  the  Ihuted  States. 

Tlie  literary  education  of  our  subject  was  com- 
menced in  the  public  scliools  of  Belleville  and  was 
completed  at  Washington  University,  at  St.  Louis, 
from  which  institution  he»was  graduated  in  the 
Class  of  '72,  with  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Arts. 
His  education  finished,  he  went  to  Europe  and  en- 
tered the  German  Medical  University,  in  which 
he  received  his  degree  after  a  course  of  four  years" 
study,  graduating  in  1876.  During  his  aljsence 
abroad  he  had  the  advantage  of  being  in  the  large 
hospitals  at  Munich  and  Beilin,  where  his  profes- 
sional knowledge  was  greatly  broadened  and  his 
skill  increased  by  practice  in  intricate  cases. 

Returning  to  the  I'nited  States,  Dr.  Sclieel 
opened  an  otlico  at  Belleville  fur  the  piaetice  of 
28 


his  profession,  and  at  once  established  a  large  prac- 
tice in  the  city  as  well  as  the  surrounding  country. 
His  ability  as  a  practitioner  is  everywhere  con- 
ceded, and  his  skill  in  the  diagnosis  of  difficult 
cases  has  won  for  him  the  confidence  of  all  with 
whom  he  has  come  in  professional  contact.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  St.  Clair  County  Medical  Society; 
the  Belleville  Medical  Society,  of  which  lie  is  Pres- 
ident; Follow  of  the  American  Academy  of  Medi- 
cine; and  a  member  of  the  Southern  Illinois 
Medical  Society-,  although  he  has  been  prevented 
from  attending  the  meetings  of  this  organization 
of  late  years,  owing  to  the  pressure  of  other  duties. 
October  11,  1877,  Dr.  Scheel  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Theo. 
Voelker,  one  of  the  earliest  German  settlers  of  Belle- 
ville. Two  children  have  been  born  of  the  union, 
Fred  and  Jliunie.  The  Doctor  now  resides  in 
the  beautiful  brick  residence,  formerly  the  property 
of  his  father.  It  is  located  at  No.  208  South  Illi- 
nois Street,  and  is  in  the  midst  of  spacious  grounds. 
Altliough  his  attention  is  engrossed  by  his  profes- 
sional labors.  Dr.  Scheel  finds  time  to  be  helpful  to 
the  community  in  which  he  resides.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  various  corporations,  among  which  is 
the  Belleville  Savings  Bank.  In  the  prime  of  his 
life,  his  usefulness  is  at  its  fullest,  and  as  a  promi- 
nent and  successful  man,  he  is  respected  wherev<u" 
known. 


•^^• 


UTHEH  BROWN,  hi  the  twilight  of  his 
II  (?gj  honored  and  useful  existence,  Mr.  Brown 
L^^,  is  living  quietly,  surrounded  by  all  the 
comforts  of  life,  at  his  pleasant  home  in  Lebanon 
Township.  He  has  now  almost  reached  his  four- 
score years,  having  been  born  January  21,  1814. 
His  father,  Luther  Brown,  Sr.,  traced  his  ancestry 
to  Holland  and  was  born  in  New  Hampshire  about 
1771.  His  mother  was  of  Scotch  descent  and  bore 
the  maiden  name  of  .Vniiie  Burke. 

In  1816,  the  parents  of  our  subject  removed  to 
[Monroe  Counly,  X.  Y.,  where  the  lather  followed 
hi-"   Hade  of    carpenter  and  house-joiner,  and  also 


606 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


managed  a  small  farm.  In  his  political  sym- 
pathies, he  was  a  Whig  and  religiously  was  in  later  \ 
life  identified  with  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church.  His  death  occurred  in  New  York  State 
when  he  had  attained  the  advanced  age  of  eighty- 
six  years.  The  wife  and  mother  passed  away  wlien 
forty-six  years  old.  Our  subject  was  reared  on  tlie 
liomc  farm,  and  the  education  whicii  he  received 
ill  the  common  schools  was  supplemented  by  a 
course  of  study  at  the  academy  in  Gaines,  Orleans 
County,  N.  Y.,  where  he  was  a  student  for  three 
months. 

The  first  wife  of  our  subject,  witli  whom  he  was 
united  in  marriage  in  November,  1836,  was  Miss 
Antoinette,  daughter  of  .Tacob  and  Sarah  (Cum- 
mings)  Moore.  She  died  February  18,  1856,  leav- 
ing three  children,  Sarah,  Mary  and  Alice.  Sarali 
married  Marcus  Moore,  of  Portland,  Ore.,  and  they 
have  three  sons;  Mary, who  is  unmarried,  lives  witli 
her  sister  in  Portland;  Alice  married  .Jacob  Hoff- 
man, a  farmer  in  Colorado,  and  they  have  two 
daughters. 

March  18,  1857,  Mr.  Brown  married  Caroline 
Baldwin,  a  iady  whose  devotion  blesses  his  declin- 
ing years.  Her  parents  were  -Jera  and  jNIary  Bald- 
win, the  former  a  native  of  Connecticut,  and 
tlie  latter  of  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.  Of  the  chil- 
dren born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown,  we  note  tlie 
following:  George,  who  lives  in  Arkansas  City, 
Kan.,  is  engaged  in  the  real-estate  and  loan  busi- 
ness at  that  place.  He  married  Ivy  Wise,  of  Leb- 
anon, and  tliey  liave  four  children.  Carrie  is  the 
widow  of  Dr.  ,J.  W.  Hoyt,  formerly  a  successful 
pliysician  of  Kansas  Git}-,  Mo.,  and  tliey  have  one 
cliild,  a  daughter.  Charles,  a  lawyer  by  profession, 
is  a  member  of  a  legal  firm  in  Winfield.Kan.,  and 
is  in  partnershii)  with  his  In-other  George  at  Ar- 
kansas Citv. 

Mr.  Brown  arrived  in  Lel)anon,  111.,  .lune  10, 
1840,  and  located  at  Trenton,  Clinton  County, 
where  he  bought  land  and  engaged  in  fai-niing  for  '. 
fourteen  years.  He  then  removed  to  his  present 
liome,  where  he  lives  retired  from  active  business.  | 
For  the  past  twenty  years,  he  has  rented  his  iiiace. 
He  has  always  been  deei)ly  interested  in  educa- 
tional affairs  and  has  aided  in  promoting  the  wel- 
fare of  McKendree  College   jji    many  ways.     For 


thirty-five  years,  he  has  served  as  one  of  its  Trus- 
tee for  about  twelve  j'ears,  has  been  Treasurer  of 
the  college  fund,  and  Trustee  of  the  endowment 
fund  and  a  member  of  the  college  executive  com- 
mittee. Politically,  he  was  in  former  years  a  strong 
Re|iublican,  but  now  casts  his  ballot  for  Prohibi- 
tion. While  residing  in  New  York,  he  united  with 
the  Methodist  Church,  of  which  lie  lias  been  a 
member  for  fifty-seven  years,  and  he  has  served  as 
Cl.ass-leader  and  in  other  positions  in  that  denom- 
ination. 


Mil 


ANIEL  C.  HEKLY,  M.  D.,  who  is  a  native 
of  Belleville  and  has  been  a  practicing  phy- 
sician since  1868,  was  born  December  29, 
1845,  the  son  of  Nathaniel  and  Rebecca  (Raudle- 
man)  Heely.  His  father,  who  was  born  in  Maine 
about  1816,  followed  the  occupation  of  a  plasterer, 
also  that  of  contractor  and' builder,  and  came  to 
Belleville  before  1840.  The  lady  whom  he  mar- 
ried was  four  years  his  juiii<ir  and  was  born  seven 
miles  southwest  of  Belleville,  licr  parents  being  of 
German  descent. 

The  family  of  wliich  our  subject  is  a  member 
comprises  five  children,  four  of  whom  lived  to  ma- 
turity, namely:  Theodore  T.,  AViliiam  C,  and  .lo- 
seph  A., who  died  respectively  in  1887,  1859  and 
1863;  and  Daniel  C, of  this  sketch.  The  last-named 
received  a  common-school  education  in  the  schools 
of  the  neighborhood,  and  in  his  early  manhood 
enlisted  in  1864  as  a  member  of  Company  B, 
Twenty-ninth  Illinois  Infantry,  which  was  incor- 
porated in  the  Sixteenth  Corps,  Division  of  tiie 
(lulf.  Our  subject  took  an  active  part  in  the  bat- 
tles of  Ft.  Blakely  and  Spanish  Fort,  and  was 
present  at  the  suricndei-  of  Mobile,  where  he  was 
wounded  by  a  sliell  at  the  explosion  of  a  magazine. 
He  was  conveyed  to  the  marine  hospital  at  Mobile, 
thence  to  the  marine  hospital  at  New  Orleans,  and 
later  to  Jefferson   Barracks  and  Benton   Barracks. 

.\rter  being  honorably  discharged  from  the  army, 
our  subject  returned  home  and  commenced  to  read 
medicine    under    Dr.  Ferryman,       Later,  he    went 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


into  the  office  of  Dr.  B.  A.  Barrett,  of  St.  Louis, 
with  whom  he  remained  for  three  years.  He  also 
took  two  courses  of  lectures  in  the  St.  Louis  Med- 
ical College,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in  the 
spring  of  1869.  lie  opened  an  office  for  the  practice 
of  his  profession  at  Germantown,  111.,  where  he  re- 
mained for  five  years,  and  afterward  practiced  at 
Trenton  for  seven  years.  Returning  thence  to 
Belleville,  he  followed  his  profession  here  for  four 
years,  and  afterward  resided  in  Germantown  for 
the  same  length  of  time.  Since  1889  he  has  prac- 
ticed his  profession  continuously  in  Belleville, 
where  he  is  well  and  favorably' known. 

Dr.  Heely  served  as  Coroner  for  Clinton  County 
twelve  jears,  and  now  holds  the  position  of  Physi- 
cian for  St.  Clair  County,  which  includes  the  treat- 
ment of  the  poor  at  the  counly  hospital,  the 
county  farm  and  those  in  Belleville  and  vicinity. 
This,  together  with  his  regular  practice,  occupies 
his  entire  attention  and  affords  him  little  leisure 
time.  Politically,  he  is  a  Democrat.  Among  the 
organizations  with  wliieli  he  is  identifiedare  the 
St.  Clair  County  Medical  Society;  Illinois  Medical 
Society;  St.  Clair  Lodge  No.  24,  F.  &  A.  M., 
Chapter  No.  106,  Belleville  Council;  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows;  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  and  the  Knigiits  of  Honor,  in  some  of 
wliich  he  is  Examiner. 

The  marriage  of  Dr.  llccly,  .lanuary  2,  lS7o.  uni- 
ted him  with  Miss  Sue  L.  (^uick.  of  High  Prairie, 
and  they  are  the  parents  of  six  children,  namely: 
Oliver  J.,  Minnie  M..  Susan,  Bird,  Lewis  and  Edwin. 


i,OBERT  L.\W.     October  3,  1854,  is  the  day 

on  which  this  gentleman  first  saw  the  light. 

His  birth  occurred   in   Washington  County. 

111.,    about    three     miles    from    his     [)resent 

Mis  parents  were  .John  and  Jennie  (Craig) 

.'he  grandfather  of  Robert  Law  was  Joshua 

id  his  grandmother  was  Margaret  (Barber) 

lotli    natives  of    Scotland.     The    fatiier  of 

Joshua   Jvavv  w;|s  the  Hev,  John  Law.  of  Scothuui, 


a  man  well  remembered  in  the  Scottish  kirk  of 
which  he  was  pastor. 

Jolin  Law,  the  father  of  oiu'  subject,  was  born 
in  Landon  Parish,  Scotland,  in  the  year  1824. 
His  mother  died  when  lie  was  veiy  young, 
tiius  making  his  knowledge  of  her  maternal  care 
limited.  His  father  gave  him  a  good  education 
in  the  common  schools  of  his  native  country, 
and  he  was  blessed  with  the  ability  and  inclination 
to  turn  his  knowledge  to  good  account.  His  father 
thought  tliere  were  better  prospects  for  him  and 
his  son  in  the  AVestern  Hemisphere,  and  therefore 
emigrated  with  his  boy  to  this  country.  Poverty 
was  one  of  the  first  obstacles  they  encountered  in 
their  new  home,  and  the  only  resource  for  the  son 
was  to  hire  out  by  the  month,  lie  liad  located  in 
Washington  County,  which  at  lliat  time  w,as  an 
unbroken  prairie. 

After  working  by  the  month  for  a  few  years, 
John  Law  entered  eighty  acres  of  Government 
laud,  and  by  his  economy  and  industry  made  a 
good  home  for  his  family  and  accumulated  much 
personal  property  beside.  Washington  County 
has  been  blessed  with  representative  men,  those 
who.  thrown  upon  their  own  resources  early  in 
life,  have  displayed  tlie  metal  that  was  in  them; 
and  to  such  sterling  characters  this  country  is  in- 
debted for  its  phenomenal  growth  and  prosperity. 
Among  this  class  of  America's  adopted  sons  we 
lank  John  Law,  a  man  of  sterling  worth  and  one 
who  during  the  whole  course  of  his  career  de- 
manded the  respect  of  his  fellow-raen.  He  was 
strictly  a  farmer  and  always  one  of  the  most  in- 
dustrious of  his  class.  In  ISril  he  married,  and 
the  fruits  of  this  marriage  were  five  children,  two 
of  whom  died  when  very  young;  Joshua  and 
James  grew  to  manhood,  but  Robert,  the  subject 
of  this  sketch,  is  the  only  one  now  living. 

.loiui  Law  was  a  man  of  recognized  ability  not 
only  in  the  accumulation  of  property,  but  in 
iiK)re  public  capacities,  and  as  a  prominent  man  in 
his  neighborhood  was  called  upon  to  serve  his 
fellow-men  in  several  ways.  He  held  many  local 
offices  creditably  to  himself  and  satisfactorily  to 
those  who  honored  him  with  !i  pul>lic  trust.  In 
addition  to  his  business  and  soc^ial  (pialities,  wliich 
won  the  esteem  of  his  fellow-men,  Mr,  Law  was  ix 


608 


PORTRAIT  AIsD  BIOGRAIHICAL   RECORD. 


useful  and  strong  supporter  of  the  United  Pres- 
byterian Ciiurch.  He  was  strong  in  his  political 
opinions  and  always  gave  his  hearty  support  to 
the  Republican  party,  in  whom  he  placed  the  con- 
fidence of  his  honest  convictions. 

Robert  Law,  the  subject  of  this  biographical 
sketch,  has  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  his  sturdy 
Scotch  ancestry.  Being  the  only  surviving  child 
of  a  family  of  five,  he  remained  with  his  parents 
until  his  marriage,  which  event  took  place  when 
he  was  twenty-three  years  old.  His  bride  was 
Miss  Sarah  C.  Robinson,  daughter  of  John  Robin- 
son, and  the  result  of  their  union  was  seven  chil- 
dren: Minnie  E.,  John  R.,  Nettie,  Annie,  Delia, 
Beartie  and  AVilliam.  Inheriting  the  good  name 
of  an  exceptional  father,  Robert  Law  represents, 
as  a  native  of  AVashington  Count3',  one  of  its 
pioneer  and  ever  to  be  i-espected  families,  and  he 
has  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  his  family 
has  performed  no  unimportant  part  m  the  growth 
and  development  of  this  section  of  tlie  State.  lie 
is  possessed  of  an  abundance  of  this  world's 
goods,  and  as  the  result  of  his  patrimony  and  his 
native  ability  to  accumulate,  has  sufficient  to  de- 
fend himself  and  his  family  agaiiitit  want  in  his 
declining  years. 


-^^-f-^i 


/^\  APT.  MIKE  AVALSH,  the  energetic  and  pop- 
Ill  r  "^^'  ^'''^f  "^'f  Police  and  Fire  Department, 
^^J/J  in  East  St.  Louis,  has  been  a  citizen  of  the 
United  States  for  more  than  two-score  years,  but 
was  born  in  Ireland  in  1840.  His  father,  Edward 
Walsh,  was  an  Irish  fanner,  who  in  181.5  emi- 
grated with  his  family  to  America,  at  first  making 
his  home  in  New  Orleans,  where  he  remained  a 
few  years,  and  afterward  removed  to  St.  Louis,  in 
which  city  his  excellent  wife,  Ellen  (Molden) 
Walsh  died.  This  estimable  lady,  a  native  of  lie- 
land,  was  tlie  mother  of  three  sons  and  three 
daughters,  two  of  whom,  Mrs.  Murphy  and  Mrs. 
Richardson,  reside  in  East  St.  Louis.  Our  subject 
came  with  liis  parents  to  America  when  liut  five 
N'enrs  old,  and  was  educated  in  St.  Louis. 


Upon  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War  he  bravely 
enlisted  in  Company  C,  Sixteenth  Indiana  Infantry, 
and  participated  in  many  of  the  prominent  battles 
and  skirmishes  and  was  constantly  on  duty  until 
he  was.  after  faithful  service,  mustered  out  with 
the  rank  of  Sergeant.  Returning  to  St.  Louis. 
Capt.  Walsh  entered  into  various  eiiiployinonts, 
and  held  the  offices  of  Constable  and  ^laislial.  In 
1887,  our  subject  received  his  appointment  .'is 
Chief  of  Police  of  East  St.  Louis,  and  imiiiediately 
re-organized  the  Police  Department,  :uid  has 
brought  it  up  to  the  high  standard  of  excellent 
service  which  enables  it  to  rank  with  the  force  of 
any  city.  Capt.  Walsh  also  organized  the  effective 
Fire  Department,  and  after  two  3'ears  of  hard 
work  had  the  satisfaction  of  knowing  that  in  two 
of  the  important  branches  of  the  city's  administra- 
tion he  had  wrought  a  much  needed  reform.  Un- 
der his  wise  management,  a  number  of  fine  engine 
houses  have  been  erected  and  the  Holly  system 
put  into  general  use,  and  through  his  intelligent 
energy  the  danger  of  a  general  confiagration  has 
been  materially  lessened. 

In  1865,  Capt.  Walsh  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Eliza  Homey,  a  native  of  Ireland,  but  an 
early  settler  of  St.  Louis.  The  following  children 
have  blessed  the  pleasant  home  with  their  presence: 
Thomas  E.,  the  eldest  child,  was  educated  in  the 
excellent  home  schools,  but  completed  a  course  of 
instruction  in  the  Commercial  College  of  St.  Louis. 
He  -was  Assistant  Cashier  for  the  Ohio  &  Missis- 
sippi Railroad  Company,  but  is  now  in  business  in 
East  St.  Louis.  Jessie,  who  isnowMrs.  McCready, 
resides  in  East  St.  Louis;  Celia  is  at  home;  Rhoda, 
who  is  now  Mrs.  Daniels,  lives  in  East  St.  Louis; 
Stella  and  Mike,  Jr.,  complete  the  list  of  the  sons 
and  daughters,  who  are  all  occupying  positions  of 
respect  and  influence.  The  commodious  and  at- 
tractive home  of  our  subject  and  his  family  is  lo- 
cated upon  Second  Street,  in  one  of  the  most  de- 
sirable portions  of  thecit_y.  Capt.  Walsh  has  made 
excellent  investments  in  real  estate, and  owns  some 
fine  property  here  and  in  St.  Louis.  He  and  his 
family  are  well  known  and  enjo.y  the  confidence 
and  esteem  of  a  large  circle  of  friends.  Our  sub- 
ject is  a  strong  Democrat,  and  is  always  deeply 
interested  in    btilli    local    and    milional   atfairs.     A 


#— ^% 


(fi. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


611 


genial  man  of  superior  executive  ability,  he  has 
won  liis  way  upward  and  is  now  one  of  the  lead- 
ing men  and  prominent  factors  in  the  enterprises  of 
East  St.  Louis. 


JOHN  R.BERTELSMANN.  The  iiospi  table 
I  owner  of  the  finely-improved  farm  on  sec- 
1  tion  2,  Smithton  Township,  has  made  liis 
home  in  this  place  since  1882.  He  is  a  son 
of  Casper  Bertelsmann,  who  was  born  in  the  pro- 
vince of  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  came  to  this 
country  when  a  young  man.  Having  resolved  to 
settle  in  St.  Clair  County,  he  bought  land  here 
and  engaged  in  farming.  He  married  Clara  Beul- 
maii,  whose  father,  a  farmer  by  occupation,  emi- 
grated hither  from  Germany,  but  died  after  being 
here  but  a  short  time.  Mrs.  Casper  Bertelsmann  had 
one  brother,  Henry,  and  one  sister,  Mary  Catherina. 
The  former  made  his  home  with  her  until  his  de- 
cease at  an  advanced  age,  and  the  latter  still  lives 
with  her. 

Casper  Bertelsmann  lived  in  this  county  until 
the  time  of  his  death.  He  had  a  family  of  five 
children,  all  of  whom  grew  to  maturity:  our  sub- 
ject; Mary,  who  married  Nicholas  Boul;  Gertrude; 
Annie,  the  wife  of  Frank  A.  Louis;  and  Henry. 
Mr.  Bertelsmann,  Sr.,  owned  several  well-improved 
farms  in  this  country  and  was  well-to-do  at  the 
time  of  his  decease.  In  his  religious  connections, 
he  belonged  to  the  Catholic  Church. 

Born  March  18,  1845,  in  St.  Clair  County,  our 
subject  was  here  reared,  and  received  a  common- 
school  education.  Beneath  the  parental  roof,  he 
grew  to  a  sturdy  manhood,  and  his  home  remained 
with  his  father  until  his  marriage.  That  important 
event  took  place  January  31,  1882,  and  united 
him  with  Miss  Louisa  Lewis,  who  was  born  at  the 
old  Karlskind  homestead  Januaiy  27,  1854.  Her 
father,  Henry  Lewis,  a  native  of  France,  came  to 
this  country  when  a  young  man,  and  here  married 
Miss  Mary  Ann  Karlskind,  youngest  daughter 
of  Sebastian  Karlskind.  Botli  are  now  deceased. 
Unto    Mr.    and     Mrs.    Bertelsmann     have     been 


born  three  children,  all  of  whom  are  living, 
and  are  particularly  intelligent  and  attractive. 
Cecelia  Mary  is  nine  years  old;  Irene  Rosabelle  is 
six,  and  the  pride  of  the  house,  the  sturdy  little 
heir,  Edward  L.  .1.,  is  four  years  old. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Bertelsmann  located  on 
this  place,  and  has  resided  here  ever  since.  His 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  is  finely  im- 
proved, and  ranks  among  the  best  in  the  county. 
In  the  raising  of  the  cereals,  he  has  been  especially 
successful,  and  each  j'ear  he  harvests  large  crops  of 
wheat,  corn  and  oats.  His  farm  has  the  advantage 
of  natural  drainage,  which  renders  it  valuable  for 
general  farming  and  stock-raising  pui poses. 

Mr.  Bertelsmann  and  his  excellent  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  St.  Peter's  Catholic  Church  at  Belleville. 
He  holds  political  views  in  accordance  with  those 
of  the  Democratic  party,  and  is  regarded  in  the 
neighborhood  as  a  man  of  the  finest  business 
ability  and  integrity . 


^^ILAS  P.  CHAPIN,  proprietor  and  editor  of 
^^^  the  daily  and  weekly  Signal,  was  born  at 
|l/j)  Somerville,  Butler  County,  Ohio,  on  the 
~  "^  6th  of  June,  1855,  and  is  a  son  of  Daniel 
O.  and  Hannah  (Blossom)  Chapin,  both  natives  of 
Ohio,  the  father  being  born  in  Sidney,  Shelby 
County,  and  the  mother  in  Butler  County.  The 
paternal  grandfather,  Rosweil  Chapin,  was  born  in 
New  England  and  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade. 
When  seventeen  years  of  age,  he  came  to  tlie 
Buckeye  State,  making  the  trip  overland,  and  l<i- 
cated  at  Sidney',  where  he  followed  his  trade  at 
first  but  later  became  a  dancing  master  and  boxing 
teacher.  During  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he  set- 
tled on  a  farm  in  Wayne  County,  Ind.,  and  died 
there  when  lacking  six  months  of  being  one  hun- 
dred years  old. 

Daniel  O.  Chapin  was  reared  in  Sidney,  Ohio, 
and  after  reaching  mature  years  he  went  to  But- 
ler County,  where  he  met  and  married  Miss  Blos- 
som.    Later,  he  located  on  a  farm  there   and    was 


C12 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOORAPHICAL  RECORD. 


one  of  the  pioneers  of  Milford  Township,  tilling 
the  soil  until  he  retired.  The  father  of  Mrs. 
Chapin,  Perr}-  Blossom,  was  a  native  of  the  Old 
North  State,  and  was  one  of  the  first  pioneers  of 
Ohio.  He  came  to  that  State  with  his  parents, 
who  brought  with  them  the  first  four-wheeled 
wagon  in  the  county.  There  he  resided,  engaged 
in  the  active  pursuit  of  farming,  until  liis  death. 
Mrs.  Chapin  passed  away  in  1882.  She  was  the 
mother  of  fifteen  children,  ten  of  whom  grew  to 
mature  years. 

The  original  of  this  notice,  the  seventh  child  in 
order  of  birth,  passed  his  boyhood  and  youth  on 
the  farm  in  Milford  Township,  and,  unfortunately, 
received  but  a  limited  education.  When  sixteen 
years  of  age,  he  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources, 
his  father  having  lost  considerable  of  his  means, 
and  he  worked  on  farms  until  he  had  obtained 
sufficient  money  to  enable  him  to  attend  school. 
He  entered  West  Elkton  Academy  and  completed 
the  course  there,  after  which  ho  attended  tlie  Nor- 
mal, at  Lebanon,  Ohio,  for  two  years.  Later,  he 
took  up  the  study  of  theolog}',  and  in  1876  came 
to  Salem,  111.,  to  .join  the  South  Illinois  Methodist 
Episcopal  Conference.  He  preached  at  Salem  for 
three  years,  Xenia  two  years,  St.  Elmo  one  .year, 
Altamont  two  years,  Farina  one  year,  and  in  the 
fall  of  1886  he  came  to  EastSt.  Louis,  111.,  and  was 
pastor  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Churcli  for  three 
years.  During  this  time,  the  old  church  was  torn 
down,  and,  with  ¥20  in  the  treasur}',  Mr.  Chapin 
began  building  a  nevv  churcli.  This  structure  is 
now  one  of  the  finest  churches  in  the  city. 

In  1889,  Mr.  Chapin  retired  from  the  ministry 
to  enter  the  journalistic  field,  and  was  engaged  on 
reportorial  work  for  the  St.  Louis  Post-Dispatch. 
His  spare  moments  were  closely  devoted  to  a  study 
of  law,  and  he  was  graduated  as  a  student  of  law  at 
MeKendree  College,  after  which  he  engaged  in 
its  practice,  and  in  a  short  time  his  abilit\'  was 
made  known  and  he  now  controls  a  fine  practice. 
As  a  public  speaker,  he  is  well  known,  is  earnest, 
and  his  words  carry  conviction  to  his  hearers. 
He  is,  of  course,  well  read,  and  is  the  possessor  of 
one  of  the  most  complete  and  best-selected  libra- 
ries in  the  county.  As  an  orator,  he  has  no  su- 
perior in  the  countj-.     He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason, 


a  member  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows, the  Knights  of  Honor,  Knights  of  Pythias, 
Modern  Woodmen,  and  oilier  secret  societies. 
In  politics,  he  is  a  Republican  and  his  services  are 
much  sought  for.  His  wife  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  Fannie  Johnson,  and  is  tiie  daughter  of  Maj.  L. 
M.  .Johnson,  Supervisor  of  the  city  of  East  St. 
Louis. 


I|U^  ON.  ALONZO  S.  WILDEKMAN.  Thiough- 
Wjr  out  this  i)ortloii  of  Illinois  there  is  perhaps 
/^^  no  resident  of  St.  Clair  Countj-  better  or 
(^  more  favorabl,y  known  than  the  gentleman 
witii  whose  name  we  introduce  this  sketch.  He  is 
at  present  serving  as  Judge  of  the  Third  Judicial 
Circuit  of  Illinois,  which  consists  of  the  following 
nine  counties:  Bond,  Clinton,  Madison,  Marion, 
Monroe,  Perry,  Randolph,  St.  Clair  and  Washing- 
ton. To  this  responsible  position  he  brings  talents 
of  an  unusually  high  order,  and  the  judicial  bent 
of  liis  mind  renders  his  labors  liighly  successful, 
his  decisions  impartial  and  just. 

Judge  Wilderman  is  a  descendant  of  one  of  the 
oldest  families  of  St.  Clair  County,  and  traces  his 
ancestry  to  Germany.  George  W.,  the  great- 
grandfather of  our  subject,  was  a  native  of  Wash- 
ington County,  Md.,  and  in  180.')  settled  in  tlie 
Territory  of  Indiana  (now  Illinois),  the  place  of 
settlement  being  now  known  asFreeburg,  St.  Clair 
County.  Here  he  remained  until  his  death,  wiiich 
took  place  a  few  years  later.  His  son,  Dorsey, 
was  born  in  Washington  County,  Md.,  in  1793, 
and  was  twelve  years  old  when  he  accompanied 
the  other  members  of  the  family  to  the  West.  In 
1812,  he  married  Miss  Piioebe  Carr,  who  was  born 
in  Virginia  in  1790.  Her  fatlier,  Joseph  Carr,  was 
likewise  born  in  the  Old  Dominion,  his  birth 
occurring  March  21,  1752.  Me  served  as  a  soldier 
in  the  Revolutionaiy  War,  and  after  the  close  of 
the  struggle  came  West  and  settled  in  Illinois. 
He  died  in  this  county  March  6,  1817. 

Dorsey  Wilderman,  the  grandfather  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  was 
connected  with   the   military   deiiartment    on    the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


613 


frontiers  duriag  the  Indian  Wars.  He  died  in 
this  county  in  1857.  Michael  J.  Wilderman,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  was  born  in  this  coiint}' 
October  10,  1814,  and  was  one  of  five  children 
who  survived  their  parents.  His  marriage,  April 
24,  1838,  united  him  witii  Miss  Theresa  Patterson, 
who  was  liorn  in  Guilford  County,  Js.  C,  March 
21,  1818.  .She  was  the  daughter  of  Greene  B.  and 
Kebecca  Patterson,  who  were  of  Scotch  descent, 
members  of  their  families  being  among  the  earl}- 
settlers  of  North  Carolina.  Mr.  Patterson  came 
to  Illinois  in  1818,  and  settled  at  High  Prairie. 
INIr.  and  Mrs  Wilderman  became  the  parents  of 
seven  children.  The  wife  and  mother  departed 
this  life  April  27,  1868. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch,  the  eldest  son,  was 
born  at  the  parental  home  near  Freeburg,  Decem- 
ber 1,  1839.  His  boyhood  days  were  passed  upon 
the  home  farm,  and  he  acquired  a  good  common- 
school  education  in  the  schools  of  the  neighbor- 
hood. However,  liis  advantages  were  meagre  in 
comparison  with  those  enjoj'ed  by  the  children  of 
these  days.  Possessing  an  inquiring  mind  and  a 
love  for  reading,  he  made  the  most  of  every  op- 
])ortunity  which  presented  itself,  and  at  maturity 
bis  mind  was  well  stored  with  valuable  informa- 
tion. 

In  1864,  having  resolved  to  enter  upon  the  study 
of  law,  he  entered  the  office  of  Hon.  S.  M.  Kase,  of 
Belleville,  and  two  years  later  was  admitted  by 
examination  at  Mt.  Vernon  to  practice  in  the 
courts  of  the  State.  In  1868,  he  formed  a  part- 
nership with  his  preceptor,  which  continued  for 
four  years,  when  it  was  dissolved.  He  then  en- 
tered into  partnership  with  James  M.  Hamill,  a 
connection  which  continued  until  June  1.5,  1891, 
a  period  of  nineteen  years  lacking  twenty  days. 
In  1876,  our  subject  was  nominated  and  elected 
to  represent  St.  Clair  County  in  the  Thirtieth 
General  Assembly  of  the  State.  AVhilc  a  member 
of  that  bod}',  he  sustained  his  reputation  as  a  care- 
ful and  prudent  conservator  of  public  intei-ests, 
and  his  service  as  a  member  of  the  Judiciary  Com- 
mittee was  efficient  and  satisfactory. 

September  1.5,  1871.  Judge  Wilderman  mar- 
ried Miss  Amanda,  daughter  of  James  Affleck  (of 
whom  see  sketch  on  another  page  of  this  volume). 


Four  children  have  been  born  of  the  union:  Hes- 
ter, Augusta  A.,  Emma  E.  and  Blanche.  Socially, 
the  Judge  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  and  a 
Knight  Templar.  His  career  as  jurist  and  citizen 
has  developed  those  noble  traits  of  character  alike 
commendable  in  private  and  public  life.  His  ser- 
vice as  Master  of  Chancery,  extending  from  Sep- 
tember, 1883,  over  a  period  of  four  years,  was  emi- 
nently satisfactory,  as  indeed  have  l)een  his  labors 
in  every  position  he  has  been  called  upon  to  fill. 


m^^^^^^.^ 


\f^ETER  J.  ROSS.  An  excellent  farm  located  on 
section  27,  in  Freeburg  Township,  is  owned 
by  the  gentleman  whose  name  opens  this 
.article.  The  father  of  our  subject  was  John 
Ross,  who  was  born  .and  reared  in  Brandan,  Hesse- 
Darmstadt,Germany,  and  was  there  married  to  Kath- 
erine  Dasher.  He  came  to  this  county  in  1835,  and 
located  for  a  while  on  Turkey  Hill,  and  then  at 
the  place  where  our  subject  now  resides,  dying 
at  the  .age  of  forty-five  He  left  a  fajnily  of 
seven  children,  three  of  whom  are  now  living: 
Katheriue  Schneider,  who  lives  in  New  Athens 
Township;  Mary  Erbe,  and  our  subject,  who  was 
born  January  5,  1830,  in  Germany,  and  was  about 
five  years  old  when  he  came  to  this  country.  He 
was  reared  on  the  place  where  he  now  lives,  and 
was  sent  to  the  best  schools  of  those  early  days. 
His  father  died  when  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  and 
he  became  the  support  of  the  family. 

Our  subject  was  married  May  13,  1856,  to  Lou- 
ise Wilhelmine  Loescher,  who  was  the  daughter  of 
Benjamin  and  Johanna  Loescher,  who  were  born 
in  Schleitz,  in  Vogtland,  Germany,  and  came  to 
this  country  in  1849,  dying  soon  after  of  the 
cholera.  After  his  marriage  our  subject  brought 
his  wife  to  the  old  place,  and  here  he  h.as  lived 
ever  since.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ross  have  eight  children,' 
as  follows:  Emma  Frances,  who  is  the  widow  of 
Samuel  .Shook;  Edmund,  who  married  .Sophia  Din- 
telman,  and  lives  in  St.  Clair  County;  Philip  lives 
at  Turkey  Hill,  and  after  the  death  of  his  wife, 
Catherine   Mueller,    married    Clara  Barthel:  John 


PORTEAIT  AND  BIOGRAPinCAL  RECORD. 


Gottlieb  Louis,  who  is  at  home;  Laura  Elizabeth 
is  the  wife  of  Charles  Goetz,  and  lives  in  Belle- 
ville; Caroline  Catherine  Georgina,  Car!, and  Louise 
Emma  Ross,  are  all  at  home. 

Mr.  Ross  has  a  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and 
twent^'-nine  acres  of  land,  of  whicli  tiiere  are 
about  one  hundred  and  flft^-  improved  and  in 
a  good  state  of  cultivation.  He  is  a  good  farmer, 
and  his  land  shows  it.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Evan- 
gelical Lutheran  Church,  and  has  been  elected  to 
the  office  of  School  Director  in  this  district.  In 
his  political  convictions,  he  is  an  Independent, 
voting  for  the  best  man.  He  saw  some  service  in 
the  army,  and  belonged  to  Company  C,  Fort3'-third 
Illinois  Regiment,  and  was  mustered  out  of  the 
service  in  July,  1865.  The  family  and  its  con- 
nections are  much  respected  in   this  neighborhood. 


J^  OMINICK  DElvUM,one  of  the  mostprom- 
jjj  inent  general  farmers  of  St.  Clair  Town- 
^  ship,  is  a  native  of  this  county,  where  he 
has  spent  his  worthy  life,  helping  to  make 
the  community  what  it  now  is  by  his  industry  and 
thrift,  and  setting  an  example  of  what  persever- 
ance and  honesty  can  accomplish.  His  father, 
Michael  Dekum,  was  a  native  of  Bavaria,  who 
married  Mary  Ann  Klock,  of  Lorraine.  In  1840, 
he  emigrated  to  America  and  located  near  Birkner 
Station,  where  he  followed  farming  until  his  death 
in  1855,  when  he  was  only  thirty-seven  years  of 
age,  of  the  dreaded  cholera. 

Five  children  were  born  unto  Michael  and  Mary 
Ann  Dekum:  Rosa  is  tlie  wife  of  .John  J.  Schmis- 
seur,  a  retired  mechanic,  residing  in  Belleville; 
Catherine  was  taken  away  by  death  in  infancy; 
Frank,  a  carpenter  in  Belleville,  married  Joseph- 
ine. Louis,  and  they  have  four  children;  Jacob 
died  when  only  six  years  of  age;  Dominick,  our 
subject,  was  the  third  child  in  order  of  birth. 
Michael  Dekum  was  a  good  man,  and  his  death 
was  deeply  mourned  bj'  his  family  and  friends. 
Mrs.    Dekum    was  married  a  second  time,  her  hus- 


band being  Nicholas  Sontag,  by  whom  she  had 
four  children,  as  follows:  Louis,  who  died  when 
a  child  of  three  years;  Emilj',  who  resides  on  the 
old  farm;  Edward,  a  carpenter,  residing  in  Bellv- 
ville;  and  Nicholas,  who  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead, and  is  married  to  Rosa  Davenroy.  Mrs. 
Sontag,  the  loved  and  revered  mother,  died  Oc- 
tober 28,  1882,  when  in  her  sixtieth  year.  ;ind  her 
loss  was  deeply  felt  throughout  the  entire  commu- 
nitv. 

Dominick  Dekum  was  l)firn  February  7,  1851, 
near  Centerville  Station,  St.  Clair  County,  111. 
He  was  reared  at  Birkner  Station,  and  was 
twenty-six  years  of  age  when  he  left  the  home 
that  sheltered  him  for  so  many  years  to  found  a 
hou.sehold  of  his  own.  At  Belleville,  April  17, 
1877,  he  married  Miss  Louis  .Schmisseur,  the  sister 
of  Frank  Schmisseur  (see  his  sketch),  and  the 
pleasant  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dekum  adjoins  the 
farm  of  Mr.  Schmisseur  on  the  east.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dekum  have  no  children.  The^-  are  well-known 
throughout  St.  Clair  Township,  and  their  hospita- 
ble dispositions  render  a  visit  to  their  home  an 
event  always  to  be  remembered  with  pleasure. 

Mr.  Dekum  carries  on  general  farming  and  has 
been  very  successful  in  agricultural  pursuits.  He 
has  never  desiied  office,  but  has  been  content  to 
use  his  inlluence  in  a  quiet  way,  upholding  the 
principles  of  the  Democratic  party  in  a  loyal  man- 
ner. In  I'eligious  matter-.  1h'  niid  his  wife  are 
members  of  the  Catholic  (  hunh  and  they  carry 
the  teachings  of  the  Divine  Master  into  their  daily 
walks  of  life,  making  all  who  know  them  respect 
the  faith  they  so  earnestly  uphold.  If  the  citizens 
of  Illinois  were  of  this  type,  our  State,  that  we  all 
love  so  dearly,  would  soon  .increase  in  prosperity 
tenfold. 


-^^m^m^^^-^^^^ 


I^REDRICK  VOCiEL.Si;.    The 
■^=^— ^  ican   citizens   form  a   ver}- 


(termaii-Amer- 
imporlant  elo- 
.i\  ment  in  the  population  of  St.  Clair  County, 

where  they  are  known  as  law-abiding  and  progres- 
sive men,  devoted  to  the  interests  of  their  adopted 


residence: OF  dominick  de  kum,sec.7.,5t.claif?  tp,st.clair  CO., ill. 


-^I'^-'HJ  v^W^    ^ 


'   #  li   A 


^4^t#-)^«^^^^_^ 


RFi^iDtiMCE  or  FRiEDRlCH     VO^^EL    .  "^C    o  t  ^  STOOKLr    TP  6"  CLaIR  CO  ,   lu 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


liome.  One  of  the  number  is  the  subject  of  this 
sketei),  who  is  a  successful  farmer,  owning  and 
operating  a  well-improved  tract  of  land  on  section 
.U,  Stookey  Township.  The  farm  is  one  of  the 
best  in  the  county,  the  improvements  first  class, 
and  the  soil  under  good  cultivation. 

The  parents  of  our  subject  were,  like  liiniself, 
natives  of  Germany,  and  were  by  name  t'onrad 
and  Christina  Yogel,  the  father  born  in  179fi,  and 
the  mother  in  1790.  The  former  was  reared  in 
a  German  village,  where  he  learned  the  trade  of  a 
tinner,  and  was  thus  occupied  until  he  came  to 
America  in  1833,  accompanied  by  his  family.  Ar' 
riving  in  St.  Louis  on  the  4th  of  July,  that  year, 
he  remained  there  only  a  few  weeks,  but  during 
his  short  stay  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  one  of 
his  chilclren  bj'  cholera,  which  was  r.aging  in  the 
city  at  that  time. 

Coming  to  St.  Clair  County,  Conrad  Yogel  pur- 
chased a  farm  of  eiglity  acres  in  Stookey  Town- 
ship, and  then  went  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa.,  where  he 
sojourned  a  few  months.  Returning  to  this  county, 
he  bought  two  hundred  acres  where  our  subject 
now  lives.  He  survived  his  wife  manj-  3'ears,  his 
death  occurring  in  1879,  at  an  advanced  age.  He 
was  identified  with  the  Lutheran  Church,  of  which 
his  wife  was  also  a  faithful  member.  Thev  were 
the  parents  of  three  children,  but  the  only  sur- 
vivor is  Fredrick,  who  was  born  in  (Germany  in 
1827. 

At  the  .age  of  six  ^-ears,  our  subject  accompanied 
his  parents  to  the  United  States,  and  grew  to  man- 
liood  in  this  country,  the  progress  of  which  he  has 
witnessed,  and  assisted  in  for  many  years.  When 
ready  to  establish  a  home  of  his  own,  he  was  mar- 
ried in  1849,  to  Miss  .Johanna,  daughter  of  .John 
Philip  and  Mary  Wirth,  and  unto  them  have  been 
born  nine  children,  four  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 
Tlic  following  is  noted  of  the  surviving  members 
iif  the  family:  Louis  married  Catherine  Miller,  and 
they  have  four  children,  viz:  Louisa,  Carrie,  Louis, 
.Ir.,  and  Edward;  Conrad  is  at  home;  Louisa  is  the 
wife  of  Benjamin  Zintg,  and  the  mother  of  two 
children,  Nettie  and  Conrad;  Fredrick  married 
Mary  Wirth,  and  they  have  three  children:  Freda, 
Matilda  and  Meda;  and  Emil  is  at  home. 

After  his  ma4riage,  Mr.  Yogel  rented  his  father's 


farm,  where  he  has  since  resided,  and  which  be- 
came his  property  upon  the  death  of  his  fathei-. 
Here  he  has  since  labored  in  tilling  the  soil  and 
harvesting  the  grain,  and  through  economy  and 
industry  has  become  well-to-'do  and  prosperous. 
He  is  not  particularly  interested  in  political  mat- 
ters, preferring  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  domestic 
life  to  public  affairs.  He  nevertheless  votes  the 
Republican  ticket,  and  upholds  its  principles  with 
(idelity.  In  his  religious  views,  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  Church,  and  the  cause  of  morality 
and  progress  finds  in  him  a  stanch  adherent. 


^p>}USTAY    J.    SCHEVE.     Among    the  promi- 
III ,— ;  uent  and   well-established   business  men  of 
^^^;y(^'    Mascoutah,  stands  the  name  of  Gustav   .7. 
Scheve,  who  has  been   engaged   in  the  real-estate 
business  in  this  city  since  1879.     This  business  im- 
mediatel}'  took  a  very  important  hold  upon  the 
community,  for  in  the  very  nature  of  things  it  was 
impossible  that  a  man  of  such  caliber  as  Mr.  Scheve 
could  engage  in  any  business   without  making  an 
indelible  impress   upon    the  favorable  opinion   of 
the  residents  and  business  men  of  the  locality.   His 
business  is  far-reaching  in  nature,  and  he  has  on 
!    his  list  many  choice  lots  for  investment.    In  insur- 
ance   matters    he   is   also  well    to  the   front,    for 
he   has  special  agencies  for  some  of    the  leading 
companies  of  the    United   States,  and  can  always 
quote  premiums  at  lowest  rates. 
1        In  1878,  our  subject  was  commissioned  Notary 
j    Public,  whicli  office  he  is  still  filling.     About  five 
years  ago  he  branched  out  into  the  b.anking  business, 
I    which  line  of  his  business  has  been  steadily  increas- 
I    ing,  and  he  is  now  having  an  office  and  bank  vault 
constructed,  which,  if  completed,  will  be  an   orna- 
ment  to  the  city,  and  one  of  the  safest  and  best 
arranged,  equipped  with  all  modern  improvements, 
including   safe    deposit    boxes,  etc.,  and,  judging 
from  the  well-merited  confidence  placed  in  him  by 
the  people  of  Mascoutah,  he  will  soon  enjo.y  one 
j    of  the  best  patronages  of  a  country  bank. 

Mr.  Scheve  was  born  in  Mascoutah  on  the    18th 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  September,  1846,  and  is  a  son  of  Julius  and 
Amelia  (Lang)  Scheve,  natives  of  Germany,  the 
father  born  in  Heidelberg,  and  the  motlier  in 
Soulhern  Prussia.  In  1833,  the  former  Inaved 
Neptune's  tender  mercies  and  crossed  to  America, 
landing  in  New  Orleans.  He  came  with  a  com- 
pany- of  3'oung  men,  and  settled  in  Shiloh  Valley, 
St.  Clair  County,  111.,  being  one  of  the  founders 
of  Lateiner  Settlement,  so  named  on  account  of 
tlie  number  of  students  located  there.  Mr.  Sclieve 
remained  there  until  1836,  when  he  returned  to 
his  native  country  to  settle  up  his  affairs  there. 
Wliile  there,  in  1839,  lie  was  married  to  Miss  Lang, 
and  in  1840  he  returned  to  his  adopted  country. 
He  and  his  wife  settled  near  Edwardsville,  where 
he  bought  land  and  was  actively  engaged  in  tilling 
the  soil.  In  1844,  he  came  to  Mascoutah,  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  and  was  engaged  in  merchandising, 
being  one  of  the  earliest  merchants.  This  business 
he  continued  until  1863,  when  he  sold  out  and  re- 
tired from  the  active  duties  of  life.  His  death  oc- 
curred on  the  6th  of  July,  1884,  at  the  age  of 
about  sixty-nine  years.  The  mother  passed  awa3' 
on  the  16tli  of  October,  1873,  when  about  sixty- 
four  years  of  age.  Both  died  in  Mascoutah.  The 
father  was  Postmaster  under  Lincoln,  and  held 
that  position  until  about  1868.  He  was  Township 
School  Treasurer  from  1856  until  1875,  and  also 
held  the  position  of  Notary  Public.  Formerly  a 
Whig  in  politics,  he  later  joined  the  Republican 
ranks,  and  was  a  stanch  advocate  of  that  party. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  our  subject,  Fred 
Scheve,  passed  his  entire  life  in  Germany,  as  did 
also  the  maternal  grandfather,  Jacob  Lang. 

The  original  of  this  notice  was  one  of  four  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Alvina,  Charles,  Fred  J.  and 
Gustav  J.  Alvina  was  born  in  Germany,  married 
Mr.  J.  P.  Postel,  and  is  the  mother  of  five  children. 
She  is  now  a  resident  of  Mascoutah,  111.  Charles 
was  born  in  Madison  County,  111.,  and  is  now  a 
widower.  He  has  two  sons,  and  was  the  first  vol- 
unteer to  offer  his  service  in  defense  of  his  coun- 
try, April  5.  1861,  from  Mascoutah.  During  the 
Civil  War,  he  enlisted  in  the  Ninth  Illinois  Infan- 
try, and  was  Second  Lieutenant  of  Company  C. 
He  was  wounded  at  Corinth  and  this  crippled  him 
for  life.     Fred  J.,   born    in    Madison   County,  111., 


married  Miss  Sophia  Scheurer,  and  for  many  years 
was  engaged  in  merchandising.  He  is  now  re- 
tired. During  the  war  he  enlisted  in  Company  C, 
Ninth  Illinois  Regiment,  and  was  in  active  service 
for  three  years.  He  was  cpiite  severely  wounded 
at  Shi  1  oh. 

Our  subject  received  the  advantages  of  a  good 
common-school  education,  and  subsequently  at- 
tended the  German  Institute  in  St.  Louis  for  two 
and  one-half  years.  He  was  educated  in  the  German 
language,  and  also  became  quite  proficient  in  the 
French  and  Englisli  languages.  Our  subject  was 
.but  fourteen  years  of  age  when  the  war  broke  out, 
and  this  interrupted  his  schooling  to  some  extent, 
for,  his  elder  brothers  liaving  enlisted,  he  came 
home  to  assist  his  father.  His  brother  Fred  came 
home  from  the  army  in  1864,  and  he  and  our  sub- 
ject conducted  the  store  until  1875,  and  in  1877 
embarked  in  the  lumber  business.  In  1879.  tlie 
latter  embarked  in  his  present  business,  real  estate 
and  insurance,  in  which  he  has  met  with  flattering 
success.  P'rom  1879  to  1886,  he  was  Justice  of  the 
Peace.  In  politics,  he  is  a  firm  Republican.  Mr. 
Scheve  was  married  on  the  10th  of  September, 
1877,  to  Miss  Emma  Dauber,  daughter  of  Louis 
D.  and  Elizabeth  (Merck)  Dauber,  and  a  native  of 
Mascoutah.  Her  parents  were  born  in  Germany, 
and  are  still  living.  Two  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scheve,  Louis  and  Elmer.  Mr. 
Scheve  is  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity,  and 
has  been  Secretarv  of  his  lodge  for  ten  years. 


^I(s;^@1^^^ 


J^  OHN  KNOBELOCH,of  Shiloh  Valley  Town- 
ship, where  he  resides  on  a  farm  situated 
on  section  26.,  was  born  in  1839,  on  the 
same  farm  where  he  now  lives.  He  is  a 
son  of  John  and  Elizabeth  (Hardy)  Knobeloch. 
The  father  was  born  in  Darmstadt,  (Germany,  in 
1809,  and  his  wife  in  Switzerland  in  1811.  Mr. 
Knobeloch  grew  to  manhood  in  his  native  coun- 
try, and  after  reaching  manhood,  learned  the  trade 
of  a  glazier.  Believing  that  better  opportunities 
were  afforded  to  young  men  of  energy  and  Indus- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


try  in  the  New  World,  be  accordingly  set  sail  for  ; 
the  United  States  in  1832.  He  located  in  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  and  then  sent  for  his  parents.  He 
returned  to  Baltimore,  where  he  met  them  on 
their  arrival,  and  brought  thcni  to  Illinois,  where 
they  made  a  settlement  on  the  farm  adjoining  the 
one  which  he  had  purchased.  For  about  one  year 
he  carried  on  farming  under  the  supervision  of  his 
father,  and  then  bought  land  of  his  own,  a  tract 
of  three  hundred  acies  in  St.  Clair  Count3',  and 
later,  two  hundred  acres  in   Washington    County. 

A  few  years  after  landing  in  America,  .John 
Knobeloch.  .Jr.,  married  Elizabeth  Hardy,  and  to 
them  were  born  four  children:  .John,  our  subject; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  Louis  Farrottet;  Harmon,  now  de- 
ceased; and  Elizabeth,  who  died  in  her  eighteenth 
year.  The  father  was  reared  a  Protestant  and  was 
a  member  of  the  IvUtheran  Church.  Politically, 
lie  was  a  Republican. 

Our  subject  passed  his  boyhood  on  his  fatiier's 
farm,  engaged  in  the  usual  pursuits  of  a  farmer  lad, 
and  received  such  limited  education  .as  could  be  ob- 
tained in  the  early  district  schools.  In  1869,  he 
married  Mar^'  Preiser,  daughter  of  ChristO[)her 
and  Mary  Preiser,  who  were  both  born  in  Ger- 
man^'.  Mrs.  Knobeloch  was  a  native  of  8t.  Clair 
County,  and  by  her  marriage  became  the  mother 
of  seven  children,  only  three  of  whom  are  living: 
Edith,  Caroline  and  Louisa.  After  his  wife's 
death,  our  subject  was  again  married,  this  lime  to 
Mary  Vollmer,  a  daughter  of  .Jacob  and  Mar.y 
Vollmer,  and  by  this  unitm  has  been  born  one 
child,  John  L. 

After  his  marriage,  our  subject  carried  on  a  farm 
for  two  years  in  company  with  his  brother-in-law. 
He  then  settled  on  his  present  farm,  wiiich  he  re- 
ceived from  his  fatiier  .and  which  now  comprises 
one  hundred  and  seventy-eight  acres.  He  has  a 
comfortable  home  and  commodious  farm  buildings 
and  his  property  bespeaks  the  care  and  attention 
which  the  owner  bestows  upon  it.  He  is  a  most 
successful  farmer,  and  has  all  the  latest  improve- 
ments and  machinery  necessary  to  the  tilling  of  a 
model  farm.  He  is  a  respected  and  highly  es- 
teemed citizen  of  this  county,  where  he  has  lived 
for  over  half  a  centur}'  and  where  he  was  among 
the  early  residents.     He  has  takeu  an   .active  part 


in  everything  which  has  developed  and  improved 
this  section  of  the  State,  and  in  consequence  is 
widely  and  favorably  known.  T..ike  his  father,  he 
easts  his  vote  for  the  nominees  of  the  Republican 
party.  His  comfortable  and  hospitable  home  is 
ever  open  to  his  many  friends,  among  whom  iie'is 
veiy  popular  as  a  man  of  wide  reading  and  general 
research. 


'iJ^RED   HELMS.     Among  the   prosperous  fai 


|i-^^  mers  on  the  lands  which  are  called  coal 
/il  lands  in  St.  Clair  County,  may  be  named 
the  subject  of  our  sketch,  who  lives  on  survey  382. 
claim  350,  Smithton  Township.  He  was  the  son 
of  Henry  Helms,  who  was  a  native  of  Germany, 
where  he  was  married  to  Dorothea  Bruns,  the 
daughter  of  Conrad  Bruns,  a  farmer  and  distiller 
of  Germany.  Henry  Helms,  the  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, came  to  this  covintrj'  with  considerable  money 
and  settled  at  Turkey  Hill  in  this  county,  where 
he  bought  land  in  March,  1853.  He  died  five 
3'ears  later  and  left  a  family  of  five  children,  four 
of  whom  are  living  now.  They  are  Mary,  Au- 
gusta, our  subject  and  Nancy.  The  mother  of  our 
subject  is  still  living  at  the  old  homestead  in  tlii> 
county,  at  the  age  of  eighty-three  years. 

Mr.  Helms  of  this  notice  was  born  in  1843,  in 
Hanover,  Germany,  and  he  was  ten  years  old  when 
he  came  to  this  country.  He  attended  both  the 
public  and  private  schools  in  Illinois  and  made 
his  home  with  his  mother  until  he  desired  to  make 
a  home  for  himself.  The  lady  of  his  choice  was 
Miss  Melissa  Shook  and  she  was  the  daughter  of 
Samuel  Shook,  a  farmer  of  this  county.  After  his 
marriage,  he  took  his  wife  to  the  old  home,  remain- 
ing there  until  1866,  when  he  moved  to  the  farm, 
where  he  now  lives.  He  has  grown  to  be  quite  a  land- 
owner, having  about  four  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  land  here  and  one  hundred  and  twenty  in  Eree- 
burg  Township.  He  has  a  beautiful  home  on  his 
place,  which  he  built  in  1877,  and  the  large  and 
commodious  barn  was  built  in  1871!.  He  engages  in 


f)20 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


general  fanning  and  stock-raising.  Mr.  Helms  has 
had  eight  children,  of  whom  seven  are  now  living, 
and  tliej-  are  George  H.,  who  is  on  his  father's 
farm;  Edward  S.,  Herman  L.,  Mary  Ann,  Maggie, 
Walter  and  Julius  are  at  the  lionie  with  their  fa- 
ther. 

Our  subject  is  a  very  active  member  of  the 
Grange  and  has  held  several  prominent  ollices  in 
it.  He  was  one  of  the  charter  members  of 
Turke^^  Hill  Grange  No.  1370.  He  lost  his  be- 
loved wife  October  16,  1888,  and  her  memory  is 
very  precious  to  the  family.  Politically,  Mr.  Helms 
is  a  Democrat  and  upholds  the  principles  of  his 
party  on  every  necessary  occasion.  He  has  been 
School  Director  of  his  district  and  takes  great  in- 
terest in  school  matters,  and  enjoys  the  confidence 
and  regard  not  only  of  his  own  large  family,  but 
of  the  whole  neighborhood.  Much  of  the  land  of 
his  farm  is  valuable  coal  land,  but  lie  has  never 
operated  it  himself,  preferring  to  le.asc  it. 


!^+^[ 


,*yi\  RS.  AMANDA  M(  FARLAND.  One  of 
ij!  IV  the  best-known  residents  of  St.  Clair 
I'  *  Township  is  the  lady  whose  name  opens 
^  this  sketch.     She  was  born  September  14, 

1H2(),  and  has  long  been  an  honored  resident  here, 
and  there  are  sorrowful  events  in  her  life  vvhich 
have  made  her  more  prominent  in  the  neighbor- 
hood than  are  many  of  her  age  and  acquaintance. 
It  is  a  pleasure  to  the  biographer  to  be  permitted 
to  give  an  outline  of  her  life,  as  in  time  of  afflic- 
tion it  may  be  an  incentive  to  others  to  bravely 
l)ear  and  suffer  with  Christian  resignation. 

The  Rev.  David  McFarland,  husband  of  our  sub- 
ject, was  a  native  of  Knox  County,  Ohio,  and  came 
to  Illinois  and  settled  in  St.  Clair  Count}' before  the 
Civil  War.  Mrs.  McFarland  is  the  daughter  of  Sarah 
and  Samuel  Beedle,  who  were  natives  of  Ohio. 
Slie  was  born  in  Ridge  Prairie,  St.  Clair  County, 
wiiere  her  marriage  was  solemnized  at  her  fatiier's 
residence  in  1836,  and  about  five  years  later  her  hus- 
l)and  felt  the  call  to  declare  the  Gospel  and  began 
preaching.      His    work    w.as    [)rincipally'  in    tliose 


days  and  in  that  section  a  labor  of  love,  and  he 
continued  farming  as  an  occupation. 

When  the  call  came  for  troops  after  the  fall  of 
Ft.  Sumter,  Capt.  McFarland,  for  such  he  became, 
left  iiis  church,  and  as  he  considered  it  a  patriot's 
duty,  went  into  the  army  for  the  defense  of  his 
country.  He  enlisted  in  Company  I,  of  tlie  One 
Hundred  and  Seventeenth  Illinois  Infantry,  and 
left  his  home  May  4,  1862.  Ill  health  compelled 
him  to  return  home  on  a  furlough,  and  perhaps  if 
he  could  have  been  less  patriotic,  the  following 
sad  memoir  migiit  not  have  been  written.  He  re- 
turned to  his  regiment  only  to  succumb,  and  his 
valued  life  ended  in  Alexandria,  La.,  at  the  age  of 
flfty-two  years.  He  was  lamented  by  all,  and 
many  were  the  expressions  of  condolence  which 
his  widow  received  to  assuage  her  grief.  After 
the  first  shock,  slie  rallied  and  set  an  example  of 
patriotic  self-sacrifice,  which  we  can  only  regard  as 
heroic.  With  the  death  of  her  husband,  our  sub- 
ject's cup  of  sorrow  had  not  yet  been  filled  to  tlie 
brim.  Her  bright,  brave,  first-born,  Albert,  who 
was  born  February  16,  1844,  left  his  mother,  and, 
too  young  for  a  soldier,  went  into  his  father's 
company  as  a  drummer.  His  young  life  was 
sacrificed  also,  as  he  died  from  disease  contracted 
in  tlie  hard  life  and  exposure,  in  April,  1864. 

Mrs.  McFarland's  second  son,  James,  was  born 
in  1846,  and  married  Miss  Caroline  Hauser.  He 
lives  in  Kansas  City,  where  he  is  a  merchant,  and 
has  a  family  of  six  children.  Charles  was  born 
in  18r)5,  and  married  Lucy  Bigole.  He  is  an 
electrician  and  resides  in  AVarrensburg,  Mo.,  and 
has  an  interesting  familj'  of  four  children.  Sam- 
uel was  born  in  1857,  and  lives  at  LaCynge,  Kan., 
where  he  is  a  farmer.  He  married  Sarah  Bonier, 
and  is  the  father  of  two  children.  Mary  Flor- 
ence, who  was  born  October  9,  1853,  is  the  widow 
of  Edwin  Moore,  and  resides  in  Warrensburg. 
Carrie  was  born  December  12,  1860.  She  became 
the  wife  of  John  Adams,  who  is  employed  on  the 
railroad,  and  is  the  mother  of  one  ciiild;  their  home 
is  in  Pueblo,  Colo.  David  and  Wallace,  twins, 
were  born  April  10,  1862. 

Mr.  McFarland  politically  was  a  Republican, 
and  iiis  loyalty  was  so  intense  that  he  could  not 
restrain    himself    from   trying  to  defend   his  conn- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


623 


tiy.  His  sorrowing  widow  sympathized  with  him 
and  even  now  feels  tliat  the  saciifices  that  she  has 
made  were  right,  and  that  only  by  sacrifices  was 
the  l^nion  preserved.  She  is  one  of  the  large 
l.and-owners  of  this  section,  having  two  hundred 
and  fort^y  acres  on  section  1,  and  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  comfortable  residences  in  the  county. 
She  moved  into  this  home  in  1860,  and  here  dis- 
penses hospitality  to  her  family  and  friends;  in 
the    latter    rihc    can    count    the    wliole    neighbor- 


/^nHARLES  R.  DAKE,  M.  1).  The  city  of 
[l(  Belleville    is  not    behind    other    places    of 

N^<'  similar  size  in  the  number  of  skillful  phy- 
sicians who  there  reside,  and  among  those  who 
have  become  well  and  favorably  known  may 
be  mentioned  the  gentleman  whose  name  intro- 
duces this  sketch.  He  is  a  representative  of  the 
homeopathic  school  and  has  a  large  and  lucrative 
practice  in  the  eommunitj'.  It  may  be  said  of 
him  as  something  worthy  of  note,  that  his  pa- 
ternal ancestors  for  four  generations  have  been 
members  of  the  medical  profession,  and  in  every 
generation  since  all  the  male  members  of  the  family' 
in  direct  line  have  been  physicians.  By  inheritance, 
therefore,  as  well  as  by  natural  ability,  he  is 
adapted  to  his  chosen  profession. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Dr.  I).  M.  Dake,  was 
born  at  Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  in  1814.  He  was 
graduated  from  Castleton  University,  in  Vermont, 
then  the  leading  medical  .school  of  the  East,  and 
commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession  in  New 
York  State,  where  he  continued  for  ten  years. 
In  1845,  he  became  a  convert  to  homeopathy, 
which  he  afterward  practiced  with  great  skill  and 
success.  In  1847,  he  removed  to  Pittsburgh,  Pa., 
and  there  continued  until  he  retired  from  active 
practice.  He  was  widely  known  as  a  man  of  ver- 
satility of  talents  and  professional  knowledge,  and 
was  offered  a  professorship  in  a  Philadelphia  col- 
lege, but  was  unable  to  accept.  Religiously,  he 
was  a  meiiiber  uf  the   HapLisI   Church.     For  many 


years  he  was  identified  with  the  Masonic  frater- 
nity, of  which  he  was  an  influential  member. 

In  1835  occurred  the  marriage  of  Dr.  D.  M. 
Dake  and  Miss  Mary  Manuel,  who  was  born  in 
England.  They  became  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Theresa  A.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Dr. 
F.  W.  Skiles,  a  retired  physician,  formerly  of  Brook- 
lyn, N.  Y.,  but  now  of  Suffolk,  Va.;  Julia  E., 
the  wife  of  E.  P.  Casterline,  who  is  a  resident  of 
San  Franciscoand  an  extensive  miner  of  California; 
Mary  E.,  who  married  Frank  Eaton,  a  merchant 
of  I)e  Funiak  Springs,  Fla.;  Grace,  who  died  in  San 
Francisco  in  1887;  our  subject,  who  is  the  only  son 
in  the  family.  The  father  passed  from  earth  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1891.  His  wife  still  survives  him  and 
finds  a  congenial  liome  with  her  daughter  in  Flor- 
ida. All  of  Dr.  D.  M.  Dake's  brothers,  three  in 
number,  were  physicians;  but  only  one  now  sur- 
vives. Dr.  .1.  P.  Dake,  of  Nashville,  Tenn.,  who  is 
at  the  head  of  llie  homeopatliic  school  in  the 
United  States. 

The  subject  of  this  notice  was  born  in  Pitts- 
burgh, Pa.,  December  22,  1849.  His  education 
was  commenced  under  a  private  tutor  at  home 
and  was  afterward  carried  on  at  the  Western  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.  After  his  return  from 
college,  in  1868,  he  began  the  study  of  medicim- 
under  the  direction  of  his  father  and  Dr.  Skiles. 
his  brother-in-law.  Later,  he  entered  the  College 
of  Physicians  and  Surgeons  at  New  York  Citv, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1873.  After 
spending  some  months  in  visiting  hospitals,  etc., 
he  came  to  Belleville  in  December,  1873,  and 
opened  an  office  for  the  practice  of  his  profession. 
He  was  honored  by  a  call  to  fill  the  Chair  of 
Chemistry  in  the  Homeopathic  College  at  St.  Louis, 
but  his  practice  had  already  assumed  dimensions 
that  seemed  to  him  to  preclude  acceptance. 

In  his  medical  views,  Dr.  Dake  is  very  liberal 
and  does  not  feel  bound  down  to  any  school, 
cither  in  theory  or  pr.actice,  although  he  is  con- 
sidered a  homeopathist.  From  the  nature  of  the 
climate  and  the  prevalence  of  diseases  of  the  lungs 
and  throat,  as  well  as  of  the  ear,  and  catarrhal 
diseases  in  general,  he  has  devoted  considerable 
attention  to  their  study  and  has  established  a  very 
large  practice  along  those  lines.     Twice  he  studied 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


in  the  hospitals  of  New  York  under  specialists  in 
these  branches,  and  he  has  all  the  latest  appliances 
for  the  treatment  of  these  dangerous  maladies. 
His  services  are  often  called  into  requisition  as  a 
writer  foi  current  medical  publications,  and  he 
takes  a  deep  interest  in  literary  matters  in  gen- 
eral. His  office  is  in  his  residence  on  tiie  corner 
of  High  and  Fifth  Streets. 

Tiic  home  life  of  Dr.  Dake  affords  a  pleasant 
relaxation  from  his  professional  duties.  The  lady 
whom  he  married  Sejitember  12.  1872,  was  Miss 
Eugenia  Swyer,  born  in  Helleville  October  2,  18.55. 
Her  father,  David  Swyer,  w.as  one  of  the  older 
residents  of  this  city,  where  he  died  in  1884.  Tiie 
Doctor  and  his  wife  have  two  children.  May  T. 
and  Eugenia  Grace.  In  national  affairs,  Dr.  Dake 
has  been  a  Republican,  but  is  not  a  strict  partisan 
and  has  never  sought  an  office.  At  all  times  and 
on  all  occasi  ns  it  is  his  aim  to  do  what  he  con- 
siders his  dutv  as  a  citizen. 


f 


ACOB  FRIES,  who  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stock-raising  on  section  31 
F^ngelman  Township,  was  born  on  the  22d 
vg/  of  Seplemljer,  18;i3,  about  three  miles  west 
of  Maseoutah.  His  father,  John  Fries,  one  of  the 
early  settlers  of  the  county,  is  now  a  resident  of  Mas- 
eoutah. Of  the  family  three  sous  are  living:  our  sub- 
ject; Dr.  William  A.,  a  practicing  physician  of  St. 
Louis;  and  Dr.  .lohn  A.,  a  dentist  of  the  same  city. 
AVhen  our  subject  was  about  ten  years  of  age  his 
parents  removed  to  the  farm  where  he  now  resides. 
There  ho  was  reared  to  manhood,  spending  his 
boyhood  days  in  the  usual  manner  of  farmer 
lads.  He  was  educated  in  the  district  schools  of 
the  neighborhood,  which  he  attended  during  tlie 
winter  season,  while  in  the  summer  months  he 
worked  in  the  fields.  He  remained  at  home  until 
his  marriage,  which  was  celebrated  on  the  21st  of 
February,  1879,  Miss  Elizabeth  Freivogel  becom- 
ing his  wife.  Her  father.  Christian  Frievogel,  w.as 
Djje  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  St,   Clair   County, 


and  now  resides  in  Engelman  Township.  Unto 
Mr.  and  Mrs.' Fries  have  been  born  six  children, 
two  of  whom  are  yet  living,  but  the  sons  are  all 
deceased,  Julius,  Walter,  Oscar  and  Edmund;  Hild;i 
and  Emma  are  still  with  their  parents. 

After  his  marriage,  Mr.  Fries  located  upon  his 
farm  in  F'reeburg  Township,  wlieie  he  resided 
for  a  period  of  eight  years.  He  then  removed 
to  the  farm  which  is  now  his  home,  and  has 
resided  thei-eon  continuously  since.  He  owns 
one  hundred  and  forty-six  acres  of  valualile  land 
in  Freeburg  and  Engleman  Townships  all  well  im- 
proved and  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation. 
He  raises  wheat,  corn  and  potatoes  and  is  also  en- 
g.aged  in  stock-raising.  He  is  an  enterprising  and 
industrious  farmer,  who  has  steadily  worked  his 
way  upward  by  his  own  efforts  and  won  a  well- 
deserved  success  as  the  result  of  his  industrious 
laliors. 

Mr.  Fries  holds  membership   with  the   Indepen- 
dent Order  of  Mutual  Aid  of  Maseoutah.     In  pol- 
I   itics  he  is  a  Republican  but  is  not  strictly  partisan, 
i   holding  himself  free  to  support  the  man  whom  he 
I   thinks  best  qualified  to   fill   the   offices.     He    has 
been    School  Trustee  of   the    township   and    also 


School  Director.  He  faithfully  discharges  every 
duty  devolving  upon  him  and  is  a  public-spirited 
and  progressive  citizen,  who  manifests  a  commen- 
dable interest  in  all  that  pertains  to  the  welfare 
and  upbuilding  of  the  community.  His  life  has 
been  well  and  worthily  passed  and  the  community 
in  which  he  has  long  made  his  home  holds  him  iu 
hisrh  esteem. 


^fT^EKDINAXD  WILDGRUBE,  a  prosperous 
'f^(g]  and  enei-getic  agriculturist  of  St.  Clair 
•'    ~      County.  111.,  for  the  past  twenty-four  years 


vn  as  an  excellent  citizen,  indus- 
ht  in  character,  now  resides  upon 
a  valualtle  farm  located  upon  section  9,  Marissa 
Township.  Our  subject  was  born  in  Prussia,  in 
1837.  His  parents,  (iodfiey  .and  Elizabeth  (Kean) 
Wildgrubc.   were  also  natives  of  Prussia,  and  al- 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


625 


though  in  moderate  circumstances,  gave  to  their 
children  all  the  advantages  thej'  could  afford,  and 
wisely  trained  them  in  the  habits  of  industry, 
wliich  later  became  their  capital  in  life. 

Beginning  the  struggle  of  existence  in  boyhood, 
Mr.  Wildgrube  grew  up  self-reliant,  manly  and 
encigetic,  and  was  well  fitted  to  make  his  own 
way  in  the  world.  In  1868,  he  finally  deter- 
mined to  emigrate  to  America,  where  he  flrmly  be- 
lieved there  were  greater  opportunities  for  the  ad- 
vancement of  a  young  and  resolute  man.  Cross- 
ing the  broad  ocean,  he  was  safely  landed  upon 
our  shores,  and  journeying  to  Illinois,  was  soon  at 
home  in  St.  Clair  County,  arriving  in  this  portion 
of  the  country  .July  26,  1868.  Sepairated  from  his 
parents  and  the  associations  of  his  youthful  days, 
lie  entered  into  the  marriage  relation,  founding 
for  himself  a  home  and  family  in  his  adopted  land, 
llis  highly-esteemed  wife  was  Miss  Wilhelinina 
Bashman,  a  native  of  Prussia,  Germany,  who  came 
to  the  United  States  man}'  years  ago. 

Possessing  no  capital  to  invest  in  |)roperty  or 
business,  the  first  few  years  of  our  subject's  resi- 
dence in  America,  he  was  obliged  to  work  out  by 
the  day,  week,  month  or  year.  Giving  ever  faith- 
ful and  conscientious  service  to  his  employers,  he 
was  never  idle,  and  frugally  laid  aside  a  small 
amount,  which  in  time  gave  him  a  start  in  life. 
His  excellent  wife  has  proved  a  helpmate  indeed, 
and  together  they  have  accumulated  some  good 
property,  and  now  own  a  fine  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  acres,  all  under  a  high  state  of 
improvement.  Patiently  cultivating  the  soil  of 
the  homestead  year  after  3'ear,  Mr.  Wildgrube 
annually  reaps  a  harvest,  whose  abundant  returns 
is  the  reward  of  intelligent  and  persistent  effort. 
The  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wildgrube 
has  been  blessed  by  the  presence  of  five  bright 
and  intelligent  children,  who  are  enjoying  the  ex- 
cellent educational  advantages  of  their  neigh- 
borhood, and  who  will  receive  from  their  parents 
the  training  which  will  make  of  them  useful  and 
law-abiding  citizens,  worthy  of  all  respect  and 
honor. 

Mr.  and  Mis.  Wildgrube  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  Church,  and  are  ever  leady  to  .assist  in 
the  support  and  good  work  of  this  religious  organ- 


ization. Our  subject  is  in  political  aflflliation,  a 
strong  Democrat,  and  firmly  believes  in  the  princi- 
ples of  the  party  which  receives  his  vote.  Never 
a  politician  in  the  usual  acceptation  of  the  term, 
Mr.  Wildgrube  takes  an  active  interest  in  the 
local  and  National  management  of  affairs,  and  al- 
ways may  be  found  upon  the  side  of  liglil  and 
justice.  Honorable  and  upright  in  all  his  huslnes-s 
dealings,  a  true  friend  and  kind  neighbor,  oiu-  sub- 
ject has  a  large  circle  of  warm  friends. 


]^V  AVID  C.  MARSH,  a  prominent  and  success- 
I  )j)  ful  business  man  and  enterprising  Alder- 
(^^^'  man  from  the  Second  Ward  of  the  city 
of  East  St.  Louis,  is  one  of  the  most  ener- 
getic and  progressive  citizens  of  St.  Clair  County, 
III.,  and  is  widely  known  and  highly  esteemed  for 
his  excellent  qualities  of  head  and  heart.  Our 
subject  was  born  in  Kallston,  Beaver  County,  Pa., 
May  2,  1828.  His  father,  David  C.  Marsh,  was 
born  in  Cattaraugus  County,  N.  Y.,  in  1797,  and, 
as  a  mechanic,  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  his 
father,  who  was  a  manufacturer  of  scythes  and 
other  farming  implements.  The  paternal  grand- 
father, a  brave  and  resolute  man,  served  with 
courage  and  fidelity  in  the  War  of  the  Revolution. 

David  F.  Marsh  variously  engaged  in  different 
enterprises,  and  at -one  time  owned  a  grist  and 
saw  mill.  He  was  a  man  of  ability,  and  early  in 
life  started  for  the  Far  West  with  his  family  and 
a  two-horse  wagon,  but  circumstances  induced  him 
to  return  to  Pittsburgh.  The  mother  of  our  sub- 
ject was  Calispa  Carpenter,  who  was  born  in  Mass- 
.achusetts  in  1797,  and  was  of  (Tcrman  descent. 
Her  father  also  served  in  the  Revolutionary  War, 
and  was  honored  by  all  who  knew  him.  Mrs. 
Calispa  (Carpenter)  Marsh  was  a  well-educated 
lady  and  taught  school  when  young.  She  died  in 
McKeesport,  near  Pittsburgh,  in  April,  188.3,  hav- 
ing survived  her  husband,  who  died  in  1866,  sev- 
enteen years.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church, and  a  lady  of  culture  and  refinement. 

David  C,  Marsh  was  one  of  a  family  of  seven 


626 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


children,  four  sons  and  three  daughters,  six  of 
whom  lived  to  adult  age.  John  died  in  McKees- 
port,  and  had  served  in  the  army  as  Drum  Major, 
lemaining  in  the  First  Artillery  of  Pennsylvania 
until  the  close  of  tlie  war.  Laura  J.  is  Mrs.  Mil- 
ler, of  McKeesport,  Pa.;  Mary  A.  Haas  is  a  wealthy 
widow  and  extensive  ranch-owner,  living  in  Tu- 
lare County,  Cal.;  George  died  when  young;  Eliza, 
Mrs.  Maj.  Barclay,  resides  in  .Johnstown;  Theo- 
dore is  located  upon  a  ranch  in  Tulare  County, 
C.al.  The  latter  served  in  tiie  late  Civil  War,  en- 
listing in  the  Sixty-second  Pennsylvania  Infantry, 
and  was  under  the  command  of  Gen.  Black.  Con- 
stantlj-  exposed  to  danger,  he  was  Anally  wounded 
in  the  rigiit  thigh,  in  a  close  engagement  with  the 
enemy,  and  was  afterward  captured  and  held  a 
prisoner  in  Andersonville. 

Our  subject  was  reared  mostly  in  Pittsburgh,  and 
attended  the  public  schools,  having  the  advantage 
of  six  years  of  study  in  this  city  and  in  Peters' 
Creek,  where  his  parents  resided  for  a  time.  Be- 
ginning the  active  labor  of  life,  Mr.  Marsh  worked 
in  the  Kingston  Iron  Works,  and  remained  in  this 
business  for  some  years,  afterward  engaging  in 
flat-boating  on  the  Ohio,  floating  coal  down  to 
New  Orleans  and  returning  by  a  steamer.  He 
made  five  or  six  trips  in  the  spring,  working  in 
the  mills  at  other  times.  In  1853,  he  came  to  St. 
Louis  and  worked  in  tlie  Schoate,  Homson  Ar  Valley 
Rolling  Mills,  and  was  there  occup^'ing  the  posi- 
tion of  foreman  until  1878,  when  he  started  in 
the  business  of  manufacturing  patent  albums.  In 
1880,  he  was  engaged  by  Mr.  Meyseirberg,  who 
came  after  him,  to  work  in  the  Tudor  Iron  Works, 
in  East  St.  Louis, and  he  has  been  steadily  employed 
here  ever  since,  having  full  charge  of  a  set  of 
rolls.  :Mr.  Marsh  is  the  oldest  iron  worker  in  the 
mills,  and  is  a  liighly-valued  employe.  Our  sub- 
ject was  married  in  Crawford  County,  Mo.,  in 
1857,  to  Miss  Fannie  Cavcnaii,  who  was  born  in 
Hermann,  Mo.  Her  parents  were  early  settlers  of 
that  State  and  highly  respected.  Mr.  and  :Mrs. 
Marsh  are  the  parents  <if  tiiree  living  children; 
David  S.  is  the  City  Oil  Inspector;  James  T.  died 
at  the  age  of  twenty-four  years;  John  is  a  book- 
keeper at  the  stock  yards,  and  William  A.  is  em- 
ployed in  the  Tu.lor  Mills. 


While  in  St.  Louis,  Mr.  Marsh  served  six  years 
on  the  Mulanphy  Board  of  Philanthrophy.  In 
1887,  our  subject  was  elected  Alderniau  from  the 
First  AVard,  now  the  Second.  Twice  re-elected, 
Mr.  Marsh  is  serving  with  intelligent  ability  his 
third  term  of  office,  and,  being  upon  various  im- 
portant committees,  has  signally  distinguished  him- 
self by  the  efficient  manner  in  which  he  has  han- 
dled numerous  difficulties  and  disposed  of  matters 
of  interest  to  the  goneial  piililic.  Earnest,  ener- 
getic and  public-spirited,  he  li.is  been  a  leading 
factor  in  the  upbuilding  and  local  improvements 
of  East  St.  Louis,  and  has  won  the  esteem  and 
confidence  of  all  his  constituents  and  co-workers. 
Our  subject  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Second  Loan 
Association,  and  is  one  of  the  Appraising  Commit- 
tee. He  IS,  fraternally,  a  member  of  Mt.  Mona 
Lodge.  A.  ¥.  k  A.  M.,  St.  Louis,  Past  Master  of  Belle- 
fontaine  Chapter,  R.  A.M.,  St.  Louis;  ex-Excellent 
King  of  Tancred  Commandery  No.  50,  K.  T.,  Belle- 
ville; and  is  also  a  member  of  Olive  Branch  Lodge, 
K.  of  II..  St.  Louis.  In  political  affiliations,  Mr. 
Marsh  is  an  active  Democrat,  deeply  interested  in 
both  National  and  local  affairs,  and,  as  a  true 
American  citizen,  gives  his  best  efforts  in  liehalf 
of  progress  and  reform. 


"|TP^,OBERT  II.  HAMILTON.  1  n  all  the  broad 
jl!^  expanse  of  the  Prairie  State  there  is  no 
A\  \y  county  which  affords  sustenance  to  .'i 
\^  greater  number  of  agriculturists  than  this, 
whose  productive  soil,  commercial  facilities  and 
advanced  development  make  it  pre-eminentlj'  the 
farmer's  home.  One  of  its  comfortable  and  attrac- 
tive abodes  is  that  of  the  subject  of  this  notice, 
who  occupies  a  good  estate,  comprising  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty-three  acres  pleasantly  located  on 
section  28,  .Marissa  Townshi(). 

-lohn  and  Sarah  (Elder)  Hamilton,  the  parents 
of  our  subject,  were  natives  of  S.  *h  Carolina, 
where  also  the  grandparents.  Robert  and  Margaret 
(Ross)  llaniilton.  were  born,  and   w^.rc  of  Scotch- 


POETRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD, 


Irish  descent.  As  the  means  for  obtaining  an  edu- 
cation were  verj'  limited  in  an  early  day  in  North 
Carolina,  the  father  of  our  subject  attended  such 
schools  as  the  locality  afforded,  which  were  very 
pool.  He  was  reared  to  farm  pursuits,  and  when 
starting  out  in  life  for  himself  was  married  in  his 
native  State,  and  in  1831  came  to  Sparta,  Randolph 
County,  this  State,  where  he  made  his  home  for 
two  years  and  then  became  identified  with  the  in- 
terests of  St.  Clair  County.  He  came  to  this  State 
with  just  enough  money  to  make  the  journey,  and 
entering  two  hundred  acres  of  land  from  the  Gov- 
ernment added  to  it  from  time  to  time  until  at  his 
death  he  owned  nearly  four  hundred  broad  and 
valuable  acres,  which  he  developed  and  supplied 
with  substantial  improvements,  making  it  one  of 
the  most  desirable  estates  in  the  county.  To  the 
occupation  of  a  farmer  he  added  that  of  a  stock- 
laiser  and  had  on  his  place  many  head  of  fine 
animals.  He  departed  this  life  in  1876,  having 
been  preceded  to  the  better  land  by  his  wife,  who 
died  in  1870.  In  politics,  he  was  a  stanch  Demo- 
crat for  many  years  but  attaclied  himself  to  the 
Republican  party  some  years  i>rior  to  liis  death. 
His  principles  were  above  reproach,  and  in  him  the 
United  Presbyterian  Church  found  one  of  its  most 
sincere  and  upright  members. 

Robert  H.  Hamilton  was  born  in  Chester  County, 
S.  C,  in  182G,  and  his  successful  and  useful  life 
reflects  credit  upon  his  early  training.  He  gained 
his  education  in  the  schools  of  his  neighborhood, 
and  in  1851  was  married  to  Miss  Lucy  A.,  daugh- 
ter of  Moses  and  Lucy  (Henderson)  Tiiompson,  who 
were  early  pioneers  of  this  county  but  were  born 
in  South  Carolina.  Moses  Thompson  followed  the 
occupations  of  a  blacksmith  and  farmer  and  suc- 
ceeded fairly  well  in  worldly  affairs.  He  was  a  son 
of  Archibald  and  Mary  (McBride)  Tiiompson,  who, 
like  him,  were  born  in  South  Carolina, of  Irish  par- 
ents, and  came  to  Illinois  in  the  early  part  of  the 
nineteenth  ceutuiy. 

Immediately  nfter  his  marriage,  our  suhjcci  lo- 
cated upon  his  present  farm  and  now  occupies  the 
front  rank  among  the  progressive  and  prosperous 
agriculturists  of  Marissa  Township.  By  his  union 
with  Miss  Thompson  have  lieeii  horn  .seven  chil- 
dren, viz.:  Sjirnh  .1..  Ihc  wife  of  Kolicit  .McCii.uiit ; 
29 


Lucy  E.,  the  wife  of  James  White;  John  T.;  Mary 
IL,  Mrs.  John  Church;  Roberts.,  Martin  M.  and 
Anna  M\rtle.  Mr.  Hamilton  is  deeply  interested 
in  the  welfare  of  his  children  and  is  therefore 
ready  to  bear  a  part  in  all  those  movements  which 
will  enhance  the  material,  educational  and  the 
moral  prosperity  of  the  nation.  They  have  all 
been  given  the  best  advantages  for  obtaining  an 
education,  several  of  them  being  graduates  of  some 
of  the  best  colleges  in  the  State.  His  political 
affiliation  is  with  the  Prohibition  party  and  in  re- 
ligious affairs  he  is  an  active  member  of  the  United 
Presbvterian  Church. 


^i^iN"Ni^^#i^ 


|IL_^ENRY  C.  WILLIAMS.  The  leading  liv- 
Wlr  ®'T'ii=i"<^f  Belleville  is  the  gentleman  whose 
J)^^  name  heads  this  sketch.  He  was  born  here 
^  March  25,  1844,  his  father,  \'olney  L.  Will- 
iams, having  come  to  Belleville  in  1837.  The  lat- 
ter was  born  in  Smyrna,  Del.,  in  1811,  and  was 
engaged  there  as  a  carriage  manufacturer.  He  es- 
tablished a  manufactory  at  the  corner  of  Race  and 
Main  Streets,  Belleville,  and  continued  there  for 
thirty-five  years,  or  until  his  death,  at  which  time 
the  business  had  gi'own  to  very  extensive   propor- 

j    tions. 

Tlie  mother  of  our  subject  bore  the  maiden  name 
of  jNIartha  Penn,  and  is  a  sister  of  Joseph  Penn,of 
whom    ^ee    biography.     She    resides   at    Lincoln, 

,    Logan   County,  111.     Of   her  eight  children,  only 
two  are  now  living,  our  subject   and   Lewis  Mar- 

lleiuy  C.  was  educated   in    Belleville,  and   there 

learned  the  trade  of  a  carriage-maker  with  his  father, 

and  followed  that  occupation  for  some  time.    When 

twenty-one  years  old,  he    started   out   for  himself, 

and  soon  afterwaid  Iniilt  ;l  Mock  two  stories  high, 

[    SO.kKIU  feet.     Onc-li.-ilf  of  the  l.uilding  is   used  as 

;    a  carriage  manufactory,  while  the  other  is  utilized 

I   as  a  livery,  the  latter  having  been  added  in    1870. 

1   He  continued  in  the  carriage  business    until    1890 

when    he   sold    to   the    Ik'llevilic   Carriage   Works, 


fi30 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


He  has  fine  accommodations  for  feeding  a  great 
many  horses,  and  keeps  a  hack  line  and  many  horses 
and  carriages  for  hire.  January  19,  1892,  a  stock 
company  was  formed  with  a  capital  stock  of  $5,000, 
of  which  our  subject  is  President  and  general 
manager. 

February  14.  1865,  Henry  C.  Williams  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Mrs.  Fannie  Stookey,  who 
was  born  August  14,  1847.  Their  five  living  chil- 
dren are:  Nellie,  born  February  14.  1866;  Lillie 
Gladys.  September  24,  1869;  Laura  M.,  November 
10,1871;  Henry  James,  August  9,  1874;  and  Elsie 
Moore,  January  25,  1881.  The  one  deceased  was 
born  October  29,  1878,  and  died  in  childhood.  The 
home  of  the  family  is  one  of  the  finest  residences 
of  Belleville,  and  is  located  on  East  A  Street.  The 
residence  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Williams  in  1890, 
and  has  been  finely  furnished  and  equipped 
throughout.  Surrounding  it  is  a  beautiful  lawn, 
consisting  of  seven  lots,  all  neatly  laid  out. 

Mr.  Williams  may  justly  be  proud  of  tlie  suc- 
cess which  has  rewarded  his  efforts,  for  it  is  the  re- 
sult of  his  unaided  exertions  and  has  been  brought 
about  bj^  keen  business  discrimination  and  un- 
flagging energy.  In  addition  to  the  business 
above  mentioned,  he  has  a  second  livery  stable 
which  lie  rents,  and  also  has  a  branch  livery  stable 
at  Lebanon,  111.,  where  a  hack  line  .is  kept  and  a 
full  equipment  of  carriages  and  horses.  Socially, 
Mr.  Williams  is  identified  with  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  as  one  of  its  most  prominent  members. 


^l^^pii  ^  i  ^  ;i^^Sii 


riL^  ENRY  B.  &  JOHN  B.  STEINERT.  The  rich- 
ifjii  est  heritage  of  American  youth  is  the  exam- 

^^  pie  of  their  country's  brain  and  brawn 
(^)  wrought  into  lives  of  perfect  liarmonj', 
.-splendid  fealty  and  tireless  industry.  Tiie  annals  of 
sucii  lives  are  briefly  told  in  the  iiistory  of  Henry  B. 
and  John  B.  Steinert.  Tiiey  are  classed  among  the 
prominent  newspaper  men  of  St.  Clair  County,  and 
are  editors  and  proprietors  of  the  East  St.  Louis  Oa- 
zi'fte  and  the  Inlaiul  Farmer,  bright,  newsy  and 
ill^^l|•llctive  [lapcrs  witii  a  wide  circulation  and  ex- 


tended influence.  Their  crisp  and  trenchant  edi- 
torials are  always  read  with  interest  and  are  influ- 
ential in  moulding  the  (lublic  opinion  on  subjects 
of  importance. 

John  Steinert,  the  father  of  our  subjects,  was 
born  in  Bavaria,  Germany,  and  there  learned  the 
trade  of  a  baker.  In  his  early  manhood,  he  crossed 
the   ocean  to  America,  locating  first   at   St.  An- 

!  thony  's  Falls,  Minn.,  where  he  was  shortly  afterward 
married  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Bowman,  a  native  of 
Nordheim,  Germany.  After  their  marriage,  he 
and  his  wife  removed  to  Belleville,  111.,  where  he  fol- 
lowed his  trade  and  also  engaged  in  the  real-estate 
business  in  connection  with  his  brother-in-law, 
John  B.Bowman,  at  one  time  Mayor  of  the  city. 

1  He  continued  in  the  real-estate  business  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1870.  Religiously,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  Church,  and  a  kind 
and  benevolent  man,  highly  esteemed  wherever 
known.  His  wife  died  in  1871,  leaving  five  chil- 
dren, as  follows:  Mrs.  Amelia  Maurer,  a  resident 
of  Belleville;  Mrs.  Addie  Hallows,  of  East  St.  Louis; 

I  Henry  B.  and  John  B.,  our  subjects;  and  Ed  F., 
whose  home  is  in  Kansas  City. 

I  Henry  B.  Steinert  was  born  in  East  St.  Louis  on 
the  12tli  of  July,  1864,  and  remained  in  this  city 
until  six  3'ears  of  age,  when  his  father  died  and  he 
went  to  New  Athens,  where  his  uncle,  Nicholas 
Steinert,  a  prominent  farmer,  was  residing.  He  re- 
mained on  this  farm  until  fifteen  years  of  age,  and 
then  entered  Warrenton  College,  Missouri,  where 
he  remained  three  years.  After  this,  he  studied 
telegraphy  at  St.  Louis  and  became  an  operator 
with  the  Western  Union  Company.  He  located  in 
that  city,  but  later  went  to  Minnesota,  and  after  a 
short  residence  there  returned  to  East  St.  Louis. 
He  subsequently  ceased  operating  and  went  to  Kan- 
sas, but  returned  to  St.  Clair  County  and  was  en- 
gaged in  farming  until  1886,  when  he  went  to  Ar- 
kansas and  was  in  the  employ  of  a  seed  and  agri- 
cultural house. 

In  the  fall  of  1886,  Mr.  Steinert  embarked  in 
the  real-estate  business  with  Frank  B.  Bowman,  and 
continued  in  this  until  1869,  when  he  became  man- 
ager of  the  East  St.  Louis  Gazette  for  one  year.  After 
this  he  was  in  the  real-estate  business  again  and 
was  thus  engaged   until  Januiiry,   1892,  when   lie 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


formed  a  partnership  aud  purchased  the  Gazette. 
The  Gazette  was  edited  in  1865  by  John  B.  Bowman, 
is  the  oldest  paper  now  in  existence  in  the  count}', 
and  tiie  official  organ  of  the  county.  It  is  a  six- 
column  quarto,  Democratic  in  its  tone  and  devoted 
to  the  best  interests  of  the  county.  In  May.  1892, 
IMr.  8teinert  purchased  the  Inland  Farmer  from 
A.  B.  Ogle  and  edits  it.  This  paper  was  started  in 
1876  and  is  devoted  to  the  interests  of  the  farm- 
ing community.  It  receives  contributions  from 
the  ablest  men  and  is  a  five-column  quarto,  pub- 
lished semi-monthly.  The  press  is  supplied  with 
all  tlie  newest  and  latest  improvements  and  he  has 
a  large  job  patronage.  Mr.  Steinert  owns  consid- 
erable real  estate  and  is  one  of  the  foremost  men 
of  St.  Clair  County.  He  evinced  his  preference  for 
secret  organizations  by  becoming  a  member  of  tlie 
Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Independent  Order  of 
Odd  Fellows,  Golden  Rule. 

John  B.  .Steinert  was  born  in  Kasl  St.  Louis,  on 
tlie  loth  of  October,  1866,  and  was  reared  by  liis 
uncle.  Jonathan  Leo,  from  the  .age  of  four  until 
twelve,  after  which  he  attended  the  Central  Wes- 
leyan  College,  at  Warren  ton  for  two  years.  Later 
he  attended  the  Manual  Training  .School  in  St. 
Louis  for  two  years  and  after  graduating  tliere  was 
employed  in  the  Missouri  it  Pacific  Railroad  ma- 
chine shop  for  one  year.  In  1887,  he  went  to 
Omalia,  Neb.,  as  instructor  of  mechanics  in  the 
deaf  ami  dumb  schools  for  two  years.  In  the 
year  1889,  he  went  to  P.lgin,  111.,  and  taught 
manual  training, drawing,  etc,  in  F^lgin  Academy, 
and  in  1890.  went  to  New  York  Cit}-,  wiiere  he  at- 
tended a  college  for  the  training  of  teachers  for 
nearlj'  two  years.  In  .lanuary,  1892,  tiie  partner- 
ship was  formed  on  tiie  Gazette. 


^^]  EORGE  W.  GUTHRIE,  a  history  of  whose 
;ij  life  is  herewith  presented  to  our  readers,  has 

^^^  passed  from  the  scenes  of  eartlily  joys  and 
sorrows  to  his  final  resting  place.  He  was  a  pro- 
gressive fanner  in  Marissa  Township  aud  rose  to  u 


position  in  agricultural  affairs  whicli  many  might 
env}-.  He  was  respected  by  all  who  Itnewhimand 
such  was  his  integrity  th.at  his  promise  was  as  good 
as  his  bond.  His  valuable  estate  of  two  hundred 
and  lifty-tive  acres,  which  is  located  on  section 
32,  is  carried  on  by  his  widow,  wlio  manages  affairs 
on  a  paying  basis. 

Our  subject  was  born  January  15,  1841,  in  tliis 
county,  and  was  the  sou  of  Joseph  and  Elizabetli 
(Boyd)  Guthrie,  of  Irish  and  German  descent.  His 
father,  also  a  native  of  Illinois,  was  born  in  Ran- 
dolph Count}-  and  made  his  advent  into  this  section 
in  1835.  His  wife,  who  was  born  in  Ireland,  was 
brought  to  America  in  1828  by  her  parents,  who 
located  in  South  Carolina,  where  they  remained 
for  a  time  and  then  came  to  Randolph  County, 
this  State.  Joseph  Guthrie  followed  the  combined 
occupations  of  shoe-maker,  school-teacher  and  far- 
mer and  departed  this  life  in  1848,  while  his  good 
wife,  who  survived  him  a  number  of  years,  died  in 
1866. 

The  original  of  this  sketch  was  tme  of  a  family 
of  five  children,  only  two  of  whom  are  living.  He 
was  tlie  recipient  of  a  common-school  education, 
and  when  turning  his  attention  to  farming,  mani- 
fested such  a  lively  interest  in  agricultural  affairs 
and  so  much  industry  and  integrity  of  purpose 
that  he  could  not  help  meet  with  success.  He  was 
married,  March  2, 1864,  to  Miss  Adelia  Johnson,  and 
to  them  was  born  a  son,  John,  who  is  a  resident  of 
St.  Louis.  Mo. 

The  lady  whom  our  subject  chose  as  his  second 
wife  was  Miss  Rebecca  McClintock,  Who  was  born 
in  C^ouiity  Antrim.  Ireland,  in  1846.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  David  and  Anna  (Grear)  McClintock, 
ahso  natives  of  the  above  county  in  Ireland,  where 
they  were  married.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Guthrie 
was  the  daughter  of  James  and  Mary  (Wilson) 
Grear.  By  her  marriage  with  Mr.  McClintock 
she  reared  a  family  of  two  children:  Robert  and 
Mrs.  Guthrie.  When  but  four  years  of  age,  the  lat- 
ter was  brought  to  America  by  her  parents,  who 
located  in  Randolph  County,  this  State,  where  they 
spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives.  They  were 
members  in  good  standing  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  aud  were  respected  througlioiil  tiie  sur- 
rounding country. 


632 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Mr.  Guthrie  of  this  sketch  was  always  greatlj^ 
interested  in  scliool  affairs,  and  liis  children  one 
and  all  received  excellent  instruction,  David  being 
an  attendant  of  tlie  State  Normal  of  Illinois.  The 
other  members  of  the  famil^y  bore  the  respective 
names  of  Joseph,  who  died  when  two  years  of  age; 
Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  -Tohn  K.  AVhite,  and  George 
W.  David  was  married,  November  27,  1890,  to 
Miss  Katie,  daughter  of  Daniel  and  .Jane  McCurdy, 
and  to  them  has  been  born  one  son,  Daniel  M. 
Mr.  Guthrie  in  social  matters  was  a  member  in 
high  standing  of  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellovss  and  at  all  times  and  in  all  places  showed 
himself  to  be  a  loyal  citizen  and  was  well  regarded 
by  his  fellow-townsmen,  and  in  his  deatli,  whicli 
occurred  February  12, 1888,  the  county  lost  one  of 
its  most  honored  residents. 


^,  ATRICK  FLANNERY,  a  valued  member  of 
the  Board  of  Election  Commissioners,  and 
since  1865  one  of  the  able,  energetic  and 
leading  citizens  of  East  .St.  Louis,  has  beini 
prominently  connected  with  various  important 
enterprises  of  this  portion  of  the  State,  and  is 
widel}^  known  as  a  public-spirited  and  very 
progressive  man.  Our  subject  was  born  in  County 
Mayo,  on  the  17th  of  March.  1849.  His  paternal 
grandfather,  Hazell  Flannery,  was  a  man  of  sub- 
stance and  was  a  native  of  the  Emerald  Isle,  where 
James  Flannery,  the  father  of  our  subject,  was 
born.  James  Flannery  was  the  agent  and  collector 
for  a  large  land-owner  in  Ireland,  and  was  a  suc- 
cessful real-estate  man,  dying  in  the  home  that  had 
been  his  through  life  when  our  subject  was  a  little 
babe. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Margaret  (Hoach) 
FlanneiT,  born  in  Jrebuid.  and  there  died  in  the 
year  1889,  leaving  five  cliildreu  to  nioiini  her  loss: 
Mary,  Mrs.  Nebol,  died  in  F.ast  Si.  Louis  in  1891; 
Martin  resides  in  East  St.  Louis;  .lohn  is  a  farmer 
in  Ireland;  Patrick.our  subject;  and  .lames cultivates 
the  soil  of  "Old  Krin."  Mr.  Patrick  Flannery  was 
raised  upon  a  farm,  ;uid  received   the   beiielit   of  a 


good  common-school  education.  In  June,  1865, 
when  about  seventeen  years  of  age,  our  subject 
left  Liverpool  on  the  steamer  "Arion,"  and  after 
an  eight  days'  voyage,  landed  in  New  York. 
Tarrying  but  a  brief  time  in  the  Empire  City,  Mr. 
Flannery  came  to  East  St.  Louis,  and  immediately 
received  employment  in  the  rolling  mills  of  Allen 
(^-  Filley,  working  as  a  puddler,  manufacturing 
iron  rails,  and  continuing  there  for  ten  years. 

In  time  he  was  promoted  to  be  foreman  of  a  fur- 
nace. In  1871  and  1872,  he  worked  in  St.  Louis 
and  South  St.  Louis,  wheie  he  assisted  in  the 
manufacture  of  steel  rails,  and  in  1875  engaged 
in  the  management  of  a  sample  room  in  old  Illinois 
Town,  and  continued  in  this  occupation  until  1890. 
For  several  years  past,  Mr.  Flannery  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  real-estate  business,  and  owns  one  of 
the  handsomest  residences  in  the  city,  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Market  and  Sixth  Streets,  opposite  the  City 
Park.  He  has  erected  houses  in  different  parts  of 
the  city,  and  has  completed  a  row  of  twelve  houses 
in  Illinois  Citj',  Seventh  Ward. 

Mr.  Flannery  was  married  in  East  St.  Louis,  in 
1876,  to  Miss  Mary  Wright,  a  native  of  Tennessee. 
Tlie  happy  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Flannery  has 
been  blessed  with  the  birth  of  five  promising  sons 
and  daughters:  James  is  the  eldest  born,  then  fol- 
low William,  Abby,  Vincent  and  Mary.  In  1886, 
our  subject  was  appointed  bj'  Judge  Hay  as  a 
member  of  the  first. Board  of  Election  Commis- 
sioners, an  evidence  of  the  appreciation  of  his 
public  course  and  confidence  in  his  integrity,  and 
has  been  twice  re-appointed  since,  now  serving  his 
third  term.  L'nder  the  administration  of  the 
Board,  of  which  he  has  been  a  continuous  member, 
the  election  law  has  been  faithfully  and  impar- 
tially enforced,  and  the  imblic  satisfaction  has 
been  unbounded,  much  credit  having  been  justly 
awarded  Mr.  Flannery-,  whose  excellent  judgment 
anil  executive  ability'  are  well  known. 

Our  subject  is  a  valued  member  of  St.  Mary's 
Catholic  Church,  and  is  ever  ready  to  a.ssist  in  :dl 
worthy  social  and  benevolent  enterprises,  without 
regard  to  sect  or  nationality.  Politically,  Mr. 
Flannery  is  a  consistent  Democrat,  and  being  an 
untiring  worker,  has  a  large  following  and  influ- 
ence,    lie  has  been  a  delegate  to   numerous  State 


^^^^I'ry^^  U7-, 


f  yf^lsl, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


635 


and  county  conventions,  and  is  a  niembei-  of  the 
County  Deniociatic  Committee.  Financially  suc- 
cessful in  his  business,  our  subject  has  been  an 
important  factor  in  the  upbuilding  and  regenera- 
tion of  East  St.  Louis,  and  has  won  honorable 
rank  in  the  community  where  he  makes  his  home, 
and  is  esteemed  by  all  who  know  him  as  a  true 
representative  American  citizen. 


,lZ_^  UGH  L.  PUGH,  agent  for  the  East  St.  Louis 
\l)ji]  >fe  Carondelet  Railroad  at  East  Carondelet, 
/^^  is  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  St.  Clair 
(^5^  County.  His  years  of  service  with  one 
corporation  testify  as  to  his  ability  and  the  esteem 
in  wliicli  he  is  held  by  his  employers,  while  the 
record  of  his  life  proves  better  than  any  words  of 
the  biographer  can  do  the  probit}^  and  upright- 
ness which  have  characterized  his  every  action. 

Some  mention,  although  brief,  is  due  the  father 
of  our  subject,  Peter  Pugh.  He  was  born  in  Fair- 
view,  Hancock  Count_y,  Va.,  in  September,  1828, 
and  traced  his  ancestry  to  Germany  and  Scotland, 
where  liis  forefathers  were  people  of  influence  and 
high  standing.  He  married  Miss  Susanna  Scott,  wiio 
was  born  in  Hancock  County,  Va.,  July  4,  1828. 
I'nto  them  were  born  six  children,  five  of  wliom 
are  still  living:  Louisa,  Mrs.  Albert  Nance,  resides 
in  Denver,  Colo.,  and  during  the  late  campaign 
(1892)  was  the  candidate  of  the  People's  party  of 
Colorado  for  the  oftice  of  State  Treasurer;  Lulu  is 
tiie  wife  of  Louis  Perrin,  and  makes  her  liome  in 
East  St.  Louis;  Seely  Edsall  .and  Ermdn  reside  in 
East  Carondelet,  and  are  both  engaged  as  en- 
gineers. 

In  1859,  Peter  Pugh  came  to  Illinois  and  located 
in  Bardolph,  McDonough  Countj-,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  tiie  milling  business  for  a  few  years.  Thence 
lie  removed  to  Fulton  County,  111.,  in  1863,  and 
followed  the  same  occupation  in  that  county  for 
seven  years.  He  came  to  East  Carondelet  in  1»70, 
with  the  intention  of  taking  charge  of  a  mill;  but 
circumstances  compelled  liim  to  change  his  plans, 
and  he  became  watchman  of  an  iron  furnace,  which 


position  he  held  until  tiic  time  of  his  death,  a 
period  of  about  eight  years.  He  passed  from  earth 
in  Sei>teniber,  1891;  his  wife  survives  him  and  oc- 
cupies a  (fomfortablo  liumo  in  East  Carondelet. 
Peter  Pugli  was  one  of  those  men  who  live  in  the 
memory  of  others  long  after  tliey  have  been  called 
from  the  scenes  of  time,  and  his  connection  with 
the  Presbyterian  Church  was  of  such  a  helpful  na- 
ture that  his  name  will  be  preserved  m  its  annals. 

Born  in  Fairview,  Hancock  County,  Va.,  Jan- 
uary 24,  1854,  our  subject  was  a  child  of  about 
five  years  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Illi- 
nois. He  received  his  education  in  the  common 
schools,  principally  those  of  Bardolph,  and  after 
ids  school  days  were  ended  he  spent  four  years  in 
learning  the  trade  of  a  machinist  and  engineer  at 
Bardolph.  Later,  he  entered  a  railroad  office  at 
Table  Grove,  111.,  where  he  was  taught  the  details 
of  the  business.  Since  1872  he  has  followed  this 
occupation  exclusively,  with  the  exception  of  the 
years  included  between  1878  and  1882,  when  he 
was  engineer  of  the  furnace  at  East  Carondelet. 

April  16,  1882,  Mr.  Pugh  married  Miss  Anna, 
daughter  of  George  Walsh,  a  resident  of  East  St. 
Louis,  who  came  to  this  county  from  England  in 
1857.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Pugh  are  the  parents  of  three 
children  living:  Pearl,  who  is  nine  years  old;  Edna, 
aged  eight;  and  Irene  F.,  who  is  five  months  old. 
Hazel  died  at  the  age  of  tiiirteen  months.  Socially. 
Mr.  Pugh  is  identified  witli  the  N.  D.  Morse  Lodge 
No.  346,  F.  &  A.  M.,  at  Concord,  111.  In  politics, 
he  gives  his  ballot  and  influence  to  the  support  of 
the  Democratic  party,  and  has  been  called  upon  to 
occupy  several  important  positions.  He  is  now 
serving  as  Justice  of  tiie  Peace,  School  Director, 
member  of  the  Board  of  Education,  and  Drainage 
and  Levee  Commissioner  for  Prairie  du  Point  Dis- 
trict, and  as  President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of 
the  village  of  East  Carondelet. 

■^^HEODORE  HUMMERT,  a  prosperous  and 
iw^^  energetic  agriculturist,  and  well-known 
V^^  and  highly  respected  citizen,  cultivates  a 
fine  farm  of  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres,  near 
Fayetteville,  St.  Clair   County,   111.,    where  he  has 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


been  located  for  more  than  two-score  years.  Our 
subject  was  born  in  the  jear  1827,  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  and  is  the  son  of  Benjamin  and  Eliza- 
betli  (Lamppe)  Hummerl.  Tiiis  worthy  father 
and  mother  led  a  peaceful  and  uneventful  life  in 
the  home  of  their  childhood,  where  they  were  born, 
raised,  educated  and  married.  Primitive  in  their 
manners  and  methods,  they  were  sincere  Christian 
people,  and  trained  up  their  children  to  habits  of 
thrift  and  daily  industry,  and  thus  well  lifted 
them  to  make  their  own  waj'  in  life. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade,  but  rented  land  and  profitably  engaged  in 
the  pursuit  of  general  agriculture.  In  1854,  the 
father  and  mother  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
and  a  few  years  later  died  in  their  new  home,  far 
from  the  friends  and  associations  of  early  years. 
They  were  the  parents  of  three  children,  all  now 
surviving.  Theodore  Hummert  had  preceded  his 
family  to  America,  crossing  the  broad  Atlantic  in 
1848.  He  landed  on  our  hospitable  shore  poor  in 
pocket  but  rich  in  youth,  hope  and  energy,  and 
from  very  small  beginnings  has  built  up  a  substan- 
tial success,  and  gained  a  comfortable  competence. 
When  our  subject  first  reached  America,  he  jour- 
neyed at  once  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  located  and 
was  obliged  to  work  by  the  day  for  several 
months. 

After  a  time  he  came  to  St.  Clair  County,  111., 
and  in  Fayetteville  found  an  excellent  farm  which 
he  could  rent  upon  reasonable  terms,  and,  locating 
thereon,  devoted  himself  for  the  succeeding  four 
years  steadily  to  the  duties  of  agriculture.  At 
length,  able  to  buy  land,  Mr.  Hummert  purchased 
quite  a  large  acreage  near  the  farm  which  he  had 
previously  rented.  To  his  new  position  he  gave 
the  lienefit  of  his  years  of  practical  experience  in 
planting,  sowing  and  reaping,  and  as  the  months 
have  passed  in  the  patient  cultivation  of  the  soil, 
he  has  been  annuall}- rewarded  by  a  bounteous  har- 
vest. Our  subject  has  been  twice  married.  He  first 
married  Miss  Mary  Gudiwin,  in  Fayetteville,  who 
died  early  in  life.  Some  time  after  the  death  of  this 
estimable  lady,  Mr.  Hummert  again  married,  in 
April,  1888,  his  present  wife  being  Miss  Ger- 
trude Wennemann,  daughter  of  Ignatz  and  Eliza- 
beth ( Peterswerth)Wenneman. 


The  pleasant  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hummert 
has  been  brightened  by  the  birth  and  presence  of 
three  bright  and  promising  little  ones,  a  son  and 
two  daughters,  Elizabeth,  Mary  and  Antoine. 
Our  subject  and  his  good  wife  are  active  members 
of  the  Catholic  Church,  of  St.  Libory,  and  are  ever 
ready  to  aid  oihers  less  fortunate  than  themselves. 
Mr.  Hummert  is  a  Democrat,  .ind  while  never  an 
office-seeker  is  interested  in  the  duteomo  of  local 
and  National  issues.  An  lioiicst.  hard-working  and 
upright  citizen,  our  subject  is  highly  respected  by 
the  entire  community  among  whom  he  has  so  long 
resided. 


€i^^'  ^  11  ^  i^^aiF-' 


'  ^ETER  GODIN,  Sk.,  of  Prairie  du  Point,  Sugar 
I  J)  Loaf  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  was 
.  f^  born  in  the  village  where  he  now  lives,  and 
)  \  is  the  son  of  Peter  (okIIu.  born  in  the  same 
village  in'about  the  year  IT'H,  tlie  grandfather  of 
our  sul)ject  having  been  one  of  the  very  first  resi- 
dents of  that  county.  The  latter  was  probably 
born  also  in  Prairie  du  Point.  Peter  (Todin,  the 
father  of  our  subject,  married  Jeanette  S.  Chartrany , 
of  French  extraction,  and  removed  soon  after  his 
marriage  to  Cahokia,  where  he  conducted  a  farm 
until  his  death  in  1845.  Six  children  weie  born 
to  this  latter  couple,  three  of  whom  are  still  liv- 
ing, namely:  Teresa,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Perch,  of 
Cahokia;  Mary,  the  wife  of  a  prominent  citizen  of 
Cahokia,  and  our  subject. 

Our  subject  was  born  November  13,  1835,  at 
Prairie  du  Point,  was  five  years  old  when  his  par- 
ents removed  to  Cahokia,  and  lived  there  until  1867, 
following  the  occupation  of  a  farmer.  He  was 
married  there  to  Philesta  Palmier,  daughter  of  E. 
Palmier,  of  the  same  place.  Returning  to  Prairie  du 
Point,  where  his  wife  died,  he  was  again  married, 
this  time  to  Virginia  Allary,  daughter  of  J.  B. 
Allar3',  an  old  settler  of  the  village.  This  has 
been  the  home  of  our  subject  ever  since  the  date 
named,  and  to  him  have  come  eight  children,  five 
of  whom  are  still  living,  namely:  Mary,  the  wife 
of  Constant   Chatilan,  of  Prairie  du  Point;  Veta, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


637 


living  at  Falling  Springs;  Edmund,  employed  in 
a  grocery  at  St.  Louis;  Isaac,  living  at  home,  and 
Jenny,  who  is  also  at  home.  The  three  who  are 
dead  passed  away  in  infancy. 

The  business  in  which  our  subjec;t  is  at  present 
engaged  is  the  retail  liquor  business,  in  addition 
to  which  he  has  a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  on 
the  bottoms  of  Sugar  Loaf  Township,  which  is  con- 
ducted by  his  son-in-law.  He  has  two  saloons,  one 
located  at  Prairie  du  Point  and  the  other  at  Ful- 
ler's Springs,  and  owns  likewise  a  beautiful 
place  located  on  the  side  of  the  bluffs  in  Sugar 
Loaf  Township.  The  place  of  business  at  Prairie 
du  Point  he  -conducts  himself,  while  his  son 
has  charge  of  the  one  at  Fuller's  Springs.  The 
religious  training  of  Mr.  Godin  was  received  in 
the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  with  which  body  he 
retains  his  membership.  Our  subject  manifests 
much  interest  in  politics,  taking  an  active  part  in 
all  elections,  his  influence  being  directed  to  the 
success  of  the  Democratic  ticket.  His  fellow-citi- 
zens have  elected  him  Highwa}-  Commissioner  of 
the  township,  a  position  he  yet  retains,  and  he 
holds  the  office  of  Treasurer  of  the  Village  Board, 
and  has  also  been  Constable  of  the  county.  While 
residing  in  Cahokia,  he  was  made  a  Trustee  of  the 
Catholic  Church  of  that  village,  his  interest  in 
which  causes  him  still  to  retain  it. 


eHARLES  FOULKS,  a  very  early  pioneer  of 
St.  Clair  County,  but  now  residing  with  a 
daughter  in  St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Mon- 
mouth County,  N.  J.,  in  1808.  He  is  a  son  of 
Christopher  and  Margaret  Foulks,  and  it  is  worthy 
of  note  that  one  of  his  parents  was  born  in  Ger- 
many three  weeks  before  the  grandparents  left 
that  country  and  the  other  was  born  in  the  United 
States  three  weeks  after  the  grandparents  arrived 
in  this  country.  In  Pennsylvania  the  parents  of 
our  subject  were  reared  to  maturity,  but  soon  after 
their  marriage  they  removed  to  Monmouth  County, 
N.  J.,  where  the  father  was   engaged  in  a  tobacco 


factory  and  wool-carding  machine  business.  After 
selling  out,  he  commenced  to  ship  wool  to  New 
York  City  and  also  owned  and  managed  a  store 
for  several  years,  being  in  partnership  with  a 
brother. 

About  that  time  the  attention  of  Christopher 
Foulks  was  turned  Westward.  His  brother  came 
to  Illinois  to  enter  land  two  years  before  there 
was  a  land  office  for  that  portion  of  the 
State  which  is  now  St.  Clair  County.  After 
a  land  office  was  opened,  he  came  the  second 
time  and  entered  three  hundred  acres  where  Rent- 
chler  Station  is  now  situated.  Christopher  Foulks 
with  his  family  followed  in  1817,  and  for  a  few 
weeks  stopped  with  the  family  of  William  Moore 
until  they  could  get  a  house  erected.  They  built 
a  log  cabin,  17x19  feet  in  dimensions,  in  which 
twenty-one  people  made  their  home  during  the 
entire  winter. 

After  living  on  that  farm  for  many  years,  Mr. 
Foulks,  Sr.,  sold  the  place  and  went  to  St.  Louis, 
where  he  again  engaged  in  the  tobacco  business. 
He  met  with  success  in  his  enterprise  and  the  fac- 
tory is  still  in  possession  of  the  family,  having 
been  enlarged  until  it  is  now  the  largest  tobacco 
factory  in  the  United  States.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  one  of  eight  brothers,  three  of  whom 
came  to  Illinois,  two  being  ministers  in  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  Church.  He  was  also  a  member 
of  that  church.  In  politics,  he  was  a  Whig  and 
served  as  Captain  in  the  War  of  1812. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  one  in  a  family 
of  nine  children.  He  was  married  first  to  Emilj'. 
daughter  of  James  Adams,  and  unto  them  were 
born  seven  children.  His  second  marriage  united 
him  with  Mrs.  Mary  E.  (Fythian)  Smith,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  eight  children.  After  his 
first  marriage  he  engaged  in  farming  a  portion  of 
his  father's  place,  and  in  1828  he  located  on  one 
hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  land  near  Belleville. 
Soon  selling  that  place,  he  entered  eighty  acres 
near  Freeburg,  and  in  the  home  there  established 
he  resided  fifty-two  years.  At  one  time  his  landed 
possessions  amounted  to  thiee  hundred  acres  near 
Freeburg. 

Retiring  from  farm  life,  Mr.  Foulks  erected  an 
hotel  at   Freeburg,    which    he    managed  for  three 


638 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


years,  but  which,  however,  did  not  prove  a  fi- 
nancial success.  He  then  removed  to  Belleville 
and  i)urchased  property  amounting  to  «8,000.  In 
1887  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  makes  his 
home  with  his  children  and  spends  liis  closing 
years  in  retirement.  In  his  political  affiliations  he 
is  a  Democrat  and  in  former  years  was  prominent 
in  public  affairs.  He  has  witnessed  the  progress  of 
St.  Clair  County  from  the  time  when  it  was  the 
home  principally  of  Indians,  until  now  it  ranks 
among  the  best  counties  of  Illinois,  and  much  of 
its  prosperity  niav  justly  be  attributed  to  his 
efforts. 


Ini)  ^^^'  '^'^^^  JARGSTORFF,  of  Darmstadt,  St. 
|IWj^  Clair  Country,  111.,  was  born  in  Ilolstein, 
<£i  \\\  Germany,  in  the  year  1854.  He  is  a  son  of 
^,  C.  L.  and  Helena  (Peters)  Jargstovff,  also 
natives  of  Holstein,  the  father  having  been  born 
March  22,  1822.  The  latter  was  a  scholar  of  super- 
ior attainments,  having  graduated  from  one  of 
the  leading  universities  of  Germany.  Earlj-  deter- 
mining upon  the  vocation  of  a  teacher,  he  was  ed- 
ucated with  that  object  in  view,  and  after  leaving 
his  Alma  Mater  was  for  manj'  j^ears  a  professor  in 
prominent  universities  of  his  native  country. 
Eminently  patriotic,  his  love  for  the  Fatherland 
is  supreme,  he  having  taken  an  active  part  in  the 
War  of  1848,  serving  as  First  Lieutenant  and  re- 
ceiving thirteen  wounds,  chiefly  gunshot  injuries. 
jS'ow,  in  retired  life,  he  receives  a  pension  from  the 
German  Government  for  his  services  as  an  educator. 
Our  subject's  mother  died  wlien  he  was  but  three 
years  old,  and  of  the  two  children  born  to  her,  he 
alone  survives.  After  her  death  his  father  married 
again,  his  second  wife's  maiden  name  having  been 
Christina  With.  Russia  is  the  native  country  of 
tlie  grandfather  of  our  subject,  he  having  been  a 
General  in  the  armj'  of  that  empire.  In  the  year 
1813,  he  went  to  Holstein,  married  and  settled 
tliere  upon  a  large  tract  of  land. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  a  very  care- 
ful   and    thorough    education    in    private   seliools, 


and  Kiel  University,  and  for  several  years  attended 
a  college  near  his  home  in  Germany,  fitting  him- 
self for  the  profession  of  a  teacher.  Turning 
his  face  AVestward,  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  in  the  year  1881,  locating  at  Cape  Gir- 
ardeau, where  he  prepared  himself  for  the  min- 
istry of  the  Lutheran  (  liureh.  lie  then  went 
to  Belleville,  111.,  in  .hiiic  1882,  and  was  C)rdained 
a  minister  in  St.  Paul's  Ciiurch,  taking  work  im- 
mediateh'  afterward  in  St.  .Jacob's.  Madison 
County,  111.,  where  he  remained  five  years.  Then 
he  went  to  his  present  place  of  residence  and  has 
remained  there  ever  since.  Sophia  Pahmeyer  be- 
came his  wife,  March  4,  1885.  and  has  borne  him 
two  children:  Olga,  aged  six  years,  and  Julius, 
aged  eighteen  months.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Ernest  and  Mary  (Schieni)  Pahmeyer,  the  latter 
d3'ing  when  she  was  very  young.  Our  subject  is 
a  member  of  Marissa  Lodge  No.  654,  I.  O.  O.  F. 
Politics  is  a  pleasing  .study  to  him,  his  faith  in  tlie 
Democratic  party  being  so  strong  that  he  lias  ad- 
vocated its  measures  from  the  stump,  and  it  is 
stated  that  at  one  time  lie  thouglit  seriously  of 
stepping  out  of  the  ministry  into  the  arena  of 
politics. 


\I7  GUIS  RIIEIN.  living  on  section  4.  Smithtoii 
|l  (p,  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  III.,  is  llio 
'ILJ^.  son  of  Fred  Rheiii,  who  was  born  in  l!a- 
varia,  Germany,  where  he  was  reared  and  married 
to  Katharine  Lipbert,  coining  to  this  country  in 
1839.  He  first  located  in  St.  Louis,  from  which 
city  he  removed  to  Belleville,  and  afterward  to 
Smitliton  Township,  where  he  bought  prairie  land 
at  $4  an  acre  and  improved  it  himself.  At  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  1884,  he  was  the  owner  of 
seventy-one  acres.  There  were  but  two  children 
by  the  marriage  of  the  parents  of  our  subject, 
namelj-,  our  subject  and  Fred.  The  mother,  as 
well  as  the  father,  was  a  member  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Church  at  the  time  of  her  death,  in  1870. 
Our  subject  was  born  October  22,  1848,  on  the 
old  homestead  in  thiscount\'.  where  he  was  reared 


n- 


jw 


(fA^^   6^{ec//n^;p^yr->n^ 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


to  nuiiiliuoil,  received  liis  seliooliiig  aiul  was  mar- 
ried in  1875,  to  IMiss  Louisa  Oouch,  daughter  of 
Mary  Goueli.  After  two  years  of  married  life, 
Mrs.  Rhein  died,  July  23,  1877,  leaving  one  child, 
Otto,  now  deceased.  Miss  Elizabeth  Schwiun  be- 
came his  second  wife,  Februar}'  4,  1879;  she  is 
the  daughter  of  Peter  Schwinn,  an  early  settler  of 
St.  Clair  Township,  this  county,  where  he  still 
lives  and  where  Mrs.  Rhein  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated. The  latter  has  borne  her  husband  nine  chil- 
dren, seven  of  whom  are  living,  namely:  INLirgaret 
C,  Stella  L,  Adolph  F.,  Hilda  M..  AdoU  (>..  Kdna 
C.  and  Theoliiida  K. 

The  farm  of  our  subject  contains  four  hundred 
acres  of  good  land,  well  improved  and  carefully 
cultivated.  While  raising  much  grain,  he  devotes 
a  large  portion  of  his  time  to  the  improvement  of 
stock,  bueeding  a  number  of  Kentucky  mules  and 
blooded  Clydesdale  horses,  it  being  his  constant 
aim  to  maintain  a  variety  of  first-class  stock.  He 
has  a  ver>'  comfortable  home  and  is  one  of  the 
largest  farmers  in  the  township.  His  religious 
convictions  have  led  him  to  accept  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Churcli,  in 
which  body  he  holds  membership.  Educational 
matters  always  interest  him  and  he  is  a  Director 
of  Scliools  in  his  district. 


Ilfv  ETER  REIMANN,  of  tlie  firm  of  Niemestt 
11  )J|)  Reimann,  contractors  and  builders,  is  one 
^Mf^  of  tlie  successful  business  men  of  East  St. 
jt,  Louis,  and  is  a  very  pleasant  gentleman 
in  all  the  relations  of  life.  He  is  of  German  birth 
and  lineage,  and  possesses  the  thrifty  traits  of 
character  noticeable  among  people  of  that  nation. 
His  grandfather,  Peter  Reimann,  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  and  in  that  country  engaged  as  a  fanner 
and  wine-grower.  He  was  one  of  the  soldiers  who 
returned  from  Napoleon's  disastrous  campaign  in 
Russia.  The  father  of  our  subject,  Adam  Rei- 
mann, also  followed  the  occupation  of  a  farmer 
and  wine-grower,  and  was  a  soldier  in  the  German 
army  in  the  campaign  of  1848.  Religiously,  he 
was  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Churcli,  and  a 


man  of  sincere  Christian  character.  His  last  years 
were  spent  among  his  own  vine-clad  hills.  The 
mother  of  our  subject  was  Elizabeth  Fry,  the 
daughter  of  a  German  farmer  who  was  frozen  to 
death  in  the  French  army.  She  resides  in  Ger- 
many. 

Our  subject  is  the  eldest  of  nine  children  born 
to  his  parents,  four  of  whom  are  yet  living.  The 
place  of  his  nativity  was  Mandel,  by  Greutznaugh. 
and  he  remained  there  until  he  had  reached  his 
eighteenth  year.  He  attended  the  common  schools 
of  Ills  province  until  he  was  fourteen,  and  then 
was  apprenticed  to  a  stone-mason  for  three  years. 
He  worked  in  different  places  until  1866,  when  he 
concluded  to  emigrate  to  America.  Accordingly 
he  left  Hamburg  on  the  steamer  "Prussia,"  and  af- 
ter a  stormy  passage  of  eighteen  daj's,  reached 
New  York.  In  the  fall  of  1867,  he  came  to  East 
St.  Louis.  He  followed  his  trade  at  various  places, 
in  St.  Louis,  Mattoon,  111.,  Venice.  111.,  and  Moberly, 
Mo.,  and  in  1872  he  took  the  contract  from  H. 
Watson  to  build  the  Round  House  in  DeSoto,  Mo. 

Ill  188-3,  i\[r.  Reimann  formed  a  partnership  with 
.lohn  Niemes,  and  at  the  same  time  opened  the 
Falling  Springs  stone  quarry,  of  thirty-five  acres, 
located  on  a  branch  of  the  East  St.  Louis  &  Car- 
ondelet  Railroad.  This  is  b^'  far  the  largest  quarry 
in  Southern  Illinois,  and  the  firm  takes  contracts 
for  great  quantities  of  fine  stone.  They  have  done 
some  very  fine  work,  the  Webster,  Franklin  ami 
Lincoln  Schools  being  samples,  and  others  being  the 
Helms  Brewery,  the  water-works,  the  principal 
business  blocks  of  the  city,  the  Union  Depot  and 
railroad  work  as  far  as  the  Indiana  line.  Our 
subject  personally  superintends  all  the  work,  as 
he  is  a  practical  stone  and  brick  mason.  He  owns 
considerable  property  besides  his  residence  at  No. 
327  Ninth  Street. 

Mr.  Reimann  was  married  in  1871,  to  Miss  Katie 
Hermann,  who  was  born  in  Belleville,  and  three 
children  are  the  result  of  the  union.  They  are:  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Dohl,  residing  in  East  St.  Louis;  Cath- 
erine and  Albert,  who  are  at  home.  In  1882,  Mr. 
Reimann  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary 
Salmoh.  who  was  born  at  Hermann,  Mo.  His  pres- 
ent wife  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Katie  Schrader, 
and  was  born  in   Brem-Sehwer,  Germany. 


642 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


Our  subject  belongs  to  tlie  Independent  Ordei- 
of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  the  oldest  member  of  that 
order  in  East  St.  Louis,  having  joined  in  Belleville 
in  1869.  and  is  now  a  member  of  the  Helvetia  lodge 
here.  He  is  also  a  Royal  Arch  Mason,  a  Knightof 
Honor,  Knight  of  Pythias  (Uniform  Rank),  and 
one  of  the  Sons  of  Herman.  He  is  a  Republican, 
in  his  political  faith,  and  has  very  fixed  opinions 
upon  the  questions  of  the  day.  In  their  religious 
connections,  he  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Evangelical  Church. 


E' 


i  DWARD  C.  SCHUETZ.  Both  in  his  busi- 
[mi  ness  success  and  the  position  he  occupies  in 
/P' — '^  the  community,  Mr.  Schuetz  is  an  example 
of  what  a  man  can  accomplish,  providing  he  pos- 
sesses energy,  pluck,  good  judgment  and  honesty 
of  purpose,  coupled  with  a  respect  for  the  confi- 
dence of  the  people  among  whom  he  may  live.  He 
is  City  Clerk  of  East  St.  Louis,  to  which  posi- 
tion lie  was  elected  in  1888.  He  possesses  excellent 
judgment  and  good  business  qualifications,  both 
of  which  are  necessary  for  a  successful  and  pros- 
perous career. 

Born  in  East  St.  Louis,  111.,  on  the  9th  of  Sep- 
tember, 1862,  our  subject  is  the  son  of  Charles  C. 
and  Charlotte  C.  (Spellerberg)  Schuetz,  natives  of 
Germany,  the  father  born  in  Dresden  and  the 
mother  in  Hanover.  The  paternal  grandfather  of 
our  subject,  E.  C.  Schuetz,  was  a  Government 
officer  and  Government  Surveyor.  He  was  a  prac- 
tical civil  engineer,  in  which  capacity  he  served  in 
the  war  with  Napoleon  Bonaparte.  In  his  religious 
belief  he  was  a  Lutheran.  His  death  occurred  in 
Dresden,  Germany,  when  he  was  eighty-three  years 
old. 

The  father  of  our  subject,  Charles  C.  Schuetz, 
was  only  eighteen  years  of  age  when  he  crossed 
the  Atlantic,  and  after  landing  in  America  he 
traveled  quite  extensively  in  various  States.  Later, 
he  entered  the  regular  army  and  was  in  the  expedi- 
tion to  the  West  during  the  Indian  troubles  there 
under    Gen.    Kearney.     Five   years  afterward   he 


returned  and  was  discharged  in  St.  Louis;  he 
then  located  in  East  St.  Louis  and  was  there 
employed  in  the  Ohio  &  Mississippi  Railroad  shops 
as  painter  and  decorator  of  passenger  coaches. 
During  the  Civil  AVar  he  enlisted  in  the  Second 
Missouri  Infantry  and  for  some  time  saw  active 
service  in  the  field,  but  was  afterward  taken  into 
the  headquarters,  Department  of  the  Arm}'  of  the 
Missouri,  and  made  the  final  report.  At  the  close 
of  the  war  he  was  under  Gen.  Pope. 

For  some  time  after  the  close  of  the  war  Mr. 
Schuetz  was  engaged  as  book-keeper  in  a  large 
lumber  business  at  East  St.  Louis;  subsequently,  he 
was  with  a  sawmill  company  in  the  same  place  and 
still  later  was  Deputy  County  Assessor  under 
George  AV.  Sierber.  Afterward  he  served  as  Dep- 
uty Sheriff  for  some  time  and  then  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Fourth  National  Bank  of 
St.  Louis  as  head  book-keeper,  which  position 
he  is  still  occupying.  He  is  a  resident  of  East  St. 
Louis,  where  he  is  prominently  identified  with 
many  important  public  movements.  In  politics, 
he  is  a  Republican,  and  socially  he  is  identified 
with  the  (irand  .\rmy  of  the  Republic  as  a  mem- 
ber of  Frank  V.  Blair  Post.  Mrs.  Schuetz  is  de- 
ceased. 

Our  subject  attended  the  public  schools  of  this 
city  until  1879.  Since  earlj'  boyhood  he  has  been 
familiar  with  office  work,  having  been  employed 
in  various  railroad  offices  in  the  city.  In  his  so- 
cial connections  he  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pj'thias,  National  Union.  In  political  affiliations 
he  is  a  stanch  Republican  and  has  served  as  dele- 
egate    to  count}'  and  State  conventions. 


■^#^- 


\|^ATHEK  PATRICK  .T.  O'HALLOKAX, 
iLs^  Pastor  of  St.  Patrick's  Catholic  Church  at 
ill  East  St.  Louis,  is  a  native  of   Ireland,  and 

came  to  America  with  his  parents  when  a  small 
boy.  The  family  located  in  Cincinnati,  Ohio, 
and  there  and  in  Kentucky  he  received  his  edu- 
cation. He  was  ordained  at  Alton,  111.,  in  1862, 
and  received  his  first  charge  at  .Jacksonville.     He 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


643 


was  at  various  places,  some  of  them  being  Win- 
ohester,  Bunker  Hill,  and  Cairo,  where  he  remained 
five  years,  and  in  1873,  on  December  1,  he  came  to 
East  St.  Louis  and  since  then  has  been  the  Father 
of  St.  Patrick's  Church.  It  was  the  first  Catholic 
Church  built  in  the  city  and  was  completed  in 
1862,  having  been  founded  by  Father  J.  .1.  Bremen. 
Our  subject  has  been  verj'  active  in  church  work 
liere  and  established  the  Lorella  Convent,  and  tlie 
St.  Patrick's  Parochial  School,  which  is  the  largest 
in  the  city.  The  church  is  centrally  located  on 
the  most  desirable  ground  in  the  city  The  paro- 
chial residence  was  completed  in  1889  at  a  cost  of 
over  *10,()0().  It  IS  finely  furnished  and  has  all 
modern  improvements.  In  1890,  his  congregation 
was  so  large  that  part  of  it  started  the  St.  Mary's 
Church,  but  yet  his  congregation  is  the  largest  one 
here,  and  he  is  one  of  the  oldests  priests  in  Alton 
and  Belleville.  Socially,  he  is  a  member  of  the 
Ancient  Order  of  Hibernians;  the  Catholic  Knights 
of  America  and  the  Knights  of  Illinois;  Father 
Mathews'  Total  Abstinence  Society;  the  Societ}' 
of  the  Sacred  Heart  and  the  Rosary.  He  is  loved 
and  looked  up  to  by  all  his  families  and  is  a 
devout  worker  in  the  Church  of  Rome,  con- 
scientiously living  up  to  what  he  believes  to  be 
right. 


J  I  OHN  C.  HAMILTO>'.  That  our  subject  was 
I  one  of  the  shrewdest  and  most  intelligent 
i  agriculturists  of  St.  Clair  County  is  shown 
'  by  the  success  which  has  crowned  his  eflforts, 
for  he  is  now  living  retired  from  active  work  of 
any  kind  in  the  beautiful  village  of  Marissa,  where 
he  is  prominent  in  both  business  and  social  circles. 
He  is  a  man  of  much  practical  business  talent  and 
tinancial  ability,  and  by  the  judicious  investment 
of  his  money  has  acquired  a  valuable  property, 
which,  is  a  standing  monument  to  the  energy  which 
he  has  put  forth  in  the  labors  of  life,  and  the  good 
judgment  which  has  characterized  his  efforts.  His 
high  standing  among  his  fellow-men  is  equally 
satisfactory  proof  of  his  worth  as  a  neighbor  and 
citizen. 


A  native  of  South  Carolina,  our  subject  was 
born  in  Chester  County,  January  26,  1829,  and  is 
a  son  of  John  and  Sarah  (Elder)  Hamilton,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  the  above-named 
county  in  1794.  The  paternal  grandparents  of 
our  subject,  Robert  and  Martha  (Ross)  Hamilton, 
were  natives  of  Ireland,  emigrating  to  America 
from  County  Antrim  in  1792,  soon  after  their 
marriage. 

The  father  of  our  subject  was  reared  in  his  native 
county,  where  he  was  engaged  as  a  cotton  planter 
until  coming  to  Illinois  in  1831.  Locating  in  Ran- 
dolph County,  he  remained  there  for  three  years, 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  in  St.  Clair  County, 
near  where  our  subject  makes  his  home.  His  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Elder  was  solemnized  May  1,  1817, 
and  of  their  union  were  born  three  sons  and  four 
daughters,  all  of  whom  are  living,  with  one  excep- 
tion. They  were  members  of  the  United  Presby- 
terian Church,  and  departed  this  life  in  1876  and 
1871,  respectively.  On  the  outbreak  ofthe  AVarof 
1812,  the  father  of  our  subject  enlisted  in  his  fa- 
ther's stead,  and  returned  home  from  the  conflict 
unharmed.  In  politics,  his  early  years  were  spent  in 
support  of  the  Democratic  party,  but  during  the 
latter  part  of  his  life  he  voted  the  Republican 
ticket. 

John  C.  Hamilton,  of  this  sketch,  remained  with 
his  parents  until  their  death,  and  since  attaining 
his  majority  has  managed  the  farm  with  unqualified 
success.  He  brings  to  the  consideration  of  all  sub- 
jects presented  to  his  mind  the  shrewd  and  cautious 
judgment  that  characterized  his  agricultural  career, 
and  though  having  been  engaged  all  his  life  as  a 
tiller  of  the  soil,  he  has  been  connected  with  various 
other  branches  of  business,  and  is  now  one  of  the 
prominent  men  in  the  southeastern  [lart  of  the 
country. 

In  1857,  our  subject  and  Miss  Margaret,  daugh- 
ter of  William  and  Mary  (Borden)  Meek,  were 
united  in  marriage,  and  to  them  has  been  granted 
a  family  of  four  children.  They  have  been  given 
the  best  advantages  in  an  educational  waj"',  and 
three  are  graduates  of  different  colleges.  Relig- 
iously, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hamilton  are  devoted  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Presbyterian  Church,  and  num- 
ber  their   friends   among    the  best    residents   of 


G14 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  county.  A  quiet,  unassuming  man,  lie  is  an  in- 
fluence for  uuicli  good  in  the  community  where 
the  greater  part  of  his  Ufe  has  been  passed,  and  his 
every  deed  and  act  are  guided  by  the  highest  prin- 
ciples of  truth,  integrity  and  morality.  He  is  a 
firm  believer  in  the  political  doctrines  of  the  Re- 
publican party,  and  therefore  casts  his  vote  with 
that  element. 


nP^ENRY  (JUENTZ.  This  gentleman  holds 
Wjjfj  the  important  position  of  Justice  of  the 
'^^'  Peace,  was  City  Register  of  Belleville  for 
^p)  eight  successive  years,  and  is  also  insur- 
ance agent  at  the  same  place. 

Our  subject  first  saw  the  light  of  day  in  Dres- 
den, Saxony,  Germany,  July  5,  1835.  Here  he 
laid  the  foundation  of  a  good  education  in  the  ex- 
cellent private  schools  of  his  native  land.  Coming 
to  America  with  his  mother  August  1,  1847,  he 
finished  his  course  of  study  in  Siiiloh  N'alley  in 
the  vicinity  of  Belleville,  for  a  time  under  the  in- 
structions of  Milton  Scott,  who  later  became  Su- 
preme Judge.  After  that  he  entered  the  mercan- 
tile establishment  of  P^dward  Tittmann,  tlie  largest 
business  at  that  time  in  Belleville,  and  remained 
with  him  until  his  failure  in  1857,  wiien  he  was 
retained  as  chief  clerk  by  the  assignee  until  the 
business  was  entirely  finished.  He  then  purchased 
the  Tittmann  vineyard  and  farm  in  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  Belleville,  which  he  operated  for  ten 
years,  until  18()8,  when  he  removed  to  the  city  of 
Belleville,  and  was  appointed  to  the  office  of  City 
Register  in  1869,  filling  that  office  for  eight  suc- 
cessive years.  He  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace 
in  1873,  and  still  continues  to  fill  that  office  to  the 
satisfaction  of  all  parties.  He  is  the  oldest  Justice 
continuing  in  office,  he  having  held  his  position 
for  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century.  In  addition  to 
his  public  office  he  is  the  agent  for  a  number  of 
the  oldest  and  largest  insurance  companies  of  the 
country. 

Our    subject     continued     in   single    blessedness 


until  August  12,  1862,  when  he  took  a  wife  unto 
himself  in  the  person  of  MaiT  Eimer,  the  accom- 
plished daughter  of  Simon  Eimer,  a  prominent  and 
leading  citizen  of  Belleville.  This  happy  union 
has  been  blessed  with  nine  children,  namely:  Louisa; 
Mar^-,  wife  of  Otto  A.  Krebs;  Emma,  Henry,  Jo- 
hanna, Eugenia,  Helena,  Josie  and  Camilla,  all  of 
whom  are  a  credit  to  their  parents.  Henry  now 
has  a  position  with  the  Simmons  Hardware  Co.,  in 
St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Mr.  Guentz  is  a  [ironiinent  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  Ancient  Order  of  United  Work- 
men, and  Knights  of  Honor.  He  and  his  interest- 
ing faiuil}'  reside  in  a  pleasant  home  at  No.  215 
South  Charles  Street,  and  no  family  in  Belleville 
is  more  highly  esteemed  than  is  that  of  Mr.  Henry 
Guentz. 


allARLES  O.  M(C'ASLANI).  Among  the 
-  3'oung  and  active  business  men  of  East  St. 
Louis  is  this  gentleman,  who  is  a  native  of 
the  Prairie  State  and  one  of  the  most  prosperous 
real-estate  dealers  in  the  city  where  lie  makes  his 
home.  He  is  connected  in  business  with  his  brother, 
J.  T.  McCasland,  of  whom  a  sketch  will  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  work. 

He  of  whom  we  write  was  born  ne.ar  Murr.ayville, 
in  Morgan  County,  this  State,  April  6,  1866,  and 
received  his  education  in  the  common  schools, 
supplemented  by  a  course  at  the  High  School  at 
Jacksonville.  Remaining  at  home  until  reaching 
the  age  of  eighteen  years,  or  in  1884,  he  came  to 
this  county  and  joined  his  brother  J.  T.  in  the  in- 
surance business,  in  the  interests  of  which  he  trav- 
eled in  Nebraska,  Colorado,  Nevada,  Montana, 
Wyoming  and  other  States.  In  June,  1889,  Mr. 
McCasland  returned  to  the  city  and  became  inter- 
ested with  his  brother  in  various  real-estate 
plats,  he  himself  attending  to  the  laying  out  of 
North  Clearmont,  and  also  handled  and  platted 
the  Beacon  Heights  Addition. 

Mr.  McCasland  was  married  in  St.  Louis,  in  Oc- 
tober, 1891,  to   Miss   Nettie,  a  daughter  of  David 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD 


Lusk.  now  of  East  St.  Louis.  Mrs.  McCasland  was 
limn  in  Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa, and  by  iier  union  with 
(lui-  subject  lias  become  tlie  niotliei-  of  one  child, 
who  bears  the  name  of  Julia  E.  Our  subject  stands 
Minona  the  worthy  and  enterprising  men  of  the 
community  .in  which  he  is  respected  l)y  all  who 
know  him.  In  his  politics,  he  is  an  adherentof  the 
Democracy. 


^^+^ 


[(  OHN  P.  JUEN(;ER  is  the  grandson  of  Jacob 
and  Dorcas  Juenger,  both  natives  of  Ger- 
many. His  father  was  John  Mitchell  Juen- 
\g/  ger,  and  his  mother  Anna  M.  (Kahler)  Juen- 
ger. John  M.  Juenger  served  eleven  years  in  tiie 
(ierman  army,  and  after  obtaining  his  discharge, 
he  occupied  himself  at  the  shoemaker's  bench,  which 
trade  he  had  most  thoroughly-  learned.  At  the 
age  of  twenty-nine  years  he  emigrated  with  his 
family  to  the  United  Stales.  There  were  four 
children  in  the  Juenger  famil}',  namely:  George; 
John  P.,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Elizabeth, 
wife  of  Julius  Gairhart;  and  Catherine,  wife  of 
Michael  Keifhler. 

John  M.  Juenger  located  in  Darmstadt,  St.  Clair 
County,  111.,  in  the  year  1838.  Here  he  purchased 
land  and  made  a  pleasant  home  and  he  and 
each  member  of  the  family  soon  made  themselves 
respected  in  the  neighborhood  in  which  they  re- 
sided. Patience  and  perseverance  bring  their  re- 
ward in  due  time,  and  Mr.  Juenger  by  industry 
and  thrift  was  able  to  accumulate  sufficient  of  this 
world's  riches  to  ease  his  mind  with  regard  to  the 
necessities  of  old  age.  He,  however,  did  not  enjoy 
the  allotted  three-score  years  and  ten,  as  his  death 
occurred  in  the  year  1872,  while  he  was  surrounded 
by  a  loving  family  and  the  friends  who  had  learned 
to  honor  and  respect  him  for  the  sterling  man- 
hood they  knew  him  to  be  the  i)OSsessor  of.  His 
intelligent  and  capable  wife,  who  had  bravely 
stood  by  his  side  in  storm  aiid  sunshine,  and  in 
every  respect  had  done  her  share  to  accumulate  and 
make  the  most  of  his  resources  and  maintain  the 
reputation  of  tlie  family,  di(Ml  in  18i»l. 


In  Germany,  the  Land  of  his  parents  and  grand- 
parents, John  P.  Juenger  was  born.  Ho  was  ten 
years  old  when  his  parents  brought  him  to  the 
rnited  States.  He  received  the  ordinary  schooling 
given  to  boys  of  his  station  and  position  in  life, 
and  he  remained  under  the  paternal  roof  until  his 
marriage  to  Miss  Elizabeth  Laudenschger,  which 
occurred  in  the  year  1856,  his  bride  being  also 
a  native  of  Germany.  This  union  was  blessed 
by  six  children:  Conrad,  who  married  Miss  Anna 
Shuster;  Dorcas;  Catherine,  wife  of  John  Steinha- 
mer;  Augusta,  ]\Iai'garet.  wife  of  (ieorge  Eckert: 
and  Sophia. 

With  genuine  (Tcrman  thrift  and  prudence,  ^Ir. 
Juenger  began  to  save,  and  he  furnished  a  fair  ex- 
ample of  what  a  man  may  become  by  adhering 
to  the  rules  of  economy  and  industry.  Com- 
mencing life  as  a  poor  man,  he  h.as  by  his  own 
will  and  determination  to  accumulate  amassed  a 
goodly  share  of  property,  made  a  good  home  at 
.all  times  for  the  family  who  was  dependent  upon 
him,  and  is  to-da^-  the  possessor  of  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  choice  St.  Clair  County  land,  as 
well  as  other  jiossessions,  all  of  which  are  the 
achievement  of  his  own  personal  efforts. 

Politically,  Mr.  Juenger  is  a  Democrat,  and  up- 
holds his  party  .as  a  stanch,  faithful  and  loyal  ad- 
herent. Both  he  and  his  estimable  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  Church,  to  which  organization 
he  has  always  contributed  liber.ally.  He  is  a  pub- 
lic-spirited man  and  in  favor  of  everything  that 
will  improve  the  county  and  elevate  society.  His 
fidelity  to  the  stanch  principles  of  his  German 
ancestors,  and  his  well-spent  life  as  a  citizen  have 
contributed  to  the  high  regard  in  which  he  is  lu'ld 
in  liis  community. 


^|p^  AVID  MUKPHY  is  a  progressive,  wide-awake 
!l  Jl  and  intelligent  tiller  of  the  soil  of  Lebanon 
%<^  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  where  he 
owns  a  magnificent  farm  of  three  hundred  and 
ten   acres,  of  which  he  has'  been   tlic  owner    since 


646 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


1868.  Wliat  he  has  accumulated  is  the  result  of 
hard  work,  untiring  industry  and  good  manage- 
ment, and  he  deserves  much  credit  for  tlie  admir- 
able way  in  which  he  has  surmounted  the  many 
difficulties  that  have  strewn  his  pathway  through 
life.  He  began  tlie  battle  of  life  for  himself  .as  a 
renter,  but  in  1861  bought  one  hundred  and  Hfty- 
two  acres  north  of  his  present  farm,  exchanging  it 
for  the  latter  seven  years  later  and  paying  a  differ- 
ence of  $10,000  in  cash.  He  was  born  in  County 
Cork,  Ireland,  March  22,  1833,  a  son  of  Tlioraas 
and  Abbie  (Leahy)  Murphy,  with  whom  he  came 
to  America  in  1849,  landing  at  New  Orleans.  From 
tiiat  place  they  came  to  St.  Louis,  and  tliere  the 
mother  died  the  following  June  of  cholera,  her 
luisband's  death  of  the  same  dread  disease  i 
occurring  in  September  following.  Their  family 
consisted  of  five  children:  Ann,  who  died  in  1860, 
became  the  wife  of  Mr.  Foley,  who  is  also  de- 
ceased; David,  the  subject  of  this  sketch;  Dennis 
l)ecame  a  soldier  in  the  Union  army,  and  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  killed  at  Pittsburgh  Landing, 
altliough  no  authentic  news  of  his  death  was  ever 
received;  Ellen  is  a  resident  of  St.  Louis;  and 
Mar3'  died  in  girlhood  in  St.  Louis. 

David  Murphy  was  a  resident  of  Shiloh  >'alley 
Township  of  tiiis  count}-  prior  to  the  Civil  War, 
and,  although  his  finances  were  at  avery  low  ebb,  he 
set  energetically  to  work  to  better  his  condition, 
but  found  it  uphill  work  for  a  number  of  years. 
He  removed  to  Lebanon  Township  in  1861  and 
bought  tlie  land  adjoining  his  present  farm,  but,  as 
above  stated,  became  the  owner  of  his  present  farm 
in  1868.  He  has  a  beautiful,  commodious  and 
substantial  residence,  and  every  nook  and  crannv 
of  his  farm  is  exceptionally  neat  and  well  kept, 
showing  that  a  man  of  intelligent  and  enlight- 
ened views  is  at  the  helm.  On  the  20th  of  March, 
18.59,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Martha  \erlinda 
Moore,  a  daughter  of  Rev.  William  and  Margaret 
(Alexander)  Moore,  and  in  due  course  of  time  the 
following  ciiildren  gathered  about  their  hearth- 
stone: Margaret,  who  became  the  wife  of  ,Iohn 
Midgley,  who  is  an  employe  of  the  St.  Louis 
Bridge  Company,  is  the  mother  of  one  child,  Ethel, 
an  infant;  Edith  is  at  home  with  her  imrents;  Al- 
bert died    iu    infancy;  Ellen    and  MilUaui  are  at 


home.  Mr.  Murphy  has  always  been  interested  in 
school  and  educ.itional  matters,  and  his  children 
have  received  the  advantages  of  the  common 
schools  in  the  vicinity  of  their  home. 

Mr.  Murphy  is  a  well-informed  gentleman  on  all 
topics  of  general  interest,  and  believes  in  keeping 
in  constant  touch  with  the  current  issues  of  the 
da}-.  He  is  a  genial,  whole-souled  gentleman,  and 
is  very  popular  both  in  his  immediate  neighbor- 
hood and  wherever  he  is  known.  He  has  served  in 
the  capacit}'  of  Highway  Commissioner  and  School 
Director,  and  politically  is  in  sympathy  with  the 
Democratic  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Method- 
ist Church,  as  is  also  his  wife,  but  is  liberal  in  his 
support  of  other  denominations  also.  His  wife  is 
a  sister  of  Risdon  A.  Moore,  of  Shiloh  Vallej-  Town- 
ship, and  her  parents  were  among  the  very  early 
settlers  of  St.  Clair  County,  having  become  resi- 
dents of  Shiloh  Valley  Township  in  1810.  A 
genealogy  of  her  family  has  recently  been  prepared, 
which  covers  nearly  one  hundred  pages. 


^^i|^-.l^i|M#!#i^ 


^  ^ILLIAM  L.  JONES,  editor  and  proprietor 
\rJl'  of  the  Lebanon  Jmirnal,  belongs  to  one  of 
^f%  the  representative  and  honored  pioneer 
families  of  St.  Clair  County,  where  his  entire  life 
has  been  passed.  He  was  here  born  June  7,  1859, 
and  received  his  education  in  the  common  schools 
of  Lebanon  and  at  .McKendree  College,  from  which 
institution  he  was  graduated  in  1879.  Two  years 
later  his  father,  Oliver  P.  Jones,  purcha.sed  the 
plant  of  the  Lebanon  Journal,  at  which  time  our 
subject  embarked  in  the  printing  business,  and 
soon  became  a  practical  printer  .as  well  as  success- 
ful manager  of  a  country  newspaper. 

In  1882,  Mr.  Jones  became  a  memlier  of  the 
Southern  Illinois  Press  Association,  in  which  he 
soon  att.iiiieil  >uch  prominence  as  would  be  ex- 
pected from  a  man  of  his  unquestioned  abilit\-  and 
talent.  In  18H7,  he  joined  the  Illinois  Press  As- 
sociation, and  has  since  attended  all  the  meetings 
of  that  organization,  serving  as  delegate  to  the 
touveution  of  the  National  Editorial  Association 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPinCAL  RECORD. 


647 


at  Detroit  in  1889;  Boston,  1890;  St.  Paul,  1891; 
and  San  Francisco  in  1892.  His  service  as  Presi- 
dent of  the  Soutliern  Illinois  Press  Association,  to 
which  position  he  was  elected  in  1891,  has  re- 
sulted in  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  that 
society  to  a  marked  extent. 

For  more  than  eleven  years  Mr.  Jones  has 
been  the  capable  and  efficient  editor  of  the  Leb- 
anon Journnl,  one  of  the  wide-awake  papers  of 
the  county, and  of  great  value  to  the  community. 
During  1890,  he  was  a  member  of  the  party  of 
Illinois  editors  who  went  to  the  city  of  Mexico, 
and  lias  also  traveled  extensively  elsewhere.  He 
is  correspondent  of  the  Illinois  J^tate  Natural  His- 
tory Society,  and  holds  other  positions  of  respon- 
sibility and  honor. 


•*-^^- 


|r^,IC'IlARD  AV.  ROPIEQUET,  an  attorney-at- 
ijUf^  law,  of  Belleville,  111.,  born  in  that  city 
JL.  V  March  23,  1866,  is  a  son  of  Frederick  K.  and 
Anna  (Wangelin)  Ropiequet,  the  latter  a 
sister  of  Richard  Wangelin.  The  father  of  our 
subject  was  born  on  the  Rhine,  Bavaria,  December 
16,  1835,  his  father  being  an  attorney  of  ample 
means,  who  died  in  1847.  Frederick  K.  Ropiequet 
received  a  classical  education  in  the  German  lan- 
guage, and  was  educated  as  an  engineer.  He  emi- 
grated to  the  I'nited  States  in  1852,  landing  at 
New  York  and  proceeding  to  Belleville,  where  he 
found  employment  as  clerk  in  a  general  merchan- 
dise store.  In  the  following  year,  he  was  a|)- 
pointed  assistant  engineer,  and  aided  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  Alton,  Terre  Haute  A  St.  Louis 
Railroad.  Study  of  law  next  engrossed  his  atten- 
tion, but  when  George  C.  Hart  was  elected  Sheriff 
he  was  made  a  Deputy  under  that  oHieer,  and  in 
1864  was  himself  elected  Sheriff.  After  his  term 
of  office  expired,  he  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  agricultural  implements  until  1876.  The  books 
of  abstracts  of  St.  Clair  County  were  completed  by 
him  in  1877.  Two  years  later,  in  1879,  he  was 
elected  City  Treasurer  and  re-elected  Sheriff  in 
1880,      In  the    vt-nr  JW68.  he  was  elected  Mayor  of 


the  city  of  Belleville.     His  time  is  now  devoted  to 
the  abstracting  of  titles. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  received  his  educa- 
tion in  the  schools  of  Belleville  and  at  Smith 
Academy  of  Washington  University,  St.  Louis, 
after  which  he  read  law  with  Charles  W.  Thomas, 
and  was  admitted  to  practice  by  examination  in 
August,  1886,  receiving  his  license  when  but 
twenty-one  years  old.  Taking  an  office  in  Belle- 
ville at  once  and  appl^'ing  himself  diligently,  he 
has  built  up  a  good  practice.  Exclusive  attention 
to  his  profession  and  faithful  regard  for  the  in- 
terests of  clients  have  resulted  in  the  establishing 
of  himself  thus  early  in  his  career  in  the  confidence 
of  friends  and  the  public.  He  has  his  office  in  the 
Academy  of  Music  building.  Our  subject  was 
married  to  Miss  Mamie  W.  Crouch,  daughter  of 
William  T.  Crouch,  the  photographer,  April  14, 
1890,  by  whom  he  has  had  one  child,  Wilfred  C. 
His  religious  belief  is  pronounced,  he  being  a 
Steward  and  Trustee  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
Church  and  also  Superintendent  of  its  Sunday- 
school.  The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ropiequet  is 
on  .South  Jackson  Street. 


^T%  R.  C.  F.  WILHELMJ.  a  talented  and  suc- 
I  )))  cessful  physician  and  surgeon  of  East  St. 
'^3^  Louis,  111.,  is  a  native  of  the  State  and 
was  born  on  Elkhorn  Prairie,  near  Nash- 
ville, Washington  County.  His  father.  Dr.  Charles 
Wilhelmj,  was  well  known  throughout  Southern 
Illinois,  and  ranked  high  in  his  profession.  He 
was  born  in  the  duchy  of  Nassau,  in  Germany,  of 
which  duchy  his  father,  the  paternal  grandfather 
of  our  subject,  was  Governor.  Dr.  Charles  Wil- 
helmj was  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Heidel- 
berg, and  attended  the  University  of  Munich.  He 
passed  peacefully  away  at  the  age  of  seventy-six 
years,  a  man  universally  respected  and  honored. 
A  wife  and  five  children  and  a  host  of  friends 
mourned  his  death.  At  the  time  of  the  Revolu- 
tion of  1848  in   Germany,  he  had  taken  an  active 


i-ORTEAIT  A^'D  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


part  and  was  obliged  afterward  to  seek  refuge  in 
America.  He  spent  his  first  year  in  tiiis  country 
in  Cincinnati,  finally  locating  in  Maeystown, 
where  he  remained  in  the  active  duties  of  his  pro- 
fession until  his  death,  a  brief  time  ago. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Sophia  Ballot,  a 
daughter  of  Dr.  Fred  Ballot,  of  Waterloo.  Dr. 
Ballot  was  a  native  of  Germany,  and  a  graduate 
of  Heidelberg,  and  early  emigrating  to  the  United 
States,  settled  in  Waterloo,  being  the  pioneer 
doctor  of  that  flourishing  town.  Our  subject  was 
an  only  child,  and  after  the  death  of  his  mother  in 
1860,  was  sent  to  St.  Louis,  where  he  attended  the 
public  school,  and  later  went  to  an  aunt  in  St. 
.loe,  there  receiving  the  benefit  of  a  High  .School 
course.  In  1877,  he  returned  to  Washington 
County,  and  studied  medicine  under  his  father. 
In  the  fall  of  the  same  year,  he  entered  the  St. 
Louis  Medical  College,  and  graduated  from  the 
medical  department  witii  the  degree  of  M.  D.  in 
1880.  For  the  five  succeeding  3'ears,  Dr.  C.  F. 
Wilhelmj  practiced  medicine  with  his  father,  and 
at  the  expiration  of  this  time  removed  to  East  St- 
Louis,  where  he  enjoys  one  of  tiie  most  extended 
and  lucrative  fields  of  piactice  in  the  city.  His 
office,  No.  13  Nortii  Main  Street,  is  conveniently 
located  and  aside  from  his  professional  round  of 
visits  affords  Dr.  Wilhelmj  an  excellent  income. 

Our  subject  was  for  one  term  the  CJounty 
Hospital  Physician  for  p]ast  St.  Louis.  He  is  the 
local  examiner  of  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  and  is  also  the  Medical  Examiner  of  the 
American  Legion  of  Honor,  and  also  of  the 
Knights  and  Ladies  of  Honor.  Dr.  Wilhelmj  is  a 
member  of  the  Illinois  Medical  Association,  and  is 
A'ice-president  of  the  St.  Clair  County  Medical  As- 
sociation. Our  subject  is  likewise  a  member  of  the 
Monroe  County  Medical  Association.  Dr.  Wilhelmj 
is  in  political  affiliations  a  stalwart  Re|)ublican,and 
h.as  held  the  responsible  position  of  County  Com- 
niissionei-,  discharging  the  duties  of  the  office  witli 
honor  and  ability.  He  is  deeply  interested  in  the 
management  of  iioth  local  and  national  affairs  and 
ever  ready  to  assist  in  all  progressive  movements 
and  enterprises  of  merit,  and  is  widely  known  as  an 
earnest  and  ])ulilic-spirited  citizen.  Upright  in 
cliaracler  and    ilcvolcd   to   tlie   relief  of  suffering 


humanitj',  our  subject  brings  to  the  daily  exercise 
of  his  profession  skillful  knowledge,  excellent 
judgment,  and  a  courteous  bearing  which  have  de- 
servedly won  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  a  large 
circle  of  friends  and  well-wisiiers. 


-^^l 


\^^ 


^lllLU'  11.  POSTEL,  a  practical  and  suc- 
cessful miller,  h.as  acquired  his  knowledge 
of  tlie  business  by  the  most  studious  and 
searching  habits,  and  has  grown  gray  in 
solving  liie  problem  of  how  to  excel  in  making  flour. 
A  German  by  birth,  he  inherits  many  of  the  most 
commendable  qualities  of  that  race,  among  which 
may  be  mentioned  honesty  of  purpose,  industry 
and  thrift.  His  birth  occurred  on  the  lllh  of 
July,  1818,  at  Hassloch,  Rheinpfalz,  to  George  and 
Maria  Kathrina  ((iramlich)  Postel,  who  were  born, 
reared  and  spent  thiir  li\c>  in  Germany. 

In  his  youth  Pliilip  II.  Postel  was  possessed  of 
a  laudable  ambition  t<>  make  fame  and  fortune 
for  himself,  and  with  this  end  in  view  he  came  to 
America  in  1841,  embarking  for  this  country  at 
a  E^-encli  seaport,  Havre,  on  the  9tli  of  May,  and 
landing  at  New  York  City  on  the  22d  of  June. 
;  After  a  short  residence  in  the  metropolis  of  this 
countr3',  he  went  to  Philadelphia  on  the  first  rail- 
road that  was  built  in  America,  from  which  city 
he  went  by  canal  to  Pittsburgh,  and  then  by 
j  river  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  the  journey  occupying 
i  three  weeks.  He  came  to  Mascoiitah  as  a  visitor 
j  to  the  Eisenmayer  family,  and  only  expected  to 
spend  a  few  years  in  this  country,  hut  by  the 
20th  of  November,  1841,  he  became  idcntiticd  in 
business  witii  Conrad  and  Philip  II.  Kisenmayer, 
w1k>  were  at  that  time  operating  a  grist  and  saw 
mill.  Mascoutah  comprised  only  eleven  houses 
at  that  time,  and  the  mill  of  which  these  gentle- 
men were  the  proprietors  was  the  first  one  ever 
erected  in  Mascoutah  Township. 

A  short  time  after  their  connection  was  formed, 
the  firm  purclia.sed  a  watermill  in  Monroe  County, 
about  four  miles  from  Red  Bud,  a  i)roject  which 
iniforliiuati'ly    proved  a    failure,  and    tlie  mill  was 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


sold  in  1846.  Mr.  Postel  has  been  associated 
with  five  partners,  two  of  them  at  two  different 
times,  but  at  the  present  time  has  no  associates 
excepting  his  three  sons.  Their  plant  consists  of 
three  fine  mills,  and  the  business  was  incorpor- 
ated in  1886  with  Philip  H.  Postel,  Sr.,  as  Presi- 
dent; P.  H.  Postel,  Jr.,  Vice-president;  George 
Postel,  Treasurer;  and  .Julius  Postel,  Secretary. 

Among  the  brands  of  flour  manufactured  are 
the  "Elegant,"  "Patent,"  "Extra,"  "A,"  "Mas- 
coutah  Star,"  and  others.  The  mills  have  a  ca- 
pacit}'  of  one  thousand  barrels  per  day,  and  the 
constant  bustle  of  receipt  and  shipment  makes  it 
one  of  the  busiest  corners  of  the  place.  They  are 
fitted  up  with  every  device  known  to  milling 
science,  are  up  with,  and  even  ahead  of.  the  times, 
and  have  a  large  local  trade,  of  which  the  home  con- 
sumption is  the  strongest  endorsement  the  flour 
could  have.  The  wonderful  success  to  wliich  Jlr. 
Postel  has  attained  may  be  attributed  to  the  fact 
that  he  makes  the  finest  flour  in  the  market,  sus- 
tains the  uniformity  of  his  brands,  and  offers  cus- 
tomers the  best  terms,  by  reason  of  his  large  capi- 
tal and  by  treating  everyone  with  whom  he  has 
business  relations  in  a  courteous  manner. 

In  the  land  of  his  birth  Mr.  Postel  received,  as 
was  cusloniary  in  his  country,  only  a  common- 
school  education,  but  in  a  compulsory  public 
school.  As  his  instructors  were  intelligent  and 
thoroughly  understood  their  duties,  he  made  fair 
progress  in  his  studies.  In  this  country,  after 
working  eighteen  hours  a  day,  he  found  time  to 
attend  night  school  one  hour  of  the  remaining 
six,  where  he  took  lessons  in  English  in  order  to 
master  to  a  certain  degree  the  intricacies  of  this 
language.  He  was  one  of  four  children.  Eva 
Catherine  and  Andrew  both  died  of  cholera;  .nnd 
Anna  Margaret,  who  died  in  the  parental  home 
at  Germania  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years. 

On  the  4th  of  September,  1842,  Philip  H.  Postel 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Anna  ]Maria 
Eisenmayer,  a  daughter  of  Philip  11.  and  Anna 
Elizabeth(Haas)Eisenmajer,  of  Hassloch, (Germany, 
and  sister  of  Conrad  Eisenmayer,  his  partner.  She 
was  born  in  (ierniany  and  came  to  America  with 
lier  brollier  Conrad  in  1840.  Of  the  chiUboii 
born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Postel  two   died  in  infancy 

30 


and  seven  are  now  living,  viz:  Elizabeth,  who  is 
still  at  home;  jMaria  E.,  wife  of  Carl  Schwalb,  who  is 
residing  in  Denver,  Colo.;  Philip  H.,  Jr.,  also  at 
home;  George,  who  married  Miss  Dora  Jansen,  of 
Quincy;  Anna,  wife  of  John  Fackt,  of  Mas- 
coutah;  Louisa,  wife  of  Boyd  Cornick,  M.  I).,  of 
Knickerbocker,  Green  Count}',  Tex.;  and  Julius, 
who  married  Amalia,  daughter  of  John  P.  Postel. 
The  above-named  children  have  enriched  their 
father  with  seventeen  grandchildren. 

Mr.  Postel  is  a  man  of  intelligent,  practical  and 
progressive  views,  and  while  serving  as  a  member 
of  the  State  Legislature  during  the  session  of 
1881-82,  he  was  a  thoughtful,  painstaking,  con- 
scientious and  industrious  member  of  that  body. 
He  was  elected  to  this  honorable  position  on  the 
Republican  ticket,  the  principles  of  which  polit- 
ical order  he  has  always  supported,  and  his  con- 
stituents had  every  reason  to  be  pleased  with  him 
as  their  representative.  He  was  also  appointed 
one  of  the  Board  to  subdivide  St.  Clair  County 
into  townships.  All  measures  of  morality"find 
in  him  a  stanch  supporter,  and  he  is  an  especially 
earnest  patron  of  education  and  lias  served  in  the 
capacity  of  Trustee  of  the  Illinois  State  University 
when  said  ofHce  was  still  an  appointive  one.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
and  has  "kept  the  faith"  since  1841,  being  at 
present  Superintendent  of  the  _  Sunday-school, 
which  ottice  he  has  held  for  over 'thirty  years. 


;fpVEV.  HENRV  EDGAR  FULLER  has  been 
[1^  following  a  calling  that  is  the  noblest  lo 
Jv  \V  wliich  n  man  can  devote  his  life,  and  in  the 
\£)  <a|ia(ity  of  the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Belleville,  he  has  had  a  fruitful  field  in 
which  to  sow  the  seed  of  Christianity.  His  work 
has  required  patience,  persistence  and  grace,  but 
he  is  possessed  of  all  these  commendable  qualities, 
and  during  the  six  years  that  he  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  Belleville  his  work  has  been  truly  noble 
and  he  has  laid  his  fouiidntioiis  (•.•uefiilly  and  well 
lie  is  an  eloquent  pulpit  oralur,  his  jcimons  show 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


much  painstaking  thought,  and  his  illustrations 
are  always  happy  and  to  the  point.  His  power  is 
largely  in  his  capacity  for  training  his  people, 
especially  the  young,  and  the  boys  and  girls  who 
are  now  in  his  hands  will  become  men  and  women 
of  might.  He  was  born  at  Lake  Geneva,  Wis., 
March  12,  1852,  a  sou  of  L.  W.  and  Huldah  Ann 
(Ingham)  Fuller,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  the 
Empire  State.  By  occupation  the  fatiier  is  a 
tiller  of  the  soil,  having  his  home  in  Lake 
Geneva,  Wis.  He  is  of  English  descent  and  traces 
his  ancestry  back  in  direct  line  to  the  sixteenth 
century. 

In  the  towu  of  his  birth  Rev.  Henry  E.  Fuller 
received  his  education  and  for  some  time  was  an 
attendant  at  Lake  Geneva  Seminary,  and  the 
AVhitewater  Normal  College,  a  State  institution, 
finishing  his  literary  education  in  the  University 
of  Chicago,  which  he  entered  in  1874  and  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1878  with  the  degree  of  15. 
A.  Succeeding  this,  he  began  his  theological  stud- 
ies in  the  Baptist  Theological  University  of  Mor- 
gan Park,  111.,  and  graduated  in  the  Class  of  '84. 
In  1879  he  preached  the  Gospel  at  East  Dela- 
vnn.  Wis.,  and  also  for  a  short  time  supplied  a 
pulpit  at  Lake  Geneva,  after  which  he  was  pastor 
of  a  church  at  Walnut,  111.,  for  two  years.  He 
was  ordained  on  the  6th  of  December,  1881,  by  a 
council  composed  of  eighteen  members,  represent- 
ing eleven  churches.  While  taking  his  theological 
course,  he  preached  for  seven  months  at  Amboy, 
111. 

After  graduating,  the  first  charge  of  Hex.  IMr. 
Fuller  was  at  Marion,  Iowa, where  he  remained  from 
1884  to  1887,  during  which  time  thirty-seven 
accessions  were  made  to  the  chuicli.  From  Marion 
he  came  to  Belleville,  111.,  in  response  to  an  urgent 
call,  and  here  his  services  in  the  vineyard  of  his 
^Master  have  been  attended  with  tiatlering  success. 
Since  locating  here  a  parsonage  has  been  erected  at 
a  cost  of  13,200,  sixty-one  accessions  have  been 
made  to  the  church,  and  a  Normal  Class  of  twenty- 
live  members  h.as  been  in  existence  for  the  past 
four  years,  the  members  of  which,  in  this  manner, 
lit  themselves  for  church  work.  A  Young  Peo- 
|)le's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor  has  been  or- 
g:uiized   with   twenty-five   active   and   forty   asso- 


ciate members,  and  a  class  of  fifty  of  "Willing 
Workers"  has  been  organized,  which  is  composed 
of  both  boys  and  girls.  The  Sunday-school  at- 
tendants number  one  hundred  and  fifty  and  the 
school  is  presided  over  by  jM.  W.  Weir,  who,  be- 
sides being  one  of  the  very  best  lawyers  in  the 
city,  finds  time  to  be  a  most  excellent  Ciiurch 
Clerk  and  Treasurer. 

Rev.  Mr. Fuller  attends  National,  State  and  Di*- 
Irict  Associations,  Ministers'  Institutes,  etc.  He  is 
active  in  the  Alton  District  Association,  and  was 
j  very  earnest  and  active  in  organizing  the  Baptist 
Young  People's  Society  of  the  Alton  District 
Association.  He  is  very  conscientious  and  pains- 
taking in  his  work,  and  as  a  natural  result  he  has 
brought  many  to  the  feet  of  Christ.  At  the 
Alumni  Association  of  the  Morgan  Park  Theolog- 
ical Association  in  1890  he  read  a  beautiful  orig- 
inal poem,  which  wc  take  the  liberty  of  inserting: 

SADRA. 

|Ali  iinajriiiary  scone  intended  to  represent  a  seeker  for  the 
j    t]-utli,  who.  after  meeting  the  representatives  of  various  faiths, 
finally  recognizes  the  Uliristian  faith  as  superior  to  all  others.l 

1    O  welcome  muse,  come  down  from  starry  height, 
Awake  the  power  that  sleeps,  and  bid  the  light 

I  To  stream  thro'  clouds  that  gather,  energize 
Some  dormant  gift,  and  may  the  spirit  rise 
To  sing  in  lofty  and  exultant  strain 

I   Of  Him  who  doth  exeell     Far,  far  away. 
Where  many  charming  isles  are  seen  to  lay 
Like  gems  upon  the  bosom  of  the  deep, 
Is  one  whose  verdure  green  and  mountain  steep 
And  ever  quiet  shores  ^attract  the  e.ye. 
The  sails  of  many  ships  are  drawing  nigh — 
There  seems  to  disembark  a  mighty  throng, 
Of  which  the  varied  people  do  belong 
To  every  race  beneath  the  sun.     Ere  long 
The  beauteous  isle  is  peopled,  and  among 
Its  sloping  hills  and  through  its  valleys  fair 
Are  many  sacred  spires  and  domes,  that  vie 
With  one  another  for  supremacy. 
By  Mount  Eringel,  nigh  its  southern  base. 
Amid  ambrosial  fragrance,  is  a  place 
Delightsome.     There,  behold  a  maiden  fair 
Did  wander  to  a  spot  sequestered,  where 
Gushed  forth  from  rocky  bed  a  limpid  stream. 
And  there  in  shady  bower  reclined  to  dream 
Of  life,  and  all  its  unsolved  mysteries 
Of  sorrow,  pain  and  grief,  and  remedies 
For  all  the  ills  of  life,  if  such  there  be, 
Of  what  from  guilt  has  power  to  set  me  free. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHTCAL   RECORD. 


651 


These  questions  rising  in  lier  mind  left  naught 

Hut  sadness,  and  in  tears  she  vainly  sought 

To  find  some  higher  power  to  satisfy 

Tiie  soid's  demand,  when,  lo,  before  her  eye 

Api)roaching  near,  in  lovely  robe  arrayed, 

A  form  most  radiant  'mid  the  forest  shade; 

Her  beauty  thrilled,  but  mild  with  grace  she  bade 

All  fear  be  gone,  and  said,  "Why  art  thou  so  sad? 

A  messenger  I  come,  and  now  invoke 

Your  earnest  soul."     In  tender  words  slie  spoke. 

•■  Reneath  proud  Ilimalaja's  snowy  crest 

Tiierc  is  a  land  by  sacred  story  blest, 

Of  him  who  lived  to  dissipate  the  niglit 

Of  ignorance,  and  give  all  Asia  light. 

'Tis  good  Siddartha,  who  has  struggled  on 

And  mounted  higher  and  liigher  and  has  won 

The  great  Nirvana.     Come  and  follow  me. 

For  him  we  worship.     Happy  you  shall  be." 

Beyond  the  sloping  hill  was  Buddha's  shrine. 

And  thither  did  the}'  wend  their  wa^-.  Wlicre  vine 

P^n wreathed  the  sturd\-  tree,  and  verdure  green 

And  bowers  fair  and  varied  flowers  were  seen. 

The  temple  stood.     The     priests    drew    near   and 

throngs 
Of  humble  worshippers  with  sacred  songs 
Upon  their  lips,  and  while  they  gathered  round 
To  worship,  Sadra  heard  the  solemn  sound 
Of  tinkling  bells,  and  now  before  the  shrine 
Of  Buddha  monks  and  abbots  fall  in  line. 
And  popes  and  bishops  solemn  homage  pay 
To  him  who  brought  to  Asia  light — the  way 
To  virtue  and  to  hap])iness;    and  all 
The  ardent  worshippers  of  Buddha  fall 
Upon  their  knees,  and  now  pervades  the  air 
The  voice  of  supplication  and  of  prayer. 
But  soon  the  sound  of  manv  voices  die 
Away,  and  eagerly  they  list,  with  eye 
Upon  the  priest,  who  tells  them  how  to  live 
And  be  like  good  Siddartha,  and  to  give 
Their  lives  to  deeds  of  charity,  and  gam 
By  deeds  of  merit  freedom  from  all  pain 
And  consciousness,  or  else  a  blessed  state 
Oblivious,  or  absorption  in  tlie  great 
Nirvana.     But  the  service  fails  to  wear 
Away  the  took  of  sadness  and  of  care 
Among  the  eager  listeners.     No  word. 
No  song,  no  prayer,  no  language  they  have    heard 
H.<is  shown  how  guilt  and  sin  are  washed  awa}'. 
This  life  is  dreary,  no  eternal  day 
Shines  l)right  before  them.     Doubting  nmrc    and 

more, 
The  humble  Sadra,  pondering  o'er  and  o'er 
The  message,  strayed  again.     Where  lifted  liigli 
The  giant  trees  their  lofty  branches, nigh 
A  running  brooklet  in  the  welcome  shade, 
'Mid  nature  in  its  loveliest  form  iirrayed, 
She  sat  oblivious  of  the  passing  day, 


And  thought  of  nature's  God,  who  could  arraj' 
With  myriad  graceful  forms  and  colors  clear 
Tliis  world  of  life  and  beauty.  Drawing  near, 
The  darkness  stole  upon  her.     Then  she  stood 
And  shuddered,  conscious  of  the  solitude 
Around  her.     Lo,  a  figure  lank  and  lean 
Approaches.     From  her  strange  and  ghastly   mien 
She  would  have  Hed.     But  when  she  spoke  in  tone 
So  mild  and  clear,  and  made  her   message   known, 
The  timid  Sadra  listened.     She  addressed 
Her  thus:     "If  ever  more  thou  wouldst  be  blest, 
I  tell  thee  of  the  sunn}'  land  where  flow 
The  Indus  and  the  Ganges,  and  where  grow 
The  choicest  fruits  and  tropic  plants,  and  where. 
Embedded  'neath  the  soil,  are  treasures  rare; 
Wiiere  mind  has  soared  and  victory    has  crowned 
Their  lofty  search,  and  trutii  eternal's  found — 
With  Yedie  hymns  and  prayers  and  Indian  lore. 
With  sacred  streams  and  Vishnu  to  adore — 
AVith  torture  of  the  body  and  supreme 
Dislike  of  matter.     Let  thy  beauty  seem 
An  evil,  and  behold  my  haggard  face 
With    many  a    bruise  and    scar.     Thine    outward 

grace 
Is  guilt  and  evil,  nought  beneath  the  stars 
Isg0(j(l  liiit  s|iirii.     Now  with  ugly  scars 
I  pray  tlin'  uin y  thy  form  so  true  and  fair 
Be  bruised.     Sc  (■!<  some  forest  where 
The  iiiiclvly  ilmin  is  growing.and  amid 
Its  many  nuly  lunnches  I  now  bid 
Thee  tliiu.-l  llivsclf,  for  thou  slialt  save  thy  soul 
By  means  of  conscious    pain.     Would'st    thou   be 

whole.' — 
Wish  not  for  death,  wish  not  for  life,  repeat 
The  self-inflicted  torture,  and  may  heat 
And  cold  combine  to  rack  thy  frame,  then  pore 
For  many  a  day  through  all  the  Vedic  lore. 
Come  follow  me  and  I  will  show  thee  how 
We  sacrifice  to  Vishnu,  how  to  bow 
Before  those  forms  inscribed  upon  the  stone — 
Of  men  with  elephiiiitine  lieads,  and  grow'u 
From  human  shiijie  reptilian  heads 
And  grisly  nii>iistfr>."     Sadra  trembles,  dreads 
The  honid  \i>iiL;v.  luciks  almut,  and  when 
Thick  ihukness  throws  its  iininlle  o'er  her,  then 
With  quickest  speed  slie  darted  thro'  the  wood. 
While  every  form  amid  the  solitude 
Was  like  some  ghostly  figure.     Soon  she  dreamed 
Beneath  the  humble  roof,  while  faintly  gleamed 
A  ray  of  light  upon  her  burdened  soul; 
And  while  she  longed  the  mystery  to  unroll, 
She    pondered    thus:     "  There    is    one  God    who 

made 
The    world.     With    wondrous    wisdom    was   each 

blade 
Of  grass  .•mil  flower  formed.     The  heavens  show 
His  might.     But  does  He  see  me,  hear  me,  know 


652 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


Me,  love  me?     Is  there  hope  beyond?    Will  fear 

Of  just  desert  be  gone  by  trusting?"     Near 

Her  view  the  clouds  would  almost  Open;  day 

By  day  the  thouglit  repeated,  and  the  i-ay 

Of  light  still  lingered.    Hope  revived.    She  sought 

To  hear  the  voice  of  nature,  and,  while  naught 

Responded,  she  did  love  to  wander  where 

The  beauteous  forms  around  her  did  declare 

The  wisdom  of  the  great  Creator.     Near 

The  sound  of  falling  waters,  where  appear 

The  ripples  of  the  stream  on  rocky  bed, 

Where  come  to  view  the  caves  and  lof tj"  head 

Of  jutting  cliffs,  the  seething  foam  and  spra_y 

From  falling  cataract,  did  Sadra  stray. 

The  snow-white  poppy  and  the  craggy  ledge 

And  creeping  iv}-  vines,  and  by  the  edge 

Of  running  streams  tiie  tufts  of  moss,  and  'round 

The  foot  of  hills  the  green  turf,  and  the  sound 

Of  feathered  songsters  warbling  in  the  air 

Their  notes  of  sweetest  cadence,  bade  all  care 

To  flee  away.     But  while  in  reverie 

'Mid  varied  forms  beneath  the  canopy 

Of  nature,  lo,  appears  a  distant  gleam 

Of  sword  or  sabre.     Musi  she  ford  the  stream 

And  seek  the  woody  shelter?     Can  it  be 

That  from  this  beauteous  Eden  she  must  tlee? 

Again  she  looks.     A  giant  form  draws  near, 

AVith  armor  flashing  in  the  sunlight.     Fear. 

Now  tries  the  nerve  of  vSadra,  for  the  deep 

And  rapid  stream  that  flows  beneath  the  steep 

Rock  rushes  madly,  while  a  warrior  foe 

Did  cause  her  heart  to  quail.     His  piercing  eye 

Bespoke  of  war.     But  ere  a  shriek  or  cry 

She  utters,  he  has  thrown  his  sword  aside 

And  scimitar.     "  The  deep  and  flowing  tide 

I  praj'  thee  do  not  cross,"  he  said  and  smiled. 

AVith  pleasing  words,  lie   spoke  in  accents  mild — 

"  Two  camel  marches  from  the  great  Red  Sea. 

'Mid  wild  Arabian  hills,  idolatry 

Is  banished  evermore.     'Tis  Mecca  by 

The  Mount  of  Light,  where  intersecting  ways 

Bring  pilgrims  from  afar,  who  love  and  praise 

Tlie  hallowed  spot.     Within  its  wall  there  stands 

The  sacied  mosque,  whose  solemn    form    demands 

Our  reverence.     Enclosed  by  colonr.ade 

Tliey  see  the  holy  Ka'ba  that  was  made 

By  pro|)hets  old,  and  on  its  holy  wall 

The  consecrated  black  stone,  which,  at  call 

Of  Abraham,  the  Angel  Gabriel  brought 

From   starry     height,    and     millions     there     have 

sought 
Its  mystic  touch.     O'ersiirea.l    with  black  buirado 
From  hoary  Egypt's  city,  and  o'erlaid 
With  band  adorned  with  golden    letters,    wrought 
With  skill  from  sacred  ICoran,  where  is  taught 
The  way  to  heaven:   the  holy  place  wc   view 
And  near  its  site,  the  eager  throng  renew 


Their  vigor  by  the  water  from  the  well 

Of  Hagar.     There  is  naught  that  can  excel 

The  words  of  wisdom  that  the  suppliants  hear. 

In  reverence  now  they  gather  and  with  ear 

Attentive  listen  to  the  message.     Light  to  all 

AVho  .seek  a  heaven  above,  where  bright 

Robed  angels  sing  and  chant  their  pseans,  came 

From  lips  of  Islam's  follower,  whose  aim 

It  w.as  a  brighter,  holier  light  to  shed — 

Not  everlasting  chaos  for  tiie  dead. 

Tliere  is  no  god  but  fiod;  the  Islam  faith 

Brings  life  and  liglit  and  heaven,  all   others  death. 

All  others  let  them  lie  accursed.     The  priest 

Continues,  says  the  ci< x-fnt  lias  i-eleased 

From  death  the  milli.'iis  wIk.  ,-Mcc|)ied,  said 

If  all  would  bow  and  \vc>i~hi|].  then  the  dread 

Tiiat  filled  their  soul  and  made    them  sad    would 

flee. 
And  heaven's  brightest  glories  they  would  see. 
Then  prostrate  on  their  face  the  people  pray 
And  mutter 'Allah!  Allah!'  " — "Daughter,  say 
Before  me  now  that  thou  will  ever  be 
The  humble  follower  and  devotee 
Of  Islam,"  said  the  stranger  in  a  tone 
Persuasive.     Lovely  Sadra,  almost  won 
By  words  inspiring,  asked  •'  If  God  so  great 
Would,  like  a  tender  Father,  bid  the  weigiil 
Of  sin  be  gone,  and  love  me,  or  am  I 
A  slave  and  God  a  t^'rant?  "     No  reply. 
The  winning  smile  has  disappeared,  and  now 
AVith  voice  stentorian,  vengeance  on  his  brow. 
He  added,  "  Holy  .lust  One,  most  divine. 
Has  ordered  this,  the  crescent,  Islam's  sign. 
To  be  a  mark  of  fealty.     May  it  be  thine 
Forever,  wilttliou  not?     Then  we  combine 
AVith  mortal  weapons."     Then  with  rapid  move 
He  grasped  his  sword  and  scimitar  to  prove 
Her  loyalty,  and  spoke:  "A  conquering  host, 
AA'e're  marching  onward,  and  demanding  most 
Abject  obedience  to  our  faith."    Then  flashed 
His  gleaming  armor,  and  with  force  he  dashed 
Beside  the  rapid  stream  on  rock}'  bed 
AVhereon  he  stood  a  clump  of  clay,  and  .said 
"  So  may  it  ever  be  to  one  and  all. 
To  every  race  who  live  upon  this  ball 
AVho  follow  not  the  crescent."     Human   tongue 
Can  ne'er  describe  her  terror.     Fear  had  wrung 
Her  nerves,  and  horrid  death  was  near  her.     Yield 
She  could  not.     "God."  she  cried,  "come  nigh  and 

wield 
Some  power  lo  .set  me  free!"     But  list,  a  cry 
That  rent  the  airl   The  warrior  fell  to  die; 
Then  rose  a  shout  of  triumph,  while  drew  nigh 
The  bitter  foe  of  Islam,  vengeance  in  his  eye. 
And  while  she  stood  and  trembled  with  alarm 
lie  came  a  frieiiil,  and  liade  her  fear  no  harm. 
"Well  might  you  quail  before  that  vilest  foe," 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


He  said,  "  hut  my  protecting  Aegis,  lo 

I  give  you,  'tis  the  crucifix,  tlie  sign 

Of  Calvary.     Redemption  will  be  tbine 

If  thou  accept."     But  Sadra,  weak  with  fright. 

Implored  protection  ere  the  coming  night 

.Should  bring  thick  darkness.     "Sisters,  come,"  he 

said. 
When  rose  two  forms,  in  plain  attire,  who  led 
The  frightened  Sadra  to  their  palace  home. 
With  tender  voice  tiie  Sisters  bade  lier  come 
And  seek  repose. — The  morning  breaks;  the  day 
Has  dawned,  and  ere  the  maiden  goes  her  way. 
While  in  the  palmy  grove  on  rustic  seat, 
The  loving  sisters  offer  to  repeat 
The  story  of  the  cross,  and  thus  recite: 
"  If  thou  would'st  know  the  only  fount  of  light, 
Far  off  by  ancient  Tiber's  flowing  stream 
Amid  the  seven  hills,  where  once  did  gleam 
The  dickering,  glimmering  light  of  pagan  lore. 
And  heathen  emperors  ruled  fiom  shore   to  shore, 
The  Kternal  City  stands.     The  reverend  head 
Of  all  the  churchl3'  power,  designed  to  shed 
Tiie  light  of  truth  o'er  all  the  world,  resides 
AVithin  it«  gates  and  sits  enthroned,  presides 
As  the  annointed  one  with  mystic  ke^- 
To  open  heaven's  doors  and  grant  the  tree 
Of  life  to  all  who  worship  and  adore 
The  holy  faith.     Come  kneel  and  bow  before 
His  chosen  priest,  tiie  secrets  of  thy  heart 
I'nbosom,  and  forever  will  depart 
Thy  guilt;  and  wear  the  crucifix,  the  sign 
Of  Him  who  came  and  showed  His    power  divine. 
And  died  and  rose."     A  loving  parting  word. 
And  Sadra  hastened,  pondering  what  she  heard. 
Mor  pope,  nor  priest,  nor  city,  nor  the  power 
Of  churchly  lule  were  valued  in  the  hour 
Of  meditation,  buj.  the  One  who  died 
Upon  the  cross,  and  as  she  thought  she  sighed 
And  breathed  a  prayer — "  Be  merciful  to  me!" 
Time  moved  with  rapid  pace,  and  speedily 
Were  changes  wrought.     And  now  a  guest  refined 
Approaches  where  beneath  the  bough  reclined 
The  gentle  Sadra.     Gracefully  he  speaks. 
And  softly  does  she  answer,  while  he  seeks 
To  win  her  favor.    'Neath  that  spreading  tree, 
Where  violets  bloomed  and  sweet  anemone. 
Where  gentle  zephyrs  fanned  her  golden  locks, 
Near  by  the  jutting  cliff  of  tiintj'  rocks, 
'Mid  lovel}'  foliage  with  its  fragrance  sweet. 
They  sat  in  converse  on  the  rural  seat. 
The  scenes  through  which  she  passed,  the  thought 

that  wove 
Upon  her,  she  recounted.     "  Nevermore, 
I  pray  thee,"  said  her  guest  "  allow  thy  thouglit 
To  wander  in  the  dark.     I  long  have  sought 
To  know  the  triith.  We  live  where  myths  abound — 


There  is  no  faith  in  all  the  woi'ld  around 

Entitled  to  our  credit;  and  no  light 

Except  from  nature.     Banish  from  your  sight 

The  endless  creeds  that  stay  all  progress,  scan 

For  naught  the  Koran,  Vedas,  Bible.     Man 

Should  never  be  enslaved  to  fables.     Turn 

Your  thoughts  from  prodigies  and  wonders.  Learn 

The  world  of  facts,  for  we  have  reached  beyond 

The  miracles,  and  conjurer's  magic  wand. 

The  puerile  words  of  Buddha,  Laotse, 

Confucius  and  the  Christ  of  Galilee. 

The  flimsy  ground  on  which  their  teachings  stand 

Has  broken  down.     No  longer  they  command 

Respect  from  thoughtful   men.     The    mighty  acts 

Of  men  of  science,  dealing  in  a  world  of  facts, 

Demand  our  homage."     With  triumphant  air 

He  ceased.     A  pause  ensued,  and  Sadra  fair 

Did  softly  question  thus:     "What  then  is  true?" 

A  painful  pause,  and  then  the  silence  grew 

Prolonged.     No  answer.     Now  beneath    the  brow 

Of  yonder  hill,  the  sun  is  sinking  low. 

While  twilight  shades  are  thickening;  lovingly 

He  clasps  her  hand  in  his  and  winninglj' 

Awaits  a  glance  responsive;  vain  his  art! 

And  with  a  parting  word  and  heavj'  heart 

He  turns  his  homeward  way.     In  shady  grove. 

In  after  time,  where  anciently  did  rove 

The  wild  and  savage  natives,  she  did  gaze 

I'pon  the  throng  assembling.     What  a  maze 

When  motley  crowds  their  many  voices  raise 

In  honor  of  their  gods!     And  while  all  praise 

Their  faith,  she  sees  the  wild  and  haggard  face 

Of  Brahma's  devotee,  and  with  her  lovely  grace 

The  beauteous  form  of  Buddha's  worshipper 

The  holy  crescent's  gleam,  the  messenger 

Of  Rome  with  crucifix,  and  in  the  train 

Belie\(i-  in  thv  spirit  world,  who  fain 

Woulil  -ri  k  mill'  rrnts,  and  agnostics  small 

And  t;ir.ii.  (  oiilueius'  followers,  and  all 

Who  follow  Aliraham.     Now  stands  in    view 

A  messenger  of  peace  to  tell  the  true 

From  false.     They  hear  his  voice,  profound 

The  silence  reigns.     They  ne'er  have    heard    the 

sound 
Of  words  so  welcome.     Tlius  the  stianger  spoke, 
"If  thou  wouldst  know  the  only  e.asy  yoke 
Allied  with  freedom,  hear  tlie  joj'ful  sound 
Of  Zion's  song  to  all  the  world  around, 
And  know  the  one  true  light,  the  guiding  stai-. 
There  is  a  chain  of  lakes  that  stretches  far 
Within  a  mighty  continent,  and  one 
Extending  southward,  on  whose  shore  has  grown 
A  mighty  city.     On  a  gentle  rise  of  ground 
Still  southward  from  the  bustle  and  the  sound 
Of  cit3'  clamor,  is  the  modest  seat 
Of  Christian  learning.     There  inquirers  meet 


654 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


An(J  learn  of  Him  wlio  was  a  sacrifice 

For  all  who  hear  His  message.     Analyze 

The  truth  and  sift  the  error,  then  go  forth 

As  heralds  to  proclaim  His  matchless  worth. 

Thence  came  I  to  this  beauteous  isle  to  tell 

Of  Him  whose  rising  glory  doth  excel. 

He  speaks  to  you,  'Come  unto  Me  and  I 

Will  give  you  rest.     God  sent  Me  here  to  die 

That  you  may  live.'  "     Thus  boldly  spoke  the  one 

Who  came  with  joyful  news.     No  sooner  done, 

Than  Sadra,  auclaored  in  the  truth,  did  find 

Her  burden  gone.     Now  all  the  light  combined 

Of  Asia,  Islam,  and  their  boasted  lore 

Did  sink  away  invisible  before 

The  brighter  lustre  of  that  glorious  cross, 

And  all  their  words  of  wisdom  seemed  but  dross 

Beside  the  Christian  hope  and  Christ  who  brings 

Redemption.     Listen,  while  the  stranger  sings 

The  Gospel  songs!     There  comes  the  piercing  cry, 

"What  shall  I  do?     Can  hearts  of  crimson  dye 

Be   cleansed?"     They  hear,  they   live,  the  chorus 

song 
The}'  join,  and  praise  the  Son.     Amid  the  throng 
Is  heard  the  clash  of  arms,  the  voice  of  war 
To  meet  by  force  the  stranger  from  afar. 
Again  his  voice  is  heard,  while    silence  reigned — 
"  No  arms    we   bring.     Our   faith  shall    ne'er    be 

stained 
By  worldly  force.     Shall  we  put  out  the  stars 
That  all  may  see  tiie  sun?     We  need  not  mar 
The  feeble  lights  to  make  our  deeds  seem  bright — 
Disturb  not  others  with  their  glimmering  light. 
The  Son  of  Righteousness  hath  risen,  shines 
His  glory  forth,  and  all  the  heathen  shrines 
Will  quickly  crumble  'neath  His  heavenly  rays, 
And  all  shall  join  His  holy  name  to  praise." 

Rev.  Fuller  has  made  a  specialty  of  the  study 
of  Greek  and  Latin,  and  has  read  two  of  his  liter- 
ary productions  before  the  St.  Louis  Ministers' 
Association.  During  his  career  in  the  Chicago 
University  he  was  class-poet  during  the  entire 
course,  and  frequently  lead  his  pioductions  in 
public.  He  also  edited  the  Volante,  the  Univer- 
sity paper.  May  16,  1882,  he  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Alice  Stearns,  of  Lake  Gen- 
eva, Wis.,  a  native  of  Oshkosh,  Wis.,  and  a 
daughter  of  L.  P.  and  Alura  A.  (Kinney)  Stearns, 
of  Oshkosh.  She  was  educated  in  her  native  place 
and  Milwaukee,  and  for  about  seven  3'ears  was  a 
teacher  in  the  public  schools  near  Lake  Geneva. 
She  is  a  noble  woman  in  every  respect,  and  is  a 
model  in  her  home,  in  the  church,  and  in  the  so- 
cial   circle    in    which    she  moves.     Quick    in    her 


sympathies,  intelligent  and  tactful  in  her  honesty, 
brave  in  her  modesty,  she  is  a  rare  power  in  all 
her  husband's  work.  She  has  borne  her  husband 
three  children:  Henry  Hill,  born  July  13,  1883; 
William  Edgar,  who  died  at  the  age  of  three 
years;  and  Frederick  Hudson,  born  September  II, 
1892.  Socially,  Rev.  Mr.  Fuller  is  a  member  of  the 
Knights  of  Pythias. 


'|I/_-^ENRY  BERTELSMANN,  who  resides  on  sec- 
Wjj]  t'on  4,  Smithton  Township,  St.  Clair 
JW^  County,  111.,  was  born  in  the  Province  of 
(^)  Hanover,  Germany,  in  1821.  He  came  to 
this  country  in  1823,  and  first  located  at 
St.  Louis.  There  he  engaged  in  teaming,  and 
made  that  city  his  home  for  thirty  years,  when  he 
I'cmoved  to  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  and  rented  a 
farm,  which  he  cultivated.  While  living  at  St. 
Louis,  he  married  Miss  Maria  Hamm,  who  bore 
him  five  ciiildren.  Tiring  of  paying  rent-money, 
and  having  saved  up  something,  he  looked  out 
for  a  tract  that  would  be  suitable  for  a  peimanent 
home,  and  finally  purchased  the  farm  upon  which 
he  now  lives.  This  consists  of  one  hundred  acres 
of  good  land,  all  of  it  well  improved  in  conse- 
quence of  industry  and  careful  attention  to  all 
the  details  of  the  farm.  Good  tillage  has  brought 
tangible  results,  which  permitted  the  erection  of 
needed  good  buildings,  fences,  etc.,  most  of  which 
have  been  erected  by  Mr.  Bertelsmann  since  he 
bought  the  place.  His  care  has  been  to  have  a 
comfortable  home  for  his  family  and  a  commodi- 
ous barn  and  outhouses  for  his  stock.  The  princi- 
pal crops  raised  upon  the  farm  are  potatoes,  corn, 
wheat,  etc. 

The  marriage  of  Mr.  Bertelsmann  to  Miss  llainni 
has  resulted  in  a  family  of  five  children,  all  of 
whom  are  living.  John  C.  lives  at  home  and  runs 
the  farm  for  his  father.  He  married  Miss  Teresa 
Yutzh,  who  has  borne  him  ten  children,  five  of 
wiiom  are  living.  Mary,  the  second  child,  is  the 
widow  of  Frank  Lachemeyer.  J.  H.,  the  third 
child,  lives    in    Smithton    Township.     Henry,  the 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


fourth,  live^  on  the  C'entreville  roatl.  Annie,  the 
fifth,  the  wife  of  Charles  Weber,  lives  at  Belleville. 
Our  subject  holds  religious  views  that  were  in- 
stilled into  him  in  his  childhood  and  from  which 
he  has  not  in  any  wise  departed,  he  being  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  While  taking 
an  interest  in  affairs  relating  to  the  county,  State 
and  nation,  he  does  not  take  a  prominent  or  very 
active  part  in  politics.  Still  he  has  at  heart  the 
success  of  the  Democratic  party,  which  he  always 
assists  with  his  vote  and  his  influence.  During 
the  late  war,  he  was  drafted  into  tiie  army,  but  he 
could  not  tind  it  convenient  to  go,  so  he  hired  a 
substitute,  to  whom  he  paid  the  sum  of  %i  1,000. 


^g  HAKLES  H.  SA(4EH,  of  Lebanon  Township, 
ill  r  ^^'  ^'^''"  County,  III.,  was  born  November 
\Uf'  .'),  1838,  at  Lancaster,  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio.     His  father   was  born  near  Hamburg,  (Jer- 


many,  .Tune  12,  1800,  and  died  July  1,  1877;  his 
mother,  born  in  Virginia  in  1803,  died  in  the  year 
1880.  They  were  married  in  Ohio,  and  removed 
to  Washington  C.  H.,  Fayette  County.  Our 
subject  is  one  of  seven  children,  namely:  Eliza- 
beth, who  remained  single,  died  at  about  the  age  of 
thirty-one;  .Jane,  single,  died  at  about  the  age  of 
thirty-five;  Eliza,  single,  living  at  Lebanon;  M.S., 
manager  of  Washington  Stamping  Works,  resid- 
ing at  Washington  C.  H.,  Ohio,  married  to  Miss  \ 
Letta  McMaster;  Irene,  dying  in  childhood,  at 
Oakland,  Ohio;  Frances,  living  in  Arkansas  City, 
Kan.,  married  to  J.  H.  Eckert,  a  lawyer,  having 
two  children,  Mary  and  Fannie,  twins.  In  his 
parents'  family  our  subject  was  the  fifth  child. 

Our  subject  remained  in  Ohio  until  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age,  when  he  came  with  his  par- 
ents to  Illinois,  and  engaged  in  the  hardware  and 
tinsmith  business  at  his  present  location,  his  father 
being  associated  with  him.  Choice  was  made  of 
this  business  because  Charles  had  learned  the  trade 
of  a  tinsmith  in  Ohio.  He  was  married,  March  3, 
18.59,  to  Amelia  Starkel,  daughter  of   Charles  and 


Amelia  Starkel,  who  were  born  in  Germany  and 
emigrated  to  America  when  Mrs.  Sager  was  but 
eight  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sager  became  the 
parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Emil,  living  at 
St.  Louis,  employed  in  the  retail  department  of 
the  Simmons  Hardware  Conip.any  for  the  past 
eight  years,  also  owning  a  hardware  business  in 
charge  of  his  brother,  James  R.,  at  Nos.  4106 
and  4108  Easton  Avenue,  St.  Louis,  married 
Miss  Addie  Moore,  by  whom  he  has  two  boys; 
Francis  died  in  infancy;  Edgar,  in  the  hardware 
and  tinware  business  with  his  father,  married 
Miss  Sarah  Fleischbein,  by  whom  he  has  a  daugh- 
ter; James  R.,  living  at  St.  Louis,  in  charge  of  his 
brother  Emil's  store,  is  single;  and  .Jesse,  living 
at  home. 

All  the  above-named  children  have  been  given  a 
good  education  by  their  father,  our  subject.  Emil, 
after  receiving  a  common-school  course,  enjoyed 
the  advantages  offered  by  Mclvendree  College  for 
one  term,  and  a  military  .academy  for  one  year; 
Edgar  was  educated  in  the  common  schools;  James 
supplemented  a  public-school  course  with  manual 
training  in  Washington  University.  In  his  re- 
ligious faith  our  subject  holds  to  the  views  of  the 
Calvinistic  school,  and  is  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian Church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Ancient  Or- 
der of  United  Workmen,  and  of  the  Independent 
Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  having  passed  the  Chairs  in 
the  latter  order.  The  principles  of  the  Republican 
party  are  in  full  harmony  with  the  opinions  enter- 
tained by  him.  Chosen  a  member  of  the  City 
Council,  and  otherwise  prominent,  his  influence  in 
party  matters  is  universally  recognized. 


'l^xETER  PREDIGER,  a  successful  general 
Ij  Jfi  agriculturist  and  well-known  energetic 
•MJ?^  and  representative  citizen,  residing  in 
)£  Lenzburg  Township,  St.  Clair  County,  111., 
owns  an  excellent  farm  of  one  hundred  acres  of 
land,  all  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation.  Our 
subject  is  a  native  of  Illinois,  and  was  born  upon 
the  farm  where  he  resides  in  the  year  I85G.     He  is 


(iSfi 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


the  son  of  Peter  and  Nancy  (McKahey)  Prediger, 
both  natives  of  Germany,  where  the  father  was 
born  in  1817,  and  his  wife,  whose  birthplace  was 
not  far  from  his,  in  the  year  1826.  When  Peter 
Prediger  was  but  a  little  lad  of  six  years,  he  emi- 
grated with  his  parents  to  the  United  States. 

Not  long  after  their  arrival  in  America,  these 
paternal  grandparents  of  our  subject  settled  upon 
Dutch  Hill  Prairie  and  bought  land  which  they 
patiently  cultivated.  After  some  years'  sojourn  in 
their  new  home,  during  which  time  they  were  ever 
industrious  and  law-abiding  citizens,  highly  re- 
spected by  all  who  knew  them,  the  worthy  hus- 
band and  wife  passed  from  their  labors  to  a  better 
world.  At  about  the  age  of  twentj'-one  years, 
Peter  Prediger,  Sr.,  married  the  mother  of  our 
subject,  who  was  the  daughter  of  James  and  Nancy 
McKahey,  and  a  most  estimable  ladj',  and  the 
mother  of  three  sons:  William,  John  and  Peter, 
our  subject.  John  died  in  1892.  Peter  Prediger, 
Sr.,  had  but  very  limited  advantages  for  an  educa- 
tion, being  left  an  orphan  at  tlie  age  of  nine  years. 
\'ery  early  in  life  forced  to  begin  the  struggle  for 
an  existence,  he  proved  himself  a  self-reliant,  ener- 
getic and  ambitious  man.  Beginning  a  poor  and 
friendless  boy,  he  won  his  way  upward,  and  ac- 
cumulated a  large  tract  of  valuable  land,  which  he 
cultivated  and  thereby-  acquired  a  competence.  Po- 
litically, he  was  a  true  Democrat,  and  took  an 
active  interest  in  local  and  national  affairs. 

Our  subject  was  reared  and  educated  upon  the 
old  homestead  and  in  the  neighboring  schools. 
Thoroughly  trained  in  the  duties  of  agriculture, 
Peter  Prediger,  Jr.,  was  well  fitted  to  care  for  him- 
self and  to  make  a  comfortable  home  for  a  wife 
when,  in  1880,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Elizabeth 
Metzzler,  a  daughter  of  Adam  and  Mary  Metzzler. 
Into  the  pleasant  and  happy  home  of  our  subject 
and  his  good  wife  have  come  five  bright  and  in- 
telligent children,  Emma,  Carrie,  Otto,  Linda 
and  Bablin,  who  will  each  and  all  enjoy  the  ex- 
cellent educational  advantages  of  their  locality 
and  home  neighborhood.  Mr.  Prediger  is  a  valued 
member  of  Belleville  Lodge  No.  92,  K.  P.  Politi- 
cally, our  subject  is  a  Democrat,  as  was  his  father 
before  him,  and  although  never  an  aspirant  for 
public  office,  ever  takes  an  active   interest   in   the 


management  of  local  and  National  affairs.  Always 
ready  to  aid  in  the  enterprises  and  improvements 
of  the  township  and  vicinity,  Mr.  Piediger  does  his 
duty  as  a  true  American  citizen,  and,  as  a  native 
of  St,  Clair  County,  has  been  an  eye-witness  of  the 
rapid  growth  and  permanent  advancement  of  all 
the  prominent  interest,?  of  the  State,  For  the  past 
thirty  years,  our  subject  has  been  identified  with 
the  history  of  his  neighborhood  and  vicinity,  and 
is  highly  regarded  by  the  entire  community, 
among  whom  he  has  passed  his  life  from  infancy 
to  adult  age. 


h^+^l 


li_^  ON.  JOSEPH  B.  ME,SSICK,  a  leading  attor- 
jf  jj  ney-at-law,  located  in  East  St.  Louis,  and 
/.4)^  widely  known  as  Judge  Messick,  is  one  of 
(^  the  most  prominent,  able  and  influential 
citizens  of  Illinois.  A  gentleman  of  superior 
social  and  business  attainments,  commanding  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  all  who  know  him,  he 
hiis  held  various  positions  of  trust  and  honor,  and 
has  been  intimately  associated  of  late  witli 
National  and  local  politics. 

Our  subject  w.as  born  in  Macoupin  County,  III., 
seven  miles  south  of  Carlinville,  January  29, 
1847.  His  paternal  grandfather,  Abraham  Mes- 
sick, was  a  native  of  Pennsylvania,  but  early 
settled  in  Kentucky,  in  which  .Slate  Joseph  Mes- 
sick, Sr.,  was  born  in  1814.  Grandfather  Jlessick 
was  of  German  descent,  and  was  an  industrious 
and  successful  farmer  of  Christian  County,  Ky., 
and  was  known  as  a  man  of  sterling  integrity  of 
character. 

Joseph  Messick,  Si-.,  while  yet  a  single  man, 
went  to  Galena,  where  he  remained  about  five 
years,  when  he  removed  to  Sangamon  County, 
afterwards  making  his  home  in  Macoupin  County, 
He  was  acquainted  with  Abraham  Lincoln,  and, 
like  him,  in  early  life  assisted  in  splitting  raiLs. 
In  1840  be  returned  tv  Kentucky,  but  soon  again 
made  himself  a  home  upon  eighty  acres  of  land  in 
Macoupin  County,  where  he  built  a  little  rude  log 
house  of  one  room,  and  settled  down  to  the  pioneer 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


65' 


experience  of  those  early  da.ys.  Energetic  and 
ambitious,  lie  achieved  success,  and  became  an  ex- 
tensive land-owner  of  hundreds  of  valuable  acres, 
but  in  unlucky  investments  of  stock  lost  much  of 
his  property.  In  the  year  1876,  he  removed  to 
Crawford  County,  Kan.,  near  Girard,  and  bought 
a  fine  farm,  which  he  cultivated  until  his  death, 
in  February,  1891.  At  one  time  he  was  a  Whig, 
but  later  became  an  ardent  Republican.  In  relig- 
ious affiliation  he  was,  when  a  young  man,  a  Bap- 
tist, but  at  the  time  of  his  demise  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Jipiscopal  Church. 

The  mother  of  our  subject,  Sarah  K.  (  Kitten ger) 
Messick,  was  born  in  Kentucky,  and  was  a  daughter 
of  Martin  Kittenger,  born  in  Pennsylvania,  but  an 
early  settler  and  slaveholder  of  Kentucky-.  Mrs. 
Sarah  Messick  passedaway  March  3,  1861.  Judge 
Messick  was  one  of  a  family  of  nine  children,  four 
of  whom  are  now  living.  The  eldest  brother, 
Daniel  W.,  enlisted  in  1861,  at  the  first  tap 
of  the  drum,  in  the  Seventh  Illinois  Infantry, 
and  at  the  expiration  of  three  months  re-enlisted 
in  the  Thirty-second  Illinois,  soon  receiving  the  de- 
served promotion  of  Orderly  Sergeant.  This  brave, 
young  and  patriotic  soldier  was  shot  and  killed  in 
a  skirmish  at  Pittsburgh  Lauding,  March  1,  1862. 
He  was  the  first  man  killed  in  the  regiment,  and 
was  mourned  by  all  his  companions  of  those  troub- 
lous days.  The  Daniel  Messick  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  in 
Carlinville,  was  named  in  his  honor. 

.lames  F.  Messick  enlisted  in  1864  in  the 
One  Hundred  and  Thirty-third  Illinois  Infantry, 
serving  until  the  fall  <:)f  1864,  when  he  was 
mustered  out.  He  is  now  located  at  Carlinville. 
Joseph  B.,  our  subject,  was  raised  upon  the  home- 
stead, and  early  assisted  in  the  labors  of  the  farm, 
and  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  agricultural 
duties.  During  the  winter  months  Judge  Messick 
enjoyed  the  advantage  of  instruction  in  the  com- 
mon schools  of  the  neighborhood,  and  from  1866 
to  1867  attended  the  Shurtleff  College  at  Upper 
Alton.  In  August,  1864,  our  subject  enlisted  in 
the  One  Hundred  and  Forty-fourth  Illinois  In- 
fantry. Company  I,  and  was  mustered  in  at  St. 
Louis  and  sent  with  a  battalion  into  Missouri, 
and  remained  in  the  service  until  July,  1865, 
when   he  was  mustered   out    and    returned    home. 


He  then  entered  Shurtleff  College  and  well  im- 
proved the  time  in  that  excellent  institution, 
and,  after  a  course  of  study,  began  teaching  school 
and  continued  as  an  instructor  until  1869,  work- 
ing meantime  in  summers  upon  the  home  farm  and 
also  studying  law  under  Gen.  Reukait. 

Later  Judge  Messick  was  admitted  to  the  Bar  at 
Carlinville, and  taught  school  until  1872,  when  he 
went  to  East  St.  Louis  and  opened  a  law  office. 
In  1875,  our  subject  was  elected  to  the  position  of 
City  Judge,  the  duties  of  which  office  he  dis- 
charged with  distinguished  ability,  his  decisions 
ever  being  sustained  by  law  and  evidence.  For 
four  years  he  occupied  the  judicial  bench  with 
honor  and  efficiency,  and  in  1875,  at  the  close  of 
his  term  of  office,  again  resumed  the  practice  of  his 
profession.  In  1881,  Judge  Messick  was  appointed 
Deputy  Collector  of  Internal  Revenue  for  the 
Fourth  District  of  the  Thirteenth  District,  for  one 
term.  In  1882,  he  was  elected  upon  the  Republi- 
can ticket  to  the  State  Legislature  from  St.  Clair 
County,  and  was  re-elected  in  1884,  remaining  in 
office  until  1886.  As  a  member  of  the  Legislature 
he  was  faithful  to  his  constituents  and  did  excel- 
lent work  upon  various  important  committees.  Dur- 
ing his  terms  the  State  Legislature  contained  a  large 
number  of  brilliant  men,  some  of  whom  have  since 
occupied  chairs  in  the  United  States  Senate. 

July  1,  1884,  our  subject  formed  a  part- 
nership with  a  leading  attorney,  the  firm  being 
Messick  &  Rlioads.  The  well-known  office  of  the 
firm  is  located  at  No.  320  Missouri  Avenue.  In 
1889,  Gov.  Fifer  appointed  Judge  Messick  a  mem- 
ber of  the  State  Board  for  Southern  Illinois  pen- 
sions, and  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  became 
President  of  the  Board.  January  1,  1885,  our 
subject  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Sarah  P. 
Woods,who  was  born  in  Des  Moines  and  is  a  daugh- 
ter of  James  A.Woods,  a  contractor  of  East  St.Louis. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Messick  have  one  child,  a  son,  .1.  li.. 
Jr.  Richard  O.  died  in  1887.  Judge  Messick  is 
a  charter  member  of  McDowell  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  and 
is  also  a  Modern  Woodman.  Always  a  Republican, 
our  subject  has  been  a  delegate  to  the  various  State 
conventions  since  1871,  and  was  Chairman  of 
the  county  convention  for  two  years  and  received 
the  honor  of  being  sent  as  delegate  to  the  National 


f.58 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


convention  at  Minneapolis.  Judge  Messick  en jo3's 
tlie  distinction  of  being  a  popular  man  witli  both 
Democrats  and  Republicans.  Ever  genial,  courte- 
ous, affable,  benevolent  and  sympathetic  by  nature, 
his  read\-  wit  and  exceptional  conversational  abil- 
ity render  him  a  host  whose  cordiality  and  enter- 
tainment are  never  forgotten  by  the  guests  who 
enjoy  his  hospitality.  Upright  and  honorable  in 
the  daily  transactions  of  life,  our  subject  com- 
mands the  esteem  and  confidence  of  his  fellow- 
citizens,  and  the  attractive  home  at  No.  517  North 
Ninth  Street  is  the  scene  of  many  lirilliant  social 
gatherings. 


both 


*  RS.  CATHERINE  HARDY,  of  Len/Aiurg 
IV  Township.  St.  Clair  County,  111.,  was  born 
'^  in  Germany  in  1819,  and  is  the  daughter 
of  Peter  and  Catherine  (Sun)  Makendoler, 
of  whom  were  natives  of  France.  The  father 
of  our  subject  started  with  his  family  for  the  United 
States  in  1827,  and  the  mother  died  on  the  journey 
up  the  Mississippi,  two  days  before  the  arrival  at 
St.  Louis.  Upon  reaching  the  latter  place,  his  cir- 
cumstances were  so  straitened  that  he  was  under 
the  necessity  of  separating  from  his  children,  four 
in  number,  and  parceling  them  out  among  strangers. 
Mr.  Makendoler  never  succeeded  in  gathering  his 
family  together  again,  as  he  died  in  a  few  years, 
and  before  he  secured  a  pc>sition  that  would  war- 
rant such  a  step. 

Our  subject,  the  eldest  of  the  children,  made 
her  home  for  three  years  with  .Jacob  Margie. 
No  advantages  of  schooling  were  afforded  her, 
yet  her  strong  natural  sense  and  keen  obser- 
vation have  combined  to  give  her  a  fund  of  in- 
formation that  stands  well  in  its  stead.  Possessed 
of  a  memory  above  the  average,  she  recalls  inci- 
dents and  events  with  striking  exactness,  and 
talks  intelligently  upon  a  great  variety  of  ques- 
tions. She  was  married  in  1838  to  John  Hardy, 
who  was  born  in  Switzerland  in  1812,  and  came  to 
the    United    States    with    his    parents,  .lacob   and 


Barbara  Hardy,  both  natives  of  Switzerland,  in 
1817.  This  old  family  first  settled  in  Indiana,  re- 
maining there  one  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time 
they  removed  to  Dutch  Hill  Prairie,  St.  Clair  Coun- 
ty, III.,  being  among  the  very  earliest  settlers  of 
that  section  of  country.  Jacob  Hard}'  was  a  farmer, 
having  followed  that  calling  all  his  life. 

John  Hardy  and  his  wife  were  the  parents  of 
seven  children,  as  follows:  Catherine,  John,  Eliz- 
abeth, Susan,  Jacob,  Mary  and  Henry.  John,  Eliz- 
abeth and  Susan  are  dead.  These  children  were 
all  born  upon  the  estate  of  their  grandparents, 
their  father  having  lived  at  home  with  his  parents 
until  his  marriage,  when  he  and  their  mother  made 
a  home  on  another  part  of  the  farm.  Our  subject, 
as  w.as  also  her  husband,  is  a  member  of  the  Ger- 
man Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  His  political 
belief  held  him  to  the  Republican  party.  The 
death  of  this  good  man  occurred  in  1882,  when  he 
was  seventy  j'ears  of  age. 


l^^ll4i"i^iiM#!^^- 


Sipx  I  C  H  O  L  A  S  GERMAIN,  an  industrious 
I  ));  farmer  and  respected  citizen,  living  upon  a 
/l\-i^.  nicely  improved  tract  of  eighty  acres  on 
section  9,  Smith  ton  Township,  St.  Clair  County, 
111.,  is  the  son  of  Hyacinth  Germain,  whose  sketch 
will  appear  in  another  portion  of  this  work.  This 
farm  was  purchased  in  1842  by  the  father  of  our 
subject,  and  has  been  in  the  family  ever  since, 
Nicholas  having  been  born  and  reared  upon  it, 
and  has  lived  there  continuously  /rom  the  time  of 
his  marriage.  After  years  of  attendance  at  the 
public  school  of  his  district,  our  subject  took  a 
course  of  instruction  in  schools  at  St.  Louis,  his 
education  embracing  a  line  of  study  m  the  (Ger- 
man as  well  as  the  English  language. 

In  the  year  1874,  Mr.  Germain  was  married  to 
Miss  Elizabeth  Meister,  daughter  of  Jacob  Meister, 
of  Belleville,  the  offspring  of  the  marriage  being 
ten  children,  all  living,  as  follows:  Rosa,  Elnora, 
Edward  John,  Robert  D.,  vVlbert  Henry,  Etta,  Ida, 
Anna  Helen,  Margaret  and  Lena.  Our  subject  has 
put  to  good   account  the  fertile  land  of  his  farm, 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


659 


which  he  devotes  to  the  growing  of  grain  and  the 
raising  of  stock.  Ho  takes  decided  interest  in  cat- 
tle, and  can  show  to  visitors  some  verj'  fine  Hol- 
stein  cows  that  have  grown  up  under  his  e3'e, 
whose  superior  condition  is  largely  due  to  his  in- 
telligent care.  An  apt  knowledge  of  the  soil  and 
its  adaptability  to  various  grains  enable  him  to 
choose  to  best  advantage  the  kind  of  seeds  that 
will  yield  him  the  best  harvest.  Careful  cultiva- 
tion, with  industrious  application  to  work,  has  re- 
sulted in  winning  for  him  the  well-deserved  repu- 
tation of  a  good  farmer. 

The  religious  convictions  of  our  subject  are  de- 
cided, being  the  result  of  early  education  received 
at  iiome  and  of  the  reflection  that  comes  with  ma- 
ture 3'ears.  Towards  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  in 
whose  membership  he  is  enrolled,  he  holds  senti- 
ments of  attaciiment  and  .allegiance.  While  he 
does  not  take  a  busj'  or  prominent  part  in  politics, 
Mr.  Germain  always  manifests  lively  interest  in  the 
success  of  the  Democratic  iwrly.  the  ticket  of 
wliich  lie  .ilwavs  votes. 


^^ 


J/OHN  HEINZELMAN,  a  practical  mechanic 
who  is  acquainted  with  all  the  details  of  his 
business,  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Hein- 
zelman  Bros.,  leading  carriage  manufacturers 
of  Belleville,  111.,  located  at  the  corner  of  B  and 
Jackson  Streets.  The  factory  is  a  two  and  tiiree 
stoiy  building,  150x155  feet  in  dimensions,  the 
lower  floor  of  which  is  occupied  by  wood,  iron, 
paint  and  trimming  workers,  a  portion,  also, being 
set  apart  as  a  wareroom.  The  house  does  a  jobbing 
trade  through  Southern  Illinois,  and  gives  employ- 
ment usually  to  twenty-five  men.  This  firm,  one 
of  the  oldest  in  Belleville,  having  been  established 
in  1857.  has  won  an  enviable  reputation  for  fair 
dealing  and  excellent  work.  Prior  to  the  date 
named,  the  two  members,  John  and  William,  had 
prepared  themselves  for  the  important  step  by 
learning  the  trade  in  a  carriage  factoi-j-  at  St. 
Louis. 

Our  subject  was  born  at  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  April 


16,  1841,  his  parents  being  John  A." and  Catharine 
(Heiserman)  Heinzelman,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1835  from  Stuttgart,'Germany,  where  the 
father  was  born.  They  resided  at  'Cincinnati,  at 
which  place  the  son  William,  as  well  as  John,'was 
born,  for  a  number  of  vears  before  the  removal  of 
the  family  to  Belleville.  The  father  started  the 
carriage  manufactory  on  a  small  scale  and  contin- 
ued at  its  head  until  his  death,  in  September,  1865, 
when.  John  and  William,  wiio  had  been  associated 
with  him  since  the  beginning  of  the  business,  as- 
sumed entire  control,  under  the  firm  name  of 
Heinzelman  Bros.  Gradually  trade  increased  until 
larger  quarters  were  required,  and  in  1874  the 
present  building  was  erected. 

The  subject  of  our  sketch  was  married  October 
16,  1867,  to  Miss  Emeline  Middlecoff,  born  eight 
miles  out  of  St.  Louis,  the  daughter  of  Frank 
Middlecoff.  Three  children  have  been  born  to  this 
couple,  namely:  Sophia,  Oudelette  and  Arthur. 
INIr.  Heinzelman  is  verv  prominent  in  local  Masonic 
circles,  having  held  leading  positions  in  St.  Clair 
Lodge,  Belleville  Chapter,  Belleville  Council  and 
Tancred  Commandery.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  holding  the  office  of 
Trustee  in  that  body.  The  pleasant  home  of  Jlr. 
and  Mrs.  Heinzelman  is  located  at  No.  216  Jackson 
Street,  Belleville. 


^r^jEORGE  C.  LEMEN.  The  subject  of  this 
(II  g—  sketch  resides  on  a  well-cultivated  farm  in 
%^\  section  29,  Freeburg  Township,  St.  Clair 
County,  111.  He  is  one  of  the  fortunate  gentlemen 
who  probably  can  trace  his  family  back  four  gen- 
erations. Frequently  in  the  hurr3- and  turmoil  of 
life  the  records  of  a  family  get  lost  and  a  direct 
line  cannot  be  traced.  In  Mr.  Lemen's  family 
this  has  not  been  the  case.  His  father  was  George 
C.  Lemen,  who  was  the  son  of  John  T.,  who  was 
bom  in  the  northern  part  of  St.  Clair  County,  and 
he  was  a  son  of  Robert  Lemen,  who  was  the  son  of 
James  Lemen,  who  came  to  this  State  from  Virginia 


fifiO 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


at  an  early  day  and  was  one  of  the  first  settlers  of 
the  county.  At  that  time  the  original  inhabitants 
in  the  State  were  njore  numerous  tlian  white  men. 

John  T.  Lemen  was  married  to  Patience  E. 
Wildernian,  the  daughter  of  George  Wilderman, 
who  was  one  of  the  settlers  of  the  county  and 
who  came  here  in  1806.  He  had  three  children, 
two  of  whom  grew  to  manhood,  R.  W.  and  George 
C.  The  former  is  still  living  in  Freeburg  Town- 
ship. 

George  C.  Lemen,  tlie  father  of  our  subject,  was 
married  to  Maria  Grittin  and  had  but  one  child.  He 
died  from  injuries  received  by  a  fall  from  a  horse. 
The  birth  of  our  subject  took' place  on  the  13th  of 
January,  1858,  on  the  place  where  he  now  resides. 
He  was  reared  here  and  was  one  of  the  pupils  at 
the  district  school — one  of  those  who  could  have 
sat  for  the  portrait  of  the  '"Barefoot  Boy,"  immor- 
talized by  the  late  lamented  poet  Whittier.  After 
he  had  reached  a  proper  age,  he  went  to  Shurtleff 
College,  where  ho  finished  his  education. 

After  Mr.  Lemen  returned  home  he  became  in- 
terested in  farming,  and  on  September  6,  1883,  he 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Laura  J.  Agnew, 
who  was  the  daughter  of  A.  F.  Agnew,  wiio  was  a 
farmer  in  Monroe  County,  near  Columbia.  Her 
mother  died  when  she  was  small  and  she  made  her 
home  with  Mrs.  Isaac  Shook,  now  Mrs.  William 
Winkleman,  of  Belleville. 

After  marriage,  our  subject  brought  his  wife  to 
tills  place,  and  here  they  made  a  pleasant  home. 
Mr.  Lemen  has  a  farm  of  two  hundred  acres  of 
land  all  well  improved  and  he  raises  mucii  line 
stock.  His  principal  crop  is  wheat,  although  he 
grows  other  grains.  He  has  full-blooded  Jersey 
cows  and  takes  an  interest  in  fine  stock. 

Two  lovely  children  All  the  home  of  our  subject 
with  happiness.  Grace  is  eight  years  old  and 
Willie  is  four  years  old.  In  his  political  opinions 
Mr.  Lemen  is  a  Republican,  and  believes  in  the 
wisdom  of  the  party's  methods  looking  tcjward  a 
protective  tariff,  and  casts  his  vote  and  influence 
with  that  party. 

Mr.  Lemen  made  himself  felt  in  the  affairs  ot 
the  Grange,  being  a  member  of  importance  in  that 
association  at  Turkey  Hill.  This  organization  holds 
some  of  the   best  men  of   the  State  and  all  of  the 


advanced  agriculturists  belong  to  it.  At  their 
pleasant  home,  hospitality  reigns,  and  assisted  by 
his  amiable  wife  Mr.  Lemen  is  alwavs  glad  to  see 
his  friends  and  entertain  them  with  his  best. 


W' 


J~i  OHN  WESLEY  HYPES.  There  are  certain 
characters  that  mellow  and  sweeten  under 
;  the  chastening  hand  of  affliction  as  certain 
'  rare  and  luscious  fruits  only  attain  their 
perfection  when  touched  by  frost.  So  it  has  been 
with  the  man  whose  name  appears  above,  and  of 
whom  it  is  our  pleasant  privilege  to  give  a  short 
biographical  sketch.  Shut  out  from  the  world  of 
sound  and  with  the  visual  sense  dimmed,  there  have 
been  discovered  in  his  inner  life  resources  and 
riches  unknown  before  he  was  thus  isolated  from 
the  clang  and  clatter  of  the  ordinary  routine  of 
life. 

John  Wesley  H\pes  was  born  May  12,  1810,  in 
Botetourt  County,  Va.,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and 
Patience  (Reynolds)  Hypes,  also  natives  of  Vir- 
ginia. Our  subject's  ancestry  on  the  paternal  side 
is  traced  to  Germany,  while  on  the  mother's  side 
English  blood  flows  in  his  veins.  Mr.  Hypes'  par- 
ents were  married  in  Virginia,  and  there  followed 
farming  until  1811.  when  the  family  moved  to 
Da3'ton,  Ohio,  remaining  one  year,  and  in  1812 
settled  on  a  farm  near  the  town  of  Xenia.  That  was 
the  family  home  as  long  as  the  father  and  mother 
lived,  the  former  passing  away  in  his  eightieth 
year,  and  the  mother  dying  when  fifty-one. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren, who  are  named  as  follows:  Nanc}'.  .loseph, 
Washington,  Sarah,  Benjamin,  Davison,  John 
W.  and  Francis  Asbury.  They  are  sketched  as 
follows:  The  eldest  sister,  who  married  Nathan 
Horner,  is  deceased;  Joseph  died  in  Lebanon,  and 
left  two  children;  Washington  joined  the  United 
Slates  Navy  in  1835,  and  has  never  been  lieaid 
from;  Sarah  died  at  the  age  of  seven  months  and 
fourteen  days;  Davison  departed  this  life  in  1823; 
Benjamin  is  a  venerable  and  esteemed  resident  in 
Lebanon  Township;  Francis  A.  died  in  1847. 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


661 


Mr.  H\'pes  removed  to  Lebanon  in  1836,  and 
was  first  engaged  in  business  as  a  saddle-maker 
and  later  enlarged  his  interests  and  added  to  it 
harness-making.  He  w.as  thus  employed  until  1876, 
at  which  time  he  retired  from  the  active  conduct 
of  the  business.  November  1.5.  1849,  our  subject 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Mary  Ann  Murra.y, 
a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Rachel  (Horner)  Mur- 
r:iy,  lioth  of  whom  were  natives  of  Baltimore,  Md. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hypes  have  been  faithful  and  con- 
genial com|ianious  for  nearly  half  a  century,  and 
now  reside  together  in  their  i)leasant  home.  They 
have  been  the  parents  of  two  children:  Henry 
Murray,  who  died  in  infancy;  and  Eliza  Maria, 
who  married  J.  C.  Keet,  and  lives  in  Springfield, 
Mo.  She  is  the  mother  of  four  children:  Florence 
IClizabeth,  Bertram,  Harry  and  Belle. 

Throughout  his  career,  Mr.  Hypes  luis  been  char- 
acterized by  modesty,  and  although  be  has  by  no 
means  been  indifferent  to  the  political  phases 
through  which  his  country  has  passed,  he  has  de- 
sired to  be  only  a  looker-on  farther  than  in  cast- 
ing his  ballot.  Originally  a  Whig,  on  the  forma- 
tifm  of  the  Republican  party  he  joined  its  follow- 
ing. In  church  relations,  both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hypes 
have  for  many  years  worshipped  with  the  Method- 


engaged  in  agricultural  work,  his  father  before 
him  having  been  a  farmer,  and  thus  he  under- 
stands the  art  of  making  the  most  out  of  his  land. 
He  raises  fine  crops  of  wheat,  oats,  corn,  etc.,  and 
is  interested  to  some  extent  in  stock-raising. 

Miss  Elizabeth  Fries  became  his  wife  November 
10,  1861.  She  is  the  daughter  of  John  Fries,  who 
emigrated  to  this  country  from  Germany  in  an 
early  daj',  and  also  followed  the  occupation  of  a 
farmer.  Three  children  were  born  to  our  subject 
and  his  estimable  wife  to  gladden  their  pathway 
and  shed  sunshine  through  their  lives.  They  still 
remain  under  the  parental  roof  and  bear  the  names 
of  George  J.,  Elizabeth  M.  and  Emilie. 

He  of  whom  we  write  has  never  been  an  office- 
seeker,  but  has  been  honored  by  his  fellow-citizens 
with  the  olHce  of  School  Trustee  for  the  length  of 
six  years.  He  is  a  conscientious  member  of  the 
Lutheran  Church  at  Mascoutah,  in  which  he  holds 
the  office  of  Trustee.  Socially,  he  is  connected 
with  the  Farmers'  Mutual  Benefit  Association,  and 
politically  is  a  stanch  advo<!ate  of  the  Republican 
party. 


§>-^<m 


FRIES,  prominent  in  agricultural, 
id  political  circles,  is  an  enterpris- 
fho  does  his  share  in  forwarding 
'J^!/'  every  movement  to  enhance  the  best  inter- 
ests of  his  township  and  county.  The  father  of 
our  subject  was  George  Fries,  of  whom  a  fuller 
history  may  be  found  in  the  biographj'  of  (George 
Fries  in  another  part  of  this  volume. 

.lolin  Fries  was  born  September  28,  1840,  on 
Turkey  Hill,  in  what  is  now  Freeburg  Townshij), 
where  he  resided  with  his  father  until  the  time  of 
his  marriage  and  received  his  early  educ  alion. 
He  now  makes  his  home  on  section  12,  Engelnian 
Township,  where  he  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  rich  farming  land,  six  acres  of  which  were 
cut  off  by  the  railroad,  and  twenty-five  acres  of 
good  timber   laud.     Our   subject   has  always  been 


^^^^EORGE  MUNIE.  The  farming  community 
III  of  Bond  County   has  received  a  recent  val. 

^^i^(  uable  addition  in  this  gentleman,  who  in 
1892  removed  hither  from  St.  Clair  County  and 
purchased  a  farm.  In  addition  to  general  farming, 
he  is  considerably  interested  in  stock-raising,  in 
which  he  has  met  with  more  than  usual  success. 
A  practical,  energetic  and  persevering  farmer,  he 
uses  modern  methods  of  agriculture  and  the  latest 
improved  machinery,  and  his  recently-purchased 
estate  alread}'  gives  indications  of  his  skill  and 
judgment. 

The  province  of  Lorraine,  then  owned  b\'  France, 
but  secured  bj'  German}'  in  the  Franco-Prussian 
War,  was  the  native  place  of  our  subject,  and  Aug- 
ust 24,  1844,  the  date  of  his  birth.  His  father, 
Paul  Munie,  was  born  in  that  province  in  1800, 
and  there  grew  to  manhood,  choosing  as  his  wife 
a    lady    who    was   likewise   boru    iu   Lonaiue.     lu 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


1853.  the  family  emigrated  to  the  United  States,  1 
and,  after  landing  at  New  Orleans,  came  by  boat 
up  the  Mississippi  River  to  St.  Louis,  wlience  tiiey 
proceeded  to  Illinois,  and  settled  upon  a  farm  in 
St.  Clair  Township,  St.  Clair  County.  Tiiere  the 
father  remained  engaged  in  agricultural  occupa- 
tions until  his  death,  which  occurred  April  17,  , 
1866;  his  wife  survived  until  1881,  passing  away 
March  2.5  of  that  year. 

The  following  is  recorded  of  the  brothers  and 
sisters  of  our  subject:  Magdalena  married  George 
Buchler  and  resided  in  St.  Cl.air  Township,  St. 
Clair  County;  Hyacinth  chose  as  his  wife  Miss 
Louise  Adams,  and  they  reside  upon  a  farm  near 
Freeburg  in  Smithton  Township,  St.  Clair  County;  j 
.Joseph  married  Christina  Germain,  and  is  a  well- 
to-do  farmer  residing  in  St.  Clair  Township;  Mary  '• 
Ann;  George,  the  yniiiiiic-t  cliild,  was  reared  on 
his  father's  farm  in  St.  L'\i\\v  Township,  and  in  his 
youth  was  a  student  in  the  common  schools,  later 
attending  the  Catholic  schools  in  Belleville. 

The  estimable  lady  who,  on  April  10, 1866,  became 
the  wife  of  Mr.  Munie,  was  born  April  17,  1848, 
and  bore  the  maiden  name  of  Adeline  Tribout.  ' 
She  was  one  of  six  surviving  children  among 
the  thirteen  born  to  Bonaventura  and  Margaret 
(Fournie)  Tribout,  the  former  a  farmer  in  St.  Clair 
County  until  his  death  May  ."),  1881,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-five.  The  mother  lives  on  the  old  home- 
stead two  miles  north  of  Belleville,  and  is  in  full 
possession  of  her  mental  faculties,  notwithstanding 
her  advanced  age  of  seventy-eigiit.  Eleven  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Munie,  who 
are  named  George  .1.,  Magdalena,  Katherina,  Rosa, 
Louis,  Emily,  John,  Arthur,  Victor,  Lawrence  and 
Edmond.  Katherina  died  at  the  age  of  eighteen 
years;  Rosa,  when  six;  Louis  at  four,  and  Emil_v  in 
infancy.  The  others  reside  under  the  parental 
roof,  and  are  gaining  good  educations  in  the 
schools  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Munie  removed  to  Hot  Springs,  Ark., 
having  sold  his  farm  in  St.  Clair  ToMusliip,  and 
for  .several  months  engaged  in  the  wholesale  pro- 
duce business.  He  was  not  satisfied  with  that 
State,  however,  and  soon  returned  to  his  former 
place  of  residence,  where  for  about  two  years  he 
was  proprietor  of  an  hotel  in  Belleville.     H«.-  then 


bought  back  his  old  homestead  in  St.  Clair  County 
and  resided  there  until  1892,  when,  realizing  that  it 
was  too  small  to  give  employment  to  himself  and 
sons,  he  sold  it  and  bought  the  above-mentioned 
estate  in  Bond  County.  He  is  independent  in 
politics  and  is  a  man  of  decided  beliefs  and  force 
of  will.  He  finds  his  religious  home  in  the  Cath- 
olic Church,  in  which  faith  he  was  reared,  and  to 
which  he  has  ever  been  devoted. 


^^+^ 


\li^^  H.  HORNER.  In  a  log  house  which 
ifjV  stood  on  the  south  side  of  St.  Louis,  just 
!^^^  west  of  the  public  square,  the  subject  of 
(^'  this  sketch  was  born  February  22,  1821. 
He  was  of  English  descent  on  his  father's  side,  his 
great-grandfather  having  emigrated  to  America 
from  England,  while  his  maternal  ancestry  was  of 
German-English  origin.  His  parents  were  Nathan 
and  Nancy  (Hypes)  Horner,  the  former  born  in 
Baltimore,  Md.,  177(t,  and  the  latter  a  native  of 
Fincastle,  Va. 

In  1812,  the  grandfather  of  our  subject  removed 
from  Baltimore,  Md.,to  Lebanon,  Warren  Count}', 
Ohio,  where  he  remained  until  1817,  removing 
thence  to  ISt.  Clair  County,  111.  Here  he  purchased 
a  farm  two  miles  north  of  Lebanon,  and  passed 
his  remaining  years  upon  that  place,  dying  there 
when  about  eighty  years  old.  Our  subject  was 
one  of  three  children,  the  others  being  Sarah  Ann 
and  Virginia  Elizabeth.  The  former  married  Hiram 
J.  Ashley,  a  merchant  of  Lebanon,  and  both  are 
now  deceased.  Nathan  Horner,  father  of  our  sub- 
ject, came  to  Illinois  .shortly  after  his  marriage,  in 
Xenia,  Ohio,  in  1817,  and  after  operating  a  farm, 
came  to  Lebanon,  where  he  engaged  in  mercantile 
pursuits  for  fort}-  years.  He  was  one  of  the  found- 
ers of  McKendree  College,  of  which  he  was  Trustee 
as  long  as  he  lived. 

Our  subject  was  reared  in  Lebanon,  where  lie 
attended  the  common  schools  and  later  entered 
McKendree  College,  from  which  he  was  gradua- 
ted in  1841  with  the  degree  of  B.  A.  The  degree 
of  Master  of  Arts   was    afterward   conferred  upon 


PORTRAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL   RECORD. 


663, 


him.  He  commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  of- 
fice of  .Judge  Underwood,  at  Belleville,  and  was 
admitted  to  practice  by  the  Supreme  Court  in  1847. 
Diu-ing  the  following  year  he  opened  an  office  for 
practice  at  Belleville,  and  first  formed  a  partner- 
shiij  with  Judge  .Joseph  Gillespie,  of  Edwardsville, 
with  whom  he  continued  several  years.  He  has 
since  practiced  alone.  Witli  the  exception  of  ex- 
Lieut.-Gov.  Koerner,  he  is  the  oldest  living  lawyer 
in  practice  in  the  county. 

November  19,  18u7,  Mr.  Homer  married  Helen 
M.,  daughter  of  .Tonathan  and  Ruth  Danforth. 
Their  children  are:  Henry  R..  Wilbur  N.,  Hattie 
II.,  Bertba  A.  and  two  that  died  in  infancy.  Henry 
K.  is  a  civil  engineer,  with  headquarters  at  Den- 
ver, Colo.;  Wilbur  N.,  an  attorney-at-law,  is  witli 
the  Hon.  Lyman  Trumbull  in  Cliicago;  Hattie 
11.  and  Bertlia  A.  are  at  home.  After  graduating 
from  McKendree  College,  our  subject  was  made  a 
tutor  in  that  institution,  and  six  months  later 
was  appointed  Professor  of  ancient  languages. 
In  1866,  he  was  elected  to  tiie  position  of  Pro- 
fessor of  the  law  department  of  the  college,  from 
which  he  retired  in  1890.  He  was  elected  Mayor 
of  Lebanon  in  1874,  and  re-elected  in  the  follow- 
ing years.  His  political  affiliations  were  origin- 
ally with  tiie  Democrats,  but  since  18.i6  he  has 
been  a  Republican. 


ll]_  (JX.    .JOHN    J.    M(  LEAN,  Captain    of  the 
\l)i:  boat  "Christy"  of  the  Wiggins  Ferry  Com- 

¥'  pany  at  East  .St.  Louis,  was  born  in  Cin- 
^  cinnati,  Ohio,  January  4,  1841.  His  father, 
Milton  McLean,  was  a  nephew  of  Judge  McLean, 
of  the  Supreme  Court,  and  followed  the  profession 
of  a  lawyer  in  Cincinnati  until  1841,  when  he 
came  to  Illinois  and  purchased  a  large  distilleiy. 
This  was  operated  by  competent  men  until  it  was 
burned  to  the  ground  in  184,5.  Later,  it  was  re- 
built and  was  the  largest  distillery  in  the  West. 
After  selling  his  interest  in  that  enterprise,  Mr. 
McLean  located  in  St.   Louis,   where   he   practiced 


law  until  his  death.  He  and  his  partner,  E.  C. 
Blackburn,  stood  at  the  head  of  the  legal  profes- 
sion in  St  Louis,  and  were  considered  among  the 
most  eminent  attorneys  of  the  West.  I'olitically, 
he  was  a  Democrat. 

The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Mary  M'.  .lohn- 
ston,  who  was  born  in  Piqua,  Ohio.  Her  father, 
Col.  John  .Johnston,  was  born  in  Ireland,  March  ;i. 
1775,  and  when  young  accompanied  his  parents  to 
America,  settling  in  Cumlierland  County,  Pa.  He 
was  witli  Gen.  Wayne  on  the  Ohio  River  in  179.3-94, 
served  as  clerk  in  the  War  Department  and  Indian 
Bureau  thirty-one  years,  and  in  the  War  of  1812 
was  Paymaster  and  Quartermaster  alternately,  in 
1841-42,  he  was  United  States  Commissioner  for 
trading  with  the  Indians,  and  in  all  these  respon- 
sible positions  he  acquitted  himself  honorably. 
The  mother  of  our  subject  died  in  Shiloh,  this 
county,  where  she  had  made  her  home  on  a  farm. 

Our  subject  was  one  of  six  children  who  grew  to 
maturity,  four  of  whom  are  now  surviving,  lie 
was  brought  to  St.  Clair  County  in  1844,  but  re- 
mained only  a  short  time.  In  1849,  he  returned 
here,  but  during  the  high  water  of  18.51  the  family 
removed  to  St.  Louis.  After  acquiring  his  educa- 
tion, he  became  a  telegraph  operator  and  remained 
in  East  St.  Louis  in  that  capacity  about  six  years. 
In  1864,  he  enlisted  in  Company  I,  Forty-third 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  as  Corporal  marched  with  his 
regiment  to  Arkansas.  He  was  in  Little  Rock  at 
the  time  of  the  assassination  of  President  Lincoln. 
In  July,  186.5,  he  was  mustered  out  and  returned 
to  East  St.  Louis. 

In  1867  our  subject  was  made  Chief  of  Police, 
a  position  which  he  occupied  for  four  years  and 
in  which  his  quickness  of  perception  and  courage 
saved  blood-shed  and  riot  several  times.  In  1871  he 
became  a  Captain  of  the  Wiggins  Ferry,  and  contin- 
ues in  that  capacity.  His  residence  is  at  No.  621 
Collinsville  Avenue,  and  in  addition  to  that  place 
he  owns  considerable  real  estate  and  several  busi- 
ness blocks  in  the  city;  also  some  unimproved 
land  in  Missouri  and  Minnesota. 

At  East  St.  Louis,  in  1870,  Capt.  Mc.  Lean  mar- 
ried Miss  Elisa  A.  Griffith,  a  native  of  East  St. 
Louis  and  the  daughter  of  Joseph  Griffith,  an 
early  settler  of   this  place.     They  are   the    parents 


664 


PORTKAIT  AND  BIOGRAPHICAL  RECORD. 


of  five  children:  John  J.,  Nathaniel,  Eliza  L., 
Ralph  and  Birdie.  John  J.,  who  is  a  graduate  of 
Bryant  Sr  Stratton's  Business  College,  is  Assistant 
Cashier  of  the  First  National  Bank;  Nathaniel, 
who  also  was  graduated  from  Brvant  &  Stratton's 


College,  is  one  of  the  best  stenographers  of  East 
St.  Louis.  The  Captain  has  held  many  positions 
of  honor  in  the  county  and  in  politics  is  one  of 
the  most  prominent  Repulilieans  of  the  com- 
munitA'. 


-^  .•^.y.gj^.  r~~—    .  -<$)) 


^^ansp  oviaiion. 


The  Wabash. 

^^^O  THE  public  and  our  thousands  of  readers 
m^\\  '"  general:  It  will  no  doubt  be  interesting: 
'\^<-'  to  all  if  we  give  a  brief  description  of  this 
road.  The  Wabash,  as  now  known,  lias  been  oper- 
ated under  different  names  from  time  to  time.  It 
is  the  offspring,  as  it  were,  of  the  first  line  of 
road  projected  in  Illinois,  then  known  as  the 
Northern  Cross  Railroad,  extending  from  Dan- 
ville to  Quincy.  This  was  chartered  in  1837,  and 
upon  it  the  first  locomotive  was  placed  in  the 
winter  of  1838-39,  running  from  Meredosia,  on  the 
Illinois  Kiver,  to  Jacksonville.  In  1842,  the  road 
was  completed  from  Jacksonville  to  Springfield, 
and  three  trips  per  week  were  made.  The  track 
was  of  the  old  flat-rail  style,  which  was  made  by 
nailing  thin  strips  of  iron  on  two  parallel  lines  of 
timbers  i)laced  at  the  proper  distance  apart  and 
running  lengthwise  of  the  road.  The  engine,  as 
well  as  the  road,  became  so  impaired  that  the 
former  had  to  be  abandoned  and  mules  substituted 
as  the  motor  power.  However,  such  locomotion 
was  destined  to  be  of  short  duration,  for  the  State 
soon  after  sold  the  entire  road  for  a  nominal  sum, 
and  thus  for  a  short  time  was  suspended  one  of 
the  first  railroad  enterprises  in  Illinois.  lUit  in 
the  West  a  now  era-one  of  prodigious  industrial  ac- 
tivity and  far-reaching  results  in  the  practical  arts 
— was  dawni)ig,  and  within  thirty  years  of  the  tem- 
porary failure  of  the  road  mentioned,  Illinois  had 
pwtstri^ped  fill  others  in  gigantic  internal  iinjjiove. 


ments,  and  at  present  has  more  miles  of  railroad 
than  any  other  State  in  the  Union.  The  Great 
Western,  whose  name  has  been  successively 
changed  to  Toledo,  Wabash  <fe  Western,  Wabash, 
and  Wabash,  St.  Louis  &  Pacific,  and  Wabash 
Railroad,  and  The  Wabash,  the  last  of  which  it 
still  bears,  was  an  extension  of  the  Northern 
Cross  Railroad  above  mentioned,  and  traverses 
some  of  the  finest  portions  of  Illinois,  Indiana  and 
Ohio.  It  soon  became  the  popular  highway  of 
travel  and  traffic  between  the  East  and  the  West. 
Through  a  system  of  consolidation  unparalleled  in 
American  railways,  it  has  become  a  giant  among 
them,  and  has  added  manj'  millions  of  dollars  to 
the  value  of  bonds  and  shares  of  the  various  com- 
panies now  incorporated  in  the  Wabash  System. 
The  road  takes  its  title  from  the  river  of  that 
name,  a  tributary  of  the  Ohio,  which  in  part  sep- 
arates the  States  (if  Illinois  and  Indiana.  In  look- 
ing over  tlu'  maps  of  the  Wabash  Railroad  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  line  extends  through  the  most 
fertile  and  wealthy  portions  of  the  center  of  the 
rnited  States,  having  termini  at  more  large  cities 
than  any  other  Western  road.  It  was,  indeed,  a 
far-reacliing  sagacity  which  consolidated  these  var- 
ious lines  into  the  Wabash  System,  forming  one 
immense  chain  of  great  commercial  activity  and 
power.  Its  terminal  facilities  are  unsurpassed  l)y 
any  competing  line,  Its  home  offices  are  estab- 
lished in  commodious  quarters  in  St,  Louis,  The 
lines  of  tlie  road  »ro  co-extensive  wjtli  the  impor- 
tau(;e  of  the  great  transportation  facilities  requirec| 


TEANSPOETATION. 


for  the  products  of  the  Mississippi  Valley.  This 
line  passes  through  the  States  of  Iowa,  Missouri, 
Indiana,  Ohio  and  Jlichigan.  The  various  lines 
of  road  mav  be  divided  into  the  following: 

Miles. 

St.  Louis  to  Chicago 286 

Toledo  to  Kansas  City 662 

St.  Louis  to  DesMoines 360 

Logansport  to  Detroit 207 

Chicago  to  Laketon  Junction 123 

Clayton  to    Keokuk 42 

Bluffs  to  Quincy 105 

Streator  to  Forest 37 

Attica  to  Covington 15 

Champaign  to  Sidney 12 

Edwardsville  to  Edwardsvillc  Crossing.  9 

Bement   to  Altaniont  &  Efflnghara 63 

Brunswick   to  Omaha 225 

Roseberry  to  Clarinda 21 

Salisbury  to  Glasgow 15 

Centralia  to  Columbia 22 

Total  miles  of  main  lines  and  branches.  .  2204 
From  the  above  main  lines  and  branches  as  in- 
dicated it  will  readily  be  seen  that  the  Wabash 
connects  with  more  large  cities  and  great  marts  of 
trade  than  any  other  line,  bringing  Omaha,  Kan- 
sas City,  Des  Moines,  Keokuk,  Quincy,  St.  Louis, 
Chicago,  Toledo  and  Detroit  together  with  one 
continuous  line  of  steel  rails.  This  road  has  an 
immense  freight  traffic  of  the  cereals,  live  stock, 
various  productions  and  manufactured  articles  of 
the  West,  and  the  States  through  which  it  passes. 
Its  facilities  for  rapid  transit  for  the  vast  produc- 
tions of  the  packing  houses  of  Kansas  Cit_y,  St. 
Louis  and  Chicago  to  Detroit,  Toledo  and  the  East- 
ern marts  of  trade  is  unequalled.  A  large  portion 
of  the  grain  productions  of  Kansas,  Nebraska, 
Iowa,  Missouri,  Illinois  and  Indiana  finds  its  way 
to  the  Eastern  markets  over  the  lines  of  this  road. 
The  AVabash  has  always  taken  an  advanced  posi- 
tion in  tariffs,  and  its  course  toward  its  patrons 
has  been  just  and  liberal,  so  that  it  has  always  en- 
joyed the  commendation  of  the  business  and  trav- 
eling public.  The  roadbed  is  one  of  the  best  in 
the  countr}%  and  is  ballasted  with  gravel  and 
stone,  well  tied,  and  laid  with  steel  rails.  The 
bridges  along  the  various  lines  are  substantial 
structures.  Tlie  dcixtts,  grounds  and  general 
IH-dpertv  of  the  road  arc  in  good  condition.     The 


management  of  the  Wabash  is  fully  abreast  of  the 
times.  The  road  is  progressive  in  every  respect. 
The  finest  passenger  cars  on  the  continent  are  run 
on  its  lines,  and  every  effort  is  made  to  advance 
the  interests  of  its  patrons.  The  passenger  de- 
partment is  unexcelled  for  the  elegant  and  sub- 
stantial comfort  afforded  travelers.  The  sleeping 
cars  on  some  of  the  most  important  lines  are  of 
the  compartment  sj'stem,  upholstered  in  a  costly 
and  tasteful  manner,  each  room  supplied  with  hot 
and  cold  water.  On  several  of  the  main  branches 
of  the  system  dinin2:cais  are  run. 


Illinois  Central  Railroad. 

L<^^IIIS  is  one  of  the  largest  corporations  in  lUi- 
i/f-/^'  nois,  and  with  its  splendid  terminal  facili- 
\^^  ties  in  Chicago,  and  its  numerous  suburban 
trains,  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  building  up  the 
South  Side  and  South  Chicago,  while  at  the  same 
time  enriching  itself.  Its  management  has  always 
been  careful  and  conservative,  and  it  is  not  too 
much  to  say  that  it  has  been  most  potential  in  de- 
veloping many  of  the  rich  agricultural  districts  of 
the  State,  besides  fostering  and  encouraging  the 
growth  of  towns  and  cities  along  its  line.  As 
this  was  one  of  the  earl3-  roads  of  the  State  it  will 
not  be  uninteresting  to  give  a  brief  history  of  its 
inception. 

In  September,  1850,  Congress  passed  an  act, 
and  it  was  approved  by  President  Fillmore,  grant- 
ing an  .aggregate  of  two  million  five  hundred  and 
ninety-five  thousand  and  fifty-three  acres  to  aid  in 
building  the  road.  The  act  granted  the  right  of 
way  and  gave  alternate  sections  of  land  for  six 
miles  on  either  side  of  the  road.  The  grant  of 
land  was  made  directl^y  to  the  State.  On  February 
10,  1851,  the  Legislature  of  Illinois  granted  a 
charter  to  an  Eastern  company  to  build  it,  with  a 
capital  stock  of  *1, 000,000.  The  Legislature,  in 
granting  the  charter  and  transferring  to  the  cor- 
poration the  lands,  stipulated  that  seven  per  cent, 
of  tlic  gross  earnings  of  the  road  should  be  paid 
semi-aiinualiv    into  the    troasury  of  the  Stale    for- 


TRANSPORTATION. 


()67 


ever.  This  wisp  provision,  in  lien  of  the  liberal 
land  giant,  j'ields  a  handsome  annual  revenue  to 
the  State.  Also,  tliat  in  the  event  of  war,  (tOv- 
ernraent  transportation  should  be  furnished  at  a 
certain  reduction  from  the  prices  regularly  paid 
by  the  General  Government  for  such  services. 

The  proceeds  of  land  sales  have  been  regularly 
applied  to  the  redemption  of  construction  bonds, 
and  it  is  significant  that  the  original  issue  of 
mortgage  bonds  amounted  to  «522,000,000.  That 
amount  has  been  so  reduced  that  in  1802  the 
whole  issue  will  be  practically  retired,  and  the 
stockholders  will  own  a  road  in  Illinois  more  than 
one  thousand  miles  in  length,  fully  equipped,  and 
with  no  outstanding  liabilit}-  other  than  the  share 
of  capital.  It  may  be  noted  here  tliat  when  the 
General  Government  donated  lands  to  the  States 
of  Illinois,  Mississippi  and  Alabama,  it  was  in- 
tended that  through  the  aid  derived  from  these 
lands  a  through  artery  of  travel  should  be  estab- 
lished between  the  Lakes  and  Gulf  ports.  Had  the 
war  not  supervened,  the  project  would  then  have 
been  carried  out  in  its  entirety,  and  the  North  and 
South  movement  of  traffic  would  have  been  fully 
developed,  but  the  enforced  delay  in  carrying  out 
the  original  program  was  utilized  in  building  up 
the  State  of  Illinois  and  in  perfecting  the  track  of 
this  road.  Strict  attention  to  local  business  has 
always  been  a  marked  characteristic  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad  management. 

By  an  extensive  sj'Stem  of  railroad  construction 
and  by  its  leased  lines,  the  Illinois  Central  Rail- 
road has  termini  in  many  '  important  centers  of 
trade  in  the  Missouri  and  Mississippi  Valleys,  as 
well  as  the  great  chain  of  lakes  at  Chicago. 
Through  this  vast  system  Chicago  is  brought  into 
close  connection  with  .Sioux  Falls,  Dak.;  Sioux 
City,  Cedar  Rapids  and  Dubuque,  Iowa;  Lyle, 
Minn.;  and  Dodgeville  and  Madison,  Wis.  Its 
trattic  also  extends  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  through  run- 
ning arrangements  over  the  lines  of  the  Vandalia 
and  Cairo  Short  Line  Railroads.  Its  "  Diamond 
Special,"  lietween  Chicago  and  St.  Louis,  is  rapidly 
acquiring  popularity  with  the  traveling  public, 
owing  to  its  splendid  equipment  and  rapid  time. 
Over  the  Big  Four  Road  connection  is  made  with 
Indianapolis  and  Cincinnati,  and  with  its  Spring- 


field Division  the  Illinois  Central  reaches  the  cap- 
ital of  Illinois,  and  taps  the  center  of  the 
great  corn  belt.  At  Cairo  the  Ohio  River  is 
spanned  by  a  magnificent  steel  bridge,  from  which 
point  south  connections  are  made  with  the  great 
cotton  marts  of  Memphis,  and  the  principal  cities 
of  Mississippi,  and  New  Orleans.  Thus  it  will  be 
seen  that  the  great  metropolis  nestling  on  the 
shores  of  Lake  Michigan  by  this  sinuous  arteiy  of 
steel  is  brought  into  direct  traffic  relations  with 
the  leading  marts  in  the  sunny  South,  as  well  as 
the  serai-arctic  regions  of  Dakota,  affording  the 
traveler,  both  in  summer  and  winter,  unsurpassed 
facilities  for  reaching  a  ple.asant  clime. 


Chicago  &  Alton  Kailroad. 

(S^^HIS  road  traverses  some  of  the  best  terri- 
fu^W  ^*"*''^'  *"'^  Illinois  and  Missouri,  having  its 
^s^/J  Western  terminus  in  Kansas  City,  and  South- 
ern in  St.  Louis,  and  the  principal  termini  and 
general  headquarters  in  Chicago.  It  is  one  of  the 
important  lines  of  the  great  system  of  railroads  in 
the  Mississippi  Valley. 

The  Air  Line  between  St.  Louis  and  Chicago, 
the  most  prominent  cities  of  the  great  West,  and 
the  most  pronounced  commercial  rivals,  occupies 
a  prominent  position  among  the  trans-Mississippi 
railroads.  This  may  be  attributed  partly  to  the 
manner  in  which  the  management  has  fostered  and 
developed  the  local  business  along  the  line  of  the 
road  since  its  organization  in  1862.  Its  manage- 
ment has  always  kept  abreast  of  the  times.  The 
length  of  the  system  is  practically  nine  hundred 
miles.  In  brief,  the  Chicago  &  Alton  Railroad 
has  by  a  judicious  system  of  permanent  improve- 
ment, and  by  the  introduction  of  modern  appli- 
ances, which  tend  to  the  preservation  of  life  and 
property,  placed  itself  in  such  a  condition,  mate- 
rially and  physically,  that  its  financial  condition  is 
not  easily  affected.  Its  success  as  one  of  the  great 
highways  of  the  West  is  an  assured  reality.  It 
may  be  appropriately  noted  here,  that,  while  much 
of  this  road's  past  success  may  be  attributed  to  its 


668 


TRANSPORTATION. 


admirable  geographical  location,  einhracing  a  very 
rich  section  of  the  country  for  local  traffic,  and 
with  termini  on  Lake  Michigan,  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  Rivers,  yet  equally  ns  much  is  due  to 
the  wisdom  and  >t!il)ilitv  of  the  management. 


Atchison,  Topeka  &  Santa  Fe  Railroad, 

OPULARLY  known  as  the  Santa  Fe  Route. 
The  initial  line  of  this  great  system  was 
first  built  from  Atchison  to  Topeka  in 
1869,  and  for  many  years  the  former  city 
was  the  Eastern  terminus  of  the  road.  The  man- 
agement of  the  Santa  Fe,  with  wonderful  energy, 
pushed  out  its  lines  in  ever^y  direction  into  the 
young  and  growing  State  of  Kansas,  and  in  the 
majority  of  instances  preceding  settlement  and 
civilization.  This  road  was  the  first  to  penetrate 
across  the  southern  part  of  Colorado,  via  Pueblo 
and  Trinidad,  into  New  Mexico,  until  its  lines  pen- 
etrated the  old  iuloliu  town' of  Santa  Fe,  whose 
citizens  wen-  IimII'  Sp.Mni.sh  and  half  Mexican.  As 
its  course  peiictralrd  tlie  wilderness,  it  sometimes 
followed  the  Old  Santa  Fe  Trail,  and  generally 
not  far  distant  at  an^'  time  from  the  trail  which 
had  been  made  famous  years  before  by  trappers 
and  the  Government  freighters.  The  marvelous 
growth  and  development  of  the  State  of  Kansas  is 
in  a  great  measure  due  to  the  enterprise  and  pub- 
lic spirit  of  the  managers  of  the  Santa  Fe  System. 
Not  only  did  they  devote  their  energy  to  the  up- 
building of  the  road,  but  at  great  expense  they 
maintained  emigraticm  and  colonial  agents  in  the 
various  countries  of  Europe,  as  well  as  the  Eastern, 
Middle  and  Southern  States,  thereby  advertising 
the  State  of  Kansas  as  no  other  State  has  hereto- 
fore been  done.  Its  climate,  its  soil,  and  great  ad- 
vantages to  the  homeseeker,  were  at  all  times  f  UII3' 
portrayed  by  the  enterprise  of  this  road.  Every 
fostering  care  was  given  to  the  stock  and  ranch- 
men, to  the  merchant,  to  the  mechanic  and  the 
manufacturer  to  settle  in  Kansas.  As  a  result, 
we  have  a  State  here  in  the  center  of  the  Union, 
of  boundless   agricultural    resources,   settled    by  a 


wide-awake,  euteiprising  and  prosperous  people. 
The  Santa  Fe  owns  and  operates  more  miles  of 
road  in  Kansas  than  any  other  line,  with  its  vast 
system  of  East  and  West,  North  and  South  lines 
reaching  ever\'  important  town  in  the  State,  and 
penetrating  sixty-three  counties  in_  Kansas  alone. 
The  magnitude  of  its  business  is  immense.  Its 
lines,  beginning  at  the  Missouri  River  towns  in 
Kansas  and  Missouri,  St.  Joseph,  Atchison, 
Leavenworth  and  Kansas  City,  extend  south  to 
Coffeyville,  Arkansas  City,  Honewell,  Caldwell, 
Kiona  (thence  to  the  Pan  Handle  of  Texas);  and 
North  to  Superior,  Neb.,  Concordia,  Clay  Centre, 
Minneapolis,  and  other  Northern  Kansas  cities. 
Its  main  line  and  branches  re.ach  nearl}-  every  im- 
portant city  in  the  State.  St.  Joseph  on  the  Mis- 
souri side  of  the  river  has  a  population  of  nearly 
one  hundred  thousand,  and  its  wholesale  trade  is 
heavy  throughout  the  West.  Atchison  is  a  grow- 
ing city,  and  Leavenworth  an  important  manufac- 
turing center.  Leavenworth  was  the  earliest  famous 
city  of  Kansas,  as  it  was  the  original  outfitting 
point  for  travel  and  traffic  across  the  plains.  The 
Kansas  Sj'stem  may  be  described  as  a  main  East 
and  West  line,  over  four  hundred  miles  in  length, 
with  branch  lines  extending  in  every  direction 
where  an  area  of  particularly  rich  country  or 
some  other  special  advantages  invited  a  line  of 
rails. 

The  road  from  Topeka  after  1869  was  extended 
West  and  South,  and  then  East  to  Kansas  City  by 
purchase  of  a  line  built  by  another  company  from 
Kansas  City  in  1887-88.  The  line  was  extended 
to  Chicago  under  the  name  of  the  Chicago,  Santa 
Fe  tt  California  Railroad  in  1887,  also  the  pur- 
chase of  the  Gulf,  Colorado  &  Santa  Fe  Road;  and 
the  extension  of  the  Kansas  lines  through  the  In- 
dian Territory  to  Texas  gave  the  company  a  line 
to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  so  that  at  the  present  time 
the  Santa  Fe  System  proper  begins  at  Chicago. 
It  passes  through  Illinois,  Iowa,  Missouri,  Kan- 
sas, Colorado,  Indian  Territory,  Texas,  New  Mex- 
ico, Arizona  and  California,  and  lijis  for  its  South- 
ern terminal  Galveston,  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico, 
and  El  Paso,  on  the  Mexican  frontier;  and  for  its 
Western  terminals  San  Diego  and  Los  Angeles,  on 
the  P.acific  Coast   (San  Francisco  being  practically 


TRANSPORTATION. 


a  Pacific  Coast  terminal,  as  it  is  readied,  via  Mo- 
jave,  over  tliQ  tracks  of  the  Southern  Pacific  Kail- 
way);  and  for  its  Northern  terminals  Chicago,  St. 
Joseph,  Mo.,  Superior,  Neh.,  and  Denver,  the  capi- 
tal of  Colorado. 

Chicago  to  Kansas  City  is  practically  an  air-line, 
being  tlie  most  straight  and  direct  of  any  road  be- 
tween those  cities.  It  passes  tiirough  a  large 
number  of  important  towns  in  Illinois,  including 
Joliet,  with  its  great  steel  works  and  other  manu- 
facturing interests.  The  next  important  place  is 
Slreator.  A  few  miles  south  of  the  latter  place  a 
branch  extends  to  the  thriving  cities  of  Peoria 
and  Pekin,  on  the  Illinois  River.  From  Streator 
the  main  line  crosses  the  Illinois  at  Chillicollie, 
and  extends  tiirough  Peoi'ia  and  Knox  Counties 
to  the  beautiful  and  enterprising  city  of  Gales- 
burg.  Here  it  comes  in  competition  with  several 
lines  of  the  Burlington  System,  then  running  in  a 
Southwesterly  direction  through  a  rich  and  popu- 
lous section,  crosses  the  Mississippi  at  Ft.  Madi- 
son on  a  magnificent  steel  bridge.  Here  the  com- 
pany have  established  shops,  that  being  tiie  ter- 
minus of  the  two  operating  divisions  of  the  road. 
From  Ft.  Madison,  Keokuk  is  readied  by  a  spur. 
Along  the  Santa  Fe  new  towns  are  springing  up 
and  new  industries  are  being  developed.  Tvyenty 
miles  East  of  Kansas  City  the  Missouri  River  is 
crossed  by  a  steel  bridge,  so  that  the  line  enters 
Kansas  Cit^'  on  the  south  side  of  the  river.  From 
Kansas  City  to  Topeka  the  line  runs  on  the  south 
bank  of  the  Kansas  River.  At  Wilder  and  Holli- 
day  are  points  for  the  departure  of  branch  lines — 
one  Northward  to  Atchison,  and  the  other  South- 
ward through  Ottawa  and  Southern  Kansas,  being 
known  as  the  Southern  Kansas  Division  of  the 
Santa  Fe  System.  From  Lawrence  to  Topeka  the 
road  is  still  in  the  Kansas  Valley,  througii  a  verit- 
able garden.  Native  trees  of  great  height  over- 
hang the  railway  here  and  there,  and  in  the  sjjring 
and  summer  the  crops  look  green  and  luxuriant. 
The  approach  to  Topeka  is  tiirough  the  long  yards 
and  by  the  vast  machine  shops  of  the  Santa  Fe 
Company,  and  across  various  broad  streets  to  a  com- 
modious brick  station.  The  general  offices  of  tiie 
road  are  in  Topeka,  and  occupy  a  handsome  and 
commodious    building     near    the    State    Capitol. 


From  Topeka  to  Denver  the  Santa  Fe  route  runs 
for  about  seventy-five  miles  in  a  southwesterly  di- 
rection to  the  u()per  wateis  of  the  Neosho  River. 
At  Emporia,  passing  through  Osage  County,  are 
found  some  of  tlie  richest  coal  fields  of  the  West. 
At  Newton  the  line  diverges  South  through  South- 
ern Kansas,  the  Indian  Territory  and  Texas  to 
Galveston.  Continuing  West  from  Newton  the 
first  city  of  importance  reached  is  Hutchinson. 
Here  are  some  of  the  heaviest  salt  works  in  the 
United  States,  besides  other  extensive  manufactur- 
ing interests. 

At  La  Junta,  Colo.,  the  line  for  New  Mexico, 
Arizona  and  beyond  turns  South.  Pueblo,  sixty- 
five  miles  due  West  of  La  Junta,  for  years  the  ter- 
minus of  the  Santa  Fe  System,  is  a  growing  man- 
ufacturing city.  It  is  admirably  located  with  ref- 
erence to  the  great  ore-producing  canons  of  Colo- 
rado. All  roads  leading  to  it  ship  coal,  iron,  silver, 
gold,  lead,  copper,  building  stone,  everything  in 
fact  which  is  produced  in  the  greatest  mining 
State  in  the  Union  rolls  naturally  down  hill  to 
Pueblo.  Beyond  Pueblo  to  the  west  are  many 
thriving  cities  founded  on  mining  and  agriculture, 
notable  among  which  is  Leadville,  the  greatest  min- 
ing camp  in  Colorado,  while  forty  miles  north  of 
Pueblo,on  the  line  of  tlie  Santa  Fe,are  the  beautiful 
cities  of  Colorado  Springs  and  Manitou,  nestling  at 
the  foot  of  Pike's  Peak.  Manitou  is  at  tlic  mouth 
of  a  deep  canon,  and  is  one  of  the  most  lovely  sum- 
mer resorts  in  America.  Near  here  is  tlie  famous 
Garden  of  the  Gods,  whose  wondrous  beauty  and 
grandeur  are  unsurpassed.  From  Colorado  Springs 
Westward  through  Manitou,  and  up  the  canon  be- 
yond Pike's  Peak,  the  Colorado  Midland  Railroad  is 
pushing  ils  w;iy  toward  the  western  border  of  the 
State.  i:iiility  niilfs  north  of  Colorado  Springs, 
the  Sniita  Fe  lini-  terminates  at  Denver,  a  magnifi- 
cently built  city.  It  is  probable  that  no  Ameri- 
can city  has  so  many  features  of  unique  beauty  as 
Denver.  Its  splendid  public  huiMiiiu-.  :ind  its 
broad  avenues  lined  with  lieautil'iil  i c-i'lenees.  eoz- 
ily  located  at  the  fool  of  the  siim\ -(■.■ippiMl  moun- 
tains of  the  Rocky  Range,  render  it  unlike  any 
other  city  of  its  size  in  the  world.  The  ride  from 
Pueblo  to  Denver  along  the  foot  of  the  mountains 
is   one    never    to    be    missed.     The  snow-covered 


670 


TRANS  PORTATI  ON. 


peaks,  the  many  combinations  of  sun,  cloud,  vain, 
snow,  and  tlie  marvelous  atmosphere,  all  combine 
to  surprise  and  charm  the  beholder. 

Newton  to  Galveston.  The  line  leaving  the  main 
East  and  AVest  line  in  Kansas  at  Newton  runs  di- 
rectlj'  South  to  (lalveston.  The  fii'st  place  of  im- 
portance reached  is  AVichita,  located  on  tiie  big 
and  Little  Arkansas  Rivers,  a  city  of  thirt_v-flve 
thousand  people,  where  onlj'  a  few  years  ago  was 
an  Indian  trading  post.  South  of  AA'ichita  is  a 
cluster  of  growing  cities,  comprising  AVinfield, 
AVellington,  Arkansas  City  and  Caldwell.  AVich- 
ita and  Arkansas  City  have  profited  much  b^y  the 
opening  up  of  Oklahoma  to  settlement.  Entering 
the  Indian  Territory  the  line  passes  through  a 
magnificent  agricultural  country,  as  yet  almost 
wholly  undeveloped.  Galveston,  the  terminus,  is 
a  rapidly  growing  city  of  fifty  thousand  inhabi- 
tants. It  is  charmingly  situated  on  the  Gulf 
coast,  and  has  an  unsurpassed  climate  in  both 
summer  and  winter. 

La  Junta  to  EI  Paso.  From  La  .Tunta  the  line 
climbs  to  the  summit  of  the  Katon  Range,  seven 
thousand  six  hundred  and  twenty-two  feet  above 
the  sea.  On  the  wa_y  up  it  passes  through  the  im- 
portant Colorado  towns  of  El  Moro  and  Trinidad. 
The  village  of  Raton  is  an  important  division 
point  for  the  railway.  And  then  comes  Las  A^e- 
gas  and  its  famous  hot  springs,  six  miles  distant 
from  the  main  line,  but  connected  with  it  by  a  short 
line  with  good  equipment.  At  the  hot  springs  is 
the  Rluvnix  Hotel.  The  springs  are  unsurpassed 
anywhere  in  the  world,  and  the  hotel  is  conducted 
by  the  company  in  a  most  generous  manner.  The 
springs  are  forty-two  in  number,  are  hot  and 
cold,  and  have  a  variet}'  of  mineral  properties 
which  render  them  remarkably  strong  in  their  cur- 
ative power.  South  of  Las  A'egas  the  line  passes  j 
through  fertile  valleys,  iieavy  forests  and  black  ] 
and  rugged  canons  until  the  valley  of  the  Rio 
Grande  is  reached.  A  branch  line  from  Lamy  ex- 
tends up  the  mountain  to  Santa  Fe,  the  capital  of 
New  Mexico,  next  to  St.  Augustine  the  oldest 
city  in  America.  Its  quaint  old  churches  and 
dwellings  are  interspersed  with  modern  structures.  1 
It  should  be  seen  befctre  the  peculiar  charm  of  its  j 
antiquity  has  been  entirely'  destroyed.     Albuquer-   | 


que,  Socori-o  and  San  Marcial  are  the  chief  points 
between  Santa  Fe  and  El  Paso.  All  are  important 
points  for  the  business  of  mining,  cattle-raising 
and  general  commerce.  From  Rincon  a  branch 
line  leads  to  Deming,  where  junction  is  made  witii 
the  Southern  Pacific  Railway,  and  to  Silver  City, 
and  to  the  other  mining  towns  of  Southern  New 
Mexico.  It  is  the  fortunate  destiny  of  New  Mex- 
ico generally,  and  tlie  Rio  Grande  A' alley  particu- 
larly, to  soon  take  fiont  rank  in  the  line  of  fruit 
production.  The  grapes  produced  in  the  lower 
Rio  Grande  Valley  are  not  surpassed  in  either 
qualitj-  or  quantity  by  the  product  in  any  part  of 
the  continent.  F>om  Albuquerque,  in  the  heart  of 
New  Mexico,  due  AVest,  the  Atlantic  &  Pacific 
Railroad  forrtis  the  main  Santa  Fe  route  to  Cali- 
fornia. The  line  passes  through  a  great  mining 
and  stock-raising  country',  where  the  climate  is 
perfect.  Prescott,  the  capital  of  Arizona,  is 
reached  bj'  a  branch  from  Prescott  Junction. 
Constant  changes  of  scenery  characterize  the  line, 
and  the  crossing  of  the  Colorado  Canon  is  one  of 
the  most  lemarkable  accomplishments  known  in 
the  railroad  world.  In  Southern  California  tlie  lines 
of  tiie  California  Central  and  Southern  reach  every 
important  cit}-.  Barstow,  San  P)ernardino,  Colton, 
San  Diego,  National  City,  Los  Angeles,  and  a  hun- 
dred other  beautiful  towns  offer  iinequaled  induce- 
ments to  the  seeker  after  health,  wealth  and  pleas- 
ure. San  Francisco  and  other  cities  of  Central 
and  Northern  California  are  reached  by  tlie  lines 
of  the  Southern  Pacific  b\-  virtue  of  a  special  ar- 
rangement for  traffic. 

Between  Chicago  and  Kansas  City  meals  are 
served  on  the  finest  dining  ears.  On  the  otlier 
lines  and  branches  are  superb  eating-houses  and 
hotels. 

From  the  resume  thus  given  of  the  facilities  pos- 
sessed by  the  Santa  Fe  Railway  for  interchanging 
tratflc  at  its  termini  and  various  juiictions,  it  must 
be  apparent  to  the  reader  that  the  line  is  admir- 
ably situated,  and  that  in  many  respects  it  occu- 
pies a  strategic  position,  superior  to  that  of  other 
trans-Missouri  and  Mississippi  railroads.  These 
advantages  have  been  utilized  in  tiie  past,  as  they 
will  be  in  the  future  in  developing  the  localities 
through  which  the  vnrioiis    brandies   extend,  and 


TRANSPORTATION. 


to  build  up  the  permanent  prosperity  of  the  prop- 
erty whose  histor\-  is  so  closely  interwoven  with 
the  settlement,  development  and  prosperity  of  the 
AVest  beyond  the  Missouri  River.  Its  local  traftii- 
compares  favorably  with  that  of  other  competing 
lines.  To  this  purely  local  traftic  must  be  added 
the  contributions  of  its  several  termini,  all  large 
cities  and  prominent  trade  centers  in  the  Missouri 
and  Mississippi  Valleys.  With  the  growth  and 
steady  development  of  the  manufacturing  and 
other  industries  of  Chicago,  St.  J^ouis,  Kansas 
City,  St.  Joseph,  Atchison,  Leavenworth,  Topeka, 
Wichita,  Galveston,  El  P.aso,  Pueblo  and  Denver, 
since  the  middle  of  December,  1890,  by  means  of 
running  arrangements  with  the  Jacksonville  & 
Southeastern  Railroad,  the  Santa  Fe  has  a 
through  line  from  Chicago  to  St.  Louis  with  a  fine 
equipment  of  palace  cars.  The  Santa  Fe  Railway 
must  naturally  make  corresponding  strides  toward 
attaining  that  proud  financial  position  which  has 
been  the  life  dream  of  its  originators  and  present 
owners.  L'nder  the  present  progressive  and  con- 
servative management  all  advantages  of  geograph- 
ical position,  and  all  the  resources  of  the  through 
line,  will  be  constantl}-  utilized  in  building  up  the 
future  prosperity  of  the  road  itself,  and  in  devel- 
oping the  extended  area  of  Chicago's  commercial 
supremacy.  The  land  grant  from  the  Government 
amounted  substantially  to  tjiree  million  acres.  In 
brief,  its  commanding  geographical  position, 
coupled  with  its  direct  Eastern  alliance  for 
through  business,  must  render  the  Santa  Fe  event- 
ually one  of  the  most  remunerative  of  our  West- 
ern railroads. 


Cairo  Short  Line. 


^IIE 


terminal  points  of  this  line  are  E.ist  St. 
((iS  I'luis  and  St.  Louis,  from  which  points  it 
S_V  iims  in  a  Southwesterly  direction  across 
SouUiciii  Illinois,  touching  the  Ohio  River  at  Me- 
tropolis City  and  Pellonia,  where  it  taps  a  grow- 
ing and  increasing  trade  with  Kentucky  and  Ten- 
nessee, giving  a  short  route  to  the  St.  Louis  mar- 
kets for  the  products  of  a  portion  of  those  States. 
At  DuCJuoin  and  Carbondale  connection  is 
made  with  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad;  at  Parker 
City  it  crosses  the  line  of  the  Big  Four;  at  Eldo- 
rado traffic  relations  aie  had  with  the  Big  Four 
and  Louisville  &  Nashville  Railroads.  The  Cairo 
Short  Line  passes  through  a  section  of  lUmois 
particularly  rich  in  coal  mines,  which  contributes  to 
the  road  an  Immense  freight  business.  At  Du- 
Quoin  and  Carbondale  it  taps  the  center  of  the 
fruit  belt.  Its  business  is  increasing,  and  the  road 
is  in  a  prosperous  condition. 


Louisville  &  Na.sliville. 

ine  of  this  road  crosses  the  Southern 
part  of  Illinois  in  a  Southeasterly  direction. 
Its  Eastern  terminals  are  at  Evansville.'Mt. 
A'ernon  and  Shawneetown,  on  the  Ohio  River, 
while  its  western  termini  are  St.  Louis  and  East  St. 
Louis.  This  road  transports  annually  large  quan- 
tities of  coal,  grain,  flour  and  other  products,  and 
has  done  much  toward  building  up  the  towns  along 
the  line. 


Illinois  &  St.  Louis  Railroad, 

^f^; ETTER  known  as  the  "Pittsburg  Ro.ad," 
\r^\\  ^^^^^^^  from  Belleville  to  East  St.  Louis, 
/f^)]l|  also  to  Union  Depot,  St.  Louis,  over  the 
^^y  "  Eads  "  Bridge.  It  has  fine  terminal  f.a- 
cilities  in  almost  the  center  of  Belleville,  and  is 
extensively  patronized  ))y  the  people  along  its 
line,  iiut  its  most  iin|i<>rtaiit  tiallic  is  in  transport- 
ing coal. 


Ohio  &  MissLssippi. 

mis  extended  system  operates  in  connection 
with  the  Baltimore  &  Ohio,  having  St. 
Louis  for  its  western  terminus,  and  close 
traliic  connections  are  maintained  with  the  lead- 
ing cities  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard.  This  was  one 
of  the  first  roads  built  in  Southern   Illinois,  being 


672 


TRANSPORTATION. 


completed  and  opened  for  traffic  the  entire  length 
of  the  line  in  1857.  Under  the  present  manage- 
ment the  road  has  grown  in  business,  and  now 
comprises  one  of  the  important  trunk  lines  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley. 

The  VauclaUa  Road. 

^^IIK  first  train  was  run  on  this  line  in  .Inly, 
fCt-A  ^''^''''^••'i"^  i"  \9il{)  was  completed  its  entire 
\^    length,  and  immediately  thereafter  through 


passenger  trains  were  established  between  New 
York  and  St.  Louis.  Both  in  passenger  and 
freight  business  this  line  promptly  became  a  lead- 
ing factor  in  promoting  the  business  interests  of 
the  sections  through  which  it  passes,  and  with  its 
running  arrangements  with  the  Pennsylvania  Cen- 
tral furnishes  fine  facilities  for  its  patrons. 


^^30^^^^« 


Abend,  Hon.  Edward 242 

Aberle,  F.  W 357 

Abt,  P.  W 270 

Adams,  John 23 

Adams.John  Q 39 

Affleck,  James 279 

Ahlers,  Conrad 318 

Ahrens,  Frederick 295 

Ammel,  N.  E 370 

Andel,  Adolph 281 

Andel,  Casimir 265 

Appel,J.L 2fi0 

Arthur,  Chester  A 99 


Bader,H.F 266 

Badgley ,  Adam 210 

Baer,  Amson 317 

Barthel,  August 323 

Barthel,  Henry 589 

Baum, Simon 272 

Becker,  Hon.  Charles 117 

Begole,F.M 322 

Behrens.J.C 250 

Bennett,  Jeremiah 221 

Bennett,  Capt.  W.  H 305 

Berkemeyer,  C.  F 210 

Bertelsmann,  Henrj' 654 

Berteloth,  John 442 

Bertelsmann,  J.  B 611 

Beste,J.H 454 

Biebel,N.  J 270 

Bocquet,  Gustave 367 

Bocqnet,  J.  C 367 

Boemer,  Henry 436 

Bohnemeier,  John 360 

Boismenue,  Louis 209 

Boismenue,  Nicholas 578 

Boneau,  Judge  Benjamin ...  .280 

Booth,  D.S.,Sr 240 

Bomman,  Mrs.  Elizabeth.... 227 


Bug,  Martin 
Burke,  Thon 
Burr,  J .  C. . . 


Cange,  Mrs.  Dora .. 

Cannady,  Cliaili-- 

Cannady,  Elijah 

Carr,L.T 

Carroll,  C.  B 

Carson.  J.  S 

Carter,  M.  VV 

Cash,  V.  B 

Chapin,  Rev.  S.  P 

Chenot,  Augustus 

Clark,  A.  T 

Clark,  Samuel 

Cleveland,  S.Grover... 

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Coulter,  K.S 

Crosby,  George 

Cunningham,  Robert. . 


Daab,  Fred 

Dake,C.  R.,M.  D.. 
Daniel,  T.  J 


Dar 


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Davis, E.  R , 

Day,  J.  A 

Decker,  H.  J 

DeHaan.H.  J.,M.D. 
Dehn,  J.  G 


Dil,-.  I    i>i     I  i-.l'  '•  '■ 
D<.Hls.:nH.  Mr-     M.nl 

Doyle,  Jolin 

Doyle,  M.  R.,M.  p. . 
Draser,  George,  Jr. 

Dressel,  Ernest 

Dunn,  James 


Eberhart,  J.  J 

Eberlein,  George. , 
Eckert,  Charles. . 

Eckert,  H.  C 

Eggmann,  E.J... 

Ehinger,  .John 

Eidmann,L.  F.... 

Elliot,  Henry 

Elliot.  Harry,  Jr. . 
Engelniann,  W.  B 
Ettling,  Christian 
Ewing,  Capt.  G.  A 
Eyman,  Isaac 


Fahne,  George,  Sr 

Fairbrother,  H.  C,  M.  D. . 

Faulbaum.  August 

Fekete,  Alexander,  M.  D. . 

Fiet.sam,C.  H 

Fillmore,  Jiillard 

Finke,E.  J 

Flaniicrv,  Patri.-k 


Flc-ix.  i  ■      ■     ' 
F.-.r.M.:  •    I    .  ■   ■ 
Foiilk-   ■  li.iil.- 
Fournie.  Sylvf-sfer. . . 

Frey,  John 

Friederick,  Michael. 


Fries,  Adam 

Fries,  Jacob 

Fries,  John 

Fries,  Peter 

Friess,  J.  H 

Fuesser,  J.  P. 

Fuller,  Rev.  H.  E 

Funk,  Adam 

Funk,  H.  C 

Funk,  Henry 


Ganter,  Henry,  M.  D 149 

Garfield,  .Tames  A 95 

Gauch,  Jacob 550 

Gauch,  P.  A 408 

Geary,M.F 126 

Gelwicks,  G.  B 440 

Germain,  J.  H 42R 

Germain,  Nicholas 658 

Gillen,  Rev.  James 482 

Gintz.  Adam 573 

Godin,  Peter,  Sr 636 

Gooding,  Abram 365 

Gough,  Rev.  J.  M 581 

Graner,  Louis 4t9 

Grant,  Ulysses  S 87 

Grebe,  William,  M.D 125 

Green,  B.P 315 

Griffen,  Abraham 542 

Griffen,  Charles 489 

Griffin,  John 410 

Griswold,  J.  W 492 

Gross,  Louis 257 

Grossmann,  Charles 463 

Grupe,  W.  H 577 

Guentz,  Henry 644 

Gundlach,  Frank 504 

Guudlach,  Jacob,  Jr 147 

Gundlach,  P.  M 543 

Guthrie,  G.W 631 


Haas,  Daniel. . 
Hacker,  J.  N.. 


Hagen,  Rev.  H.  J 

..387 

.410 

McCuUough,  J.  W 

..483 

Penn,  Joseph 

..153 

Hagist.E.R 

.114 

Karch,  Charles 

..547 

McFarland,  Mrs.  Amanda 

.620 

Perrottet,  Hon.  Louis 

.,269 

McFarland,  Capt.  Milton.. 
McLean,Capt.J.  J 

Hamilton,  J.  f 

..61S 

Keller,J.P 

.169 

.CBS 

Perryman.J.  L..  M.  D 

..431 

Hamilton,  R.  H 

..fi2(; 

Kemper,  G.  H 

.520 

McLean,  J.  J 

.124 

Pfall,  Adam 

..140 

Hardy.  Mrs.  Catherine. . . 

...B58 

Kiefer,Jobn 

.688 

McQuillan,  E.J 

.295 

Pfeiffer,  Adam 

..185 

Harkins,  Rev.  John 

..377 

Kilian,  Conrad 

..441 

Mechiri.J.  .^S,,„ 

.145 

Phillips,  \V.  H 

..437 

Harrison,  Benjamin 

Harrison,  H.  W 

...107 
...530 

Kilian,  Jacob 

Kirk.J.W 

.4.50 
..198 

Merk.-l.C.nul 

Merrilk,  F.  B 

.:!(I0 
..486 

Pierce,  H.  A 

..160 

Harrison.  William  Henry. 
Harrold  Michael 

Polk  James  K 

59 

464 

Metelmann   M    F        

.  503 

Postel,  P.  H 

618 

Hartmann.Bernhard.... 
Hauss,  Charles 

379 

»34 

Predi-'er.  William 

568 

...B47 

Knewitz,  Henry.- 

..476 

Meyer,  Rev.  Henry 

.  .423 

Prediger,  Peter 

.65,1 

Hayes,  Rutherford  B 

...   91 

Knobeloch,  Adolph 

..582 

Miller.A.J 

..197 

Priester,  F.  M 

.665 

Heberer,  George 

.  ..1.S9 

Knobeloch,  Henry 

..316 

Miller,  D.  D 

..41« 

Priester,  Fred 

..166 

Heelv,  D.  C,  M.  D 

...006 

Knobeloch,  John 

.818 

Miller.J.E 

..452 

Probst,  Charles 

..479 

Heidinger,  J.  J 

...13S 

Knobeloch,  Julius 

..514 

Miller,  L.  Q 

.  .292 

Pugh,H   L 

..S3.5 

Heimberger,  R.  U 

Heinrich,  Oscar 

Heinzelman  John 

...451 

...mi 

659 

Knoebel,  Thomas 

..556 

Miller,  Louis 

Miller,  Peter 

Miller,  W.J 

Mills,  Hugh 

4-'l 

Koeberlin,  Frederick,  M.  D 
Koenig.  Rev.  Christopher. 

..404 
..;i53 

.  .398 
..429 

R 

Helms,  Fren 

...619 

Hempe.H.W 

...238 

Koerner,  Hon.  Gustavus. . 

..348 

Moehlmann,  Fredrick,  Sr. 

..2.^4 

Hentzel,  Benjamin 

...181 

Kra£rt,T.J 

Kurrus.J.  A 

...356 
..394 

Moe8er,Prof.  Frederick.. 

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Raab,E.  p.,  M.D .. 

.  ..395 

Higgins,  Benjamin 

...181 

Moeser,Philip,  M.  D 

..278 

Rafter,  J.  J 

.127 

...461 

L 

Rebhan,  Emile 

Rebhan.G.  C 

Montag,  Carl 

Mootz,  Albert 

..196 
..274 

.337 

Hoff,  Henry 

. . .567 

..146 

...175 

Mootz,  Herman 

..123 

Reichert,  Joseph 

66" 

Muelheim,  Mrs.  G.  L 

.249 

Law.  Robert 

Leake,  Frank 

Lehman,  Prof.  G 

...607 
..516 
..302 

Mueller,  A.  J 

Mueller,  J.  F 

Mueller,  J.  F 

..289 
..244 
..253 

Huber,  Henry .,..- 

Reis,Henrv !22 

Hypes,  Benjamin 

...163 

Reis.  Hon.  Michael 

.5S.7 

H\T>es,J.  W     

.  .  .660 

Leiner,  Jacob 

Muetze,  Christian 

.  .683 

Lemen.G.C 

..6.59 

Munie,  George 

..661 

Rembe,  Charles,  M.  D... 

...418 

Lenz,  August 

..497 

Murphy,  David 

..645 

Rtnshaw,  (apt.  J.  ^\ 

.173 

Muskopf.G.J 

..132 

I 

Lienesch,G.  P 

..515 

Reuss,  Julius 

..186 

Lill.P.  W 

..150 

Rheiii,Fred 

..571 

Lincoln,  Abraham 

..   79 

Rhein,  Louis 

..638 

Illinski,  A.  X.,  M.  D 

...385 

Lindly,J.  J 

..408 

N 

Rhein,  Philip 

...164 

Lischer,  Hon  Christ 

.461 

Hichter,  F.  E 

..502 

Isch,  Anthony 

Lischer.  C.  J 

..457 

Rittenhouse,  W.  P 

..119 

Robertson,  N.S 

J 

Louis,  Joseph 

Lyons,J.  R 

..438 

Niemes,John 

North  AdolphuB           .   . . 

..941 
.  407 

Roewe,  Henry 

Rogers,  E.P 

Rogers,  G.B.M 

..496 

Nuetzel,  Gottfried 

...276 

.507 

Jackson,  Andrew 

...43 

Rohm,  Christian,  Sr 

.223 

Janssen,  Rev.  John 

...143 

M 

Romeiser,  V.M 

...447 

Jargstorff,  Rev.  John.. . . 

...688 

o 

Ropiequet,  R.  W 

..i;47 

Jelterson,  Thomas 

...  27 

Rose,  F.T.,  M.D 

..159 

Johnson,  Andrew 

Johnson,  C.C 

. .  .578 

Madison,  James 

Malinee,S.B 

.  .  31 

..600 

Rilbach,  Ferdinand,  M.  D 

..613 
...121 

Johnson,  L.  M 

.  ...535 

..273 

Oebike,  Henry 

..235 

Ruemmler,  CO 

...470 

Jones,  C.T 

...473 

OHalloran,Rev.P.  J 

...642 

Ruester,  Philip 

..335 

Ortgier,  William 

.  ..373 

...122 
. .  .615 
...326 

Otten.  Hermann 

..549 

Butter,  G.F 

Joseph,  John 

Maule  Francis 

..404 
...467 
..230 

Juenger,J.  P 

Justus,  Fred 

Maule.John 

May,  Thomas,  Jr 

McCasland,  CO 

..en 

P 

S 

McCasland.C.  D 

..222 

McCasland,  J.  M 

McCasland,  Hon.  J.  T 

..251 
..282 

McCasland,  W.  A 

..596 

Padfleld,  J.  R. 

...182 

Sackmann,  Capt.  Henry  . 

..231 

Kaemper,  Charles 

...513 

McCracken,R.X.,M.D.. 

..587 

Padfield.W.R 

...668 

Sager,  C.  H 

..665 

Kaiizler,  George 

...410 

McUulIey,  A.J 

..119 

Parry.H.  F 

..413 

Battler.Fred 

..1J9 

Sauter,  John 

Schaefer,  M.  W 

Schaller,  John 

Schaub,  George 

Scheel,  A.  M.,M.  D. ... 

Scheve,  G.  J 

Schlernitzauer,  A..  M.  I 

Schmidt,  H.  T 

Schmidt,  J.  C 

Schmisseur,  Eugene 

Schmisseur,  Frank 

Schmisseiir,  Mrs.  M.  A. 

Schneider.  Peter 

Schoeniiis,  E.  T 

Schi.tt.O.  F 

Schroeder,  George 

Schuetz,  E.  C 

.Schwaegel.  Jacob 

Schwarz,  Franz 

Schwarz,  Hans 

Schwinn,  Peter 

Scott,  E.J 

Scott,  W.S 

Sehlinger,  Anton 

Seibert,  John 

Seibert,Hon.  Peter 

Seranielroth,  George. . . 

Shipman,  G.  W.,  Sr...  . 

Siebert,  William 

Sinclair,  J.  C 

Skaer,  Philip 

Skaer,  Wesley 

Slade,  Hon.  J.  P 

Slieper,  F 

Smiley,  A.  B  

Smith,  J.  P 

Sopp,P.  H 

Spitznass,  Herman 

Stack,?.  H 


Staub,  Nicholas. . . 

Stauder,  Peter 

Stanfenbiel,  F.  J. . 
Stein,  Adolph 

st.-ir..T',ii  r.  .... 

Stolberg,  Andrew. 
Stookey,  Aaron. . . 

Stookey,  E.  D 

Stookey,  Elijah... 

Stookey,  G.  H 

Stookey,  L.  P.,  M. 

Stookey,  M.  M 

Stookey,  M.T 

Stookey,  T.  A 

Strecker.C.  F.,  M. 
Suemnicht,  Herma 
Sullivan,  J.  .M 


Tarlton,R.  B 

Tate,  G.  R 

Tate,  John 

Taylor,  Zachary .   . . 

Thomas,  E.  A 

Thomas,  Hon.  John . 
Thompson,  Amos. . . 
Tiemann,  August. . . 

Tissier,  M.  F 

Todd,  Lemuel 

Tomlins,  Rev.  W.  H. 
Townsend,  William. . 
Traubel,  Leonard 


Trautmann,  Frederick 
Trendley,  Capt.  H.  E... 

Turner,  L.  D 

Twenhafel,  Bernard 

Twitchell,R.  A.,  M.  D.. 
Tyler,  John 


Vahlkamp,  Stephan.. 

Valerius,  Jacob 

VanBlareom,  W.  D. . 
Van  Buroii,  Martin  . 


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Voyt,  Tlu-o.... 
Volkeniug,  Hei 
Voskamp,  Hen 
VoBS,  Casper. . 
Voss,  Henrv... 


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221 


Waeltz,  William 

Wagner,  Henry 

Walrath.f.  L 

Walsh,  Capt.  Mike.. 
Wangelin,  Richard. 
Ward, J. T 


Wasem,  Valentine 

Washington,  George 

Webb,  Emanuel 

Weber,  John 

Weber,P.L 

Weckler,  F.  S 

Wehrle,  J.  &  Son 

West,  B.  J 

West,  Washington,  M.  V 
Westermann,  Col.  Hugo. 

White,  H.K 

White,  J.  K 

White, T.H 

Wies.J.J 

Wiggins,  J.  L.,M.D 


ilder 


Wilderman,  Hon.  A. 

Wilderman,F.  A 

Wilderman,  James... 

Wilderman,  J.  C 

Wilderman,  J.  S 

Wildgrube.  Ferdinan 

Wildy,  Alexander 

Wilhelmj,  C.  F.,  M.  D, 


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Williams,  H.C 

Willoughby,  J.  A 

Wilson,  H.M 

Wiukelmann,  William. 

Wolpert,  F.  W 

Woodley,  Rev.  R.  D. . . . 
Woods,  Alex.,  M.  D 


Adams,  John 22 

Adams,  John  Q 38 

Affleck.  James 278 

Arthur,  Cliester  A 98 

Becker,  Hon.  Charles 1 16 

Bennett,  Jeremiah 220 

Bennett,  W.H 304 

Bertelsmann,  J.  R 610 

Bornman,  Mrs.  Elizabeth...  .22r. 

Braudenburger,  William ijiJi 

Broderick,  W.J 3B2 

Buchanan,  James H 

Cange,  Paul 422 

Chenot,  Augustus 382 

Cleveland,  S.  Grover 102 

Cimningham,  Robert 34R 

Dake.C.  R.,  M.  D B-22 

Day,  J.  A .164 

Faulbaum,  August 310 

Fietsam,  C.  H 236 


(iiiil.M],ri,arl.-s 4»8 

Gross,  Louis 25C 

Harrison,  Benjamin 100 

Harrison,  W.  H 50 

Hayes,  R.B flO 

Hypes.  Benjamin 163 

Jackson,  Andrew 42 

Janssen,  Bishop  J 142 

Jefferson,  Thomas 26 

Johnson,  Andrew 82 

Johnson,  L.  M 534 

Jones,  C.T 172 

Kaemper,  Charles 512 

Kloess,  John 262 

Koenig,  Father  C 352 

Lincoln,  Abraham 78 

Madison,  James 30 


Maule,  John 

466 

Seibert,  Hon.  Peter 

....18 

Smith,  J.  P 

Stack,  P.  H 

Niemes.John 

540 

...  .21 

Penn, Joseph 

152 

Stei)heiis,  :M.  51 

....13 

PeiTM,!,.,,  !.,„„. 

268 

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68 

Tayl.T,  Za.lKuv 

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Th(ini|,^..ii,  .\iiM.s 

Rank,  John 

43* 

Tyler,  .I,.|,n 

....   5 

Ra.vhill,  .J.  J 

392 

Vahlka,„|,..^l,.pl.an.... 

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640 

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Reinecke,  CoiiiiKl 

201 

Van('o,„t,B.J 

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Warllz.  William 

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Renshaw.J.  w 

17-2 

Wasliin-ti.ii,  George 

....   1 

Richard.son,J.  H 

178 

Wehrl.-,J..s,.ph 

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Romeiser,  P    M 

West,T,„aiM,.  II„^-n 

19 

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445 

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Scheel,A.M.,M.  D.... 

604 

William-,  H.C 

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Seibert,  John 

402 

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Ahlers,  Conrad 319 

Ammel,  N.  E 371 

Beste.  J.  H 455 

Burr,  J.  C 499 

Dekum,  Dominick 615 


Dressel,  Ernst. . 
Dunn,  James. . . 
Germain,  J.  H. . 
Griffin,  John.. . 
Haas,  Daniel.. . 


Knewitz,  Henry. . . 

Liebig,  G.  P 

Miller,  Louis 

Miller,  Peter 

Prediger,  William. 


Rhein,  Fred 

Schott,  O.  F 

Schwinn,  Peter. . . 
Stookey,  M.  M.... 
Togel,  Friedrich. 


221 


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