USA > Illinois > Cook County > Album of genealogy and biography, Cook County, Illinois, 8th ed. > Part 75
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On their arrival in New York, in April of the same year, he was entirely destitute of funds. He worked on a steamboat to pay their passage to Albany, where he was engaged to assist in driv-
ing on the Erie Canal, aud such other work as might be required of him, to pay their passage to Buffalo, and when there he worked on a steam- boat for their transportation to Chicago. They reached Chicago in May, and Mr. Stead found employment with a farmer named Sweney, of Jef- ferson Township, for whom he worked six months. He was afterward employed two years as a farm hand by the late Leighton Turner, of the same township.
Three years later Mr. Stead bought sixty acres of land in sections 34-35, Niles Township, most of which was covered with a heavy growth of timber. His first residence was a small log shall- ty, built without the use of nails or window glass. In this primitive style he and his faithful wife be- gan housekeeping, and immediately set to work to clear the land and make for themselves a com- fortable home, and thus laid the foundation of their future success. By great perseverance and industry the land was cleared and improved, and it gradually developed into a beautiful and pro- ductive farm, upon which Mr. Stead has success- fully carried on agriculture ever since. One child was born to them, but it died in infancy. In 1879 Mr. Stead met with an irreparable loss in the death of his devoted wife, who had shared his re- verses and successes through so many years of ceaseless toil and anxiety.
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MICHAEL BECKER.
Mr. Stead has met with some severe financial losses, but has never succumbed to misfortune. When the Fidelity and State Savings Banks of Chicago failed a few years since, he lost fifty-two hundred dollars, and this destroyed his confidence in banks, and he resolved to be his own banker. December 20, 1880, about six o'clock in the even- ing, his home was visited by five men, who beat him into insensibility and robbed him of twenty- four hundred dollars, leaving him for dead. He ultimately recovered from these injuries, after a surgeon had taken thirty-seven stitches in his scalp, and set about the apprehension and con- viction of his assailants. After spending five
hundred dollars in this effort he had the satisfac- tion of seeing three of them sentenced to the peni- tertiary, but was justly annoyed and grieved, as were all good citizens cognizant of the facts, at their release within a short time.
Mr. Stead is distinctively a self-made man, as he has been self-supporting since the age of ten years. He has passed a quiet, industrious, unas- suming life, attending strictly to his own affairs, and is numbered among the substantial and wealthy members of the community. He has been able to achieve success, but only through untiring industry and judicious management of his own affairs.
MICHAEL BECKER.
ICHAEL BECKER, son of a pioneer mar- ket-gardener of Cook County, is now engaged in the occupation to which lie was reared by his father. He was born March 8, 1862, near the spot where he now resides (corner of Peterson Avenue and North Lincoln Street), being the second child and eldest sou of Lawrence and Elizabeth (Seibert) Becker.
The parents were born, reared and married in Germany. They set out to seek their fortune in the New World soon after their marriage, and came direct to Chicago. This was about 1858. Having no fortune, Mr. Becker took up any labor that was honorable, and was able, after a time, to begin business on his own account, on rented land. He continued from this time to grow veg- etables for the city market, and was prospered so that he soon purchased eleven acres of land, on which his sons are still pursuing the calling in which he earned his success. By their aid he car- ried on the business until his death, which oc- curred October 4, 1883, at the age of fifty-five years. He was an industrious, honest man, and
succeeded in accumulating a nice property. While he took an intelligent interest in the affairs of his adopted country, he desired no part in the management of even local affairs, but went on his peaceful way, caring for his family and leaving public concerns to more ambitious souls. He was a consistent member of Saint Henry's Roman Catholic Church, and his remains were interred in the beautiful cemetery of the parish, near the church where he was wont to worship. His good and faithful wife still survives. To them were born five children, namely: Katherine, now the wife of Peter P. Krantz, an insurance agent re- siding in Chicago; Michael, whose name heads this article; Nicholas, deceased; Lawrence, a gardener, who occupies the old family residence and cultivates a part of the original estate; and a second Nicholas, who died in childhood.
Michael Becker was early wont to assist in the labors of his father, and had but little opportunity to attend school, but he has become, through the force of his own character and ability, recognized as a leading citizen of the locality in which lie
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NICHOLAS MILLER.
lives. From constant association with his busi- ness he became master of all its details before he reached manhood, and has followed in a creditable manner the example of his father. His green- houses cover an area of one hundred twenty by one hundred twenty-five feet, and are devoted to the growth of vegetables. His brother has about the same amount of ground under glass for the same purpose.
Mr. Becker is an enterprising citizen, who takes
a commendable interest in public affairs, and sup- ports the men and . measures of the Democratic party. He is connected with Saint Henry's Roman Catholic Church and with the Catholic Order of Foresters.
March 3, 1886, he was married to Miss Eliza- beth Katherine Arndt, who was born in this county, of German parents. Their family in- cludes three children, named, in order of age, Cecelia, Henry and Lawrence.
NICHOLAS MILLER.
ICHOLAS MILLER. Among the many sturdy pioneers and excellent citizens that Germany has furnished to Cook County, Mr. Miller is especially prominent and deserving of honorable mention in this volume. He was born February 2, 1821, near Trier, Rhine Province, Germany, and came to America in 1846. After spending three years in Cleveland, Ohio, he lo- cated permanently in Cook County in 1849. He purchased eighty acres of land in the town of Ridgeville, now a part of the city of Chicago. It was mostly timber land, and with the industry characteristic of his countrymen, he began clear- ing it up, selling the timber and making for him- self a home and good farm.
After his land was cleared he devoted his ener- gies to market-gardening, which he followed sev- eral years with good success. Although he began life in this country a comparatively poor man, and with the disadvantage of having no knowledge of the English language, he was eminently success- ful, and became one of the wealthy and substan- tial men of his time. This came through his in- dustry and good management, with the assistance of his good wife. They are now living in retire- ment in their pleasant home near Rosehill.
I11 1850 Mr. Miller was married to Miss Anna
Gruenewald, who arrived in that year from Ger- many. To this worthy couple were born ten children, of whom eight grew to maturity, name- ly: John, a gardener of Chicago; Joseph, of Perry County, Illinois; Katherine, 110w deceased; Nich- olas, a grocer of Rees Street, Chicago; Peter L., of whom further mention is made in this sketch; Henry, a gardener near Rosehill; Anna, wife of John Meyer, a dry-goods merchant of Chicago; and Mathias.
Mr. Miller gave his children the best educa- tional advantages, and sufficient financial aid to eaclı to afford a good start in life, and has seen them become good and useful citizens, a credit to their training and the communities in which they live. He takes an interest in all matters pertain- ing to the public welfare, and his life has been characterized by perseverance, honesty and good will to all. In politics he is a Democrat, and in religion a Roman Catholic, being affiliated with Saint Henry's Church of High Ridge.
Peter L. Miller, the fifth child and fourth son of Nicholas and Anna Miller, was born February 17, 1863, in the town of Ridgeville, Cook County. He was reared to gardening, and liberally educa- ted in the public schools. In 1888 he began bus- iness for himself, and opened a grocery store at
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NICHOLAS KARTHAUSER.
Nos. 202 and 204 Foster Avenue, Chicago, his present place of business. In 1893, to meet the demands of his growing trade, he established a meat market adjoining the grocery. He is always courteous and pleasant, and his customers are steadily increasing in number. His stock is care- fully chosen to meet the wants of the community, and is always full and complete. He follows the political and religious tenets of his father, and is a
faithful communicant of Saint Matthew's Church at Bowmanville.
Angst 6, 1889, he married Miss Anna Agnes Mallman, a native of Chicago, dangliter of Phil- ip and Mary Mallman, the former à native of Germany and the latter of Cook County, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had three children. The first died in infancy, and the living are named Anthony and Mary.
NICHOLAS KARTHAUSER.
ICHOLAS KARTHAUSER, son of John and Mary Karthanser, was born December 10, 1860, in the Rhine Province of Prussia. The father died there, but the mother is still living, in Chicago, whither she came in 1877. The son, whose name heads this notice, was reared to the occupation of florist, and received a good educa- tion in his native language. He was early left to his own resources by the death of his father, and left Germany before he reached the age of four- teen years, to seek his fortune in the New World.
He landed at New York, March 23, 1874, and caine direct to Chicago. The first year after his arrival was spent at Riverside, in the employ of Charles Reisig, a florist of that place. Being anxious to learn the English language, he decided to go into the conutry, where he would be separ- ated from his German friends, and have more leisure and opportunity to study. For three years he worked for a farmer in Jersey County, Illinois, and utilized every opportunity for study, becom- ing a proficient reader and writer of English. He spent the next two years at Gladstone, Henderson County, in the same State, working for a gar- dener.
He now determined to make a start on his own
account, and went to Devil's Lake, North Dakota, and took up a homestead claim of a quarter sec- tion of land. Thence he proceeded to Belcourt Mission, on the Turtle Mountain Indian Reserva- tion, and remained four years, being employed in farm labor during the summer and baking bread for the Government school in the winter. Tiring of life among the Indians, he secured a position as gardener at an industrial school at Morris, Min- nesota, conducted by Sisters of Mercy. After spending two years there, he returned to Chicago to settle down.
November 5, 1890, he was married to Miss Mary Zender, a native of Rogers Park, a former suburb of Chicago, 110w part of the city. Two children have come to bless his home, namely: Maria and Peter. Mrs. Karthauser's parents, John and Mary (Schmidt) Zender, were born in Germany, and came to the United States in 1840, sailing on the same vessel. They were married immediately after arriving in this country, and set out to make a home for themselves. Thoughi poor and among strangers, they were industrious and hopeful of the future. For five years they lived in Chicago, and Mr. Zender tilled reuted land.
In 1845 he bought twenty-eight acres of land
LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
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RĘV. B. J. SCHUETTE
(From Photo by W. J. ROOT)
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REV. B. J. SCHUETTE.
on what is now Ridge Avenue (Rogers Park), Chicago. He,vigorously prosecuted farming and gardening, and filled every day not thus occupied by teaming, getting out timber, or any labor that promised to enable him to better his condition. By such industry, which never flagged, he accu- mulated a handsome property. He died in 1876, and his wife in 1892. Of the seven children born to this worthy couple, but four are now living, namely: Anna, widow of Henry Muno (see bi- ography of Mr. Muno in this volume); John, a resident of Ridge Avenue; Mary, wife of Mr.
Karthauser; and Adam, a florist, located on Ridge Avenue.
For a year after settling in Chicago, Mr. Kart- hauser kept a flower store on North Avenue; and then opened a cafe and pool room at No. 3543 Ridge Avenue, where he has continued since to cater to the tastes of liis neighbors. He is à member of the Catholic Order of Foresters, and North Shore Commandery of the Knights and Ladies of Honor. He supports the Democratic party in political matters, but is in no sense a pol- itician or office-seeker.
REV. BERNARD J. SCHUETTE.
EV. BERNARD J. SCHUETTE, pastor of Saint Peter's Roman Catholic Church of Niles Center, was born August 1, 1863, in Everswinkel, Province of Westphalia, Germany, and is the son of Conrad and Gertrude Schuette, natives of the same place. He received his early education in the parochial schools of his native village, and at the age of fourteen years entered the gymnasium of Warendorf, remaining there five years, studying the classics. At the end of that time he came to the United States, and after paying a brief visit at Quincy, Illinois, he went to Saint Francis Seminary at Milwaukee, where he took a three-years course in philosophy and theology. He then attended American College, at Louvain, Belgium, two years, and was or- dained there in June, 1887. In September of that year he returned to America and became an assistant at Wilmette, Illinois, one year, and then went to Saint Mary's Church at Sublette, Lee County, in this State, of which church he had charge three years and a-half. He came to
Niles Center in 1892, and has since had charge of Saint Peter's Church, which was founded in 1868. Under his pastorate the church has had a steady, healthy growth and now has a member- ship of about one hundred and forty families.
Father Schnette is loved by his congregation, and by all the citizens of the place is respected as a pleasant and genial gentleman, who is a benefactor of the community. He is well edu- cated, and is still a close student.
In 1894 and 1895 he built the present beautiful church edifice, which has a seating capacity of about eight hundred. He has had to enlarge the school building, in which are now three school rooms, with an average attendance of one hundred and fifty scholars, in charge of three sis- ters. The church property, consisting of six acres, was donated by the late Peter Blameuser, and the first building was a frame structure forty by sixty feet.
The first pastor was Rev. J. J. Reinecke, who remained three years, coming in 1869. He died
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CAPT. MARTIN HAUSLER.
in Kankakee some years ago. In1 1872 came Rev. A. J. Thiele, at present pastor of Aloysius Church of Chicago. After him came his brother, Rev. D. Thiele, in 1880. At present he is pastor of Saint Francis' Church, Chicago. In 1882 Rev.
W. J. Revis took charge of the church, was fol- lowed in 1883 by Rev. Clement Duerr, who re- mained until 1892. The new church is one hun- dred and thirty-two by fifty-three feet in dimen- sions, and cost about twenty-six thousand dollars.
CAPT. MARTIN HAUSLER.
APT. MARTIN HAUSLER was born in Aschersleben, Saxony (now Prussia), Germany, December 25, 1848, and is a son of Gottfried Hausler and Mary Schuster. The father was the first of the family to seek the larger life that America offered the workingman, and came to this country in 1852. He found work in Chicago, and the following spring was joined by his wife and their five children, namely Albertina (Mrs. Philip Ehrenfelts), Emily (Mrs. Henry Neuenberger), Louis, Charles (deceased) and Martin. The father never became wealthy, but was an honest, hard-working man, and cared well for his family. He kept house in the winter of 1852-53 at the northwest corner of Lake and Clark Streets, and in the spring moved to Mil- waukee Avenue. Later on he moved to Indiana Street, and again to a cottage on the north fork of the Chicago River, located near where Feather- stone's machine shops now stand, west of Halsted Street. He became a landowner, paying eight dollars an acre for one hundred and twenty acres of good farm land a mile south of the present site of Riverdale. Here he engaged in farming for a time, then sold and bought twenty acres on the Calumet River, and removed to South Chicago in the winter of 1861-62, and settled on section 7, which was purchased of Stephen A. Thurston. Mr. Hausler built a house that still stands at the corner of Commercial Avenue and One Hun- dredth Street. In 1870 the canal company desired this property and secured it in exchange for two lots on Harbor Avenue, and twenty-five hundred dollars in cash. This property was presently ex-
changed for other Harbor Avenue property, near Mackinaw Avenue, which is still in the family.
Martin Hausler is a veteran lake captain, and is familiar with all the lakes excepting Superior. He began life as a sailor when quite young, and has had a long and honorable business career. He received his license as a captain in 1877, and the first boat he commanded was the tug " Two Brothers," now owned by the Star Construction Company. It was also the first boat owned by the Hausler Brothers. They built the tug "Holli- day" in 1881; the "William Raller," now owned by McGillis & Co., in 1882; the "C. W. El- phicke in 1889; the "M. G. Hausler" in 1893, and the "T. C. Lutz," the largest tug on the Calumet, in 1895. All these tugs were built by Captain Hausler and his associates in business.
The firm of Hausler Brothers continued until 1890, when the subject of this sketch became the sole proprietor. In January, 1893, he sold a half- interest in the towing business to J. S. Dunham, and the firm became the Hausler & Dunham Towing and Wrecking Company. The following year he sold a part of his pile-driver business to T. C. Lutz, and the next year Mr. Dunham bought of him one-quarter of the pile-driver busi- ness. Mr. Dunham sold a part of his holding to Mr. Lutz, and the firm became the Hausler & Lutz Towing and Dock Company. This firm was regularly incorporated in 1896, and is pre- pared to do a general towing and pile-driving business. The business has taken on large pro- portions and ranks high among all similar con- cerns around the lakes. Captain Hausler has
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JOHN ZENDER. .
retired from active labor, but occasionally takes out a boat in rush times.
When the Hauslers first came to South Chi- cago, fishing and trapping were about the only paying industries established along the Calumet, and with characteristic enterprise the subject of this sketch was among the leading fishermen of the south shore. The Hausler Brothers conduct- ed for many years the mnost extensive fishing establishment along the lake, and many of the most important catches are recorded on their
ures: The spring catch of white fish for 1873 was 64,223 pounds; for 1874 it was 62,933 pounds; for 1875, 45,600 pounds; for 1876, 65,480 pounds; and for 1877, 89,830 pounds. The sturgeon catch usually exceeded the white fish by a few thousand pounds. The spring catch of herring for 1873 was 64,904 pounds; for 1874, 49,871 pounds; for 1875 it was 37,471 pounds; for 1876, 45,752 pounds, and for 1877 it reached 55,549 pounds. It was a hard life, fraught with much care and anxiety, and attended by uncertain prof- its, and in 1890 the Hausler Brothers retired from all connection with or interest in it. In the six- ties game of all kind was abundant on the Calu- met. Ducks and deer were plentiful, and. the muskrat, mink and raccoon richly rewarded the trappers' skill and persistence. The Hauslers had as many as eight dozen traps set about at one time, and in addition shot large numbers of rats, using a shot gun for that purpose. Captain Hausler in one day shot one hundred and four, and his brother ninety-six. In ten days these
two young men shot rats enough to bring them in three hundred and twenty-seven dollars, at twenty-seven and a-half cents each. They had a dog who would frequently catch more rats than the boys could shoot. He would also catch ducks and kill them by breaking their necks. The hunting on the Calumet gradually died away, and in 1885 came to an end.
Captain Hausler was married Jannary 14, 1872, to Miss Augusta Eggers, and they are the parents of an interesting family of children. They are: books, from which are taken the following fig- . Fredrika, Mary, Martin, Henry, William, Au- gusta (deceased), Charles, Frederick and Ernest (twins), and Albertina. Captain Hausler is the only survivor of the original members of the. Evangelical Lutheran Emanuel Church of South Chicago, and is a stanch Republican. He has taken an active part in all matters that look to public improvement, and served for seven years on the South Chicago School Board.
Gottfried Hausler, the father of Captain Haus- ler, was born in Germany in 1806, and died in Chicago December 13, 1893. He was a cloth weaver by trade, but never engaged in that occu- pation in this country. His father was a weaver and bought and sold wool, beet seed, blankets, and kindred commodities. He was delivering a consignment of blankets to the German army, when both he and Gottfried were captured by the Russians, and held for some time as prisoners. The maternal grandfather of Captain Hausler was a prosperous German farmer and miller. His name was Christopher Schuster, and he was a prominent character in his community.
JOHN ZENDER.
3 OHN ZENDER. John and Mary (Schmidt) Zender were natives of Germany, and came to the United States on the same vessel, in 1840, and were soon married after their arrival in Chicago. They began life with no capital, save
strong hands and willing, hopeful hearts. For five years they resided in Chicago, carrying on agriculture on rented land, and in 1845 bought twenty. acres on what is now Ridge Avenue (then called the Ridge Road), which they imme-
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NICHOLAS REIS.
diately began to clear and improve. The timber found a ready market in Chicago, and Mr. Zender was very busy in teaming, farming and garden- ing. By that indefatigable industry and thrift which are characteristic of the German people, he was successful in accumulating a handsome prop- erty, and left, beside, to his family the priceless heritage of a good name. He died in 1876, being survived many years by his widow, who passed away in 1892. They were honest and valuable citizens and faithful members of the Roman
Catholic Church. Of the seven children born to this worthy couple, only four are now living, namely: Anna, widow of Henry Muno (whose biography appears in this work); John, a resi- dent on Ridge Avenue, Chicago; Mary, wife of Nicholas Karthauser (see sketch in this volume) ; and Adam, a florist of Chicago.
Mr. and Mrs. Zender celebrated their silver wedding in May, 1867, and on the same day the parents of Mrs. Zender, Peter and Mary Schmidt, celebrated their golden wedding.
NICHOLAS REIS.
ICHOLAS REIS, who was known to many of the early settlers of the South Side in Chicago as "Honest Nic," was a native of the city, born March 14, 1842, on the present site of the Palmer House, State and Monroe Streets. He died at his home on Indiana Ave- nue, in his native city, December 30, 1896, in the fifty-fifth year of his age.
Peter Reis, father of the subject of this notice, was born May 18, 1815, in Uhrexweihler, Saxe- Coburg, Germany, and was a son of John Peter Reis, a chorister of that place. In 1837 the last-named came to Chicago, with his family, which consisted of his wife, Barbara, and nine children, namely: Margaret, Peter, Nicholas, Barbara, John, Ellen, Jacob, Mary and John Peter. The first home of the family was on Adams Street, near the present post-office site.
For ten years Peter Reis was associated with his brother Nicholas in delivering water with a horse and wagon, which they sold by the barrel to the citizens of the town. Of course, this was before any system of water service was adopted
by the city, and the fact is illustrative of the primitive conditions which obtained for ten years following 1837. On the decadence of this busi- ness, through the public improvements inaugu- rated by the young city, Peter Reis opened a grocery store on La Salle Street, near Randolph. He also kept boarders, and finally abandoned the grocery and devoted himself to the business of hotel-keeping. Tlie demands of business in the center of the city made his ground valuable, and he sold out and moved to No. 403 State Street. About 1850, for six hundred dollars, lie purchased two lots at this location, on which he erected a hotel, in which he lived and did business until his death, March 2, 1870. His wife, Eliza- beth (Baumgarten) Reis, survives him, and still resides on this homestead, where she has lived since 1852. She is a native of Pitlingen, Lorraine (now a province of Germany), and a daughter of Moritz Baumgarten, who came to Chicago, with his family, in 1836. He was well known among the pioneers, and followed teaming all his life in this city. All the children of Mr. and Mrs. Reis
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