USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume II > Part 114
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FRED KOHL is known as one of the build- ers of business and financial enterprise in the new industrial center of Granite City, and is one of the group of able financiers and busi- ness men who control and direct the larger enterprises of this portion of Madison county.
The successful career of Mr. Kohl is a rec- ord that begins with the hard daily work of a poor boy and reads through one stage of larger attainment after another until he has reached a place of commanding importance in the business and civic life of a large commu- nity.
Born in Germany, July 2, 1846, a son of Andrew and Barbary (Schleger) Kohl, his father being a carpenter by trade, he accom- panied the family on their immigration to the new world in 1850. From New Orleans they came up the river to St. Louis, where Fred had five years of schooling in the city schools. At the age of twelve he began working on a farm and continued that labor until he was twenty-two. He then became connected with a grocery business at Venice, and was a mer- chant there from 1869 to 1889. During this period of twenty years he laid the founda- tion of his large business enterprise. He be- came an independent merchant, and conducted a large general store and lumber yard and also engaged in the real estate business.
When Granite City was founded and began to grow as a great industrial center, he found- ed the first bank there and became its presi- dent. He has since been identified with many of the important enterprises of this city. He is now vice president of the Granite City Na- tional Bank and the Trust & Savings Bank, and is associated with Mr. G. A. Niemann in the firm of Kohl & Niemann.
While interested so largely in Granite City, he has always kept his residence at the ad- joining city of Venice, and has taken a promi- nent part in the civic affairs of his home com- munity and of the county. He has been president of the school board for the past fifteen years, and was a member of the town council three terms under the village system. An active Republican, he has also been a county commissioner fourteen years. He is one of the leading Masons of the county, and
has attained the thirty-second degree of Scot- tish Rite. He is a member and has been master seven years of Lodge No. 835, A. F. & A. M., and is a member of Granite City Chapter, R. A. M .; Tancred Commandery No. 50, K. T., at Belleville, the Oriental Con- sistory, and the Mystic Shrine. He organ- ized the Eastern Star Chapter at Venice and was its worthy patron five years, and he and his family are members of the White Shrine. He and his family are members of the Luth- eran church. Mr. Kohl's beautiful residence, which was erected in 1900, is considered to be the most attractive and stately home in the county.
He was married, December 13, 1885, to Miss Annie Selb. Her father, Theodore Selb, was an early resident of Venice and one of its wealthiest citizens. Mr. Kohl and wife have six children: Sophia, Frea, Amelia, Edna, Hilda and Fred, Jr.
JOHN PAUL MALAN. America owes to the struggle for more liberal religious practice in Europe, which culminated in the suppression of the Protestants and in the self-expatria- tion of many of their brilliant leaders, some of her best citizens. Among those who have come to Illinois not the least is John Paul Malan, a retired farmer and stockman of Helvetia township, Madison county, who be- longs to a family of distinguished ancestry. Mr. Malan was born in the beautiful and his- toric valley of Piedmonte, Campania, Italy, January 31, 1834, a son of Stephen and Susan Malan.
The Malan family, as far back as they have any record, are descendants of the grand old Waldensian period, who always took a noble and loyal stand for the purity of the teachings of Christianity and to the preservation of the truth of which the Christian world today owes a deep debt of gratitude. Stephen and Susan Malan's life in their native land was filled with sorrow and tribulation from perse- cution at the hands of those in power in the Roman Catholic church. People of intelli- gence and intellectual training. their souls re- volted at the terrible sights they were com- pelled to witness continually, and Mrs. Malan. a woman of exceptionally fine intellectual and religious qualifications, was compelled to be an onlooker at such horrible exhibitions as that of on . the Pope's soldiers in the act of dashing." fant's brains out by swinging its head descern me object. These harrow- in+ subiert, efe frequent, and Mr. and Mrs. Malan had about decided that they would
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spare their own children and take them away from the scene of such atrocities when some- thing occurred that fully decided them in their course. A cousin of Stephen Malan, the Rev. Caesar Malan, an eminent minister and gifted and able writer, became the author of the fine set of hymns used in the French hymn book, some of which were expressive of the loftiest and sublimest sentiments, and which are used by the devout French Baptists to the present time. For this the Catholic church took offense, as well as for his freedom of speech, and he was classed as a heretic, his goods con- fiscated and he was made an exile to Geneva, Switzerland, being compelled to make the journey barefooted in order that he might be further disgraced. At this time Stephen and Susan Malan took their children, in the spring of 1859, and came to America, where they de- cided to settle on wild land and to worship their Maker in their own way. John Paul Malan was the second in order of his parents' children, the others being: Barth, Louis, Stephen, Reuben, Levi, Lydia, Louise and Mary. Landing at New Orleans, the im- migrant family, which included a little orphan niece, Mary, made their way to Clinton county, Illinois, where they engaged in farm- ing.
John Paul Malan received his education in the district schools, and remained at home as- sisting his father until his marriage, in 1863, to Alice LeDouble, who was born August 2, 1847, at Chauny, commune DeMieux, Dept. d'Oise, France, and immigrated to the United States with her parents in 1856. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Malan settled down on a rented farm in Clinton county, and with youthful energy and enthusiasm began to es- tablish a home for themselves, in time being able to purchase forty acres of raw prairie land. A one-room log cabin was their resi- dence, hardships and trials were many, and comforts or conveniences were unknown, but the young couple were happy in that it was their own home and that there they were allowed to worship according to the dictates of their own conscience. Starting to break up the prairie with an ox-team, Mr. Malan was soon able to add a little to his property, although it was hard to dispose of his crops, the nearest market being at St. Louis, at that time a three-days' journey. As their children grew to man and womanhood they were able to assist their parents, and in turn were given good educational advantages and trained to take responsible positions in life and to be-
come true and loyal citizens. Eventually Mr. Malan sold his Clinton county farm, which he had developed into an excellent property, and purchased one hundred and seven acres in Helvetia township, later adding thereto tracts of one hundred and twenty and eighty- seven acres, and finally ten acres more and became one of the most prosperous agricul- turists of his section. In 1911 Mr. Malan's wife passed to her rest, and was buried in Gullick's Cemetery, near the Baptist church at Sebastopol. After her death Mr. Malan, desiring to have all of his business matters settled, and wanting to see his children firmly established in life, divided his property equally among them, a wise procedure which was greatly appreciated by them all. He is now living retired from activities, his comfortable residence being located on Highland rural free delivery route No. I.
Mr. and Mrs. Malan had a family of six children, of whom five grew to maturity : Nehemiah, Leona, Adolph, Herbert and Fremont, all of whom were educated in the Clinton county district schools. Nehemiah married Lucy Lebegue, daughter of Jule and Neri Lebegue, is a farmer of Madison county, and has three children: Lloyd, Earl and Leona. Leona married Erastus DeMoulin, a son of Elisha and Mary DeMoulin, residents of Greenville, Illinois, where he is a foreman in the DeMoulin factory, and they have three children, namely: Oradelle, Leslie and Lily, of whom the first-named married Dr. H. D. Cartmall, of Greenville. Adolph married Emma Mueller, daughter of Jacob and Emma Mueller, is a farmer of Madison county, and has two children: Percy and Lois. Herbert married Eva Blacet, a daughter of Frank and Julia Blacet, of Madison county, is a farmer near Sebastopol and has two children: Della and Oradelle. Fremont, who invested his share of his father's estate in a farm of ninety-five acres at Sebastopol. married Da -~ Lee, daughter of William H. and Eliza- beth Lee. of Sugar Creek, Illinois, and they are living on the old home farm, keeping house for their father. Fremont was edu- cated in the Southern Illinois Normal Uni- versity. at Carbondale, fitting himself for the profession of teaching, and had the school at Linden for one year and the Lee and For- rester schools for two vears each.
A man of prominence and wealth, yet un- spoiled by his position and prosperity ; a man whose life has been filled with kindly thoughts and generous deeds; a man of sterling in-
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tegrity, who has typified in his everyday life the highest type of Christian character Malan has the respect and esteem of his en- tire community, and the members of his family are known throughout this section as worthy representatives of this old and hon- ored Christian family.
EDWARD LEVIS, who died at Alton, was one of the organizers of the present Illinois Glass Company, and was father of the Levis broth- ers who are now among the principal stock- holders and active managers of this great in- dustry.
The late Mr. Levis was born at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, April 5, 1820, being a son of Samuel and Mary (Johnson) Levis, natives of Bucks county, Pennsylvania. The father of Mary (Johnson) Levis served as a captain in the Revolutionary war. Samuel Levis, who died at Bristol, Pennsylvania, in 1830, owned a farm near that place, was a baker by trade, and was also engaged in the coasting trade. His widow survived him many years, passing away in 1869. There were eight children in their family, and seven attained years of ma- turity, namely : John, Sarah, Samuel, William, Joseph, Edward, Mahlon and George.
The first of the family to locate in Alton was William Levis, who was followed in 1837 by his younger brothers, Joseph and Edward. Edward Levis was seventeen years old when he came west, and in Pennslyvania had at- tended the common schools and learned the trade of carpenter. During the greater part of his first thirty years' residence in Alton he was a carpenter and builder. During the early days, when Piasa creek was an open stream down what is now Piasa street, there was a small island at about the intersection of Third street, and on this island was Mr. Levis' car- penter shop. For ten years beginning in the '6os, he was in the furniture business on Belle street, the firm being Chaney & Levis. His residence was on the corner of State and Bluff, where one of his sons now lives.
When Mr. Levis and William Eliot Smith bought the plant of the Illinois Glass Works, the former became superintendent, and contin- ued in active management of the factory until he retired and was succeeded by his son, George M. For the first two years the glass works were located on Belle street, and was then moved to the present site on Second street, where the industry was developed to one of the largest of the kind in the United States. Mr. Levis was largely responsible for the success of the business, which is a monument to the
ability and enterprise of two Alton men, Mr. Levis and William E. Smith.
Mr. Levis was one of the public spirited citizens of Alton. While his most important work was in helping to create an industry which for many years has been the chief wealth producing enterprise of Alton, he was always interested and willing to co-operate in other movements for advancement and im- provement. A Republican in politics, he serv- ed in the city council, was township supervisor and a member of the board of education. He and his family were identified with the Methodist church.
On April 4, 1845, Mr. Levis married Miss Mary Morfoot. She was born in England, a daughter of Richard and Isabella Morfoot. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Levis were: Edward; Sarah, wife of L. F. Cotter ; George M .; John M .; Charles; Robert H .; Frank ; and Nelson.
All of the sons became identified with the Glass Company, several of them as officers of the company, and as managers of the branches in other cities, and George M., Ed- ward, Robert H., Nelson and Charles are still residents of Alton and actively connected with the business.
George M. Levis, who succeeded his father as superintendent, and is one of the prin- cipal officers of the corporation, was born in Alton, in October, 1856. He attended school here, and was trained for his busi- ness career under the direction of his father. Mr. Levis is president of the Citi- zens National Bank. He is one of the controll- ing factors in the business and financial af- fairs of Alton, and has continued the in- fluence of his father for the betterment of his native city.
He was married in 1895, to Miss Emma Gray, and they have a daughter, Adele. Their beautiful home in Washington avenue was originally the old DeBow mansion which has been remodeled and adorned by Mr. Levis, and the house and surrounding grounds com- prise one of the most attractive homesteads in Alton.
WILBUR T. NORTON, son of Rev. A. T. and Eliza Rogers Norton, was born at Alton, Illi- nois, September 10, 1844. His parents were natives of Litchfield county, Connecticut. They came to Illinois in 1835 soon after their marriage, and to Alton in 1839. They were both descendants of old colonial families. The subject of this sketch attended the Alton schools and Lake Forest Academy prior
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to entering Shurtleff College where he graduated in 1866. In 1864 he served in the One Hundred and Thirty-third Regiment, Illi- nois Volunteers. After leaving college he be- came connected with the Alton Daily Tele- graph, and remained with it as editor or pro- prietor until 1890. From 1894 to 1896 he was editor of the Alton Daily Republican. He served eight or nine years as a member of the Alton Board of Education. In 1880 he was chosen as presidential elector on the Republican
ticket and cast his ballot in the electoral col- lege for Garfield and Arthur. He served as postmaster for Alton for three terms under the Harrison, Mckinley and Roosevelt admin- istrations. Since the expiration of his last term of office he has been engaged inter- mittently in journalistic work.
He was married November 25, 1875, to Frances E. Caldwell, of Alton. They are the parents of four children, three of whom sur- vive.
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