Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume II, Part 18

Author: Norton, Wilbur T., 1844- , ed; Flagg, Norman Gershom, 1867-, ed; Hoerner, John Simon, 1846- , ed
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago ; New York : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 868

USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume II > Part 18

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

His first wife, whom he married in 1815, was Jerusha Burt. She died in 1829, the mother

of six children. In 1832 he married Mrs. Hannah Pratt, who died in 1864. His six children were: Jerusha, who married James T. Bradford; Sophia, who was the wife of Cyrus Edwards; Elias, who held the chair of math- ematics in Yale College and was the author of several well known text books; Caroline, who married Z. B. Newman, of Shurtleff College ; David B., who became a prominent citizen of Minnesota ; and John C., who spent many years as a teacher in the south and was in the faculty of Alabama University.

EDWARD WILLIAM FIEGENBAUM, M. D., has practiced medicine in Edwardsville since 1876 and has been a resident of the city for over forty years. Successful in his profession, a public-spirited citizen and an energetic business man, he has a well-merited place among the men of influence and ability at the present period of Madison county's history.

Born at Boonville, Missouri, December 4, 1854, he became a resident of this county when his parents located at Highland in 1865, and since 1870 his home has been in Edwardsville. From the public schools he entered, in 1868, McKendree College at Lebanon, was a student there until 1870, and in 1874, he entered the St. Louis Medical College. In 1876 he was graduated from the Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New York, and in the same year began practice at Edwardsville. In a few years he had attained a front rank in his pro- fession. Though in every way one of the mod- ern representatives of medicine and surgery, he followed the custom of older physicians in compounding his prescriptions in his own pharmacy. His office and handsome residence on Main street has been a welcome landmark to an entire generation.

For several years Dr. Fiegenbaum was county physician and at various times he has been local representative of the state board of health and the state board of charities. He is a member of the American Medical Associa- tion, the Illinois State Medical Society, the St. Louis Medical Society, and is president of the Southern Illinois Medical Society and secre- tary of the Madison County Medical Society. His medical library is one of the best in Ed- wardsville and his interest in knowledge ex- tends to many fields. He has served on the board of education and without participation in practical politics has been identified with all measures for the advancement of the welfare of his city and county. He has been a mem- Der of the Methodist church since he was twelve years old and represented the Southern Illinois Conference as lay delegate to the Gen-

8. W. Fregen baune M &

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eral Conference at Los Angeles in 1904. In politics he is a Republican. Fraternally he be- longs to the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Knights of Pythias. He is a member of the board of directors of the Madi- son County Centennial Association and is en- thusiastic and active in society work.

Dr. Fiegenbaum represents the third gene- ration of a German-American family. His grandfather, Adolph Fiegenbaum, immigrated to this country and settled in Missouri. Wil- liam Fiegenbaum, the father, was ten years old when the family came to this country and for sixty-one years of his life he was a prominent minister of the German Methodist church, his field of service including stations in Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota. His death occurred in 1906. He married, at St. Louis, Sophia Gusewelle, who was also a native of Germany. Their children were: Adolph F., Dr. Edward W., Dr. Julius H., Bertha A., Martha and Lydia Mary. Dr. Julius H. is a resident of Alton.

Dr. Fiegenbaum married May 15, 1881, Miss Julia Gillespie, who died in 1886. On June II, 1890, he married Miss Mary E. Springer.

THOMAS MORFOOT, superintendent of the Alton plant of the Illinois Glass Company, came to Alton in the fall of 1886 and began work in the glass factory as a packer. For several years he contracted for the unloading of materials at the plant, then became assistant superintendent, and in 1902 was promoted to the office of superintendent of Alton's largest industry. Personal industry, ability to control men, and loyalty to the interests of the cor- poration gave value to his services and brought about his rapid promotion to a place of re- sponsibility and trust where the welfare of a great business largely devolves on his shoul- ders.

Mr. Morfoot was born in Yorkshire, Eng- land, October 30, 1862. William and Mary (Pipes) Morfoot, his parents, had three chil- dren-John, deceased; William, who came to Canada and in 1909 to Alton, where he is a foreman of the Illinois Glass Company; and Thomas. Both the parents lived and died in England.

Thomas Morfoot came to the United States in 1885, at the age of twenty-three, and after a brief residence at Carlinville located in Al- ton. Besides his office with the glass company, he has been president of the Keiser & Morfoot Livery and Undertaking Company since 1897. He is a charter member of the Alton Lodge, No. 746, of the Elks.

He married, July 22, 1892, Miss Helena Keiser, daughter of Ira and Margaret (Allen) Keiser. They have one daughter, Margaret Mary, born September 1, 1895, now a student of the Alton high school. Mrs. Morfoot is a member of the Baptist church.

JAMES T. KING. Endowed with business ability of a high order, mechanical ingenuity and literary tastes James T. King, a well known merchant of Upper Alton, has been actively associated with the affairs of the years in many capacities, included in which were three years' service for the preservation of his beloved country. A native of Madison county, Illinois, he was born October 1, 1844, in Fort Russell township, where his father, Hilleary Thompson King, was a pioneer.

Born in Calvert county, Maryland, Hilleary Thompson King was reared and married in his native state, residing there until 1832. Taking advantage there of the greater opportunities offered to men of industry and energy on the frontier, he came with his wife to Madison county, Illinois, locating in Fort Russell town- ship. Purchasing a forty-acre tract of land with only his good name and promise to pay as his capital, he made good his title and added other tracts to the little farm. He erected a one room house, with a shed attached, and be- gan the strenuous task of redeeming a farm from the forest and prairie. Deer, wild tur- kevs, geese and ducks were plentiful and the wild pigeons in their migrations often dark- ened the sky for hours together. Indians passed to and fro but were not troublesome. There were no railways for a number of years after he settled there, the farmers for miles around hauling their surplus products princi- pally to St. Louis, their best market. N house contained a cooking stove or sewing ma- chine, but the spinning wheel or the shuttle were heard in every home, and the Dutch oven, with glowing hickory coals, furnished bread and delicious roast pig and turkey, of which there was always an abundance. Subsequently erecting a good set of buildings on his place, Hilleary T. King occupied them a number of years, when he sold and moved to Moro, where he was engaged in farming until 1875. Dis- posing of his Moro property, he migrated to Iowa and, having purchased a large tract of land in Davis county, was there employed in agricultural pursuits and stock raising for a number of years. Subsequently taking up his residence in Omaha, Nebraska, he there spent the remainder of his life, passing away at the advanced age of four score and four years.

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY

Ile married Louisa Dorsey for his first wife. She was also born in Calvert county. Mary- land, and died in 1860, at Moro, Illinois, leav- ing four children, namely : Mary Eleanor. Ben- jamin, James T. and Clara. His second wife was Miss Higbec.

James T. King acquired the rudiments of . his education in Fort Russell township, at- tending first schools supported by subscrip- tion, cach scholar being assessed two dollars and fifty cents for a term of three months. The school house was about sixteen by twenty- feet, its rude slab seats without backs, being hell up by wooden pins, while a board brack- eted against the wall served as a desk upon which the pupils did their writing. Professor Reggan. Mr. King's first teacher, boarded around, becoming acquainted with the parents and obtaining a good knowledge of pioneer living. He took a nap most every afternoon while the pupils were conning their lessons, placing his head against the wall for a sup- port. The pupils would take advantage of this custom of the master to steal outside and lunch on wild grapes, plums and blackberries, timing their feast with the slumbers of the teacher to escape punishment. Later Mr. King attended school in Moro, and on the death of his mother in 1860, secured a position in a book store in Decatur, from where, on August 6, 1862, he enlisted in Company F, One Hundred and Fif- teenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and the fol- lowing month went with his regiment to Cov- ington, Kentucky; from there going through the Blue grass country to protect the residents from Morgan's rebel raiders, doing duty at the principal county seats of that state. He was next sent with his command to Tennessee in pursuit of the armies under command of Gen- crals Bragg. Van Doren and Forest, skirmish- ing with the enemy on the route marked by Franklin, Triune, Shelbyville, Wartrace, Tulla- homa, Winchester, Stevenson and Bridgeport ; thence on a thirty-five mile forced march past Chattanooga, on September 18, 19 and 20 he fought the bloody battle of Chickamauga. Mr. King was a member of Grangers Reserves which made the four mile run on the last day of the battle to the rescue of Thomas. The Reserves and Thomas Corps bore the brunt of the battle, and held back the entire Confed- erate army until Rosecrans had reorganized his army in front of Chattanooga. During the five hours of fighting Mr. King's regiment lost thirty-seven per cent. in killed and wounded. Mr. King was struck on the leg by some missile ; a split bullet imbedded itself in his throat ; his gun barrel was cut through

by a shell, but he was not disabled and did not leave the firing line. He grabbed the rifle of a rebel skirmisher who had gotten too near the Union line of battle, stripped him of his ac- coutrements and fought out the battle with rebel gun and powder. After the battle his regiment was sent down the river to guard Brown's Ferry. The Rebels had secured pos- session of the railroad from Chattanooga to Bridgeport and the mountain road on the other side soon became a morgue of dead mules and broken army wagons. It was stated that thirty thousand mules gave up their lives in the en- dleavor to furnish the army of the Union with ammunition and subsistence. Mr. King was consequently detailed with a squad to cross the river and forage for food within the en- emy's lines. While so engaged the little com- pany of fifteen men were ambushed, Mr. King's companion shot dead by his side and the remaining fourteen made prisoners of war. After being robbed of all valuables, trinkets and best clothing, he was compelled to repair the burned railroad about Chickamauga sta- tion, when, on October Ist, he started on the prisoner's circuit, which in his case included Libby Prison, Danville Prison, Andersonville Stockade, Charleston, South Carolina, and also the stockade at Florence, South Carolina. He was in Richmond, Virginia, from October 10th to November 14th, 1863. He was then with a trainload of five hundred started for Danville ; en route he purloined the caps from the mus- kets of the guards, and he with three East Tennessee chums jumped from the moving train and made their escape in rain and dark- ness. After almost superhuman efforts to reach the Union lines by way of Cumberland Gap he was recaptured and kept in Danville, Virginia, until May 16, 1864, being then trans- ferred to Andersonville, he was then confined in the stockade until September 10th, when he was taken to Charleston ; on October 6th, 1864, he was sent to Florence, South Carolina, in which stockade, without shelter, he was im- prisoned until December 7th, when he was released on parole. Weak and emaciated Mr. King was nursed back to life in the hospitals of Annapolis, Maryland, and Camp Chase, Ohio. He again started for the front, but an attack of pneumonia again sent him to a hos- pital cot, from where May 22d, 1865, he was honorably discharged from the service.

After five years of farming and school teaching he engaged in the mercantile business in Golden, Colorado, later establishing a wood and iron works, and was engaged in manufac-

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY

turing until 1881. Returning to Illinois, he was engaged in farming, milling and electrical work when, in 1902, he again entered the mercan- tile business in Alton, where he now conducts a book, stationery and general store. While a resident of Colorado Mr. King was active and influential in public affairs, serving as a member of the city council, of the board of education, and as one of the trustees of the State School of Mines. He is gifted both as a writer and speaker, wielding the pen with as much ease and power as he handled a gun in war days. An interesting article concerning army life which he wrote formed one of the closing chapters of the war series in the Cen- tury magazine under date of November, 1890, the title being "On the Andersonville Circuit."

Mr. King married in 1868 Ruth .M. Dorsey, of Madison county, a daughter of Samuel L. and Letitia Dorsey. Mrs. King passed to the higher life in 1890, leaving two children, Eva Matilda and Carrie Louise. Matilda married Eugene Dieliker and they have two children, Mildred and Marjorie. Carrie L., wife of Humbert Gibson, has one child, Jean Gibson.

CONRAD RATH is one of the progressive farmers of Madison county. He believes that the salvation of the country's agriculture lies in greater skill and less waste and he tries to increase the one and reduce the other. He never has been much concerned with the worry over the farmers leaving the farm, for what we want is not more but better farmers. Yet he believes in making the farm so attractive that no man in his senses would want to leave it. He believes in men making a success of their farms, but they should use their increased revenue for great comfort for themselves and their families. This theory he has put in practice in his own case.

Conrad Rath was born in Hanover, Ger- many, December 1I, 1844. He is the son of Joseph and Corona (Engle) Rath, both natives of Hanover, where they were brought up and educated and married. Joseph Rath learned the cooper's trade in the old country, but did not make much headway there, so in 1853 he took his wife and two children and started on a sailing vessel for the new world to make their fortunes. During the voyage they were inclined to wish they had stayed in their native land, for the little girl died, and that seemed a bad omen. However, they were obliged to continue, landing at New Orleans. They remained there eleven weeks and three days, he working at his trade. Then they took the boat and steamed up the Mississippi to

St. Louis, where they only stayed a short time and then went to the farm in Madison county, Illinois. In July, 1855, Mrs. Joseph Rath died, and soon afterward Mr. Rath was married again. He had returned to St. Louis to live and in 1865 came to Glasgow, Missouri, to see his son, who was in the army. He started with a stranger for St. Louis after he had seen his son. When the boat touched the St. Louis dock it was in the darkness of night. Mr. Rath and his companion left the boat, but no sooner had they reached the shore than Mr. Rath's companion sent him back after a grip which he, the stranger, had left on board ship. Mr. Rath, being obliging, returned to the boat, but he was never seen or heard of since. He had five hundred dollars on his person and it was al- ways supposed that he met with some foul play for the sake of the money he carried.

Conrad Rath has but slight recollection of his home in Germany, he being only eight years old when he came away. He remembers the horrors of the voyage and the death of his little sister on the way. He remembers their arrival at New Orleans and the strangeness of everything he saw, the people, some chat- tering French and some English, and the darkies who surrounded him on all sides. The blue skies and the flowers which he saw all around him and the newness of everything to him. French or English, was alike unintellig- ible to the little German boy, whose uppermost feeling was one of homesickness for his native land and longing for his little playmate. He went to school and learned the language very quickly and with the boy's readiness to accept all changes with philosophy, he soon became accustomed to the country's different ways. He lived for three months in New Orleans and then went to St. Louis, afterward coming to Madison county, on the farm which he now owns. In 1865, just a short time before the close of the war, Conrad enlisted in Company E of the thirty-ninth Missouri Volunteers, an old company home for recruiting. He served as a scout in the woods of Missouri for about six months. At one time he was out in the rain, snow and sleet for three days, the result being that their clothes, which were drenched through, froze stiff. When they took off their coats the garments stood alone. This was only one of the many discomforts which he underwent during his service. When he was mustered out, on the 19th of · July. 1865, he was greeted with the news that his father had disappeared, where or how he

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY

has never known. Conrad Rath returned to the farm, to make his own way alone.

But January 30, 1870, ended his period of loneliness, however, for he then married Mary Schersting, daughter of John and Henrietta (Wendt) Schersting, both natives of Han- over, Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Rath had ten children, as follows :- John, and Henry, both deceased ; Louis, now in Idaho ; William, also in Idaho ; Clara, wife of Robert Hawk; Mary, deceased; Henrietta, living in Idaho; Cath- erine, living at home, as are Minnie and Joseph.

Mr. Rath is a member of the German Luth- eran church, but was christened in the Catholic church. He was a trustee in the Lutheran church at one time. He has made a success of. his farm, as any man with his views is bound to do. He owns one hundred and fifty- five acres of land ; having had his own way to make in the world since he was twenty-one, he may justly feel that he has something for which to be thankful. He can look with pride over his land and feel that it is he who has brought it to its present state of cultivation. He is known and respected by all his neigh- bors.

WILLIAM BALLINGER. Noteworthy among the intelligent and enterprising agriculturists of Madison county, Illinois, is William Bal- linger, whose farm is pleasantly located in Fosterburg township, and in its improve- ments and appointments bears evidence of the industry, thrift and keen judgment of its owner. A son of James Ballinger, he was born, November 18, 1860, in Boonville, Mis- souri, where he spent the first five years of his earthly life.

A native of Kentucky, James Ballinger was born December 15, 1839. a son of Frank and Minnie E. Ballinger. At the age of seven- teen years he migrated to Missouri, and after traveling and working in various places located in Boonville, Cooper county, which was his home for a number of years. In 1862, inspired by patriotic valor, he offered his services to his country enlisting in Company E, Fifth Mis- souri Volunteer Infantry, under command of Colonel Epstein. He saw much service in Missouri, fighting the bushwhackers and guer- rilas, and was an active participant in many skirmishes. continuing with his regiment until the close of the war. Removing with his fam- ilv to Alton, Illinois, in 1865, he bought, in 1866, eighty acres of land in Madison county, and has since been profitably engaged in agri- cultural pursuits. His land, sixty acres of

which are now, in 1911, planted to corn, is mostly rented. He married, April 29, 1858, Matilda Jackson, a daughter of Thomas Jack- son, of Virginia, and of the children born of their union seven are living, as follows: Wil- liam, the special subject of this brief sketch; Mrs. Helen Walker, born July 20, 1863; Mrs. Mary Johnson, born March 9, 1866; Mrs. Carrie Hammond, born August 4, 1871 ; James, born February 4, 1873; Julia, born July 27, 1875; and Edward, born May 22, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. James Ballinger are trustworthy members of the Salem Baptist church, and have reared their children in the same religious faith.

Having acquired a practical education in the district schools, William Ballinger remained on the home farm until twenty-three years of age, becoming familiar in the meantime with all branches of agriculture. In 1886 he pur- chased seventy acres of his present fine estate, and to this has since added thirty-five more acres, his farm now containing one hundred and five acres of rich and productive land, well adapted to the growing of the crops common to this section of the country. Mr. Ballinger was formerly engaged in the dairy business to some extent, keeping a good herd of cows. He has now eight head of cattle, and keeps eleven horses, all of a good breed. His improvements are of an excellent character, and his barns are large, and his outbuildings are of convenient size and arrangement.

Mr. Ballinger married, June 11, 1883, Mary Johnson, who was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1863, a daughter of Samuel and Emma (Williams) Johnson, who came from the South to Madison county. Illinois, soon after the war, settling on the Gilman place, in Godfrey, where Mrs. Ballinger grew to wom- anhood, and was educated. Mr. and Mrs. Ballinger have four children, namely: Mrs. Tulia Emery, born August 29, 1886; William L., born November 24, 1888; Harry T., born January 31. 1800: and Emma, born October II. 1801. William [ ... the oldest son, is at- tending Shurtleff College, being a member of the class of 1912. Harry T. is engaged in me- chanical pursuits in Alton, Illinois. Emma was graduated from the Alton High school, where she had a good record for scholarship. Mr. Ballinger, true to the faith in which he was reared, is a valued member of the Salem Baptist church.

EDWARD C. H. GAERTNER. Madison county has a generous share of those citizens whose virtues of industry, thrift and progressive-

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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY

ness make them the backbone of the republic, and one of that number is Edward Gaertner. He was born in the town of Hamel in this county, where his parents had come from St. Louis, and a little earlier from Germany. Cas- par G. Gaertner was a plasterer who came to America when a young man and went to work in St. Louis. Here he married Mary Batter- mann, also born in Germany, and after a short time they moved to Hamel. Here Mr. Gaert- ner worked at his trade of plastering and also became the proprietor of a general merchan- dise store in the place.

There were eight children in the Gaertner family, of whom Edward is the sixth. The others are Henry, William, Fred, Mary, Au- gust, Otto, and one who died in infancy. The older children went to school in St. Louis and the younger ones in Hamel. They attended both the German and English schools and were thus prepared to speak two languages fluently. All but two of the children settled in this vi- cinity. William Gaertner is a brick layer in Alameda, California, and Fred is a farmer near McPherson, Kansas. Both are married.

Edward Gaertner began working for him- self at the age of nineteen. This was in the year of 1893. He obtained employment on different farms, and he was industrious and saving, he began to accumulate something to- ward a start for himself. He went to work for Mr. William K. Suhre, one of the well known farmers in the township, and his work was so satisfactory that his employer retained him for seven years. On October 25. 1899," the young employe was wedded to the youngest daughter of his employer, Miss Mary S. Suhre. She was born in Hamel, on February 7, 1880. Her parents, William and Fred- ericka (Bloemker) Suhre, are natives of Ger- many, but came to America in their youth and have grown up with the coun- try, where theirs is one of the most respected names. a synonym of honor and integrity. Mrs. Gaertner is one of five children, William, Herman, E. F. and Lena being the others.

Mr. and Mrs. Gaertner's first home after their marriage was on a quarter section of land belonging to William Suhre, situated three and a half miles northeast of Hamel. For twelve years Mr. Gaertner successfully managed this and with the able assistance of his wife attained the prosperity of a progres- sive farmer.

On the last day of August, 1902, was born a daughter. Martha .F. M. Gaertner, into the home of Edward and Mary Gaertner. The

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Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume II, Part 18

Author: Norton, Wilbur T., 1844- , ed; Flagg, Norman Gershom, 1867-, ed; Hoerner, John Simon, 1846- , ed Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago ; New York : The Lewis Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 868

Author: Norton, Wilbur T., 1844- , ed; Flagg, Norman Gershom, 1867-, ed; Hoerner, John Simon, 1846- , ed
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago ; New York : The Lewis Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 868