USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume II > Part 70
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The ocean voyage was of three months' duration, the vessel carrying Gottleib Mes- serli, with all his hopes and ambitions, being tossed about by contrary winds and stormy seas. These delays depleted the young im- migrant's means to such an extent that when he reached his destination at Highland he could find but fifty cents in his honest pockets. But neither storms on the high seas nor shortage of money could daunt Gottleib Messerli; he had his strong hands and his clear brain, and he promptly went to work with both of them. He first obtained em- ployment in the harvest fields at five dollars per month and "keep," and with this, or a little better remuneration, he saved sufficient from his wages to enable him to purchase eighty acres of land out on the prairie. His prospects gradually but surely improved, and in a few years he met the girl who most ap- . pealed to his heart,-a pretty and sensible Swiss maiden named Elizabeth Pfiffner, as previously mentioned. After wedding, they moved into a little log cabin, and there were two, instead of one, to "make both ends meet." They both worked to such good pur- pose that both ends not only met, but lapped over into comforts and prosperity, notwith- standing that numerous little ones came to share their substance and love. Two of the children were taken by death, those spared to them being John, Charles, George, Matilda, Claudina and William. The family passed through both the hardships and the homely stable pleasures of the average pioneer, one of their sore trials being the burning of their home during a cold November day in 1868. But parents and children looked the matter bravely in the face, went about pluckily to re-
pair their loss, and, although there was no insurance on the house, soon a more substan- tial and comfortable residence (that of the present which was built in the winter of 1868-9) had taken the place of that de- stroyed. Gottleib Messerli died February 24, 1895, and the wife and mother followed on August 3, 1900.
On the ninth of April, 1889, William Mes- serli laid the foundation of an independent home when he wedded Miss Lena Bruch, a native of Madison county, born in 1870 to William and Katie Bruch. Her parents, who were both natives of Germany, had also as children of the family circle, Mary, Sophia, Henry and William, Lena (Mrs. Messerli) being the youngest. They all obtained a good education in the district school of their home neighborhood, and after her marriage Lena began life with her husband on a farm which formed a part of the Messerli estate. The brothers of William Messerli are George and John, both Kansas farmers; the other mem- bers of the Messerli family and the Bruch family being residents of Illinois.
Mr. and Mrs. Messerli are the parents of two bright children; Arnold, born December 29, 1890, and Alma, born October 24, 1896, both of whom attend the Wider Range school. The parents have reason to con- gratulate themselves on their success as good homemakers as well as prosperous members of the community who have fully earned the respect of all. Mr. Messerli is not only the owner of the fine farm and homestead on Highland road but of other tracts of im- proved land which bring his estate up to a total of four hundred and sixty-three acres. Politically and in all secular matters he is a man of broad but pronounced views, while both himself and his wife are members of the German Lutheran church of Marine and are devoted to all good and elevating works and institutions.
JULIUS A. KRITE. The commercial inter- ests of Collinsville have one of the worthiest representatives in Mr. Julius A. Krite, the hardware merchant at 108-110 West Main street. He has been identified with the busi- ness affairs of this city for the last quarter of a century, and is one of the prosperous, public-spirited men of the city. He is strictly a business man and has made his success by close application and reliable methods of deal- ing. He owns his store building and carries a fine general stock of shelf and heavy hard-
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ware. He resides in the comfortable modern home at 315 West Clay street, where he built this home about twelve years ago.
Mr. Krite is a native of St. Louis, where he was born June 4, 1865, a son of William H. and Wilhelmina Krite, both of whom were from Hanover, Germany. He was the only son, and his sister, Miss Laura, has a milli- nery business at Collinsville.
Reared in St. Louis, where he attended the public schools until he was thirteen years old, he then began the battle of life for him- self, and has ever since been dependent on his own resources for his advancement and suc- cess. He became a boy clerk in the Witte Hardware Company, and during the eight years he was with them learned the prin- ciples and details of the business, so that he was prepared for an independent career. For one year the firm of Widner & Krite con- ducted a hardware business in St. Louis, at the end of which time he sold his interest and came to Collinsville. This was in 1887, and he has been in business here ever since. Krite & Kirschbaum was the first partner- ship, then came Krite & Parr and lastly Krite & Hoeltmann, and he is now the sole pro- prietor of his prosperous business. Though a Republican and a citizen who is interested in the welfare of his home city, he has never taken an active part in politics.
Mr. Krite married Miss Mary P. Vigna, of Collinsville. She is a native of sunny Italy, where she was born June 4, 1867, and at the age of eight years accompanied her parents to America, their home being first in St. Louis and later in Collinsville, where she was edu- cated in the public schools. They are the parents of five children, Laura, William, Marie, Julia and George Lewis. The two oldest are now students in high school.
AUGUST PIZZINI, the well known business man of Glen Carbon, has become a leader among the foreigners and also the American born residents of the town. He represents the class of foreigners who come to this coun- try with a determination to make good. He has succeeded beyond all that any one could expect.
He was born in Austria, in the province of Tyrol, April 5, 1866. His father was Dom- inick Pizzini, senior, and his mother's name was Grace Wolken before she was married. They were both born in the same province of Austria which is just north of Italy. They spent' the whole of their lives in their native land.
August was brought up in the province of Tyrol, where he went to school. He did not receive very much education, however, as his parents could not afford to keep him in school very long. In October, 1889, he left his home and started for America, where he hoped to make more than the bare living he had been able to gain in Austria. He had been work- ing in the mines and when he came to Amer- ica he located near Dennison, Ohio, in the centre of the coal industry of that part of the country. He worked there in the coal mines until 1892, when he went to Paterson, New Jersey. He had found the work in the coal mines very unhealthy and very hard, so, al- though he was making good wages, he made the change. In New Jersey he gained em- ployment in a silk factory, remaining there for eight or nine years. In 1903 he came to Glen Carbon, where he was employed for some time as a teamster, in 1907 he em- barked in the business world for himself, since when he has been very successful.
On July 2, 1894, he married Virginia Mariz, who was also a native of the province of Tyrol in Austria. When she was three years old she came to the United States with . her parents, who located at North Hampton, Massachusetts, and later moved to New Jersey, where they became acquainted with August Pizzini. They were drawn towards him partly because of his nationality and partly because of his personality. At any rate, the marriage was the result. Eight children have been born to the union, as fol- lows : Helen, who is now living at Northamp- ton, Massachusetts, with her grandparents ; Lillian ; Teresa ; Margaret and August, twins; Mamie; Grace; Veronica, who died in in- fancy. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pizzini were brought up in the Catholic faith, whose teach- ings they have always observed.
Mr. Pizzini is a member of the Eagle lodge at Collinsville, Illinois, and of the Independ- ent Order of Odd Fellows. He is also a member of the Italian Working Men's Union of Glen Carbon. He has not declared him- self as being a member of any political party, but rather votes for the man he considers best fitted for the position, regardless of the political party to which he belongs. Mr. Piz- zini has become very successful since he ar- rived in Glen Carbon, for which he has no one to thank but his own efforts.
S. H. CULP, residing in the Wood River township, where his family has lived for up- wards of one hundred years, is a notable man
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
in this part of the country. Connected by descent and by marriage with pioneer families in Madison county, he himself has done much towards the improvements which have occurred during the last twenty-five years.
The birth of Mr. Culp occurred December 15, 1846, on a farm not far from the place where he resides today. He is a son of Ben- jamin F. and Matilda (Rhodes) Culp; the father was born at Steubenville, Ohio, in 1813, and there passed his boyhood and youth. In 1838 he migrated to Illinois and settled in Wood River township, where he married Miss Matilda Rhodes and reared a family of six children .- Mollie, Maria, Nancy, J. S., S. H. and Catharine. Two of this number are now deceased. Mr. Benjamin Culp was one of the pioneer residents of the county, and experienced the hardships which were char- acteristic of the lives of the carly settlers. He died in the year 1880 at the age of sixty- seven.
S. H. Culp attended the district school which bore the family name of Culp, and there he received his educational training ; on leaving school he assisted his father with the cultivation of the farm and remained at home until 1877. He then bought a small tract of fifteen acres, commenced to farm, and a short time later purchased fifteen additional acres, adjoining his first piece of land. Having a thorough knowledge of agriculture and pos- sessing also the brains which are essential if a man would make the best use of his knowl- edge, he has prospered in his undertakings, has added farm after farm to his possessions, until today he owns in Wood River township 218 77-100 acres and in Foster township four farms which measure respectively 138. 40, 160 and 53 1-3 acres, making a total of nearly six hundred acres which he owns in the two townships. On all the farms there are good buildings and he has erected com- modious dwelling houses on several of the places. He has considerable live stock,- thirty horses and mules and thirty head of cattle, running a dairy which produces an average of sixty pounds of butter per week the year round. He employs from three to four men ; he has planted one hundred acres of his land in corn, raising eight thousand bushels a year ; 150 acres in wheat, producing 3,600 bushels of wheat per annum; and he has eighteen acres planted in oats. The ag- gregate value of his farms is estimated at $105,000.00
In 1876 Mr. Culp was united in marriage
to Miss Maria Brown, daughter of C. C. Brown, of Fosterburg. Father Brown was born in Rochester, New York, and he came to Illinois with his brother, Daniel, and the two became notable men in their day, promi- nent in the progress of Madison county. C. C. Brown married A. Vanatta, daughter of John Vanatta, who in 1797 came to Madison county from Ohio; he was engaged in the Mexican war and was one of the 'forty-niners who went to California in the rush for gold, and succeeded in making a rich strike. At one time he owned one thousand acres of land. He died in 1884. at the age of ninety years. Mrs. Culp proved herself a worthy representative of the two old families from which she was descended and also did honor to the name which she received by marriage. She gave birth to four sons: John L., born in 1878; Edwin Cylar, whose birth occurred in 1879; Arthur Brown, the date of whose na- tivity was in 1884: and Ralph, who began life in 1892. Not having any daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Culp adopted a little girl, Fannie, who is married and living in the home of her par- ents by adoption. All the children attended the public school in their neighborhood and are graduates from the high school. Edwin is deeply interested in educational matters and is a school director. The first-born son, John L. Culp. Jr., is named in honor of his uncle, his father's brother. The birth of this young man occurred on St. Valentine's day, 1878, on his father's farm, and he has followed agricultural pursuits since he left school. In 1895, at the age of seventeen years, he was graduated from the Upper Alton high school, and he remained under the parental roof until his marriage, in 1903. He then moved to the old Perry Short farm, a 120-acre tract situ- ated near the Culp place. In 1907 he moved to the farm where he may be found today, the old Brown place-140 acres-owned by Mrs. S. H. Culp. J. L. Culp does general farming and also specializes in dairy work. On the twelfth day of April, 1903, Mr. J. L. Culp, Jr., married Miss Rose Lee Klemm, daugh- ter of Gottlieb and Matilda Klemm, natives of Switzerland, and for many years the father was an honored hardware merchant of Beth- alto. Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Culp, Jr., have two little daughters,-Esther, born March 7, 1904, and Ethel, whose birth occurred the day after Christmas, 1906. In politics Mr. J. L. Culp, Jr., is a Republican, and is a leader and a party worker in the county. During the last two terms he has held the position of collec-
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tor of Fosterburg township. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, is watchman of the lodge and is a charter mem- ber of the Fosterburg band, in which he has held membership for the past eighteen years.
Shortly after the marriage of S. H. Culp, he was injured in the left leg, and he has been a cripple for thirty-five years. He has not al- lowed this fact to interfere with his efficiency, as he has done more for the benefit of his county than many men possessed of full use of their limbs. He has raised his children to be a credit to him and to the community, which alone is something for which he has reason to feel proud, and in addition he has seized every opportunity to promote the wel- fare of the township which is happy to claim him as one of its most honored citizens.
OLIVER C. SIMMS. The true pioneer epoch of Madison county was the first quarter of the nineteenth century. It was during that period that settlements became numerous throughout the limits now including the county, and it was during that time that the county was organized. The real pioneer families therefore were those that located dur- ing the twenty-five years mentioned or pre- vious to that. Of these families no original settler remains, and very few sons and daugh- ters of the pioneers survive the fortunes of time and circumstance. A representative of the latter class is Mr. Oliver C. Simms, now living retired in Venice. He was born in Venice township in 1833, and is probably the eldest native resident of the county and is certainly the oldest in this portion of the county.
The Simms family have been identified with Madison county more than a century, and its present representatives are among those most directly concerned in the centen- nial of 1912, which is to be an occasion for the honoring and recalling to memory of the deeds and lives of those who had done the pioneer work of development here and laid the foundation for the county government which was organized in 1812. The original settlers of this name were Otis and Jane Simms, the parents of Oliver C. The former was a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. Jane Simms was a fine type of the pioneer woman, devoted to her family and vigorous and courageous in meeting the diffi- culties of frontier existence. One of her ad- ventures which gives her possibly a unique distinction among the pioneer women was in swimming across the Mississippi river in
1812. Otis Simms came west to St. Louis in 1808, and while there refused an opportunity of acquiring 160 acres of land for a quart of whiskey. He preferred the heavily timbered bottoms across the river in Venice township, and here he located and began the arduous labors of the pioneer farmer. The children of his family were: Charles, Anson, William, Lelia, Melinda, Oliver, and they had one step- sister, Nancy.
When Oliver was fourteen years old his father died, and his mother then married William Bonner. He received his education in the schools of Venice township, and at the age of twenty-one joined in the rush for the Pacific coast gold fields. He was with a small party, and they had eleven oxen and nine horses. All the horses died from drink- ing alkali water, but they got through with the oxen. He spent a number of years in the varied life and affairs of the California of that time, and on his return to Madison county in 1865 he engaged in farming.
In the year 1866 he established his own home by his marriage to Miss Arabell Glas- cow. She was a native of Kentucky, and her brothers and sisters were William, John, Philipina and Margaret. Three children came to the home of Mr. Simms and wife -- William A., Alice and Charles, the last hav- ing died when he was five years old. The son and daughter received their education at Venice and in Brighton and have since taken up the responsible duties of life and are both happily situated. William A., who is now superintendent of a force of thirty telegraph clerks in Texas, married and has two chil- dren, Grace and Charles. Alice is the wife of Mr. J. A. Brammell, the agent of the Wa- bash railroad at Venice and also proprietor of a coal and feed business there. He is one of the enterprising business men of the town. He was born in Indiana, a son of John and Catherine Brammell, and he has two brothers, William Eli and Ephraim Oliver, a sister, Sarah, a half-brother, Albert, and two half- sisters, Alice and Irene. Mrs. Simms, after nearly forty years as wife and mother, passed away October 24, 1904, leaving a high rever- ence for her character and kind devotion in the memories of her husband and children. She and Mr. Simms were members of the Methodist Episcopal church at Venice. Mr. Simms now has a home with his daughter, Mrs. Brammell, and has all the comforts that his advanced years and long and active ca- reer have so richly deserved.
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In politics he has always been a Democrat. belonging to a family that has adhered to those principles since the foundation of the party. He is also a temperance man both in his own habits and his beliefs, having never taken liquor as a beverage throughout his long life. In the community of which he has so long been a resident he has been honored with the offices of tax collector and assessor and of school director. He was collector for ten years and gave an exact accounting for every dollar. For twenty years he served as school director. For fourteen years he has had a coal and fuel business at Venice, though he is practically retired from the ranks of active managers.
Many changes in the country and the peo- ple have occurred during the many years that Mr. Simms has witnessed and participated in life's activities. When a boy he hunted rab- bits . through the hazel brush where Franklin avenue runs in St. Louis. In 1847-8 he wit- nessed the wholesale clearing of the rich bot- tom lands when two thousand wood-choppers were engaged in making cord-wood out of the timber. Every great flood in the Missis- sippi since early days, with the exception of the one in 1854, has given him memories through his actual experience near the rush- ing waters. He and other boy companions rowed a skiff from Venice across to Horse- shoe lake. Mr. Simms is one of the men in whose minds are recorded the principal events in the progress of Madison county, and his honorable career has justified his prominent mention among the oldest and most esteemed of the county's citizens.
ROBERT DOBBINS. It is rather unusual nowadays to find a man who has followed up the line of business that he decides on when a boy. As a rule a boy changes his mind many times in the process of development and if he does not change then, as soon as he launches out on the chosen career he finds it not suited to his tastes or capabilities. In the case of Mr. Dobbins he has engaged in two lines of work, making a success of them both.
He was born November 27. 1865. in Shelby county, Illinois, the son of Thomas and Mary (Helton) Dobbins. Thomas Dobbins has been a carpenter and a farmer, at the present time being engaged in the carpenter's trade near Shelbyville, Illinois, where he lives with his wife.
Robert, their son, went to the country school near Shelbyville until he was sixteen years old, when he went on to his. father's
farm, staying there for one year. That was long enough to decide him that he did not want to be a farmer all of his life and the sooner he got out of the farm life the better. He and another young man accordingly started a general store at Middlesworth, Illi- nois, but after two years he went into the rail- road office at Mitchell, in 1887, where he learned telegraphy. As soon as he had be- come proficient he was given a position at Paris, Illinois, on the Big Four railroad. From Paris he went to Venice, Illinois, thence to Kinders, now called Granite City. He next went to Bridge Junction in East St. Louis. From St. Louis he went to Newport, where he remained one year and then went to Mitchell, where he was made joint agent for the Big Four railroad, the Wabash railroad as well as for the Pacific and American Express Company. Later he was also appointed agent for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad at Mitchell, holding these positions for eighteen years. At the end of that time, in 1907, hav- ing decided that he had had enough of the railroad business and wishing to start on his own account, where he could reap the fruits of his labors, he went into business for him- self at Mitchell, where he has been ever since.
In June, 1893, he married Margaret Quinn, daughter of Henry Quinn, of Mitchell. To this union were born four children, May, Harry, Loretta, and Robert, junior. They are all living.
Mr. Dobbins is a member of St. Elizabeth Catholic church in Mitchell, having been brought up in the Catholic faith. He is a Democrat, but, though very decided in his views, he has never cared to take any active part in politics. In addition to his business he holds stock in the Citizens State and Trust Company of Edwardsville. Since he came to Mitchell he has made many friends, who like him because of his absolute honesty and be- cause he is so courteous in his treatment of all with whom he comes in contact.
CHIARLES H. HACKETHAL. Whatever our lot may have been in the past, we all of us look forward towards the future as having something greater in store for us than we have already experienced. Or at least if such is not the case we are to be pitied. Every man hopes for a future better than the pres- ent or the past, and today is the time to pre- pare to make the future better. That is just what Charles Hackethal is doing.
He was born in York, Nebraska, Septem- ber 5, 1886, the son of Peter J. and Mary
Thomas Stallings
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
(Butler) Hackethal, now of Chouteau town-, porated in 1910 and of which he is president. ship, Madison county, Illinois. Peter J. was He also conducts a real estate business. born in Germany, his father being George Hackethal, a German who married in his native country. His wife, though of German birth, was of Irish parentage. George's fam- ily were all born in Germany, but he became dissatisfied with the conditions of things in his native country and immigrated to Amer- ica, coming alone to get a footing before send- ing for his family. As soon as it was possi- ble he sent for his wife and children, and they settled in Chouteau township.
Charles came with his parents from Ne- braska to Mitchell when he was very small. As soon as he was old enough he attended the public school in Mitchell, remaining there un- til he was eighteen. He then engaged in rail- roading in the offices of the Frisco railroad at St. Louis, making good in the humbler posi- tions, so that he was promoted until he be- came ticket stock clerk. In 1910 he entered the business field at Mitchell, and is still there now as a member of the firm of Hackethal & Hoelter.
Mr. Hackethal was married to Miss Louise Boze, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Boze, of Marine, Illinois. He is a member of St. Elizabeth's Catholic church of Mitchell, and is an out and out Democrat. On the seventh of February, 19II, he was out hunt- ing and was shot in the leg; blood poisoning set in, which necessitated three operations at St. Luke's hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. Charles Hackethal is a most normal man, do- ing everything with all his might; in business he attends strictly to business. In politics he is just as enthusiastic, while when he is in- dulging in recreation he is no less eager. Such a man is bound to succeed. He has al- ready made a record for himself and there is much more ahead of him.
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