USA > Illinois > Madison County > Centennial history of Madison County, Illinois, and its people, 1812 to 1912, Volume II > Part 82
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When Joseph Kapp was ten years of age he was brought to the United States by his parents with his five brothers and sisters, but one child died on the journey and was buried at sea. Sailing from Havre, France, the little party of immigrants landed at New Orleans, from which city they came up the Mississippi by steamboat and joined two brothers of Mrs. Kapp, who had preceded them to this country and settled at Waterloo, Illinois. They re- mained there until after the close of the Civil war, moving then to St. Clair county, and sub- sequently going to Madison county. When not yet nineteen years of age, Joseph Kapp en- listed in Company F, One Hundred and Fifty- third Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was sent to Memphis, Tennessee, to en- gage in guard duty. The hardships of army life soon undermined his health, and he was sent home on a sick furlough, during which the war closed. his regiment was mustered out of the service, and he received his hon- orable discharge. He remained at home and assisted his father until his marriage, in April, 1872, to Miss Mary Good, who was born in Madison county, daughter of Anton Good, and shortly thereafter they located on a rented farm four miles east of Trenton. After one year spent there Mr. Kapp removed to his wife's father's farm, two and one-half miles south of Highland, and there they have since resided. Each year has found Mr. Kapp add- ing to the improvements and buildings on this land and it is now one of the finest tracts of its size to be found in Madison county. The buildings are substantially built, and the com-
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fortable country home is surrounded by a lawn and a number of shade trees. Every- thing denotes the presence of careful, capable management. When he first located on this property Mr. Kapp found that little improv- ing had been done, and the present excellent condition of the land and the buildings on it is due to the efforts he has expended and the untiring industry which he has displayed throughout his life.
Mr. and Mrs. Kapp have been the parents of eight children, who have been educated in the Buckeye school and the Catholic school at Highland, and have been trained so that they may take any position in life that presents it- self. The children are Joseph, Emil, Mary, Emma, John, Anna, Bertha and Otto. Joseph married Julia Dubach, is engaged in farming in Helvetia township, and has five children,- Freda, Mary, Clara, Eugene and Hilda ; Emil, a farmer in Madison county, married Lizzie Younger, and has four children,-Joseph, Louis, Louisa and Viola; Mary married Henry Kirkmeyer, who is engaged in mining in Clinton county, and has three children,- John, Anna and Bertha; Emma married Ben Hellige, a miner at Breese, Illinois, and has two children,-Arthur and Benjamin; John married Maggie Holsinger, of Pierron, daugh- ter of John and Louisa Holsinger, and they have one daughter, Frances; Anna married Henry Poelker, a miner of Breese, and has two sons, Edward and Victor; Bertha, who lives with her sister at Breese; and Otto re- sides at home with his father and brother. The mother of the foregoing children died January 3. 1905, in the faith of St. Paul's church, Highland, with which her husband and children are connected. A refined Chris- tian woman, she was respected by all who knew her, and held in the deepest affection by her relatives and friends. Mr. Kapp is a Re- publican in politics, but has not cared for pub- lic office, although he has served as school director of his township and has proved a ca- pable official. His reputation is that of an honest, upright man and one whose principles are known to be of the best. Successful him- self, he has been pleased with the success of others. and has ever been ready to lend a helping hand to those who have stood in need thereof. His life has been a long and useful one, and he may look back over the years that have passed with a pardonable degree of pride, and with a sense of satisfaction over duty well done.
EDWARD J. HOLDEN was born on his fa- ther's farm near Peoria, Illinois, in 1868. His father was William Holden, a native of Ireland, who came to this country in 1841. Landing at New York, he made his way to Pittsburg, where he secured employment in the steel rolling mills. He kept this position for a year and a half and then went to Zanes- ville, Ohio, and worked a year in the blast furnace. It was when he left this place that he settled in Peoria and sent to Ireland for his wife, Anna Holden, and his daughter. For two years the family lived in town, while the father worked at different occupations and then he was able to buy a small farm, where he spent the remainder of his life. Twelve children were born to William and Anna Hol- den, seven of whom are now living. The daughters all went to be mistresses of homes of their own. Hannah died the wife of Joseph M. Thomas. Mary, Anna and Katie are now Mrs. James Landy, Mrs. John Keefe and Mrs. John Kearns, respectively. Nora is Mrs. Hugh Sweeney. The surviving sons are David, William and Edward.
William Holden was taken from this life when his son Edward was a young boy. He spent his early years in Peoria and when he grew up, went to St. Louis to work for him- self. He was about twenty when he sought employment in the city, and he was success- ful in his quest, as he had the qualities which make it easy to secure and keep places which require industry and intelligent effort. He was at one time private watchman for N. K. Fairbanks and Company in St. Louis. Sev- eral years of steady toil and thrifty manage- ment enabled Mr. Holden to go into the res- taurant business for himself. He conducted this enterprise for some years and then de- cided to go into farming, as that life appealed more to his tastes. He lives now on the two hundred and five acre place to which he came when he left his business in the city. He is unmarried and lives with his sister-in-law. He farms his entire acreage himself and de- votes his energies to the matter in hand.
Mr. Holden is inclined to favor the policies of the Democratic party, although he is lib- eral in his views and does not believe that either party has a monopoly on governmental wisdom. While residing in Missouri he was delegate to the state convention a number of times. Like all of his race, he has a keen in- terest in matters of politics and statesmanship. He possesses, too, another characteristic of
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the Celts,-that of attracting friends by the geniality of his nature. And those whom he wins by his friendly manner he keeps by his high-minded qualities of character. In his re- ligion he holds to the faith of his fathers, be- ing a member of the Catholic church.
JOHN SYBERT. It is a pleasure to all peo- ple of generous instincts to contemplate the success of those who have been the archi- tects of their own fortunes and who have built up substantial competences from almost infinitesimal beginnings, and who moreover have come through the severe training of pri- vation and adversity without being soured or hardened in heart by their stern experiences. Such a citizen is John Sybert.
Bond county, Illinois, was the birthplace of Mr. Sybert, and he began his vicissitudi- nous career on January 17, 1866. His par- ents were Jacob and Elizabeth McGuire Sy- bert, both Virginians. Jacob Sybert had lived in Indiana before coming to Illinois, and was the first of his line to settle in the north. The mother of John Sybert came from Vir- ginia to Missouri with her parents, who later moved to Bond county, Illinois. Here she met Jacob Sybert, then a widower with two children. These are still living, the daughter Mary being Mrs. John Cousey. The son is William Y. Sybert. Three children were born of the union of Mary Elizabeth McGuire and John Sybert. Two are still alive, Ellen, the wife of Antone Reno, and John, of this sketch.
When only two years of age John Sybert was left fatherless. His mother went to her people in Jackson, Missouri, taking her little ones with her. Two years later the war broke out, and the McGuire family moved to Jones- boro, Illinois. They stayed there for two years and then went to Carbondale, where they resided until 1866. In that year the mother followed her husband, leaving the children to be separated from each other. An uncle took John to live with him at Lebanon, Illinois, and there he lived for five years.
At sixteen John Sybert began the world for himself. Highland was the place he selected as his field of operations. His assets of a material nature were seventy-five cents and the clothes on his back. Work was found by the youth on a farm about three quarters of a mile from his present home. He stayed there two vears, working on different farms, and in 1881 went to Sedalia, Missouri, and spent a year in the railway shops of that city.
Mr. Sybert returned to Highland and re-
sumed his work of farming when he left Se- dalia and since then he has resided here con- tinuously. He has by his thrift and excellent judgment constantly added to his property until now he owns and operates a farm of one hundred and three acres in Helvetia township.
In 1883, on September 6, Sarah A. Cuddy, daughter of George Cuddy, of Highland, be- came the wife of John Sybert. Their union has resulted in two children, Mary E. and John, junior. Both of Mr. Sybert parents were members of the Methodist church and Mrs. Sybert is a member of the Congrega- tional church. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen's lodge, in which he carries insur- ance. The political party to which Mr. Sy- bert gives his support is that of the Repub- lican. He is now serving his nineteenth year as school director.
No outline of Mr. Sybert's career can tell more than his success in the face of mighty obstacles. The probity of his character, his sincerity and his fairness in all dealings with his fellows are not recorded even though they are mentioned on a printed page, but they are indelibly written in the hearts and minds of those who know him and have set him high in the esteem of men whose regard is worth the having.
CHARLES HOLDEN, a resident of Alton for seventy years, who has witnessed and been a part of the historical development of the city, was postmaster from 1878 to 1886, under Hayes, Garfield, Arthur and Cleveland, served as city treasurer eight terms, and for many years was a member of the city council. As an alderman Mr. Holden rendered the city honest and efficient service, especially as chair- man of the finance and street and alley com- mittees. He was several times elected by his colleagues to act as mayor during the absence of the executive from the city. A printer and publisher for the greater part of his life, he has helped make the history of the press in Alton since before the war.
Mr. Holden was born at Leeds, Yorkshire, England. December 5, 1840. He was brought to Alton on Christmas day of 1841 and grew up in this city, getting his education in the pub- lic schools. When a boy he became apprentice in the office of the Telegraph and at the age of nineteen was a capable printer and newspaper man. For a while he was employed in the of- fice of the St. Louis Republican, also in a job- printing office, and for four years helped in the state printing at Jefferson City. From 1860 until after the close of the war he successively
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worked for the State Journal at Springfield, for the St. Louis Bulletin, the Illinois State Register, and with a St. Louis printing com- pany. In May, 1861, after completing the work for the state at the Missouri capital, he was on the last train to pass over the Osage river before the bridge was burned and reached St. Louis the day before the capture of Camp Jackson. He enlisted at Lincoln's first call, but as the quota was full his com- pany was disbanded. An interesting incident of his life in Springfield was connected with the martyred president, Abraham Lincoln. It occurred in this wise: Mr. Lincoln was in the habit of frequenting the Journal office during campaigns. On the day of his nomination in Chicago, he dropped into the editorial rooms at the noon hour. No one was there but Mr. Holden and Mr. Denney Roper, of Spring- field, the bookkeeper, the editors having gone to dinner. While Mr. Lincoln was there a messenger boy came in and handed Mr. Lin- coln a dispatch. It was the notification of his nomination. He read it to the two gentlemen present and then, remarking "there is a little woman at home would like to see this," took his departure. Mr. Holden says Mr. Lincoln did not seem either greatly surprised or elated over the message.
In May, 1865, he became foreman of the Alton Telegraph and September 1, 1866, be- came half owner of that paper. Under the firm name of Parks & Holden; Parks, Hol- den & Norton, and Holden & Norton, he con- tinued as proprietor in the Telegraph until 1880. In 1878 he bacame postmaster, and was one of the few whom President Cleveland de- clined to remove. After leaving the postoffice in 1886 he established a printing office and sta- tionery store. and has conducted the business at 605 East Second street for a quarter of a century.
Mr. Holden was one of the directors and officials of the Lovejoy Monument Associa- tion which erected the splendid memorial in the city cemetery to the great anti-slavery martyr. No member of the Association did more or better service than he in bringing its work to a successful culmination.
Mr. Holden has been an interested observer of the development of Alton during the last sixty years. As a boy he lived on the out- skirts of Upper Alton and he and his brother sold berry pies to the soldiers encamped in Rock Springs park during the Mexican war. He now owns part of the land on which these soldiers were camped.
Mr. Holdlen's parents, Charles and Eliza- beth (Cunningham) Holden, were natives of England. After moving to Alton the father was a clerk for several business firms of this city. As clerk for Godfrey & Gilman, he re- ceived the first load of railroad iron brought to Alton for the building of the C. & A. Rail- road. He died March 10, 1888, and his wife died on November 26,.1902. They were the parents of the following children: James, Charles, Richard, Emma Jane, Eliza Ann, John C., Martha A., James and George W.
Mr. Charles Holden was married in Alton, February 10, 1863, to Miss Matilda S. Smith, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth ( Boston) Smith, who were natives of England. Mr. and Mrs. Holden have been married nearly half a century. Of their family of six children two, William T. S. and Wilbur N., are deceased. The others are: Miss Carrie E .; Louise E., wife of Charles F. Gray, of Sierra Madre, California ; Martha Phebe, wife of Dr. Homer W. Davis, of Alton; and Richard Roy, of Alton.
A. CARL GAUEN. If we were to pick out the one characteristic which has done more than anything else to make of the United States the leading commercial country that it now is we should mention enterprise. If we were to pick out the one man in Collinsville who had this characteristic to a remarkable extent we should mention A. Carl Gauen. By enterprise we mean the ability to hustle, to make things go, to bring things to pass that a less capable man would deem impossible.
A. Carl Gauen was born at Waterloo, Illi- nois, June 24, 1878; the son of Francis F. and Elizabeth C. (Klotz) Gauen, natives of Illi- nois, he being the eldest of a family of five children. He was brought up in his native town, being educated in the public schools un- til he was thirteen years old. At that time he started out into the busy world to make a ca- reer for himself. He obtained a position as clerk in the Commercial Bank, later becoming the assistant cashier of this bank. After six years had elapsed he came to St. Louis, where he accepted a position with a wholesale sash, door and lumber company. He at once began to show his business ability, beginning first as order clerk and he worked his way through to the estimating department. He remained with this firm for four years, having made good throughout. In 1902 he came to Col- linsville, Illinois, and formed a co-partnership with Myron G. Peers in the retail lumber business, under the firm name of Peers &
Shaun.
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Gauen. He was the manager of this concern, making it a success by reason of his push and enterprise. He has various other interests, being a stockholder and director of the Herald Publishing Company; a stockholder in the First National Bank; vice president of the Collinsville Opera House Company; and president of the Collinsville Improvement As- sociation.
In 1904 he was married to Freda M. Mor- genstein, a native of Waterloo, like himself, and she, too, was educated in the public schools of that town, being a graduate from the high school. She is a member of the Evangelical church, in which he is one of the earnest workers, active in all its enterprises. Mr. and Mrs. Gauen have one son, Francis A., named after his paternal grandfather, and one daughter, Josephine.
Mr. Gauen is a member of the Masonic or- der, holding membership in Collinsville Lodge, No. 712, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ; in Unity Chapter, No. 182, Royal Arch Ma- sons; in Tancred Commandery, No. 50, Knights Templar, of Belleville; he is a Shriner, belonging to Mollah Temple, St. Louis and also a member of the Scottish Rite, 32d degree. In addition to his Masonic con- nection he is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, belonging to Lodge No. 664 in East St. Louis. In politics he is a Republican and takes a .deep interest in all matters pertaining to the public welfare, but in particular he is active in affairs connected with the state of Illinois. He has made a de- cided success of his life, living now on East Clay street in one of the beautiful residences of Collinsville. Although he has been most attentive to business all his life, he is a man of broad views and tastes, as is evident from the various activities with which he is con- nected, comprising literature, finance, amuse- ments and improvements of the town. It is through such men as Mr. Gauen that the town has become the important place it now is in the county. It would be hard to find a more go-ahead, up to date, hustling man than Mr. Gauen, who has already accomplished more than many men of twice his years have brought to pass during their whole lives.
W. W. WARNOCK, who in 1910 established the firm of W. W. Warnock & Company, deal- ers in men's clothing and furnishings, is one of the most successful merchants of the city of Edwardsville. The location of the fine store in the business center, the large stock of goods and the commercial standing of the proprie-
tors have been rewarded with a large patron- age. Mr. Warnock's associate in the business is Mr. O. F. Nagel.
Mr. Warnock was born in Columbia, Mon- roe county, Illinois. His father is James W. Warnock, who was born in this state. The mother was Mary (Divers) Warnock, the daughter of Ananias Divers, also a native of Illinois. Mr. Warnock is a nephew of the late W. M. Warnock. After attending the public schools at Columbia, W. W. Warnock was a student for four years at Central College in Fayette, Missouri, and then began his business career as a clerk in a general store at Ava, Jackson county, Illinois, where he remained until 1893. In that year he located in Ed- wardsville, where for the next seven years he was connected with the Madison Mercantile Company. His next move was to Divernon, in Sangamon county, where he operated a gen- eral store until 1906, when he returned to Ed- wardsville to become manager of the Model Department Store. Four years later he re- signed to engage in business for himself. Mercantile business has engaged his time and study since he left school, and his success is the fruit of a thorough experience and natural ability in this line.
Mr. Warnock is an Independent in his po- litical views, his actions in those matters being controlled by the conditions existing and not by party interests.
In 1900 Mr. Warnock was married to Miss Mary B. Chiles, of St. Clair, Franklin county, Missouri. Her grandparents on her father's side were schoolmates of Governor Ninian Edwards and wife. Her father, T. W. Chiles, was the first civil engineer in Franklin county, Missouri, where he still resides.
J. BARNARD HASTINGS, M. D., was born November 23, 1882, at Upper Alton, Illinois, which was also the birthplace of his father, Albert Higbee Hastings. His grandfather, Jonathan J. Hastings, was born at Saint Johns- bury, Vermont, August 15, 1805, of early Eng- lish ancestry. Left an orphan in childhood he was brought up by an aunt, his father's sister, in his native town. In early manhood, de- sirous of trying the hazard of new fortunes, he went South and established himself in the mer- cantile business at Natchez, Mississippi. He was already betrothed to a beautiful New Hampshire girl, to whom he wrote very fre- quently for those times, the postage on each letter that he sent being twenty-five cents. Becoming well established in his chosen career, he returned North, claimed his bride, and with
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her returned to Natchez. Subsequently, dur- ing an epidemic of yellow fever, he came with his wife to Alton, Illinois, arriving here in the midst of the great anti-slavery excitement, and leaving on the evening of November 6, 1837, the night before the anti-slavery hero and mar- tyr, Elijah P. Lovejoy, was assassinated. In the latter part of 1837 his Natchez store was burned, and he lost everything. There being no railways then in the country, he came with his family by way of the river to Woodburn, Macoupin county, Illinois, and for awhile kept a hotel on the old stage road running from Springfield, Illinois, to Saint Louis, Missouri. Going from there to Upper Alton about 1840, he was for awhile employed in farming and gardening, but was afterwards engaged in the provision business, having a slaughter house at Upper Alton and a market at Alton. Subse- quently resuming farming at Upper Alton, he resided there until his death, February 4, 1866.
The maiden name of the wife of Jonathan J. Hastings was Eliza M. Higbee. She was born at Claremont, N. H., and was there bred and educated. Her father, Stephen Higbee, was a general merchant at Claremont, until about 1840, when he came with his family to Illinois, crossing New York state on the Erie Canal and located first at Woodburn, Ma- coupin county, but later removing to Upper Alton, where both he and his wife spent their remaining days. Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan J. Hastings reared four children, namely : Eliza- beth Minerva, Albert Higbee, Charles Henry and Theodore Jenks.
Born at Upper Alton, Illinois, October 14, 1840, Albert Higbee Hastings was there pri- marily educated, attending first a private school taught by James Newman, a noted edu- cator of his day, and later continuing his studies at Shurtleff College. His father's health being poor, he left college to take charge of the parental homestead, and later succeeded to the ownership of the old home farm, a part of which he still owns. In 1875 he embarked in mercantile pursuits at Upper Alton, later transferring his business to Alton, where he built up a fine trade, which he con- tinued until forced, by failing health, to re- tire, in 19II.
Albert Higbee Hastings has been twice mar- ried. He married first, October 1, 1867, E. Marcelia Joslin, who was born at Upper Al- ton, Illinois, July 27, 1841, a daughter of Dr. Joslin, a physician of prominence. She died October 1, 1875, leaving one child, Minnie. now the wife of William Lohr. He married
for his second wife, May 1, 1878, Susan W. Barnard, who was born in St. Louis, Missouri, November 16, 1850, and to them four chil- dren were born namely: Annie Elizabeth, de- ceased, was the wife of Lee Sutton; Albert H .; James Barnard ; and Charles W.
Completing the course of study in the gram- mar and high schools, J. Barnard Hastings read medicine for a year in the office of Dr. E. C. Lemen, and then entered the medi- cal department of Washington University, at Saint Louis, where he was graduated with the class of 1905. He has since been actively and successfully engaged in the practice of his profession at Alton, as a physician and sur- geon having gained marked prestige. The Doctor is a member of the Madison County Medical Society ; of the Illinois State Medical Society, and of the American Medical Asso- ciation. Fraternally he belongs to the Benev- olent and Protective Order of Elks.
Dr. Hastings married, in June, 1909, Eliza- beth Norris Morgan, who was born at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, a daughter of Colonel J. N. Mor- gan.
WILLIAM L. WOLF, actively identified with the general merchandise business at Hamel, in Madison county, Illinois, is carrying on the business established by his father more than two-score years ago. Mr. Wolf is deeply in- terested in community affairs and his efforts have been a potent element in the material progress of this section of the county. In every sense of the word he is a representative business man and a citizen of intrinsic loyalty and public spirit.
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