USA > Illinois > Monroe County > Columbia > History of Columbia and Columbia precinct, Monroe County, Illinois, 1859-1959 and centennial celebration, Columbia, Illinois, July 3-4-5, 1959 > Part 17
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Mr. and Mrs. Reis have four children: Mrs. Rose Marie Nottmeier, Donald, Robert and David.
Mr. Reis served his city as alderman from 1932-36. and very creditably, too, for he was far-seeing as well as practical. He is employed as Secretary and Business Assistant to the President of the Missouri Pacific Em- ployes' Hospital Association at St. Louis.
Both Mr. Reis and his wife are members of the Im- maculate Conception Church and are active workers for the parish. Mr. Reis is a member of the Holy Name So- ciety, the Knights of Columbus, the Missouri Hospital Association and the Ludwig Organ Club. He is a member of the Brotherhood of Railway and Steamship Clerks, Freight Handlers, Express and Station Employes.
Carl's grandfather, Joseph Schuler, was a trustee of the Town of Columbia from 1SS0-1885 and his paternal grandfather, Carl or Charles Reis served in the same capacity from 1897-1899.
HERBERT J. VOGT
Herbert J. Vogt, chairman of the Ways and Means committee, of the Columbia Centennial Association, and also a member of the Historical committee, is the son of Lorenz A. and Elizabeth Vogt, nee Vogt. He was born in Columbia January 6, 1906. He was educated in the Immaculate Conception grade school and graduated from the Columbia high school. He is a member of the Immac- ulate Conception church. He is past president of the Chamber of Commerce. Other affiliations are Columbia Gymnastic Association and board of directors of the First National Bank. He is the owner and manager of the Columbia Grain and Seed Company.
He was married to Laura Stillman. They have two children, David and Arlene. Mrs. Vogt's grandmother's people were French, migrating from Alsace-Lorraine. Her grandmother's name was Clodon (pronounced Glodo).
Mr. Vogt's father. Lorenz A. Vogt, came from Burks- ville, Illinois. He was a school teacher and taught in the Sand Bank school for twelve years and in the Columbia school for seven years. His grandparents on both sides came from Germany. His maternal great-grandparents, Leonard and Margaret Petri also came from Germany. They settled on what is now known as the Ben Well- bacher farm in 1838. They came with the first German settlers to Columbia. His maternal grandparents Anton and Elizabeth Vogt lived near Whiteside Station, close to a "spring of lasting water". It must have been an Indian camp as countless Indian relics were found there by the Vogt children.
Herbert J. Vogt, the subject of this sketch, helped in the Vogt store, run by his mother. He later started his own business, the Columbia Grain and Seed Co. first owned by Mr. Vogt and the late Alfred HI. Vogt and Edward C. Giffhorn.
MISS RUTH KUERGELEIS
Miss Ruth Kuergeleis, secretary of the Centennial Association, was born in St. Louis, Mo., the daughter of William F. and Meta tiloffmann) Kuergeleis. With her parents she came to Columbla from St. Louis. She is a graduate of the Columbia High School, and was an accounting major at Washington University. She is now the assistant cashier of the Monroe National Bank of Columbia.
She has always been interested in affairs of a civle nature, serving on the Columbia Library Board and was a Girl Scout leader and a troop committee member.
She is Past Worthy High Priestess of Mission Shrine No. 102, Order of the White Shrine of Jerusalem. She served as district deputy of this order during the past year. She is Guardian Secretary of Bethel 65, Job's Daughters.
C. A. HACKER
C. A. Hacker is one of the incorporators and vice president of the Columbia Centennial Association. lle is also in charge of scheduling Centennial events.
He was born at Marissa, Illinois, June 17, 1901, the son of Henry Hacker and his wife Katherine, nee Tieder- man.
He was married to Miss Audrey Krupp of Belleville. Illinois. They have three sons, Keith, Kenyon and Jerry, all living in Columbia.
Mr. Hacker came to Columbia in 1933, and served as cashier of the First National Bank for fourteen years. For the past eight years he has been the president of the bank and a director.
Before coming to Columbia he served as treasurer of the Village of Marissa for ten years. In Columbia while the high school was being enlarged and reorgan- ized he served as the president of the school board from 1940 to 1952.
He is a Past Master of Columbia Lodge No. 474 A. F. and A. M., and a member of the Rotary Club. He is a member of the United Church of Christ of Columbia.
DRUM CORPS
The Sons of Union Veterans Auxiliary Drum and Bugle Corps was one of the fine musical units which at- tracted much attention wherever it went. It was spon- sored by the Sons of Union Veterans and Mrs. Gus Goeck- eler, Sr., was one of the moving spirits in its organization.
Mrs. Fred Henckler was the drum major. She served from 1929 to 1935. St. Louis instructors trained the corps. Their costumes were outstanding. They wore pleated white serge skirts and scarlet coats, trimmed with gold braid. They wore Hussar caps. Mrs. Henckler wore a white serge suit, high white boots and a white Hussar hat and gloves.
They appeared at all the Homecomings, sehool pic- nics and Columbia affairs.
Once when the Columbia Commercial Club made a Good Will tour of the county and adjacent cities they took the Drum Corps with them. One hundred automo- biles made up the caravan. The Drum Corps paraded and drew rounds of applause. The Good Will tour ineluded stops at Belleville, Millstadt, Freeburg, New Athens, Marissa, Sparta, Steeleville, Evansville, Red Bud, Chester and Waterloo. The corps with its twenty pretty girls, beautifully costumed was introduced by Mayor Fred G. Happ, who was then Mayor of Columbia. They were given ovations at the cities where they played.
They also played in the N R A parade at St Louis the line of march ten miles long. They also played at a St. Louis Police Circus in conjunction with the Police Cand.
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"EAGLE CLIFFS"
STEPHEN MILES
An old burying ground, the Miles cemetery, is of great historical interest. It is situated on the brow of the bluffs overlooking the fertile river bottom land. Going up the Dug Hollow road to the cemetery and wandering about you will find the tombstones of Judge Shadrach Bond, uncle of the governor, the Moredocks, the Shooks, the Jameses, the Vorises, the Alexanders and others prom- inent in Monroe County history. It was here in 1858 that Stephen Miles I erected a large and costly stone and marble vault for himself, his family and descendants, under the care and direction of the oldest male heir of the family. It cost $25,000, a fabulous sum in that day. A long time ago the tomb was opened by vandals, seek- ing the jewels which were supposed to have been buried with the Miles family. The tomb is now sealed.
It is said that Miles could stand on the hill and say, "Here, as far as the eye can reach, the land belongs to ine." Then he would go back to his beautiful home at the foot of the bluffs which is situated at what was then known as Eagle Cliffs. The post office was there, a general store, an agricultural implement shop and the Miles residence. It is a pretentious one mirroring the affluence which was once the Miles'.
It is a two-story house, fifty-seven feet long, with twelve rooms, twenty-eight doors and thirty-one windows. A veranda extends the entire length of the front of the house. A huge entry hall with an open staircase leading to the upstairs, leads also into two spacious rooms on either side of the hall downstairs, each being 18 x 20 feet. In these rooms are enormous fireplaces, so huge that shelves have been built into the sides. Rooms not so large are in back of these, and what was once a porch is now enclosed. At either end of the back are rooms where once the colored mammies stayed who took care of the children. These mammies were privileged in the old days, and had better quarters than the other slaves who worked in the fields.
In the rear are also quaint staircases, winding dizzily upwards, with two landings and turns which lead to the many bedrooms upstairs.
The house itself is constructed of solid oak and walnut with weather boards of walnut. No nails are used in the construction for the builders tenoned and mortised. The house has withstood the storms and stresses of 115 years, for it was thought to have been built in 1844 or earlier. It is situated on Claim 322 Survey 399 in the Bottom. The Miles Cemetery is recorded as Claim 321, Survey 400.
It has been said that the land for the home was purchased from Shadrach Bond, first governor of Illinois, hut this could not be substantiated, even when a check of the story was made with Edward Miles of Carbondale, although he too, knew of the story.
Miles married Lucretia Shook, beautiful daughter of a Moredock precinct family.
Edward Miles' grandmother's name was Mary Tyrell. Mr. Miles' middle name is Vieux Temps, as was his father's name. Mr. Miles has no idea of the meaning of the name. His grandmother, after the death of Edward Miles' grand- father, Stephen Miles II, married Thomas Quick. His mother's name was Chloe Frazer.
After the passing of the Miles family the settlement was bought by Isaac Eberman, farmer and wheat thresher, in 1875. Eberman came to Monroe county in 1827, mar- ried Nancy Hill. She passed away and Teresa Carpenter became his second wife. Eberman and J. B. Smith of Smith's Landing were business partners. They bought,
sold and shipped wheat by river boats to the Port of St. Louis, their favorite boat being the "Emma Abbott". Grain in that section of the country was brought to Eagle Cliffs to be weighed, stored or sold. Some land was still in the possession of the Miles heirs, but most had been sold. The first Miles was fabulously wealthy, the second modestly so and succeeding generations not so prosperous.
Issac Eberman was also a bridge builder. When the Eads Bridge, spanning the Mississippi river at St. Louis was in the planning stage, he made a model of a covered bridge and submitted it to the bridge committee. His model was not accepted, but James Eads' was. Eber- man's model is still in the Miles Homestead which is now in possession of the Fred Laub heirs. Mr. and Mrs. Stemler live here, Mrs. Stemler being the former Edna Laub. Fred Laub bought this property after the death of Isaac Eberman in 1893. The other Laub heirs are Mrs. Arthur Schmidt, nee Hilda Laub, and Arthur Laub. All three of the Laub children were born in this home and Mrs. Stemler has never lived any other place. Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bergmann, Sr. lived in a part of this spacious house for a time when the Ebermans lived there and here their daughter Frances, now Mrs. Fred Laub, was born in 1892.
In the house were left many bookkeeping sets, show- ing in detail and beauty the immense business interests of the Miles family and the succeeding Eberman and Laub families. A heritage from the Miles family is a powder horn, a shot bag of tooled leather, and a musket of ancient vintage. The door keys of the house are enor- mous and these are still in use. A slab of marble from the Miles tomb is on the premises. Distant relatives of the Laubs were Martin and John Horr who were oxen drivers for Stephen Miles I. A visit to this house is like turning back the years and finding yourself in the ex- citing days of our pioneer ancestors.
TRANSPORTATION
In the very early days of Columbia, the Mississippi river was the only avenue of transportation. The country was an untamed wilderness. Then the Indians, little by little, hewed a trail, a mere footpath. As time went on this trail passed through Columbia, and with the simul- taneous settling of Cahokia and Kaskaskia it became known as the Kaskaskia Trail.
This Trail became the mail and stage coach route from St. Louis to Waterloo, Red Bud and later southerly points to Kaskaskia. Columbia was the half-way stop for passengers en route to Red Bud. Horses were changed here and travelers refreshed themselves at the Franklin Tavern, known as the Buck Tavern and still later as Juengling's. In the winter the chilled travelers gathered around the huge fireplaces; and in the summer, beer brewed by Philip Schmidt and John Gundlach, cooled the parched throats of the passengers. Fares were com- puted by the drivers by means of milestones of gray marble with Roman numerals thereon, and your fare was so much a milestone. Some Columbians today re- member seeing these stones.
For local travel, if you had no horse, you could go to a local livery stable and hire a "rig". August F. Weinel operated a livery stable as did "Jim" Warnock. Mr. Warnock bought a barn at the World's Fair, and set it up on the present site of E. H. Stumpf's home at 706 Bottom Ave. Weinel's had a hack which made the St. Louis World's Fair by ferrying across the Mississippi on the Davis street ferry.
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Horses were treasured possessions in the old days and a horse thief if caught, met with summary justice. He was taken, dragged Is the better word, to what was known as the horse thief tree and strung up without benefit of a trial. This tree still stands at the Intersection of the main road and the old Quarry road, which passes Oscar Bremser's house.
Now comes the era of the railroad. The Cairo and St Louls was the first. It was chartered February 16, 1865 and ten years later, March 1, 1875 It was completed. It connected East St. Louis and Cairo and had 151 mlies of track.
At the time of organization, the company decided to build a narrow gauge, three foot road which would be cheaper to operate. Contracts were let, and local aid promised but the financial panic of 1873 caused local ald to be withdrawn, and it was placed in the hands of a recelver February 1, 1882, when It was transferred to the St. Louis and Cairo R. R. and conducted by them about 1883. It utilized seven miles of the East St. Louis and Carondelet Railway with a third rail from East St. Louis to East Carondelet.
In 1886 the road was bought by the Mobile and Ohio railroad and the following year it was changed to a standard track. In 1901 the next railroad built through Columbia precinct was an eastern division of the Iron Mountain R. R. called the St. Louis Valley R. R. Later it was transferred to the Gould system. August 13, 1940 the road became the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio. In 1906 the Village of Columbia granted the East St. Louis, Columbia and Waterloo Electric Co. a franchise to construct an electric railway through Columbia, but right-of-way liti- gation and other difficulties held back the construction, and it was completed August 7, 1912.
The automobile became another mode of transporta- tion. This mode required better roads, so on April 5, 1923 grading began on State Route 3 through Columbia. Construction began on July 3, 1923 and the road was fin- ished by November 19, 1923, thus replacing the old village macadam streets.
In 1932 the East St. Louis, Columbia and Waterloo Railway Company were authorized to discontinue pas- senger service and on July 3, 1936 the Illinois Commerce Commission authorized the company to discontinue all Its public utility services and the present line, the St. Louis Red Bud Motor bus line took its place, now called the Gulf Transport Company.
HERMAN J. FRIERDICH
To Herman J. Frierdich, carpenter, contractor, builder, who passed away November 29, 1958 belongs the dis- tinction of being among the first In Columbia to realize there was a need for a modern home building program - the subdivision as we know it today. He set about to establish a business that would make sub-division build- ing possible. Ile knew the business from the ground up, for he was a carpenter of the old school.
He began business in 1919 with John Luetzelschwab, Millstadt contractor. Later John L. Schmidt worked with him as did William Brand. Then Anton J. Wierschem joined forces with him and they took over the contracting business of John L. Schmidt which they operated for seven years until Mr. Wierschem moved to Colorado. Then Mr. Frlerdich's two sons worked for him and they operated the business Individually until 1950 when they effected a partnership which continued until 1958 when they In- corporated.
The officers of the corporation now are: Walter HI. Frlerdich, president; Herman G. Frierdich, vice president
and treasurer and Joseph J. Volkert, secretary.
The first subdivision they built was Frierdich place, then the First Addition to Frierdich Place. In partnership with Leo A. Weilbacher, Columbia Ilills was developed. This subdivision Is located on the hills overlooking Co- lumbla. Columbia Acres, Inc., is another subdivision where many beautiful homes were erected.
Recently the corporation purchased the old Wilson farm now owned by Miss Josephine Burroughs. It consists of 110 acres, and plans are under way to develop it some time in the future. Miss Burroughs, a sister of Mrs. Joshun Wilson, who owned the land, is public spirited and in order that Columbia might grow, she sold the land which for so long had been owned by the Wilsons. A part of it Is in the corporate limits of Columbia.
The Frierdichs are directors in the newly laid out subdivision, Cascade Hills, which touches land where some of our first Columbians, the Piggots, built a fort in the late 1700's. There is room in the new subdivision for over 200 homes with modern facilities available.
The company is not interested in mass production of the small home, preferring to build the substantial, well designed modern home.
They have recently erected a very modern office and show room at 123 Rapp Avenue. There are shown and sold all the modern accessories that make the house of today so comfortable.
Mrs. Herman J. Frierdich, nee Frances Schaffer, who survives her husband, has four children: Walter, Herman G., Mary Ann, wife of Keith llacker and Rita, wife of Le Roy Davis.
JOHN A. DAAB
John A. Daab, owner of Daab's Drug Store here in Columbia, was born on a farm near Columbia. It was on the St. Clair-Monroe County line, the house being in Monroe and the barn in St. Clair county.
He was the son of Fred Daab and his wife, nee Arres. He was one of ten children. The following are the names of the children: Mrs. August (Mary) Mueller, Waterloo; John, Dan, Gus and Eddie deceased, Fred, Mrs. John (Dell) Tunze, Jacob, Mrs. O. J. (Alyda) Rexroth of Waterloo nnd Henry.
In 1896 after the Danb family had moved to Co- lumbia, John went to work nt the John J. Schauffert Drug Store, located where the Daab Drug Store is located todny. When Mr. Schauffert sold out to Herman Rose in 1899 John continued to work at the drug store and worked there for a total of twelve years, serving his ap- prenticeship there. Desiring to complete his eduention he went to work at the Meyer Drug Company at St. Louis where he worked for two years. Then he went to Indiana where he attended the Indianapolis School of Pharmacy for two years and graduated. le came back 10 St. Louis and found employment at the drug store oper- ated by William C. Lleser, a former Columblan.
When he learned that Herman Rose wanted to sell out he purchased the drug store. This was In 1918 and he has operated It very successfully ever since.
He was married to Miss Adele Schein of Waterloo. They had three children. Mrs. Adele Elbaum of Kokomo, Indiana, Mrs. Vida Goldgar of New York City, and a son who died In infancy. llis wife also died. He later married, Mrs. Edna Barlow, and she too passed to the Great Be- yond.
Daab's Drug Store Is the only pharmney Columbia has and John is a familiar figure to all Columbians.
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MRS. EMMA FIEGE
Mrs. Emma Fiege, nee Wilde, widow of George Fiege, was born in Columbia, the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Philip Wilde, nee Mary Schmidt.
Mrs. Fiege's paternal grandfather was Nickolaus Wilde, who was born in Germany, Aug. 11, 1797 and died in 1875. Her grandmother Wilde was born in 1808 and died in 1882. Both grandfather and grandmother Wilde were born in Germany at Koenigsreich, Bayern.
Grandfather Nickolaus Wilde came to America in 1853, bringing his wife, Helena, nee Ferkel and his children, Barbara, 19, John, 18, Henry, 15, Philip, 13, Paul 10, Helena, 4 and an infant. Mr. Wilde was 55 when he came to America.
Mrs. Fiege has some letters relative to coming to America from a Jacob Wilde who was staying with Fred- erick Ferkel at Jefferson Barracks in 1850. After an ex- change of letters from the old world to the new world and back again, Grandfather Wilde decided to try his luck in the new world with his family. His passport, a treasured memento, in Mrs. Fiege's hands, sets the time of leaving Germany at February 1853.
Philip Wilde, Mrs. Fiege's father, had a tin shop, first in the old rock house the Catholic Sisters lived in; then in the building where Mrs. Fiege's confectionery was located.
George Fiege, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edward Fiege, and Emma Wilde were married. Edward Fiege, father of George, was a shoemaker in a small shop on the corner where now Schorbs live. George learned the barber trade in St. Louis at Leonard Strassner's barber shop on South Broadway. Mr. Strassner was the father of Mrs. Joseph J. Volkert, Sr. and grandfather of Elmer, Christ, Joseph J. Jr., August and Ralph Volkert. After George finished his apprenticeship at Strassner's he set up a barber shop where George Van Luik now lives.
The house Mrs. Fiege lives in is 107 years old. The abstract of her property shows it passed from John Morgan to Jacob Beck in 1852; to Jacob Mild, to Henry Wilde, to Conrad Miller and then to Mrs. Emma Fiege.
The homes of Philip Schmidt, now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Burneson; the one owned by Nickolaus Wilde, now owned by Mrs. Ella Grasshaw; and the Joseph Schuler house, now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Gilbreth, and the beer cellar at the foot of Columbia hill are all registered in the Library of Congress at Wash- ington, D. C. They are examples of excellent German architecture and are pictured in various books of archi- tecture. The pictures of these houses appear in this history.
The children of John L. Schmidt: Earl, Chester, Or- ville and Luan Crawley are great-grandchildren of Philip Schmidt, who owned the Brewery in back of the Philip Schmidt, now Burneson house.
There is also an arched cellar near this house where beer was stored, before it was rolled down the hill to the beer cellar in the side of the hill. There are two large rooms in this "lagering" cellar, which the picture in this history will show.
These historic places will be marked for the Cen- tennial, Mrs. Dorothy Eppinger being the Chairman of Historic Houses.
THE ROSE FAMILY
One of the very interesting families in Columbia is the Rose family. The members of the family were prac- tically all professional people, doctors, nurses, druggists, authors and teachers.
Dr. William Rose was born February 12, 1848 at Claus
Thal in the Hartz Mountains, Germany. He came to this country at the age of 13. He came to St. Louis and made his home with his uncle, Dr. Edward Rose. He lived there for three years. He worked in a drug store, learning the art of compounding medicines and went to medical school taking up the profession of medicine. He attended Christ- ian Bros. College and the Missouri School of Medicine. He graduated from the Keokuk, lowa School of Medicine and became a registered physician and surgeon in the State of Illinois. He soon had a large practice for he was an excellent physician. He was a hard worker and traveled all over the countryside. He did a great deal of his sleep- ing en route to call on his patients for the doctor went to see his patients and hospitals were little used except in extreme emergencies. His hostler and driver was Fried- rich Ernst.
On March 12, 1869 Dr. Rose was united in marriage with Miss Lena Freckman of St. Louis. The marriage was a very happy one for Mrs. Rose was always a wonderful wife and mother. As the wife of a country doctor and business man, for the doctor conducted a drug store too, patients and patrons who came from out of town came and generally found their way to the spacious and beauti- ful Rose home with its acres of lawn. Mrs. Rose was never sure just how many guests she would have for meals, but all were entertained most graciously. The Roses had thirteen children, but three died early in life. The children who grew up were: Dr. Fred Rose, who located in Millstadt; Dr. William Rose, Jr., who succeeded his father in Columbia; Herman L. Rose, St. Louis; Dr. E. S. Rose, a dentist of Dupo; Oliver Rose of Columbia; Mrs. Ida Cannady, wife of Dr. Edward Cannady of East St. Louis; Mrs. Louise Wilk, wife of Rev. W. F. Wilk of St. Louis; Mrs. Bertha Hollingsworth, wife of Charles Hollingsworth of California; Mrs. Emily Bowler of St. Louis and Mrs. Ella Rohm of Columbia, wife of Ferdi- nand Rohm.
Dr. Rose was a busy man, but still had time to serve his community, for he was a member of the Columbia Board of Education for many years and also President of the Board.
He died July 26, 1896. Columbia mourned for him for he was so much a part of Columbia that his passing left an aching void. His wife died Dec. 18, 1939.
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