USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. I > Part 43
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Capt. William Steinwedell, who came to Quiney in 1849, for many years occupied a prominent position in the business and social eireles of this city. He was born December 21, 1827, in Hanover. His father was George Frederick Steinwedell, born in Hanover in 1790, and his mother, Sophia, nee Firnhaber, born 1797, her father being a superintendent in the Lutheran Church of Hanover. His father, George Frederick Steinwedell, fought in the Battle of Water- loo, June 18, 1815, as a lientenant in a Hanoverian regiment, ocen- pied a prominent position in the army, finally being commandant of the fortifications at Stade. He died in 1880, his wife having pre- eeded him in death in 1877. William Steinwedell attended the com- mereial eollege at Osnabrueck, where he learned English, French and Spanish, having previously been educated in the classies. When the Revolution of 1848 broke out, William Steinwedell was carried away by the movement. Consequently his father advised him to go to America. Well supplied with money he with 200 others left Bremen early in 1849, on the small sailing vessel Meta. The party consisted of well educated men of the different callings and pro- fessions, students and graduates, all well supplied with financial means, and the vessel arrived in the Harbor of New York May 1,
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1849. But they did not tarry Jong, continuing their trip to Niagara Falls, Buffalo. Sandusky, by canal to Porstmouth, Ohio, and then hy steamboat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi to St. Louis. There were 150 passengers on the boat, and the cholera, which raged at that time, also had its victims, fifteen of the passengers dying. The boat landed at night above Cairo, where the dead were buried by torchlight, William Steinwedell acting as speaker at the impressive funeral services. When the boat arrived at St. Louis it was quar- antined. It was on May 22 and 23, 1849, when the terrible conflagra- tion raged on the levee at St. Louis. Then the cholera broke out in that city of about 40,000 inhabitants, hundreds of people dying daily, and so William Steinwedell came to Quincy, where he became ac- quainted with Otto Bertschinger, who came from Lenzburg, Switzer- land, and they organized the firm Bertschinger & Steinwedell, con- dueting a hardware business from 1851 to 1873. Capt. William Stein- wedell during his many years of residence in Quiney became inter- ested in different industrial enterprises, was president of the Arrow- rock Mining & Milling Company, treasurer of the Dick Brothers' Milling Company, secretary of the Dick Brothers' Quiney Brewing Company. etc .; he also was president of the Quiney Gas Company, stockholder of the First National Bank and later of the State Savings, Loan and Trust Company. When John P. Altgeld had been elected as governor of Illinois, Capt. William Steinwedell was appointed as president of the board of trustees of the Illinois Soldiers' Home at Quincy. Soon after the outbreak of the Civil war, Capt. William Steinwedell organized the Quincy National Rifle Guards, comprised of prominent German citizens, who aeted as home guards, rendering valuable service to the National Government during that war, with- out receiving any pay. In 1859 William Steinwedell married Louisa A. Morphy. born in New Orleans of French parents, who had come to Quiney in 1857 with her parents. His wife died in 1901, leaving her husband with five children : William E. Steinwedell, George Stein- wedell, Carl Steinwedell, Mrs. Leila Evatt and Miss Elise Steinwedell. Capt. William Steinwedell died in 1910. William E. Steinwedell, the eldest son, is interested in the Gas Machinery Company, Cleveland, Ohio; George Steinwedell is general manager of the Binghampton Gas Light Company, New York; and Carl Steinwedell is in Quincy, member of the firm Steinwedell & Seehorn, dealers in eigars.
SETTLERS OF 1850
Conrad Heinekamp, born February 9, 1827, in Horn, Lippe Detmold, where his father was manufacturer of pianos and organs, learned the art of constructing musical instruments from his father. In 1850 he came to Quincy, and in 1851 was elected as teacher of Salem Parochial School, a position he filled at two different periods, serving ten years in all. Later he was engaged for thirty years in the factory of Henry Schenk, the altar builder. Conrad Heinckamn
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married Friederike Fogt. April 19, 1904, he died, survived by his wife and three daughters. Lillian, wife of Phineas Haggas, the music teacher, and the Misses Dina and Minna Heinekamp.
George Fischer, born in Quiney Jannary 3, 1850, was the son of John J. and Walburga (Wittmann) Fischer. His parents were among the early pioneers, and his father, who worked for the merehant tailors, Powers & Finlay, died June 5, 1851, leaving his widow and the son mentioned. After attending St. Francis College for five years, George Fischer was apprenticed to Henry Ridder and learned the tinner's trade. Later he opened a tin shop of his own. This proved successful and in 1890 he bought the hardware busi- ness of Lemley Brothers. In 1896 he ereeted a large five-story build . ing, in which the Fischer Iron and Steel Company for many years did a great business. George Fischer died February 26, 1916, leaving his widow, Euphemia Fischer, nee Rieker, with two sons, George Joseph Fischer, manager of the Modern Iron Work, and Joseph J. Fischer, assistant eashier of the Rieker National Bank, and one daughter, Mrs. Joseph H. VandenBoom, Jr. In March, 1918, the Fischer Iron and Steel Company sold their business to the Tenk Hardware Company.
Joseph Granaeher, born April 23, 1827, in Oberbergen, Baden, eame to Quiney in 1850, and was employed in the hardware store of L. & C. H. Bull; then he worked for Pantaleon Sohim, the eooper, and later for Bertsehinger & Steinwedell, hardware merehants. For ten years he was with the Sligo Hardware Company in St. Louis. Returning to Quiney he was in the grocery business with Joseph Weltin. Joseph Granacher married Magdalene Burkhardt, born Angust 19, 1836, in Oberbergen, Baden, who came to Quiney in 1852. She died July 28, 1907, while her husband departed this life November 2, 1909. Two sons, George and Joseph, and two daugh- ters, Mrs. Marie Weltin, and Mrs. Wm. H. Sohm, are among the liv- ing. Theodore Granaeher, born November 21, 1829, eame to Quiney with his brother, and entered the service of Martin Kaltenbach, the cooper. Later for many years he was with Abraham Jonas & Bros., hardware dealers. He married Rosina Burkhardt, born 1834 in Ober- bergen. She died March 3, 1877, her husband departed this life April 11, 1904. Three sons, Sebastian, Edward and Ferdinand, survived, and one daughter, Mrs. Anna Menke, wife of the groeer, A. F. C. Menke.
Reinhold Waldin, born October 27, 1828, in Gera, Principality of Reuss, was a watehmaker and eame to Ameriea in 1848, landing in New York. From there he eame via Erie Canal to Cineinnati, and then to Burlington, Iowa, where he was engaged in the jewelry busi- ness of his brother for a year. Then he went to St. Louis, and finally located in Quiney in 1850, where he was engaged in the jewelry business of William Gage for three years. The latter was surprised
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to see so many Germans visit his business shortly before Christmas, buying presents for their relatives and friends, a custom which at that time was unknown among Anglo Americans. In 1853 Reinhold Waldin bought the jewelry business of a Mr. Parsons, west side of the square, which he conducted until 1861, when he moved to Warsaw. Illinois, but a year later returned to Quincy, and engaged in the jewelry business until 1900, when he died. Reinhold Waldin was twice married. In 1856 he married Margaret Kaiser, born in Chur, Switzerland, and she died in 1865. In 1870 he again married, choosing Lonisa Koch, born in Vlotho, Westphalia, and she died in 1903. Al- bert Waldin. the eldest son, continued the jewelry business for years, while Edward Waldin, the other son, was employed in the business of the Tenk Hardware Company.
Christopher Weber, born September 2, 1838, in Glarus, Switzer- land, came to America with his parents, Jacob and Ursula (Stuesse) Weber. in 1843, the family locating in Highland, Illinois, where the mother was a victim of cholera in 1849, and the father died 1888. In June, 1850, Christopher Weber came to Quiney and was employed in the drug store of his unele, Dr. Michael Doway, Jearning pharmacy. Later he conducted a drug store of his own for twenty-two years. Early in the '70s he was elected city collector for two years. Then he was in the insurance business. Under Samuel Baumgaertner he was assistant assessor, and for many years clerk of the police depart- ment until 1890. An occurrence in his life he never forgot, as it eame near costing his life in the night of December 31, 1863. 1Ie had attended to some business in Canton, Missouri, and came to West Quincy by train. There being no bridge across the river at that time, he had to eross the ice afoot. It was a terribly eold night, Mr. Weber was caught in a snowdrift, lost consciousness and would have frozen to death if his friends had not come to the resene. They had a Sylvester Night's festival in Liederkrenz Hall, at which Chris- topher Weber was expected. Ile not appearing, a party was organ- ized to search for him. They found him and brought him to town. Life seemed almost extinct, but he soon revived: his left hand was frozen so badly that it had to be amputated. September 1, 1864. Christopher Weber married Caroline Ruff, a daughter of the old pioneer, Jacob Ruff. Christopher Weber died Angust 23, 1917, Jeav- ing his wife, two sons, Carl Weber, an electrician, now a farmer in Colorado, and Frederick Weber, a machinist in St. Louis; also two daughters. Annette, the wife of John Welton in Galesburg, Hlinois, and Emma Ursula, the wife of Alex Brown, in the insurance busi- ness in Chicago.
Gerhard Mueller, born May 13, 1801, in Noorden, Ostfriesland. married Thoma Bockmeyer, born April 17, 1820, in the same town. In 1849 the family emigrated and came to New Orleans, where they remained during the winter. In the spring if 1850 they came up
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the river and landed in Quiney April 15, where they located. Gerhard Mueller was a shoemaker and followed his trade for many years, his death occurring July 10, 1876. His wife, Mrs. Thoma Mueller, for many years conducted a millinery store in this eity, she departed this life September 3, 1891. Bernard H. Miller, the eldest son, born in Noorden, January 4, 1848, grew up in Quincy and attended Salem Parochial School. His first work was selling newspapers dur- ing the Civil war on the MeCune line of packets. March 1, 1864, he secured a place in the drug store of Adolph Zimmermann, but in the following fall obtained a position in the laboratory of Jacob S. Merrill, St. Louis, and later was employed by E. J. Williamson in the same city. He was one of the original members of the St. Louis College of Pharmacy. In 1866 he returned to Quiney to accept a position with Rutherford, Hurlbut & Company, afterwards Sommer & Metz, and three years later associated himself in the drug business with George Terdenge. In 1874 the firm Sommer, Miller & Terdenge was formed. The year following Mr. Sommer withdrew and Albert Sellner became interested in the business. January 1, 1884, W. H. Arthur bought out Mr. Terdenge's interest and January 1, 1889, the firm Miller & Arthur became the sole proprietors. Today the great business is conducted under the firm and style The Miller & Arthur Drug Company. June 6, 1872, Bernard Il. Miller married Harriet Henshall of this eity, she died in 1910, leaving her husband with one son, Bernard H. Miller, Jr., who was with the Fisk Rubber Tire Company in Springfield, Massachusetts, where he died two years ago, aged twenty-one years; also two daughters, Cora, wife of Don Rapp, Springfield, Massachusetts, and Thoma, wife of Byron Gilbert in Chicago. Bernard H. Miller later married for the second time, choosing for his wife Mrs. Frances Connelly, of Red Bluff, California. Gerhard Miller, Jr., the second son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard Mueller, was a traveling salesman for a wholesale house and lost his life thirty-five years ago, he being caught in the ruins of a building that was wreeked in St. Louis. Antje, the eldest daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gerhard Mueller, was born in Noorden and became the wife of Leslie Williamson, machinist in Quiney. Etta, another daugh- ter, beeame the wife of Jesse Laird in this eity.
Clemens August VandenBoom, born December 8, 1818, in Stadt- lohn, Westphalia, married Gertrude Jessing, born 1822 in Leyden. In 1847 they emigrated and located in Cineinnati, where they re- mained until 1850 when they moved to Quiney. Clemens A. Vanden- Boom was a wood turner and established a furniture factory in Quiney, first utilizing horse power and later steam power. In 1869 he sold out and went into partnership with Henry Blomer in the pork paeking business, under the firm name VandenBoom & Blomer. In 1883 the senior partner withdrew and retired from business, depart- ing this life in 1885. Clemens A. VandenBoom was several times elected as alderman, representing the Sixth Ward in the city council.
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He was twice married, his first wife died in 1860, and later he married Elizabeth Ellers, she departed this life in 1888. Henry Alexander VandenBoom, born 1848 in Cincinnati, a son of Clemens A. VandenBoom, for many years condneted a chair factory in this city until he retired from business in 1902. Ile died September 3, 1916, leaving his wife, Edith, nee Freund, and the following children : J. II. VandenBoom, and H. J. VandenBoom, dealers in furniture, Kansas City, Missouri; Alfred and Frank in St. Louis: Robert in Cincinnati; Ralph, bookkeeper ; Oscar, a mechanie ; Julius, a draughts- man ; Mrs. George Carnes, in Chicago: Miss Estelle VandenBoom, at home, and Mrs. Arthur Diek in Quiney. Joseph Henry Vanden- Boom, born in Quiney in 1854, began his education in the parochial schools and later attended Bryant & Stratton Business College, being graduated in 1869. For three years he was employed as a elerk in the Ricker Bank, and in 1872 entered the service of Vanden Boom & Blomer, with whom he continued three years as bookkeeper. hu 1875 he formed a partnership with Henry Moller, his brother-in-law, they conducting a lumber business under the firm name Moller & Vanden Boom, which proved a great success. August 19, 1900, Henry Moller died and the following year the Moller & Vanden Boom Lum- ber Company was incorporated, with Joseph HI. VandenBoom as president, Henry Moller, seeretary, and Fred Moller, treasurer. Be- sides the lumber business MIr. VandenBoom is interested in several other eommereial and manufacturing enterprises. Ile also represented the Sixth Ward in the city council for several terms. In 1876 he married Amelia Kaeltz, a daughter of the old pioneer, Adolph Kaeltz; she died in 1880. In 1885 he wedded Julia Kaeltz, a sister of his first wife. Their children are : Joseph H., Jr., graduate of St. Canisius College, Buffalo, New York, and now with the Moller-Vanden Boom Company, and one daughter, Alvera.
The history of the Kreitz family is very interesting. John Sebas- tian Kreitz, born JJune 24, 1805, and his brother. Winand Kreitz, born May 9, 1807, natives of Zuelpich, Rhenish Prussia, emigrated December 25. 1843, leaving Antwerp, Belgium, for San Tomas, Guate- mała, Central America. Winand Kreitz and his wife, Anna Eliza- beth, nee Boettgenbach, had three sons, John Matthew, born Septen- ber 25. 1835: Theodore William, born May 11, 1838 ; and John Baptist, born August 14, 1841. In 1906 Theodore W. Kreitz related the his- tory of their sojourn in Central America to the writer of this narra- tive, as follows: "After arriving in Central America, and while on our way to the colony, we for half a day had to wade through water. finally reaching a dense forest. Father, who was a gunsmith, carried a rifle which he had made himself. We were very hungry, and father shot a monkey, which we fried and ate, finding the meat very palatable. The trip to our destination in Guatemala took three months. The natives were friendly to the colonists and aided them. Raffael Carrera. the president, gave orders to father to take the old flintlocks from
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the rifles and replace them with perenssion locks. Thus father had considerable work to do. Among other things he construeted a combination lock for the stockade in which the political prisoners were kept, the government of Guatemala paying him one thousand dollars for the invention. Then father opened a commission busi- ness, sending cochineal, sarsaparilla, Panama hats, etc., to Germany and France. In November, 1846, we left Guatemala and returned to our old home in Germany ; two years later we again went to Guate- mala, and in 1850 finally left for the United States. President Raf- fael Carrera, who thought a great deal of father, sent a bodyguard of twenty men to escort our family to the coast. April 13, 1850, we left Belize, Honduras,, on board the bark Juanita for New Orleans, and from there came up the Mississippi to Quincy, where father died of cholera, July 1, 1850, while mother departed this life July 28, 1879. Father brought the first Panama hats to Quiney in 1850 and sold them to H. F. J. Rieker, who conducted a general store." John Matthew Kreitz after arriving in Quincy worked on a farm, then secured a position as clerk in a groeery and later condueted a busi- ness of his own. He was city collector of Quincy for one term, and was sheriff of Adams County in 1871 and 1872. For many years he was in the ice business until he died, September 6, 1888. Hle married Mary Ohnemus, daughter of the old pioneer, Matthias Ohnemus, she now lives in Los Angeles, California. Theodore W. Kreitz held dif- ferent offices, being eity eolleetor in 1869 and 1870, also deputy sheriff and harbor master. He invented an automatie fire and burglar alarm, and an automatic apparatus for the extinction of fires, but had no success with his inventions, he died seven years ago. John Baptist Kreitz learned the trade of saddler and harnessmaker in Quincy. In 1861 he went overland to California, returning in 1866. He also was county treasurer for one term. His wife was Rosalie Merssmann, daughter of the old pioneer, John B. Merssmann. John B. Kreitz died August 11, 1890, his wife departed this life November 14, 1906. Mrs. Christine Hutmacher, wife of August C. Hutmaeher, proprietor of the Pacific Hotel, is the only member of the original Kreitz family among the living today.
SETTLERS OF 1851
Edmund Reichel, born March 26, 1823, in Bremen, as the son of a merehant, eame to Ameriea in 1847, landing in Baltimore, where he remained two years, then came to Cincinnati, and two years later, in 1851, came to Quiney. Here he married Julia von Goetzen, boru in Koenigsberg, Prussia. After being in business for some time, he located in Gilmer Township and followed agricultural pursuits. Later he returned to the city, where he conducted a grocery store in con- nection with a commission business. Then he sold out and again went to farming in Burton Township. In 1870 he retired having devoted ten years to agricultural pursuits, and came to Quiney to
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spend the remainder of his life in this city. In 1857 his wife died and in 1892 he went to the Old Peoples' Home, founded by the Ger- man Methodists in this eity, where he died several years ago.
George Gutapfel, born July 24, 1821, in Geisweiler, Alsace, came to America with his parents in 1828, the family locating in Buffalo, New York, where the father, Michael Gutapfel, died in 1832, while the mother. Katherine, nee Wollion, departed this life in 1864. George Gutapfel, the son, in 1838, came to Keil's Colony in Zoar, Ohio, where the founders of the colony established great iron works. In 1841 George Gutapfel, who was a smith, came to St. Louis, and in 1851 located in Quiney, where he for many years conducted a smith shop. His wife was Margaret, nee Wolf, born December 21, 1821, in Geis- weiler, Alsace : she died March 16, 1899, while her husband departed this life in 1912. George Goodapple, the eldest son, served in the One Hundred and Forty-eighth Ilinois Infantry during the Civil war, and lives in Quiney, besides John Goodapple, the second son,- as is seen here, the name becoming Americanized. Katherine, the eldest daughter, became the wife of Louis Lambur, and she resides at the Soldiers' Home as a widow.
John Balthasar Rettig, born September 29. 1803, in Gross-Biberau, Grandduchy of Hessen, Jearned the cooper's trade, and later married Elizabeth Muench, born in Klein-Umstadt, Hessen. In 1851 the conple came to Quiney, where John B. Rettig for many years worked for John Wood, the founder of Quiney. Mr. Rettig died in 1881, while his wife departed this life November 11, 1901. John Rettig, the son, born March 20, 1854, grew up in Quincy, and for many years has been employed in the paint shop of the Collins Plow Company in Quiney. He married Mathilde Linz, a daughter of the old pioneer, George Linz. Their sons are: John Rettig. Jr., who was educated in the schools of Quiney, later attended the Chicago School of Pharmacy, passed the prescribed examination before the State Board of Pharmacy, and as a registered pharmacist has been in the drug busi- ness for a number of years, being the senior member of the firm Rettig & Bremser; George Rettig, the second son, is engaged as pattern maker in Peoria, Ilinois: Harry and Carl Rettig are twins, and larry is in France with the United States army as member of the Engineer Corps, while Carl is engaged as a plumber in Okla- homa City, Oklahoma. Daughters of John and Mathilde (Linz) Rettig are: Mrs. Harry Boorman and Mrs. Andrew Paul, both in Los Angeles, California, and Mrs. Eugene Isselhardt in Quiney.
Rev. August Henry Schmieding deserves especial mention in the history of the German pioneers of Quincy, as it was due to his in- fluence that many emigrants from Westphalia located in this city. Angust Henry Schmieding was born March 16, 1804. in Bielefeld, Westphalia. In 1816, when twelve years of age, he entered the col-
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lege of his home town, which he attended for seven years, graduating in 1823. Then he matriculated in the University of Halle, from which he graduated in 1826. In the same year he was appointed as assistant pastor in Loehne, and in 1829 as pastor in Valdorf, near the Weser. There he married Clara Margaret Schroeder, born in Detmold, who died twelve years later. In 1851 Reverend Schmieding emigrated and came to America with five children, one son and four daughters, locating in St. Louis, where a brother and a sister had settled in 1835. While not intending to accept a pastorate so soon, as he wanted to first acquaint himself with this country and its people, yet there was such an urgent need of ministers of the gospel, that he was induced to follow a call from Quincy, after a delegation from this city had visited him personally. It was in August, 1851, when Rev. Angust H. Schmieding organized St. Jacobi congregation, and be- came its pastor, a position which he held for twenty-two years, being compelled to resign in 1873, on account of his advanced age. He departed this life October 13, 1879. As stated in the beginning of this narrative, it was due to the influence of Rev. August H. Schmied- ing that many emigrants from Westphalia came to Quincy, the greater part of the south side being settled by them and their descend- ants. Often he received inquiries of friends and acquaintances in the fatherland about the condition of things; he always gave them a fair statement, assuring them that, with strong hearts and willing hands, they would find this the land of opportunities and possibilities. And so they came and made their mark in the City of Quincy and Adams County, contributing their share to the upbuilding of this community. Of the four daughters of Rev. August H. Schmieding only one is among the living, Mrs. Minna Ringier, widow of Oscar Ringier, the latter a native of Switzerland, who for many years was prominent in business in this city : Miss Margaret Ringier, librarian of Quincy's public library, is a daughter of Mrs. Minna Ringier.
SETTLERS OF 1852
Henry G. Klipstein, born June 29, 1835, in Kalt Ohmfeld, Prussia, came to America in 1852, arriving in Quiney November 21 of said year. Here he learned the shoemaker's trade, and also was engaged as machinist in a planing mill. For twenty years he was overscer of Quiney's parks, having gained the necessary knowledge from his grandfather, who was civil engineer and landscape gardener in Ger- many.
August Hammerschmidt, born in 1830 near the Rhine, came to Quincy in 1852. He was a cabinet maker, and for many years em- ployed in the furniture factory of Frederick W. Jansen ; later he for a number of years was foreman in the Quincy Show Case Works. In 1855 he married Julia Jansen. Both departed this life years ago. J. William Hammerschmidt, for years engaged in the coal business, is a son of August and Julia (Jansen) Hammerschmidt.
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