Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 36

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 952

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Richard Burgis Starr was born on the site of his present residence June 25, 1842. He was only four years of age when his father died. IIis widowed mother was left with the care of three children, the oldest being nine. It was a heavy task which she assumed to keep the farm and rear her children. She was a woman of great native capacity and intelligence, and had all the courage and resourcefulness usually associated with the women of pioneer epoch. As a result of her thrift and industry she was able to send her oldest daughter to an institute at Guilford, Connectient, and thus afforded her advantages not to be had in Illinois at that time. Mrs. Starr was a daughter of Isaac Benton, who came to Illinois to make his home with his daughter, and he was of great assistance to her in bringing up the family. He died at the venerable age of eighty-seven. Mrs. Starr died November 18, 1879, at the age of sixty-eight.

As a result of the conditions and circumstances thus described, some in- usually heavy responsibilities awaited Richard Burgis Starr when a boy. Ile was only fourteen when he took practically all the management of the home farm. In the meantime his education had been limited to a few terms each winter in the district school at Mendon. After reaching his majority he bought the interests of his sisters in the old homestead, and has lived continuously in that locality all his life. He has extended his possessions until the farm now comprises 240 acres. In 1881 he erected a modern home to replace the one built by his father forty years before. Mr. Starr is engaged in general farming and stock growing, and during the last half century he has been identified with all the worthy interests and improvements of his community. He is a re- publican and a strong temperance man. His partisanship is not so striet as to prevent him from supporting a worthy man for office, and he was one of the many Illinois republicans who supported Mr. Wilson for the presidency. He has served one term as justice of the peace and also as assessor, and used his official power in the latter position to rectify many cases of tax dodging. He has been a member of the Congregational Church at Mendon, the First Congrega- tional Church established in Illinois, since he was twenty-one years of age, and for half a century has been active in its Sunday school either as a teacher or superintendent.

November 9, 1871, Mr. Starr married Althea Elizabeth Taylor, of Urbana, Illinois. She was born at Dayton, Ohio, January 31, 1848, and died November 24, 1909. She was reared in Illinois and was a successful teacher before her marriage. There were three children born to them : Gilbert Taylor Starr, born April 9, 1873, is now the active manager of his father's farm. He married Leota Quinn, and they have one child, Charles Taylor, born April 24, 1911. Charles Burgis Starr, born October 24, 1877, is in the real estate business at Los Angeles, California, and he married Rose Dillon. Willis Fitch Starr, the youngest child, was born August 24, 1881, and died February 14, 1884.

JOHN FRANKLIN SLONIGER is an Adams County citizen who has shown ability to handle his own affairs successfully, to establish a home and win a most substantial promise of continued prosperity and usefulness. Mr. Sloniger has one of the good farms of Honey Creek Township, located three and a half miles northeast of Mendon.

In the same township he was born Mareh 11, 1873. His birth occurred in a building that had been used as a smoke house on Jim Sloniger's farm. His parents were John and Sophronia Jane (Miller) Sloniger. Jolin Sloniger was a son of Oliver Sloniger, who had brought his family west and settled in Marshall County, Illinois. Oliver remained in that county, while his three brothers, Joel, Joshua and Jacob, all became residents of Honey Creek Town- ship. John Sloniger came to Adams County when a young man, married the daughter of Samnel F. Miller, of Honey Creek Township, and then returned to Marshall County. One child was born in that county, and the family then came back to Adams County and John Sloniger worked for his cousin, Jim Sloniger, and was so engaged at the time of the birth of John Franklin Sloni-

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ger. John Sloniger was an expert mechanic and machinist, and one of the best qualified men in Adams County handling a separator. He operated a threshing outfit of his own for a few years. He was a man of fine principles, had many friends, but was not actuated by the spirit of acquisitiveness and was well satisfied to go through life with little property to eneumber him. His death occurred in Honey Creek Township in 1917, at the age of seventy- two, and his wife died six months later. The first death to break up the family circle occurred only a year before the father passed away. Their family of four children were: Eva Ellen, wife of Robert Hastings; John Franklin; William, who lives at Mendon and married Sallie O'Dear; and Anna May, who died in 1916, at the age of twenty-nine, wife of Fred Hastings.

John Franklin Sloniger lived at home with his parents to the age of four- teen. When eleven years old his skill in handling the plow and proficieney in setting up bundles caused his serviees to be in demand by some of the neighboring farmers at the small wages then paid boys and farm hands. At the age of fourteen he regularly began employment at a monthly wage, and received what was then considered the best wages for that serviee, eighteen dollars a month, board and the keep of a horse. When he was eighteen he took the next step in his progress, renting Charles Towers' farm. While there his mother kept house for him two years, and one of his sisters was also with him part of the time.

At the age of twenty-one Mr. Sloniger married Miss Cora Elizabeth Hast- ings, who was then twenty years of age. She is a daughter of William Hastings, of one of the old and honored families of Adams County. The first year after his marriage Mr. Sloniger worked roads for Dan Hawe, then commissioner of highways. During that time he lived on the same place where he was born. He then rented again, worked roads for two years, and for six years occupied as a tenant the 120-acre farm of P. S. Judy. For two years he was on the William Kells farm and then for two years rented his present place from its owner, Alfred Schill. In 1907 Mr. Sloniger was able to put a long cherished plan into effect to acquire a finaneial interest in the soil. He bought from Mr. Schill 108 acres, at a price agreed upon of $69.50 an acre. He had only $500 as cash payment, as shortly before the sickness of his wife had eost him $600. Though he had little capital he had gathered considerable stock and farm implements, and he started out bravely with $7,000 indebtedness. Sinee then, with continued work, he has cleared away practically all his debt and at the same time has greatly increased the value of his home. Four years ago he built a new house, and he also has a new barn. His land lies partly in Keene as well as in Honey Creek Township. Mr. Sloniger handles some good stoek, ineluding about fifty head of Jersey Red hogs.

For seven continuous years he served as road commissioner. his distriet in the northwest part of the township containing many large bridges, and for nine years he was also a school director. Mr. and Mrs. Sloniger have one son, Chester Earl, who is farming in Gilmer Township and married Elfa Shepard. Mr. and Mrs. Sloniger also have two boys in their home. Gilbert and Albert Shay, who were taken at the respective ages of five and six and are now thir- teen and fourteen. These are children of his wife's sister. Still another mem- ber of the household is Merle Hastings, the child of Mr. Sloniger's sister. Merle was taken into the home at eleven. Thus considering his publie service the way he has worked to win a home, and the young people who have enjoyed the benefits and comforts of that home. it is evident Mr. Sloniger has not lived to himself wholly, but has exemplified a commendable degree of public spirit and a spirit of doing something for others.

THEO. ENRIIART. By its products the Excelsior Stove & Manufacturing Company. of Quincy is known praetieally around the world. It is a great cor- poration, an immense plant, in normal times employing between 450 and 500 men, and it goes without saying that it requires a man of superior ability and

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experience to handle all this immense establishment. Its general superintendent is Theo. Ehrhart, who began his career as an iron or stove molder, and by gradual processes as his merits justified raised himself to a position where he is one of the leading business men of Quincy.

Mr. Ehrhart was born in St. Louis, October 17, 1866. He attended the common schools of his native city, and learned the trade of molder with the Bridge & Beach Stove Company. He was in their employ until he came to Quincy in 1887, and here began work for the Channon-Emery Stove Company. He followed his trade actively until about 1895, and then was sent on the road as salesman of repairs, and as such traveled for three years over portions of the states of Kansas and Missouri. In 1898, when the Excelsior Stove & Manufac- turing Company was incorporated, Mr. Ehrhart was one of the men most active in the organization and became superintendent of the manufacturing depart- ment, a position which entails the general supervision of the plant. Mr. John J. Fisher is president and general manager of the company.

Mr. Ehrhart's parents were Matthew and Magdalena (Vogel) Ehrhart. They were born in Rhenish Bavaria, Germany, and came to America when young people. At St. Louis they were married in old St. Mary's Catholic Church. The father was a cooper by trade and condneted a shop of his own in St. Louis from 1866 until he retired in 1899. He died at St. Louis in 1902, at the age of seventy-five. His widow passed away in 1911, and was of the same age. They were for many years members of SS. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in St. Louis, and they were laid to rest in the family plot of the church- yard in that parish.

Theo. Ehrhart married at Quincy Miss Ottilia Fisher, a sister of John J. Fisher, president and manager of the Excelsior Stove & Manufacturing Com- pany, whose individual career is the subject of a separate sketch published elsewhere. Mrs. Ehrhart was born in Quincy, attended St. Mary's Parochial School, and the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Ehrhart was the last celebrated in old St. Mary's Church before it was burned. They are now active members of St. Boniface Church. Mr. and Mrs. Ehrhart have an interesting family of eight children. Matthew J., who was educated in St. Mary's Parochial School, the Irving Public School and National Business College, is now secretary of the N. Kohl Grocer Company, of Quincy. He married Agatha Kohl, of Quincy, and their son, Matthew, Jr., was born in 1918. Lieut. Theodore F. Ehrhart was educated in the same schools as his brother, is a graduate of Gem City Business College, and for nine years was connected with the clerical depart- ment of the Excelsior Stove & Manufacturing Company, being in charge of their claim and billing departments. He is stationed at Camp Mcclellan, Alabama. Herbert W., the second soldier of the family, had an education sim- ilar to that of his brothers, having finished school in 1913. For four years he was connected with his father's company in a clerical capacity, then went with the International Harvester Company, and is now stationed at Camp Bragg, Fayetteville, North Carolina, a member of the Forty-sixth United States Infantry. Irene H. is a graduate of St. Mary's Parochial School and the Quincy High School. Paul F. is a member of the class of 1919 of the Quincy High School. Mae M. is a student at St. Mary's Academy, while the youngest of the family are twins. Edna Ottilia and John J., and both in St. Boniface Parochial School. Mr. Ehrhart and his three eldest sons are members of the Knights of Columbus. Matthew J. and Theodore F. are fourth degree mem- bers of that order, and Theodore F. has a prominent place among the Knights of Columbus of Illinois. He has served as chancellor and deputy grand knight of Quincy Council, being elected grand knight of that council at the age of twenty-two.

LEROY A. NOLL is secretary of the Noll-Hauworth Company, a business that would be immediately classified as one of Quincy's important and most dis- tinctive manufacturing and wholesale firms. They are manufacturers of a

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large line of overalls and workingmen's elothes, and they also do a big whole- sale business in manufactured furnishing goods. Their output is distributed all over the Central West. Mr. Leroy A. Noll in addition to his duties as secretary of the company is also its commercial representative on the road, and is the man primarily responsible for the maintenance of cordial and profit- able relations with the retail trade through the states of Nebraska, Kansas and Eastern Illinois. He has been secretary of the company since January, 1914.

Mr. Noll was born in Quiney, December 3, 1876, and grew up here, being a graduate of the high school and of the Philbriek Business College. After leaving school he went into the railroad service and was with the general offices of the Burlington and also the Northern Pacific. He was in the railroad and transportation work from 1894 to 1915. During eight years of this time he had charge of the traffic department of the United States Steel Corporation at Duluth, Minnesota.

His grandfather was one of the early settlers of Quiney, and died here when past eighty years of age. Mr. Noll is a son of Angust Theodore Noll, who was born in Quincy about sixty-five years ago and died here in 1898. IIe was for many years a commercial salesman, and became well known over a large ter- ritory as well as in his home City of Quiney. August Theodore Noll married Alice Hildebrand. She was born in Moline, Illinois, but was reared and edu- cated in Quincy, where she is now living at the age of sixty-five. She and her husband have been members of the Methodist Church and in politics most of the family have been republicans.

Leroy A. Noll has a brother, W. G. Noll, who is head of the Noll-Hauworth Company. Their only sister, Franees Elvira, is the wife of Arthur Wehmeyer, a traveling salesman with home at Jacksonville, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Weh- meyer have a son, Noll.

Leroy Noll married at Brookfield, Missouri, Matilda M. Gardner. She was born there in 1878, and was educated in the high school and the Brookfield College. Her parents, J. C. and Jane E. (Spivey) Gardner, were natives of Virginia, were married in that state and two years later moved to Brookfield, Missonri, where they are still living. Their five children are all married, and one of them, Dr. A. J. Gardner, a graduate of the medical department of the l'niversity of Michigan, is now enjoying a success practice in medicine and surgery in Southwestern Nebraska. Mrs. Noll is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Noll is a republican and is affiliated with the United Commercial Travelers.

JUDGE BENJAMIN HECKLE. In the annals of Adams County the name of Benjamin Heckle, of Quincy, will long oeeupy a place of prominence, he hav- ing in his offieial eareer filled many important publie positions with credit to himself and to the honor and satisfaction of his constituents. A native of Ger- many, he was born June 18, 1847, a son of Theodore and Marnana (Meyer) IIeekle.

In 1851 Theodore Heckle eame with his family to the United States, locat- ing first in Detroit, Michigan. Subsequently migrating to Scott County, Iowa, he bought a tract of land near the present site of the town of Buffalo, which he laid out, and there both lie and his wife spent their remaining days. Of the twelve children born of their union, three are now living, as follows: Joseph, residing in Quincy ; Katherine, widow of Henry Springmeyer, lives in Buffalo, Iowa : and Benjamin, the subject of this sketeh.

Coming from Iowa to Adams County, Illinois, soon after the death of his mother, Benjamin Heckle completed his early education in the parochial sehools, and on attaining man's estate engaged in mercantile pursuits. In 1882, at the urgent solieitation of friends, he became candidate for sheriff of Adams County, and being elected to the offiee served acceptably for four years. He was after- ward appointed internal revenue collector by President. Cleveland, and ren- dered excellent service in that eapaeity from 1888 until 1892. Being then

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elected county recorder, Judge Heckle served satisfactorily for four years. Just after the expiration of his term of office as sheriff he had for a time been engaged in the manufacture of shirts and overalls, and in 1896 he again turned his attention to his private interests. In 1900 he once more entered the public arena, and being elected county recorder served faithfully for four years. He was then elected justice of the peace, and has served continuously in that ca- pacity ever since, a length of time that bears visible evidence of his ability and fidelity.

Judge Heckle married, November 7, 1871, Victoria S. Mast, a native of Adams County, Illinois. Eight children have been born of the union of Judge and Mrs. Heckle, namely: Cceelia, wife of A. M. Simons, of Visalia, Cali- fornia; Alois, with whom the judge is associated in the insurance business in Quincy ; Joseph, who was accidentally killed ; Carl, living in Quincy; Benjamin J .; Edith, wife of Harry Kirtley, of Bushnell, Illinois; Robert F., of Bush- nell ; and Theresa, wife of Robert Mueller, of Quiney, now serving as county surveyor. Politically Judge Heckle is a steadfast democrat. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of Columbus. Since early manhood he has been con- spicuously identified with religious mattens, and is an active member of St. John's Catholic Church, to which Mrs. Heckle also belongs.

The MERKEL HARDWARE COMPANY is a Quiney firm with which nearly all the people of Adams County are familiar. It is a business that has had a sub- stantial growth and for several years has represented the enterprise and initia- tive of four splendid young business men, brothers, who combine with their business ability a high degree of patriotic fervor. All but one are of draft age, and two are now serving with the colors. They are the material of which good soldiers are made. All the brothers stand about six feet in height, arc physically perfect, and all of them have a wonderful fund of robust energy at their command.

The president of the company is Carl E. Merkel. The vice president is Albert O. Merkel, now serving with the rank of sergeant and stationed at Camp Logan. The third brother, Arthur C., is secretary and treasurer of the com- pany and is manager of the company's branch store at 1203 State Street. The other member of the firm is Allen H., who is now in the army at Camp Dodge, Iowa.

The business was established by the honored father of these brothers, John J. Merkel, who began it as a partner with William Heim. They opened their stock of goods at the present location of the main store, 1711 Broadway, in 1902, and later the business was incorporated. In 1908 John J. Merkel acquired Mr. Heim's interests and took in his son Arthur C. as a partner. In 1908 the Merkel Hardware Company was organized, and the father continued a gen- eral supervision of the business until his death in June, 1911. He had care- fully trained his sons so that they have been worthy successors of their father. Continuing the main store, they have added the branch store on State Street, both being about the same size. They have these stores stocked with staple hardware of all kinds, anto accessories, fencing, roofing and other materials.

All the Merkel brothers were born in Quincy and all werc educated in the high school. Allen II. and Arthur C. also attended the Gem City Business College. Allen H. is a Mason and Shriner and Elk, while Arthur C. is af- filiated with the Elks. Arthur married Jessie Abbott, of Quiney. Mr. Carl E. Merkel married in January, 1918, Miss Helen I. MeDonnell, who was born in Quincy and educated in the city schools. She is of Irish and French ancestry, and both her parents are still living in Quiney, where her father is a gas spe- cialty man representing the Russell Engineering Company of St. Lonis.

John J. Merkel, father of Merkel Brothers, was born in Pennsylvania of German parentage, and was a small child when the family located in Quincy. He grew up here, learned the tinner's trade, and later was the commercial traveling representative for the Gem City Stove Company. He was one of

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their leading salesmen for twenty-five years, and one mark of the esteem in which he was held by the company was a fine gold watch presented him for his services. While on the road for this concern he established the hardware busi- mess so that his sons might have it as their business opportunity when they came to age. John J. Merkel married at Quincy Miss Mary Lepper, who was born in this city of German parentage. She died at Quincy in 1912, at the age of fifty. John J. Merkel was about forty-eight when he died. He was a member of the Congregational Church and his wife of St. Jacobi Lutheran Church.

WILLIAM LEVI RUTLEDGE. A more enviable class can not be found in America today than the farm owners, those especially who went through many trials and hardships to acquire and develop their land, and in recent years have come to realize worthy rewards for the many sacrifices they made in earlier life. One of this class is William Levi Rutledge, who now past three score and ten lives in comfortable retirement on his farm two miles south of Paloma and fourteen miles northeast of Quincy in Gilmer Township.

Mr. Rutledge has been a resident of Adams County for over sixty years. He came here when a boy of eight. His birth occurred in Baltimore County, Mary- land, July 25, 1847. His parents, Benjamin and Mary Ann (Rutledge) Rutledge, came West and arrived at Qniney April 19, 1855. They soon after- ward settled on the farm that is now owned by J. B. Thomas south of Columbus in Gilmer Township. Benjamin Rutledge acquired 255 acres in that locality, and one of his pioneer experiences was hauling corn sixteen miles to a distillery near Quincy and then selling it for 121/2 cents a bushel. On that farm the father built the comfortable home that still stands in 1877. The previous residence was burned in that spring. Three years before he had erected a good barn. Benjamin Rutledge spent the last six years of his life in Columbus, and finally sold his farm to Judge John C. Broady. He died at Columbus September 4, 1905, at the age of eighty-four. His widow survived him until October, 1916, and died at the age of eighty-six. In Maryland Benjamin Rut- ledge had operated a paper mill in company with his wife's father. The latter was a millwright by trade. Their establishment was twenty-four miles north of Baltimore. Benjamin Rutledge's father-in-law, Levi Rutledge, also came to Illinois and bought land adjoining that of his son and daughter, and died there at the age of seventy. Benjamin Rutledge and wife had seven children : William L .: Adam T., who lives in the State of Oregon; Frank, a resident of Kansas: Elizabeth, wife of Steve Pollock, of Colorado; George W., of Clayton, Illinois ; Lanra, wife of Grover Haley, of Kansas; and John H., who has greatly prospered as a farmer and land owner at Smithfield, Nebraska.

William Levi Rutledge grew up on his father's farm and besides his train- ing in the local schools was well fitted for the tasks of a practical agriculturist. On February 28, 1867, at the age of nineteen, he married Miss Mary Etta Wiseman. Mrs. Rutledge was born near Taylor in Marion County, Missouri, February 15, 1846. Her brothers moved to Illinois on account of conditions growing out of the Civil war. After his marriage Mr. Rutledge lived one year on the home farm, then spent seven years in Burton Township, two years at Columbus, and in 1877 came to his present home, comprising 160 aeres. For this land he paid $52 an acre. He began his home making embarrassed with a heavy load of debt and it was bearing 10 per cent interest, and it seems almost incredible to the present generation how he paid it off and lived when hogs sold at 21/2 cents a pound and corn at 16 cents a bushel. But he suc- ceeded in making the land pay for itself. Gradually from year to year many improvements were made. His first necessary improvement was the construc- tion of a barn. The old house which stood on the land when he bought it has undergone many changes until it is now modern in comforts and conveniences. Mr. Rutledge, it should be mentioned, bought this land in partnership with

WILLIAM L. RUTLEDGE

LIBRARY T THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS

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Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II, Part 36

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 952

Author: Wilcox, David F., 1851- ed
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 952