USA > Illinois > Adams County > Quincy > Quincy and Adams County history and representative men, Vol. II > Part 88
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September 9, 1914, Elder Strickler married for his second wife Mrs. Eliza Hooker, of Fayette County, Pennsylvania. His five children by his first wife are as follows : Baptist H., who is a minister also, married Ida Eddy now dead, and he lives with his father: Emma, wife of M. F. Curless, of Keene Township : Charles, a railroad man living at Loraine, married Addie Baggerly; Fannie. who died at the age of thirty, wife of William O. Thompson ; and Henry C. who married Florence Turner and lives on the old home farm.
FRANK SHRIVER. Of the men in the prime of life who are carrying the heavy burdens of Adams County agriculture one whose position deserves special mention is Frank Shriver of Ursa Township. He is proprietor of a fine farm of 160 aeres in section 32 of that township. The land is well drained and roll- ing, and has every improvement that a first class farmer needs. The buildings are all substantial, including a modern eight-room house. Mr. Shriver bought
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this farm in 1912, and has done mueh to improve it and increase its efficiency and productiveness.
He is a native of Adams County and has lived here all his life. He was born in Mendon Township January 11, 1871. As a boy he attended the local schools there and his early training led him to take up and successfully conduct the business of farming. His parents were Louis and Catherine (Wagamann) Shriver. Both were born in about the same locality of Germany, were ae- quainted as children, and were married after they came to Adams County, on March 5, 1857. They had little or nothing to begin on, and going into the woods of Mendon Township they practically hewed a farm out of the wilder- ness and by hard work made a substantial living for themselves and their children. They had two farms in the township. They died on the second place, in seetion 26, the father on May 13, 1890, at the age of seventy, and the mother on August 19, 1896, aged sixty-four. They were laid side by side in the eeme- tery in Mendon Township. Both were devout Lutherans and the father was a democrat. Of their children Henry is now deceased, and left a widow and one son and three daughters; Louis is a resident of Ursa Township, is married and has two sons; Leonard is a widower living in Ellington Township, and the father of two sons and two daughters; William died in infancy; Louise Catherine lives in East St. Louis, widow of Victor Waddick, and has a son and daughter; another daughter, Catherine, died in infaney.
Frank Shriver married in Mendon Township Mareh 23, 1898, Miss Mattie Myers. She was born in Mendon Township Deeember 3, 1878, and she and her husband were schoolmates in the Elm Grove School. Her parents were John H. and Emma (Evans) Myers. Her father was a native of Pennsylvania of German ancestry, and was brought to Quiney when young by his parents. Ile grew up and married in Quiney, where his wife was born. Emma Evans was of Welsh parentage. John Myers after his marriage started farming on a small place, but in course of time developed a good home in Mendon Township. He died there in 1913, when sixty-three years of age, while his widow is still living. Both were members of the United Brethren Church at Fowler. Mrs. Shriver has two brothers and two sisters still living. Etta lives in Adams County, the widow of William Daugherty, and has one daughter. Frank is a farmer in Mendon Township, is married but has no children. Samuel also a Mendon Township farmer, is the father of one son and two daughters. Ger- trude is the wife of E. B. Dudley, of Mendon Township, and they have one daughter.
Mr. and Mrs. Shriver have a daughter, Ada M., born June 1, 1902, now in the second year of the Quincy High School. Their son, John Willis, was born February 26, 1906, and is now in the fifth grade of the country schools. Mr. Shriver is a democratie voter.
FRANK J. TENK, viee president of the Tenk Hardware Company, has with his older brother, Rudolph, now president and treasurer of the company, been identified with this monumental business of Quiney from carly boyhood.
Mr. Tenk was born in Quincy May 12. 1878, has always lived here, and was educated in the parochial schools and the Gem City Business College. Even when in sehool he aequired mneh knowledge and experience in the store of his father and unele, and about twenty years ago became one of the active members of the firm. He was finally elected secretary of the corporation, and a few years ago beeame viee president, in charge of the sales department. Mr. Frank J. Tenk is a master of sales organization, and has done much to extend the fame of his house over all the territory of the Mississippi Valley.
He married Adelaide Hoeveler, of Chicago. Mrs. Tenk was born in Cin- cinnati, Ohio, and finished hier education in a eonvent, supplemented by two years of travel in Europe. She is a daughter of Joseph and Mary (Curry) Hoeveler. Her father was born in Germany and died twenty-five years ago. Her mother was a native of Scotland but was reared in America, and is now
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living with Mr. and Mrs. Tenk. Mr. Tenk has always been active in all move- ments for the promotion of Quincy's welfare and growth. Four daughters have been born to their marriage: Virginia A., a student in the Sacred Heart Academy at St. Louis; Mary A. and Ruth, both students in St. Mary's Con- vent at Quiney ; and Clara L.
RUDOLPH TENK. In the Commercial History of Quincy "The House of Tenk" takes a prominent place, because it has done much to bring before the people of the Central Mississippi Valley the prominence of Quincy. For half a century the influence and power of this house has been growing throughout the Mississippi Valley. Thousands know Quincy as the home of the Tenk Hard- ware Company.
The business was established in 1865, now more than half a century ago, by two brothers, Henry and John II. Tenk. They were men of sturdy character, of good business ability and judgment. They started modestly with a small capital, which consisted of the savings accumulated during their boyhood days, and with which they started a small retail hardware storc.
The firm was known as H. & J. H. Tenk. Their first location was at 516 Maine Street, which is two doors east of what is now devoted exclusively to the retail branch of the business. In 1874 they removed to 512 Maine Street. About 1880 they started a wholesale department, which has shown constant growth, and every year has witnessed some important increase and extension.
In 1891 the business was incorporated under the corporate name of Tenk Hardware Company.
Besides the large four-story building at 512 Main Street, the company oecu- pies a large four-story building at 121, 123 and 125 South Fifth Street, also a large five-story warehouse located in the rear of the Fifth Street building. In addition to this the company has another warehouse in the same block, and another one at Sixth and Jersey streets, with railroad side track.
Early in the year 1918 the Tenk Hardware Company bought the building and the stock of heavy hardware of the Fischer Tron & Steel Company, in which building their wholesale offices and general wholesale department are now located.
The Tenk Hardware Company is today the largest hardware business be- tween St. Louis, St. Paul, Kansas City and Chicago. They employ regularly a force of ten traveling salesmen, and their force of employes consists of about sixty people.
In addition to their line of general hardware they carry a large line of sport- ing goods, and a very large stock of automobile accessories and supplies, includ- ing supplies for trucks and tractors, in addition to which they carry a complete stoek of iron, steel, heavy hardware and blacksmith supplies.
The late Henry Tenk was president of the business until his death. He was one of Quincy's greatest business builders. More is said of him on other pages of this publication. As an evidence of the esteem in which he was held by the community it may be mentioned that lengthy resolutions of respect were drawn up by various organizations, including the hardware merchants of Quincy. Resolutions by these merchants were drawn up by a committee consisting of August C. Stroot, Julius L. Klemme and Charles H. Cottrell.
The president of the company at the present time is Rudolph Tenk, a son of the late Henry Tenk. He and his brother Frank after finishing their edu- cation in the schools of Quiney literally grew up in the business of their father, and have been in active management during the last twenty years.
Rudolph Tenk was born in Quincy April 2, 1872. He received his education in the city schools, after which he entered the business where he has been engaged ever since. Owing to the close attention required by this growing business he has never found time to engage actively in outside interests, nor has he ever taken an active part in polities.
Mr. Tenk married Miss Anna Hagel, who was born, reared and educated in
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Mount Sterling, Illinois. She is a daughter of Joseph and Josephine (Adams) Hagel. Her father was born in this country. Her mother was born in Alsace- Lorraine, of German and French ancestors. She, with her parents, immigrated to this country when she was still a child. Mr. and Mrs. Tenk have two chil- dren, Gertrude E., who after finishing her course at the Notre Dame Academy of this city graduated from Notre Dame College in Baltimore, Maryland, and Pauline Ann, after completing her course at the Notre Dame Academy here is now attending the University of Chicago.
FREDERICK EISENBERG is a most worthy old time citizen of Adams County. He came here poor, married a girl who came from Germany at the same time, and by their thrifty co-operation and unceasing diligence they bought and paid for a farm home, provided for their children, and have lived to see them all comfortably situated and near enough so that there are regular annual family gatherings every Christmas and holiday season. Mr. Eisenberg is now living retired on North Fifth Street in Riverside Township, just outside the city limits of Quincy.
He was born in Waldeck, Germany, January 3, 1847. His early life was spent on a farm. He came to the United States in 1869 and was attracted to Adams County by the presence of his uncle, William Eisenberg, who had come to Quiney several years before and was a teamster in that city. William Eisen- berg, who died at the age of seventy-two, married Mary Bangert. This unele paid for Fred's passage, and the latter on reaching Adams County at once found farm work, his wages being $14 in the winter and $18 in the summer. He went along in this way for four years, acquiring a knowledge of the Ameri- ean language and business conditions, and saving all he could with a view to marrying the girl who came over with him on the same ship, and who was also industriously working with the same happy event in mind. Her maiden name was Louisa Miller, and she came from the same loeality of Germany. She was employed as a domestic in Quiney until November 11, 1872, when they were happily married.
Mr. and Mrs. Eisenberg started out as renters, having enough between them to buy household goods and a good team. For about eleven years they rented land, and then went in debt for a 120 aere farm on North Thirty-Sixth Street in Ellington Township. The purchase price was $100. That was a high price to pay for land at that time, and many friends tried to persuade Mr. Eisen- berg, saying that he could not make it. But he did that and more, too, though it took many years. He handled his land as a stoek and grain farm, had to put in much of his profits for buildings improvements. and it was fifteen or twenty years before he could feel relieved of debt. At that time he had a fine farm, and felt that he was more than recompensed for his labors and sacrifices. Eight years ago Mr. Eisenberg left the farm and has since lived on a small place, with every comfort desired by him and his good wife.
They had a family of ten children to reach maturity. Ida married John Kessel and died in Missouri at the age of thirty-nine, leaving seven children. Fred is a farmer near Taylor, Missouri. Wilee, a twin brother of Fred, died at the age of nineteen. Charles is in the same vicinity as Fred. Mary married C. J. Hyer, of Payson Township. Henry also lives near Taylor, Missouri. Louis is a farmer in Fall Creek Township. Leonard has his home in Quincy. George is on the old homestead on Thirty-Sixth Street. Albert lives on Twenty- Fourth Street in Riverside Township. Mr. and Mrs. Eisenberg also have twenty-two grandchildren. Ile is a democratic voter and a faithful and con- sistent member of St. John's Lutheran Church at Quincy.
DANIEL ERTEL is proprietor of one of the first class money making diversified farms of Columbus Township, located in section 5. It is well improved, with a substantial seven-room house, barn of large capacity, and the land not under
LIBRARY Of THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS
Julie Tespobl
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thorough cultivation is covered with a fine growth of heavy timber, which in itself is a valuable asset.
Mr. Ertel has lived on this farm since he was eighteen months old. It is therefore endeared to him by many associations apart from its actual valuc. He was born in the city of Quincy, on State Street, August 27, 1859, son of Daniel and Maria (Luekenbiel) Ertel. His parents were both born in Germany. They came as young people by sailing vessel to New Orleans and up the Missis- sippi River to Quincy, and were married in that city. They lived there some years. Daniel Ertel, Sr., was a millwright by trade, but later took up general carpentry and house building for a number of years. Still later he moved to Columbus Township, bought a farm, put up a new house and other buildings, and besides using his mechanical skill to add value to the farm he was equally successful on the agricultural side. He bought more land from time to time until he owned about 400 aeres in Columbus Township. His wife died there about thirty years ago. He passed away in 1898 at Quincy, where he had lived among his children for a couple of years. He was then cighty-five years of age, and retained all his faculties until his last serious illness. He and his wife were members of the Lutheran Church.
Daniel Ertel, Jr., was one of eight children, five sons and three daughters. One son and one daughter died after their marriage. The other six are all married and all have children. One of them lives in California, another in Mis- souri, and four are still in Adams County.
Daniel Ertel grew up on the old farm and attended the local schools. For many years he has owned in his own right 208 aeres of the homestead, and most of the improvements are of his own making. In Camp Point Township he mar- ried Miss Maria Shubart, who was born at Warsaw, Hancock County, Illinois, in March, 1867, but after the age of twelve completed her education at Camp Point. Mr. and Mrs. Ertel have two children, Beulah M. and Elmer E., the latter ten years of age. Beulah is the wife of Harry Heimbauch, and they now live on and own a 160-acre farm in Cass County, Iowa. Mrs. Ertel is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Columbus, and all the family attend worship there. Mr. Ertel is a democrat and has filled the office of township clerk.
JULIUS KESPOHL. One of the most accomplished and able business men of Adams County, Julius Kespohl is prominently identified with the commercial affairs of Quincy, and as head of the mercantile house of Kespohl-Mohrenstecher Company is contributing in no small measure toward the progress and pros- perity of his home city. A son of the late Julius Kespohl, Sr., he was born in Quincy, August 4, 1871.
His father, Julius Kespohl, Sr., a native of Westphalia, Germany, when a mere child was brought to America by his parents, who settled first in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1851, and five years later removed to Quincy, Illinois.
After completing his higher education in St. Louis, the senior Mr. Kespohl was apprenticed to the dry goods business in Quincy, going later to St. Louis and returning to Quincy in 1862. When only eighteen years of age he embarked in the retail dry goods business here on his own aecount in partnership with an elder brother, Louis, and Edward Arntzen, a brother of Senator Bernard Arntzen. Later Mr. Kespohl bought out the interest of his partners and con- ducted the business alone until 1871, when he generously turned this estab- lished business over to two of his employes, Frederick W. Halbach and Henry H. Schroeder, and entered the exclusive wholesale dry goods business.
This business was a tremendous success from the very beginning, the organi- zation including many men who afterwards acquired a national reputation in the dry goods field, and the business was at one time recognized as the largest in the West outside of St. Louis, Missouri.
Later, when the firm of Field and Leiter of Chicago was dissolved, an effort was made to induee Mr. Kespohl to join with Mr. Leiter in organizing a new large wholesale dry goods business there, but his loyalty to Quiney influenecd
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him to remain here and share the vicissitudes of this place. He continued a resident here until his death October 29, 1909.
He was one of the organizers and first president of the Quiney National Bank, and was appointed by the governor to represent the State of Illinois at the Vienna Exposition. He traveled extensively abroad, and while there was several times presented at court.
The maiden name of the wife of Julius Kespohl, Sr., was Fredrica Sien. She was born at Bad Sachsa, Duchy of Brunswick, and in 1852, at the age of four years, eame with her parents to Quincy, where she is still residing. To her and her husband four children were born, as follows: Anna, the wife of Otto A. Mohrensteeher; Julius, the special subject of this brief sketch; Ada, living at home; and Margarethe, the wife of Oliver B. Williams, of Quiney, Illinois.
Returning to the subject of this sketeh, . Julius Kespohl, after a course in the Quincy High School he was graduated with highest honors from both the classical and scientific departments of the Glenwood Military Institute at Matawan, New Jersey. Returning to Quincy, he entered his father's store and remained there until 1899. Going abroad in that year, Mr. Kespohl took a post graduate course at University College, London, England, and later ad- vanced his knowledge of philosophy and literature at Oxford University, Oxford, England.
In 1901 he resumed his mereantile pursuits in Quincy, becoming secretary and treasurer of the Kespohl-Mohrenstecher Company, a corporation comprised of his father, Julius Kespohl, Sr., his brother-in-law O. A. Mohrenstecher, and himself, and one of the foremost mercantile establishments of its kind in the state.
The study of European governments while abroad led Mr. Kespohl to see the many imperfections in our own government and its administration, and he became greatly interested in governmental reform. Realizing that mueh of the inefficiency and corruption in our government is due to the failure of citizens to discharge the responsibility of citizenship, Mr. Kespohl beeame aetive in poli- ties with a view to arousing the voters to a realization of their civic responsibility. Through this activity in polities some public recognition came to him, and in 1904 he became superintendent of the Illinois Building at the St. Louis Expo- sition. In 1908 he was one of the two presidential electors-at-large on the repub- lican ticket in Illinois and in 1909 was appointed by Governor Deneen as a mem- ber of the State Board of Equalization to succeed the late John S. Cruttenden deceased.
Mr. Kespohl was influential in the republican party for many years, several times serving as chairman of the Adams County Central Committee, but in 1912, feeling completely out of sympathy with the dominant standards of the repub- lican party and feeling that no relief from the corruption and inefficieney of government was possible through the medium of either of the old parties, he entered the movement for the organization of the progressive party and served upon its Executive Committee in this state, organizing some sixteen or seventeen counties in the western part of the state in its interest. In 1914 he became that party's candidate for Congress in the Fifteenth Congressional district.
He has been for many years a director of the Civic Improvement League of Quincy and the Quiney Park and Boulevard Association, and is a member of a number of national organizations such as the American Academy of Political and Social Seience, the National Economic League, the League of Free Nations Association, the National Geographic Association, the National Humane Society and the Federal Council of the Churches of Christ in America. He is a charter member of the local chapter of the Red Cross Society, is on its Board of Directors and is a member of its Executive Committee. Fraternally Mr. Kespohl belongs to the Ancient Free and Accepted Order of Masons and the Knights of Pythias. Religiously, true to the faith in which he was reared, he is a Unitarian.
JOHN C. VOGEL, who is now living retired in his beautiful country home in Melrose Township, has been a factor in this section of Adams County for many years. His associates speak of Mr. Vogel as a man, meaning thereby not only
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his physieal strength but strength of determination, of purposeful conduet, and of notable publie spirit displayed in his effort to advance wherever possi- ble the welfare of the community.
He is one of the older native sons of Adams County and was born here April 3, 1848, so that he is now at the age of three score and ten. He was the oldest of six children, three sons and four daughters, whose parents were Lonis and Elizabeth (Weidemann) Vogel. The other children are still living: Regina, wife of Adam Helfrich, of Quincy, living in Quincy, widow of Adam Shope; Elizabeth, of Quincy; Mary, wife of Joseph Eiff, of Quincy; and Anton, who is married and a farmer in Melrose Township.
Louis Vogel was born in Alsace, Germany. When nine years old he came with his parents to the United States, the voyage lasting for eight or ten weeks before they reached New Orleans. From there they came up the river to Quincy, and the family settled 120 aeres of timbered land in Melrose Town. ship. They endured the discomforts of life in a log cabin home for some years, and in elearing away the woods and tilling the land into cultivation they con- tributed a laborious and worthy share to what Adams County now represents in the way of agricultural development. Louis Vogel was educated in the German language and gave his active years to agricultural pursuits. He was a democrat, and he and his wife were members of St. Antonins Catholic parish. His wife was born near the City of Bremen, Germany.
John C. Vogel was born and reared in Adams County and was educated in both the German and English schools. He had a comfortable home during his youth but when he started out in life for himself he took no capital with him and had to earn every step of advancement for himself. After he married hc and his wife put up with the barest comforts of existence until they could get and pay for better things, and the farm where Mr. Vogel lives today, compris- ing eighty-four acres of good land on the State Aid road, is a monument to the years of toil and self denial of both himself and wife.
In April, 1874, he married Miss Mary Kreger. Five children, three sons and two daughters, were born to them, and all are living. John C., Jr., who had his education in the parochial schools, has developed much ability as a practical farmer, is aetive manager of his father's estate, and enjoys a good name and reputation in the community. He married October 9, 1912, Miss Regina Meyer. who was born in Adams County August 13, 1881, and was edueated in the parochial schools. Her father is a resident of Melrose Township. She and her husband are active members of St. Antonius parish, and he is a member of St. Anthony's Branch No. 51, while she is active in the Christian Mothers' Society.
The daughter Elizabeth is the wife of Joseph Sohn, of Quiney, and has three children, Johnnie, Clara and Alice. The next in age, Catherine. married Fred Zehnle, a farmer of Melrose Township, and they have a little daughter, Irma. Anthony, the fourth child, is employed at the Soldiers' Home at Quincy, and married Miss Clara Talken.' Henry, the youngest of the family, is a farmer in Melrose Township, and by his marriage to Miss Catherine Wand has two chil- dren, Boniface and Elizabeth. All the children are members of St. Antonius parish.
Mrs. John C. Vogel was born in Adams County in 1855 and died November 2, 1892. She was a kind and loving wife and mother and poor people always found in her a friend in time of necd. A handsome monument in St. Antonius Cemetery marks her last resting plaec.
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