USA > Indiana > Porter County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 78
USA > Indiana > Lake County > Counties of Porter and Lake, Indiana : historical and biographical > Part 78
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NORTH TOWNSHIP.
FRANK HESS, son of Joseph and Mary Ann (Sackley) Hess, was born at Gibson (now called Gibson's Station), November 17, 1852, and was the first white male child born in North Township ; he attended school until about seventeen years of age, and then went as clerk in his father's store at Hessville, and did most of the buying for the store. IIe was married, May 24, 1879, to Enina Hassalbach, daughter of August and Maria (Grabs) Hassalbach, and to their union have been born four children-Alice M. (died September 2, 1880), twin girl and boy (died September 2, 1831), and infant girl (died September 2, 1882). It is somewhat remarkable that all of their children should die on the same day of the month, and same month (September 2), but in different years. Mr. Hess has built a new house and store on the south side of Hessville, where he keeps a well-selected stock of notions or varieties, and also gives attention to his farm. Mr. Hess is a Republican, and stands well in the community.
E. W. HOHMAN is a native of Prussia, where he was finely edu- cated ; his parents were likewise natives of Prussia, his father having been killed in the mines when our subject was a child. On July 9, 1849, he was married, in London, England, to Miss Caroline Sibley, a native of England. In September, 1849, he emigrated to the United States, and located in Chicago, where he engaged in the merchant tailoring busi- ness, and which he continued until 1851, when he removed to North Township, Lake County, Indiana, then sparsely inhabited; he first purchased forty acres, where his residence now is, to which he subsequently added until he owned 800 acres. The first year he was here the Michigan Central Railroad was surveyed. This land he sold to G. H. Hammond & Company, now occupied by them in their business. Mr. and Mrs. Hohman were blessed with six children-Ottelia (wife of Harry John- son), Charles G. (husband of Ella Carr), Louis, Agnes, Emma and Lena. Mr. Hohman was a Democrat, and for twelve years Justice of the Peace of North Township; he died December 18, 1872. Mrs. Hohman is a Protestant.
S. E. HOHMAN was born October 17, 1859, and is a son of E. W. and Caroline Hohman ; his early days were passed in Hammond, where he attended school, and later, in 1878, he went to Valparaiso for tuition, where he graduated in the teacher's course ; he then engaged in the liv- ery business in Chicago for two years. At this time, he returned to Ham- mond, and embarked in the real estate business, in which he has contin- ued, making this his special vocation, and in which he is a reliable dealer. He has an office on the corner of Hohman and Indiana streets ; he is the local agent of the Commercial Fire Insurance Company of New York. Mr. S. E. Hohman is owner of about 150 lots for building.
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WILLIAM H. GOSTLIN is a native of Canada, and is a son of Thomas and Alice Gostlin, both natives of England ; his father was a manufacturer. William H. Gostlin obtained an ordinary education, and in boyhood learned the trade of distilling, which he made an exclusive business for fifteen years in Chicago. In June, 1882, he came to Ham- mond, Lake Co., Ind., and in company with M. M. Towle and J. J. Wil- son, engaged in the manufacture of sirup from corn, and in making vin- egar, of which company he became manager-in-chief. They have capac- ity for producing thirty barrels of vinegar and ten barrels of sirup per day, and feed 300 cattle. While in Chicago, Mr. Gostlin was married to Miss Mary Hyssop, a native of Scotland. One child has been born to them - William H. Mrs. Gostlin is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
CHARLES KRIEWITZ is a son of Jacob and Frederica (Lubki) Kriewitz, of Germany, where Charles was born September 2, 1844; he attended school till fourteen years of age ; he then became a sailor ; visited France, Spain, England and other parts, and, in 1864, returned to Ger- many and entered the German Navy ; then served on a merchant vessel till 1870, when he again entered the German Navy during the Franco- Prussian war, serving till the close of the same ; he then went to Ham- burg, and from there came to America ; located in Chicago for a short time, then was a sailor on Lake Michigan till 1873; he then came to Clarke Station, this township ; bought half an acre of ground, built a house and store, and started a general grocery and saloon. On January 16, 1874, he was married to Matilda Ludwigs, daughter of Henry Lud- wigs, of Hanover, Germany. To this marriage four children were born, Charles, in 1874; Bernhardt, in 1875; Frederica, in 1876 (deceased). and Clara, in 1877. Mr. Kriewitz is a Republican, and was appointed Postmaster in 1880; has been School Director for the last six years. The family are members of the German Lutheran Church.
CHARLES G. KUNERT was born in Prussia December 17, 1829; attended school till fourteen, then worked in a grist-mill for some ten years, after which he served two years in the Prussian Army ; then went back to the mill, where he remained till 1857 ; he then came to America and located in Illinois ; he worked on a farm about two years, and thence he came to Tolleston, bought some land, built a house and store, and on July 22, 1859, was married to Augusta W. Aurich, daughter of Will- iam C. and Emily B. (Richter) Aurich. To them eleven children have been born-Emily, born November 22, 1860; Ernest F., June 8, 1862; William C., Caroline H. (deceased), February 3, 1866 ; Maria A., July 28, 1867 ; Charles G. (deceased), July 30, 1869 ; Henrietta L., October 29, 1871; George H. (deceased), January 12, 1873; infant boy (de-
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NORTH TOWNSHIP.
ceased), Louisa C., April 12, 1876, and Arthur A., August 20, 1878. In 1872, our subject was appointed Deputy Postmaster, which position he filled with credit, and on February 10, 1881, was appointed Postmas- ter, which position he now holds. He is a Republican, and a member of the German Lutheran Church. He is keeping a general country store -groceries, hats, caps, boots and shoes, etc., etc.
FREDERICK LEMKE, son of John and Henrietta (Schutz) Lemke, was born in Prussia November 22, 1836. He was schooled until four- teen years old, and then taught shoe-making. At twenty, he entered the Prussian Army, served three years, and then for two years worked at his trade. In 1861, he married Ottilge Wetterer, who has borne him five children-Hannah and Augusta, in the old country, and Hermann, Amelia (deceased), and Emma, in this country. Mr. Lemke came to Tolleston in 1865, bought a lot and built a house, and conducted a shoe shop until 1875, when he was employed as foreman for the Washington Ice Company, at Clarke Station, where he and family now reside. They are members of the German Lutheran Church, at Tolleston, and in poli- ties, Mr. Lemke is a Republican.
F. A. H. LOHSE, son of G. and Elizabeth. (Sellinger) Lohse was born November 2, 1817, in Germany ; he attended school until four- teen years old, then learned the trade of baker with his father, and then worked as journeymen for some years ; he was married, in March, 1840, to Johanna Mencha, who has borne him six children-Will- iam (deceased), Mariah, Bernhardt, Clara A., Horace and Floyd (de- ceased). In 1853, he came to America, located in Chicago, where he worked at his trade for some three years, and then, on September 15, 1856, came to North Township, settling on Section 31, Township 37, Range 9, all wild land, which he afterward purchased from the Govern- ment. In the fall of 1874, his wife died, and in 1876 he was married to Johanna Bralow, a widow with six children, and to this union was born one child-Willie. In the fall of 1877, the second Mrs. Lohse died, and he then married, November 29, 1881, Johanna Schaetgile, widow of Andrew Schaetgile, and daughter of Charles Fritzs. Mr. Lohse has owned at times as much as 424 acres of land, but has given most of it to his children ; he now has but two acres left ; he has built him a fine house and is enjoying life in his old age. In 1876, he joined the Masons. having taken the third degree ; he has been elected Township Assessor for the last five years, and is a Republican.
DANIEL MCKINNEY was born in Fort Wayne, Ind .; his father, Pat- rick MeKinney, was born in Londonderry, Ireland, in 1815, and descended from purely Scotch ancestry. Patrick's father was born in the north of Scotland, and at an early age crossed the Irish Channel, and settled in
.
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Londonderry, Ireland, where, with Patrick and other children of the family, he followed agricultural pursuits. Patrick McKinney entered Maynooth College in Dublin, where in a few years he mastered the classics, and was about to be ordained a minister in the Catholic Church, but his health being greatly impaired by hard study, this calling was abandoned. In 1835, he came to America, where he became acquainted with Miss Josephine Pepe, living near the present site of Fort Wayne, Ind., with whom he was united in marriage. The result of this mar- riage was five children-John, Daniel, James, Frank and Mary. Only two children-Daniel and Frank, and his wife, Josephine, survive him. Contracting a severe cold in 1841, which resulted in his death by con- sumption, he was buried in the cathedral which now stands in the City of Fort Wayne. Daniel Mckinney was sent to St. Vincent de Paul's Academy at Vincennes, where he received the rudiments of a first-class grammar school, and studied the classics, ancient and modern languages, including first book of Cæsar, French grammar and the German language. In 1862, he entered Company H, Twelfth Kentucky Cavalry, under Capt. George W. Bullit; was promoted from private to Corporal, from Cor- poral to First Sergeant, and from First Sergeant to be First Lieutenant One Hundred and Nineteenth United States Colored Troops, but did not accept ; he served a little over three years, returning in 1865, being honorably discharged ; he was in thirty-two actual engagements, includ- ing the battle of Stone River, siege of Knoxville, siege of Atlanta, Ga., Murfreesboro, and Kenesaw Mountain, Ga. At the close of the war he resumed his literary studies, and is how recognized as a prominent teacher in the public schools of Indiana and Illinois. This occupation he has followed for fourteen long years ; his salary has risen from $35 to $60 per month ; he is known to have been Principal of schools for four years in succession in Indiana; he was also Principal of a High School at or near Englewood, Ill .; his time has, however, been principally spent in elevating the interests of schools in this township, where he has labored assiduously for ten years, and where he is still engaged in teaching.
W. W. MERRILL, M. D., is a native of Merrillville, Lake Co., Ind., and the fifth of six children born to William and Caroline (Camp- bell) Merrill, old settlers of Lake County, living near Crown Point. William Merrill was a blacksmith ; he died in 1860; his widow survives him, and lives on the old farm. Dr. Merrill's early education was begun in a village school at Merrillville, and afterward he attended the Crown Point High School ; still later, he took a scientific course at Valparaiso, where he graduated ; he then attended a lecture course at Bennett Medi- cal College, Chicago, from which he graduated in 1880, and began the practice of medicine at Hammond in the same year ; his office is located
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NORTH TOWNSHIP.
in Morton House Block, where he is to be found ready for service. On May 10, 1882, he was married to Miss Lotta A. Woods, daughter of Bartlett and Charlotte Woods, of Crown Point. Mr. Woods was a farmer, and has served Lake County as legislator. Mrs. Lotta Woods is a native of Ross, Lake County.
CHARLES F. NAGLE was born December 1, 1831, in Prussia ; he attended school till fourteen years of age, then learned the trade of shoemaking, after which he joined the Prussian Army, in which he re- mained some three years, then joined the Second Rifles, German Legion, and fought through the Crimean war; he then went back to Germany in the employ of the Earl of Arnheim. February 7, 1854, he was married to Wilhelmina (Beltzet) Plath. To their union, one child, Augusta, was born March 26, 1855, and while on a voyage with her parents to the Cape of Good Hope she died October 16, 1858. While at Cape Town, our subject served on the police force about two years, then kept hotel at Concordia; after that, he went back to Germany, and in 1863 came to America; located at Winona, Minn .; was appointed a Lieutenant in First Minnesota Regiment, and was detached on recruiting service. In May, 1865, he was interested in the Winona Banner, a German paper ; after some time he came to Chicago, where he opened a saloon, corner of Wells and Adams streets ; sold out the above, and March, 1866, was appointed a member of the Chicago police force where he remained till 1869. In 1871, his home, No. 125 Quincy street, was burned with all it contained, in the great fire of that year ; he then came to Clarke Station ; then went back to Chicago, engaged in the shoe trade a short time ; then, in 1872, came to Tolleston, this township, where he started a shoe shop ; he was four years a Justice of the Peace. In 1877, he was appointed Postmaster; some time after that, he rented a saloon ; soon after, sold and went to Hammond, bought a lot and built the Hammond House. In 1882, he rented the house and bought eight acres of improved land near Tolleston. Mr. Nagle is a member of the German Lutheran Church, a Master Mason, a leading Democrat, and President of Anti-Prohibition League of Lake County.
HENRY REESE, the son of Conrad and Ellen (Bleidister) Reese, was born in Germany September 25, 1827; he attended school till about fifteen years old, then learned the trade of weaver, and at the age of twenty, joined the Hessian Army, in which he remained for four years ; afterward he came to America, and located in Cook County, Ill., and in June, 1852, was married to Mary S. E. Meyer, who became the mother of seven boys and five girls ; those now living are Ellen, John, Augusta and Mary (twins). In 1854, he came to this township, bought twenty acres of land, built a house, and commenced the life of a gardener. In
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1864, he enlisted in Company B, Thirty-eighth Indiana Veteran Vol- unteer Infantry, was attached to the Fourteenth Army Corps, and was at the battle of Nashville, Tenn. Soon after his return home, his wife was taken sick, and March 8, 1868, she died. He kept his children together for some ten years, and on January 1, 1878, he was married to Jennett Hurlbick, widow of William Hurlbick ; he is now engaged in the honey trade, keeping a large number of bees, and is fast making money ; has been several times elected a School Trustee; is a Republican, and attends the German Lutheran Church.
GEORGE M. ROBERTS, son of Elisha R. and Catherine (Muehler) Roberts, was born January 6, 1817, in Pennsylvania, where he attended school in winter and worked on his father's farm in summer till about twenty-two years of age; he then went to New York as super- intendent of the work of enlarging the canals; he remained for about three years, and then went to Canada and worked on the Wellington Canal for some four years ; from there he came to Illinois and worked on canals for some time; he then went to the Lake Superior Copper Mines ; from there he came to North Township in 1847, entered 320 acres of land and commenced to herd cattle, sheep, hogs, and raise horses for the market; farmed and raised fruit, which he shipped to all parts of the country. He became one of the best hunters in the county. Our sub- ject was married, July 20, 1875, to Agnes Atchison, of Kankakee, Ill., and to this union have been born two children-Mary A., born October 24, 1876, and Amy J., February 6, 1879. Our subject is a Republican. Has been Township Trustee, and is now a Justice of the Peace.
FREDERICK SCHEUNEMANN, son of Louis and Wilhelmina (Ott) Scheunemann, was born August 11, 1855, in Germany. He went to school till about thirteen, when his father brought his family to America, locating in North Township, Lake County, Ind., where our subject again attended school for some time, after which he went to Chicago and clerked in a grocery store some four years, saved his money, came back to Tolleston in North Township, built a fine store and dwelling, and started a general store, keeping on hand a full stock of groceries, boots and shoes, hats, caps, and, in fact, anything called for by the people. On March 27, 1881, was married to Alice Lucinda, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Notke) Hess, of Hessville. Our subject is a Notary Public ; is a Liberal Republican. They are members of the German Lutheran Church.
HENRY SCHRAGE was born in Germany January 21, 1844, and there went to school until ten years of age. In 1854, his father, Chris- toff Schrage, brought him to America, and settled on a farm in this township. Here Henry attended school in winter and assisted his father
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in summer until 1863, when he enlisted in Company K, Thirtieth Illi- nois Volunteer Infantry, and was immediately sent to Atlanta, and from that point with Sherman on his march to the sea. At the close of the war, he was mustered out at Springfield, Ill., when he again went to farming. June 6, 1868, he married Caroline Wistenfeld, of Germany, who has borne him eight children-Henry C., Mary C., Angust H. (de- ceased), William C., Herman C. H., Charlie H. (deceased), Carrie S. and Fred H. (deceased). In 1868, he bought thirty-six acres of land on Section No. 8, where he built and started a small store ; a few years later, he built a large two-storied frame store and dwelling, where he now lives and keeps a general assortment of groceries, clothing, hats, caps, etc. He was appointed Postmaster in 1871 at Whiting Station, and still holds the office. In 1832, he was elected Township Superintendent of Roads. He is a Republican, and he and wife are members of the German Lu theran Church.
C. C. SMITH is a native of New Hampshire, and a son of John C. and Amanda (Cox) Smith, both natives of New Hampshire, where his mother died in 1869. C. C. Smith obtained a common school education, and afterward labored on a farm until he came to Hammond, Lake County, in September, 1871. In 1866, having learned the trade of a butcher he was promoted to a position of director of laborers, or foreman, and since that time has been exclusively so employed. In March, 1874, he was married to Miss Annie Dow, in Chicago. To this union were born two children-Birdie and Maud. Mrs. Smith is a native of New Hampshire, and her father was a cabinet-maker. Mr. Smith is foreman of the slaughtering department in G. H. Hammond & Co.'s packing- house.
II. SULLIVAN is a native of Boston, Mass., and a son of A. and C. Sullivan, both natives of Ireland. His father was a sailor in English waters on board a man-of-war; his mother died in Boston. Mr. H. Sul- livan's school days were passed near Cambridge, Mass., where he acquired a common school supply of learning, and afterward, in boyhood, learned the trade of a currier, at which he served an apprenticeship of three years. When fourteen years of age he began the butchering business, to which he likewise served three years. In 1871, he came to Hammond, Lake Co., Ind., where he has been continuously employed in G. H. Hammond & Co.'s packing-houses, and was advanced to his present posi- tion of foreman in 1876. On October 17, 1877, he was married to Miss M. Hopkins, daughter of Benjamin and Eliza Hopkins, and a native of Lake County, as are also her parents.
C. N. TOWLE is a native of New Hampshire, where his childhood was spent. When eight years old, he was taken to Massachusetts, where
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he passed his school days, and where he acquired a fair education and afterward served an apprenticeship to the butchering business. This trade he followed in Hammond, Ind., up to a period of six years ago, during which length of time he was foreman of a slaughtering establish- ment ; he was married, in Massachusetts, to Miss Hattie Duncan, of IIa- verhill, whose parents were of English descent. This union was blessed by one child, Charles C.
EDWARD E. TOWLE is a native of Haverhill, Mass., where he was partly educated and partly also in Chicago in 1879, where he at- tended instruction about one year, and, after which he was book-keeper in a lumber yard of his brother at Hammond ; he then embarked in the experiment of a meat-market, and is doing a good trade ; he also handles vegetables of all kinds, which he dispenses cheaply ; his market is located in the Commercial Block; is handsomely fitted up, and contains a fine office, occupied by a book-keeper, who is also cashier. Mr. Towle has been remarkably successful for so young a man, and has proved himself equal to the enterprise which he has chosen.
M. M. TOWLE, of the firm of G. H. Hammond & Co., was born in New Hampshire, and is the son of Amos G. and Mary P. (Young) Towle, the former a native of New Hampshire and the latter of Maine. The father died in 1861, in Massachusetts, the mother is still a resident of that State. The early school days of M. M. Towle were passed in Haver- hill, Mass .; at the age of eighteen years, he went to Boston, and there learned to be a butcher ; thence he went to Detroit, where he followed the trade for six years, and where he married Miss Irene Dow, a native of New Hampshire, of which State her parents were also natives. At the time of his marriage, Mr. Towle was hired by the month to Samuel Plummer ; he came to Hammond in 1869, and here, September 15, in company with G. H. Hammond, Caleb Ives and George W. Plummer, started a small slaughter house, with a joint capital of $16,000. The capacity, in the beginning, was 300 cattle per week ; it is now 3,000 per week ; they have storage room for 50,000 tons of ice. The main office is at Detroit ; the company is organized under the laws of the State of Michi- gan ; their present capital is $1,500,000. Mr. Towle has had born to him three children, viz., Marcus M., Ida (deceased), and George H .; he is a Mason, and is now serving his second term as Township Trustee. Mrs. Towle is a member of the Christian Church.
JOIIN H. K. VATER was born in Germany October 27, 1824, and is the son of Samuel and Susanna (Gastenberger) Vater. John attended school until fourteen years old, and then worked in a distillery till about twenty-two. In 1846, he came to America, stopped in Mil- waukee a short time, thence moved to Chicago, where he worked in a
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NORTH TOWNSHIP.
lumber yard some four years, then kept grocery for a long time. Janu- ary 9, 1852, he married Georgina Eggers, by whom he became the father of six boys anl six girls-John E. (deceased), Frederick (de- ceased), William, Bertha (deceased), Augusta, Clara, Herman, Freddie, Georgina, Frederica, Charlie and Elizabeth. In about 1867, he sold his store in Chicago and came to Whiting Station, bought forty-five acres of land fronting the lake and adjoining the property of his brother-in- law, Heinrich Eggers, and built a fine residence near the shore. In 1876, he joined a number of others in the building of the Berry Lake Ice House, of which he is now the Superintendent. He is a Republican and has twice been elected Justice of the Peace.
W. H. VERRILL is a native of Maine, and a son of Charles and Martha (Lord) Verrill, also natives of Maine, where both reside. His father was a carpenter by occupation. W. H. Verrill's school days were mostly passed in his native State, where he obtained the usual common school education. During early minhood he learned the trade of a carpenter, which he followed steadfastly for five years. On December 15, 1872, at Earl Park, Benton Co .. Ind., he was married to Miss Jennie Stickler, daughter of Jacob and Sarah (Bence) Stickler, and a native of Ohio; her parents were of German descent. Mr. and Mrs. Verrill have had three children born to them-Fred, Estella and Morrie. In April, 1882, Mr. Verrill came to Hammond and opened a saloon, which business he has continued; his place is located in Commercial Block.
WILLIAM M. WEBSTER is the son of Isaac and Alice (Whittier) Webster; the father was born in New Hampshire in 1776, and the mother in 1779. Our subject was born in New Hampshire August 12. 1811, and went to school till fourteen, then worked on his father's farm, and on September 8, 1844, was married to Fanny Barber, daughter of Arnold and Mary (Kingen) Barber ; to them seven children were born- Solon, Frances, Merrilda (deceased), Angelia, Alice, Willie and Isaac. In 1860, he came to this township, bought eighty acres of land, farmed some, and hunted for some six years, then sold out and returned to New Hampshire, where he lost his daughter Merrilda by death, after which he removed to Missouri, where he remained about one year; he then, in 1868, came back to North Township, and settled at Gibson's Station. He having studied medicine when a young man, he now com- menced to practice the same. He is a strictly temperance man, a Repub- lican, attends church and is highly respected.
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