The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River, Vol. II, Part 40

Author: Griswold, B. J. (Bert Joseph), 1873-1927; Taylor, Samuel R., Mrs
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Chicago : Robert O. Law Co.
Number of Pages: 792


USA > Indiana > Allen County > Fort Wayne > The pictorial history of Fort Wayne, Indiana : a review of two centuries of occupation of the region about the head of the Maumee River, Vol. II > Part 40


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studies in the pioneer rural schools of Milan township. He assisted in the work of the home farm until he initiated his independent career in the same line of industrial enterprise. He had not yet celebrated his twentieth birthday anniversary when the Civil war was precipitated on the nation, and such was his youthful patriotism and loyalty that he responded to President Lincoln's call for volunteers. In October, 1861, he enlisted as a private in Company E, Thirtieth Indiana Infantry, with which he proceeded to the front and with which he lived up to the full tension of the great interneeine conflict. He participated in many en- gagements, including a number of the important battles marking the progress of the war, his command having been assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. He was with his regiment in the great Atlanta cam- paign and with General Sherman in his subsequent and ever memorable march from Atlanta to the sea. He was mustered out at Indianapolis, in October, 1864, and received his honorable discharge, after having been in active service for three years and eleven days. In later years he has vitalized the more gracious memories and associations of his mili- tary career by his affiliation with that noble organization, the Grand Army of the Republic, and his record as a soldier of the Union shall ever refleet honor upon his name. After the elose of the war Mr. Hen- derson returned to Allen county, and for ten years thereafter was en- gaged in the saw mill and lumbering business. Prior to identifying him- self with this enterprise he had continued his association with agricultural industry. In 1880 Mr. Henderson traded his saw mill for eighty acres of land in Springfield township, and this tract constitutes his present homestead farm. He reelaimed to cultivation the greater part of the land that had not previously been thus improved, and also made many other substantial improvements, especially in the ereetion of substantial farm buildings and in providing those accessories that mark the energetie and progressive agriculturist and stock-grower. He still takes a lively interest in the varied activities of the home farm, but the general control and management of the same is now given over to his younger son. He has been a loyal citizen in the "piping times of peace," even as he was when he went forth to aid in the preservation of the nation's integrity, and both he and his wife are zealous members of the Lutheran church, his political support being given to the Democratie party. On June 8, 1871, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Henderson to Miss Mary J. Richards, who was born in Pennsylvania, as were also her parents, Solo- mon and Matilda (McIntyre) Richards, who came from the old Keystone state to Allen county, in 1862, and settled on a farm in Milan township, where they passed the residue of their lives. They became the parents of eight children, namely : Lucinda, John, Mary J., Smith, Alfred, Allen (deceased), Matilda (deceased), and Ella. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have two children: Earl M. is engaged in the drug business in the city of Indianapolis, and Burt W. has the active management of the home farm.


William D. Henderson is a native son of Fort Wayne who is especi- ally entitled to recognition in this history, for he is not only a scion of old and honored pioneer families of Allen county but has also achieved distinctive priority as one of the leading business men and influential citizens of Fort Wayne. Here his capitalistie interests are of varied and important order, here his eivie loyalty has been manifested in his effective service in municipal offices, and here he has long and successfully


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conducted a substantial hay, grain and seed business. His paternal grand- father, Zenas Henderson, was one of the sterling pioneers of Allen county, and the same is true concerning his distinguished maternal grandfather, the late Colonel Louis Humbert, who was born and reared in France and who served as an officer in the army of the great Napoleon, with whose forces he participated in the historic battle of Waterloo. He established his home in Fort Wayne when the present city was a mere village, and here he passed the residue of his life, a citizen of fine character and much ability. At one time he owned and conducted a hotel known as the Spen- cer House, on Calhoun street opposite the court house. One of Colonel Humbert's sons served as a gallant soldier of the Union in the Civil war, as did also one of the paternal uncles of him whose name introduces this review. Within a block distant from his present business establish- ment William D. Henderson was born, March 26, 1859, and he is a son of William D. and Angeline (Humbert) Henderson, of whose six chil- dren only one other is living-Mrs. Kittie (Henderson) Long, who is the widow of Mason Long and who remains in Fort Wayne. Mrs. Angeline (Humbert) Henderson, who was born July 19, 1833, has been a resident of Fort Wayne from her early youth and such is her gentle and gracious personality that she is held in affectionate regard by all who have come within the compass of her benign influence. William D. Henderson, Sr., was born at Fort Wayne and was a young man of about thirty-six years at the time of his death, in 1866. He received his education in the pioneer schools of Allen county, where his parents remained until their death, and he had become one of the representative merchants of Fort Wayne, where he was engaged in the grocery business, on Columbia street, at the time of his demise. To the public schools of Fort Wayne William D. Henderson of this review is indebted for his early educational discipline, and he was a lad of about seven years at the time of his father's death. After leaving school he entered the local shops of the Pennsylvania Rail- road, where he learned the tinner's and coppersmith's trades, to which he continued to give his attention until he was twenty-three years of age. He then, on February 7, 1882, established in a modest way his present hay, grain and seed business, which under his able and progressive man- agement has been expanded to large proportions and constitutes one of the important mercantile enterprises of his native city. It is worthy of mention that he founded the business with a capital of only one hundred and seventeen dollars, and that on the original site he still conducts the enterprise in a substantial and modern building which is owned by him and which is a three-story structure, forty by one hundred and ten feet in dimensions, in the very center of the business district of the city. In addition to controlling this extensive and prosperous business Mr. Henderson is a director of the Citizens' Trust Company, is a member of the executive board of the Fort Wayne Oil & Supply Company, and is a stockholder of the First National Bank of Fort Wayne. Zealous and loyal in promoting and supporting measures and enterprises tending to advance the civic and material prosperity of his home city and county and taking a lively interest in municipal affairs, Mr. Henderson is aligned as a well fortified advocate of the cause of the Democratic party and has been influential in its local councils. He has represented the first ward as a member of the city council and has also served effectively as a member of the municipal board of public safety. He is an active and valued member of the Fort Wayne Commercial Club and is affiliated with


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the Knights of Pytliias. On October 9, 1888, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Henderson to Miss Emma Neuenschwander, who was born at what was then Newville, but now Vera Cruz, Wells county, this state, and who is a daughter of the late Isaac and Caroline (Liebmann) Neuen- schwander. Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have two children-Irma Ruth and Josephine.


Gustav F. Hilgeman, who is one of the representative contractors and builders of his native city of Fort Wayne, where he was born September 6, 1869, learned the carpenter's trade under the effective direction of his father, who is now one of the venerable and honored citizens of the Allen county metropolis, and prior to engaging in the contracting business in an independent way the subject of this review had served about eight years as an efficient and popular member of the Fort Wayne fire depart- ment. Mr. Hilgeman is a son of Jacob William and Bernardine (Peters) Hilgeman, both of whom were born in Germany and the latter of whom was summoned to the life eternal when seventy-three years of age. Jacob W. Hilgeman was reared and educated in his native land and came to America about the year 1855. He has been for many years a well known and substantial citizen of Fort Wayne, where he is now living retired, after a specially successful career as one of the leading contractors and builders in this city. This venerable citizen celebrated his eighty-second birthday anniversary in 1916. He is steadfast in his allegiance to the Republican party and is a zealous member of the German Reformed church, as was also his devoted wife. Of the children, the first born, Caroline, is deceased; Henry still resides in Fort Wayne; Gustav F., of this review, was the next in order of birth; Louisa is the wife of John Stocks, of this city. Gustav F. Hilgeman gained his early education in the public schools of his native city and in the meanwhile, as a lad of thirteen years, he initiated his practical apprenticeship to the trade of carpenter, under the punctilious and careful direction of his father. He continued his association with the work of his trade until 1894, when he became a member of the city fire department, his efficient services with which continued until 1902, when he resigned his position and became associated with his brother Henry in contracting and building. They erected many high-class private residences, a number of school buildings and business structures and were contractors in the erection of the fine Anthony Hotel at Fort Wayne, this being one of the most modern hotel buildings in this section of the state. The brothers finally dissolved partnership and Gustav F. has since continued in control of a substantial and representative contracting and building business in an independent way. He is a staunch advocate of the cause of the Republican party, is loyal and progressive as a citizen, and is a member of the German Re- formed church, his wife being a communicant of St. Paul's Lutheran church. On February 28, 1906, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Hilgeman to Miss Mary Kolb, who was born and reared in Fort Wayne, a daughter of John A. and Mary B. (Knees) Kolb, the former of whom was born in the Kingdom of Bavaria, Germany, and the latter in Fort Wayne, where her parents settled many years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Kolb still reside in Fort Wayne, where he is living retired, and here he was in the employ of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company until 1912, when he severed his alliance on account of advanced age, he having been a resident of Fort Wayne since 1853. His wife died in 1881. Of the three children Mrs. Hilgeman is the eldest and prior to her marriage she had


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been for ten years an efficient and popular saleswoman in the well known Frank dry goods establishment of Fort Wayne; Edward H. still resides in this city and is traveling salesman for the Eckart Packing House; and Della is the wife of Harry Starke. Mr. and Mrs. Hilgeman have no children.


Harry H. Hilgemann is one of the successful lawyers of Fort Wayne and Allen county. He took his place in his chosen profession in 1903 and for two years conducted an independent practice. In 1905 he associated himself in a co-partnership with Clyde M. Gandy, well known in and about Fort Wayne, and this partnership continued until December 1, 1908. Mr. Hilgemann is the son of Henry F. and Lisette (Bueker) Hilgemann, and was born on August 19, 1881, in Fort Wayne. His mother was of German birth, born in Teklenberg, Germany, on April 2, 1852. Henry F. Hilgemann, his father, was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on January 30, 1851. For years he conducted a grocery and meat market on West Jefferson street in his home city, and he was a public-spirited citizen all his life. He served in the city council from 1888 to 1890, and built up a creditable record as a public servant in that brief period. He died January 7, 1904, and his wife is still living and makes her home with her son, the subject of this review. Harry H. Hilgemann had his elementary schooling in the public schools of his native city and was graduated from the high school in 1900. In the same year he entered the law department of the University of Michigan and was graduated in 1903 with the degree of L. L. B. Returning to his home he read law for a few months in the office of Zollars & Zollars, well known attorneys of Fort Wayne, and then became associated with the late Judge Robert Lowry. In him Mr. Hilgemann found a most admirable preceptor. He was the associate of the Judge at the time of his admission to the bar of Indiana, in 1903, and continued so until the death of that gentleman, in 1904. He is now engaged in the practice of his profession, with offices at Rooms 604-5-6-7-8, Peoples Trust Building. Mr. Hilgemann has had a very creditable public record thus far. He served as deputy prosecuting attor- ney from 1908 to 1912, and so well did he manage the duties of his office that he was elected to the post of prosecuting attorney, serving from 1912 to 1916. As prosecutor and deputy he has prosecuted and assisted in the prosecution of fifteen homicide cases, in every one of which a conviction was secured. Special mention might fittingly be made of his activities in the investigation and successful prosecution of a so-called arson trust, which had a nation-wide activity. He was also instrumental in breaking up the traffic in habit-forming drugs and was a leader in bringing about stricter laws governing the use and sale of such drugs. Under his administration of the office a rigid enforcement of laws relating to wife-desertion and child-neglect was brought about, and he gave his attention successfully to the making of better laws governing those phases of existence. All considered his eight years as deputy and prosecutor were big with worthy activity in the discharge of his duty and his administration was conceded by all to have been a most successful one. In the spring of 1916 Mr. Hilgemann was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for Congress against the then incumbent, but was defeated at the primaries by the narrow margin of 219 votes in the six counties of his district. Mr. Hilgemann is a prominent Mason, with affiliations in the A. F. & A. M., Fort Wayne Consistory, Mizpah Temple, Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is also a member of the Elks,


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the Loyal Order of Moose, and of the St. Joe Athletic Club. On July 24, 1909, Mr. Hilgemann was married to Miss Minnie E. Horn, daughter of John L. and Nettie M. (Bain) Horn, of Spencerville, Indiana. They have their home at 1124 Ewing street, in Fort Wayne.


Chester J. Hinton is one of the popular and representative business men of the younger generation in his native city of Fort Wayne, where he conducts a modern coffee store at 1818 Calhoun street, the establish- ment having the most approved appliances for the roasting, grinding and sale of coffee products, and its exceptionally excellent service has gained for it a substantial and representative patronage, though Mr. Hinton founded the business only a comparatively short time ago-in January, 1916. Chester John Hinton was born in Fort Wayne on August 24, 1893, and is a son of John C. and Anna (Welten) Hinton, both of whom were natives of this city, the respective families having been founded in Allen county many years ago. The mother of Mr. Hinton still resides in Fort Wayne. The father's death occurred December 17, 1916, following an illness of one day. The elder Mr. Hinton was for thirty years successfully established in the restaurant business, though he had previously served as passenger-train conductor for the Pennsylvania Rail- road Company. All of their five children still remain in Fort Wayne, with the exception of Lucille A., who resides at Lansing, Michigan, and their names are here indicated in the respective order of their birth : Verna C., Walter H., Chester J., Lucille A., and Eveline I. Chester J. Hinton attended the public schools of Fort Wayne until he had completed a three years' course in the high school, and, in 1911, when eighteen years of age, he assumed the position of bookkeeper in the First National Bank of Fort Wayne. He was assistant teller in this representative financial institution when he resigned his position, in 1913, and went to the city of Chicago, where he applied himself with characteristic energy to learn- ing the various grades of coffee, the roasting of the same and its proper preparation for the retail trade. He is an expert in this line of business and has been specially successful in the conducting of his attractive Fort Wayne store, which he established in January, 1916, as previously noted. He is one of the vigorous young supporters of the cause of the Republican party, takes a vital interest in all things pertaining to the civic and ma- terial welfare of his native city and is one of Fort Wayne's popular young bachelors and business men. He holds membership in the Third Presby- terian church.


James C. Hipple began his active business career in association with his father, who was long a prominent builder and contractor in Long Island, New York, where the family resided. When he was twenty-five years old Mr. Hipple left that field and became connected with the Edison laboratory at Menlo Park, New Jersey. Thereafter his rise was rapid, and he was later connected with some of the largest manufacturers of incandescent lamps in America. Mr. Hipple was born in Long Island, New York, on December 14, 1854, son of John and Elizabeth (Thomas) Hipple. John Hipple was of German origin and his wife was born in Wales. Neither is living at this time, and only four of their nine children survive. It was in 1879 that James Hipple left his father's employ and found work in the Edison laboratory at Menlo Park, New Jersey, and he spent his time while there to such good advantage that two years later they sent him to Paris in charge of an exhibition of their product, and he remained there two and a half years, disposing of French rights


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in the Edison patents. While there he established a plant for the manu- facture of Edison lamps. On his return to America he spent a brief vaca- tion period of two months at home and then went to Dresden, Germany, to establish a plant for the company. He was five years in Germany on business for his house, and when he returned he went into the world- famed Edison laboratory at Orange, New Jersey, spending about a year and a half there in research work. Mr. Hipple was next associated with the Hamson Lamp Works for about three years, after which he joined forces with E. G. Acheson in the manufacture of carborundum, a ma- terial of which Mr. Hipple was the inventor and which is a substance known to be harder than emery and used as a substitute for that product. They were engaged in this business for about a year at Niagara, and Mr. Hipple left the work to go to Germany for the purpose of protecting valuable patents they owned. He was there about three years, and when he returned to America entered the employ of the General Electric Com- pany at Harrison, New Jersey. The company sent him from there to Toledo, Ohio, to take charge of their factory at that point, and in 1911 he was transferred to Fort Wayne in charge of their interests in this city, which position he was filling at the time of his death, which occurred April 28, 1917. Mr. Hipple was married on July 4, 1881, to Miss Cathrine Caples, of Long Island, New York. One child was born to them -William C. Hipple, whose birth occurred in Paris, France. This son possesses the same tastes and inclinations as his father and is employed by the Westinghouse Lamp Company in New Jersey. He is a capable and ambitious young man, and his accomplishments thus far in his chosen work indicate that he will one day rival his father in the success of his career. Mr. Hipple was a Democrat and a man of sound business princi- ples. During their residence in Fort Wayne Mr. Hipple and his wife made a host of frineds.


David F. Hiser .- Success has attended the well-directed efforts of David F. Hiser, who has passed his life thus far within the confines of Allen county. He was born in Pleasant township November 12, 1860, and is the son of George W. and Barbara (Hare) Hiser, who were of German birth and parentage, and who came to America with their re- spective families in young life and were thereafter identified with the industrial life of Pleasant township, where they settled on farm land. George Hiser early acquired land and continually added to it during the years of his active life as a farmer. He also interested himself in town property in Poe, where he lives retired today at the age of eighty- four years. Hc has been a Democrat since becoming a voter and is a life-long member of the German Lutheran church, in which he reared his children. They were seven in number, and David F. is the eldest. The others are Mary Ann, the wife of Frank Hickour, living on the old home place; William, of Fort Wayne; Margaret, married to Gustave Felps, of Martin's Ferry, Ohio; Ezra, of Poe, Indiana; John, living near Columbia City, and Allie, who lives with her aged father in Poe. David F. Hiser attended the public schools of his native community as a boy and shared his time between his studies and the duties that fell to his lot on the home farm, where, as the eldest of the children, he had a greater responsibility than the average youth of his day. When he was twenty- seven years old he left the home farm and launched out for himself as a renter. After seven years he bought a farm of eight acres and achieved independence with that purchase. He has since added two purchases of forty and one hundred and twenty acres, so that he has a comfortably


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large place for the exercise of his industry. Mr. Hiser is one of the suc- cessful men of his community and is interested in a financial way in the Hoagland State Bank. He was married on November 8, 1887, to Miss Julia C. Reehling, daughter of Jacob and Margaret (Sherer) Reehling, German people, both now deceased. They lived for years in Pleasant township and were among the most highly esteemed people of their com- munity. Mr. Reehling, commonly known as Squire Reehling, was prom- inent in local politics as a member of the Democratic party and was a person of some importance in his township. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Hiser are Maud, married to Clement Smith, and Lauretta, who is the wife of Frank Harkless. Mrs. Smith has a son, named Brice, and Lauretta is the mother of two little daughters-Viola and Julia Frances. Mr. Hiser is at the present writing (1917) engaged in the building of a fine new dwelling house on his farm, which promises to be one of the most attractive homes in the community. New barns also will be fitting ac- companiments to the residence and the standard of the Hiser place, al- ways well to the front, will be considerably augmented by these im- provements.


William H Hiser .- In fifty-five years of continuous residence in Al- len county the Hiser family has come to be identified permanently with its agricultural record and has found a place for itself well worthy of the labors the various members of the family have expended in the de- velopment of those communities with which they have been connected. William II. Hiser was born in Montgomery county, Ohio, on October 1, 1852, and is a son of Christopher and Susan (Troxel)) Hiser. The father, as a boy in his native county, had practically no advantages, and whatever he accomplished was through his own exertions and energies. He was a distiller by trade, but when he came to Allen county, in 1861, he turned his attention to farming and was thereafter identified with that field of enterprise. He established his family on an eighty-acre farm and there they lived and enjoyed the fruits of their labors, rearing a fine family and bearing their full share of the burdens of community life in that early period. Mr. Hiser was a leader in his township and served for a number of years as supervisor. Ten children were reared in the Hiser home. Lewis is deceased; William H. was the second born; Savilla Ann is deceased; Samuel is a resident of Fort Wayne; Idylla married Robert Ewert, of Lafayette; Joseph W. is located in Indianap- olis; John is deceased. The others are Martha Ella, Louisa and Margaret. William H. Hiser was twenty-eight years old when he withdrew from the family circle and turned his attention to the task of carving out a career for himself. He naturally chose farming, for it was in that in- dustry that all his training had been gained. He rented for some years, then bought 116 acres, where he is living at this time. Between the years 1892 and 1894 he was a resident of Fort Wayne, but returned in the latter year to his farm and there has since carried on diversified farming with all of success. His farm is one of the best developed in the community and its comfortable dwelling and spacious barns reflect the progressive spirit of the owner. Mr. Hiser is a Democrat in politics and is at present a member of the township advisory board. He has always evinced a wholesome interest in the civic affairs of his community and shirks no public duty that comes his way. He was married on November 18, 1880, to Miss Elizabeth Scherer, daughter of Jacob and Mary Scherer, who were of German ancestry and who are now deceased. Mrs. Hiser is one of the most estimable and dependable women in the




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