History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 167

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358

USA > Missouri > St Louis County > St Louis City > History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men > Part 167

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After the reorganization the Home was removed to 3533 Laclede Avenue, its present location.

Mullanphy Emigrant Relief Fund .- Bryan Mullanphy, a philanthropic citizen of St. Louis, who died June 5, 1851, left the following will :

"I, BRYAN MULLANPHY, do make and declare the following to be my last will and testament :

"One equal undivided third of all my property, real, per- sonal, and mixed, I leave to the city of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, in trust, to be and constitute a fund to furnish re- lief to all poor emigrants and travelers coming to St. Louis, on their way, bona fide, to settle in the West.

"I do appoint FELIX COSTE and PETER G. CAMDEN exccu- tors of this my last will and testament, and of any other will or executory devise that I may leave; all and any such docu- ment will be found to be olograph, all in my own hand- writing.

"In testimony whereof, witness my hand and seal.

"BRYAN MULLANPHY. [SEAL.]

" Witnesses present :

" ADOLPHUS WISLIZENUS.

" JOHN WOLFF.

" M. W. WARNE. "D. AUGUST SCHNABEL."

The city of St. Louis accepted the trust, but the will was contested by relatives of the deceased. After litigation for several years, the will was declared valid, and the terms of the instrument have been carried into effect. The fund consists of real estate altogether

1763

RELIGIOUS, BENEVOLENT, SOCIAL, SECRET, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

and the income from it, and it is now estimated at nearly $600,000. It is managed by a board of thir- teen commissioners appointed by the City Council, the Inayor being ex officio a member of the board. An immense amount of good is being done for poor emi- grants and travelers through the distribution of this fund. Commissioners are appointed every three years, but their terms of office do not expire at the same time, three being chosen each year. The present board is composed of August Frank, president ; Al- exander Cameron, vice-president ; G. H. Boccken- kamp, Dr. Frederick Hill, Adam Linck, H. C. Meyer, C. H. Miller, L. W. Mitchell, William Nichols, E. J. O'Connor, D. T. Parker, Philip Stock, and R. M. Scruggs. William H. Block is secretary of the board, and the general office is located at No. 807 Loeust Street.

The Home for Aged and Infirm Israelites of St. Louis .- About twenty years ago the Hon. Isidor Bush and others endeavored to establish in St. Louis a Jewish hospital. The city authorities donated a block of ground ncar the Marine Hospital for that purpose, conditioned, however, that the hospital be erected within two years thercafter. The Jewish community being unable to raise the requisite mcans to build the hospital, and other difficulties arising, the property reverted to the city. No action was there- after taken to further the object until Oct. 13, 1878, when at the suggestion of the late Bernard Singer, its president, the United Hebrew Relief Association of St. Louis subscribed sixteen hundred and twenty dollars in annual meeting in aid of a home for old and infirm Israelites, and appointed a committee, consisting of Rev. Dr. Sonnesehein, Jacob Furth, and A. Bins- wanger, to draft an appeal to all Israelites of the city to mect at Harmonie Club Hall Oet. 27, 1878, for the purpose of organizing a Jewish Hospital Associa- tion. The appeal was issued ; a large number of per- sons convened, and the association adopted as its name the title of " Jewish Infirmary and Hospital Associa- tion of St. Louis." At this meeting eight hundred and seventy dollars, additional to the sixteen hundred and twenty dollars before contributed, were subscribed, with the understanding that no part of said subscrip- tions were to be collected until the sum of five thou- sand dollars was subscribed. The association organ- ized by eleeting Jacob Furth as president, William Goldstein as treasurer, and A. Binswanger as secretary. After this there appeared to be a lack of interest in the subject, and the Relief Association, in view of this fact, concluded to establish a home for aged and infirm persons, with a hospital as an appendagc, thereby re- versing the plan previously adopted, and making the

hospital an appendage to " the Home." To carry out this purpose they annually set aside from the procceds of grand charity balls of the Relief Association ccr- tain sums of money until the sum thus set apart amounted to seven thousand two hundred dollars. For about twenty years there had existed an asso- ciation known as " The Ladies' Widows and Orphans Society," which had been organized to aid in estab- lishing an orphan asylum here. The asylum being located at Cleveland, Ohio, under the auspices of the order of B'nai B'rith, the Ladies' Widows and Or- phans Soeicty kept its fund intact, but donated the interest thereof annually to the Cleveland Orphan Asylum. In 1882 it had a fund of ten thousand dol- lars in its treasury. The president of the Relief Association conceived the idea of persuading the socicty to donate its fund to establishing a home for aged and infirm persons, and after much deliberation the fund of the Ladies' Widows and Orphans So- ciety was equally divided between the Cleveland Or- phan Asylum and this association.

The Ladies' Zion Society, through its president, Mrs. Joseph Wolfort, was next enlisted in this be- half, and it generously promised to contribute fifteen hundred dollars. Then the young ladies of the city, under the leadership of Misses Flora Isaacs, Clara Maas, Josie Bush, Sophie Glaser, and Sarah Sehiele, organized an association called the Young Ladies' Hospital Aid Society, whose chief purpose was to raise means to furnish the hospital wlien creeted. They raised the handsome sum of fourteen hundred dollars, which was placed in the hands of Jacob Furth and Joseph Wolfort as trustces. The idea of establishing a hospital having been abandoned, they agreed to con- tribute this fund, which had swelled to the sum of eighteen hundred dollars, towards establishing a " Home." The property No. 3652 Jefferson Street was purchased in April, 1882, by the United Hebrew Relief Association, and a society was permanently or- ganized as " The Home for Aged and Infirm Israel- ites of St. Louis," with B. Hysinger, president ; A. Binswanger, secretary. The home was formally dedicated May 28, 1882. The contributors to the purchase and equipment of the institution were the United Hebrew Relief Association, $7777; the Ladics' Widow and Orphan Society with $5000; the Young Ladies' Aid Society with $2000 ; the Ladies' Pioncer Society with $1000; the Ladies' Zion So- ciety with $1500; the Ladies' Hebrew Relief Society with $300 ; L. M. Hellman, $1000 ; Mrs: Lewis Beau- man, $1000; Nicholas Scharff and wife, $500; Mar- cus Bernheimer and wife, $500 ; Albert Fischer, $250; M. Fraley, $100; and Albert Fishel, of Pittsfield,

1764

HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

Ill., $50. The house and lot cost $10,500, the im- provements necessary to fit the building for a home cost $2000, the furniture and carpet cost $3500, and other incidentals cost $500; total, $16,500. The grounds are two hundred and eighteen by two hun- dred and seventy-nine feet, and are tastefully laid out and carefully kept. The house is a brick structure, three stories in height with a basement. Fifty per- sons can be cared for in the Home, and only infirm Israelites over sixty years of age and of good moral standing are admitted. The present officers are B. Hysinger, president ; Mrs. Albert Fischer, vice-presi- dent ; August Binswanger, secretary ; Benjamin Eise- man, treasurer; and L. M. Hellman, N. Scharff, Mrs. A. Frank, Miss B. Langsdorf, Mrs. J. Wolfort, Mrs. M. Fraley, W. Goldstein, Mrs. L. Stern, M. Loewenstein, directors.

The German General Protestant Orphans' As- sociation of St. Louis was organized Feb. 13, 1877, and located on Natural Bridge road, ncar White Av- enue. The names of the incorporators are Philip Krieger, Sr., Charles G. Stifel, Heinrich Hertz, Fritz Zelle, Francis H. Krenning, Claus Kiehts, William Lefmann, John H. Conrades, Adolph Fischer, Gerhard Boeckenkamp, Ernst Kniekmeyer, August Schulen- berg, Nicholas Berg, Friedrick Dietroeger, Otto Pe- ters, Casper Prange, William Reipschlaeger, Hugo Starkeoff, and John Woestmann. The object of the association is to receive, as far as possible, all poor orphans and educate thiem without charge, also to receive half-orphans and orphans with means provided by the surviving parent or guardian. The first president was Philip Krieger, Sr., who resigned May 26, 1879. His successor, who is now bolding the office, is John H. C. Conrades. The corner- stone of the building was laid Sept. 6, 1877. On Oet. 20, 1878, it was dedicated, and occupied by the first orphans a few days after its dedication. The present officers are John H. C. Conrades, president ; Charles G. Stifel, vice-president ; Ernst Kniekmeyer, secretary ; Frederick Zelle, financial secretary; Francis Krenning, treasurer ; Adolph Fischer, William Reip- schlaeger, William Lefmann, William Noelker, Fred- rich Diekroeger, H. Bloebaum, Gerhard Boeeken- kamp, Theador Lessinghaus, Claus Kiehts, Claus Grote, H. W. Moermann, Conrad Fath, August Gehner, and C. Hager, directors.

· The German Emigrant Aid Society was organ- ized Feb. 6, 1851, and was chartered under an aet of the Legislature of Missouri, Feb. 27, 1851. The original incorporators were Robert Hanning, Arthur Olshausen, William Stumpf, Ferdinand Overstoltz, and others. Its object is the relief of German im-

migrants after their arrival in this country, by fur- nishing them with money, supplies, etc. The present officers are Arthur Olshausen, president ; C. J. Sti- fel, vice-president ; H. T. Wilde, recording secretary ; Dr. H. Kenney, corresponding secretary ; and C. R. Fritsch, treasurer.

The Farmers' and Mechanics' Mutual Aid Association of St. Louis was incorporated Sept. 22, 1878, with J. F. C. Fagg, F. M. Doan, A. V. Cobb, J. S. Brown, F. K. Doan, S. R. Peters, and G. Hurt, incorporators, as a beneficial association. Its present officers are Hon. Thomas J. C. Fagg, presi- dent ; Nathan Shumate, vice-president ; F. M. Doan, secretary ; J. S. Brown, treasurer ; Frank K. Doan, general manager; S. R. Peters, counsel; Garland Hurt, medical director.

Covenant Hall Association .- This organization was incorporated in December, 1877, by A. Kramer, Isidor Bush, S. Wolfenstein, H. Newland, Jacob Furth, and David Loewer, for the purpose of pro- viding and furnishing a suitable meeting-place for the different Jewish benevolent societies. It is lo- cated in the Druid Hall building, corner of Ninth and Market Streets. Its present officers are H. New- land, president; and Isidor Bush, secretary and treas- urer.

The Mullanphy Emigrant Home .- This build- ing, situated on Fourteenth Street, between Mullan- phy and Howard Streets, was erected in 1867, at a cost of thirty thousand dollars, partly supplied from the Mullanphy Fund. The Home was maintained until 1877, when the trustees, finding that it was less expensive to carry out the provisions of the devisee in other ways, leased it to the school board, by whom it is now used for school purposes.

The St. Paul's Benevolent Society was incor- porated May 16, 1868, by Frederick Arendes, Nich- olas Helmbacher, G. L. Gretz, A. Geisel, Louis Metts, and others. The membership numbers nearly six hundred. The object of this society is to render aid to its members in ease of sickness or death. The offi- eers are Frederick Arendes, president; Julius Peter- son, treasurer ; P. W. Bergs, secretary.

Ancient Order of Hibernians .- In 1847 some Irish-Americans of New York City organized the Ancient Order of Hibernians, to relieve the distresses of the thousands of their countrymen who in that period were fleeing to this country to escape the horrors of the memorable famine in Ireland. It is said they patterned it after some of the numerous patriotie seeret societies which for centuries have flourished on Irish soil. The order gradually spread to other States, and finally assumed a beneficial ehar-

RELIGIOUS, BENEVOLENT, SOCIAL, SECRET, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

1765

aeter. In St. Louis the first division was established in 1870 by John Tigh, Andrew Ferry, Peter Leonard, Patrick Coughlin, and others. Divisions 2 and 3 were organized during the same year, and others fol- lowed until at the present time every distriet in the city is supplied.

The order provides sick benefits, and a death benefit of one thousand dollars. Members must be Irish, or of Irish descent, and must also be Catholics. The opposition to the order on the part of the church au- thorities in some sections has never been manifested in St. Louis; on the contrary, it has always had their sanetion and support.

In 1870 a State Division was also established. There are now sixteen divisions in Missouri, with about nine hundred members. The present State offieers are : State Delegate, P. J. Kelley, St. Louis ; State Seeretary, Jolın J. Granfield, Kansas City ; State Treasurer, Charles Landers, St. Louis.

The affairs of the order in St. Louis are managed by a board of five officers from each subordinate di- vision. The present County Delegate is James Gar- rigan; County Treasurer, J. A. Flynn.

The divisions in St. Louis are as follows :

Membership.

Division No. 1

135

120

150

114

119

10.

100

Total

1040

The Helvetia Huelfs-Gesellschaft is an associa- tion of Swiss residents of St. Louis, organized in 1873 to relieve the distress of needy immigrants or travel- ers of that nationality, as well as the wants of any of its members. It has about fifty members. It is sup- ported by fees and dues, and by appropriations from the Swiss government and Swiss cantons. The yearly reccipts are about one thousand dollars. During the last year two hundred and forty-six persons were re- lieved. The officers are : President, Rev. J. G. Eber- hard ; Vice-President, F. T. Ledergerber ; Secretary, H. Graf; Treasurer, Jacob Buff. While an inde- pendent body, it is in affiliation and correspondence with similar associations in Philadelphia, Chicago, and New Orleans.

Marine Engineers' Association, No. 6 .- The Marine Engineers' Association, No. 6, was organized Feb. 25, 1875, for the purpose of the mutual im- provement of its members. It obtained a charter April 25th of the same year. It was located at first

on the corner of Eleventh Street and Franklin Ave- nue, but afterwards removed to No. 411 North Third Street, where it is now situated. Its presiding offi- cers have been J. W. Shea, Hunt Owen, and Thomas H. Nelson. Its present secretary is James H. Harris. The association numbers three hundred and fifty mem- bers. There are thirty-four similar associations in the United States.

Millwrights' Assembly .- This assembly was or- ganized March 7, 1880, for the purpose of improving the condition of its members and obtaining legitimately for their labor as high wages as possible. It was chartered in April, 1880, with Porter Pleasant, C. F. Metz, F. O. Semn, and J. O'Connell, incorporators, and located at No. 902 South Fourth Street. Its presiding offieers have been, successively, A. Landgraf, P. Pleasant, J. MeClure, and J. C. Booth. Its pres- ent officers and direetors are A. Landgraf, A. J. Burns, C. F. Metz, F. Woehne, C. Schmidt, H. Berneh, and T. Hill, with Thomas Howard, secre- tary.

United Sons of Erin Benevolent Society .- This is an open association of Irishmen who are Catholies for mutual assistance. It was organized in 1866, and among the early members and promoters were Rev. James Henry, Francis Noonan, Dr. W. H. Brennan, James Bligh, and others. It is the only association of the name in St. Louis, is confined to the eity, and has about two hundred members. It pays six dollars a week for sick benefits, and in the event of a member's death the heirs receive one dollar from each surviving member. The officers for 1882 were-

Spiritual Director, Rev. Father Henry; President, M. Wha- len ; Secretary, John Costello; Treasurer, Richard O'Neill; Medical Examiner, Dr. W. N. Brennan.

Gruetli Verein .- By 1845-48 quite a colony of Swiss had settled in St. Louis, and in 1848-49 (some say a year or two earlier) the " Swiss Benevolent So- ciety" was formed. It appears to have been subordi- nate to the National Gruetli Verein, which was or- ganized in 1848. About the same time the Gruetli Gesangverein was organized, and after some years the two societies consolidated. Both had good libraries, and the benevolent society had three hundred and fifty dollars. The association was known as the Gruetli Verein, and its objects were beneficiary. Ultimately the song section withdrew and became the Swiss Maennerchor.

The Gruetli Verein was one of the first of the foreign societies to parade in St. Louis, and its ap- pearanee in public on the 4th of July and November 17th, when the " Gruetli Oath" was celebrated, oeca- sioned mueli comment. One of its conspicuous mem-

112

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HISTORY OF SAINT LOUIS.

bers was John Bachman, who was dressed as William Tell, and whose gray beard fell to his knecs.

In 1861 the Gruetli Verein was chartered, the in- corporators being J. C. Brandenberger, Francis J. Aekerman, J. J. Kiburz, John Rudy, Gregor Meury, Ole F. Schneider, J. C. Kaiser, Noel Kiburz, and Charles Ehrmann.

During the war it lost many members who fought on the side of the Union. Since then its earcer has been without special incident. It has about one hun- dred and fifty members, and pays six dollars a week for sick benefits, and three hundred dollars in case of death. Of late years it has worked independently of any outside authority.

The present officers are : President, J. C. Mueller; Vice-President, John Meyer; Secretary, G. Hegg ; Financial Seerctary, John Grob; Treasurer, Conrad Hippenmeier ; Librarian, J. Schlach.

Sons of Temperance .- This order originated in New York in 1842, and in February, 1844, A. Spalding, of St. Louis, petitioned the National Di- vision for a charter for a division in St. Louis, which was granted, and St. Louis Division, No. 1, was organ- ized, probably during the same year. In 1846, Henry Stagg, the Recording Scribe of the division (a well- known lawyer), and W. F. Chase represented Mis- souri in the National Division. On the 5th of May, 1847, the Grand Division of Missouri was instituted by William S. Stewart, Deputy M. W. P. Five di- visions existed in Missouri, and Rev. C. B. Parsons, D.D., was the first Grand Worthy Patriarch. Among the prominent members of that body were Bernard Bryan, Ira Vail, J. R. Lackland, Rev. W. Z. Protts- man, Jonathan Jones, James Spore, John B. Higdon, William A. Lyneh, Isaac N. Hedges, and T. H. Cav- anaugh. William S. Stewart was a prominent Odd- Fellow, and had been Grand Master of the I. O. O. F. Grand Lodge.

The records of the Grand Division of Missouri are lost, and details of the progress of the order'in the city are very meagre. Bernard Bryan represented the State in the National Division in 1848, and re- ported two thousand two hundred and cight members ; in 1849 three thousand three hundred and seventy members were reported. At one period before the war there werc one hundred divisions in the State, with perhaps fifteen thousand members, but the war nearly destroyed the order, leaving but eight or ten divisions, with only about two hundred members. In St. Louis there were ten divisions before the war, with a membership of one thousand to fifteen hundred. There is now but one St. Louis division, No. 1, about fifty members. There are six divisions in Missouri,

with some three hundred members. The present Grand Division officers arc-

G. W. P., P. R. Ridgeley, Palmyra; G. W. A., Miss R. E. Anderson, Palmyra; G. S., J. J. Garver, St. Louis; G. T., Mrs. F. E. Lane, Palmyra ; G. Chap., Rev. M. M. Hawkins, Palmyra; G. Con., N. W. Dunn, Philadelphia ; G. Sent., J. W. Tattman, Philadelphia; E. H. Hulin, Palmyra, P. G. W. P.

Catholic Total Abstinence and Benevolent So- ciety .- This society was the pioneer of all the Catho- lie temperanee societies which have sprung up within the past thirty years. It was organized on the 15th of August, 1848, by the Rev. John Higginbotham, a retired chaplain of the British army. He was the pastor of St. John's Catholic Church, and built the new St. John's Church, and remained at the head of the society until he left St. Louis, which was about 1855. He went to Halifax, N. S., and started a similar and flourishing society there, and then re- entered the British service. After some years he was retired, and is now living in England with the rank of colonel.

The second president of the society was Rev. James Bannon, who in 1861 or 1862 entered the Confeder- ate service as chaplain, and after the war returned to Dublin, where he is living, a Jesuit Father, and regarded as one of the ablest preachers in Ireland. The third president was the Rev. James O'Brien, who in 1863 or 1864 was sueeeeded by the Rev. Father Henry, who has been the president uninterruptedly ever since. Father O'Brien is reported to be teach- ing in a college in Illinois.

The first officers of the society were-

President, Rev. John Higginbotham ; Vice-President, Michael McEnnis; Secretary, Thomas Lawless ; Treasurer, Michael Hogan ; Grand Marshal, Col. Joseph Kelley.

Of these officers, Father Higginbotham, as previ- ously stated, is still living. Mr. MeEnnis is also still alive, and in 1881 was president of the Merchants' Exchange. He was sueceeded by Dennis Kehoe, who is dead. James Mulholland was the second seeretary, and the third secretary was Patrick Sullivan, who has filled that office for many years. Michael Hogan was treasurer for a number of years, and then Michael Whelan. Both are dead. The next treasurer was Edmund Burke, and the next was Michael E. Smith, who was succeeded by Michael Clary, who has held the office for nearly a decade.

Until the eivil war the society had seasons of great prosperity, and at one time nearly one thousand men- bers were enrolled. The war eaused a serious divis- ion, and many of the members enlisted, some on the side of the Confederaey, but the great majority in the Union army. After the war the society was

1767

RELIGIOUS, BENEVOLENT, SOCIAL, SECRET, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS.

subjected to loss by reason of the establishment of numerous beneficiary orders, which attraeted the young men ; consequently it is now composed prinei- pally of middle-aged and old members. Originally established purely as a temperance society, relying on moral indueements, it was found expedient some years ago to adopt eertain beneficiary features, viz. : Funeral benefits of one dollar per capita on the death of a member ; seventy-five dollars on the death of a mem- ber's wife, and five dollars per week siek benefits. The society is not seeret, and it is confined to Catho- lies. The present membership numbers nearly three hundred, and the present offieers are ----

President, Rev. Father James Henry ; First Vice-President, Robert Kelleher ; Second Vice-President, Thomas J. Donahue; Secretary, Patrick Sullivan; Treasurer, Michael Cleary ; Mar- shal, James Duffy ; Messenger, Dennis Daly.

In relieving distress and in assisting those of in- firm will to eseape the bondage of drink, the society has done an amount of good that eannot be estimated.

Independent Order of Good Templars .- This popular temperanee organization originated in Central New York in 1852, and was the first society of any kind to admit women to every position of official dig- nity and honor on equal terms with men. The first lodge in Missouri was established at Booneville, April 25, 1854, by B. F. Mills, a prominent member of the Sons of Temperanee, who during a visit to the East in the interest of that order was initiated into a Good Templars' lodge, and returned full of enthusiasm for this new temperanee institution. The first lodge in St. Louis was instituted early in 1855, and soon after, in the order named, St. Louis Lodge, Lily of the Valley Lodge, and Mound Lodge were established. Mr. Mills was the instituting offieer of all these.

On the 14th of March, 1855, the Grand Lodge of Missouri was established in St. Louis. . So rapidly had the order grown that there were seventy-seven lodges and several hundred Good Templars in the State, yet at the institution of the Grand Lodge only eleven lodges were represented, located in Alexandria, Columbia, California, Farmington, Paris, Platte City, Springfield, Warsaw, two at Warrenton, and one (Mound Lodge) at St. Louis, the delegate from the latter being Mrs. Jane P. Moon, still a resident of St. Louis, who has been uninterruptedly a member of the order. The first Grand Worthy Chief Templar of Missouri was Col. William F. Switzler, of Colum- bia, and of the fifteen members of that Grand Lodge he and Mrs. Moon are believed to be the only sur- vivors. The first offieers of the Grand Lodge were-

Grand Worthy Chief Templar, Col. William F. Switzler, Columbia; Vice-Templar, Mrs. Jane Walker ; Counselor, R.

E. Blakeley ; Secretary, B. H. Mills ; Treasurer, E. E. Pleasant ; Chaplain, Rev. W. M. Rush ; Marshal, H. B. Callahan.

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History of Saint Louis City and County, from the earliest periods to the present day: including biographical sketches of representative men, Part 167

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898 Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts Number of Pages: 1358

Author: Scharf, J. Thomas (John Thomas), 1843-1898
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Philadelphia : L.H. Everts
Number of Pages: 1358