USA > Missouri > St Charles County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 37
USA > Missouri > Montgomery County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 37
USA > Missouri > Warren County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 37
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Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church. - During the early set- tlement of the Germans about St. Charles, when their number was small, the German Protestants all worshiped together in a small stone church two miles west of the city. The congregation consisted, however, of such heterogenous elements that peace and edification were impossible. After many years of strife, during which at times a
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minister with Lutheran tendencies, then an outspoken Nationalist, or again, a German Reformed minister occupied the pulpit. The Luther- ans severed their connection with the old stone church on the Boone's Lick road, and, uniting with a few Lutherans who had settled in the city and below St. Charles, laid the foundation to what is now the large and flourishing Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Congregation
With the assistance of the Rev. H. Fisk, who was at the time min- ister of a Lutheran Church at New Melle, a Lutheran congregation was organized in the year A. D. 1848. The following members inscribed their names in the church record : -
J. Herm. Moehlenkamp, J. Henry Stumberg, J. Ch. Kuhlhoff, J. Herm. Laging, Dietrich Moehlenkamp, William Beckebrede, J. D. Holrah, Wmn. Bruns, Herm. Wilke, Rudolph Moentmann, Dietrich Tumbehl, Herm. D. Sandfort, Henry Ehlmann, Dietrich Thoele, Henry Moehlenkamp, C. N. Dahmann, Friedrick Droste, Ernest Placke- meyer, Wm. Hagemann, H. D. Ehlmann - 20 voting members.
In the same year the congregation called the candidate of theology, Rudolph Lange, now professor in the Concordia Theological Seminary, to the ministry.
The congregation having no edifice of its own, was permitted, by the kindness and generosity of the members of the First Presbyterian Church, to use theirs in the afternoon.
For about a year regular services were conducted by the Rev. R. Lange in the Presbyterian Church, when, through his efficient labors, the congregation was able to erect a good stone building on the corner of Sixth and Jefferson streets, which was dedicated in October, 1849.
In 1858 Rev. R. Lange accepted a call to the Lutheran Concordia College at St. Louis, Mo. For successor, Rev. J. H. Ph. Graebner, at Roseville, Mich., was called, who could not come before spring, in 1859, because the congregation at Roseville disliked to dismiss him. During the vacancy which ensued, Rev. G. Gruber filled the ministe- rial office of the congregation. In May, 1859, Rev. Graebner entered upon his office in St. Charles, which he has attended to since then. At this time the number of voting members was 64. In the course of several years the number of members increased to so many the old church building would not contain the auditors for sacred services. In consequence thereof, the congregation erected at the same place, after removing the old building, the present spacious building at the expense of over $40,000. Later, the congregation increasing so much, and the members being dispersed so far about, the congregation called Mr. F. Sievers, then candidate of theology, as second minister. In
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
1876 a new congregation had been, as a branch of the mother congre- gation, instituted in the so-called " Point Prairie." In consequence thereof Rev. F. Sievers accepted a call to Minneapolis, Minn., leaving Rev. J. H. Ph. Graebner to attend to the congregation alone. A few months ago (August, 1884), a second new congregation of the mother congregation of the fifth district was instituted at Har- vester, which has called Rev. U. Iben, from Farmington, Francois county, Mo. After these two new congregations separated, the number of voting members of the mother congregation was 118. The congregation had, from beginning until 1866, a one-graded parochial school in the city, to which, in that year, a second grade was added. Previous to this, the congregation had already in three of their districts in the county, parochial schools. As the spacious- ness of the school in the city, after adding the second grade, had become too confined, the congregation erected a large building for school purposes on Jefferson and Seventh streets. Three years ago a third grade was added. The teachers of the city school are, at pres- ent : A. Mack, H. H. Eggebrecht, and Miss P. Mohrmann. After separation of the above named two new congregations, the old Imman- uels congregation has still, in one of their country districts, a parochial school. Teacher, Mr. R. Hoelscher. After Rev. J. H. Ph. Graebner had been officiating 25 years at St. Charles, the congregation, in May, 1884, celebrated his jubilee, and, at the same time, donated to him valuable gifts.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
JOSEPH H. ALEXANDER
(Cashier of the Union Savings Bank, St. Charles).
A plain, unassuming and highly respected citizen of St. Charles county, one whose life thus far has been busily and worthily occupied with the duties and responsibilities his situation seemed to impose, Mr. Alexander is a man whose past is without reproach and whose career has been one of much credit for the industry, perseverance and personal worth he has shown, and for the enviable position in the community he has attained, almost alone by his own exertions and merits, and by means that have never been called in question. Free from all pretention and thoroughly averse to anything that has even the appearance of empty commendation, the greatest difficulty met with in preparing a sketch of his life for the present work is to so
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
speak of his character and worth as to do him justice without giving offense to his almost over-sensitive distaste for all manner of public expressions of approbation. A plain, self-respecting, unassuming man, only such a sketch as shall be in consonance with his character in this respect will be ventured - a sketch as plain as a naked state- ment of facts can render it. Mr. Alexander is a Louisianan by nativity, born in Baton Rouge parish, February 29, 1828. He was the youngest son of Isaac and Mary H. (Miller) Alexander, his father originally from Scotland, but his mother a native of Pennsylvania. Both parents died, however, when Joseph H. was quite young, and he was taken by some relatives of his mother to rear. In early youth his school advantages were very limited. Indeed, at the age of 10 years he had not yet learned the alphabet. But later along he had an opportunity to attend the Montpelier Academy, in St. Helena parish, which he improved. He studied with great assiduity at that academy and made rapid progress in his books. About this time he formed two warm and valuable friendships. Rev. W. H. Parks and Hon. Robert H. Parks kindly interested themselves in his behalf and rendered him material assistance in prosecuting his studies. They gave him instruction in the more difficult English branches and in Latin and Greek. Subsequently they removed to St. Charles county, and young Alexander, having gone to Ohio in 1842, came with his friends to Missouri in 1843 and also located with them in St. Charles county. He was now qualified to teach school, and here, accordingly, he was employed to take charge of a school, which he kept with success through one term. The confinement to the school-room, however, proved injurious to his health, and he therefore engaged in farm work. Still desiring to complete his education, in the spring of 1846 he entered college at St. Charles, where he continued until his final gradua- tion. While taking his collegiate course he taught some of the college classes a part of the time, and by so doing defrayed a part of his own expenses at college. Before his graduation young Alexander had decided to devote himself to the legal profession, and with this object in view he began the study of law under his old friend, Hon. Robert H. Parks, immediately after quitting college. After a thor- ough course of preparatory study he was regularly admitted to the bar in 1850. As an evidence of what his legal attainments were at that time, it is worthy of remark that immediately after his admission he was taken in as a partner in the practice by his former preceptor, Mr. Parks, who was best qualified to judge of his qualifications and ability for the practice. This partnership continued with mutual sat- isfaction and advantage until 1853, when Mr. Parks retired from the practice and Mr. Alexander formed a partnership with Hon. Edward A. Lewis, a leading lawyer then and now Chief Justice of the St. Louis Court of Appeals. The practice of law, however, becoming distasteful, on account of a long spell of sickness and general ill- health and for other reasons, Mr. Alexander withdrew from his profession altogether, and in 1864 accepted the position of cashier of the First National Bank. This he continued to hold up to the
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
organization of the present Union Savings Bank, in which he became a stockholder and of which he was elected cashier. He has been in the present bank in the capacity of cashier ever since that time con- tinuously. Mr. Alexander, as all know who know anything about his connection with banking, has made a most efficient and popular cashier. More than this: His thorough knowledge of the people of the county, their characters, and the property standing of each, as well as his excellent business judgment and financial ability and legal training and knowledge, have been of great value to the institutions with which he has been connected. The success of the Union Savings Bank is unquestionably largely due to his good judgment, business qualifications and the thorough confidence which the public have in his personal and business honor. Mr. Alexander is a man whose word, in St. Charles county and wherever he is known, is as good as his bond. No man stands higher than he in the public confidence. He has been an earnest, exemplary member of the Presbyterian Church ever since he was 14 years of age ; and he was ordained an elder at the age of 26. His private life is in strict accord with his public professions. Even in his personal habits there is nothing disa- greeable, such as using tobacco and other small vices, which are not always in the codex expurgatorius of gentlemen. Mr. Alexander is of course a man of family. He was married December 9, 1851. His wife was a Miss Jane Cornforth, a daughter of William Cornforth of St. Charles, but formerly of England. Mr. and Mrs. A. have seven children : Emily A., now the wife of John B. Martin; Thornton K., now of St. Paul, Minn .; William C., now of Brooksville, Fla. ; Josie, a young lady, still at home ; Annie L., now attending Linden- wood Female College ; Robert P. and Frankie T. Mr. Alexander has never taken any very active interest in politics, but has frequently been called to serve in official positions of a local character, including the office of public administrator of the county. During the regime of the Whig party he was a Whig in politics, but has ever since voted and acted with the Democratic party.
MAJ. BENJAMIN A. ALDERSON
(Retired Farmer and Civil Engineer, St. Charles).
In the early history of railroad building in this country the name that heads this sketch will ever occupy a well recognized and enviable position. Maj. Alderson was a member of one of the first railway surveying corps organized in Baltimore, and assisted to survey the line of one of the first great passenger roads built, the Baltimore and Ohio. He was subsequently connected with railway surveying and construction in the South and West for some 12 or 15 years. After a successful experience in railway engineering Maj. Alderson engaged in agricultural life and has continued identified with farming up to the present time. While he accumulated a comfortable prop- erty through his connection with railroad building, he by no means amassed a large fortune as most of those prominently connected with
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
railroads did in those early days. Opportunities for profitable spec- ulation were abundant, but the setting of all scruples aside for the al- mighty dollar has never been one of his characteristics. What he made, he made as the legitimate and regular reward of his services - nothing more, nothing less - and this was all he accumulated in his railroad experience. Maj. Alderson has been a resident of St. Charles county for over 40 years, and is well known here as one of its oldest and most highly respected citizens. He has reared a worthy family of children who have gone out into the world and become well estab- lished in life. His past life, though it has not been altogether un- clouded by sorrow and misfortune, has been one, nevertheless, in which, upon the whole, there is perhaps as little to regret as usually falls to the lot of men. In the early history of railroad surveys in this country it was attended with some trials. Frequently citizens along the line of survey made objections, and would order off and drive away the engineer corps, sometimes committing great bodily harm, even to the taking of life. Maj. Alderson had many cases of this kind - in Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and Mis- souri. He was never known to change his line for any threat or bodily attempt to oust him. The only forcible attempt was at Mid- way, Ky. This physical display of science failed, and was never tried again. Many incidents in a long life, of what we call a self-made man, might be enumerated for the benefit of our young men, but cannot be added here. He is a native of Maryland, born near Jarretsville, in Harford county, November 11, 1810. His father was Judge Abel Alderson, a prominent citizen of that county, but origin- ally from Greenbrier county, Va. His grandfather on his mother's side was the Rev. John Davis, a native of Wales, England. His mother was a Miss Anna Amos, a daughter of Benjamin Amos, a well- known citizen of Harford county, Md., and a man remarkable for energy, industry and economy. He amassed a handsome property, consisting of half a dozen farms and several flouring mills, and it is said of him that in one of his earlier days he split 1,000 chestnut rails, half soled a pair of shoes and attended a ball that night. Maj. Alderson's father was for many years a judge of the county court and subsequently represented his county in the State Legislature. He died in 1841, profoundly mourned by the people of the county. Maj. Alderson, when a youth, had a great deal of the spirit of adven- ture, and longed to get out into the world to deal with the realities and responsibilities of life. Courage and self-reliance have always been among his leading characteristics. At the age of 16 he started out for himself with only a common-school education and his unfearing confidence in himself to make his way successfully through life. He early showed marked talent for mathematics and at school advanced in that science far beyond his years, mastering the higher branches and becoming familiar with surveying and engineering. About this time a surveying party for the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad was or- ganized and he felt that this was his opportunity. He at once joined the engineer corps, and soon displayed marked talent
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
for railway surveying. This was only 18 months after he left home, and from this time forward, for a number of years, he was continuously connected with railway engineering and hard study and rose to a prominent position in that profession. After being with the Baltimore & Ohio for about four years he then entered the service of the Balti- more & Washington, and assisted to make the preliminary survey and location of that road, being one of its chief assistant engineers in charge of calculations and drawings. In about 1832 he was employed as assistant engineer to survey the route of the Lexington & Ohio Railroad in Kentucky, and was in the service of that company some three years. After this, in 1835, he was appointed chief of a corps of engineers on the proposed New Orleans and Nashville Railroad, and completed the survey of the route of that road in the same fall. It had now been over nine years since he left Baltimore, where he had previously had charge of a store for about a year, to engage in rail- way engineering ; and accordingly he returned to that city where he spent the following winter. In the spring of 1836 he went to Lexing- ton, Ky., and came thence to St. Charles county, Mo., where he entered about 900 acres of fine land. He then returned to Louisville, Ky., and entered the engineer corps on the surveys, location and con- struction of the Louisville and Lexington Road, in which position he served for about a year. About this time he was solicited to take charge of the construction of the Natchez & Jackson Railroad, in Mis- sissippi, which he did, receiving a large salary for his services. While employed in this work he also surveyed and located a road from Can- ton to Jackson, Miss. While in Mississippi he met Miss Matilda Farrar, a highly accomplished young lady of Washington, that State, and of one of the prominent families of the State. Their acquaintance shortly ripened into a devoted attachment and they were happily married in the fall of 1838. Soon after this Maj. Alderson started a large cotton plantation in Louisiana, carried on by slave labor, which he conducted with success until his removal to Missouri, in 1844. Here he went to work improving his large body of land near St. Charles, which he had entered a number of years before. He im- proved an excellent farm here, and with the exception of one or two short absences has been in this county ever since. From 1848 he was engineer for the St. Louis county rock and plank roads for about three years, and was after this a member of the engineer corps of the old North Missouri, now Wabash Road, for a time. In 1850 he removed to St. Charles and has been a resident of this city ever since. He has a comfortable residence property here and rents out his agricul- tural lands, in the county. He has always taken a public spirited interest in the cause of education and has been one of the directors and treasurers of Lindenwood Female College for the last 25 years. Maj. Alderson is a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church. He has been a member of the church for 35 years. Being a man of sterling, old-fashioned ideas of honesty in public affairs, he is of course a Democrat, strongly opposed to the new regime of extravagance and corruption that prevails in the government. Maj. Alderson's first
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
wife died in 1848. There is a daughter surviving of that union, Anna, who is now the wife of Dr. G. W. Weems, of Moberly. His present wife, a neice of Gov. Gamble, of Missouri, was a Miss Mary L. Baker, formerly of Winchester, Va., a refined and excellent lady. Six chil- dren are the fruits of his last marriage, namely : Rev. Samuel B. Alderson, for the past 11 years pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, at Maysville, Ky., but now at Washington C. H., Ohio ; Bettie G., the wife of Prof. Joseph C. Watkins, principal of the Male Academy at Pleasant Hill, Mo. ; William A., a leading lawyer of Kansas City, Mo. ; Fannie, the wife of C. A. Durrell, of Harrisburg, Pa. ; David P. and Robert F., the first being second teller and the other a clerk in the Merchants National Bank of Kansas City.
HENRY ANGERT
(Dealer in Groceries, Queen's-ware, Glassware, Etc., St. Charles).
The lesson which Mr. Angert's career teaches is that industry, close attention to business and fair dealing, directed by good business judgment and sustained by unswerving perseverance, will in the end succeed, and succeed abundantly. Squaring his life according to these principles he has come up, as the years have come and gone, from a youth without means and limited education to a prominent position among the leading and influential business men and intelligent and highly respected citizens of St. Charles. Let us then present a brief sketch of the life here referred to, that the young who may read this volume may have the opportunity to profit by his example. He was born in St. Charles, November 7, 1845, and was a son of Adam and Mary (Boschert) Angert, his father originally from Hesse Darmstadt, but his mother a native of Baden. Young Angert grew up in St. Charles and had limited school advantages. He afterwards educated himself by study during his leisure hours. At the age of 14 he en- tered the store of Henry B. Denker as a clerk, where he received that training in business affairs which has since proved the means of his success. Saving up his wages economically, and always acting honor- ably, he accumulated a little cash ; but better than that, won the con- fidence of men who were ready to advance capital which he could with advantage use. He started in business for himself as a member of the firm of Angert & Brooker, and they continued in business until his partner's death. Since then he has carried on the business alone, and has built up a large business. He carries a well selected and heavy stock of goods, and does a trade that amounts to over $30,000 a year. He has also accumulated considerable property and valuable securi- ties. He is a stockholder in and vice-president of the First National bank. He is vice-president and a director of the St. Charles Tobacco Company, and is prominently connected with other enterprises of the city. Mr. Angert is a man of family. He was married in May, 1869, to Miss Josephine Thro. She died March 24, 1876, leaving a daugh- ter, Mary A. He was married to his present wife in April, 1877. She was the widow of his late partner in business, August Brooker,
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
and her maiden name was Adie Mlitzko, formerly of Vienna, Austria. She came across to America unattended by any friend or relative when only 12 years of age. This shows that even then she was not lacking in courage. She has two children by her former marriage : Charles and August Brooker. By the last marriage they have one child : Eugene. Mr. and Mrs. Angert are members of the Catholic Church. Recently Mr. Angert was a candidate for the office of county treas- urer, and at the election November 4, 1884, was elected by a hand- some majority to this position.
J. H. HENRI BASELER
(Dealer in and Repairer of Sewing Machines, etc., and Maker of Artificial Gallinarium Incubators, St. Charles).
Mr. Baseler is a native of Maryland, born at Baltimore, November 28, 1837. He was the eldest in a family of 11 children of Chris- tian and Helena ( Woldmann) Baseler, who came to this country from Germany and settled at Baltimore in 1835. His father was a carriage maker, and followed that occupation at Baltimore until his removal to Fredericksburg, Va., in 1853, where he engaged in business until his death, which occurred in 1863. Mr. Henri Baseler was princi- pally reared at Baltimore and Fredericksburg, Va., but was not brought up to his father's trade on account of being disabled for manual labor by a severe illness which resulted in making him a cripple for life. Furthermore, he early displayed a marked natural talent for music, and the development and cultivation of this was properly encouraged by his parents. He was given a good general education, but special attention was paid to his musical culture. He early became a fine pianist, one of the accomplished performers, in fact, of Baltimore. He was also hardly less proficient on other in- struments, and soon became a teacher of music of well established and wide reputation. Subsequently he followed music teaching for nearly 20 years, principally piano music. He taught at Freder- icksburg, Va., and at other points in the Old Dominion, and later along in West Virginia, North Carolina, and in Missouri. For five years he was professor of music at Hillsboro College, North Carolina, and for two years afterwards he held the chair of music in the Con- cord Female College of Statesville, that State. In 1867 Mr. Baseler came West, to St. Louis, and there shortly received the appointment of leader of music in the Walnut Street Presbyterian Church, under the pastorate of the Rev. Dr. Brookes, a position he held with emi- nent satisfaction to the church for a period of some three years. After a residence in St. Louis of about six years, Prof. Baseler came up to St. Charles, where, for a time, he was book-keeper for the Singer sewing machine agency at this place. He engaged in his pres- ent business, that of dealing in and repairing sewing machines, in 1876. He also does something incidentally in his old business of repairing musical instruments and carries a stock of gasoline stoves in connection with his other business. Prof. Baseler is a natural
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machinist as well as an accomplished musician, and is one of the most skillful workmen in repairing the finer classes of machinery that can be had in the county. Recently he has established a gallinarium at St. Charles and thus far has had excellent success in raising poultry. He hatches or incubates his chickens by artificial means, thus greatly economizing the time and labor of his hens, as well as the expense in- cident to the old-fashioned system, something on the same principle of raising a baby on the bottle. He uses an incubator of his own invention and make. He has found the poultry industry quite profit- able and is making it a complete success. Prof. Baseler is a man of culture and pleasant address and commands the consideration of all who know him. In 1866 he was married to Miss Mary A. Woods, a daughter of Capt. A. W. Woods, of Wheeling, W. Va., and a granddaughter of the widow of the noted Maj. Mccullough, the great Indian fighter in the early history of that State. The Professor and Mrs. B. have 10 children : Louisa, Nellie, Woods, Libbie, Mary B., Anna, Berta, Harry, Lila, and Edgaretta.
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