USA > Ohio > Memoirs of the lower Ohio valley, personal and genealogical : with portraits, Volume II > Part 6
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
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ABBOTT VEATCH, inspector of steamboat hulls, Evansville, Ind., was born on a farm in Posey county, of that state, July 4, 1861, his parents being Virgil S. and Margaret (Oatman) Veatch. The paternal grandfather, Thomas Stone Veatch, was an old settler in that portion of Indiana known as "The Pocket." On the maternal side quite a number of the family were river-men, though the grandfather of Mr. Veatch, Jesse Oatman, was a well-to-do farmer of Posey county. Virgil S. Veatch is a printer by trade, and when Abbott was about seven years of age the family removed to Evans- ville, where both parents are still living, and where the father fol- lows his occupation. Abbott grew to manhood in Evansville, which city has always been his home, since his parents came there. Per- haps he inherited a love for the river from his mother's people. At any rate, when he was twelve years of age he became a dishwasher on one of the Ohio and Mississippi river steamers, and since then he has filled various positions in the steamboat navigation of those streams. His long experience gave him the essential qualifications for the position he now holds. Steamboat captains have faith in his abil- ity to make inspections and the general public have faith in his hon- esty to know that his duties will be faithfully, fearlessly and impar- tially performed and the safety of the traveling public be thereby greatly enhanced.
JOHN P. WALKER, of Evansville, Ind., county treasurer of Vanderburg county, was born at Richview, Washing- ton county, Ill., July 21, 1866. He is a son of William H. and Mary A. (Phil- lips) Walker, both natives of Washington county, Ill., the father born Jan. 8, 1827, and the mother on July 15, 1826. They were married on Feb. 15, 1848, and are still living, having celebrated their golden wedding in 1898. During the war the father was a captain and later a major in an Illinois regiment. In 1871 the family removed to Evansville, in 1888 the parents went to Kansas and now live in Pasadena, Cal., where the father is a retired Baptist minister. John P. is the eighth in a family of nine children, seven of whom are still living. James R. is a physician at Pine Ridge, S. D .; Sarah L. is now Mrs. Summers of Oklahoma City, O. T .; Rhoda is the wife
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of P. E. Sherrill of Bennettstown, Ky .; Emma is Mrs. Richardson of Oklahoma City; Laura married F. M. Saunders and lives at Los Angeles ; Simeon O. lives at Buena Park, Cal. Those deceased are Mary, who died as the wife of a Mr. Allman of Evansville, and Anna, who died when only six years of age. John P. Walker was but five years old when his parents came to Evansville. After attending the public schools he learned the printers' trade in the office of the Evansville Courier; was for a time mailing clerk in the Evansville post office ; went to Kansas City about 1887 and was there employed for two years in the accounting department of the Fort Scott & Memphis railroad; returned to Evansville in 1890 and entered the accounting department of the Mackey system of railroads, including nearly all the lines centering at Evansville, as well as some others. Mr. Walker continued in this position until Mr. Mackey lost control, after which he was. with the Peoria, Decatur & Eastern, and Louisville, Evansville & St. Louis roads until 1897, at which time he was chief clerk in the auditor's office of the latter road. In March of that year he met with a railroad accident that necessitated the amputation of both legs. This would have caused many a man to become down- hearted, but the cheerful disposition of Mr. Walker was now worth a great deal to him in helping him to keep up his spirits. He entered politics, and in the fall of 1898 was elected coroner of Vanderburg county. At the close of his first term he was re-elected, serving four years in all, and in 1902 was elected treasurer of the county on the Republican ticket by a majority of over 2,000. It is possible that some people voted for Mr. Walker because of his misfortune, but a large majority of his supporters gave him their suffrages because they knew he was both capable and honest. His skill as an account- ant makes him competent to meet any problem in bookkeeping that may arise, and the taxpayers of the county know that the records will be kept straight under his supervision. Mr. Walker is a Royal Arch Mason, a Knight of Pythias and a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. On Oct. 4, 1888, he was united in mar- riage to Miss Mary E. Burch, of Evansville, and they have three children living, viz .: Margaret B., Sherrill P., and Helen F.
SIDNEY W. DOUGLAS, the pioneer photographer of Evansville, Ind., and one of the leading artists in that line of work in Southern Indiana, was born in Clinton county, N. Y., March 25, 1840. In 1873 he located at Evansville, where he established himself in the business. His studio soon came to be popular, the result of his years
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of study and experience. It is the little details that make a great photographer, and in these Mr. Douglas is well fortified.
GUILD C. FOSTER, clerk of the circuit and superior courts of Vanderburg county, Ind., was born in the city of Evansville, Sept. 11, 1870. His father, James H. Fos- ter, is an old and honored resident of the city and now holds the posi- tion of treasurer of the Evansville Gas and Electric Light Company. He is a native of Pike county, Ind., but came to Evansville in childhood with his parents, Mat- thew W. Foster and wife. James H. Foster married Henrietta Riggs, a native of Sullivan county, Ind., but like her husband, came to Evansville in childhood. Guild is the second of three children, all boys. Riggs, the eldest son, died in his youth, and Matthew W., the youngest, is now employed in the Evansville city engineer's office. Guild C. Foster is a splendid example of the younger generation of men who have made their own way in the world. After attending the city schools until he finished the grammar school course and the high school for two years he decided to map out his own career. At the age of sixteen he went into the offices of the Evansville & Terre Haute railroad company as a clerk. After nearly two years there he went to California, where for two years he was connected with the Southern Pacific railroad as a clerk in the offices at Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego. In 1890 he came back to Evansville, remained there a short time, and then went to Chicago for a year and a half as a clerk for the Wabash route. During the next two years he was with the Louis- ville, Evansville & St. Louis (now the Southern) railway, being em- ployed in the offices at St. Louis, Louisville, and Princeton, Ind. In the fall of 1894 he returned to Evansville to stay. He became deputy clerk of the superior court in 1895, and when, about a year later, Charles Sihler was appointed to the vacancy in the county clerk's
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office, caused by the death of Charles Boepple, Mr. Foster took the clerkship of the circuit court, made vacant by Mr. Sihler's promotion. In this position he soon demonstrated his ability and became one of the most popular men who ever held it. The result of his long cler- ical experience and the many personal friendships he formed was his nomination, for the office of circuit clerk, on April 7, 1904, by the Re- publicans of Vanderburg county, and on November 8th was elected by a large majority. In fraternal circles Mr. Foster is one of the best known men in Evansville. He is a member of Evansville Chapter, Royal Arch Masons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Fraternal Order of Eagles, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Royal Arcanum. On Jan. 24, 1896, he was married to Miss Emma Heberer, of one of Evans- ville's leading families, and to this union there have been born two children, Henrietta, aged seven, and Edward, aged four.
CHRISTIAN W. KRATZ, of Evans- ville, Ind., sheriff of Vanderburg county, was born within two miles of that city, July 2, 1855, his parents being John and Louise (Buechtele) Kratz, both natives of Germany. The father was a son of John and Elizabeth Kratz, was born in 1830 and came with his parents to this country when he was but four years of age. After a residence of four years in Pittsburg the family came to Vanderburg county and located on the quarter section of land in German township, on which Meyer's sta- tion, on the Illinois Central railroad, is now situated. Some years later they removed to Centre township, where both the grandparents passed the remainder of their lives. Louise Buechtele was born in Würtemberg, July 3, 1831. When she was ten years old she came with her parents to the United States and settled in Armstrong township of Vanderburg county, where her father, Peter Buechtele, died at the age of sixty-one. John Kratz learned the trade of black- smith and followed that occupation in Centre township the greater part of his life. On Aug. 10, 1854, he and Louise Buechtele were married, and Christian is the oldest child in a family of eight, three of whom are dead and the others all live in Vanderburg county. Elizabeth is the wife of William A. Elmendorf; Christine is the wife
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of William Aleon; Charles is the partner of the subject in the dairy business, under the firm name of C. W. & C. Kratz, and Martha is the wife of Henry Heiwinkel. Louise died at the age of twenty years. John R. learned the blacksmith trade and died on April 18, 1902, and Peter died in infancy. The mother of these children died on Dec. 19, 1875, and the father on Feb. 24, 1891. The settlement that grew up about the blacksmith shop of John Kratz, north of the city of Evansville, took the name of Kratzville, which it still retains, an honor to one of the early settlers in that part of the county. Christian W. Kratz received a common school education, after which he learned the blacksmith trade with his father. Upon reaching man- hood he and his brother John succeeded their father in the business and conducted the shop for something like twenty years. Mr. Kratz became interested in politics early in life. When he became a voter he cast in his lot with the Republican party and soon became a recognized leader among the voters of the township, because of his wide acquaintance, his general good fellowship, and the central location of his shop, which made a gathering point for the neighbor- hood. He was elected trustee of the township in 1888 and two years later was re-elected, holding the office altogether for a period of seven years and four months. In 1893 he formed the partnership with his brother Charles in the dairy business, which still exists. They own one of the best appointed dairies in the county. About a year after retiring from the trustee's office Mr. Kratz received the nomination of his party for the office of representative to the state legislature. He was elected by a majority of 1,345, and the journal of the house for the session of 1897 shows that he did his duty by his constituents. In 1902 his name, with several others, was submitted to a public primary for the shrievalty of Vanderburg county. The vote which he received on that occasion tells the story of his popu- larity better than words. His majority for sheriff at the November election was 1,718, and on April 7, 1904, he was re-nominated with- out opposition. Mr. Kratz is a Royal Arch Mason, an Odd Fellow, a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Knights of Honor, the Frontiersmen, the Buffaloes, the Eagles and the Tribe of Ben Hur. He was married on Nov. 3, 1880, to Miss Minnie Schemet, of an old family of the county, and they have two children living: Cora May and Clara Anna. Two children, Irene and Edwin, died in childhood.
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CHARLES SIHLER, of Evansville, Ind., clerk of the circuit court of Vanderburg county and ex-officio clerk of the superior court, was born in that city, Aug. 30, 1869, and has lived there all his life. His parents, Louis and Charlotte (Sixt) Sihler, were both natives of Germany, both came to America the same year, 1853, became acquainted in Evansville and were married there on Feb. 22, 1860. Charles Sihler was the sixth child in a family of ten, himself and four sisters being the only survivors. The sisters are Mrs. Edward Stickleman and Misses Henrietta, Margaret and Clara Sihler, all liv- ing in Evansville. The father was twice elected recorder of Van- derburg county and died while in that office, Jan. 8, 1890. His wife survived him but a short time and entered her final rest on March 25th of the same year. Charles was educated in the Evansville pub- lic schools until he was about fourteen years of age, when he started in to learn the jewelry trade. While working at this business his father fell ill and Charles left the jeweler's bench to attend to the duties of the recorder's office. He continued as his father's deputy for nearly four years, or until the latter's death as already men- tioned. An uncle of Charles, Otto Durre, was appointed to serve until the next election, Charles not being of age at the time of his father's death. He attained his majority, however, in the following August, and was nominated by the Republicans to serve the remainder of the term, the election occurring in November, 1890. This proved to be a Democratic year and young Sihler was defeated with the rest of his party ticket, only one man, the candidate for auditor, being elected. Upon retiring from the recorder's office in January, 1891, he entered the treasurer's office as a deputy and remained there for thirteen months, becoming deputy clerk on Feb. 22, 1892, and remaining in this place until Aug. 22, 1896, when he was appointed clerk to fill a vacancy. Mr. Sihler has since then been twice elected to the office, in 1896 and 1900, each time for four years. As a county official few men in Indiana are better qualified by nature, training or experience than Mr. Sihler. For twenty years he has been in the court-house, in that time he has come in contact with every county office and understands the manner in which the office should be conducted. He is one of the most efficient and popular county offi- cers in Evansville and has a host of friends for whom he has at some time or another done some favor that makes them remember him. Mr. Sihler is a Mason, an Odd Fellow, a Knight of Pythias, an Elk and a Knight of Honor, and is a popular member in all those orders. He was married on April 17, 1895, to Miss Maria Haas, in
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Evansville and they have two children, Louis F., aged eight, and Charlotte K., aged five.
HON. CHARLES G. COVERT, mayor of Evansville, Ind., was born at Washington, Daviess county, of that state, Sept. 4, 1864. He is a son of Jacob and Maria Catharine (Gooldy) Covert, both natives of the Hoosier State, the former of Wells and the latter of Lawrence county. Jacob Covert is a newspaper man by profession and now holds a responsible position in the government printing office at Washington, D. C., where he and his wife now reside. He was born in Wells county on Aug. 13, 1837, and is said to have been the first white male child born in the county. He was married on Sept. 26, 1859, and Charles G. is the second child of a family of two sons and two daughters. Harriet is now the wife of Grant L. Austin of Washington City; Martha is Mrs. Charles P. Beard of Evansville; William H. is married and lives in Cleveland, O. When Charles G. was about five years of age his parents removed to Evansville and there he was reared and educated. His father founded the Evans- ville Tribune, which he continued to publish for a number of years. In the office of this paper the son learned the printers' trade, after graduating from the high school at the age of sixteen, and afterward "held cases" in the office of the Evansville Journal for several years. He left this office to become the city editor of the Tribune in 1887 and remained connected with the paper until December, 1894, the last five years of the time being managing editor. His resignation was brought about by his election to the shrievalty of Vanderburg county in November preceding. In 1896 he was re-elected sheriff and served two full terms, being but twenty-nine years of age when he first entered upon the duties of the office, the youngest man ever elected to the position. His majority on his second election was nearly 2,000 votes, while President Mckinley carried the county at the same election by only 926. In 1899 he was the Republican nomi- nee for the mayoralty, but was defeated by the small margin of fifty- two votes. In the spring of 1901 he was again chosen as the Repub- lican standard bearer in the municipal campaign, and this time was elected by a majority of eighty-eight, the office in the meantime having been made a four year office by legislative enactment. Mayor Covert is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Improved Order of Red Men, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Royal Arca- num, the Knights of the Ancient Essenic Order, the Buffaloes and
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the Foresters. He is a director in the White Oak Handle Factory and the Evansville Electric Plow Company. On Oct. 26, 1887, Mr. Covert was united in marriage to Miss Grace L. Tucker, and they have one daughter living, Jeannette, aged nine years.
EMIL G. HEEGER, president of the board of water works trustees of the city of Evansville, Ind., was born in that city, May 10, 1862. His father, Andrew Heeger, was a native of Germany who E came to the United States in early man- hood and located at Evansville, where he was for many years a prominent musician, being a member of the well known and popular Warren's band. Here he married Doretta Kollenberg. Two of their eight children died in infancy and the other six, with the mother, are still living. John C. is a member of the Evansville detective force; Frederick is a member of the celebrated Third regiment band of Kansas City, Mo .; George holds a responsible position with the Goodwin Clothing Manufacturing Company of Evansville ; Emma conducts a dressmaking establishment in the same city, and Eleanora is a teacher of German in the Evans- ville public schools. Emil G. Heeger attended both the English and German schools of his native city, after which he took a complete course in a commercial college there, graduating at the age of sixteen years. He then spent four years and a half in the Heilman and the Kratz machine works of Evansville, learning the trade of machinist, at which he worked as a journeyman in the different machine shops of the city. Turning his attention to the vocation of stationary engineer he soon became proficient in that line, owing to his thorough knowledge of machinery, and for five years he was first engineer at the Fulton avenue brewery. In 1890 he accepted a similar position with George Brose, at the Sunnyside flour mills, where he is still employed as chief engineer. In 1901 he was appointed by Mayor Covert to a place on the board of water-works trustees, of which he is now the senior member and president, having been elected to that office in July, 1904, upon the resignation of Alexander Gilchrist. Mr. Heeger is a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Woodmen of the World, and the Evansville branch of the National Association of Stationary Engineers,
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of which he has been secretary for the last twelve years. Through his efforts the national convention of the association met in Evans- ville in 1903. At that time he was elected to the office of national con- ductor in the order and was chairman of the committee on reception, arrangements, etc. In connection with his sub-committees the arrangements for the entertainment of the delegates were so perfect that those who attended the convention expressed themselves as having been better taken care of in Evansville than had the delegates to any previous convention. They all recognized the guiding hand of Mr. Heeger in the work and as a token of their appreciation presented him with a fine silver service, suitably engraved-something that had never before occurred in the history of the organization. He is also president of the Indiana association of engineers. Mr. Heeger was married on Feb. 25, 1885, to Miss Elizabeth Kramer, and they have three living children: Edward is an electrician, Frederick and Helen are students in school. Mr. Heeger is an unwavering Republican in his political views and is always ready to do his part to win a victory for his party, yet in his political work, as in his private and official life, he never stoops to underhand methods, but makes a clean, open fight on the principles involved. Consequently his personal friend- ships are not limited by party lines, many Democrats in the city recog- nizing him as a worthy, honest and manly man.
G. NETTER WORTHINGTON, presi- dent of the board of public safety, Evans- ville, Ind., was born in Spencer county, that state, July 30, 1862. He is the son of Henry H. and Laura (Ray) Worthington. His father is still living and is now in his eighty-second year. His mother died Nov. 2, 1904. Mr. Worthington was the third of five sons, the two eldest of whom died in infancy. Of his brothers living Charles V. is a newspaper artist, but at the head of the advertising depart- ment of the Keith-O'Brien Company, de- partment store, Salt Lake City, Utah, and George W. is a clerk in the Evansville postoffice. Mr. Worthington learned the printers' trade in Sedalia, Mo. Taking up his residence in Evansville, for the second time, in 1879, he completed his education in the public schools and then became a typesetter on the old Evansville Argus,
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now defunct. Later he was employed as a compositor in the news- room of the Evansville Courier, but after about a year with that paper he went into the composing room of the Evansville Journal, and a few months later became a reporter for the paper, a morning publication, and for about three years was the only city news gath- erer it had. He then became city editor of the paper, continuing until 1892, when an afternoon edition was started and was known as The News. Mr. Worthington was its first city editor, remaining in the position for a year, when he returned to the morning publica- tion as the night editor, and held that position until the two papers were consolidated in 1900 under the name of the Journal-News. Mr. Worthington then became city editor of the "hyphenated" daily and is still filling the duties of that position. This paper is the only after- noon daily in Evansville. The local department under the trained hand of Mr. Worthington is bright and replete with well and care- fully prepared news. Politically Mr. Worthington is a Republican and has shared in the work that has brought party success in South- ern Indiana. The extent of his office holding has been brief. One term, a few years ago, he was secretary of the board of public safety, and in 1900 was one of three men selected by Mayor Covert to compose the board of which Mr. Worthington was elected presi- dent in 1902. In this position he has displayed rare tact and ability in handling delicate questions in connection with police affairs of the city, and has fully demonstrated the wisdom of his selection. He is a Mason, belonging to three branches of the order-the Blue Lodge, the Royal Arch Chapter and the Commandery of Knights Templars. He is also a Knight of Pythias. On the last day of January, 1884, Mr. Worthington was united in marriage to Miss Harriet McReynolds, only daughter of a former prominent steamboat owner and captain, Joseph McReynolds, now deceased. Two children, blessed this union, a son, Roy, now nineteen years old, and a daughter, Jessie Marie, who died in 1903 at the age of eleven years. Mr. Worthington holds membership in the Methodist church.
JOHN F. HARTH, of the firm of Harth Bros., Harth Bros. Grain Company, and the Harth-Ames Company, of Caseyville and Paducah, Ky., was born in Dekoven, Ky., Nov. 4, 1859. He is the son of Leo- pold and Annie (Kieful) Harth, the former a native of Germany and the latter of France. Both came to America in an early day and settled in Union county, Ky. The father of John F. first followed the occupation of butcher in Union county, and afterwards that of
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merchant at Dekoven, Ky. He was a Union man, a Democrat and a communicant in the Catholic church. This family had six children, all living. The father died in 1868, and his widow still survives, being a resident of Caseyville, Ky. John F. Harth was reared and educated in Dekoven and Caseyville, Ky. Beginning as a clerk, he has spent his life in the mercantile business. For twenty years he has done a thriving general store business in Caseyville, utilizing the two floors of a brick building whose dimensions are seventy-five by eighty feet, and three warehouses. The firms of which Mr. Harth is a member also buy and sell grain, owning their own boats and barges and an extensive livery business. They own and cultivate four farms located in Union and Christian counties. The Curlew coal mine they lease to the Bell Union Coal and Coke Company. The names of the brothers associated with him in this extensive business are Joseph and Leopold. While Mr. Harth has always taken an active part in politics, he has never sought an office. He is a Democrat and a Knight of Honor. He married Miss Jennie Gregory. She is the daughter of John W. and Virginia (Henry) Gregory, both of whom spent their lives in Union county. Mr. Harth and wife have four children, named John Gregory, Lucile, Joseph and Charles P.
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