Waterloo

Monroe County, Illinois

This history was extracted from the following book on:

 

Combined History of Randolph, Monroe and Perry Counties, Illinois

Published by J. L. McDonough & Co.

Philadelphia 1883

 

 

Pages 314-320  (there were many typos and spelling errors in this article)

BELLEFONTAINE was the earliest settlement in the county.  The first American colony came from Maryland and Virginia to Illinois in 1781, and of its members three. James Moore, Larken Rutherford, and James Garretson, settled at or near the Bellefontaine in 1782.  This name had been supplied by the French to a spring of water a mile south of the site of Waterloo, at which they had doubtless often camped on their journeys between Kaskaskia, Cahokia and St. Louis.  By the side of this spring Moore determined to build his future home, Rutherford settled in the vicinity.  Early in the present century he removed to the neighborhood of the present town of Belleville, in St. Clair county, where he died.  He had been a soldier under Colonel Clark in his expedition to Illinois in 1778.  Garretson selected a location a mile northeast of where the town of Waterloo now stands, on claim 516, survey 720, a grant of land which he received from the government. He afterward removed to the American Bottom, near Moredock Lake, where he ended his days. Moore and his family clung to the original settlement at the Bellefontaine.  The grant of four hundred acres of land which he obtained from the Government (claim 220, survey 394) covered the spring, has remained in the possession of the Moore family from the last century to the present time.

Captain James Moore was born in Maryland in the year 1750.  He subsequently settled in Virginia, his oldest son, John Moore, being the only one of his children born in Maryland.  He settled in Virginia on the banks of the Kanawha river.  He took part in the expedition to Illinois in 1778, under the command of Colonel George Rogers Clark, in which it is generally supposed he served in the commissary department.  He was adventurous and daring in disposition.  He, with his companions, reached Kaskaskia in the fall of 1781, and there remained during the winter.  The next spring he settled at Bellefontaine.  It was supposed when these immigrants left the country east of the Alleghenies that little danger need be feared from the Indians.  It was not long, however before the savages began to make trouble, and James Moore was elected captain of the company which came to be raised for the protection of the colony.  Illinois at that time was a county of Virginia, and the commission which Captain Moore received from the Governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry.  He was directed to establish a military post and command the Illinois militia.  A fort, or blockhouse was accordingly built at Bellfontaine, and afterward, during the Indian war this was one of the most frequent and noted places of resort.  Captain Moore's efforts were of great value in establishing amicable relations with the Indians, so that it was not until 1786 that serious trouble began with the hostile tribes.  With Gabriel Cerre, a wealthy merchant of St. Louis, he entered into trade with the Indians, and for some time maintained his headquarters on the site of Nashville, Tenn.  He died in or about the year 1788, his family obtaining scanty results from his venture in the Indian trade. His wife whom he had married in Maryland in 1772, was Catharine Biggs.  At her husband's death she left with a family of six children, the oldest of whom was but fourteen years of age, and the youngest an infant. She kept the family together, though her situation was one of trial and embarrassment.  By this time the Indians had resumed their encroachments, though their object seemed to be to steal rather than to kill, some of them boasting that they spared the settlers so that they might raise horses and provisions for them.  Her neighbors planted for her a crop the first season after her husband's death, some standing guard against the Indians while others tilled the field.  At one time the danger became so imminent that the family was driven to the block house in the American Bottom for protection.

The oldest son, John Moore, on attaining his majority in 1794, married Elizabeth Whiteside, the oldest daughter of William Whiteside, who reached Illinois in 1793.  He settled north of Waterloo, on claim 223, survey 397.  He died in the year 1833.  He was a lieutenant in the Illinois militia, in the ranging service during the war of 1812-14, and the first treasurer of Monroe county.  William and Benjamin, the two next sons of James Moore died in early life. The fourth son, James Biggs Moore, known as General Moore, was born in Virginia in 1780.  He embarked in various business enterprises, and for some years traded on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers between New Orleans and Pittsburg, making his voyages in a keel boat.  He abandoned the boat business to settle three miles northeast of the present town of Waterloo, on what was known as the "tan yard farm."  He here invested in a large tanning enterprise, at that time, perhaps, the largest west of the Alleghenies.  He organized a company of rangers in the war of 1812-14, and was commissioned its captain. .  He was appointed sheriff of Monroe county by Governor Ninian Edwards, and was the first to fill that office after the organization of the county.  He was sheriff several years, and afterward for two terms represented the county in the State Legislature.  He was a man of active business enterprise, and established a mill on Prairie du Long creek, and a carding factory near his own homestead.  He died on the tan yard farm in 1840.  Enoch Moore, the next son of the pioneer, was born in the old block house at the Bellefontaine in the year 1783, and was probably the first white child born within the limits of the present county of Monroe.  He secured a good education and became and excellent surveyor.  Much of the government surveying in this part of Illinois was done under his direction and supervision.  He married Mary Whiteside.  During the war of 1812-14 he served as a private in the company of rangers commanded by his brother, Captain James B. Moore.  He was a delegate to the convention that framed the first constitution of the State of Illinois, and was elected a representative in the State Legislature.  He was also at different times circuit clerk and judge of the probate court.   He was a local minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church.  In company with one of his sons, McKendree Moore, he engaged in the mercantile business at Waterloo.  He died in the yar 1848.  His home was the farm now owned by Joseph W. Drury north of Waterloo.  Mary Moore born at Bellfontaine in 1781, became the wife of Colonel David Robinson.  J. Milton Moore, the youngest son of the pioneer, Captain James Moore, was born in Bellefontaine in 1786.  Several years of his boyhood were spent with his uncle Zaccheus Biggs, on Virginia, where he received a good common school education.  He had a strong liking for mathematics and qualified himself as a surveyor.  Soon after he was sixteen

years of age he was made surveyor of St. Clair county, and filled that position for several years.  He surveyed a considerable part of the public land in Monroe county, running the lines of the sections and townships.  He was in the ranging service during the war of 1812-14, and served as a justice of peace for many years.  He died in 1844.

The old claim 2666, survey 978, a mile or more southeast of Waterloo, was granted by the government on account of an improvement made by Auguste Biggerstaff in the year 1786.  The testimony before the board of commissioners to adjust land claims in the Kaskaskia district showed that Biggerstaff cultivated corn and raised a crop that year.  Peter Casterline testified that he assisted Biggerstaff to lay the foundation of his cabin, to deaden some timber and put in a crop.  Andrew's run, a tributary to Fountain creek, which rises north of Waterloo, was so called from the Andrews family, which settled at its head in early times, and who were massacred by the Indians.  James Andrews was a young Virginian who came to Illinois, and shortly afterward married Capt. Joseph Ogle's daughter, and settled on Andrew's run.  Here he was attacked by the Indians, himself and wife killed and his child, a girl three years of age, taken prisoner.  Her name was Drusilla.  She was recovered through the agency of some French traders of St. Louis, and was raised in the family of James Leman, at New Design; she married Henry Mace.  Governor St. Clair confirmed a grant of four hundred acres of land, covering the original improvement made by Andrews, to his daughter Drusilla, on which she and her husband afterward spent their days.  The Huff and Moredock family, on coming to Illinois first settled in the vicinity of Bellfontaine, and in 1809 the claim was affirmed by the commissioners to John Moredock.  The massacre of Mrs. Huff and part of the family by the Indians, in their journey up the Mississippi, is elsewhere related.  Huff himself was killed by the Indians, on the road between Kaskaskia and Prairie du Rocher.  The family removed to the American Bottom, on Moredock Lake, and John Moredock became a noted citizen of the county.  On claim 229, survey 784, about three miles north of Waterloo, the first improvement was made by Samuel Hanley.  This grant was confirmed by Governor St. Clair to William Biggs, in whose possession it also was at the time of the report, made in 1813, of the commissioners to adjust land claims in the Kaskaskia district.

Biggs lived a long and eventful life in Illinois.  He was born in Maryland in the year 1755, and at the age of twenty-three enlisted in the expedition for the conquest of Illinois, commanded by Colonel George Rogers Clark.  He held a commission as lieutenant, and served during the years 1778 and 1779.  He returned to Virginia, was married, and shortly afterward, in company with his two brothers came to Illinois and settled at Bellefontaine.  In the spring of 1788, while on his way to Cahokia, in company with John Vallis, he was attacked by the Indians and taken prisoner.  He was released on the payment of $260 ransom money.  He afterward wrote a narrative of his captivity.  He was appointed by Governor St. Clair Sheriff of St. Clair county in 1790, and filled the office for a number of years, he was also a justice of the peace, and judge of the court of common pleas.  He was elected to serve in the legislature of the Northwestern territory two terms.  In 1808 he was chosen to represent St. Clair county in the legislature of Indiana territory, and by his efforts contributed to the division of the territory and the establishment of the Illinois territory the following year.  From 1812 to 1816 he represented St. Clair county in the legislative council of General Assembly of the territory of Illinois.

South of the Moore tract, below Waterloo, Michael Miller settled at an early day.  He was from Pennsylvania, and came to Illinois about the year 1800.  The farm north of Waterloo, which was for many years the residence of Geo. L. Ditch, was first improved by Benjamin Marney.  While returning up the river from New Orleans, where he had taken a flat-boat loaded with produce, he was seized with yellow fever, died and was buried on the bank of the Mississippi.  This was in the early part of the year 1822.  William Agnew was an old resident of the precinct, and occupied a farm in section 2 of township 2 range 10, now owned by Conrad  Kohlmar.  James Taylor lived on the Loehr place, three miles noth of Waterloo, on the St. Louis road. In the same neighborhood was the old Eberman place, where the Rev. William Eberman lived for many years.  At this place, early in the present century, Thomas Marrs, afterward a resident of the American Bottom, settled. 

David Robinson, who has been mentioned as having married the only daughter Capt. James Moore, was a lieutenant in the company of his brother-in-law, Capt. James B. Moore, in the war of 1812-14, and was afterward appointed by Governor Ninian Edwards a colonel of militia.  In later life he became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.  He died in the year 1833.

City of Waterloo

The tract of land on which the original town of Waterloo was laid out was purchased by George Forquer, in 1818.  The projectors of the town were Forquer and Daniel P. Cook.  The latter was a prominent lawyer, a resident of Kaskaskia and afterward a member of Congress.  Forquer was born in Pennsylvania in 1794, and came to Illinois with his mother, Mrs. Ford, and his half brother, Thomas Ford, (afterwards Gov. Ford), in 1804.  He also was the original proprietor of the town of Bridgewater, on the Mississippi, above Harrisonville. He opened a store at Waterloo, but his mercantile venture proved a failure.  He then undertook the study of law and engaged in politics, in both of which pursuits he was successful.  The Ford family lived in Waterloo for many years, inhabiting a little log house which stood at the west side of the present Main street, just south of the old Morrison place.  Mrs. Ford died here, and was buried in the cemetery east of town.  At Waterloo Thomas Ford grew up to manhood and began his distinguished legal and political career.

Much of the land on which the town is now built was, previous to the laying out of the town, owned by David H. Ditch who acquired it by entry from the government.  He was born in Pennsylvania, in the year 1781, and married Hannah Forquer, sister of George Forquer.  They came to Illinois in 1804, Mrs. Ditch fording the Kaskaskia river on horseback with one of her children tied behind her.  After living some time in the vicinity of Kaskaskia, and in the American Bottom near Harrisonville, Mr. Ditch moved to the site of Waterloo.  He built the log house, afterward known as the Morrison house, which stood until the spring of 1881, when it was torn down.  This in early days was used as a hotel, and when Waterloo first became the county sear, the courts were held in this building.

For many years the growth of Waterloo was slow, and it remained a place of small size and importance.  The first permanent store was established by Emery Peter Rogers, for many years a leading citizens of Waterloo.  A young man named Ruddisill also sold goods for a time in the early history of the place.  Rogers was born in Massachusetts, and came to Illinois about the year 1816.  He first taught school and then opened a small store, his stock of goods consisting of a barrel of whiskey, some tobacco, powder and lead, and a few other articles indispensable to the pioneers.  This store was kept in a log building on Main Street, on lot eight of Rogers' subdivision, opposite the house to which he afterward removed, which is still standing.  For some time his was the only store in the county.  A store had been established at Harrisonville in early times, but for some years was discontinued.  About the year 1826, Mr. Rogers enlarged his store, and put in a more general and complete stock of goods.  He put up a large rock building, which stood where the Rogers homestead now is.  Part of the building was used as a hotel.  It burned down in 1843, and in its place the present brick building was erected.  He kept the hotel until 1847, and continued the store until his death in the year 1850.  He was a man of large frame, weighed about two hundred and forty pounds, was intelligent and well educated, and enterprising as a business man.  In addition to his store, he had a carding mill and saw mill in his part of the town, and erected a number of buildings. He was commonly known as Peter Rogers, and his part of the town received the soubriquet of Peterstown, by which it is still known.  He embarked in several outside enterprises, and had he not met with several serious disasters, such as the fire which burned his store, the loss of a barge load of tobacco in the ice, and of an investment of thirty thousand dollars in a steamboat, he would have accumulated great wealth.  As it was he died in good circumstances and left a comfortable estate behind him.  His first wife was Mary Miller, daughter of Michael Miller, who came from Pennsylvania, and settled south of Waterloo about the year 1800.  His second wife was Eunice Rogers, the widow of his brother, Lemuel Rogers.  His third wife, Caroline Robinson, daughter of David Robinson, is still living.

Another store was started about the year 1838, by McKendree Moore, in partnership with his father, Enoch Moore, and was carried on until the death of the son in 1840.  It was kept in a brick building, about fifteen by twenty-two feet in dimensions, which stood on the site of Peter Bickelhaupts hotel, on Main street, opposite the court house.  Shortly after the Moors engaged in the mercantile business, another store was started by James B. Needles (father of Thomas B. Needles, formerly State Auditor) and John Gall.  The date of its establishment was about the year 1839, and it was carried on nearly ten years.  Soon after 1840, the town began to increase in population, and in 1841 and 1842, two or three additional stores were started.  Isaac Clark and Zaccheus B. Moore, opened a store on the corner of Main and Third streets, where the marble shop now is. Ferdinand Rose had a store on Main street, just south of Peterstown. Rose was afterward interested in business with John B. Frank.  In 1845, there were four stores; that of Rogers; one carried on by George Leip on the West side of Main street, corner of Mill street; one belonging to Conrad Stroh on the west side of Main street, farther north, and one opened that year by John Frank and Major X. F. Trail.  Lafayette Warnoch carried on the the mercantile business from 1848 to 1854.  Among other merchants who carried on business in Waterloo previous to 1860, were John A. Reed, Napoleon Bond, George Lutz, John G. Shaeffer, Charles Heer, Henry Boedeker, M. T. and Harrison Horine, George Leip, William Moore, William Devine, Berger, David Walsh, John Borchert and Frederick Timmermann.

In 1836 the town contained not more than twenty buildings. Beginning at the north end of the town, the brick building still standing, the one farthest north on Main street, was occupied that year by David Nolan.  He was clerk of the circuit court, a member of the bar, and died at Vandalia in 1838, while at the capital as a member of the legislature.  The next was a small frame house with two rooms, occupied by Catherine and Delilah Hilton, seamstresses.  The next was the residence and store of Emery Peter Rogers, and on the opposite side of the street lived Benjamin Dean.  Next below on the east side of the street was a log building, own by Peter Rogers, father of Emery P. Rogers, into which Jesse Slate, the father of E. P. Slate, moved on his arrival in the town from Massachusetts in June, 1836.  Opposite was the log building in which Emery P. Rogers kept his first store, and which in 1836 was used as workshop.  Luke Patterson had erected this building and sold it to Rogers.  On the east side of the street, further down, a man named Owens lived.  The next house was the building known as the old Morrison place, a large log structure two stories in height, built by David H. Ditch, in which in early days he kept a hotel.. Next on the west side of the street was the residence of Dr. John Rogers.  He was a brother of Emery P. Rogers.  He had acquired a good medical education and had practiced his profession in Massachusetts some years before coming to Illinois.  He came to Waterloo in 1826, and followed his profession till his death in 1858.  He was the leading physician of the county during that period, and his practice, which extended over this county with St. Clair and Randolph, kept him busy day and night.  On the east side of the street, opposite Dr. Rogers, was a story and a half log house, with two rooms below, used as a school-house.  James Rogers, brother of Emery P. Rogers and Dr. John Rogers taught school in this building for several years.  The building on Main street, the second block north of the court house, now occupied by Borntraeger's store, was used as a dwelling in 1836 by Daniel Converse, who for many years filled the office of county clerk.  The next house was on the northeast corner of Main and Mill streets, where Stroh's saloon now is, and in it lived John Coleman.  He was the proprietor of a mill which stood just east of his residence on Mill street and north of the court house.  This was first built as a wind mill in 1830, or shortly afterward. Its operation as a wind mill was not very successful, the mill only running when the wind blew with a certain force.  About 1837 it was changed to an ox mill.  The court house in 1836 was a small two-story brick building, with the court room below and the county offices above, and stood a short distance southwest of the present structure.  The Methodist church, the only one in town, stood near the site of the present church building.  The southwest corner of Main and Third streets was taken up by a log building in which was kept a grocery.  On the west side of Main street, below Fourth street, there was a log house in which Isaac Clark lived in 1836, but which shortly afterward was purchased by John Gall.  On the west side of Main street, north of Third street, was a frame house, into which William H. Bennett moved in 1836, and on the northwest corner of Main and Third street was a blacksmith shop.

The merchants of Waterloo in the year 1855 were Emery P. Rogers, John S. Borchert, M. T. Horine, Charles H. Heer, John G. Schaeffer, Conrad Stroh, Hoener & Moore, David Walsh, Martin Dunn and Vincent Sum.  The latter two had small stores.  The flouring mill on the site of the present Edwards and Chouteau mill was carried on in 1855 by Francis A. Gauen and Fridolin Meyer.  John Coleman's mill, on Mill street opposite the court house, was then running.  It was at that time operated by steam, though wind and then ox power had previously been tried.  This mill was destroyed by fire in 1857.  In "Peterstown" Emery P. Rogers had a saw mill, and a brewery was carried on by John Koechel.

In 1858 Jacob Miller and Valentine Briegel built a large brick mill east of the town.  Its site is now included in the corporation limits.  It was bought by Chouteau, Edwards & Co., and torn down in 1874.  The first brewer in Waterloo was built in 1847 by John Koechel, who began operations in a small frame building.  The original building was torn down about the year 1852, and the present brick building erected in its place.  Koechel ran it till 1865, and then leased it to other parties.  It was sold in January, 1882, to Michael Schorr and Henry Wilmesmeier, and is now run by Schorr.  About 1858 John Herrold started a brewery in a building, partly brick and partly frame, which stood in the southeast part of town.  It burned down in 1869.  The firm of Wellier & Burch ran it for a time. A small distillery was operated by Edward Kemuff for five or six years.  It stood in the south part of town.

Among the physicians who practiced in Waterloo in former years were Drs. Somerville, Harper, De Puyt Doelicht, Smith, Bull, Copp, Bollert, Whiteside, Koernel and Deming.

The German population of Waterloo began to increase rapidly after 1840.  The town has a beautiful situation on elevated ground, from which an excellent view of the surrounding country is obtained.  The line of the bluffs is distinctly visible, and beyond the Missouri hills.  It is twenty three miles from St. Louis by the St. Louis and Cairo railroad.  The population is estimated at twenty-five hundred.  There are three newspapers, two English and one German.  The Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, and Catholics have churches,  In addition to public school, both the Lutherans and Catholic maintain large parochial schools, and there is a convent under the care of the Catholic sisters.  A large and handsome brick public school building was erected in 1871.

Town Government

The town of Waterloo was incorporated by act of Legislature, approved in February, 1849.  The charter was amended in 1855, and again in 1859.  Since the latter date no amendment has been made.  The town government is in the hands of a board of trustees, five in number, elected in December of each year.

The board in each case being elected in December of the year previous to that given:

First board, 1859 – M. T. Horine, (president), George DePuyt, Charles  Borntraeger, Adam Kumpf, and Ambrose Hoener.

1860-Harrison Horine, (president), Francis A. Gauen, Charles Borntraeger, Ambrose Hoener, and Fred Muller.

1861-Harrison Horine, (president), Francis A. Gauen, John Koechel, Charles Borntraeger, Ambrose Hoener.

1862-Christian H. Kettler, (president), John Koechel, Charles Borntraeger, Hubert Kunster, and Henry C. Talbott.

1863-John Koechel, (president), Charles Borntraeger, George Gauen, Christian Jobusch, and Henry C. Talbott.

1864- Hubert Kunster, (president), John Koechel, Henry C. Talbott, Christian Jobusch.

1865- Henry C. Talbott, (president), Adam Kumpf, Louis Eilbracht, H. F. Borntraeger, and James A. Kennedy.

1866-Charles Frick, (president), Hubert Kunster, Dr. A. Wetmore, John Moeller, and Adam Reis.

1867- Charles Frick, (president), Hubert Kunster, Dr. A. Wetmore, Adam Reis, and Valentine Sturtzum.

1868- Charles Frick, (president), Dr. A. Wetmore, Servais Sondag, Jacob Muller, and Valentine Sturtzum.

1869-Conrad Herchenroeder, (president), Frederick De Puyt, George L. Riess, Adam Reis, and Henry Colmar.

1870-Harrison Horine, (president), George De Puyt, Frederick De Puyt, John S. Borchert, and Stephen Heim.

1871-Christian Jobusch, (president), Stephen Keim, Anton Gatzert, George De Puyt, and Henry C. Talbott.

1872-Christian Jobusch, (president), Stephen Keim, Anton Gatzert, George De Puyt, and Henry C. Talbott.

1873-Christian Jobusch, (president), Stephen Keim, Anton Gatzert, George De Puyt, and Henry C. Talbott.

1874-Hubert Kunster, (president), George De Puyt, Anton Gatzert, George Schmitt, and Henry C. Talbott.

1875-Hubert Kunster, (president), Henry C. Talbott, Anton Gatzert, Adam Reis, and Henry Colmar.

1876-Hubert Kunster, (president), Henry C. Talbott, Anton Gatzert, George Schmitt, and Edward Borntraeger.

1877-George Schmitt, (president), Edward Borntraeger, Anton Gatzert, George C. Gauen, and Henry C. Talbott.

1878-Edward Borntraeger, (president), Anton Gatzert, George C. Gauen, Joseph W. Rickert, and Ferdinand Cavi.

1879-George C. Gauen, (president), Anton Gatzert, Joseph W. Rickert, Ferdinand Cavi, and Peter Bickelhaupt.

1880-Ferdinand Cavi, (president), John Moeller, Joseph W. Rickert, Peter Bickelhaupt, and George Morrison.

1881-Frederick H. Borntraeger, (president), Ferdinand Cavi, Jospeh Gauen, and Peter Bickelhaupt

1882-Ferdinand Cavi, (president), Peter Bickelhauph, Charles Metzger, Philip Arras, and Henry Oldendorph.

1883- Ferdinand Cavi, (president), Peter Bickelhauph, Charles Metzger, Philip Arras, and Philip Wagner.

Secret and Benevolent Societies

Waterloo Lodge, No. 27, I.O.O.F. – The original charter of this lodge was granted July 14, 1847, with five charter members.  After a few years the lodge ceased to work, and the charter was surrendered. It was restored May 15th, 1880, and the lodge was re-instituted June 1st of the same year. At this writing it is in successful operation.

Waterloo Encampment, No 106, was instituted March 1st, 1881, with eleven charter members.  During the year (1881), a handsome brick building was erected on Mill street, the upper part of which is owned by the Odd Fellows and is used by them for lodge purposes.

Urban Lodge, No. 1939, Knights of Honor, was instituted on the twenty-fifth of August, 1880, with seventeen charter members.

Monroe Lodge, No. 365, Order of Horugari, was instituted Jan. 28th, 1875, with sixteen charter members.

Manufactures

The flouring mill of the Chouteau & Edwards Co. is the main manufacturing establishment in Waterloo.  A steam mill was first built on the site of the present building in the year 1848, by Major Xerxes F. Trail.  He ran it a couple of years, and it then passed into possession of Francis A. Gauen and Fridolin Meyer, Gauen afterward operated it alone, and in 1865 it was purchased by the firm of Chouteau & Edwards.  A company, with a capital stock of $50,000, was incorporated in July, 1877, under the name of the Chouteau & Edwards Co., the present owners.  Improvements were made, and the present building erected in 1877.  The manufacture of flour was carried on by the old methods until 1881, when the Stevens' rolls were introduced, and the machinery of the mill entirely reconstructed.  The mill has a capacity of one thousand barrels per day, which, in 1883, it is proposed to increase by two hundred barrels.  There are fifteen sets of double rolls, three of single rolls, and twelve run of buhrs.  The product in 1882 was about one hundred and twenty thousand barrels.  The main building is six stories in height, and in area sixty by eighty-four feet.  The elevator buildings have a storage capacity of eighty-five thousand bushels, and there are also extensive cooper shops in connection with the mill. The motive power is furnished by a Harriss-Corliss engine of twelve hundred horsepower.  Forty-three men are employed in the mill, and thirty-eight in the cooper shop.  Part of the product is shipped direct to the East, and the balance disposed of in St. Louis, through the commission house of Chouteau & Edwards.  The officers of the company are: President, James C. Edwards; Vice-president, J. Gilman Chouteau; Secretary and Treasurer, S. F. Chenot.

The manufacture of plows and wagons is carried on by the firm of Oldendorph Bros., composed of George and Jacob Oldendorph.  The business was established in 1872.  The manufacture of iron-beam plows is made a specialty.  Beside this firm, the manufacture of wagons is carried on to some extent by Philip Arres, Adam Kumpf and Philip Wagner; and of carriages and buggies by Louis Teichgraber and Philip Mitchell.  Henry Kemper and Mr. Mittendorf carry on the wheelwright business. Louis Wahl has a machine shop for the repair and manufacture of agricultural and other machinery.

The Waterloo Margle Works were established in 1875 by the firm of M. C. Rodenberger & Co., of which M. C. Rodenberger and William Kestner are members.  Marble and granite monuments, headstones and tablets are made and sold.  The trade of the firm extends to ST. Louis and to adjoining counties in Illinois.  Ten hands are employed in the shop.  The firm also operate a quarry, seven miles west from Waterloo, in Bluff precinct, from which limestone said to be the finest in the State is quarried. In the summer eight men are here employed.  The Monroe County Marble works, on Mill street, were established by Henry Fischer in 1879, and have turned out a large amount of monumental work.

J. F. Gotshall Knitting Machine Manufactory, started in 1879, runs three machines; manufactures between three and four hundred dozen pairs of socks and stockings during the season; supplies local demand only.

Business Houses

The Commercial Bank, the only one in the county, was established January1st, 1883, and is conducted under the firm name of H. Kunster & Co., operated under articles of co-partnership, Wm. H. Horine, Jr. as Cashier, with a capital stock of $15,ooo.oo with the following stockholders: Hubert Kunster, Christian Jobusch, Jos. W. Rickert, William Bode, and William Erd.  They have a good fire and burglar-proof safe with time lock.

General Stores-Bode and Jobusch, Edward Bortraeger, Louis Eilbracht, George C. Gauen, Frank Heer, Fred Joedecke, Henry Jung, Herman Koechel, George Pinkel, Jacob Pluth, Fred Sauerhage.

Physicians-J. P. Denning, Hugo Rothstein, A. Wetmore, F. Bock, Nicholas Soteriades, A. Wichmann.

Post Office-H. Kunster, P.M.

Hotels-City Hote, Peter Bickelhaupt; Southern, Peter Feller.

Livery Stables-Drury and Hilton, Daniel Stein.

Druggists-H. Kunster, L. and W. E. Eichelbracht.

Jewelers- August Forkel, Charles F. Gauen.

Tailors and Gents' Furnishing Goods-Becker and Ruppert, Louis Pieper.

Soda Factory-Henery Boeke.

Lumber Yard- George C. Gauen and C. Grosse.

Hardware-R. and C. Grosse, Henry Wallhaus.

Brick Yards-Ben. Hoffman, Jacob Burkhardt.

Stoves and Tinware-Frederick Klemm, John Gaerteer, Jr.

Agricultural Implements-Philip Zimmer, Louis Wall.

Dentist-C. M. Fike.

Veterinary Surgeon-Frederick Wagner.

Photographer-H. Rundle.

Furniture and Undertakers-August Siegel, Quernheim and Sons.

Saddlers-Henry Jobusch, Mat Schmitz, Conrad Herchenroeder.

Cigar Manufacturer-Fred Linne.

Shoe Stores, also Makers-John Braun, John Moller.

Shoemakers-Theodore Sontag, J. W. Meyer, Jacob Rodenhauser, George Schmitt.

Bakeries-Philip Herbert, Rudolph Moltenschart.

Brewery-Michael Schorr.

Blacksmiths-Adam Kumpf, Louis Muellerm Oldendorph and Bros., Henry Oldendorph, Louis Teichgraeber, Philip Wagoner, Philip Arras.

Wagon Makers-Philip Mitchell, Herman Mittendorf, Henry Kemper.

Millinery-Miss Elizabeth Shuell, Mrs. Mary Welch.

Carpenters and Builders-Chas. Sieber, Ferdinand Cavi, Henry Winterman.

Butchers-Theodore Ruch, George Ruch, Anthony Ruch, Henry Fischer.

Painters-H. W. Muller, Louis Grimmel, Louis Strubig.

Plaster-Wm. Vanhalter.

Barbers-Frank Leidenheimer, Philip Bremser.

Stores and Saloon-George Eschenfelder, Martin Dunn.

Saloons-Peter Bickelhaupt, Henry Bickelhaupt, Fred Borntraeger, Peter Feller, Louis Arns, Louis Bersche, Ben Goethe, Joseph F. Gauen, Conrad Herman, John Lutz, Vincent Rapp, Peter Ray, U. H. Stroh, John Stolgenberg, Adam Weddel, Charles Wilson, Daniel Stein.

The attorneys and newspapers will be found in the chapters on the Bench and Bar and the Press.

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