Henry Charles Schumacher

Henry Schumacher follows farming as a means of support and by his own efforts has acquired a good property including one hundred and forty acres of valuable land situated on section 11, Gardner Township. He is a representative of the first German family that settled along the Sangamon River in this section of the county. A native of Hanover, Germany, he was born on the 8th of November, 1836, being a son of Fred and Sophia (White) Schumacher.

His father was born in Hanover and in his youth learned the butcher's trade with the grandfather of our subject, Herman Schumacher. Fred also gave some attention to farming and that occupation became his chief means of support after his emigration to America, which occurred in 1863. He settled on the Ohio River, in Eastern County, Ind., and made his home with his son until his death, which occurred in 1876. He was a Lutheran in religious belief. His first wife, the mother of our subject, died before his emigration to the New World. Three children were born of that marriage -- Christian W., who is engaged in coal mining in Germany; Henry Charles, of this sketch; and William H., who is still living in the Fatherland. Fred Schumacher was a second time married and Herman, August, Sophia and Mary, children of that union are living in Indiana.

Our subject was reared in his native village and between the age of six and fourteen attended the public schools. He then began life for himself, spending one year in Herman, after which he secured employment as a farm hand, that occupation being especially agreeable to him. He was led to seek a home in America in order to escape military service, and at the age of seventeen years, accompanied by his brother Christian, he left Bremen. After sixty-five days spent upon the bosom of the Atlantic, he reached New Orleans in the autumn of 1849. Without capital and in a strange land, he knew that he must at once secure employment or starvation would stare him in the face. For about six weeks he worked upon a plantation twenty-six miles north of the Crescent City and then went to St. Louis, where he was employed as a steamboat hand for ten months, the vessel plying between that city and Alton, Ill.. The succeeding year he was engaged with a tobacconist, but not liking that business, in the spring of 1852 he made his way to Springfield.

It was his desire to engage in farm work and he secured a position with Mr. Roll, one of the early settlers of the county, with whom he remained for about three years, during the summer seasons. In the winter he would go to St. Louis and again engage in steamboating. It was hard work but he was blessed with a good physique and vigorous constitution and had no trouble in obtaining the position. At length he rented land in Gardner Township from his father-in-law, and finally, in 1865, purchased two hundred and twenty acres of the old homestead. A long cherished wish of owning a farm of his own was then realized. Everything passed along pleasantly until 1870, and he was steadily acquiring a comfortable competence when a destructive fire broke out which destroyed all his building and burned the greater part of his stock. He then had to borrow money with which to replace the buildings and also sold some of his land, but still has one hundred and forty acres of valuable land remaining. The entire amount is under cultivation and is provided with good buildings, such as are necessary to a model farm. He raises wheat and corn, owns two teams and has some excellent cattle and hogs. His farm is watered by Spring Creek and Sangamon River and his pleasant home is situated seven and one-half miles distant from Springfield.

On the 7th of June, 1855, Mr. Schumacher was united in marriage with Miss Amelia Roll, a native of Gardner Township, and a daughter of Pierson Roll, a representative of one of the earliest families of the county. Six children were born of their union -- Christian William, who is married and lives in Gardner Township; Jacob Caldwell and Henry H., at home; Sarah, the wife of James Cox, of Gardner Township; Mary, wife of F. Cox, also of that township; and Katie, wife of Jacob Wahl, a resident farmer of Gardner Township. The death of the mother occurred in 1877, and Mr. Schumacher was again married in 1884, to Miss Dora Grimee, who was born in Hanover, Germany, and came with her parents to this country in 1880. They have two children, sons, Harry and Freddie.

Mr. Schumacher has been honored with several local offices, having served several terms as School Director, and Highway Commissioner for two terms. He is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Farmers' Mutual Benefit Association and of the Lutheran Church, of Springfield. On all subjects of general interest he keeps himself well-informed, and is an intelligent and progressive citizen. He is also a self-made man who by his own efforts, though his path has been beset with difficulties and adversities has risen to the rank of a substantial farmer.

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