Iroquois County Illinois, Biography of Henry Salmon Submitted by: (c) Copyright 1999 Elaine Frigone Biography of Henry Salmon, February 1999 Copyright 1999 Elaine Frigone Henry Salmon, one of the self-made men, who engaged in farming on Section 9, Ash Grove Township, was born in Westphalia, Germany, August 4, 1860, and is one of a large family of children, whose parents were Henry S. and Mary [Wilke] Salmon. His father was a carpenter by trade. In the fall of 1866, he bade good-bye to his old home, and with his family sailed from Bremen to New Orleans, where they arrived after a voyage of nearly thirteen weeks. The family then went up the Mississippi River to Cairo, Illinois, and on to Monee and Lake County, Indiana, where for two years the father of the subject carried on carpentering. He then went to Will County, Illinois, where he rented a farm. His death occurred on the 22nd of September 1875. His widow is still living, at the age of sixty-four years, and makes her home with one of her grandchildren in Ash Grove Township. In politics he was a Republican, and in religious belief was a Lutheran. He proved himself a valued citizen of the community, and had the high regard of all. Although he came to this country empty-handed, he was a man of energy and perservance, and won a comfortable competence. The eight children in the Salmon family are as follows: Annie, now the wife of D. Meyer, of Will County, Illinois; Johanna, wife of Fred Hasselbring, a resident of Jasper County, Indiana; Rieke, wife of Nicholas Casel, of Chicago; Augusta, who became the wife of Otto Hardekopf, who died 1866, in Ash Grove Township, May 5, 1891; Lena, wife of Nicholas Feiler, of Chicago; Herman and Henry, twins; and Louisa, wife of Gus Brutlach, of Ash Grove Township. The subject of this sketch was a lad of six summers, when with his parents, he crossed the briny deep. The days of his boyhood and youth were quietly passed in Will County, and his early education, acquired in the district schools, was supplemented by a course in a private school. He came to Iroquois County at the age of fourteen and a-half years with the family, and on his father's death he began to earn his own livelihood, working as a farm hand. He then operated eighty acres of land purchased by his father. He now owns eighty acre tract and in addition forty acres of land. Mr. Salmon has led a busy and useful life, and manifests a commendable interest in public affairs. He is a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Woodworth, and in politics has been a staunch adherent of the Republican principles since he cast his first Presidential vote for James G. Blaine in 1884. He has often been a delegate to the conventions of his party, and for three years served as School Director. In April 1889, in Ash Grove Township, Mr. Salmon was united in marriage with Miss Mathilda Munstermann, daughter of Christ Munstermann, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. Their union has been blessed with two sons: Henry, born April 1, 1890, and William H., born September 20, 1892. Mr. Salmon is a wide-awake and enterprising young business man, intelligent and well informed, and his property has been acquired by his own honest industry. From Portrait & Biographical-Record of Iroquois County, Illinois 1893 ------------------------------------------------------------------ USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organiza- tions or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contri- butor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. ----------------------------------------------------------------- File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Elaine Frigone