Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Conrad, John 
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Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2007, 10:30 am

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County

JOHN CONRAD. Perhaps no citizen of Peotone has been more actively identified 
with varied of its interests than has Mr. Conrad, who is now living retired in 
the village. A native of Germany, he was born in Odenbach, Rheinpfalz, Canton 
Lauterecken, April 15, 1830, a son of Peter and Dorothea (Reisz) Conrad. He 
was one of nine sons and daughters, and the third of six now living. His 
brothers, Peter and Henry, are both retired from business, the former living 
in Peotone, and the latter in Monee. Dorothea is the wife of John Schmidt, of 
Round Grove, Ill.; Catherine is the wife of S. Horning, of Peotone; and 
Elizabeth, the widow of Frederick Schroeder, lives in Peotone. The father of 
this family was born in Odenbach, January 1, 1796. His father, who was born in 
France, died in Germany when the son was fifteen years of age. In youth he 
learned the shoemaker's trade, which he afterward followed in addition to 
farming. He was a thoroughly upright man, the soul of honor and integrity. He 
died January 20, 1848, aged fifty-two years. His wife was born at Odenbach, 
May 26, 1803, and came to America in 1855, after which she made her home with 
her children, dying April 28, 1890, when eighty-seven years of age. Under the 
instruction of his father our subject learned the boot and shoe trade. In 
1849, during the rebellion of the people (Hecker as leader) against the laws 
of the king of Bavaria, on account of Mr. Conrad wearing a Hecker's hat he was 
taken off the street in the city of Neustadt, A. D. H., by the soldiers, and 
terribly mangled and misused. In the conflict he received, with a sword from 
the general of a regiment, a long deep cut on his right arm, directly above 
the elbow, cutting clear to the bone. This blow was directed for the head. It 
was only prevented by a citizen in office of that city, who saw what was going 
on, ran, in at great risk of his own life, taking hold of the general's arm 
just as he was striking the blow, thereby breaking the force, which landed on 
Mr. Conrad's arm, and from which he nearly bled to death. The next morning, 
still held as their prisoner, and being shamelessly and unmercifully handled 
all night by the highest officers of said regiment, Mr. Conrad received his 
death sentence by said officers to be shot at eleven o'clock, a. m., on that 
day. While on the way to the place of execution, more dead than alive from 
loss of blood, followed by thousands of soldiers and people, being only about 
three blocks away from the city square, where the shooting should occur, the 
king sent a message by wire ''to release the young man, and to let him free." 
The gash can still be seen on Mr. Conrad's arm, showing a very plain wide scar 
across his arm, and even the stitches of the needle are plainly to be seen to-
day, after the expiration of fifty-one years. Mr. Conrad was nineteen years 
old at that time. In the same year, 1849, Mr. Conrad was closely watched by 
two men who were opposed to his religious ideas, he being a Protestant and 
standing firm by his faith. One evening after retiring he was followed up by 
these two anti-Protestants, who were partly under the influence of liquor, and 
at the same time being Mr. Conrad's shop-mates, came into his bed-room, each 
one armed with a butcher knife. There was no light in the room, but the moon 
shone bright. Mr. Conrad heard them approaching, and their remarks, 
saying: "He is in, he is in; see, there are his boots," whereupon Mr. Conrad 
silently slipped out at the rear of his bed, and gradually made his way to the 
door unnoticed by them, while they were in the act of striking their butcher 
knives down through the bed-quilts. Examination afterward was made of the bed, 
and fourteen holes were found in the bedding, they thinking their victim was 
in the bed. This, too, happened in Neustadt, A. D. H. Mr. Conrad also had the 
experience of five more similar cases, but they are too much to describe. 
Railroad wrecks; fell twenty feet to a stone floor; was twice in burning 
houses in the city of New York, when he was a fireman, but was rescued nearly 
burned; was between two canal-boats in the water, when the only way to save 
himself was to sink to the ground, and this he did, both boats passing over 
him, one to the east, the other to the west; one day his horses ran away with 
him, one of his feet became tangled in the lines, and he was dragged on the 
ground just a quarter of a mile. Two weeks before the time of his drafting 
into the army he left for America, May 23, 1850, and on the 30th of the same 
month he took passage on the sailing vessel "William Sturges," which anchored 
in Philadelphia July 19, 1850. The following day he went to New York City, 
where he worked at his trade for four years at a salary of $4 per month for 
the first six months. During all but six months of this time he was a member 
of the New York volunteer fire department, No. 18 engine. In September, 1854, 
he came west and settled at Elmhurst, Dupage County, Ill., where he opened a 
shoe shop. On the day of Lincoln's assassination in 1865 he discontinued the 
business. Later he established a general mercantile business, which he 
conducted until January 20, 1869. He then came to Peotone and opened the New 
York house, which he conducted for eighteen months, then selling out and 
opening a general store. Two years later he retired from the business on being 
elected police magistrate. For eight years he devoted his entire attention to 
the duties of his office. During this time, in 1872, after having been a 
moderate beer drinker for years, he determined to reform and cease drinking, 
and from that time to this he has kept that resolve,—a fact that shows he is a 
man of decision of purpose. In 1875, with his son-in law, August Schugman, as 
a partner, he embarked in the general hardware and stove business, an 
enterprise that proved successful. Mr. Schugman's interest was bought in 1890 
by our subject's son, John P., and the firm of J. Conrad & Sou continued for 
two years, when two other sons, Frank H. and Fred P., became members of the 
firm, and Mr. Conrad retired to private life. This firm is in existence to-day 
under the name of John Conrad's Sons. July 29, 1855, Mr. Conrad married Miss 
Caroline Schaubel, who was born in Grombach, Baden, Germany, January 23, 1837, 
and was brought to America by her parents in 1850. They settled in Pine Grove, 
Pa., and in 1854 moved to Elmhurst, Ill., where C. Schaubel carried on a shoe 
business, although in Germany he was a forester and gardener by occupation. On 
Mr. Conrad's arrival in Elmhurst in the same year, he worked several months 
for Mr. Schaubel. In 1855 Mr. Schaubel retired from business and moved to Oak 
Park, Ill., where he bought property and has since made his home. Mr. Schaubel 
built the first church in Oak Park. It was of the Baptist denomination. He was 
the originator of the first Sunday-school in Oak Park, and was the local 
preacher at that charge at certain occasions. He died in 1894, at the age of 
eighty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Conrad became the parents of twelve children, 
nine of whom are now living. Charlotte is the wife of Rev. William Gross, a 
minister of the Evangelical Church now located at Mount Carroll, Ill. John P., 
Frank H. and Fred P. constitute the firm of John Conrad's Sons. Harry F. is a 
member of the dry-goods firm of Conrad & Carson, of Peotone. Hattie is the 
wife of Frank A. Schlauder, a blacksmith and carriage-maker of Peotone. Jennie 
married Harry C. Reser, a police officer in Peotone. Charles J. and William R. 
are employed in the hardware store owned by their brothers. To show the 
influence Mr. Conrad has wielded among his fellow-citizens, it is but 
necessary to state some of the positions he has held. For twenty-eight years 
he has been a notary public and still holds his commission, and for eight 
years he has served as a police magistrate in Peotone. During his residence in 
Dupage County he was constable for fourteen years and tax collector two years. 
For nine years he was village trustee of Peotone, and for eighteen years 
served as school director. During the Civil war he was for two years secretary 
of the Union League at Elmhurst. In this county and Dupage, altogether, he was 
for seventeen years an auctioneer. For four years he was president of the Sons 
of Herman Lodge at Elmhurst, and one year its representative to the grand 
lodge at Chicago. During his eleven years of service as trustee of the village 
cemetery he has taken great interest in improving and beautifying this spot. 
In 1888, while in Will County, he gave thirty-three days of service as a juror 
in the United States district court. During the last twenty-eight years he 
executed vouchers for soldiers without any charges whatever. He also served in 
Elmhurst, Dupage County, as school director for six years, and in Peotone for 
twelve years. At the time that Dr. A. Melville and Owen Mink had their fatal 
altercation in the village of Peotone, Mr. Conrad was the man who stepped in 
between the two men, right when the fight was the hottest, and prevented Mr. 
Mink from further harming Dr. Melville. Mink was about to kick out the brains 
of Dr. Melville, and while he was in the act, Mr. Conrad stepped in between 
the two men, taking hold of Mink's shoulders with both hands, and forcibly 
pulling him away from the doctor, who then lay on the ground half unconscious. 
While Mr. Conrad was struggling with Mink, Dr. Melville, standing off about 
twenty feet, fired a shot from a 38-caliber, directly under Mr. Conrad's left 
arm. Mr. Conrad and Mr. Mink being clinched, the shot killed Owen Mink almost 
instantly, and he died in Mr. Conrad's arms. The ball landed in Mr. Mink's 
heart, and passed directly under Mr. Conrad's left side close to his body. 
This was as narrow an escape from death as many of his other experiences 
previously mentioned. In 1883 he was rescued out of the fire very badly 
burned, when his store burned down, and his loss on building and goods was 
over $6,000. A sketch of Mr. Conrad's life would be incomplete without some 
reference to his religious activity. Since he became a Christian his life has 
been one of great usefulness, unstained by any shadow. For twenty-two years he 
has been a trustee in the Evangelical Church, during all of which time he has 
been secretary and treasurer of the board. For twenty-eight years he has been 
leader of the choir in the church. Every religious or philanthropic movement 
receives his support, to the extent of his ability to give. Very justly he 
holds a high place in the regard of his fellow-citizens as a man of integrity, 
honor and ability.

Additional Comments:
Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County Illinois Containing 
Biographies of Well Known Citizens of the Past and Present, Biographical 
Publishing Company, Chicago, 1900

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