Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Mersinger, Philip 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Deb Haines ddhaines@gmail.com November 10, 2007, 11:04 am

Author: Genealogical and Biographical Record of Will County

PHILIP MERSINGER. At the time that Mr. Mersinger settled in Joliet, September 
10, 1878, the city had a population of only eleven thousand. He has witnessed 
its subsequent growth and had aided in the development of its business 
interests. Meantime, by his ability and energy, he has become the owner of the 
largest sewing machine business in the state outside of Chicago. By fair and 
just dealings with all, he has established a large trade, which is not limited 
to his home town, but extends throughout this section of the state, four 
traveling men taking orders for machines in Will and adjacent counties. The 
location of the store is No. 109 South Ottawa street, where may be found on 
sale New Home, Standard, White and Domestic machines, also some eight cheaper 
grades of machines. In addition to machines, he has also built up a large 
trade in pianos and organs, and handles all kinds of musical instruments, 
making a specialty of the Kimball and Emerson piano and the Kimball organ. The 
record of the Mersinger family is traced back to a distant period in the 
history of the province of Wurtemberg, Germany. There our subject's father, 
John, was born and reared, and there he carried on a mercantile store. 
Accompanied by his wife, who was Jannetta Whiteman, of Ruchhaim, Germany, and 
their two children, he came to America and settled in Pennsylvania, opening a 
store at Penn's Valley, Center County, and remaining in that county until his 
death. In religion he was a Lutheran. After coming to this country he 
identified himself with the Democratic party. He and his wife were the parents 
of seven children, five of whom attained mature years and four are living. 
Several of the children were born in Center County, Pa., and among these was 
Philip, whose birth occurred August 8, 1840. He was a mere boy when he began 
to be self-supporting and for a number of years managed some of the largest 
farms in Center and Union Counties and gained a reputation as a good financier 
and trustworthy manager. However, the exposure in inclement weather brought on 
rheumatism, and he was forced to seek another occupation. In 1869 he began in 
the sewing machine business near Center Hall, his native town, where he made 
his home for some years. In 1878 he came west, intending to settle in Kansas, 
but the three preceding years of poor crops had ruined business in that state, 
so he returned as far east as Joliet. In point of years of business activity 
he is the oldest man in the machine trade in this city. In his work he is 
efficiently assisted by his wife, who is a lady of superior ability and who 
takes entire charge of the business when he is absent. She bore the maiden 
name of Sarah E. McCormick, and is a daughter of William and Margaret (Myers) 
McCormick, of Scotch-Irish and German parentage. She was born in Center 
County, Pa., where she was reared, educated and married. In politics Mr. 
Mersinger is independent. During and after the Civil war he was for four years 
a special police officer in Philadelphia. He has never cared for political 
offices, preferring to give his time to his business and its interests. 
Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic Order and of the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks. He was a charter member of the first lodge, Knights 
of Pythias, that was organized in Philadelphia (which was the second in the 
United States), and in the same city he also joined the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows. He was reared in the Lutheran faith, but usually attends the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, of which his wife is a member. They have no 
children, but are rearing two children of Mrs. Mersinger's brother, Andrew and 
Candace McCormick. 

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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