Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Schrier, Christian 
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Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 6, 2008, 3:08 am

Author: Past and Present of Will County, IL; 1907

Christian Schrier is a retired farmer living in Peotone, where he owns a nice 
home. He was born in Baden, Germany, July 17, 1832. His grandfather on the 
paternal side was a ship-carpenter and was employed by the German government 
to build a pontoon bridge across the Rhine, near Strassburg. The father, who 
also bore the name of Christian Schrier and was a ship-carpenter by trade, 
died in the fatherland when the son was a lad of only fourteen years. The 
mother, who bore the maiden name of Francisco Leonard, was a French woman, and 
her death also occurred in Germany. Christian Schrier, Jr., acquired his 
education in Germany, and at the age of fourteen years became a sailor, 
following the Rhine for eleven years. He then emigrated to America in 1857, 
and after a voyage of twenty-eight days on the Atlantic landed in New York 
city, whence he went to Long Island, where he was employed from the 5th of 
July of that year until the following April. In the east he formed the 
acquaintance of a man by the name of Schmidt, who induced him to come to Will 
county, Illinois, where lived his two sons. Accordingly Mr. Schrier continued 
his journey westward, locating in this county, where he found employment at 
farm labor. He was later engaged in the same line by Tobias Fahs, whose 
daughter afterward became the wife of our subject. Arnold Fahs, a brother of 
Tobias, lived in Chicago but owned a tract of four hundred and forty acres in 
Will county and Mr. Schrier was employed to manage this land. In the meantime 
he carefully saved his earnings so that he was at length enabled to purchase a 
tract of ninety-one acres, this being all wild prairie. He built a house 
thereon and was engaged in farming through a long period. For twenty years he 
was also engaged in feeding cattle in addition to carrying on general 
agricultural pursuits. He prospered in his undertakings and eventually made 
his farm one of the rich and valuable tracts of this part of the state. He 
made his home on the farm until six years ago, when he took up his abode in 
the city of Peotone, where he owns a nice home, but he still retains 
possession of his farming property, which returns to him a good annual income. 
On the 31st of October, 1861, occurred the marriage of Mr. Schrier and Miss 
Harriet Fahs, who was born in Maryland, a daughter of Tobias and Armita 
(Willard) Fahs, both of whom were natives of that state. The father removed 
with his family to Will county in 1857 and was here engaged in farming 
pursuits. His death occurred in 1900, when he had reached the advanced age of 
eighty-eight years, while his wife passed away in 1901, having also reached 
the age of eighty-eight. Mrs. Schrier is one of a family of ten children, of 
whom seven are now living but she is the only one who resides in Will county 
besides her brother Cornelius Fahs. One brother, David Fahs, has been a 
minister of the Presbyterian church for the past twenty years and is now 
located at Independence, Iowa. Unto our subject and his wife have been born 
five daughters: Minnie and Hattie J., who are at home; Mamie, the wife of L. 
Eagle, a resident of Colorado; Gertrude, who is still under the parental roof; 
and Katie, the wife of Walter Porter, a resident of Chicago. Mr. Schrier and 
his family are members of the Presbyterian church, in which he has been an 
officer for many years. In his political views he is a republican and for 
several years served as road commissioner and school director. When Mr. 
Schrier first arrived in Will county, Peotone was unknown and he has lived to 
see the place grow into a prosperous and enterprising little city. Wild game 
was still plentiful, while deer and other wild animals were seen roaming over 
the prairies. The homes of the settlers were widely scattered, often being 
five and ten miles apart. In those early days Mr. Schrier husked corn for 
fifty cents per day and worked for one man twelve days, taking his pay in hogs 
at one dollar and half per head. He worked energetically and diligently in 
former years so that he is now able to live in honorable retirement. He and 
his estimable wife are highly esteemed in the community where they reside and 
are active workers in the church. 

Additional Comments:
PAST AND PRESENT OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS By W. W. Stevens President of the 
Will County Pioneers Association; Chicago: The S. J. Clarke Publishing 
Company, 1907

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