Will County IL Archives Biographies.....Wahls, Henry J 
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Deb Haines http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00003.html#0000719 February 28, 2008, 11:56 pm

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

Henry J. Wahls, a well-to-do and influential citizen of Peotone, was for many 
years a leading factor in commercial circles here as a member of the 
mercantile firm of Wahls & Koepke, but for the past few years he has been 
living retired. He is a native of Illinois, born on a farm in Manteno 
township, Kankakee county, March 7, 1871, and is a son of Frederick and 
Catherine (Wolle) Wahls. The father, who was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, 
November 3, 1845, emigrated to American when a young man of twenty years and 
for a few months subsequent to his arrival in Illinois worked on a farm by the 
month. Later he engaged in commercial pursuits, first as a dealer in hardware 
in Peotone and later in general merchandise, which occupation he followed for 
some time. He then turned his attention to the grain business, owning an 
elevator at this place, and he was continuously identified with business 
interests in Peotone from 1879 until 1903, since which time he has made his 
home in Springfield, Illinois, where he is now engaged in the piano business. 
Fraternally he is a member of the Elks. His wife, who was born in Hanover, 
Germany, died in Peotone in 1900, at the age of fifty-five years. In their 
family were only two children, the younger being Bertha, now the wife of W. J. 
Koepke, a merchant of Peotone. Henry J. Wahls was but five years old when 
brought by his parents to Peotone, his birth having occurred on a farm south 
of the city, which property, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, is now 
in his possession. During his boyhood he attended both English and German 
schools, completing his education in the Peotone high school and evening 
schools. In the meantime, when a youth of fifteen years, he entered his 
father's mercantile establishment, working as an errand boy and keeping up his 
work in the schoolroom at the same time. He assisted in moving the first stock 
of merchandise into the first brick store of the town. In 1887 he entered the 
county cleric's office in Joliet, where he remained for a year and a half, 
discharging his duties with credit to himself and satisfaction to his 
employers. While in that position he also pursued a course in stenography. 
Returning once more to his home town, Mr. Wahls again entered his father's 
store and in 1892 became a partner in the business, the firm name being 
changed to F. Wahls & Son, dealers in general merchandise. He had charge of 
the bookkeeping department of the business until the 1st of January, 1895, 
when his father disposed of his interest to W. J. Koepke and the firm became 
Wahls & Koepke, the latter being a brother-in-law of our subject. They carried 
a full line of dry goods, ladies' furnishings, groceries, queensware, 
glassware, ladies' and children's cloaks, flour, salt, men's and boys' 
clothing, boots, shoes, footwear, hats, caps, men's furnishings, jewelry, 
cutlery, etc. Mr. Wahls did all the buying in the various departments for the 
firm and was considered one of the best buyers in this locality. During his 
management many thousand dollars' worth of merchandise were distributed into 
hundreds of families in the vicinity. He was an enterprising business man, 
capably managing his affairs and studying the needs and demands of the public, 
so that the business grew to large and profitable proportions and became one 
of the leading mercantile enterprises of the place. Owing to the close 
confinement of indoor life and the arduous duties connected with the business 
his health became so impaired that in February, 1901, he disposed of his 
interest in the store to his partner and has since lived retired in Peotone. 
In 1891 and during times of rushing business he weighed grain in the Peotone 
elevator and later attended to shipping and other interests of the grain 
business. On the 18th of October, 1893, Mr. Wahls was happily married to Miss 
Margaret Reitz, a native of Wilton township, Will county, and a daughter of 
Phillip Reitz, who was one of the pioneer settlers of that township and is 
still making his home on a farm there. Her father is now serving as noble 
grand of the Wilton lodge of Odd Fellows. Unto our subject and his wife has 
been born one son, Wilbur, who was nine years of age on the 4th of May, 1906. 
They have recently been made the recipients of a beautiful new piano 
containing an interior player, made in New York and the gift of his father. 
Although his business interests made heavy demands upon his time, Mr. Wahls 
found time and opportunity for other interests and from an early age was 
identified with much of the development and improvement of the city. At the 
age of twenty-four years he was elected to the village council, being the 
youngest man ever elected to any office in Will county. It was during his 
incumbency in office that the water works system was installed, he being a 
hearty supporter of this movement, and his name now appears on a galvanized 
iron plate on the water works plant. His name also appears on the corner stone 
of the German Evangelical Emmanuel church, as he is likewise prominent in 
church circles, having been identified with that organization for the past 
twenty-five years. For seven years he served on the official board and was the 
first to volunteer his services on the subscription committee at the time of 
the erection of their new house of worship, becoming secretary of the building 
committee. His study of the important questions and issues of the day has led 
him to give stalwart support to the republican party. He and his family are 
prominent in social circles and are highly esteemed in the community where 
they reside. Mr. Wahls was for many years recognized as one of the leading 
factors in the business circles of Peotone, and during his long connection 
therewith won the confidence and trust of all with whom he came in contact. 

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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