Isaac Himmelberger & Catherine Haak

Isaac Himmelberger
Birth: Aug. 13, 1840
Death: Jul. 16, 1900
Burial: Mount Hope Cemetery Logansport Cass County Indiana,
Parents: Charles Himmelberger (1816 - 1891) & Elvina Hain Himmelberger (1823 - 1888)

Isaac Himmelberger was one of the noted men of Cass county and was always a credit to the community where in he made his home. He was born August 13, 1840, in Berks county, Pennsylvania, and was one of seven children born to Charles Himmelberger and his wife, Lavinia (Hain) Himmelberger.

Reared at Lancaster as a boy, Isaac Himmelberger received not more than a common school education. When he was eighteen years old he moved with his parents to Meyerstwon, Pennsylvania, and there he was later associated with his father in the milling buisness, and still later with an uncle, Levi Hain, in the grain buisness.

From Meyerstown he came to Indiana in 1876, and with Levi Hain, Henry Sherk and John Myers, engaged in the lumber business about two miles north of the town of Walton, in Tipton county. Here they established a sawmill in the swamp, acquired a tract of three hundred and eighty acres, and at once began to convert the towering timber into lumber. When the work here had been completed and the supply of raw material been exhausted, Mr. Himmelberger and Perry Kessling leased a tract of land near Onward, there erected a mill, and began the work of sawing as they had done near Walton.

Mr. Himmelberger then came to Loganspoprt and in partneship with Mr. Dewey, built a mill and established a genetal lumber business, buying timber throughtout the entire country surrounding them. It was during this time, in 1878, that he became the candidate of the Republican party for the office of sheriff of the county, and notwithstandning the fact that the nominal Democratic majority in the county waw something like six hundred, Mr. Himmeberger was elected. He served a two year term in the office of Sheriff, and it was during this period that he bought out his partner's interests in the business.

Soon after his retirement from office he went to Buffington, Missouri and there started a sawmill, moving the equipment from Logansport to the Missouri town, to augment the equipment of the mill already in operation there.

A few years later he formed a partnership with John Burris in the stave business at Dexter, Missorui, in conncetion with his other business, and this partnership existed but a comparatively short time, but Mr. Himmelberger still continued the lumber business at Buffington, Missouri, and later at Morehouse, Missouri, a place of which he was really the founder and boulder.

His son JOHN, was associated with him at these two latter places. At Morehouse he built one of the largest hardwood lumber plans ever known in the southwest, if not, indeed, in the entire country. They acquired approximately 100,000 acres of land and at times emploued more than two ohundred mill hands. Mr. Himmellberger, while yet in the prime of life and while the future yet held glowing promise of attainment, was suddently stricken with an illness which culmlinated in his death on July 16, 1900.

His was a life that held many lessons. He began his independent careert without other means than his own courage and willing hands. His courage never faltered in all the years of his activity, and repeatedly he was called upon to overcome obstacles that would have overwhelemed many with dima, and would have been the sure defeat of many another. Through all the years he steadily pressed forward, acheiving a succedd far beyond that which the average man meeets. At no toime was the honesty and fairness of his dealings ever questioned. With him "whatever was worth doing at all was worth doing will" and that old axiom he held up for the constant asmonition of all who were associated with him in his work. He died as he had lived, - an honored and respected citizen, and his intimely death was deeply mourned by all who come within the circle of his acquaintance.

In 1860 Mr. Himmelberger was married to Catherin Haak, and seven children were born to them, four of whom lived to reach years of maturity, as follows: John, who is now engaged in conducting the business in Missouri which was founded by his father; Jane, the wife of Samuel Fisher; Lillian, the wife of H. J. Crismond; and Nettie, who married W. O. Murdock, and is not deceased. Mrs. Himmelberger who still lives and is the grandmother of twelve children, is the daughter of Henry and Sarah (Bassler) Haak, who were natives of the state of Pennsylvania, and like the Himmelbergers, people of German ancestry.

History of Cass County, Indiana : from its earliest settlement to the present time, with biographical sketches and reference to Biographies Previously Compiled Edited by Dr. Jehu Z. Powell pg. pg. 822-23

I. Himmelberger & Co., Buffington, Mo.

This firm is composed of Isaac Himmelberger and his son, John H.

The father was born in the State of Pennsylvania bout the year 1840, and in 1866 moved to Indiana and embarked in the lumber business at Walton, and afterward at Logansport.

After very successful operations at that point he sought a larger field in Missouri, and put up a saw mill at Buffington in the fall of 1881. Beginning with a mill of about thirty horse power and a force of from forty to fifty men, his business so increased that in 1886 he enlarged the mill to double its former capacity, but was still unable to meet the demand for lumber. He then built another with a capacity of fifty horse-power, which enabled him to employ sixty more men. They are now able to turn out 40,000 feet of lumber.

They receive orders constantly from Northern Illinois and Iowa for plow material, also wagon stuff for Kentucky and Illinois. The gum which the firm handles, finds a ready sale in the Chicago and New York markets.

On the Mill floors they employ about thirty men, about thirteen men on the nine miles of railway into their timber land, on which an engine and twenty cars are run, and also a force of thirty men in the woods in charge of a foreman or contractor.

Mr. Isaac Himmelberger was elected sheriff of his county in Indiana, and also served as councilman at Logansport, Ind.

Catherine Hoak became his wife, and among the eight children born to them, four only are living: John H., Jennie (now Mrs. S.A. Fisher), Lillie and Nettie.

Mr. Himmelberger lives at Logansport, where he owns considerable property, besides over 10,000 acres of land about the Buffington Mills.

John H. was born in 1861 and has always lived with his father, whose partner he as now become. When the mills were first established, he came as bookkeeper and manager, but in 1887 became a partner, and has since had charge of their Stoddard County business.

The father was educated in Pennsylvania and his son in Indiana.

The father and mother are members of the Universalist and Reformed Churches, respectively.

Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri Biographies of Stoddard County, 1888

1601 Broadway

DEATH COMES AT THREE O'CLOCK

To Mr. Isaac Himmelberger of 1601 Broadway

Mr. Isaac Himmelberger, of 1601 Broadway, died at 3:13 this afternoon, after a brief illness. He was attacked by appendicitis a few days ago. The attending physicians succeeded in correcting this trouble and were hoping for the recovery of the patient when acute diabetes rendered his condition hopeless. A turn for the worse was apparent Saturday night and he continued to grow weaker until death ensued.

Isaac Himmelberger was born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, August 13th, 1840. He received his education in the common schools of his native county, and early began those habits of industry that made him one of the world's most untiring workers. In 1865 he removed to this county, where he engaged in the hardwood lumber business which business he had followed throughout his life. IN 1860 owing to the scarcity of timber in this section, he removed his plant to New Madrid county, Mo. where at the time of his death, he was the proprietor of several large mills.

He was united in marriage with Miss Catherine Haak, in Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, in the year 1861. There are four surviving children of this union, John Himmelberger, of Moorehouse, Mo., Mrs. Samuel Fisher, of Cass county, Mrs. H. J. Crismond, and Mrs. W. O. Murdock, of this city. Four children, three sons and a daughter have preceded the father to the other world.

Mr. Himmelberger was a public spirited gentleman and although he was employed the larger part of his time with his business interests in the west, continued his residence in this county, which was the scene of the beginning and development of his active and useful business career. In 1878 he succeeded the late Sheriff Louthain as sheriff of Cass county, and served the people during his term of office with marked ability. He was a man of integrity and sterling worth, and in his death the community at large suffers a distinct loss.

Published in the Logansport Reporter, Monday, July 17, 1900

WPA Cass ciounty Marirages: Surname: HIMMELBERGER
Given Name: ANNETTE
Spouse: WILLIAM
Spouse Surname: MURDOCK
Month: SEP
Day: 20
Year: 1898
County: CASS
Book: 17
Page: 141

Surname: HIMMELBERGER
Given Name: JENNIE
Spouse: SAMUEL A
Spouse Surname: FISHER
Month: DEC
Day: 25
Year: 1884
County: CASS
Book: 10
Page: 3

Surname: HIMMELBERGER
Given Name: JOHN C
Spouse: MARY A
Spouse Surname: KESLING
Month: JAN
Day: 1
Year: 1889
County: CASS
Book: 12
Page: 45

Surname: HIMMELBERGER
Given Name: LILLIE A
Spouse: HORACE J
Spouse Surname: CRISMOND
Month: SEP
Day: 24
Year: 1889
County: CASS
Book: 12
Page: 248

Isaac married married 1860, Catherine Haak
Birth: Mar. 25, 1841 Pennsylvania Death: Nov. 30, 1915 Logansport Cass County Indiana Parents: Henry Haak (1809 - 1855) Sarah Bassler Haak (1808 - 1890) Burial: Mount Hope Cemetery Logansport Cass County Indiana

Children:

Jane Ann (Jennie) Himmelberger Fisher

Lillie A (Lillie) Himmelberger Crismond

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Isaac Himmelberger & Catherine Haak