The Biographical record of Livingston and ... - University Library

THE BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD. 635new wmiil. he decided to try liis fnrlune in-Vnicrica, and accurdinyly. at the aj^e ofnineteen years, he crossed the ocean, landingin Xew \\>rk city, lie pii 'ceeded at onceto C'hicas;"!!. and fur a few ninuths workedon the Michigan canal. Later he was cni-])loyed at unloading canal hoats at La Salle,Illinois, for a short time. ;inil in 1852 wentto 'I'azewell county, where he \\i irked on afarm one }ear. lie was next employed ashostler in Peoria for a short time, and thenaccei)ted a positii>n as ])orter in the J'eoriaHouse, where he remained three or t\)nryears,.\tter his marriage he opened a Iioardinghouse in that city, which he successfullyconducted until 1862. and then came toWOodford county, where he run a gristmilland distillery at Bowling (ireen. Palestinetownship, for upwards of si.x years. In 1868he traded that pro])erty for one thousandacres of land in .Missouri, which he afterwardtraded for a part of his present farmin Kansas township. Woodford county,where he has made his home since ^SC^q.At that tune it was nearly aii wild land, huthe has since cleared it and placed it underexcellent cultivation, at the same time erectingthereon good and suhstantial huildings.He has added to this property until he nowhas eight hundred acres of rich and arableland in Kansas townshi]) besides four hundred and ten acres in I'alestine township,which lie rents, and one hundred and tenacres of partially inipro\ed land in Montgomerytownship, also occupied by a tenant.1 le also owns a section of land in Clay county.Mississippi. Since it came into liis possessionMr. Gingerich has resided upon hisfarm in Kansas township with the exceptionof ten years when engaged in the saloon businessin El Paso. At the end of that time hereturned to tliefarm, and has since devotedhis energies to its im])rovement and cultivation.In 1836 Mr. (jingcrich was united inmarriage with Aliss Adelia I'.ngcl. who wasborn in b" ranee in 1835. and caine to thiscountry with her parents when quite young.She died soon after tiieir removal to El Paso,in 1872. Maria, the only child born of thisunion, died in Peoria, at the age of elevenmonths. In August. 1874, Mr. Gingerich\vas again married, his second union beingwith Miss Missouri B. Jjatenian, who wasborn in .Metamora towiishii). Woodfordcounty, in June, 1857. and wa> the oldestdaughter of William X. and L(niisa Bateman,w ho are represented on another page ofthis vohniie. Three children blessed thismarriage, all liorn in LI I'aso. namely: i'cterX.. born December 26, 1875, was educatedat K\ Paso and in Kansas township, and nowaids his father in the opei'ation of the homefarm; Louisa Cora, born December 11,1877. and Missouri Belle, born I'"el)ruar\- 18,1880. are both at home. ]\lrs. Gingerich,who was a de\iited wife and lo\ing mother,died June 13, 1882. in Kansas township, byaccidental drowning while attempting to fordthe Mackinaw ri\er. there being no bridgeacross the stream in that township. Her remainswere interred in White Oak cemetery.She was greatly loved by all who knew her,and her death was widely and deeplymoui-ned..Mr. ( iingerich has taken quite an acti\epart in iinblic .atTairs. holding the office ofgo\ eminent insjiector of distilleries in Mc-J.ean and Woodford counties fof- four vears,and serxing as mail carrier in I'eoria forthree years under (jeneral Swett. then postmasterof that city. He has also been schooldirector ;m(l comnn'ssioner of bigliwnxs inKansas township. L'ndei- botli Lincoln's and