Among the pioneers of Macoupin county who are deserving of a record
in a work pertaining to the history of this section is Henry W.
Bierbaum, now in the eightieth year of his age and one of the honored
citizens of the county. Coming to America many years ago from a distant
country, he found himself amidst strange surroundings, but he bravely
met and conquered obstacles as they arose and he now enjoys in peace and
comfort the results of his courage and self reliance. He was born in
Prussia, Germany, October 18, 1831, being a son of Gottlieb and Minnie
Bierbaum. The father died when the son was quite young. The mother and
one daughter came to the United States in 1854, the son Henry W. sending
money to pay their expenses upon the journey. He was not married at that
time and his mother and sister made their home with him and had charge
of the household duties. The mother died about 1862 and is buried in
Macoupin county.
Henry W. Bierbaum was reared on a farm in the
old country and possessed advantages of education in the common schools.
He emigrated to the United States in 1850, being then nineteen years of
age. Like thousands of young men of European birth who have sought to
establish a home under the favoring influence of the American republic,
he was practically without money and a friend generously advanced the
amount necessary to meet traveling expenses. After landing he came
direct to Macoupin county and secured employment as a farm hand under
John Ramey, his wages being four dollars per month during the winter and
ten dollars per month in the summer. He was married at the age of
twenty-five and rented a farm in Cahokia township, which he cultivated
for four years. He then acquired forty acres of land, for which he gave
a team of horses, a set of harness, a wagon and twenty dollars in money.
He prospered in his work and subsequently purchased another tract of
forty acres, for which he paid eight hundred dollars. He has since added
to his land holdings and at the present time is the owner of two hundred
and ten acres of land, which is considered as good as any in the state
of Illinois. When he arrived in this region it abounded in deer, wolves
and wild turkeys, and the lives and habits of the people conformed to
pioneer conditions. Neighbors were friendly and a spirit of helpfulness
prevailed of which we can now form little conception. The country was
principally wild prairie and an occasional log cabin could be seen in
the woods along the streams, being the only sign of civilization, except
a few settlements which were found along lines of travel. The pioneers
were a brave-hearted race and their descendants today are rightfully
among the leaders in the state and are represented among its most
prosperous and progressive citizens.
In 1856 Mr. Bierbaum was
married to Miss Minnie Sophia Miller, who was a native of Germany and
came to Macoupin county, Illinois, with her parents in 1847, when she
was six years of age. To this union ten children have been bom, five of
whom survive, namely: Henry, who is now living at Farmersville,
Montgomery county, Illinois; William, who resides at Beebe, Arkansas;
Charles, also a resident of Beebe; Gottlieb, who is engaged in farming
in Cahokia township; and Anna, who is the wife of William Seiler, an
electrician of Sawyersville, Illinois.
In politics Mr. Bierbaum
is a supporter of the democratic party but he has never been an office
seeker, preferring to devote his energies to his family and his farm. He
and his wife are consistent members of the Evangelical Lutheran church.
As a representative of a generation which made possible the comforts and
conveniences of the present day, he is accorded a high place in the
estimation of the people of this region. He is one of the survivors of
pioneer times — a period in the history of America which has passed
never to return. Each year they become fewer in number, but the work
they accomplished stands as an enduring monument to their energy and
persistence.
Extracted 14 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from History of Macoupin County, Illinois: Biographical and Pictorial, by Charles A. Walker, published in 1911, Volume 2, pages 319-320.
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