THE GEORGE HEINZ SR. (b. 1813) FAMILY OF KICKAPOO TOWNSHIP

Ancestors of this large family were John Henry Heinz and Eva Catharine Ester, his wife, of Nausdorf, Hesse Cassel, Germany. They never came to America and lived in Darmstadt in the state of Hessen, Germany that was also part of Napoleon's Confederation of the Rhine.

George Heinz, Sr. (b. March 28th, 1813, d. March 29th, 1891) was the second child of this family and had five siblings; Annie Margaret Hoffman Berckler, John Henry Heinz (stayed in Germany), Andrew W Heinz, Wendell Heinz, and Fredrich S Heinz. He was baptized on March 28th, 1813. He married 25 year old Katherine Henlein, (b. July 20th, 1813, d. October 29th, 1895) on April 7, 1839 in a catholic church in Dietersheim, Germany in 1838.

George Heinz Sr. and Katherine (Henlein) Heinz were among the first pioneers who came to America. They left Germany in 1839, crossing the ocean in a sailing ship. The voyage lasted ninety days. They landed at Baltimore, Maryland on August 5, 1839. They came through the St. Lawrence River to Chicago, and then down the Illinois River with a tow boat drawn from a long rope by a mule and oxen, and landed at what is now Peoria, IL.

George worked for a while for Captain Moss at a point near Rome, IL. The first year George and Katherine received $5.00 in money, with both of them working every day and boarding themselves. The second year both worked every day and boarded themselves and received as payment one cow and no money. After working a few years for Captain Moss, George farmed the Bradley farm on the West bluff in the city of Peoria for a few years. This was just opposite Main Street.

Later, George purchased 160 acres of land on Section 16 in Kickapoo Township (now Cramer's as of 1975). He cleared the land for farming and built a log cabin. Later he made his own bricks and lime and built a handsome brick house (The farm is now owned by Martin Gensler as of 1975). All of their furniture was hand made. All of their cloth for clothes were hand spun. Georges first plow was a wooden moldboard that cut a width of 20 inches and was drawn by oxen. His first wagon was hewn out of logs and not a nail of iron was used in making the wagon. The wheels were sawed out of a log about three feet across and 8 or 10 inches wide. He drilled the hole for the axle in the wheel with a stone and for axle grease used soap. The pioneer farmers drove these wagons to Chicago and back with grain or dressed hogs to get money, since Peoria was only a trading post then. It took six weeks to make one trip to Chicago and back. There were twelve wagons which were called trains, and each wagon was hitched by a yoke of oxen. At the end of one journey only one wagon remained because all the rest were worn out and several of the oxen perished on the way since there were no roads and only trails with no bridges to cross the streams. For lamps, a tin pan with grease or tallow, and a rag or some kind of cord sticking out at one end as a wick, served the purpose. There were no stoves for cooking, baking, or heating, only the open fireplace.

In 1855 Mr. George Heinz donated a small tract of land for school purposes, located in Kickapoo Township and formerly called District 58. A schoolhouse was built the same year, being occupied until 1904 when the directors thought the building inadequate to accommodate the children attending and proceeded to erect a new building on section 16 in Kickapoo township. No deed for the ground had ever been obtained from Mr. Heinz, therefore the directors refused to build it until it was granted. A deed was finally secured from Andrew Heinz, son of George Heinz Sr.

The contract for the new school was let to J.S. Foster of Peoria in 1904, to be completed for the sum of $850.00. The building was finished and ready for occupancy the same year.

This school is still standing on Heinz Lane after the interstate 74 overpass on the left off of Route 150.

George Heinz Sr. owned 360 acres of fertile land which was divided among his 5 sons after his death. He was paralyzed for the last ten years of his life.

To the union of John Henry Heinz and Eva Catharine Ester were born five sons and one daughter:

1. George Heinz Sr., born Mar. 28, 1813, died Mar. 19, 1891, had five sons; Henry, born Sept. 26, 1840, died Aug. 22, 1881, Frank, born Oct. 19, 1842, died Oct. 22, 1922, George, born March 10, 1845, Andrew, born Sept. 25, 1847, and John, born Dec. 30, 1849.

2. John Henry Heinz was born on 21 Oct 1815 in Hesse, Darmstadt, Germany. He died in 1910 in Germany. He married Katherine Margaretha Schneider on Aug. 30, 1846 in Hesse-Darmstadt.

3. Andrew Heinz, Sr., born Feb. 16, 1823, landed at New York in 1848, and came to Peoria by way of the lakes to Chicago and the Illinois River. He worked for his brother George, also in brickyard, cut wood and hauled it to Peoria for 75c a load, and also worked for C. B. & Q. railroad. Married Christina Reed in Kickapoo Township, who was also a native of Germany, a daughter of Morris Reed. There were seven children of this marriage: Fred, Henry, Andrew, George, Katie, Anna, and Theresa.

4. Frederick Heinz, Sr., born May 19, 1827, landed in America 1848, and came direct to Kickapoo Township, where he joined his brother George. He married Eva Seibert from Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, who had come to America alone to live with her sister in Kickapoo Township. She died July 6, 1894. Mr. Heinz first purchased 80 acres of land, mostly timber, on Sec. 16, for $500. He cleared off the timber and built a log cabin, which was later replaced with a brick house. Mr. Heinz at different times served as Supervisor, Road Commissioner and School Treasurer of his Township. One child was born of this union, Anna M., who married John Brutcher.

5. Wendel Heinz, landed in America 1848, worked for his brother George. He had team of horses, harness and wagon; then went to St. Louis to get some more things, but never returned and no word ever heard from him.

6. Anna Margaret Heinz, born May 1, 1810, died March 11, 1895; married William Berckler, first husband, of Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, who was born in 1797; married Nicholas Hoffman, second husband, of Scharchbach, Germany, who was born Jan. 1, 1800 and died Nov. 30, 1868. Landed in America July 3, 1853, and to this union were born five children: John Hoffman, Maroa, Illinois; Nicholas Hoffman, Pottstown, Illinois; Peter Hoff-man, Iowa; Fred Hoffman, Maroa, Illinois; Eva Hoffman Laszell, Maroa, Illinois.

The history of the Heinz family has been the history of Kickapoo Township.

Authored by E.j. Heinz in 2023 with sources listed.

Sources:

Material Furnished by Max J. Heinz, 1928

HISTORY AND REMINISCENCES - Old Settlers' Union of Princeville and Vicinity Vol. 4, 1929

Heinz Family History 1810-1975

https://ejheinz.center/GedSite/EJ-o/up/index.htm

                                                                                    

                                                                                    

    

Nicholas G. Heinz. A product of the agricultural regions of Peoria County

1933

Nicholas G. Heinz comes from a family of farmers and was himself intended for that vocation, but in his young manhood decided upon the trade of carpentry instead and for many years has been engaged therein at Kickapoo, where a number of residences and other structures bear evidence to his skill and good workmanship. He has never been a seeker after public office, but has always been a good citizen, and has won and held the respect and good will of his fellow-men. Mr. Heinz was born on the home farm in Kickapoo Township, Peoria County, in 1884 and is a son of George and Fredericka (German) Heinz, and a grandson of George and Catherine Heinz. The grandfather was born March 30, 1813, in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where he received his education in Catholic schools, and was a young man when he made his way to the United States in search of his fortune. Landing at Baltimore, he came directly to Peoria, where he soon found employment by the day as a farm hand, but was industrious, enterprising and ambitious, and soon saved enough to start operations of his own in Kickapoo Township, where he took up land. Mr. Heinz eventually became one of the substantial men of his community and had the respect and esteem of his fellow-citizens. George Heinz, son of the pioneer was born at Mossville, Illinois, in which locality he attended the country school, and during all of his school period gave his leisure time to his father, in assisting in the development and cultivation of the home place. Born in 1845, he reached the ripe old age of more than eighty years, passing away in January, 1926, when he was accounted one of the well-to-do men of the county. He and his wife were the parents of seven children: Gertrude, Maximilian, Margaret, Charles, Nicholas G., Rose and Alexander. Nicholas G. Heinz attended school in the vicinity of the home farm, on which he worked until entering upon his individual career. His boyhood was crowded with hard and unremitting labor, and he had little liking for the tasks of the farm, so when it came time for him to make a choice he applied himself to a mastery of the carpenter's trade, which he learned with his brother. He has made a success both as a general carpenter and in addition has done some contracting and is known as a master of his vocation and as a man who lives fully up to the letter of his contracts. Mr. Heinz is unmarried and makes his home with his brother. He belongs to the Carpenters' Union at Peoria, and as a German Catholic holds membership in the Catholic Church at Kickapoo and in the Knights of Columbus,
in which fraternity he has numerous friends.

The transcription was taken from "Illinois: the heart of a nation" Volume 3.
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1975

Nicholas George Heinz was born May 29, 1884. He was the 9th child of George Heinz II and Fredricka (German) Heinz. He was of Catholic faith. He never married.

In his early years he worked on the farm at home. Then he bought the Silverleaf Pavilion, two miles east of Kickapoo, Illinois, in partnership with Emil Heinz. Later he bought out Emil’s share. Nick operated Silverleaf for several years, holding dances every two weeks and lots of parties. The annual Heinz Reunion was held there, starting in 1924. The building is no longer in existence.

Mr. Heinz worked for his brother Felix for awhile. He worked at Keystone Steel and Wire Co. for several years. He joined the Carpenter's Union #183 and was employed in that line of work until his death on Aug. 15, 1953.

Sources:

Quoted from The Heinz Family History, by Mrs. William L. Heinz, page 77.

http://www.peoriacountyillinois.info/bios/heinz%20nicholas%20g.html