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
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