A Thought to Remember: Johann Nicholaus Voegele was the first Voegele to come to Highland

Johann Nicholaus Voegele was the first Voegele to come to Highland, in 1839 or early 1840. Nicholaus “Nic” was in my last week’s column about Schott’s Brewing Co., which was originally called the Jefferson Brewery, because it was on Jefferson Street in Highland (now 8^th Street and Mulberry).

I had an error which read, “Nicholas Voegele sold his shares to Gerhard Schott, the brewmaster, in 1857.” It should have read “Charles L. Bernays sold some of his shares to Gerhard Schott, the brewmaster, in 1857.” Sorry for my error.

Now back to Nicholas Voegele, who was part owner of the Jefferson Brewery before it became Schott’s Brewery.

Nicholas, Nicholaus or Nic, Voegele and Daniel Wild, a partner with Guggenbuehler, purchased John Guggenbuehler’s shares in the Jefferson Brewery in 1860.

“Nicholaus Voegele was originally named Johann Nicholaus Voegele (1815-1872). He was the oldest son of Peter Adam Voegele of Stettfeld, Baden, Germany.”

Voegele Families of Southern Illinois was written by Edward Zacharski of Belleville.

Thanks to Judy Voegele Gruner of Grantfork, as Judy let Edward use her Voegele files, and brother Michael Voegele, for his photographs. Edward also thanked the late Arthur Iberg and his mother, the late Bertha Voegele Iberg. Another thanks by Edward was to the late Floyd Jakel for being his hands and eyes in Highland as he was writing his book.

I thank Joan Voegele Leopold for my copy of Edward’s book, which I will now quote.

“Nic Voegele was the oldest child in his family and was also the first of his Voegele family to come to Highland.

“Nic left Stettfeld, Baden, Germany on May 26, 1839 at the age of 23 and probably arrived in Highland a few months later. Perhaps Nic came to see if the claims in the local notices about this area were true.

“By Feb. 16, 1840, Nic’s father, Peter Adam Voegele, filled out an emigration card requesting permission for his wife and family to travel to North America. In March 1841, the 54-year-old Peter Adam Voegele and his wife, five of his sons and two of his daughters boarded the Duchess of Orleans for North America.

“They arrived in New York on May 17, 1841. Seventy-two of these passengers came to Highland in 1841, including the Voegele family. It is presumed that the family lived adequately with the resources they brought with them, since within a few years their sons owned two hotels and several farms in the area.

“Nic lived in Highland and also operated the Eagle Hotel for the Durer Family, as early as 1841. Then, when Jacob Durer died, the estate, on Aug. 3, 1850, sold the Eagle Hotel and Eagle Inn to Nicholas and Anna Maria Scheele Voegele.” (From the No. 1 Book of Abstracts, the Town of Highland at the Louis Latzer Memorial Public Library, pages 274 and 275.)

Nic built the present brick building at Main and Walnut, today known as Eagle Apartments. He also owned a farm in Saline Township and St. Jacob Township. Nic was appointed to the St. Paul Catholic Church building committee in 1843, when they built the first frame church on the northwest corner of 9^th and Olive (later made into a school and today a parking lot).

In 1853, Nic was named to the building committee to build the brick church, and the replacement church was completed in 1856.

In 1867, Nic gave $2,000 to have the railroad come through Highland.

Nic died in 1872. His wife Maria and oldest son Joseph continued running the Eagle Hotel until April 28, 1883, when she sold the hotel to John R. Blattner and the family moved first to downtown Los Angeles, then east of Los Angeles and then to Corona, Riverside, Calif.

“Nic’s brother, Peter Jacob Voegele, came with the family in 1841 when he was 16. Fourteen years later, Peter married Josephina E. Woll, and they had 10 children, nine girls and one boy. George, the only son, died at the age of 5.

“Peter owned the Napoleon House hotel for 25 years, on the northeast corner of Pestalozzi and Olive. (I don’t believe this is the correct address.) In 1859, Peter also owned the Highland Bote newspaper. The newspaper office was just south of the original St. Paul Church. With the start of the Civil War in 1863, he sold the newspaper office and print shop to Jacob Eggen. Peter then invested in another type of press, this time to make cider, a very popular drink at that time. Peter died at age 52 in 1877.

“Nic’s next brother, Carl Anton Voegele, who went by Charles, also came in 1841 at the age of 13. After his arrival, the young man entered the employment of Solomon H. Mudge of Oakdale, just east of Saline, now called Grantfork. Mr. Mudge’s summer home was Oakdale, and he had the Charles Hotel in New Orleans, La.

“Charles wed Maria Schaeffer in 1852 in Highland. They served faithfully and well, both in Saline Township and at their winter home in New Orleans. Charles and Maria (Mary) Voegele had eight sons and three daughters. (In 2000, at the printing of the Voegele book, they had more than 1,200 direct descendants.)

“Carl, later called Charles, died in 1921 on his farm north of St. Morgan. (Joan Voegele Leopold, Judy Voegele Gruner and Michael Patrick Voegele are fourth generation of Charles Voegele and fifth generation of Peter Anton Voegele. You may also be one of the almost 2,000 members of this Voegele family.)

“Nic’s third younger brother, Johann Wendelin Voegele, also came in 1841 at the age of 11. He enlisted in the Union Army from Highland in 1862 and served in Company H, the famous Emil Frey Co. and fought in the battle of Gettysburg in the hottest part of the battle in 1863. He fought in the battle of Fredricksburg and was captured, spending several months in the Anderson, Ga., prison. He was discharged in 1865 and spent the rest of his life at Galena, Ill.

“Nic’s fourth youngest brother, Andreas Voegele, (called Andrew) was only 7 in 1841 and grew up on the farm in Saline Township. Later, Andrew was employed as a harness maker in Highland and by 1867 was the owner of the tack shop.

“Nic’s youngest brother, Michael Voegele, also came in 1841 and was only 5. He grew up on the farm, and as a young man worked for Nic as bartender at the Eagle Hotel in Highland. During the time of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, when Lincoln was in Highland, Michael served a glass of wine to Abraham Lincoln.

“In 1865 he married Rose Fellhauer, while he was still a bartender at Eagle Inn. In the late 1860s, they moved to Okawville and later opened the Okawville House for five years, and since 1892, he had a restaurant in the old Odd Fellows Hall and Hotel, followed by his children. Michael died in 1897 in St. Louis.”

(My special thanks to Edward Zacharski and his Voegele Families of Southern Illinois book and to all those who contributed information for this book and my column.)

This story was originally published July 30, 2015 at 5:18 AM with the headline "A Thought to Remember: Johann Nicholaus Voegele was the first Voegele to come to Highland."