Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/736

 646 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI John H. Himmelberger. Among the men of fine initiative and constructive powers wlio are contributing materially to the industrial and civic stability and progress of south- eastern Missouri, a place of no slight promi- nence must be accorded to this well known and public-spirited citizen of Cape Girardeau, where he is president of the Himmelberger & Harrison Lumber Company and where he has other capitalistic interests of important order. Sterling character, alert and pro- gressive ideas and marked civic loyalty and liberality make Mr. Himmelberger a valuable factor in the various activities of the com- munity, and he is distinctively one of the representative business men of the fine little city in which he maintains his home. A scion of staunch German stock long and worthily identified with the history of Penn- sylvania, Mr. Himmelberger finds a due sense of pride in reverting to the fine old Keystone state of the Union as the place of his nativity. He was born at Myerstown, Lebanon county, Pennsylvania, on the 30th of October, 1861, and is a son of Isaac and Catherine (Haak) Himmelberger, both of whom were born and reared in that sturdy old commonwealth, where the respective fam- ilies were founded in an early day. In 1867 Isaac Himmelberger removed with his fam- ily to Logansport, Indiana, where he owned and operated a sawmill and was otherwise prominently identified with the lumber busi- ness for more than a decade. In 1879 he came to Missouri and established his busi- ness at Buffington, Stoddard county, continu- ing, however, to reside at Logansport, In- diana, in W'hich place he continued in the same line of enterprise and built up a pros- perous business. He passed the closing years of his long and useful life at Logansport, and was sixty years of age when he was summoned to eternal rest, in July. 1900, se- cure in the high regard of all who had known him. His widow now maintains her home in Logansport, and he is survived also by one son and three daughters. The father was a stalwart Republican in his political pro- clivities, was a man of sincerity and stronc individually, and his religious faith was that of the Universalist church. His widow has long been a devoted member of the Reformed Lutheran church. John H. Himmelberger was a lad of six years at the time of the family removal to Logansport, Indiana, in which thriving little city he gained his early educational disci- pline b.y duh' availing himself of the advan- tages of the excellent public schools, in which he completed the curriculum of the high school. In the meanwhile he began to assist his father in the operation of the sawmill and other details of the lumber business, and he thus continued after the removal to Buffing- ton, ilissouri, at which time he was eighteen years of age. Through this means he gained a thorough knowledge of all details of this im- portant line of industrial enterprise and was well equipped for successful operations in an independent way. In 1885 his father admitted him to partnership, and this alliance con- tinued about a decade, within which he won his spurs as a practical and successful busi- ness man of excellent constructive ability. In 1895 he became one of the interested principals in the organization of the Himmel- berger-Luce Land & Lumber Company, at Morehouse, New IMadrid county, this state, and he was chosen its secretary at the time of incorporation. This company continued operations in the lumber business and the handling of timber lauds until 1904, when it was succeeded by the Himmelberger & Harrison Lumber Company, of which he has since been president. This company is in- corporated with a capital stock of six hun- dred thousand dollars and its operations are of broad scope and importance, including the ownership of valuable timber lands and the manufacturing of lumber through the agency of a well equipped and thoroughly modern plant located at Slorehouso, ilissouri. The enterprising spirit of ]Ir. Himmelberger and associates was significantly manifested in 1907, when they instituted the erection of the Himmelberger & Harrison building, on Broadway, in Cape Girardeau. This is a fine, modern structure of brick and stone, is five stories in height and is conceded to be the finest office and bank building in the city. Here are maintained the offices of the South- east ilissouri Trust Company, which is one of the substantial and popular financial in- stitutions of this section of the state and of which Mr. Himmelberger is a director. It is one of the strongest institutions of the Idnd in this part of the state and bases its operations upon a paid-up capital stock of five hundred thousand dollars. He has been a valued factor in the directing of the pol- icies of this institution, of which he is vice- president and which has done much to fur-