Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/739

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 647 ther the financial prestige of Cape Girardeau. Mr. Himmelberger is also a member of the directorate of the Sturdivant Bank at Cape Girardeau and of the Bank of Morehouse at Morehouse, Missouri, where he still retains other interests, and he has also identified himself with various other enterprises in his home city of Cape Girardeau and he stands exemplar of the most progressive civic pol- icies, as he is ever ready to lend his aid and influence in the furtherance of measures and enterprises projected for the general good of the community. He is the president of the Board of Supervisors of the Little River- Drainage District. This drainage district has for its object the draining and reclama- tion of five hundred thousand acres of wet and over-flowed lands in Cape Girardeavi, Scott, Stoddard, New Madrid, Pemiscot and Dunklin counties. He enjoys unqualified popularity in both business and social cir- cles in his home city, and here he is afiSliatecl with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Both he and his wife are mem- bers of the Presbyterian church. January 1, 1889, marked the solemniza- tion of the marriage of Mr. Himmelberger to Miss Mary A. Kesling, who was born and reared in Cass county, Indiana, of which Logansport is the judicial center. She is a daughter of Oliver and Kate (Paunebaker) Kesling, who still reside in that county, where the father has long been a representa- tive farmer and honored citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Himmelberger have four children, Harry I., Charles, John and Katharine. George K. Williams. One of the most widely known and most important names to be encountered in connection with the lead district of this part of the state is the name of George K. Williams, of Farmington, Mis- souri, who is acting superintendent for the Potosi Mines Company, of Boston and New York, with mines located at Leadwood. He also served under two gubernatorial adminis- trations as state mine inspector, his thorough knowledge of mining making him a man ad- mirably incumbent of the offlce which in a state of such vast mineral resources of Mis- souri is an important one. Previous to his present association, Mr. Williams was for fifteen years with the Doe Run Lead Company, and it was his portion fairly to grow up in an atmosphere of mines and mining, for his father was a man of im- portance in the field. That gentleman, George M. Williams, was born in St. Francois county, March 4, 1830. He early became a miner and driller and possesses the distinc- tion of being the first man to do drilling at Bonne Terre with a churn drill, the same striking disseminated lead ore. St. Francois county was the scene of the birtli of George K. Williams, and the date of his advent on this mundane sphere was September 9, 1864. He received his educa- tion in the schools at Bonne Terre, and, fin- ishing the school at the age of seventeen years, he entered upon his career in some comparatively unimportant capacity in the mines. In a short time he accepted a posi- tion with the Doe Run Lead Company, at Doe Run, ilissouri, and was sent to the Plat River district with the first prospecting dia- mond drill to Flat River, and struck the first deep disseminated lead ore that was struck in the Flat River district. This being at the depth of four hundred feet. The greater part of Mr. Williams' connec- tion with the Doe Run Lead Company was in the Diamond drill department. He was appointed state mine inspector by Governor A. M. Dockery, governor of the State of Mis- souri, in 1901, and was re-appointed in 1905 to that office by Governor Joseph W. Folk, holding the position until February 15, 1909, and in the eight years in which he had min- ing afi'airs in the state in his hands and un- der his supervision he proved himself with- out possibility of doubt to be the right man for the place, knowing the mining situation as it is given to few to know it and possess it,- — splendid judgment in addition. In December, 1910, he and his associates took up the Jacob Day land which was lo- cated in the Leadwood district, consisting of three hundred and fifty-seven acres, and sold it to Boston and New York capitalists. The property was tested with a diamond drill and a shaft is being sunk near the center of the property, and is called the Alma Shaft, be- ing named after his daughter. Mr. Williams, who is superintendent of the Boston and New York Company, is, of course, directing the work. Mr. Williams man-ied in 1897 Miss Bar- bara Adams, of Irondale, Missouri. She is the daughter of Richard Adams, superin- tendent of the Old Irondale Company. Mr. and JIrs. Williams have two sons and one daughter — Naive, Alma and Richard, — thus