The Andre Family of Des Moines County, Iowa

PHILIP C. ANDRE.

I'liii.ii C. Andrk, who is engaged in gardening, but is largely living retired in Burlington, was born in Miehlan, Prussia, Ciermany, on the 30th of January. 1826. His father,.Adam Andre, was a custom shoemaker, who learned and followed his trade in Germany. Crossing the Atlantic to America, he became a resident of Louisville, Ky. He landed at New Orleans, and went up the river to Kentucky, where he continued to reside until 1852, when he came to Burlington, and opened a shoe shop and worked at his trade until 1863, when his life's labors were ended in death. His wife, surviving him several years, died in 1870. She bore the maiden name of Philapena Weis. They became the parents of three sons and a daughter, as follows: Philip C.; George, who was a prominent grocer of Burlington, and died in 1872; P. A., who has conducted a shoe store in Burlington since 1857; and Katherine, who is also living in this city.

Philip C. Andre spent the first twenty years of his life in his native country, acquiring his education in the public schools, and learning the shoemaker's trade after putting aside his text-books. He came to America in 1846, making the voyage on a three-mast sailing vessel, which was sixty-eight days in crossing the Atlantic at that time. It was called the " Espendola," and carried three hundred and sixty passengers. Severe storms were encountered, and the vessel was attacked by pirates, but they were frightened away when the cannon were turned upon them. At length the vessel dropped anchor in the harbor of New Orleans. Mr. Andre did not delay long in that city, but made his way northward to Louisville, Ky., where for four years he worked at his trade of shoemaking. He then came by boat to Burlington, arriving in this city the loth of March, 1851. He found here a small village with no railroad and no bridge across the river. All shipments were made by river boats. The winter of 185 1 and 1852 was a long and severe one, and Mr.

Andre suffered the usual hardships and experiences of early settlers. He had two brothers, who had come to Burlington in 1850, and in 1852 his parents arrived here. His father owned about eight acres of land, and Mr. Andre had become familiar with farming methods as well as shoemaking. In Burlington he worked with his father in the shoemaking business for a time and then accepted a position as a common laborer. He acted as night watchman for many years, being twenty-four years in the Merchants National Bank, five years in the Hawk-Eye Woolen Mill, and in the Putman Flour Mill two years. He completed his service with the bank when seventy-two years of age. He was one of the most trusted employees there, and through his fidelity to duty he was long retained in the service.

Mr. Andre has been very active in church work in Burlington. Soon after his arrival he assisted in building the first German church here, it being erected on Columbia Street in 1850. He was an elder in the first German Evangelical church from 1854 till 1864, when he helped build Zion Evangelical church and served as an elder from its first election in 1864 to 1884, and has been a member of the Sunday-school for thirty-two years. During that period he served as one of its teachers and also as its treasurer and secretary. He has done everything in his power to promote the cause of the church, and his labors have been attended with good results. His early political support was given the Whig party, but he could not vote until the time of the election of 1856, when he supported John C. Fremont. He was naturalized while in Louisville, Ky. He served as school director for one term in an early day, and the cause of education has always found in him a warm friend. He petitioned and carried a proposition for cHvidiiig a district six miles square and making an indepenilent district. He was also instrumental in building the West Madison School.

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As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

P. A. ANDRE.

Every great, monumental success contains lessons of infinite value for the beginner in business or any chosen line of activity, and the commercial and industrial leaders of the rising generation can do no better than to apply themselves to the study of the careers of men whose integrity, industry, self-reliance, and singleness of purpose have elevated them to commanding positions in the world of affairs, and won them reputations for ability and exalted character which neither time nor ill-fortune can mar or destroy. Such a success and such a life are those of P. A. Andre, of Burlington, Iowa, proprietor of the Green Horn shoe store, and for half a century one of the leading merchants of that prosperous city, which numbers him among its early pioneers, and owes him much for his part in its up-building and marvelous development.

Mr. Andre was born.\ug. 22, 1830, in the duchy of Xassau. Prussia, and emigrated to America with his father's family in 1848, stopping for a time at Xew Orleans, later at Louisville, 1\ and coming to I'lUrlington in 1831. lie is one of a family of three brothers and one sister, these being as follows: Christian, now living retired at 1604 Summer Street, Burlington; ( george, for many years a grocer in Burlington, later entering the ministry, and on the failure of his health going to England, whence he returned, and became interested in banking at Pckin, In., amassing wealth, and residing at that place until his death, greatly regretted by all who knew him for his high personal character and great scholarship; P. the subject of this review; Catherine, who is unmarried, and resides at iTno South Fourteenth Street, luirlington.

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The first connection of Mr. Andre with I lie shoe business in this city was as clerk in the shoe store of J. M. Caflfrey. whose employ he entered in 1857, and in which he continued for five years.:ind was then taken into the business as a partner, having demonstrated himself to be the possessor of unusual talent for business management. Four years later, upon the departure of Mr. CalTrey for the State of New York, he purchased the business upon very favorable terms, and has ever since conducted it with signal success, there having been no time during the last fifty years at which it has not enjoyed a fair degree of prosperity. The store has always been located on Jefferson Street, and Mr. Andre is the oldest merchant engaged in continuous business on that thoroughfare, while the name of the Green Horn shoe store has become a household word throughout a vast expanse of territory. In addition he has extensive real estate holdings in this city, and has made many real estate loans, having by virtue of his extraordinary ability and aptitude for practical affairs, built up an ample fortune. To his credit also stands the Andre Building, erected by him, which is one of the substantial business blocks of Burlington, and is now occupied by the J. S. Schramm dry-goods store. His entire active life has been de-

' voted to business exclusively, and the persistency with which he has refused to allow any other interest to district his attention may be shown by the fact that although he visited Philadelphia and Chicago during the periods of the Centennial and Columbian Expositions, respectively. he did not attend either of them, fccliiii;- that other matters were more important,

.and that his individual responsibility required another and different use of his time. One exception must be cited, however, namely, his earnest and devoted work for the church, the only organization of whatsoever nature in which he holds membership.

The circumstances leading up to the naming of the Green Horn shoe store are interesting in the light of past events and significant facts of American history. It is related that during the days of the great transcontinental rush of pioneers to the unoccupied territory of the Far West for purposes of settlement, in which the long journey was commonly made overland l)v wagon, a family of these travelers, on their return, disappointed and penniless, from the new country to the East, stopped at the Andre store and traded a pair of deer horns for a pair of shoes. These were nailed over the door, and later were painted green, hence the name. This shoe store is no doubt the oldest anywhere in this portion of the West. Its original number was 44 Jefferson Street, but is now 218, a fact which illustrates forcibly the remarkable growth and expansion of the city since the days of its foundation. Mr. Andre divides his time between the store and his outside affairs, but is usually to be found at his old place of business.

To Mr. and Mrs. Andre were born three sons and two daughters, John H., Edward, P. Henry. Lulu, and Lydia. Mrs. Andre died Jan. 18, 1881, and lies at rest in the Andre mausoleum in Aspen Grove cemetery, — a magnificent structure with solid cement foundation, granite Ijase, and superstructure of Joliet limestone, constructed at a cost of $7,000, and requiring a year for its completion. It was erected by Anderson, -of Chicago, who constructed the Grant monument at Riverside and the Douglas monument in Chicago.

Mr. Andre has been a lifelong member of the Washington Street German Methodist church, in which he has ever been and still is a very faithful and helpful worker, acting as class-leader and in other positions for many years. He was closely associated with the late Mr. John Burg in the building of the present house of worship, and their names are chiseled in the corner stone. He gave two years of his time to soliciting for the building fund, besides making a money donation of very generous proportions. In 1887 he erected a palatial home at the corner of Eighth Street and Maiden Lane, at a cost of $18,- 000. and it is there that he resides, with his two daughters.

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As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

JOHN H. ANDRE.

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College, in which he pursued an extended and careful course of study in commercial forms, methods, and principles, thus making a thorough provision against the demands of practical life, which he has since met in all their modern complexity.

.\Ithough the senior.Andre was himself engaged in business, he desired that his son should become a railway engineer, and this career was mutually decided upon. Circumstances rendered his assistance necessary in the father's shoe store for a time, however; arrd having once entered upon this line of work, the earlier project was abandoned, and he has now been engaged in tinretail shoe business continuously for a ]>period of thirty-five years. He retains numerous memories of early business conditions in Iowa, and relates a variety of reminiscences in a most interesting manner, mentioning among other things, that formerly the farmers were accustomed to travel to Burlington from great distances, and as a result usually spent the greater part of the night in making their )purchases, in order to make their absence from home duties as brief as possible. On these trips, which were made no oftener than was necessary, bundles of sticks were brought to town as measures of boots and shoes to be bought for those members of the family who remained at home.

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At Wapello, Iowa, May 22, 1881, he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Griebel, of that place, who was formerly prominent in church work as Sundayschool superintendent and church organist, and for twenty years they have occupied a pleasant home at the corner of Eighth and Division Streets, where they are the center of a devoted circle of friends, and enjoy an environment of refinement and culture. As feeling a genuine solicitude for the general good, Mr. Andre takes part in public affairs as a member of the Republican party, but has never sought political office, confining his activities to private business and the use of his influence in the interest of good government.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

Edward Andre, son of P. A. Andre, was born in Burlington, June 20, 1856, and has been connected with the Green Horn shoe store in a clerical capacity for the major part of the last thirty years, during which time he has formed a large circle of acquaintance in this city and vicinity. He wedded Miss Anna Romkey, and one child graces their union, this being a son, Dale. The family resides at Seventh and Maple Streets. Mr. Andre has won general respect and consideration, and has many friends.

the trade of carriage blacksmith; but after the failure of the large factories at this place on account of eastern competition, he entered the shoe store, in which he has been engaged as a clerk for twenty-three years.

On Dec. 24. 1882, he married Miss Clara Glendy, of Omaha, Nebr., and they have one daughter, Pearl, who is organist of the First Baptist church of Burlington. Their home, built in 1897, is located at the corner of Division and Gunnison Streets. The family are earnest Sundayschool workers, and Mrs. Andre is also a member of Whatsoever Circle of the King's Daughters, in whose work she takes a prominent part.

A large measure of popularity has come to Mr. Andre, and in 1902 he received the honor of nomination for the office of county clerk of Des Moines county at the hands of the Republican party, although he was subjected to defeat, as the county is strongly Democratic. His religious connection is with the First Baptist church, to which he has long given his services as usher, while he has also been a member of the official board for a long term of years. Fraternally, he has membership relations with the Woodmen of the World, in which he has, at various times, held the several offices.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

P. HENRY ANDRE.,,,. r „ c

Shorthorn cattle, livmg m Yellow Spruigs

P. Henry Andre was born in Burtownship, was born in Washington county, lington, Iowa, June 21, 1860, son of P. A. Pa., Jan. 7, 1867, his parents being R. G.

Andre, and after leaving school learned and lary (McLaughlin) Robb. He is inlilUiuRAI'UKAL REriRU debtee! to the district-school system of Iowa for the greater part of the education he acquired, although for three years he was a student in the schools of Indiana. He was reared as a farm lad. and early took his place behind the plow, assisting his father in the various departments of farm labor until he began farming on his own account. In the fall of 1898 he purchased eighty and one-third acres of land from the heirs of Dr. Robinson, in Section 18, Range 3, west, and in 1903 he bought an adjoining eighty-acre tract on the north from the children of Theron Robinson. I'or this he paid a little more than ninety-four dollars per acre. He now has a beautiful place, well tiled, and im- ]irovcd with all modern conveniences. None of the accessories of a model farm of the twentieth century arc lacking, and lie takes just ])ri(le in the tine appearance of his place.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.