JudgeJohn A. Arenz
JUDGE JOHN A. ARENZ, nowretired from active life and living at his pleasant home on the cornerof Sixth and State Streets, was born on the river Rhine, near Cologne,in 1810, October 28. He is the only member of the family that came to thiscountry now living, His parents lived near Cologne, Germany, and the father,Francis, died there when past ninety years of age; he was a prominent andsuccessful man and was an officer in the army of his country, and receiveda pension for some years before his death. His wife lived to be an oldlady over seventy-five years old.Mr. Arenz came to this countryin 1835, on a sailing vessel from Bremen. He landed in Baltimore city andanother brother followed Mr. Arenz to this country, and he died in thisState some twelve years ago, leaving a family. Mr. Arenz had been carefullyeducated in civil engineering and other branches; was one of the corpsof men that measured the State of Prussia. He was the principal of a publicschool, and was given a license to practice as an attorney at law. He wasadmitted to the bar about the time he was elected County Judge. Mr. Arenzhad followed his brother Francis to this country, he having come some timebefore, being the first member of the family that left the old world forthe new. Our subject came to this county in 1835, and the State was stillunsettled in great part. His brother’s was the only frame house for milesaround and wild game of every kind abounded. There were no railroads andbut few wagon roads. The people were kind and good hearted. Mr. Arenz hadcome to the State from Baltimore, crossing the mountains to Wheeling, WestVirginia, coming down the Ohio river to St. Louis on a boat. It took fourteendays to make the trip, the boat often sticking on sand bars. After landingin St. Louis he came to Cass county, and after some time he and his brotherFrancis laid out the town of Arenzville in the southern part of Cass county.There they established a saw mill, gristmill and general store, and ranit for some time successfully. Later Francis died and Mr. Arenz came toBeardstown and has since made it his home. Francis died in Jacksonville,in 1856, in the prime of life, and was considered one of the foremost menof the State. He was one of the State Board of Agriculture and was a Directorof the same. He also organized the local board of Cass county, which hascontinued ever since. The State Board passed commendable resolutions onthe death of Mr. Francis Arenz, for his earnest, hard work.
Mr. John Arenz became prominentas soon as he came to the county and was soon elected Justice of the Peace,and has held other local offices. He was elected to the office of ProbateJudge, being the second elected in the county. He held the office for manyyears. He was elected first Mayor of Beardstown, in 1850, and has filledthe office twice, subsequently. He has been city Alderman and Treasurer,and served for many years. He has been an admirer of the principles ofhis party, Republican. He was a Whig until the dissolution of that partyand he then ardently espoused the cause of the new party from the timeof its organization.He has always been regarded as a representative man.
He was married, in Beardstown,to Mary Miller, of Kentucky, and she died at her home in this city in 1886,aged seventy years. She was the daughter of Captain William Miller, ofKentucky, a soldier in the Black Hawk war, having served as Captain ofa company from Jacksonville, Illinois, where he was a pioneer, but laterhe came to Beardstown, where he died at an advanced age. He was a prominentman. Judge Arenz and wife had three children; Francis W. died when young;Maria L., wife of Philip Kuhl, a merchant of this city, who have two children;and Anna, wife of Omer S. Spring, of Peoria, Illinois, a wholesale grocerand confectioner; they have one daughter, Mary L.
Biographical Review ofCass, Schuyler and Brown Counties, Illinois, Biographical Review PublishingCo., Chicago, 1892, pages 236-237.
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