Among the solid citizens of Warren Township stands prominently the subject of this sketch. His property comprises 133 acres of fertile land, pleasantly located on sections 21 and 16, the residence being on the latter. The farm gives indication at first glance of being under the supervision of a thorough and skillful agriculturist, and it will not be surprising to learn that the proprietor belongs to that substantial class of citizens who emigrated from the Fatherland and have assisted so materially in developing the resources of the Great West.

The Prussian Province was the native place of our subject, and his birth occurred Feb. 17, 1828. When a lad of seven years he accompanied his grandfather to America, they settling first in New York City, and soon afterward young Adam was placed in the Orphan home on Long Island. The summer following he came to Galena with his grandfather, and set out in life on his own account, entering the employ of “mine host” Mr. Wade, who conducted the Galena Hotel. He remained with him a year, working for his board and clothes, then entered the employ of Messrs. Robinson & Latlirop, of the Mansion House, where he was bell-boy, and gathered in now and then a stray sixpence from the guests. The thrift and prudence which he had inherited from his ancestors developed themselves in his case at an early age, and it was not long before, even with his limited income, he began to lay up money. The two hotels were finally burned, and Mr. Robinson removed to a farm near Pilot Knobb, two miles from Galena. Our subject accompanied him, remaining with him two years, then returning to town, engaged with Mr. Donovan in a blacksmith and wagon shop. Later we find him connected with the Four-Mile House, where he was again employed by Mr. Robinson, but finally drifted back to Galena, and was subsequently employed in Barclough Mill.

About 1849 young Hoffman embarked on a raft for the city of St. Louis, Mo., where he sojourned six months, and upon returning was seized with the cholera, and put off the boat at Quincy for a dead man. He was ill for three weeks following with bilious fever, and made his way back to Galena, and later went up into the Wisconsin pineries, where he was employed two years along the Eau Clair River. Then, returning to this county, he was similarly employed two years on the Ogalla and Menominee Rivers.

This contract ended, Mr. Hoffman took up 160 acres of timber-land in Derinda Township, this county, upon which he erected a log cabin, fenced, and broke a part of the soil, began planting forest and fruit trees, and by degrees brought about the improvements naturally suggested to a man having in view the building up of a homestead. In the meantime he had been married, July 7, 1854, in Derincla Township, to Miss Mary B. Rath. Miss Rath herself was the owner of land in Pleasant Valley Township, so Mr. H. rented his own land and they removed to that belonging to his wife, where he repeated the experiment through which he had gone before, bringing the soil to a good state of cultivation, and adding to their real-estate until they had a farm of 360 acres. In due time our subject began turning his attention to stock-farming, buying and raising cattle, horses and hogs, and shipping to Chicago. In this manner he handled between 100 and 200 cattle a year, and from this enterprise realized handsome profits. They lived upon that place a period of thirty years, in the meantime putting up a fine dwelling, good barns and other buildings—in fact making of the place one of the model homes of this county.

In the Spring of 1884 Mr. Hoffman left this farm in the hands of his son, and purchased that upon which he now lives. It lies four miles from the city limits of Warren, and thus the children of Mr. Hoffman are permitted to enjoy those social and educational advantages which he desires they should have. He has been quite prominent in local affairs, discharging the duties of the various township offices, officiating both as Road Commissioner and School Director a period of twenty years, and in other ways proving of service to his community. Aside from this he has avoided office. He was at one time elected Justice of the Peace, but declined to serve. Both be and his estimable wife are members in good standing of the Evangelical Church. The family is held in the highest respect, our subject being considered a part of the bone and sinew of the community.

Thus the lad who was thrown upon his own resources at the tender age of eight years has become one of the self-made men, who can always be depended upon both as regards business matters and in the upholding of those enterprises upon which the prosperity of the community depends. Both he and his estimable wife have labored industriously in the accumulation of their property and are now taking life easy, wisely enjoying the fruits of their labors. Their union was blessed by the birth of nineteen children, thirteen of whom are still living. Eight of these were reared at the old farm. The thirteen are named respectively: Mary M., Lizzie. Caroline, Samuel A., William C., Sarah Lydia, George W., Sarah E., Anna B., Amelia, Joseph E., Matilda, and Hannah E. Mary M. is the wife of Henry Best, of Carroll County, this State, and they have six children; Lizzie is the wife of John Failer, of Oregon; Caroline married Conrad Miller, who was killed by a runaway team in Carroll County, thus leaving four children fatherless; Samuel is a student in the Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., preparing himself for the ministry of the Methodist Episcopal Church—he has already taken a course in Naperville College, and been preaching two years. William C. married Miss Mattie Laughlin, and they live in Pleasant Valley, on the old homestead; Lydia is the wife of the Rev. C. F. Dysmyer, of the Evangelical Church at Bensonville; George W. married Miss Florence Williams, of Apple River, and is employed at farming in the Indian Territory.; Anna B. is the wife of Conrad Geldmacher, of Clay County, Neb. Mr. and Mrs. Hoffman have thirty descendants living —thirteen children and seventeen grandchildren. Mrs. Mary B. (Rath) Hoffman was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, May 4, 1834, and came to America with her parents when a young girl of fourteen years, they locating in Cincinnati, Ohio. where they lived four years, then came to this county. Her father, John G. Sachs Rath, also a native of Germany, married Miss Agnes Birm, and to them were born eleven children, six of whom lived to come to America. When thirty miles east of Buffalo the mother was killed on the canal-boat by a bridge. The father with his children went on to a farm in Clermont County, Ohio, eleven miles north of Cincinnati, where they lived four years, then came to Illinois, locating first in Savanna. Later they removed to the farm which was the property of Mrs. Hoffman at the time of her marriage. The father died in 1855. Besides Mrs. H. there is living only one brother and one sister, both residents of Indiana.

Jacob Hoffman, the father of our subject, learned the trade of shoemaker in his native Germany and married Miss Elizabeth Spitz. He died while still a young man and his widow was subsequently married to Christian Kerr with whom she came to America. They afterward lived in Baltimore, but our subject did not see his mother after coming to America. She had means but never assisted him any.

From Portraits and Biographical Jo Daviess County Pg 296