This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list.
Surnames: Hillenbrand, Herr, Mitchell, Romweber, Schrader
Classification: Query
Message Board URL:
http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/4h.2ADI/1783
Message Board Post:
This book has no cover, and no index, and no author. I bought it on Ebay; it just has the
insides, but it is full of Indiana biographies. I am not researching this family, just
thought I would share. I do not know anymore about these families or these surnames. NOTE:
I don‘t know if there is any additional mention of this family in the book, it has no
index.
Typed by Lora Radiches: 3-4-2005
Surnames in the biography of John Hillenbrand are: Hillenbrand, Herr, Mitchell, Romweber,
Schrader,
JOHN HILLENBRAND, SR. In the death of John Hillenbrand, Sr., which occurred in 1910, the
City of Batesville and community lost one of its most capable and energetic business men.
Mr. Hillenbrand was the founder of the American Furniture Company. one of the city’s most
substantial industrial enterprises and today numbered among the country’s largest
industrial plants of its kind. Mr. Hillenbrand was also the founder of the Hillenbrand
& Mitchell Company, of Batesville, which was organized by himself and his son-in-law,
George Mitchell, which concern later became The Hillenbrand Company. In 1906 he, together
with his sons, took over and reorganized The Batesville Casket Company, which today is one
of the largest manufacturers of casket and burial supplies in this country. During his
active business career Mr. Hillenbrand was instrumental in furthering the interests of the
city from the time of his arrival to this community in early manhood. Heavy
responsibilit!
ies were thrown upon his shoulders at an early period in his life and these assisted in
developing a strong and sturdy character and qualities that assisted in making him a
business and civic leader in his later years. Mr. Hillenbrand was born on a farm in
Ripley County, Indiana, in the year 1843. He attended the public schools of that vicinity,
however, his education was not of an elaborate nature, as his father died when he was but
ten years of age and he was forced to assist in the support of the family. In the year
1876, when thirty years of age, he with his wife and five children left the farm and moved
to Batesville where he embarked in the general store business with his brother William
Hillenbrand, the business being operated under the name Hillenbrand & Brother, General
Merchandise and Farm Implements. Two years later the furniture plant at Batesville, its
most important industry, was destroyed by fire, and Mr. Hillenbrand, always alive to
opportunity, purchased t!
he property, rebuilt the plant along larger and more modern lines and
with some other associates founded the American Furniture Company, this concern coming
into being in 1879. At the outset it was an unpretentious business, limited by a small
capital, and employed about twenty employees. The mercantile business was kept in
operation until 1888, when John Hillenbrand bought his brother’s interests and with his
son-in-law, George Mitchell, reorganized the merchandising business under the name
Hillenbrand & Mitchell Company. Several years later, Mr. Hillenbrand sold his
interest in the Hillenbrand & Mitchell Company, and put the money thus secured into
the furniture plant, which originally covered 8,000 square feet, and specialized in the
manufacture of bedroom furniture. In the year 1896, George Mitchell died and several years
later Mr. Hillenbrand’s son-in-law, A. W. Romweber, took over Mrs. Mitchell’s interest and
became secretary of all of the Hillenbrand companies. Under the able direction and mature
judgment of Mr.!
Hillenbrand the business showed a healthy growth, and about every five years it was
found necessary to add additional buildings and equipment. At the present time the plant
covers 240,000 square feet, and employs about 220 skilled mechanics, office workers and
traveling salesmen. The Hilienbrand Company’s sawmill and lumber manufacturing department
was organized in 1890, at Batesville, with John A. Hillenbrand as president and George M.
Hillenbrand, vice president, and bought a large acreage of standing timber in Ripley
County, where for a time seven sawmills were operated. This acreage consists of American
walnut, oak and poplar timber, which is used in the manufacture of furniture, and the
business employed ninety men. Mr. Hillenbrand then organized the Batesville Casket
Company, of which he became the owner in 1906, the active management of the plant being
taken over by his son, John A. Hillenbrand. From a small concern, employing only a few
men, the casket co!
mpany now has approximately 16,000 square feet, with an output of 15,0
00 caskets a month, 160 men being employed. John A. Hillenbrand is now president of the
Batesville Casket Company his brother, George M. Hillenbrand, vice president, and A. W.
Romweber, secretary. John Hillenbrand also organized the Batesville Electric Light &
Power Company and ten people are now employed to make and furnish electric light and nower
for the city of Batesville and other communities in Ripley County. The light company now
has 900 meters in use, with a 700-kilowatt production, John A. Hillenbrand being president
of this company. George M. Hillenbrand vice president and treasurer, and A. W. Romweber,
secretary. John Hillenbrand also founded the Batesville Water Works Company in 1901, and
the plant was sold to the City of Batesville in 1928. In 1913 the Batesville Cabinet
Company was organized by the sons of John Hillenbrand, Sr., namely, George M. and John A.
Hillenbrand and A. W. Romweber and now employs 255 people in its plant, specializing in
the manufactu!
re of dining room furniture. This plant has 345,000 square feet of floor space and is
located at Batesville, George M. Hillenbrand being president and treasurer, John A.
Hillenbrand, vice president, and A. W. Romweber, secretary. John A. Hillenbrand is also
president of the First National Bank of Batesville and of the First Savings & Trust
Company, a position which he has held since the bank’s organization in 1907. John
Hillenbrand, the elder, was a son of William Hillenbrand, who was born in Alsace-Lorraine
and came to the United States in young manhood, settling in 1830, in Ripley County, where
he passed the remainder of his life in agricultural pursuits. John Hillenbrand, the
subject of this sketch, married Miss Margarett Herr, a native of Dearborn County, Indiana,
who died in 1929, at the age of 87 years. Mr. and Mrs.. John Hillenbrand are survived by
four children: Mrs. Mary A. Mitchell, George M. Hillenbrand, John A. Hillenbrand and Mrs.
A. W. Romweber. While!
he was primarily a business man, John Hillenbrand never refused any o
f the responsibilities of citizenship. He was a member of the first town council of
Batesville, and served as postmaster of Batesville during President Cleveland’s second
administration. George M. Hillenbrand, son of John Hillenbrand, attended the schools of
Batesville until he was fourteen years of age, at which time he entered his father’s plant
and gradually learned the business details of the various enterprises conducted by his
father. So well did he progress that at the age of twenty-one years he took active charge,
after spending several years as a traveling salesman. When he became twenty-three years of
age he was made president and general manager of the controlling company. He and his
brother, John A. Hillenbrand, a review of whose careers will be found elsewhere in this
work, are liberal minded, far-sighted business men, and their plants give employment to
about eighty per cent of the population of Batesville. George M. Hillenbrand married Miss
S!
ophia Schrader, a daughter of the late Frederick and Hedwig Schrader, the Schraders being
numbered among the most prominent citizens of Batesville. Mr. Schrader was prominent in
the political life of the community and served Thur terms in the Indiana State
Legislature. Mr. and Mrs. Hillenbrand have no children. When the town of Batesville
became a city in the year 1909, George M. Hillenbrand was elected the city’s first mayor.