Susan~ >From "History of Whiteside Co." Bent-Wilson (1877) p170: "Gerten Bros. and the Messrs. Spark have each a good sized pipe manufactory, and each of them turn out annually a large number of boxes of pipes, which find a market in all sections of the country." >From "A History of Whiteside County Illinois" by Wayne Bastian (1968) p226: "Back in 1868, Nick Gerten, who had been living in Fulton for about a year, packed some samples of clay and returned to Germany. There, under tests, the clay proved to be excellent pipe material. In 1869, he returned to Fulton, accompanied by his parents, brothers, and sisters. They moved into a house east of the Water Works and started to manufacture clay pipes. The Gertens were accompanied by Charles Starck who worked with them for a time and then went into business for himself. About 1884, Peter Starck, Jr., arrived in Fulton. He started a factory in 1896. By 1897, there were four manufactories in the city. They were run by John Gerten and Henry Gerten, Nick Gerten, Peter Starck, Jr., and Nick Starck. At peak production as many as 72,000 clay pipes were shipped monthly. Most of them went by steamboat to river-towns. They were shipped in barrels and packed in straw. Three of the factories closed in the early 1900s but Peter Starck's lasted until the 1930s. In late years, most of the clay pipes were used in shooting galleries or for souvenirs. Some of the pipes and cigar holders wee covered with a yellowish glaze, veritable poor-men's meerschaums." I will also do some census checking, if you'd like. Dawn Everling [email protected] http://www.isd.net/dcurtis1 Still Searching -----Original Message----- From: Susan <[email protected]> To: [email protected] <[email protected]> Date: Wednesday, October 04, 2000 9:42 PM Subject: GERTEN & HANTON FAMILIES >Posted on: Whiteside Co. Illinois Queries >Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Il/Whiteside/730 > >Surname: GERTEN, HANTON, HANTEN, WILWERDING, ARNOLDI, BACHENDORF, BORKENDORFER >------------------------- > >The GERTEN & HALFEN families immigrated to Whiteside County (Fulton) in >the 1860's. Need any information on these families. Believe there is story >about the GERTEN brothers coming to start a clay pipe factory there, and >there might be some census, county history book info, or other things about >the family. Anna Maria BACHENDORF GERTEN died there Mar 15, 1870 as well >as son Peter March 31, 1890 and sons Henry on Dec. 24, 1891 and Johannes >onSept 2, 1879. Dau Katharine Gerten on May 9, 1931 Are there any GERTEN >OR HANTEN(ON) families there. Also, one dau, married Conrad STICHTER. >