Maria D Krome
1844-1910
Born: Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States
Died: Edwardsville, Madison, Illinois, United States
1844-1910
Born: Louisville, Jefferson, Kentucky, United States
Died: Edwardsville, Madison, Illinois, United States
<p>Maryville Village Gazette, 1 Sep 2007, v.4, No. 5, p. 6</p><p> </p><p><span>MARYVILLE</span><span> TIME CAPSULE</span></p> <p style="text-align: center" align="center"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif">Maryville</span><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif"> in the Past Submitted by Rod Schmidt</span></p> <p style="text-align: center" align="center"><strong><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif"> </span></strong></p> <p style="margin-right: -2.35pt; text-align: justify"><em><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif"><span> </span>Charles William Frederick Lange was very instrumental in the development of Maryville. In fact, he owned most of the land where the oldest parts of Maryville are today. <span> </span>The following is a biographical sketch that appeared in “Centennial History of Madison County, Illinois and Its People 1812 – 1912” by W. T. Norton published in 1912.</span></em></p> <p style="margin-right: -2.35pt; text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif"><span> </span>C. W. F. Lange.<span> </span>Having, as an agriculturist, accomplished a satisfactory work, C. W. F. Lange has acquired an abundance of means, and is now living retired from active pursuits at Edwardsville, enjoying the leisure earned by many years of unremitting toil. Like many other Madison county’s prosperous citizens, he was born on the other side of the broad Atlantic, his birth having occurred May 3, 1841, in Germany.</span></p> <p style="margin-right: -2.35pt; text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif"><span> </span>His father, Frederick J. Lange, was born in Germany, March 4, 1804, and was there reared to agricultural pursuits.<span> </span>Immigrating with his family to the United States in 1843, he was engaged in the grocery business at St. Louis, Missouri, for fifteen years, after which he lived for a while in Madison county, Illinois, where at one time he owned several farms. He spent his last days, in the city of St. Louis, dying in October 1884, at the age of eighty years. His wife, whose maiden name was Christine Blake, was born in Germany and died in St. Louis, Missouri on December 23, 1894 aged seventy-eight years, her birth having occurred in 1816. Of the children born of their union, three are living, two daughters, both widows, E. F. W. Meier, living in St. Louis, and Mrs. George Link of Springfield, Illinois.</span></p> <p style="margin-right: -2.35pt; text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif"><span> </span>Educated in St. Louis, C. W. F. Lange was graduated from high school and from Jones’ Commercial School where he received his diploma February 15, 1858. The ensuing four years he was employed as a bookkeeper for two of the largest wholesale dry goods house in St. Louis, after which he occupied a similar position with the St. George Milling Company, of that city. His health failing, Mr. Lange decided to make a complete change of residence and occupation and came, in 1893, to Madison county, Illinois. Buying first a small farm, he added other tracts from time to time, becoming owner of about three hundred and fifty acres, and for many years was one of the principal wheat growers of his neighborhood. He was also especially successful as a horse and mule breeder and raiser, disposing of his horses and mules at exceedingly high prices. Mr. Lange is now living retired, having moved to North Buchanan street, Edwardsville, in 1906, when he divided his farms among his children, although he retained in his own name the oldest of one hundred and sixteen acres. In October, 1900, he platted and laid out the village of Maryville in Collinsville township, giving it its name in honor of his wife, whose maiden name was Mary Krome. The growth of the town has been truly remarkable, for at the time it was laid out there was nothing but farm land and it is now a good sized town. Due to the efforts of the subject, the suburban electric line was induced to enter Maryville, and this has added greatly to its good fortunes.</span></p> <p style="margin-right: -2.35pt; text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif"><span> </span>On September 27, 1863, Mr. Lange was united in marriage with Maria D. Krome, who was born at Louisville, Kentucky, January 22, 1844, and there grew to womanhood.</span></p> <p style="margin-right: -2.25pt; text-align: justify"><span style="font-size: 9pt; font-family: tahoma, sans-serif"><span> </span>Her father, William Krome was born March 3, 1813, in Hanover, Germany, and in 1840, immigrated to the United States, locating at Louisville Kentucky, later in 1851, removing to Madison county. He died at Pleasant Ridge, Illinois. Of the thirteen children that brightened the union of Mr. and Mrs. Lange, nine are now living, namely: Alvina and Alfred of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Theodore W., Johanna, Martha and Frederick, Jr., of Pennsylvania; and Christina A., living at Staunton, Illinois. There are eighteen grandchildren. Mrs. Lange died at her home in Edwardsville, Illinois, January 18, 1910.</span></p> <p style="margin-right: -2.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in"><span style="font-size: 9pt"><span> </span>Mr. Lange is identified with important financial institutions, being director of the Bank of Edwardsville. Politically he is a straightforward Democrat, and for twelve years served as supervisor of Madison county. He was elected to the city council in 1911, and is secretary at the present time of the local board of improvements and chairman of the ordinance committee.</span></p> <p style="margin-right: -2.25pt; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0in"><span style="font-size: 9pt"><span> </span>For nine years Mr. Lange was chairman of the Poor Farm Committee. He is a member of the Evangelical Lutheran church and helpful in its good works. Public-spirited and progressive, he takes pleasure in aiding all enterprises calculated to benefit the public, being among the foremost in the establishment of public improvements and measures of reformation.</span></p>