Introduction to the 1923 Biographical Sketches
This biographical sketch was published along with many others in the 1923 History of Auglaize County, Volume II, edited by William J. McMurray and published by the Historical Publishing Company of Indianapolis. In most cases the subject of the biography was of the first generation born in this country to German immigrants. In some cases the subject may have been born in Germany and came to this country at a young age. In most cases the story tells of the immigrant parents of the subject and also the children and grandchildren of the subject named at the beginning of the story. In some cases comments have been added after the biography to explain the locations of the farms where the immigrants settled. New Knoxville did not have rural addresses until 1955, and therefore the settlers had rural route addresses of St. Marys, Botkins, etc.
WILLIAM BIERBAUM, one of the best known farmers and landowners of Washington township and the proprietor of a well- kept farm along the creek two miles northeast of New Knoxville, was born on that farm and has lived there all his life, a period of nearly seventy years.
Mr. Bierbaum was born on March 31, 1854, and is a son of William and Elizabeth (Holtkamp) Bierbaum, natives of Germany, who were married in that country and who immediately thereafter came to the United States and proceeded on out into Ohio and settled in Auglaize county, thus having been among the pioneers of the New Knoxville neighborhood. The senior William Bierbaum had saved up a bit of money in preparation to his coming to America, his object having been to buy a piece of land here and settle down as a farmer. Through correspondence he had learned of the possibilities awaiting settlers in this section of Ohio, and at the solicitation of kinsmen in the New Knoxville settlement he had decided to put in his lot with the pioneers of this region. Upon coming here he looked around a bit and became attracted to the land lying along the creek in the west half of section 22 of Washington township, and he bought a partially cleared tract of eighty acres there, paying something more than $300 for the same, and established his home on the place and settled down to complete the clearing and get the place under way for farming.
WILLIAM BIERBAUM AND FAMILY
Sitting (l to r) Mary Henkener Bierbaum, William Bierbaum
Standing (l to r) Anna Matilda Bierbaum Hoelscher, Emma Bierbaum Fledderjohann, George Bierbaum, Sara Bierbaum Henschen
Before his plans were fully carried out death interrupted his labors, his death occurring in 1858, his widow being left with three small children, two of whom grew to maturity, the subject of this sketch and his sister, Mary. Mrs. Bierbaum survived her husband many years, maintaining her home on the farm and increasing her holdings there until she was the owner of a farm of 120 acres, and there she spent her last days, her death occurring on July 13, 1892. The junior William Bierbaum was but four years of age when his father died, and he thus early began to assume mature responsibilities in the matter of carrying on the operations of his mother's farm. He received his schooling in the neighborhood schools and remained with his mother on the farm until her death, after which he took over the place of 120 acres and has since been living there, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Since taking possession of this farm Mr. Bierbaum has made numerous improvements on the place and has one of the best equipped farm plants in the neighborhood. Though for some time practically retired from the active operations of the farm, he maintains his interest in affairs and keeps alert to the modern advances in agricultural methods.
Mr. Bierbaum is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to general civic affairs, but the only public service he has accepted was as school director in his district, an acceptable service which he rendered for nine or ten years some years ago. He and his family are members of the Reformed church at New Knoxville, and he has served as a deacon of that congregation.
William Bierbaum married Mary Henkener, also a member of one of the pioneer families of this section of Ohio, and to this union seven children were born, four of whom grew to maturity, George, Matilda, Emma and Sarah, all of whom are still living save Emma, who married Dr. F. Fledderjohann and died leaving two children, Orlando and Norman. George Bierbaum, who is now carrying on the operation of the home farm in his father's behalf, married Caroline Hoelscher and has four children, Olga, Robert, Ruth and Reuben. Matilda Bierbaum married William Hoelscher and has four children, Irene, Lenora, Myron and Elody, and Sarah Bierbaum married William Henschen and has four children, Velma, Miriam, Hosea and Margaret. Mrs. Mary Bierbaum was born at Cincinnati, but has been a resident of this section of Ohio since the days of her childhood. Her parents, William and Henrietta (Schlueter) Henkener, both were born in Germany, but had come to this country with their respective parents in the days of their youth, the two families locating in Cincinnati, where they were married. After their marriage they continued to make their home in Cincinnati for some years and then came up here into this part of Ohio and located in Shelby county, where William Henkener bought a farm and spent the rest of his life engaged in farming. William Henkener was twice married, and of the children born to his first wife three lived to maturity, Mrs. Bierbaum and her sisters, Emma and Kate. Following the death of the mother of these children, Mr. Henkener married Fredericka Schmidt, and to that union were born five children, four of whom are still living, Henry, George, John and Anna. The Bierbaum farm is very pleasantly situated on rural mail route No. 3 out of St. Marys.
The original Bierbaum farm is located at 10350 Bay Road.