The first pioneers that settled in the Meyer area came from McHenry County, Illinois, in 1872.(1) Peter Freund, Henry May, and Bernard May made their permanent homes near the present site of Meyer, Iowa.
In the next four years, several other families arrived from McHenry and Fond du Lac counties in Illinois. Stephen Freund was the next to come in 1874. Jacob Winkels, Peter May, Baltas Schaffer, Anton Wolf, and my great-great-grandfather, Hubert Hackenmiller, all arrived in 1875. In 1876 Math Durben, Peter Theobald, Anton Mauer and John Joseph Meyer came to settle in the area. The town was later named after its oldest living resident, and its first mayor. That was John Joseph Meyer, who was referred to as "the father of our village."(2) Other names considered for the town were St. Anna and Durben.
The community of Stacyville had been established long before people ever came to the Meyer area. Stacyville and Meyer joined hands and built their place of worship in the town of Stacyville, until their numbers got too big to be accommodated by just one church.
The first event of an attempt to center the Meyer community was the building of the schoolhouse.(3) The site chosen was one mile west of the present site of Meyer, diagonally across from where the Harry May farm is located now. It was built in 1888 and opened in September of 1889, with an enrollment of 16 students. One of these 16 students was my great-grandfather John Hackenmiller. He was the first of three generations of my family taught in the Meyer school. It was named St. Mary's school in honor of the Blessed Virgin. Anna Kloth of Galena, Ill. was the first teacher, however, five other teachers taught there in the twelve years that the school was attended. The building of the school led the way to the founding of Meyer.
In 1900, a new Catholic school was built on the present site of Meyer. The second floor of the school was used as the church for the community, as well as a public school for a short time.(4) The parish then consisted of 35 families, with 76 pupils enrolled in the new school. The Reverend John Wirtz was Meyer's first official pastor.(5) He and Reverend Jungemann built the grotto to the east of the church.
On June 14, 1908, the cornerstone of the new church was laid and building was underway.(6) All of the stones for the church were carefully hand cut out of red pressed brick trimmed with Bedford stone. The bricks, along with the trio of bells in the tower, were brought on sleds from the town of David.(7) David had the nearest railroad station at that time. My great-grandpa led the white horse that pulled the gilded cross up 150 feet to the stop of the steeple. The choicest decoration in the church is the stained glass windows, because they are of very rare art. (8)
The Reverend Wirtz was succeeded by the Reverends Zeyen, Jungemann, Entringer, Stirn, Goetzinger, Schmitz, Vollmecke, Carpender, and Manternach, and in that order.(9) In 1950, the Parish reared four priests that were born in Meyer. They were Fathers John Mauer, John Theobald, Stephen J. Mauer, and John P. Demuth. Alois B. May was a student for the priesthood at this time also.
The town of Meyer has had several businesses since its beginning. From 1897 to 1935, Meyer had a post office. (10) In 1900 Nick Weyland built the Meyer store, which is now owned by Helen Adams, Jacob Theobald built a blacksmith shop, and Peter Retterath did blacksmithing also, among various other things. Casper May opened a nursery east of Meyer in 1908. Eddie Weber had a business handling lightning rods for a short time. In 1950, L.P. Brumm owned a trucking company, Edmund Adams owned a garage, and Roman Adams owned the store. Today there are several successful businesses including Klapperich Farm Systems, the Meyer Garage, which is a Saab dealership, and the Meyer store.
(Notes: No. 1-3, 5-6, 8-10 -- "Sacred Heart Church, Golden Jubilee," 1950; No. 4, 7 -- Alfred Hackenmiller, personal interview, Apr. 6, 1988.)
Reproduced with the approval of Leona Montag, Project Director; from HISTORY OF MITCHELL COUNTY, IOWA.
LOCATION: Approximately - 480th St, between Rampart Ave. and Quail Ave. - north side of 480th St.
Please respect landowners property, ask before you enter.
Transcribed in August 2002 by: Neal Du Shane
Contact information:
MEYER 1872 Master.doc