NEWSLETTER

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SERVING THE GREATER LIVINGSTON COUNTY AREA

NUMBER 11 - NOV. 2001

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THE SOUTH SIDE CHURCH FOUNDER PETER SOMMER

FAIRBURY BLADE

FEB. 20 1920

PETER SOMMER DEAD, FORMERLY RESIDED HERE

THE PEORIA STAR OF TUESDAY CONTAINED A NOTICE OF THE DEATH OF PETER SOMMER, OF THAT CITY, WHO PASSED AWAY AT ST. PETERSBURG, FLA., MONDAY, WHERE HA HAD GONE TO SPEND THE WINTER. HE WAS 75 YEARS OLD. MR. SOMMER RESIDED HERE IN HIS YOUNGER DAYS AND OWNED THE FARM WHERE THE SOUTH CHRISTIAN APOSTOLIC CHURCH NOW STANDS.

THE STAR IN SPEAKING OF HIS DEATH SAYS:

PETER SOMMER, FATHER OF PRESIDENT P. W. SOMMER OF KEYSTONE STEEL AND WIRE CO., WHO, IN A LITTLE WOODEN SHED IN TREMONT, TAZEWELL COUNTY, WOVE THE FIRST WIRE FENCE, NEUCLEUS OF THE GIANT PEORIA INDUSTRY OF TODAY, DIED AT 11 O’CLOCK MONDAY MORNING IN ST. PETERSBURG, FLA., WHERE HE HAD BEEN SPENDING THE COLDER MONTHS AT THE WINTER HOME OF HIS SON. HIS AILMENT WAS ANGINA PECTORIS. HIS AGE WAS 76 YEARS.

PETER SOMMER WAS THE INVENTOR OF THE WIRE FENCE. THIRTY-ONE YEARS AGO HE CONCEIVED THE IDEA OF WEAVING WIRE INTO A "NEW" KING OF FENCE. WITH HIS SONS JOHN AND P. W. HE DESIGNED AND BUILT HIS FIRST WEAVING MACHINE IN A LITTLE FRAME BUILDING STILL STANDING IN THAT VILLAGE. HIS FIRST STRING OF FENCE CREATED A SENSATION AMONG THE FARMERS. THEY SAW IT WAS CHEAP, PRACTICAL AND A GREAT SAVING OF LABOR. THE LITTLE PLANT WAS SOON OUTGROWN AND A LARGER ONE WAS BUILT. THAT WAS __ TURN OUTGROWN AND BESIDES HIS SONS THE INVENTOR WAS EMPLOYING SEVERAL MEN.

IN 1895 WHEN IT BECAME EVIDENT THAT TREMONT COULD NOT SUPPLY FACILITIES FOR MAKING AND SHIPPING FENCING, THE ______ CAME WHEN THE CONSERVATIVE INVENTOR DECIDED TO MOVE TO PEORIA, WHICH HE DID IN 1895, LOCATING ON SOUTH ADAMS STREET. ALTHOUGH THIS PLANT WAS MUCH LARGER, IT, TOO WAS SOON OUTGROWN AND THAN FOLLOWED THE REMOVAL TO THE MANUFACTURING SUBURB OF SOUTH BARTONVILLE.

THE FENCE AND THE MACHINE FOR ITS WEAVING WERE PERFECTED AND THE BRAND WAS MADE "SQUARE DEAL." ADDITION AFTER ADDITION CAME RAPIDLY AND THEN THE STEEL MILLS WITH THEIR THREE OPEN-HEART FURNACES EACH REPRESENTING A MILLION DOLLAR INVESTMENT, THE VAST STRUCTURES OF ROD MILLS, BLOOMING MILLS, SOAKING PITS, ETC., CONNECTED WITH FIVE MILES OF PRIVATE SWITCH TRACKS AND A CANAL A MILE OR MORE LONG FROM THE RIVER. IT IS A FAR CALL FROM THE WOODEN SHED IN TREMONT TO THE STEELDALE OF TODAY, THE CULMINATIONS OF PETER SOMMER’S DREAM. THE KEYSTONE STORY IS AN INDUSTRIAL ROMANCE.

MR. SOMMER HELD THE POSITION OF VICE-PRESIDENT IN THE VAST ENTERPRISE HE FOUNDED, BUT HAD RETIRED FROM ACTIVE MANAGEMENT OF ITS AFFAIRS AND WITH HIS WIFE, DIVIDED HIS TIME BETWEEN THEIR HOME IN COLORADO, IN PEORIA AND IN FLORIDA. MRS. SOMMER WAS WITH HIM AT THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, AS WAS HIS SON, P. W. SOMMER. B. L. SOMMER LEFT FOR FLORIDA YESTERDAY AND JOHN SOMMER TODAY. THE BODY WILL BE BROUGHT TO PEORIA FOR COMMITMENT IN SPRINGDALE CEMETERY.

PETER SOMMER WAS A MAN OF SIMPLE AND KINDLY LIFE. HE WAS A MEMBER OF THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH, A MAN WHOSE SIMPLE WORD WAS HIS BOND, HONORED AND RESPECTED OF ALL. HE WAS BORN IN TAZEWELL COUNTY, NEAR PEKIN, IN 1844, AND WHEN 21 YEARS OF AGE WAS MARRIED HIS BRIDE MISS. MARY BREISACHER. HE FOLLOWED HIS TRADE AS WAGON MAKER IN THE VILLAGE OF MORTON. LATER HE MOVED TO FAIRBURY WHERE HE LIVED ON A FARM UNTIL HE MOVED TO TREMONT.

THE SOUTH SIDE CHURCH DEED

THE GRANTORS PETER SOMMER AND MARY SOMMER HIS WIFE OF THE COUNTY OF LIVINGSTON AND STATE OF ILLINOIS FOR AND IN CONSIDERATION OF NINETY DOLLARS $ 90.00 IN HAND PAID CONVEY AND WARRANT TO ANDREW ROTH, ULRICH STEFFEN AND RUDOLPH LOUTOLD TRUSTEES OF THE APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH AND THEIR SUCCESSORS IN OFFICE, THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED REAL ESTATE TO WID.

BEGINNING AT THE NORTH EAST CORNER OF THE SOUTH EAST QUARTER OF THE SECTION THIRTY SIX, 36, IN TOWNSHIP TWENTY SIX, 26, NORTH RANGE SIX, 6, EAST OF THE THIRD, 3, PRINCIPAL MERIDIAN IN THE COUNTY OF LIVINGSTON AND STATE OF ILLINOIS, RUNNING THENCE WEST FIFTEEN, 15, RODS THENCE SOUTH THIRTEEN, 13, RODS, THENCE EAST FIFTEEN, 15, RODS THENCE NORTH THIRTEEN, 13, RODS TO THE PLACE OF BEGINNING.

AND ALSO COMMUNING AT THE SOUTH WEST CORNER OF THE SOUTH EAST QUARTER OF THE SAME SECTION TOWNSHIP AND COUNTY AFORESAID RUNNING THENCE EAST NINE, 9, RODS AND ELEVEN FEET THENCE NORTH THIRTY SIX RODS, 36, THENCE WEST FIVE RODS AND SIX INCHES, THENCE SOUTH TWENTY, 20, FEET, THENCE WEST THREE, 3, RODS AND TWELVE, 12, FEET, THENCE SOUTH THIRTY SIX, 36, RODS TO THE PLACE OF BEGINNING, ALL SITUATED IN THE COUNTY OF LIVINGSTON AND STATE OF ILLINOIS.

IN TRUST NEVERTHELESS FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES TO WID. IN TRUST THAT THE SAID FIRST MENTIONED TRACTS OR PARCEL OF LAND SHALL BE OCCUPIED OR USED BY THE RELIGIOUS DENOMINATION KNOWN AS THE APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH EITHER FOR CHURCH OR SCHOOL PURPOSES OR BOTH AS THE SAID TRUSTEES OR THEIR SUCCESSORS MAY DIRECT OR DEEM EXPEDIENT AND THE SAID LAST MENTIONED TRACTS OR PARCEL OF LAND SHALL BE USED SOLELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF A CEMETERY OR BURYING GROUND UNDER THE DIRECTION OF SUCH TRUSTEES AND THEIR SUCCESSORS IN OFFICE.

AND SHOULD THE SAID TRACTS OR PARCELS OF LAND OR EITHER OF THEIR AT ANYTIME HEREAFTER BECOME UNOCCUPIED OR CEASE TO BE USED FOR THE PURPOSE OR PURPOSES FOR WHICH THE SAME ARE HEREBY CONVEYED, OR SHOULD THE SAID TRUSTEES ATTEMPT TO SELL OR CONVEY THE SAID LANDS OR ANY PART THEREOF OR CONVERT THE SAME TO ANY OTHER PURPOSE OTHER THAN THE USES AND PURPOSES AFORESAID, FOR WHICH THIS CONVEYANCE IS MADE, THERE AND IN THAT CASE THE TITLE TO SUCH TRACT OR TRACTS, OF LAND SHALL IMMEDIATELY REVERT TO AND BECOME REINVESTED IN THE SAID GRANTORS THE SAID PETER SOMMER AND MARY SOMMER HIS WIFE AS FULLY AND TO ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES AS THOUGH THIS CONVEYANCE HAD NOT BEEN MADE.

HEREBY RELEASING AND WAIVING ALL RIGHTS UNDER AND BY VIRTUE OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION LAWS OF THE STATE.

DATED THIS 10TH DAY OF JUNE AD 1875

SIGNED SEALED & DELIVED IN PRESENCE OF PETER SOMMER AND MARY SOMMER

THE ORIGINAL APOSTOLIC CHURCH HAD A GROWING MEMBERSHIP IN THE LATE 1800'S IN PEORIA, AND THE MEMBERSHIP WAS ENHANCED IN 1900 WHEN PETER SOMMER RELOCATED THE KEYSTONE WIRE COMPANY TO PEORIA. SOMMER AND HIS SONS AND THEIR FAMILIES JOINED THE APOSTOLIC CHURCH ON GREEN STREET AND THE NEWLY CONSTRUCTED FACILITY. CONTINUED GROWTH IN MEMBERSHIP COMBINED WITH SOME INTERNAL DISAGREEMENTS LED THE SOMMER GROUP TO FORM ANOTHER CHURCH INITIALLY CALLED THE SECOND GERMAN APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH. BACKED, IN LARGE PART, BY THE SOMMER MONEY THE NEW CHURCH CONSTRUCTED A FINE NEW CHURCH AT 817 HAMILTON BLVD. A YEAR LATER THE NAME WAS CHANGED TO HAMILTON STREET APOSTOLIC, AND IN 1957 WAS RENAMED SIMPLY THE APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH. THE SITE IS NOW A PARKING LOT FOR THE METHODIST MEDICAL CENTER. THE CHURCH SERVED THE CONGREGATION UNTIL 1874 WHEN THEY BUILT A NEW FACILITY AT THE CURRENT LOCATION. WHILE THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER APOSTOLIC GROUPS IN PEORIA, THIS AND THE CHURCH ON SHERIDAN ARE THE TWO OLDEST AND LARGEST APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCHES IN PEORIA.

THE INTERNAL DISAGREEMENTS MENTIONED ABOVE WAS THE "FIRST SPLIT" OF THE APOSTOLIC CHRISTIAN CHURCH WHICH HAPPENED AROUND 1900 TO 1911.

ANOTHER INTERESTING FACT ABOUT PETER SOMMER IS THAT HIS MOTHER MARY (VERKLER) SOMMER, WAS A SISTER TO THE NORTH SIDE CHURCHES FOUNDING MINISTER JOSEPH VERKLER. THIS IS WHAT POSSIBLY BROUGHT PETER TO THIS AREA, WHERE HE FOLLOWED IN HIS UNCLE JOSEPH’S FOOTSTEP BY STARTING THE SOUTH SIDE CHURCH.