My Genealogy Hound

Bernard Quante, retired farmer in Fort Smith, Ark., was born in the Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, in 1827, and is the son of G. and Theresa (Vieth) Quante. The Quante family lived in Prussia for many generations back, and the family are the descendants of some of the oldest and best families in Germany. G. Quante was born in Prussia in 1789, and was an architect by occupation. His father was also an architect and carpenter by trade. Mrs. Theresa (Vieth) Quante’s people have also lived for generations in Germany. Bernard Quante was educated and grew to manhood in his native country, and at the age of twenty-one years entered the German army, and served three years in the German Revolutionary War, in the Prussian army from 1848 to 1851. When the war closed he came to America, and landed in New Orleans in August, 1852. He remained only two days in New Orleans, and went to Galveston, Tex., but after a few days’ absence returned to New Orleans. From there he went to St. Louis, then to Cincinnati, and at the last named place worked at the carpenter’s and architect’s trade for nearly a year. He then went to Dubois County, Ind., and resided there for seventeen years. He was there at the time of the Know-Nothing massacre, and after that exciting time he engaged in the carpenter’s trade, and built St. Ferdinand’s Church at Ferdinand, Dubois; St. Joseph’s Church at Josephtown, Dubois; St. Henry’s Church at St. Henry, Dubois County; St. Boniface, in Spencer County, Ind., and St. Anthony’s Church at St. Anthony, Benton Co., Ind. Mr. Quante moved to the last named county, and remained there for ten years. He has traveled over all the Northern States. He was drafted into the Union army, and sent a substitute. He then traveled westward to look at the country, and then northward until the great Father of Waters dwindles to almost nothing, and he met “Hole-in-the-day,” chief of the Chippewas, who said: “Whites have nothing to do here.” Mr. Quante replied that he was recommended to come by a missionary, Father Piers. The chief then welcomed him. He came to Arkansas in 1877, and settled on the prairie in Upper Township, Sebastian County, where he is now the owner of over 800 acres of land, besides considerable town property. Mr. Quante was married in Dubois County, Ind., to Catherine Lesch, who was born on the Rhine, in Germany, in 1840, and who became the mother of fifteen children, thirteen now living: Mary, Frank, Henry, Joseph, Kate, Anton, Floernza, Christ., John, Annie, Ernest, May and Bennie. Two are deceased: the eldest son, Benoid, died at the age of about twenty years, and seemed to be a strong and hearty man; Barbara died when an infant. Mr. Quante is a Democrat in politics and a member of the Catholic Church.