My Genealogy Hound

H. C. Finke, one of the prominent merchants of California, Mo., was born in Hanover Diepholz, now Prussia, May 23, 1814, and is a son of John and Margaret (Doepka) Finke, who were also natives of Prussia. The father was a successful tiller of the soil, and died in Germany. H. C. Finke was reared on his father’s farm, and received his education in his native place. At the age of fourteen years he was apprenticed to the tailor’s trade, and traveled through the provinces of Germany, remaining two years in Holland. In 1840 he sailed for America with his mother and her family, taking passage at Bremen on a sailing vessel, and landed at Baltimore after a seven weeks’ voyage. They came on through Pittsburgh, part way by canal, thence to Cincinnati, where the mother resided for two years, after which she moved to Moniteau County, and there received her final summons in 1871. H. C. Finke was married in 1842 to Miss Sophia Meyer, in Cincinnati, and to them were born seven children, four now living: Annie, wife of J. J. Swillum; William C., Emma E. and Rose E. In 1850 he moved his family to Moniteau County, and settled in California. He worked at his trade exclusively for one year, after which he put in a small stock of goods, and carried on the mercantile business on this plan for some time, which proved so successful that in 1857 he was enabled to build the first brick business house in California, and stocked it with general merchandise. Mr. Finke served one term as county treasurer during the war. Upon taking the office there was but $8.46 in the treasury, and when he turned over the office there was $10,000. After the war he bought up all the timber land he could obtain, and employed 150 men to cut off the timber and deliver to the railroad company. Previous to this, and during the war, the soldiers destroyed $20,000 worth of property, and took him out with the intention of hanging him, when the officers were prevailed upon to release him by the pleadings of his little daughter Tillie. In 1867 he built and ran the first paper mill in the State. In this business he was not successful. Mr. Finke made and lost a great deal of money, and deserves credit for his perseverance. He now owns, in addition to his mercantile stock, a valuable farm of 600 acres, well stocked and running on an extensive scale, as well as real estate in adjoining counties, and also one of the handsomest residences in California, besides a number of rented and business houses, etc. Mr. Finke is one of the oldest and most public-spirited men of California, and may certainly be called a self-made and successful man. Although seventy-five years of age, he enjoys good health, but has given the entire management of his business to his son, W. C., who is a very intelligent, energetic and a very cautious young business man, and bids fair to be as successful as his father. Mr. and Mrs. Finke are worthy and respected members of the Evangelical Church.