My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE DIETRICH was born in Warren county, N. J., Feb. 19, 1816, and is the son of John and Elizabeth Dietrich, natives of Pennsylvania, and of German descent. They had nine children, the subject of this sketch being the seventh child. He was raised in Belvidere. His father kept a public house, and young George received a common school education. He remained in Belvidere until nineteen years of age. He then went to Newark, N. J., and served his apprenticeship at the tanners trade. He then went to St. Louis, and in July, 1838, removed to Bloomington, Ill., and opened a tin shop and built up a large and successful business. He was the first tinner and hardware dealer in Bloomington, and built the first brick residence in the place. He was married to Miss Harriet Mansell in September, 1842. They lived in Bloomington eighteen years. In 1853 he took in a partner, and three years after sold out his interest and settled up his business. In 1864 he built a fine residence near Bloomington and lived there until 1874. Was not engaged in any business, but enjoyed life to its fullest extent. He has four children, named John, Mary, Grace, and Carrie. His daughter Mary and husband are now living in his residence. In June, 1874, Mr. Dietrich moved to Texas. He left all his household goods and his daughter moved in and took possession. Mr. Dietrich remained in Texas four years and was postmaster. He then went to New York City and lived there for eighteen months. Since that time he has not remained in any one place very long at one time. In November, 1880, he came to Jasper county and bought 280 acres of land, which is located six and one-half miles north of Carthage in the finest section of the country. The farm is bounded on the north and west by a strip of timber, through which flows a beautiful stream of water called Dry Fork. Has four good springs on the farm. In 1882 Mr. Dietrich sowed fifty-five acres of wheat, and paid $1.85 a bushel for seed wheat. He hired everything done. He sold his wheat at ninety cents per bushel and cleared $1,004. The railroad station, Cary, is situated on his farm. He has just erected a large hotel and store, and intends building a blacksmith shop and large barn very soon. Is also going to put in scales, and make the station a shipping point for grain and stock. He also intends to put up an elevator next summer. With these and other modern improvements the station of Gary promises to be quite a city in the future.