SCHMOLDT, A. E. - The A. E. Schmoldt Lumber & Cooperage plant was established by a Mr. Weaver in the year 1856, as a sawmill. After about twelve years the mill and grounds were bought by Herman Sielschott, Robt. G. Schmoldt and Fred Moeller, under the firm name of Sielschott & Schmoldt: still later Robt. G. Schmoldt bought out Herman Sielschott and soon added a retail lumber yard which he opened on the corner of Third and Jefferson streets, Beardstown: also soon after adding a wholesale ice storage plant and continuing in this line by himself a number of years. He sold to his sons, H. M., Robt. W., and A. E. each a one-fifth interest, retaining two-fifths interest. Then was added a slack barrel cooperage factory, making slack barrel staves, hoops and heading; the style of the firm now being Schmoldt Brothers & Co. The firm continued to operate under this head until the father retired from active business, when he sold his two-fifths interest to his sons, H. M., Robt. W. and A. E. Schmoldt, who continued the business as Schmoldt Brothers. Robt. W. Schmoldt later selling his interest to H. M. and A. E. Schmoldt. The retail lumber yard in the meantime had been moved from Third and Jefferson streets to the corner of Fourth and State streets. In the spring of 1907 A. E. Schmoldt sold his interest in the retail lumber yard on Fourth street to H. M. Schmoldt and in the same year bought the H. M. Schmoldt interest in the manufacturing plant, taking over the books of Schmoldt Brothers as their successor. A. E. Schmoldt continued the manufacturing in its entirety, discontinuing the ice business, and added a retail coal yard, and retail and wholesale lumberyard, which he continues to operate.

A. E. Schmoldt's parents, Robt. G. Schmoldt and Johanna Eleonore Schmoldt, were born and married in Germany, coming to this country in 1852, and to Cass County July 5, 1853. To them were born eight sons, the first two dying in infancy. The third, H. M. Schmoldt, died June 18, 1909, at the age of fifty-two years. The fourth, August R., owns a farm adjacent to Beardstown, where he makes his home. The fifth, A. E., owns and operates the cooperage plant, coal and lumber yards in Beardstown. The sixth, Robt. W., now lives in Los Angeles, Cal., where he is engaged in the mercantile business. The seventh, Herman J., died May 7, 1897, at the age of twenty-nine years. The eighth son died in infancy.

A. E. Schmoldt was born February 14, 1862; was married November 3, 1896, to Clara Olive Treadway, daughter of James and Rebecca Mary Treadway, of Beardstown, Ill. They have one son, Ernest James, born October 2, 1896.