CHRISTIAN SCHMIDT was born in Saxony, Empire of Germany, on the 8th of Dec., 1826, his parents being Michael and Jane (Bodcher) Schmidt, both natives of Saxony. Christian was reared in his native country, and there learned the carpenter's trade, in the town in which he was born. After finishing his apprenticeship, he started out to travel, as is usual in the old country, so as to more thoroughly fit himself in the trade which he had acquired. In his travels, he went through lower and middle Germany, and then went to Switzerland, locating in the city of Basle, where he obtained steady employment at his trade. While there, he was married, on the 4th day of March, 1864, to Sophia Doebelin, a native of Baden, Germany, and a daughter of Mathias and Archada Doebelin. In 1869, Christian determined to remove, with his family, to America. He first went home to make a parting visit to his parents, and from there, went to Bremen, and took passage on a vessel bound for New York. On arriving there, he remained but a few days, and then came out to Greene county, Ill., where he had relatives living. He first located under the bluff, in T. 9, R. 13. He worked at his trade five or six years after coming to this county, part of the time in Calhoun county, and has built many structures in this vicinity. In 1875, he rented a piece of land, and commenced farming. In 1880, he bought 200 acres of land, on Sec. 1, T. 8, R. 13, on to which he moved, and has since made his residence there. He has made all the improvements that are on the place, there being nothing on it when he came, except some old shanties. Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt are the parents of five children - Emma, Charles, Emil, Rosa, and Mollie. Mr. Schmidt has been supervisor one term, and is an energetic and enterprising man. His father is still living in Germany, his mother having died in 1870.