No element in our American citizenship has been of more value to the country than that furnished by Germany. It is a matter of history that the Teutonic race has always been foremost in carrying civilization into the newer and unsettled sections of the world and the representatives of the fatherland have gone to other countries to become law abiding citizens, active in business and reliable in all life's relations. Phillip Bauer, now well known as a business man of Greenfield, where he has been actively engaged in merchandising for thirty-five years, was born in Germany and dates his residence in Illinois from 1867. His birth occurred in Hesse-Darmstadt, January 12, 1846. His father, Jacob Bauer, was also a native of Hesse-Darmstadt and was there reared and married, Miss Elizabeth Hoffman, a native of the same country, becoming his wife. They emigrated to the United States in 1867, settling in Carlinville, Illinois, where they joined his brother, Louis Bauer. The father was a shoemaker and followed that trade in Carlinville until his death, which occurred in 1868. His wife survived him and removing to Greenfield, spent her last days in that city, passing away November 1, 1871, at the home of her son, Phillip and his wife, who cared for her in her declining years. Phillip Bauer was their only son, but he had one sister Bettie, who was the wife of Charles Wang, a merchant of Greenfield, but her death occurred here some years ago.

Phillip Bauer acquired a good common school education in the German language, but is wholly self-educated in the English tongue. He learned the shoemaker's trade in Fr. Crumbach, Hesse-Darmstadt, and in 1867 crossed the Atlantic to the new world, locating in Macoupin county. He conducted a shoe shop for a time in Carlinville and afterward worked at his trade in Alton and then again went to Carlinville, where he bought and conducted a shoe shop. In 1869 he came to Greenfield, where he began business on the lot where he is now located. He afterward bought this property and carried on shoemaking until about 1887, when he opened a store with a line of boots and shoes. Two years later his store was destroyed by fire and in place of the frame building he erected two good brick business houses, one of which he occupies, carrying a large and well selected line of boots and shoes. His stock is thoroughly up-to-date and he has secured a very desirable patronage, winning success through fair dealing and earnest desire to please his customers. He has also invested in other property here aside from his business block, having purchased a residence and built two others.

In 1867 in Carlinville Phillip Bauer was married to Elizabeth Born, a native of Germany, born in the same town as her husband and educated in the same school. They have six children: Bettie, the wife of Leon Haven, of Greenfield; George P., who is married and a member of the Metcalf Dry-Goods Company of Greenfield; Lizzie, the wife of R. L. Bowman, a resident farmer of Greene county; Catherine, at home; Fred L., who assists his father in the store; and Reta, a student in the home school. They also lost two children in infancy.

Politically Mr. Bauer is an advocate of the Democracy, supporting the party since casting his first ballot for Samuel J. Tilden. He was elected and served for five years as alderman, acting in that capacity for one year under the old law and for four years under the present city organization. He and his wife are members of the Evangelical Protestant Lutheran church. They returned to Germany in 1902 after he had been absent from the fatherland for thirty-five years. There they visited the scenes of their childhood and the friends of their youth, spending three months in a pleasant stay in the fatherland, during which time they also saw many points of interest in the important cities of Germany. Mr. Bauer, however, is very sincere in his love for the stars and stripes and is thoroughly American in spirit and interests. He is closely identified with the prosperity and the upbuilding of Greenfield, having resided here for thirty-five years. He started out in life in the new world a poor man among strangers, but his labor and frugality gained him a start and upon the substantial foundation of enterprise and diligence he has builded his success, accumulating a nice competency, securing a good home and winning an honorable name.