HISTORY OF KENTUCKY AND KENTUCKIANS, E. Polk Johnson, three volumes, Lewis Publishing Co., New York & Chicago, 1912. Common version, Vol. III, pp. 1156-57. [Kenton Co.] JOHN P. HARBICK--Few, if any, residents of Covington enjoy a securer hold upon the esteem and affection of their fellow townsmen that John P. Harbick, a retired business man and one of the most active and prominent members of the great Masonic fraternity to be found in the state of Kentucky. He was born in Nassau, Germany, April 20, 1834. His parents were William H. and Eleonora (Harbick) Harbick. The former was a native of Prussia and the latter of France, and although they bore the same name they were not related. The paternal grandfather, who was of German lineage, was extensively engaged in the iron furnace business in Lorraine when it was a part of France, and afterward pursued similar activities in Nassau. Mr. Harbick's father was employed by a German nobleman and lived in one of the ancient castles about which so much of history and romance cling like the ivy upon the turrets. It was within such walls that Mr. Harbick first saw the light of day. He was the second of a family of six children. Besides himself two sisters survive at the present time, one of them, Kate H. Piepho, residing in Chicago, and the other, Jeanette H. Temple, upon an Indiana farm. Mr. Harbick grew to boyhood upon the estate of his patron and was to have been afforded a liberal college education through the generosity of the nobleman, but when he was thirteen years of age his father died at the comparatively early age of thirty-nine years and many plans were of necessity changed. Nevertheless he acquired a good common school education in the common schools, which are one of Germany's points of pride. At the age of fourteen young John began to serve an apprenticeship in the shoemaking trade and for several years made his livelihood in this fashion. When John P. Harvick [sic] was nineteen years of age he departed the Atlantic in company with his aunt and sister. Soon after arriving in the United States they went to Cincinnati, Ohio, this being in the year 1853. John secured employment at his trade in Cincinnati and for the next four years worked hard, saved every penny not actually needed for existence, and by such means was able in 1857 to start in business for himself in the Queen City. Two years later he located in Covington, where he had previously married, and bought a lot upon which he built his first simple home. He established himself in business here and for twenty-eight years operated a store. During these early days shoemaking consisted for the most part of hand work and in this fashion Mr. Harbick many many fine patent leather boots for select trade, taking fourteen stitches to the inch. By the exercise of good management he gained a competence and in 1887, discontinued the shoe business to take up the undertaking business under the firm name of Harbick & Rose. This second commercial undertaking was likewise successful, Mr. Harbick possessing those qualities which bring any enterprise to full fruition. In 1904, finding himself the master of a fortune sufficient to keep him and his wife in comfort for the rest of their days, he retired. He has made a number of excellent investments and may be accounted a man of property. During the Civil war Mr. Harbick manifested his loyalty to the Union cause by his membership in the Home Guards. He was among the first to be enlisted in Company A of the Forty-first Kentucky regiment, his rank becoming that of corporal. He was present in no engagements, the service of the Forty-first consisting chiefly of guard duty of bridges and supplies. Mr. Harbick is a stanch Republican and in 1881 was elected to the city council, in which he served for about six years. In 1904 he was appointed by Mayor Beach as a member of the fire and police board and served four years in that capacity. Mr. Harbick's career as a Mason began in January, 1870, when he was initiated into the order which has claimed so much of his time and attention and which has rewarded him with much of pleasure and distinction. His membership has been long, active and useful. He has attained to the Thirty-second degree his degrees including the York and the Scottish Rite. He has been actively identified with the subordinate lodges of Covington for forty years and no Mason is better known or more worthy in exemplification than he. For years his help has been in demand by hundreds whom he has graciously instructed in the rites of the order. He has doubtless made more Masons than any individual living in the state today, these including some of the most prominent not only in the order but in public life. Mr. Harbick has occupied chairs in all the different branches. In 1877, when he was serving his third year as master of his lodge, he was also high priest of the chapter, thrice illustrious master of the council and eminent commander of the Knights Templars. During the same year he took the Thirty-second degree of Scottish Rite. Instantaneously when called upon he can deliver the lecture in any of the various branches for he is the possessor of a truly remarkable memory. At various times during his years as Masonic service he has been presented with many tokens of esteem by the lodges with which he has been affiliated. Among these was a book containing the signatures of three hundred and thirty-five brothers, and an emblem bestowed by them commemorating the blue lodge, the chapter and the commandery, which took the form of a gold pendant and bore his name embossed in gold letters. Mr. Harbick holds membership with the Colonel Clay Lodge, No. 159; Covington Lodge, No. 109; and Golden Rule Lodge, No. 345; being an honorary member of the two latter. He has also been since 1865 a member of Naomi Lodge, No 129, of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In 1865 Mr. Harbick united with the Union Methodist church and for many years served upon the official board, being one of the trustees at the present time. He was a member of the choir for many years, serving as chorister and in fact is still chorister of the Sunday-school. He possesses that true musical sense which seems to be innate with so many Germans. Mr. Harbick was married on Christmas day, 1856, to Elizabeth Keen, a native of Newport and a daughter of Joseph A. and Mary (Storms) Keen, of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, respectively. Joseph A. Keen was an early settler in Kenton county and made the first brick house in Covington in the early days. He owned about six acres of land in what is now the heart of the city, this being bounded by Main, Philadelphia, Pike and Ninth streets. It was here that he lived and for many years operated a brick yard, the first enterprise of its kind within the limits of Covington. Joseph A. Keen's grandfather was a soldier in the war of the Revolution, belonging to a regiment known as the "Dirty Blues." Mary Storms, Mrs. Harbick's mother, was one year old when she was brought from the Keystone state to Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1801. Mr. and Mrs. Harbick have no children, but have friends in plenty and enjoy the evening of life in peace and good fortune, possession the respect of the community and the affection of all of those who know them best. Harbick Piepho Temple Keen Storms Beach = IL IN OH NJ PA Germany Prussia France http://www.rootsweb.com/~kygenweb/kybiog/kenton/harbick.jp.txt