St. Libory, Illinois was at one time known as Mud Creek

History of St. Libory, IL

We are still researching the history of our township as well as the families which have been integral parts in the creation of St. Libory. This is what we've found so far, and we are looking for the author to give them the credit for the information below.

On november 07. in1833 the ship Virginia got to port in Baltimore, MD. On board there was a small group of people coming from the village of Glandorf, which is close to the city of Osnabrueck in the western part of Germany. They had left their little farm to begin a new life in America, hoping that this country would provide them with better conditions for making a living.

In 1833 times weren't too good for small farmers around Glandorf. The family had grown so much that starvation was a daily guest in the homes. Rumors told about a new country in the west across the big ocean - AMERICA. Many families had left already. So also a number of persons in the Harwerth-family considered emigration as a possibility of survival. In the summer of 1833 the following persons of the Harwerth family had made up their mind and were ready to leave their home and the rest of the family for ever: William,(Johann Wilhelm) born in 1815, son of Wilhelm, Theresia, and Clara, Elizabeth, (Elisabeth) Maria Catherine, Ferdinand, Friedrich, Diedrik, (Dietrich) 1834 with following years U. S. records tell us about some federal land sales in Illinois to William, Anna and Diedrik Harwerth.

We don't have any pictures of William to show here but we do have a picture of Theresia together with her last husband Gerhard Trentmann, Theresia was married four times. She outlived all her husbands.

After arrival at the port they quickly moved on westward towards the today's state of Illinois and helped settle Mud Creek, later to be known as St.Libory, IL.

We don't know how much equipment and possessions they carried on, however they must have had some money, for just a few months later in 1834 Johann Wilhelm Harwerth purchased his first parcel of land.

The Harwerths weren't alone. Bernhard Dingwerth from their home community was with them. Later also the Deters Family, also former neighbors, settled in their vicinity. In an interview taken with Ben Harwerth the farmer remembered both family names as former neighbors. William Harwerth and Bernhard Dingwerth were delegated to petition Bishop Joseph Rosati of St. Louis for a priest to serve the St. Libory Settlement. Together they held their first mass in William Harwerth's log cabin. The table they were sitting at is still in the possession of the church. At this occasion the parishioners elected to build a log church on ground donated by Bernhard Dingwerth. W. Harwerth, D. Harwerth, W. Kracht, G. Bertke, and G. Terveer helped to build the log church which was finished on may 05. 1839.

William's first wife was Margaret Jaske who died in 1845. They had four children, all of whom were baptized in St. Liborious Catholic Church in St. Libory, St. Clair Co. IL. These children were: (1) Margaret, baptized in 1839 and died young; (2) Anna "Catherine" was baptized in 1840, married Christ Deters in 1856 in St. Libory. (3) Maria "Theresa" was baptized in 1842, married Gerhard Henry Horchler in 1863 in Daimiansville, IL, and died there in 1873: and (4) John Henry was baptized in 1843 and died young.

In February 1851 William's second marriage was to Anna "Adelheid" Schniederjans in St. Libory. They had six children, all of whom were baptized in 1852 and married in St. Libory, and who are as follows: (1) John "Ben" was baptized in 1852 and married Elizabeth Hundelt in 1875. Then after Elizabeth died, he married Mary Rothluebbers in 1885. Ben died in 1889 in St. Libory; (2) "Mary" Adelheid was baptized in 1854, married Frank Frischemeyer in 1870, and died in 1895 in St. Libory; (3) Anna "Margaret" was baptized in 1856, married Georg Schlattman in 1873 and died in 1939; (4) Anna Helen was baptized in 1858 and died young; (5) Anna "Adelheid" was baptized in 1860, married George Behrmann in 1883, and died in 1938 in St. Libory; and (6) "Anna" Angela was baptized in 1863 and married Joseph Grundmeyer in 1883.

The 1870 St. Clair Co. Il. Agricultural Census listed William Harwerth as owning 80 acres of improved land and 51 acres of wooded land. The present Dollar value of his farm was listed as $1400 with an additional $400 worth of farming implements and machinery.

The 1881 St. Clair Co. History Book lists William Harwerth as a retired farmer and stock breeder, living in section 24 in St.Libory. The book also mentions that William Harwerth and Bernhard Dingwerth in their earlier days, would build a raft on the Kaskaskia River, would stock it with country products, chiefly chicken, corn, and potatoes and would leisurely float down with the current into the Mississippi River, then on to New Orleans where they would sell the boat as well as the provisions.

William Harwerth died on May 19 1885 and was buried from the St. Liborious Catholic Church.

From Illinois the family spread over almost the entire U.S. Descendants are living in Nebraska, Kansas, Texas, Maryland, Ohio, Minnesota, Washington DC, Washington State, Colorado and probably many other places.