The following are to articles that appeared in the History of Indiana, Special
Edition for Marshal Co. v2 (Madison, Wisc., Brant, Fuller & Co. 1890)
p.345
MARSHALL COUNTY.
Harmon Knobloch, a resident farmer of German township, was born in
Stark county, Ohio, September 29, 1842. He is a son of Jacob
Knobloch, who was born in Alsace, Germany, in 1803. Jacob was
reared in his native country where he learned the stone-mason's
trade and plastering. In 1823 in company with his brother
Frederick, he emigrated to the United States, and subsequently
settled in Canton, Ohio, where he was married to Margaret Killer,
a native of Switzerland. She became the mother of the following
children, and then her death occurred: Henry; Josephine, deceased;
Jackson, Benjamin, Harmon, Franklin and Elnora. Subsequently, the
father married a second time, and his widow now lives in Bremen.
This second marriage resulted in the birth of the following
children: Caroline, Charles, Louis, Edward, James and Clara. Jacob
Knobloch worked at his trade in Canton, Ohio, where he resided,
until the fall of 1850, when he removed his family to Indiana, and
located in the woods of German township, this county. After coming
to Indiana he followed his trade and farming, until 1865, when he
removed into Bremen and built a hotel which he kept until 1869,
when his death occurred. He was a Free Mason, and a charter member
of the Plymouth lodge. He being a stone-mason, he cut the
headstone that marks his resting place in the Bremen cemetery, and
on it he carved the square and compass, the emblems of his order.
He was a worthy and well respected citizen, in politics a staunch
democrat, and held in life several positions of honor and trust in
the county. Harmon Knobloch, the immediate subject of this sketch,
was reared and educated on a farm. June 16, 1864, he was united in
marriage with Sara Mathes, born in New York, December 28, 1848. The
following are the names of their children: Nella, Lillie,
deceased, and Arthur. Since his marriage Mr. Knobloch has remained
on the old homestead where his father settled in the county, and
has led a successful life in farming. Besides farming he was also,
from 1860-74, engaged in saw-milling. He and wife are members of
the German Presbyterian church, and are among the highly respected
families of the community. In politics lie is a zealous democrat.
In the spring of 1884 he was elected township trustee, and was
re-elected in 1886. He is a member of the Bremen lodge, No. 414,
F. & A. M., and is one of the well respected farmers and citizens
of German township.
p.436
Geo. W. Knoblock is a son of Fred. Knoblock, who came from Germany
about 1827, and first settled in Canton, Ohio, where he followed
the business of weaving. In 1840 he came to Marshall county,
settling in German township, and began farming. As an evidence of
the sparse population at that time, we notice, as a matter of
history, that Fred. Knoblock was one of six who voted at the first
election held in German township. Mr. Knoblock was twice married.
His first wife died in Germany, leaving two children, Fred. and
Caroline, both of whom reside in Marshall county. Mrs. Knoblock
had also been previously married and had one daughter, who is now
Mrs. Fred. Landamnan, of Bremen. By his second wife, Mr. Knoblock
had six sons: John, William, George W., Theodore, Augustus, and
Jefferson. The last two are dead, all the others live in St.
Joseph county, except George W. who is one of the solid farmers of
West township. He was born in 1834, and has always followed the
business of agriculture. In youth he attended subscription school
about three miles north of Bremen, where he secured an education,
though limited, was all that the conditions of the time afforded,
and which has been considerably increased by judicious reading.
Mr. Knoblock has always been, and is to-day, liberal education, and
tries at all times to keep himself posted on current events. In
1856 he was married to Rebecca Hughes, daughter of William and Mary
Hughes, who were among the very first settlers of Marshall county.
It is said that Mr. Hughes organized the first Sabbath school and
established the first graveyard in German township; also that he
attended the first election in Marshall county. After marriage,
Mr. Knoblock continued the peaceful occupation of farming till
1864, when he entered the service of his country as a soldier. He
enlisted in the Forty-second Indiana, Company F, which was attached
to the fourteenth army corps, known as the Army of the Cumberland,
and was honorably discharged at the close of the war. Mr. Knoblock
is a democrat, but does not take a very active part' in political
matters. His family consists of two sons and five daughters. Two
children died in youth, of the survivors, two daughters live in
Louisville, Ky.; one son is seeking his fortune in the west, and
Frederick and Bessie attend school at home. Mr. Knoblock has made
a success of farming, bears a splendid reputation among his
neighbors, and is in all respects a representative man among the
farmers of his county.
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