JACOB KNEIBERT, JACOB TOBLER'S LIVES WERE FULL OF EXCITEMENT, ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Few families in Cape Girardeau County have the rich heritage steeped in history, as the Kneibert and Tobler families. And few families are as humble as these families are.

Jackson was first incorporated by the County Court in April, 1819. In 1859, a special charter was granted by the Legislature for the City of Jackson. The first board of trustees elected under this act composed of Thomas English, John McGuire, Jacob Kneibert and Charles Litterer.

The ~public schools of Jackson were established in 1867. Charles Welling, Jacob Kneibert, Jacob Tobler, James W. Cannon, Charles M. Slack and C.H.~ Friedrich composed the first board of directors or trustees.

Jacob Kneibert was among the principal merchants of Jackson prior to the Civil War. He would buy poultry and produce which he took by boat to New Orleans. There he traded his products for sugar and coffee.

Mill A, in East Jackson was originally a small custom mill with a sawmill attached, owned by Miles Niblack. After burning and rebuilt it was purchased by Jacob Kneibert and William Tiedeman, who ran it until 1875.

At the close of the war there was a Kneibert and `vessel furniture store in Jackson. This Wessell was a great uncle of Henry Wessell who lives on Highway 25, near Gordonville.

Jacob Tobler served as Clerk of the County Court from 1854-65. On Feb. 17, 1872, he was elected secretary of the Excelsior Lodge --441. The old Tobler house stood where the Heritage Association house now stands.

In addition to being business leaders, the Kneibert and Tobler names stand out as leaders and organizers of many of the area Evangelical and ~Evangelical Lutheran Churches.

In 1849, after meeting in homes, a number of citizens met in the Tilsit Public School to plan the building of a German Church and School. This became St. James German Evangelical Lutheran Reformed Church, known today as the St. James United Church of Christ. At the front of this enterprise were two laymen, Jacob Kneibert and Jacob Tobler.

On January 29, 1849, Henry Nothdurft and wife, Caroline sold 20 acres to ~St James for the purpose of building a church. Trustees at this time were: Jacob Kneibert, Jacob Tobler, Henry D. and Henry F. Brennecke, Henry and Julius Northdurft, Henry Flentge, Ferdinand Kuehle, Fred Macke and Christian Sander.

On June 18, 1858, Jacob Kneibert and wife, Elizabeth Loos, sold 40 acres to the St. James Church for the purpose of building a school.

On August 16, 1866, Jacob Henry Kneibert, Jr., and Frederike Regina Rehkopf were married in the St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church of Arnsberg. The officiating pastor of the church was the Rev. George Fikenscher.

The Emanuel ~Evangelical Church of Jackson was organized in May,1867. After a few services in the Baptist Church, the members decided to build a church. Jacob Tobler gave the lot on which the church was built. He and Jacob Kneibert were the leading spirits in this work.

Many of you will remember the Jacob Kneibert home south of the Baptist Church in Jackson. The building was razed in April, 1963, to make way for the Baptist parking lot.

The old building was made of hand-fired brick in 1856, from a brick kiln which was located near what is now Russell and Mary Streets. The house was built by the Kneibert family.

According to an old newspaper account, the house was the second of two built in Jackson by the father of Jacob H. Kneibert, who died in 1922. The account, written as an obituary for Jacob Kneibert; states that the home was the finest in Jackson in its time and for many years thereafter.

Although nothing in the newspaper account refers to the house being used as a hospital, current Jackson residents refer to the building as the old Civil Jar hospital.

Jacob H. Kneibert, Jr., joined the Missouri State Guards in 186l, when the Civil War broke out. This outfit marched to Bollinger's Mill to join the Confederate forces and Mr. Kneibert deserted.

The newspaper account says he went to California and then to Louisville, Ky. While there, a letter informed him that bushwhackers had taken his uncle, Casper Loos, and six of his neighbors and killed them near Tilsit.

He immediately joined the Kentucky Volunteer Infantry and fought on the Union side until being mustered out at Vicksburg, Ms.

Without most of the family knowing it, what greater memorial is being paid to the families than the work done where the Baptist parking lot, St. James Church, Emanuel Church and the Jackson Heritage Association House stand today?