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NICHOLAS SCHERER
Nicholas Scherer was born in Prussia in
1833, and is one of the seven children of John and Mary Scherer,
both natives of the Province of Rhine, Prussia. Nicholas Scherer
attended schol until he was fourteenyears old, when his parents
emigrated to the United States. They located in St. Johns, where
they began the combined business of hotel and saloon, it being the
first saloon established in Lake County. In 1853, Nicholas became
contractor for digging State ditches in this county. In 1854, he
removed to Dyer, where he managed a saloon and hotel, also having
built the Joliet Railroad Cut-Off. In 1868, he sold his interest in
Dyer, and located at what is now Schererville; he had purchased
seventy acres in section 15 and 16, of which the village plat is a
part. Soon after locating here, he took a contract to build a grade
thirty miles between here and Chicago. In order to have a station
near by, he donated $24,000 to the railroad company; this done, he
laid out the town and named it Schererville; the plat contains
nearly four hundred lots, and has thirty or fourty houses. After
completing his grading, he became foreman of the railroad
construction train for nine years. He has just removed a sand bar in the Calumet River.
in 1862, he married Miss Frances Olenfrock, a native of Prussia,
born in 1833, by which union have been born seven children-Anna,
Mary (deceased), Margaret, Teresa, Nicholas, John and Joseph. In
1863 and 1864, he was appointed by Gov. Morton Second Lieutenant for
enlisting and recruiting service; he was instrumental in securing 140 recruits;
he was also a Major of the State militia. He has been a valuable man
in his township, having been Constable, Swamp-Land Commissioner, and
is Road Superintendent. Not-withstanding a loss of $12,000 in 1877,
his property aggregates $7,000.His parents resided with him during
their last days, and died at the advanced ages of one-hundred and
three and ninety-nine and a half years. Mr. and Mrs. Scherer are
Catholics, to which church Mr. Scherer has donated four and a half
acres for church building purposes.
Source- Counties of Porter and Lake,
1882.
Submitted By Kathy Huish
email- anolelady@aol.com
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