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Centennial Souvenir Program, 1954 In the year 1849 John Distler and several young men from Germany emigrated to America. They came by sail-boat to New Orleans, and up the Mississippi River to Illinoistown (now known as East St. Louis). Mr. Distler first located in the High Prairie Settlement just south of Belleville. There he met and married Sarah Powell, daughter of Constance and Mary Lyons Powell. The Powell family had come from Montgomery County, Tennessee in 1839. Soon after the Distler marriage they and the Powell family moved to Ridge Prairie and settled in the Badgley Settlement. After the birth of their first child in 1851, John and Sarah Distler along with several other German families settled in O'Fallon. Mr. Distler came to O'Fallon to do teaming in connection with preparing the road bed for the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad which was being constructed through O'Fallon Precinct. Mr. Powell owned an ox team. He joined his son-in-law in O'Fallon and he and Mr. Distler hauled material and supplies for the railroad. When the railroad was completed, Mrs. Distler was one of the passengers on the first train to take the trip to the terminal at Illinoistown. Later John Distler and his sons hauled for the Tiedemann Milling Company and the Wachter Brick Company. Much of the hauling was to transport materials to and from St. Louis. The Mississippi River was crossed over by ferry boats. Often the river was filled with floating ice and this caused long and tiresome delays. Mr. Distler was known to have driven his team across the river on the ice. The Distlers lived in the first house built in O'Fallon. It was built of logs and was located half way between the site of the present mill and the Illinois Terminal tracks. In this house on August 24, 1855 their first son, James, was born. James Distler was the first boy born in the village of O'Fallon. In 1868, the Distlers built a home just west of the Methodist Church. This home at 115 West Fourth Street is still occupied by descendants of the family. Mrs. Sarah Distler, the last original settler of O'Fallon, passed away December 29, 1908. The last of her eight children, Frank Distler, passed away on June 21, 1946. There are numerous Distler descendants still living in or near O'Fallon. The Distlers' eldest daughter, Mary, married William Boggy. Their only child, Nellie, became the wife of Harry Alexander. Their son, V. Ray Alexander, lives in St. Louis, Missouri. James and Caroline Mertens Distler had thirteen children and twelve of these children lived to help celebrate their parents' golden wedding anniversary in 1928. Six daughters and three sons are still living. They are Maud, Elizabeth, and James Distler of O'Fallon, Lutie Streck, Elsie Meyer, and Ralph Distler of Belleville, Inez Plassman of Centralia, Margaret Gassmann of Affton, Missouri, and Peter Distler of St. Louis, Missouri. Selia Distler first married Henry Owens. The only living survivor of that union is a grandson, Carl Owens. Selia later married Henderson Albert. Mrs. Mayme Bentley, a daughter survives. Carl Owens and Mayme Bentley are both residents of O'Fallon. Emma Distler married Henry Schildknecht. Seven of their eight children are still living. The eldest daughter, Essie, recently passed away. Philip, Charles, Maud, Kate, and Olivia Schildknecht live in O'Fallon; Claude Schildknecht lives in Collinsville, and Mary Bertram in Sparta, Illinois. Nora Distler married John Carroll of Vandalia, Illinois. Their eldest son, John, passed away a few years ago. Charles C. and Nellie M. Carroll, and Frances V. Meinkoth live in O'Fallon, and Florence A. Seppi resides in East St. Louis, Illinois. Charles Distler married Mabel Parker. Their children are Clarence, Charles, Glenn, Raymond, Donald, and Russell Distler of O'Fallon, Nellie May Gauss of Shiloh, and Florence Lee Waters of Phoenix, Arizona. Two sons, Frank and John Distler, left no descendants. ---67---
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