My Genealogy Hound

NICHOLAS HAMMEL. It is a well established fact that a man of natural ability, if possessed of integrity and energy, can accomplish almost any given purpose in life. Every day furnishes examples of men who commenced in life empty handed and in a brief period of time accumulated considerable fortune. Such is the case with our subject, who was born in Germany May 11, 1828, and has been a citizen of this country since 1840.

The mother of our subject died when he was two years old. He remained in his native land, where he was given a fair education, until 1840, when, in company with his father, Jacob Hammel, he embarked on a sailing-vessel for the United States. Their destination was St. Clair County, this state, and there they made their home until the decease of the father in 1855. In that year our subject came to Randolph County, and after various removals, located upon his present property in 1866.

After locating here, Mr. Hammel did hard pioneer work in improving his property for many years. He devotes his entire time to agriculture, and to the quarter-section which he first owned he has added until his possessions number three hundred and ten acres. It is well improved with all the modern machinery found on the estate of an intelligent farmer, and is pleasantly located one mile northeast of Preston and eight miles west of Sparta. In connection with his farming operations Mr. Hammel for eighteen years operated a threshing machine.

In 1851 our subject and Miss Dorothy Armstuch, who was born in Pennsylvania, were united in marriage, and to them have been born ten children, of whom the five living are, Catherine, Mrs. William Rinehart; George; Tracy, the wife of Daniel Liber; Frank, and Sophia, Mrs. Albert Rinehart. In his political relations Mr. Hammel has always voted with the Republican party. Religiously he is a member of the Lutheran Church, with which denomination his wife is also connected.