My Genealogy Hound

Jacob Jahraous, hotel keeper at Labaddie, was born on the River Rhine, Bavaria, December 15, 1825, and is the son of Jacob and Mary (Stull) Jahraous, natives of Bavaria. The father was born in the year 1801, and lived in the land of his nativity until 1849, when he and his family immigrated to America, located in Pike County, Ohio, where he resided until his death, which occurred shortly after the war. During that memorable struggle he enlisted in the United States cavalry company and served during the remainder of the war. He was a fortifi- cation officer before coming to America. After landing he followed agricultural pursuits as a livelihood. The mother was born in 1805, and died in Pike County, Ohio, in 1855. To them were born four children, all now living, Jacob being the eldest. At the age of eighteen he left his home, came to the United States, and obtained employment with a piano maker at Poughkeepsie, N. Y. After remaining there five years he went to New York City, and was given the position as foreman in the large establishment of F. F. Holmes, a piano factory. At the end of two years he went to Piketon, Ohio, and worked the next six months in a hotel kept by his uncle. He then returned to New York City and shipped on a steamer, making the island of Cuba, Jamaica, also Aspinwall and New Orleans, and other places in southern latitude. He then shipped on the steamer Humbolt, bound for Havre, France, in the capacity of steward. About this time his parents came to America and young Jahraous saw them as far as Albany, N. Y., on their way to Pike County, Ohio, and again returned to the life of an ocean rover, this time on the steamer Pacific, as chief steward, bound for Liverpool. He made nine trips to Liverpool, after which he accepted a position as steward on the steamship Philadelphia, making Cuba, Aspinwall, New Orleans and other places. On the trip he and the captain disagreed, and when they reached Aspinwall our subject deserted, went to Panama and was engaged by the Pacific Steamship Mail Company as house steward and out-door clerk. He was soon promoted to private messenger by the same company, and soon began to transfer baggage across the Isthmus on his own account, but was unfortunate enough to get sick and lose all he had. His mules were stolen, and when he recovered he went to work again as house steward and out-door clerk. After working one year longer he was given a vacation of three months, and during the time visited his parents, in Ohio, who all the time thought him dead. It seems that, after leaving the steamship Philadelphia, cholera broke out among the passengers and employes, and his name was found among the ship articles, and he was reported as having died. Mr. Jahraous then returned and again went to work for the Pacific Steamship Mail Company, but was transferred to the San Francisco office, where he remained but a short time, and then returned to Ohio and began farming. December 31, 1854, he married Abigail Lehmeyer, a native of Prussia, born in 1829, and died in New Haven, Franklin Co., Mo., July 13, 1861. This marriage resulted in the birth of three sons, George W., born February 22, 1857, or on Washington’s birthday, and in the town of Washington, therefore his name was called George Washington; Joseph E. was born December 14, 1858, at New Haven, and Henry E. born at New Haven April 21, 1860. In 1867 Mr. Jahraous married Mary Hartemeyer, who was born in Baden, Europe, about 1831. Two children were the result of this union, viz.: Anna C, born at Washington, February 6, 1870, and William, who was born in the town of New Haven, September 29, 1869, and died April 26, 1884. Agricultural pursuits not suiting Mr. Jahraous he sold his property and came to St. Louis, Mo., where he entered 320 acres of land in Maries County, but not liking this very well, either, he moved to Washington, Franklin County, and made that and New Haven his home until 1861. He had picked up the carpenter’s trade, and was doing well at this when his wife died, leaving a family of three children. After getting them homes, he enlisted in the State Militia, but the next year went to Illinois, borrowed money and went to California, where he again began working for his old friends, the Pacific Steamship Mail Company, making two trips between Panama and San Francisco. He then engaged as workman in a billiard table factory in the latter city, but soon gave that up for a saloon, on the corner of Kearney and Pine Streets, which did not suit him, and he abandoned that for work in the city hospital as third cook, under Dr. Garwood as resident physician of city and county hospital, and was then promoted to the position of first cook in the city and county almshouse. He later returned to St. Louis, and, gathering his children together, moved to Washington, in order to educate them. Mr. Jahraous then resumed the carpenter’s business, and was also bridge carpenter on the Missouri Pacific Railroad. He soon gave that up and moved to Labaddie, Franklin County, and started a saloon, which he continued until the spring of 1887, when, instead of a saloon, he started a grocery store, and since going to Labaddie has been keeping hotel. Himself and wife are members of the Lutheran Church, and politically he is for the best man.