One of Richland county's most prominent and successful business men, Aden
Knoph has served for thirty years as president of the First National Bank of
Olney, during which time he has become widely recognized as one of the most
able and successful financiers of Southern Illinois. A native of Lawrence
county, Illinois, he was born at Lawrenceville December 18, 1843, of Danish
ancestry.
His father, Thompson Knoph, spent his early life in
Denmark, his birth having occurred at Copenhagen, September 4, 1801.
Immigrating to America in 1831 he lived for a short time in Arkansas, and
afterwards, in company with a Mr. Bishop, was engaged in the wholesale
grocery business at Evansville, Indiana, until 1840 or 1841. Coming from
there to Illinois, he embarked in the mercantile and pork packing business
at Lawrenceville, for a number of years being very successful in his
operations. Subsequently reverses occurred, and he lost much of his wealth
on pork, having been at the time of his death, August 22, 1867, a
comparatively poor man. He was a Republican in politics, and cast his vote
for John C. Fremont for president. He married Lucinda Brunson, a native of
Ohio. Both were held in high esteem throughout the community, and both were
valued members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
Brought up in
Lawrenceville, Aden Knoph there acquired a good knowledge of the three
"R's," although he never attended school after ten years of age, being
forced to work for a living after his father became bankrupt. Entering his
father's store, he continued with him until the breaking out of the Civil
war, after which he was clerk in the store of his father at Vincennes,
Indiana. Coming to Olney, Illinois, two years later, Mr. Knoph enlisted in
Company G, Ninety-eighth Illinois Volunteer Infantry which became a part of
the famous Wilder's Brigade. Joining the Army of the Cumberland, he fought
in all the principal battles participated in by his command, serving until
the close of the conflict, during the last eight months of the time serving
as adjutant of his regiment. In the early spring of 1865, at the engagement
in Selma, Alabama, he was severely wounded, and having been taken on an
ambulance to Macon, Georgia, remained there until the war was ended.
Returning to Olney, Illinois, July 7, 1865, Mr. Knoph had a great desire
to fit himself for the legal profession, but was forced to abandon the idea
on account of his exceedingly limited means. He clerked, therefore, in a
store for two years, when, in 1868, he was elected clerk of the circuit
court, a position to which he was re-elected for the next two terms on the
Republican ticket, each time carrying Richland county, notwithstanding the
county had normally a Democratic majority of from two hundred to five
hundred votes.
Entering the commercial field in 1880, Mr. Knoph
traveled for a wholesale house of Cincinnati for two years, when, in 1882,
he was elected president of the First National Bank of Olney, a position
which he has since held. This bank is one of the strong financial
institutions of Richland county, having a capital of $50.000; surplus
profits of $35,000; and deposits amounting to $500,000. Mr. Knoph is one of
the more wealthy men of Richland county, in addition to holding title to
city property of value being the owner of a large farm and a highly
productive apple orchard. He has been successful in business, meeting with
far more prosperity than the average man, and is highly esteemed as a man of
worth and ability. During the Spanish-American war he raised a regiment in
ten days, and was elected colonel, but was never called to the front.
Politically Mr. Knoph has been chairman of the Republican central
committee for a year. In 1904 he was a candidate for the office of state
treasurer, but failed to secure the nomination. Since its organization, he
has been secretary of Wilder's Brigade, to which he belonged when in the
army. For upwards of forty years Mr. Knoph has belonged to the Ancient Free
and Accepted Order of Masons, being a member of lodge, chapter, council and
commandery, as a Knight Templar being past eminent commander.
Mr.
Knoph married July 1, 1869, Carliette Morehouse, whose father, Othniel
Morehouse, was born in that part of Lawrence county, Illinois, that is now
included within the boundaries of Richland county.. Mr. and Mrs. Knoph have
two children living, namely: Edward, of Freeport, Illinois, a railroad
conductor; and Maude, wife of E. P. Cochennour, a railway conductor, living
at Pratt, Kansas. Both Mr. and Mrs. Knoph are trustworthy members of the
Methodist Episcopal church.
Extracted 13 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 History of Southern Illinois, pages 1272-1273.
| Jasper | Crawford | |
| Clay |
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Lawrence |
| Wayne | Edwards | Wabash |
