Charles A. Anderson, BiographyPorter County biographical sketches . . . .
Transcribed biography of Charles A. Anderson
CHARLES A. ANDERSON. Among the representative citizens of Porter county who are of foreign birth and who have made agriculture their vocation mention is deserved by Charles A. Anderson, whose comfortable farmstead is located in Liberty township and who for six years has been a commissioner of Porter county.
Mr. Anderson was born in Stockholm, Sweden, on the 24th of November, 1855, and in 1866, when eleven years of age, immigrated with his parents, Samuel A. and Ulrika (Hjelm) Anderson, to the United States. They landed at New York and came from there direct to Chicago, where the family resided and the father followed his trade as a carpenter until 1869. In that year they came to Porter county, Indiana, locating first in Westchester township, in a neighborhood called Waverly. There Samuel A. Anderson bought a small farm, which continued the family abode for a number of years, but he finally sold that property and removed to another farm in Westchester township. Later he took up his residence in Chesterton and lived there until a few years before his death. His last years were spent at the home of our subject, where he passed away on October 21, 1911, within a few days of his eighty-seventh birthday. The mother also died at the home of her son, she having passed to life eternal on the 17th of May, 1903. They were the parents of but one child, Charles A. Anderson, of this review.
Mr. Anderson remained at the home of his parents until his marriage, on November 23, 1880, to Miss Mary Wannegar, a daughter of George and Mary Wannegar. The young couple began life together in Chicago, Mr. Anderson's employment being that of a shipping clerk in a stove manufacturing company, and he shipped the first gasoline stove west of Toledo, Ohio, so he is a pioneer of the gasoline stove industry. After four years there they returned to Porter county, locating at Chesterton, where Mr. Anderson engaged in business and continued nine years. From there they removed to a farm in Liberty township, comprising 182 acres of fine land, but in 1911 they left their pretty farm in Liberty township and came to Chesterton and purchased a beautiful residence on Station street. Mr. Anderson with six other leading citizens organized "The Farmers' Mutual Fire Insurance Company," about 1901 to operate in Porter county, Indiana, and today, in 1912, they have $1,600,000 in force. The insurance is placed at lowest or minimum rates and has thus played a conspicuous part against the old-line insurance companies. The following well-known gentlemen comprise the officials: Andrew Bickel, president; Jasper N. Finney, treasurer; P. A. Marquardt, secretary; and the following well-known citizens comprise the board of directors: Charles A. Anderson, county commissioner; Amos B. Lantz, county commissioner; Andrew Bickel, county commissioner; J. N. Finney, Martin Galbraith, Charles Link and W. A. Furness.
Mr. and Mrs. Anderson are the parents of five children, four of whom are living, namely: Josephine, now the wife of John Yagelski; William, who married Miss Elizabeth Schweir and is associated with his father in the management of the home farm; Alice, now Mrs. B. J. Weisemann ; and Margaret, who is at home and who is a graduate of St. Mary's Institute at Marshalltown, Iowa.
Mr. Anderson gives staunch allegiance to the Republican party in political affairs and for six years has served as a commissioner of Porter county. Fraternally he sustains membership in the Independent Order of Foresters, being one of the state organizers, and the Modern Woodmen of America at Chesterton, Camp No. 2455. The family are all communicants of the Catholic church at Chesterton. With all the staid qualities of his nationality Mr. Anderson has made a success of his farming interests and through his own material advancement has been a potential factor in furthering the development and prosperity of the whole county. He has entered into American citizenship without reserve and with a true sense of its responsibility, is enterprising and public-spirited, and is a man whom any community would welcome to its fold for his ability and his sterling worth.
Source: Lewis Publishing Company. 1912. History of Porter County, Indiana: A Narrative Account of its Historical Progress, its People and its Principal Interests. Chicago, Illinois: Lewis Publishing Company. 881 p.
Page(s) in Source: 686-691
This biography has been transcribed exactly as it was originally published in the source. Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of biographies appearing on this website.
Biography transcribed by Steven R. Shook