There
is a lesson to ambitious and struggling young men in the story of the
endeavors and triumphs of a leading manufacturer like Charles Brunner, of
Peru, Illinois, who has made his way to a high position in the business
world from a position of comparative helplessness and against formidable
obstacles.
Charles Brunner was born in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany,
March 5, 1841, a son of August and Johanna (Roth) Brunner, who had three
children, one of whom. Amelia, is dead, and another of whom, Hermann, is a
well known brewer of Peru, Illinois. The elder Brunner, who was a machinist
and foundryman, had the management of an extensive manufacturing
establishment in Germany and never came to America. Charles left school at
the age of fourteen and was employed by a mercantile establishment three
years, and in 1858 came to America and spent a few months in and near New
York city. Then, in the spring of 1859, he came west and located in Peru. He
began his career in Peru as a dry-goods clerk for about three years. Then,
in partnership with William Rauch, he engaged in the grocery trade, in which
he continued successfully about three years and a half. He disposed of his
interest in this business, and in 1868, with others, under the name of
Foote, Brunner & Company, established a machine shop, foundry and boiler
works in Peru. In 1874 Mr. Foote, one of his partners, died, and Mr. Norman
Snow acquired an interest in the business and the style of the firm was
changed to Brunner & Snow. In 1878 Mr. Snow sold his interest to Mr. Brunner
and retired from the firm, which has since been known by Mr. Brunner's name
alone. Mr. Brunner has enlarged his plant from time to time as demands for
increased manufacturing facilities have dictated, and his establishment is
not only the only foundry and machine shop in Peru but is also one of the
largest of its kind in the west. It comprises a foundry, machine shop and
boiler works, fitted up for the manufacture of specialties, of which Mr.
Brunner is patentee, including the Brunner gas and gasoline engines,
pulleys, clutches, shafting, boxings, hangers, pumping jacks, power pumps
and all kinds of elevator machinery, and the Acme and Brunner scales, of
which Mr. Brunner is the inventor.
Mr. Brunner was married in 1861
to Elizabeth Rausch, a native of Peru, and they have five children: Amelia,
Sidonia, Lillie, Jennie and Fannie. He is an influential Republican and has
been five times elected as alderman of Peru, a sufficient indication of his
personal popularity, and has served in that capacity ten years with an eye
single to the public interests. He is a member of the German Lutheran
church. He was made a Mason nearly thirty years ago and has advanced to the
degree of Knight Templar and is a Mystic Shriner. He is identified also with
the Ancient Order of United Workmen and with the order of. Modern Woodmen of
the World. He is a director in the company controlling the Peru Plow Works
and in the LaSalle Pressed Brick Company, and is interested more or less
intimately in other important industrial enterprises.
Extracted 18 Aug 2017 by Norma Hass from Biographical and Genealogical Record of LaSalle County, Illinois, published in 1900, volume 2, pages 520-521.
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