Biography - GEORGE LEON MEYER
The
substantial and enterprising citizens of Greenville have no better
representative than George Leon Meyer, who stands high among the keen,
energetic and progressive business men of the city. A son of the late Conrad
Arthur Meyer, he was born February 7, 1865, in the city of Saint Louis,
coming from German and French ancestry.
Born near Strasburg, Germany, in 1835, Conrad Arthur Meyer was seized with
the wanderlust when young, and at the age of twelve years left home to see
something of Europe, traveling through different parts of the country.
Returning to his native town, he pictured life in America in such glowing
colors to his parents that he induced them to come to America with him.
Crossing the ocean in 1848, they located in Texas just after the close of
the Mexican war, and soon afterward took up a homestead claim in San
Antonio, where General Winfield Scott, with whom they afterwards became well
acquainted, was then stationed, and where they found Mr. Conrad Arthur
Meyer's uncle, Lucas Meyer, who had served as a general in the army during
the Mexican war. The parents suffered all the hardships of frontier life, in
addition having siich trouble with the Indians and Mexicans, who stole their
horses and stock, that they became discouraged and migrated with their
family to New Orleans. From there they proceeded up the river to Saint
Louis, where they resided many years.
On arriving in Saint Louis Conrad Arthur Meyer embarked in the drug business
on his own account and began to read medicine, although he never completed
his medical studies. Subsequently forming a partnership with Mr. Samuels, he
opened a clothing store, which he conducted with good results. During the
Civil war Mr. Meyer was a sutler in General Grant's army, and after the war
moved with his family to Vicksburg, where he and his partner were engaged in
mercantile pursuits until burned out. Returning to Saint Louis, the firm
there resumed business, and carried it on successfully until another fire
destroyed their stock. Coming then to Greenville, Illinois, Conrad A. Meyer
opened a small store, but later bought land not far from the city limits,
and was there engaged in farming until his death, July 30, 1897. He was a
steadfast Republican in politics, and a member of the Ancient Free and
Accepted Order of Masons. Both he and his wife were reared in the Christian
faith, but gave up their church associations during their later years.
While living in Saint Louis, Missouri, Conrad A. Meyer wooed and won
Catherine Ravold, to whom he was married August 6, 1861. She was a daughter
of Nicholas Ravold, a silk weaver, who spent his entire life in France. She
came to America in 1856, in early womanhood, and for a time taught music in
St. Louis and also clerked in her brother's store. She survived her husband,
dying on the home farm, near Greenville, June 14, 1898. Five children were
born of their union, namely: Emil, deceased; Emily, wife of John White;
George Leon, the special subject of this biographical record; Elvere, wife
of James Vaughn; and Walter, deceased.
Brought up on the home farm in Bond county, George Leon Meyer obtained the
rudiments of his education in the district schools, and subsequently worked
his way through the Greenville high school, from which he was graduated with
the class of 1884. He afterwards continued his studies at Greenville
College, where he received the degree of Commercial Law in 1890. Mr. Meyer
subsequently took a three years' law course at the Illinois Wesleyan
University, in Bloomington, Illinois, from which he was graduated with the
degree of LL. B. in 1897, and in May, 1897, was admitted to the bar at
Springfield, Illinois. For twelve years, while he was engaged in the study
of law, Mr. Meyer taught school to pay his expenses, having served as
principal of schools at Reno, Van Burensburg, Bingham, Irving, Marissa and
Litchfield, all in Illinois.
Just after his admission to the bar Mr. Meyer was called home on account of
the serious illness of his father, and subsequently had charge of the home
farm until after the death of his mother, in 1898. He then opened a law
office in Greenville, Illinois, and has since been actively and prosperously
engaged in the practice of his profession, and has also built up a good
business in real estate dealing and money loaning. In 1904 he was elected
state's attorney, and for four years filled the office ably and acceptably.
Mr. Meyer is a leading member of the Republican party, and frequently
attends the state conventions as a delegate. Fraternally he is a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and of the Knights of the Maccabees. He
is a bachelor, heart and fancy free.
Mr. Meyer is a distant relative of George L. Von Meyer, ex-Post Master
General, and later Secretary of the Navy. Mr. George Leon Meyer has a bit of
literary taste and is the author of a song, the words and music of which
were his own composition and was sung with effeet during the 1896 William
McKinley campaign. He is also the composer of several poems, one of which,
his favorite, is entitled "Washington," and is here given: [poem not
transcribed Nov 2018]
Extracted 10 Nov 2018 by Norma Hass from 1912 History of Southern Illinois, by George W. Smith, volume 3, pages 1333-1336.
