V. E. HEIMBERGER

V. E. Heimberger, an esteemed citizen of Triadelphia, Ohio county, 
West Virginia, has spent many years of his life in railroad service, 
and passed through many thrilling adventures while leading a varied 
and checkered career.  Mr. Heimberger was born near Roney's Point, 
Ohio county, in 1852, and is a son of August and Catherine (Mingle) 
Heimberger, both natives of Germany, who came to this country in 
1844.

August Heimberger worked for a time on the railroad, and then went 
into a merchandise venture, buying from the people around Roney's 
Point such things as were for sale, and selling them in Wheeling.  He 
continued in this business until 1869, and at that time rented the 
Stone Hotel at Roney's Point.  He kept the hotel until his death in 
1889, --twenty-one years,--after which his wife continued the 
business until 1892.  She then sold her interest, purchased a home in 
Triadelphia, and moved thither with her family, which consisted of 
four boys and four girls.

On July 10, 1898, the widowed mother died, and the home place is now 
occupied by her son, V. E., and his sister, Annie, who is still 
unmarried.  The rest of the family are as follows:  Harry, born 
October 28, 1856, who is a very prosperous farmer; Annie, born 
September 8, 1858; Louis, born November 23, 1860, who lives at 
Cleveland, Ohio, and is in the employ of a telegraph company; Carrie, 
born August 23, 1862, who died in June, 1890; Catherine, born 
September 15, 1863, she is the wife of L. W. Blayney, proprietor of a 
grocery store; William, born October 23, 1865, who lives in Detroit, 
Michigan, and is employed by the Western Union Telegraph Company; and 
Ida, born November 25, 1868, who married a farmer of Ohio country.  
All have married save the subject hereof, and Annie, who keeps house 
for him.

Mr. Heimberger obtained his mental training in the public schools, 
and left his home at the early age of seventeen years, to work for 
the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Company.  He soon became a contractor 
on the Ohio county part of the road and remained in this line of 
business from 1872 until 1874, when he caught the western fever, and 
went to Denver, Colorado.  There he worked on a railroad for one 
year, after which he went to Soda Springs, Idaho, and worked on the 
construction of the new roads being built there at that time; he 
followed the road through Oregon to Portland.

Mr. Heimberger then became foreman of the construction train for the 
Oregon & California Railroad Company, and retained that position for 
the next seven years.  He also went through California to Mexico, and 
was engaged in constructing new roads throughout that country.  After 
a time he returned to Portland and took a position with the Columbia 
Bridge Company, which built a toll bridge across the Willametter 
River.  Mr. Heimberger was given control of this bridge, and held 
that position from 1888 to 1893, when he resigned and returned to 
Triadelphia, where he has since lived with his people.

Mr. Heimberger has many incidents to relate which were connected with 
life in the West, and which were full of peril.  Among them is his 
capture by the Indians, who were so opposed to the advancement of 
civilization they put on their war paint, scoured the country for 
miles around, and killed women and children.  Just previous to our 
subject's capture, they had killed a settler, his wife and two 
children, and as Mr. Heimberger attempted to cross from one camp to 
another, the Indians come upon him and took him prisoner.  For a long 
time they consulted among themselves whether to kill him then, or 
wait until night and burn him at the stake; at last they decided upon 
the latter course.  All the afternoon they marched, and at evening 
encamped in a ravine around the top of a mountain,--there gathering 
wood and making preparations for the torture that was to follow.  He 
had just given up all hope, when a party of soldiers came around the 
point, surprised the Indians and captured them; seven of their number 
were afterward hung for the deeds done that day.  For many days Mr. 
Heimberger was weak from the strain put upon him at this time.

Fraternally, Mr. Heimberger is a member of  I. O. O. F., Lodge No. 8, 
of Oregon.  His father was a Catholic, his mother and a brother were 
Lutherans, and the children attend whatever church they choose.

From "History of Wheeling City and Ohio County, West Virginia and 
Representative Citizens," by Hon. Gibson Lamb Cranmer, 1902.

(Janice Davis)