Several Biele men in mid-19th-century Missouri shared the name Heinrich or Henry, either as a first or middle name. Because German immigrants often used their middle names in daily life and switched between German and Anglicized spellings, the records can be difficult to sort out. As with much genealogical research, the surviving records are incomplete, inconsistent, and sometimes plainly wrong.
In this case, the men I am trying to distinguish are:
Heinrich Adolphus Biele (c. 1820-1855/56), born in Germany, who lived in Franklin County, Missouri, and usually went by Adolphus.
Henry F. Biele (1846-1941), son of Heinrich Adolphus Biele, born and married in Franklin County, Missouri, and later a resident of Kansas.
Heinrich ("Henry") Biele (1818/19-1875/76), born in Prussia, who married in St. Louis, Missouri, and later lived in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Hermann Heinrich Biele (1821-1907), born in Prussia, who married in St. Louis and later moved to Gasconade County, Missouri. He also had a son named Henry, born in 1869, who is not included here.
At present, it is not clear when the three older Heinrich/Henry Bieles came to the United States or exactly where they were born in what is now Germany. The one exception is Henry F. Biele, who was born in Missouri in 1846.
To begin untangling this group, here is what the records seem to show about each man.
Heinrich Adolphus Biele
Heinrich Adolphus Biele first appears in an 1846 marriage record to Marie Brune in Franklin County, Missouri. In that record, he is listed as Adolphus. The couple had two known children: Henry F., born in 1846, and August, born in 1848.
Two Missouri land records also appear to be connected to him: one from 1848 for Henrich A. Biele in Franklin County, and another from 1851 for Henrich A. Biele, also in Franklin County. Both involve the same general area where Adolphus lived and where his descendants later remained.
His estate was filed in December 1855, though he may have died as early as 1854. Beyond these records, I have not yet identified him with confidence elsewhere.
Several secondary sources add possible clues, though not firm answers. Census records of descendants state that he was born in Germany. A published biography of his son, Henry F. Biele, says that Henry's father, Adolph, was from Bielefeld, Germany, but I have seen similar claims attached to other Biele men who appear to have come from different places. That same biography gives his wife's maiden name as Wortman, which is incorrect, so it must be used with caution. It also states that Adolph had a brother named Henry who also came to the United States, though it says it is not known where he settled. Family lore among present-day descendants holds that Adolphus and his brother died of cholera and were buried on the family farm.
In short, the firm facts are these: Adolphus was married in 1846, had children in 1846 and 1848, acquired land in 1848 and 1851, and died before December 1855. His exact place and date of birth remain unknown, though he was likely born in one of the German states in the early 1800s. No record yet identifies his parents or any confirmed siblings.
Henry F. Biele
Henry F. Biele was the eldest son of Adolphus Biele and was born in 1846 in Franklin County, Missouri. In the 1860 census, he appears living with his mother, his brother August, and relatives in Franklin County.
In 1864, he joined the Union Army and served in the Civil War. He married Amelie Sellman in Franklin County in 1869, and they had one son, Otto, in 1872. After Amelie's death, he married again in 1876, this time to Lean Bucher. The family later moved to Chanute, Kansas, where seven more children were born. He died there in 1941.
Compared with the older men in this study, Henry F. Biele is relatively easy to trace. The documentary record is fairly clear regarding his birth, marriages, residences, and later life. The main unresolved point is his middle initial. His gravestone reads Henry F. Biele, and he is identified that way in his obituary, but I have not yet found another record that spells out what the "F." stood for.
Heinrich ("Henry") Biele of St. Louis and Minnesota
The third man in this group is Heinrich, or Henry, Biele, who first appears in the record with an 1848 marriage to Mary Gross in St. Louis, Missouri. In the civil marriage record, his name is given as Henry. In the record from St. Peter's Church in St. Louis, his name appears as Heinrich Biele, with a birth year of 1818.
The marriage record includes the place name Brockhagen, Halle under Mary's name. It is not yet clear whether that refers only to Mary or to both bride and groom.
Two children were born to the couple in St. Louis, in 1852 and 1853. By the mid-1850s the family had moved to Minnesota, where three more children were born: one in 1856, and twins in 1861. The family appears in the 1865 Minnesota census, the 1870 U.S. census, and the 1875 Minnesota census, all in Stillwater, Minnesota.
Based on the census records and his gravestone, he appears to have been born in 1818 or 1819, probably in Prussia. His gravestone gives his dates as 1819-1876, though some records suggest he may have died in 1875.
There is also a declaration of intent from 1845 and a grant of citizenship from 1848 for a Henry Biele, but it is not yet certain whether these records belong to this man or to another man of the same name.
In summary, Heinrich/Henry Biele can be followed from St. Louis to Stillwater, Minnesota, but his origins before marriage remain uncertain. He was likely born in 1818 or 1819 in what was then Prussia, and he must have immigrated before 1848, when he married in St. Louis. No record has yet confirmed his parents, siblings, or exact place of origin.
Hermann Heinrich Biele
Hermann Heinrich Biele first appears in the official records with an 1856 marriage to Wilhelmine Meske in St. Louis. The city marriage record gives his full name as Hermann Heinrich Biele and states that both bride and groom were from Prussia. I have not yet found a corresponding church record that might provide more detail.
He next appears clearly in the 1870 U.S. census, where he is listed as Henry Biele. He appears with his wife and six children, all born in Missouri, with ages ranging from 12 years to 5 months. He and his wife are both listed as born in Prussia. By this point, the family was living in Third Creek Township, Gasconade County, Missouri.
This remained the family's home in the 1876 Missouri census, the 1880 U.S. census, and the 1900 U.S. census. Across these records he is listed variously as Henry and Heinrich. In the 1900 census, he is living with his son Henry, born in 1869, and both he and his wife are said to have immigrated in 1854. The same census states that he was naturalized.
I have not found a definitive immigration record, though there is a potentially relevant entry in a New Orleans ship log from 1853 for "Herm. Biele," whose destination was St. Louis. This may refer to Hermann Heinrich Biele, though it is not yet certain.
Although there are some conflicting dates in the census records, most sources suggest that he was born in 1821. He died in 1907 in the same general area of Gasconade County. His death was noted in both the local English-language and German-language newspapers.
In summary, Hermann Heinrich Biele is better documented after his marriage than before it. He was likely born in 1821 in what was then Prussia, and he immigrated to the United States sometime before 1856, possibly in 1854. As with the others, no record has yet identified his parents or any confirmed siblings.
Records that may belong to one of these men, but remain unproven
Several records look as though they may connect to one of these men, but in my view they do not yet meet a "beyond a reasonable doubt" standard.
1. The 1845 declaration of intent in Gasconade County
In 1845, a Henry Biele, native of Prussia, declared his intention to become a U.S. citizen in Gasconade County, Missouri.
At first I attributed this record to Hermann Heinrich Biele, since he later lived in Gasconade County for many years. However, the evidence does not fit especially well. Hermann is not a confirmed resident of Gasconade County until the 1870 census, and the 1900 census states that he immigrated in 1854, which would make an 1845 declaration impossible.
At present, I think this record more likely belongs to Heinrich Biele, the man who married in St. Louis in 1848 and later moved to Minnesota, since he is known to have been in Missouri in this period.
2. The 1848 citizenship record in St. Louis County
In 1848, a Henry Biele, native of Prussia, was granted citizenship in St. Louis County. The record states that he had been in the United States for at least five years and in Missouri for at least one year.
Like the 1845 declaration, this record seems to match Heinrich Biele of St. Louis and later Minnesota better than Hermann Heinrich Biele. It also does not fit especially well with Heinrich Adolphus Biele, who was already established in Franklin County by 1846.
My current working theory is that Heinrich Biele may have immigrated in the early 1840s, spent some time in the Gasconade County area, declared his intention to become a citizen there in 1845, then moved to St. Louis, where he married, completed his naturalization, started a family, and later moved to Minnesota. That remains only a hypothesis, however. Finding him in the 1850 would help test it.
3. The 1853 New Orleans passenger record for "Herm. Biele"
A November 1853 passenger record from a ship arriving in New Orleans lists "Herm. Biele," described as a 28-year-old farmer who boarded in Bremen and was bound for St. Louis.
This is an intriguing possibility for Hermann Heinrich Biele. If he arrived in late 1853 and then made his way upriver to St. Louis, his actual arrival there may well have been in 1854, which would fit the immigration year given in the 1900 census.
The difficulty is the age. If this passenger was truly 28 in 1853, he would have been born about 1825, plus or minus, whereas most later records for Hermann Heinrich Biele suggest a birth year of 1821. Since ages in passenger records and censuses are often imprecise, the discrepancy does not rule him out, but it does prevent a confident identification.
Current conclusions
At this point, the evidence suggests that these records belong to at least three distinct immigrant men:
-
Heinrich Adolphus Biele of Franklin County, Missouri
-
Heinrich ("Henry") Biele of St. Louis and later Stillwater, Minnesota
-
Hermann Heinrich Biele of St. Louis and later Gasconade County, Missouri
Henry F. Biele, born in Missouri in 1846, clearly belongs to the next generation and is the son of Adolphus.
What remains unresolved is whether any of the older men were related before coming to the United States. The recurring given names, overlapping dates, and common regional origins make a family connection plausible, but no record I have found yet proves it. For now, the safest conclusion is that they should be treated as separate individuals unless and until stronger evidence links them.
