C.W. Klemm (1845-1930)

             Carl Wilhelm (C.W.) Klemm was born on May 1, 1845 in Haynrode, Saxony, Germany. His grandfather sold Brazilian coffee and his father was a dry goods merchant. Klemm had two brothers who remained in Germany—Julius, who was in the lumber business and Robert, who was a lawyer. Beginning when he was fifteen, Klemm served five years as an apprentice clerk in Potsdam, Germany. When he was twenty, he began a three-year clerkship before coming to America to continue his business endeavors.

            When he arrived all alone in New York City in 1868, the only words of English he knew were “Water is the most wholesome drink,” but his cousin C.A. Gehrman offered him a job as a clerk, so he moved to Springfield, Illinois. Klemm worked for Gehrman for five years, receiving wages of $5 a week. This did not satisfy his ambition, so on November 7, 1873, Klemm decided to move to either Bloomington or Peoria to take advantage of the rapidly growing markets there. He chose Bloomington, then a town of 1,200 inhabitants, and never once regretted it.

            His dry goods and millinery store, which was located at 107 West Jefferson Street, opened in the winter of 1873 in the middle of a snowstorm. Klemm had to shovel off the walkway in front of his store before the first customers arrived, setting in motion a business that would last for over fifty years. When his business first opened, Klemm slept in a room over the store and boarded at the St. Nicholas Hotel in order to save money. Eventually, his store grew to be one of the most successful businesses in Central Illinois, employing over 100 people in the retail department and well as another 100 in his wholesale department. In 1890, Klemm would expand his store to include 105 W. Jefferson, which he purchased from Fitzwilliam and Sons.   

            The star and crescent with the words “Ad Astra Per Aspera” (“To the stars through difficulties”) became his business emblem, but he kept “sell no trash but always give the worth of the money in good, honest goods” as his personal motto. He was a firm believer in public affairs and gave much time and money back to the community through his work on various committees and his personal philanthropy. Klemm served as president of the Bloomington Loan and Homestead Association, director of Third and First National Banks, trustee of the Unitarian Church, a member of the Association of Commerce, part owner and director of the Consumer’s Heat and Light Company, board member of the Withers Library, board member of Brokaw Hospital, member of the Masonic Lodge, and charter member of the Old Golf Club (now known as the Bloomington Country Club).

He was a shrewd businessman as well, paying all bills immediately to take advantage of discounts and demonstrating his thrift to his children by saving string, rubber bands, and parcel wrappings. Klemm did not travel much except to buy new merchandise in New York every fall and spring, and he worked among the clerks as though he was one of them. Fashions at the time included yards of silk and velvet with elaborate hats, and Klemm had an inherent feeling for beautiful and fine things. He was beloved by his employees, who sent him a large basket of roses every year on his birthday to demonstrate their gratitude and admiration for him. In 1920, following the 47^th anniversary sale of his establishment, Klemm’s employees presented him with a silver cup to honor his hard work and great achievements as well.

            In 1874, he married Augusta Seibel, the daughter of H.P. Siebel, who was involved with the new paper mill enterprise. They had three children: Helene, Clara, and Carl H. All of the children took piano lessons and one also played the violin. Klemm himself believed strongly in education both for the children and for himself and spent several hours at night studying French and astronomy. He did not allow such newfangled things as jazz or novels in the house, preferring more classical art forms. Every Sunday, the family went out to the woods after church to enjoy the natural landscape and reflect on God’s creation.

            Sadly, this patient, tolerant, and considerate family underwent a major change on August 20, 1886, when Augusta died of burns sustained in a terrible accident at the Klemm’s home, located at 806 N. Main Street. No one knows for sure what happened, but it is thought that gas from a gasoline can in the bathroom was ignited by a gas jet and Augusta’s clothing then caught fire. Augusta had been an invalid for several years before this incident, suffering nervous problems, and her body was mostly likely unable to resist the shock from the burns. C.W. was in New York at the time of the accident and was unable to be contacted for several days; however, as soon as he found out, he rushed home for the funeral.

            Klemm remarried on January 9, 1889; this time, to Emelie (sometimes spelled Amelie or Amelia) Bender of Peoria. Their wedding was very quiet and not publicized much. They had one child; a son named Julius. Sadly, Emelie died June 8, 1921, six years before her husband.

            Unfortunately, Klemm had another unhappy experience in his life time, which was during the Great Fire of 1900. This was the most disastrous fire in Bloomington’s history. It started in the Model Laundry building on the corner of Monroe and East Streets. By the time the fire department was finally able to extinguish the flames, four city blocks in downtown Bloomington were completely destroyed, including the McLean County Courthouse. In an eerie parallel to the day his wife died, Klemm was in New York the day of the fire. His life was not endangered, but his store and all the merchandise in it burned to the ground. The building was worth $25,000 (today worth $636,800) but was only insured for $15,000 (today $382,080).

            According to a 1900 article in The Daily Pantagraph, Klemm’s first reaction upon hearing of the fire was “Well, get a room and open up for business quick!” Fortunately, a kind fellow merchant by the name of Oberkoetter allowed Klemm to use his building on S. Main Street while he rebuilt his shop. Seven months later, Klemm was able to return to his store, which had been rebuilt in a modern style. He also rebuilt his wholesale department on N.Center Street (between Monroe and Jefferson), which also housed one of his overall and shirt factories. The other one was in LeRoy, Illinois.

            One rather unique event during Klemm’s lifetime occurred in 1905. Klemm, along with the rest of the town, was in for a rather pleasant surprise when Captain George Yager piloted a blimp, called “The Comet,” through downtown Bloomington. In the first decade of the 21^st century, airships were seen more as a whimsical form of entertainment than a mode of passenger transportation (after all, the Wright Brothers’ famous flight had occurred in 1903, only two years before this). On the first day Yager planned to fly “The Comet,” strong winds prevented him from doing so, but on the second day, he circled the newly-erected courthouse dome before landing on the roof of the Klemm building, located at 105-107 W. Jefferson Street.

            Klemm’s business celebrated its 50^th anniversary on November 7, 1923. It had survived three economic panics so far; 1873, 1893, and 1907. Yet the Great Depression was still to come, and it hit Klemm’s store in 1930, the same year that he died. However, Klemm’s reputation for hard work and honesty outlived him, and his store remained in business for six more years until his heirs sold the equipment and factory space to the Woolenwear company, which made sports jackets.

            Klemm passed away on February 23, 1930. He had been ill for two weeks, but had continued working in his store right up to the end. C.W. Klemm was buried in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery.

Peterson