DIETRICH C. ARENS

(From the History of Callaway County Missouri, 1884, page 534-535
Transcribed by Kris Breid, 04 October 2005

DIETRICH C. ARENS, a retired business man and one of the substantial citizens and pioneer settlers of this section of the county, is of German birth, born in Maenden, kingdom of Hanover, February 10, 1808. He was a son of Christian F. and Justine M. (Winkalman) Arnes, [sic] both natives of the same county, and in youth was given an advanced education. He took a thorough course in Greek and Latin and in mathematics, besides a general course in other branches. Up to the age of eighteen he assisted his mother in conducting a hotel, and afterwards with his sister carried on the hotel himself until his immigration to this country.

'Squire Arens embarked for the United States, and landed at New Orleans, the night of the great star shooting, on the 13th of November, 1833, well remembered by the older men and women of the present generation. Landing on these shores after a long and tedious voyage, he came directly West, and located in Osage county, Missouri. After a residence there of eighteen months, he came to Callaway county in 1835, and settled in Portland, Auxvasse township, being one of the first settlers of the town. Here he engaged in the turning business, for the manufacture of furniture, and continued it with success until the fall of 1836. He then started a saloon at Portland, in partnership with George Tucker, and sold out the following spring, but during the succeeding fall engaged in the same business, this time without a partner. As years rolled by he prospered abundantly in business.

Having some unsettled business in the Old Country, in 1840 he left his saloon in the hands of a manager and crossed the blue Atlantic. He soon settled his business, and had leisure enough to find a partner for life who was willing to cross the Atlantic with him. They were married and returned to their home in the New World. She was a Miss Rosetta O. Jatho, a daughter of Henry L. Jatho, of Dransfeld, kingdom of Hanover, afterwards a citizen of the county of Callaway. After his return 'Squire Arens carried on his saloon with increasing success until the spring of 1844, when he engaged in the dry goods business, which he followed for over thirteen years.

In the spring of 1859 he and Mr. A. H. Henderson started a tobacco factory, and ran it until the first year of the war. In 1861 he went to New York and disposed of a large quantity of tobacco, just before the internal revenue tax was levied. During the war, on account of the unsettled condition of affairs, he went to St. Louis with a part of his family, and remained until the re-establishment of peace. Returning after the war, he re-engaged in the dry goods business, with his son and son-in-law as partners, but one year afterwards he retired from the firm, and has since been living a retired life. In 1858 'Squire Arens was elected justice of the peace and filled the office until the outbreak of war. Since the war he has served twelve years as a notary public. 'Squire and Mrs. Arens have five children: Henry C., a merchant in St. Louis; Rosa C., wife of Alfred L. Bershears, of this county; Emeline, wife of Julius Mayer, of Morrinson, Gasconade county; Virginia, Matilda. 'Squire Arens has been entirely successful in life, and is now retired on a competence of this world's goods. He is an intelligent, upright man, and worthy, influential citizen.

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