Will County ILGenWeb Biographies..... Ahrens, George W
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File contributed for use by:
Dori Leekly & Margie Glenn

Author: History of Will County IL, 1878

George W. AHRENS, cabinet-maker; P. O. Crete, was born in Hessen, Germany, Feb. 22, 
1836, and is the son of William AHRENS, of Germany, who was a shoemaker by trade. Mr. 
AHRENS commenced to learn the cabinet-making trade when a young man in Germany, and 
served an apprenticeship of four years; after learning his trade, he was engaged in 
working in different parts of Germany, and, in 1858, with his brother John, emigrated 
to America; landed in New York City; came direct to Chicago; here he started, in a small 
way, in making chairs; this he followed about one year, then he commenced to have all 
the custom work he could do, and made a specialty of fine inlaid work, in which he ranks 
among the first in America, having had some of his work at the Centennial Exposition of 
1876, and received a medal and a certificate of award for originality in design of an 
extension table having a compartment within it for storing the leaves (which was patented, 
March 9, 1875, by George W. AHRENS); also, for very superior quality of inlaid work. Mr. 
AHRENS has now one of his fine tables at his store in Crete, which took the first premium 
at the Centennial Exposition in 1876, and, without doubt, is pronounced as one of the 
finest pieces of work in America. Mr. AHRENS, in 1865, started in the wholesale business, 
as AHRENS MADDEN, 151 Randolph St., Chicago, doing a very extensive business, but on 
account of health he sold out, and, in 1867, moved to Crete, Will Co.; here he has been 
engaged in the furniture business ever since; Mr. AHRENS is also engaged in the undertaking 
line; has one of the finest hearses in Will Co., manufactured by himself.

Additional Comments:
HISTORY OF WILL COUNTY, ILLINOIS; Chicago: Wm LeBaron Jr & Co, 186 Dearborn Street, 1878.

File at: http://will.illinoisgenweb.org/bios/ahrensgw.txt


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