Biographies - Solomon Plaut - Vermilion County, IL

Ray Cunningham
VP Homer Historical Society

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Biographies - Solomon Plaut

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From Chapman Brothers "Portrait and Biographical Album of Champaign County Ill." page 520 Chapman Brothers Publishers 1887.

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SOLOMON PLAUT, President of the First National Bank of Homer, has been a resident of this locality for twenty years, and during that time has fully established himself in the confidence and esteem of the people. He traces his ancestry back a hundred years or more, and finds the record to have been eminently worthy and of importance in social and financial circles. He is descended from an old Prussian family, and was himself born in the Province of Hesse-Cassel, in that Kingdom, on the 28th of March, 1838. He is the son of Anselm and Carrie (Haas) Plaut, natives of the same Province, where they spent their entire lives, and where the father died in 1873, when about eighty-two years of age, having been born in 1791. The wife and mother lived to be sixty-five years old, her death occurring in 1865. The children of the household, eight in number, were Simon, Adeline, Emanuel, Amelia, Jeanette, Betty, Moses and Solomon.

The subject of this history was placed in school at an early age, where he obtained a good education in his native language, and when sixteen years old, inlaying his plans for the future, decided to emigrate to the New World. He started on the voyage across the Atlantic alone, and six weeks later landed in New York City, the trip being made on a sailing-vessel. Two sisters had already preceded him to this country, and located at Ft. Wayne, Ind. He joined them soon afterward, and employed himself at whatever he could find to do for the five years following, in the meantime having saved of his modest earnings whatever he could. With a cash capital of about $500 he then proceeded to Oxford, Ind., where he purchased a stock of general merchandise, and remained in trade two and one-half years. Thence he removed to Milford, Ill., and carried on the same business for three and one-half years, when he sold out and made his first trip to this county, establishing himself in the business which had formerly engaged his attention, and being thus occupied eight and one-half years. In the meantime he had built up a good trade, and by his straight business methods numbered among his patrons the best people of this vicinity. From the proceeds of his well-conducted business, and the co-operation of other responsible parties, he established a private bank, in 1875, which eight years later was incorporated as a National Bank. Of this our subject is President, and there are four Directors.

After Mr. Plaut had formed the basis of a future home and competency, and felt that he could provide suitably for the needs of a family, he selected for the sharer of his life and fortunes Miss Sarah Solomon, with whom he was united in marriage on the 18th of May, 1862. Mrs. Plaut is a native of Montreal, Canada, born Jan. 10, 1842, and the daughter of Philip and Betty (Brown) Solomon, the former a native of Germany, and the latter of what is now the Province of Alsace-Lorraine. Her father was born in 1798. After emigrating to this country he located at Lafayette, Ind., where he engaged in the grocery trade, and departed this life in 1865. The wife and mother, born in 1817, is still living in Indiana. The children of the household were: Sarah, the wife of Mr. Plaut; Samuel, who married Miss Clara Slossman, of Remington, Ind.; Barbara, who died in Colorado, Feb. 3, 1886, and Moses, who married Miss Jessie Shaw, of Remington, Ind. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Plaut are Michael, Carrie, Adolph, Samuel, Mamie, Adeline, Emma and Esther. The later died when nearly four years old, Nov. 7, 1884. After being invested with the rights of an American citizen, Mr. Plaut identified himself with the Republican party, the principles of which he has always heartily supported. In religious matters he adhere to the faith of his forefathers. Socially he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Milford Lodge No. 169, and having occupied all the Chairs therein. He is also a member of the Chapter and Council of the same order. He identified himself with the I. O. O. F., and is now a member of Oxford Lodge, in Indiana.

In addition to his real-estate interests in Homer Village, Mr. Plaut is proprietor of 400 acres of fine farming land, including 160 acres in Vermilion County, Ind., and two farms in Champaign County, this State. He also has city property in Danville, Ill. His fine residence in Homer forms one of the attractions of the village, and is finished and furnished in accordance with the cultivated tastes and abundant means of its proprietor. He has proved himself no unimportant factor in assisting to buildup the town, his own industry and enterprise furnishing an example which other have followed with good results. He occupies a place among its leading mean, to whose energy and ability the community is indebted for its present status among the prosperous towns of the county.

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Solomon Plaut Died Sunday Eve

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January 25, 1910 Danville Press Democrat
Well Known Citizen, Private Banker and Broker, Could Not Recover from Heart Attack

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Solomon Plaut, one of the walthiest citizens of Danville, died Sunday night, January 23, 1910, at 8 o'clock, of heart disease, he having suffered a severe attack Saturday afternoon while down town. His death was not surprising to the few who had known that his heart was weak.

Mr. Plaut suffered an attack about five weeks ago falling on the east side of the Mike Plaut & Co. store, of which his sons are in control. He was at that time taken into the store and given medical aid. He entirely recovered to all outward appearances. But it was known by his family that his heart was subject to those attacks and that he might be taken from them at any time in that way. So indeed it was.

Saturday afternoon Mr. Plaut was down town looking after business interests. He had been to the Palmer bank and was feeling unusually weak. He was accompanied to the Mike Plaut store by one of the men from the bank building. In front of the store he suffered an attack of the heart and dropped unconscious. He was borne within and several physicians summoned. He was revived and taken home in his carriage. He was reported better Saturday night but Sunday became weaker and passed away that evening.

Mr. Plaut was born of Hebrew parentage at Rauchenberg, Germany, 71 years ago. At the age of 15 years, practically penniless, he went to Fort Wayne, Indiana. He found a hard battle before him but by industry and economy saved up a little money. He selected the meat business and invested his savings but failed. His first venture a failure was a great discouragement to him. He turned to peddling but made no success and finally resolved to go into the clothing business.

His first success was attained at Oxford, Indiana, where he did fairy well. That village [unreadable] large enough and for various reasons he moved his stock of goods to Milford, Illinois. His success at Milford was large and after three years he sold out and went to Homer, Illinois, in 1866. At Homer he opened a general store which was the largest establishment of the kind in the town.

Although he was successful in Oxford, and he prospered in Milford, he did better in Homer. His store proved to be the best establishment in that town and he was soon enabled to sell out and engaged in the private banking business [unreadable] venture later became the First National Bank of Homer which he sold to E. I. Fisher and H. J. Wiggins in 1887.

In 1888 he moved to Danville and has since been engaged in private banking and brokerage business. He had acquired much valuable property, including a number of farms and was reputed to be worth several hundred thousand dollars - not far below the million mark - at the time of his death.

Forty-eight years ago. Mr. Plaut married Sarah Solomon in the synagogue in Lafayette, Indiana. She survives him as do the following sons and daughters: M. S. and A. E. Plaut, Mrs. I. Louis of this city; Mrs Julius Pries, Mrs. W. J. Ehrman and Mrs. S. D. Levy, of New York. Two children are dead.

Funeral services will be held at the home, 419 North Walnut Street, Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock Raggi Leipseiger of Terre Haute, will conduct the services and burial will occur in the Springhill cemetery.

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