From History of Walworth County Wisconsin, Vol. 1, by Albert Clayton Beckwith, 
publ. 1912 - Pages 732 - 734
 
JOHN KOHN.  The United States can boast of no better or more law-abiding class 
of citizens than the great number of Germans who have found homes within her 
borders and whom this country is always ready to welcome to its shores. There 
have come to this country from the fatherland and other alien lands, men with 
limited financial resources but imbued with a sturdy independence and a 
laudable ambition to succeed, and who have taken advantage of the wonderful 
possibilities afforded here.  Gradually, step by step, they have risen to 
places of prominence in various lines of activity.  Of these there can be none 
mentioned who deserves more favorable attention than the gentleman whose name 
opens this biographical sketch and who has for many years been an honored and 
industrious resident of Walworth county where he is well known and highly 
esteemed for his many commendable characteristics.
 
John KOHN was born at Rhine-Hessen, near Mainz, in the province of Hessen-
Darmstadt, Germany, on February 2, 1835, and he is the son of George and 
Katherine (HEBIY) KOHN, natives of Germany.  Their son, John, of this review, 
grew to maturity and received his education in his native land and remained 
there until 1855 when he emigrated to the United States and stopped in 
Chicago, but took up his residence in Proviso, a small town in Cook county, 
where he worked at the carpenter's trade.  After remaining there about a year 
he went to Chicago and spent six months, then returned to Proviso and that was 
his home during the next eight years, during which time he followed the 
carpenter's trade.
 
In 1863 Mr. KOHN was united in marriage with Marie WEINHEIMER, daughter of 
Fred and Katherine (SENFT) WEINHEIMER.  She as born at Vallertheim, Hessen-
Darmstadt, Germany, and she grew to womanhood there, emigrating to America 
when about twenty-one or twenty-two years of age.  She had a sister and 
brother-in-law at Proviso, Illinois, and she came there and made her home with 
them.  About 1865 Mr. and Mrs. KOHN moved to Chicago where they spent about 
ten years, engaged in the milk business, and during their residence there the 
big fire occurred.  Besides the milk business they had rental property, 
several apartment houses, and after the fire a cheaper class of tenants filled 
the section of the city in which they were living and as a result property 
values were so depreciated that Mr. KOHN traded his property for a farm near 
Ringwood, McHenry county, and soon moved thereto and engaged in farming for 
three years.  In 1880 he moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, sold his farm and 
bought the old Union house on Broad street, south of the railroad.  he changed 
the name of the house to the Eagle hotel, which he successfully conducted for 
a period of ten years, rendering it one of the most popular hotels in this 
famous resort region, finally turning it over to the management of his sons 
and retired from business, moving to his home at the end of Geneva street.  He 
afterwards bought a farm of two hundred acres, the MURPHY place in Linn 
township, Walworth county.  He improved the farm, erected substantial new 
buildings and sold it to John MURPHY.  He has been very successful in whatever 
he has turned his attention to and has accumulated a competency, being a man 
of keen discernment, sound judgment and up-to-date in his methods, at the same 
time living daily by the Golden Rule.
 
Twelve children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. KOHN, six of whom died in 
infancy; those who grew up were: Phillip, who is in business where his father 
first started in Lake Geneva; he married Hattie SHIEKE and they have three 
children.  John, who was in partnership with Phillip in the hotel business, 
died December 15, 1909, after a very sudden illness, leaving a wife and five 
children.  Lawrence, who is in the firm of KOHN & JENNINGS, clothiers, of Lake 
Geneva, married Minnie DOPKE and they have three children; her parents were 
early settlers of the vicinity of Elkhorn and Mrs. DOPKE is now living in Lake 
Geneva.  Minnie, Mr. KOHN's fourth child, is at home with her parents.  Emma 
married Michael QUINCANNON, son of an old family who settled near Lake Geneva 
many years ago.  She now lives in Chicago, where Mr. QUINCANNON is a salesman 
for a wholesale grocery; they have two children.  Tillie KOHN married Ernest 
G. HOST, who is in the meat business in Lake Geneva, and enjoys a large trade; 
they have three children; his people are old settlers in Walworth county.
 
Fraternally, Mr. KOHN is a Mason of many years standing.  He has a beautiful 
home and is there spending his declining years in quiet, surrounded by the 
blessings of life as a result of his former years of thrift.  He has never 
been a public man, preferring to lead a conservative life, being a home loving 
man.

Submitted By:  Carol
(carolann612@charter.net)