Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 05.djvu/213

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HEITFIELD


HELM


1850-52, for the benefit of his health and on his return lie opened an ecclesiastical school in his house which led to the founding of the Provincial seminary of St. Francis de Sales of which he was the first rector. When the diocese of La Crosse was set off from the dio- cese of Milwaukee in 1868, Father Heiss was named bishop for the new see and was consecrated Sept. 6, 18GS. by Bishop Henni as- sisted by Bishops Lefevre and Grace. He established the Franciscan Slaters in La


Crosse ; John's under of the


St.

college

charge

Chris-


Sr. JUHAIS CAThEPRAL


tian Brothers in Prairie du Chien ; founded new parishes and erected several new churches; built a cathedral and an episcopal residence and opened twenty-five parochial schools and two asylums. He doubled the number of churches in his diocese during his administration. On March 14, 1880, he was appointed titidar bishop of Adrianople and coadjutor to Archbishop Henni of Milwaukee with right of succession, and on Sept. 7, 1881, succeeded to the metro- politan. He received his pallium, April 23, 1882. In the Baltimore covmcil of 1849, the St. Louis council of 1855, and the plenary council of 1866 he was prominent as a theologian. At the Vatican coimcil of 1869-70, he was a chief member and a member of one of the four great commis- sions, each consisting of twelve bishops repre- senting the entire world. He died in La Crosse, Wis., March 26, 1890.

HEITFIELD, Henry, senator, was born in St. Louis, Mo., Jan. 12, 1859 ; son of Henry and Marrie Theresa (Winkelman) Heitfield. His parents were natives of Germany. He received his earlj- education in the schools of St. Louis, removing to Seneca, Kan., in 1870, thence to Washington Territory in 1882, and thence in 1883 to Idaho where he engaged in farming and stock raising. He was elected a state senator in 1894 and re- elected in 1896. He was elected United States senator as a Populist, Jan. 28, 1897, and took his seat March 4, 1897 ; his term expiring March 3, 1903.

HEITMAN, John Franklin, educator, was born in Davidson county, N.C., April 17, 1840; son of Henry N. and Eve (McCrary) Heitman, and grandson of John F. C. and Nancy Heitman; and of John and Sarah McCrarj'. His paternal grandfather, John F. C. Heitman, oame to Amer-


ica from German3' early in the nineteenth century and his maternal great^ grandfather, Hugh Mc- Ci-ary, came from Ireland about 1760-70. He en- tered Trinity college, N.C., in 1861, and the following year joined the Confederate army serv- ing until the close of the war, being wounded at Fredericksburg, captured near ApiJomattox and imprisoned for several months on Johnson's Is- land. He was graduated from Trinity college in 1868, and soon after entered the Methodist Epis- copal ministry and preached in A-aricus places until 1881. In 1882 he founded and became editor of the XoHh Carolina Educational Journal which he continued until 1887. In 1883 he accepted the professorship of Greek and German in Trinity college, and was transferred successively to the chairs of German and metaphysics, Greek and metaphysics, and metaphysics and theology. He was chairman of the faculty and president of the college, ex officio, 1884-87. On the removal of the college to Durham, N.C., he resigned his profes- sorship and became headmaster of Trinity high school, established in the old college building.

HELM, Benjamin, pioneer, was born in Fair- fax county, Va.. May 8, 1767; son of Capt. Thomas Helm, a pioneer settler of Kentucky, wha removed from Virginia to the Falls of the Ohio in the fall of 1779. In the spring of 1780 Captain Helm, Col. Andrew Haynes and Samuel Hay- craft located where Elizabethtown now stands and built three forts and blockhouses, locating^ them on a triangle one mile apart, and they were known as Helm's Station, Haynes's Station and Haycraft's Station. In 1801-03 Captain Helm erected the first brick house built in the place. Benjamin became a surveyor ; was state senator, 1796-1800; clerk of the Hardin county courts, 1800-17; an officer with the rank of major in the war of 1812 ; :Slled various other offices of honor and trust in Kentucky ; purchased the farm owned by Christopher Bush, father of Mrs. Sallie (Bush) Johnston Lincoln, step-mother of Abra- ham Lincoln, from his heirs ; and was a partner in the general stoi-e of the place with Duff Green, conducting the business as Green & Helm. Major Helm's widow, Mary Helm, died in 1871, aged 94 years, and the major died at Elizabeth- town, Ky., Feb. 24. 1858. nearly 91 years of age.

HELM, Benjamin Hardin, soldier, was born in Elizabethtown, Ky., in 1830; son of John Larue and Lucinda Barbour (Hardin) Helm, and grandson of George B. Helm and of Benjamin Hardin. He was graduated at the L^.S. military academy in 1851, was assigned to the dragoon service at the U.S. cavalry school, Carlisle, Pa., and was aftei-^vard on frontier duty at Fort Lin- coln, Texas. He resigned from the army in 1852, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1854, and practised law in Elizabethtown, 1854-58, and at