| Born in
Pennsylvania in November of 1771, Christopher or
Christer, was the son of George and Catherine
(Godshall), both of Germany ancestry. He and
Margaret lived in Pennsylvania until shortly
after their marriage, at which time they moved to
Monmouth Co., New Jersery where Christopher had a
tobacco and wool carding machine business. While serving as a captain
of his New Jersey Militia during the War of 1812,
his mill in New Egypt was burned by British
soldiers. He then began shipping wool to New York
City and owned and managed a store with one of
his eight brothers. In about 1817 he moved to
what would be St. Clair Co., Illinois following
one of his brothers who had come two years
earlier, and around 1822 he opened a new snuff
shop in Belleview, Illinois. Christopher then
moved to St. Louis in about 1833 where he opened
his tobacco shop at 2nd and Walnut Street, where
the south leg of the Gateway Arch now stands.
Christopher and
Margaret were the parents of Elizabeth, wife of
Joseph Liggett; William Grundy; Catherine; Mary,
Sarah and Charles. It would be their daughter's
son John Edmund Liggett, who would join the firm
after his father's death and his grandfather's
retirement. Having first been employed with
Mess'rs Foulks & Shaw, tobacco manufacturers,
John became partners with his step-father, Hiram
Shaw, and the firm then became known as Hiram
Shaw & ,Co. A year and a half later, John's
brother, W. C. L. Liggett, purchased Mr. Shaw's
interest and the firm became J.E. Liggett &
Brother, but would eventually become Liggett
& Myers Tobacco Manufacturing Company.
A Whig and member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Christopher
died in 1846, his wife preceding him in 1832.
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