Adam Kahr was lauded as having caught the largest fish in Miller Park in known history on this date 100 years ago. It was a twelve pound catfish, 33 inches in length. Adam was pretty much a fixture at Miller Park, which was close to his home at 1001 Low Street. Another year he was a witness when a high school boy drown in the lake while swimming with friends. When the Miller Lake dam was under assault by muskrats, Adam took his rifle to the lake at night and eradicated the muskrats.
This was not the only time that Adam Kahr was mentioned in the Pantagraph.
Adam Kahr came to Bloomington from Bavaria in 1851 with his parents when he was a small boy of about 5 years. George Kahr apparently had some money because he very shortly set up as a truck farmer and bought about 35 acres of land in Section 17 of Bloomington Township (south of I 55 now). there he established a fruit and vegetable farm which he later worked with his sons, Adam and George. Adam also worked as a poulterer and raised chickens and turkeys.
Adam married Lena Schlerer and had several children with her. One of their children, Lillian, was killed in 1802 when she was bitten by a scorpion that came in on a shipment of bananas. In 1892 the Pantagraph reported that the Kehrs had had a great deal of sickness in their home -- Their second eldest daughter had been ill for eleven weeks with typhoid and their four year old son had drunk a can of poison the children found in the park and was near death. Later than year their nine month old baby died.
The Pantagraph reported that Adam travelled a great deal. He had visited the West Indies and South America during his life. When he travelled through the United States he collected trees and planted them on the frontage of his large lot on Low Street. He had six different kinds of trees in his property from different places he had visited. He was known for his beautiful flower gardens at his home.
Adam apparently had a temper -- he was arrested several times for fighting. In 1878 he enraged Mr. Coonrod to the point that the man took a horsewhip to Kehr. He was arrested on June 7, 1888 for fighting Ed Springer outside the post office. In July, 1895 he was arrested for assaulting a Mr. Triplett with a deadly weapon.
Adam was something of a entrepeneur as well, besides being a poulterer and seller of fruits and vegetables, he went to Chicago in October 25, 1892 to sell Columbus badges at a parade. He was having a fine time selling his badges, but was interrupted when Governor Fifer's carriage came by. Governor Fifer stopped the parade to invite Adam into his carriage. When the parade stopped at its destination Adam resumed selling his badges and made a good profit that day.
In June 1874 Kehr was digging a vault for a privy for Mrs. Nelm in her back yard. After digging down just one foot he found a decomposing infant buried in some rags. He brought this to the attention of the old woman and to the police. Investigation showed that the previous winter her daughter, an unmarried girl who went out to work as a servant, had come home with some illness. She consulted with a doctor and complained of menstrual bleeding at that time. Mrs. Nelm was a poor widow who made rag rugs to eke out a living. The Pantagraph states: "The coroner's verdict does not attempt to give any theory."
Mr. Kehr died in 1928, one year after his wife died. He was buried in Evergreen Cemetery with her and his two children who died in 1892 and a son who died in 1915.