Joseph Blechle, a retail liquor dealer of Perryville, Mo., is a native of Perry County, born in 1837, and is a son of Gottfried and Cecelia (Meyers) Blechle, natives of the Grand Duchy of Baden, born in 1805 and 1803 respectively. The parents immigrated to the United States in 1832, and made a settlement in Perry County, Mo., ten miles east of Perryville.

The father was farmer and merchant and became the owner of 500 acres of land. Between 1838 and 1861 he made two trips to New Orleans with merchandise. He died in 1872 and his wife in 1868.

They were the parents of six children, of whom five - Barbara, Joseph, William, Louis and Gotfired - are living. Joseph grew to manhood on his father�s farm, and in 1863 he married Tresa Underiend, who was born in Perry County, Mo, in 1844. After his marriage Mr. Blechle located on a farm near the home place, and began farming on his own account.

In 1865, he sold his farm and removed to Sigel, Ill., and engaged in merchandising, which he continued for three years, after which he and his brother William, purchased a steam flour mill which they operated until 1872. They sold out the mill, and Joseph returned to his native county and assumed proprietorship of the Hooss Hotel in Perryville, which he managed three and one half years, he and John Hooss being in partnership in the saloon in the building.

In the fall of 1876, he purchased a farm of 220 acres near Perryville and resumed farming, but in 1881 sold his land and bought a saloon in Perryville, which he has since managed, since 1886 in partnership with his son-in-law, William Huber, under the firm name of Blechle & Huber. Mr. Blechle has been a member of the town board for the past two years.

He and wife have six children: Lizzie, Julia, Ann (wife of William Huber), Carrie, Frederick, Rose and Martha. All of the family are members of the Catholic Church.

The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.