Possibly more than any other man, Henry Tonnies was a catalyst in the early development of Albers or "Tonnies" as the town was called for a short time. Tonnies was born on a farm near Germantown in 1861 where he worked for his parents until the age of 29. He then started a small store of his own and bought wheat for the Germantown mill.

In 1892 the Southern Railroad Co. appointed him ticket, freight, and express agent with a salary of about $10.00 a month. Along with the office of post-master to which he was appointed in 1891, Tonnies began the regularity of mill shipping and put Albers on the map.

However, the town was still in desperate need of business. In order to attract such business, he and Anton Stroot started a saw mill and connected it with a feed and corn meal mill and a hydraulic press.

In 1905 Tonnies was elected highway commissioner, which he had held for six years; during that period the first rock road was built in the area. He likewise was instrumental in telephone service being routed from Albers to Damiansville and New Baden.

Through Tonnies’ efforts the construction of St. Bernard’s church was initiated and completed. He organized the drilling for coal in order to improve the town and farming district. At no time did he seem to slow down, as in 1907, he laid out 100 town lots in the area.

It was Henry and his wife Elizabeth who donated the land for both the church and the school. At that time Henry, besides all his other commitments, was secretary and treasurer of the Church Building Committee. The first shovel of ground was dug by him at the construction site; he amazingly supervised the building of the church.

Henry Tonnies’ record of public spirited actions cannot all be mentioned for he had accomplished the previously noted deeds still in his 40’s. He built a hotel, enlarged his post office route, added an addition to his store, plus much more before his death.

The settlement of the area that was to be Albers took its first step when a Railroad Line known as the “Air Line” was constructed in 1889. The railroad company built a small depot on the road to Damiansville, naming it Damiansville Station for the citizens it served.

Only five houses stood close to the depot and it was not until after 1900 that families began to settle in the area. Meanwhile, the name of the Station had been changed to Albers Station after F.H. Albers who donated the land for the depot.

The original settlers in the vicinity of the present town of Albers came from Hanover and Westphalia, Germany, in the early 1840’s and attended church at Germantown. Later, churches were built at Damiansville and Aviston, providing a church not too great a distance away.

It soon became inconvenient, however, to travel even those distances to reach church, and a new congregation was formed. Father Bernard Peter was appointed the first pastor and immediately set about arrangements to build a suitable church. The structure was completed the following year but had no rectory until the late 1910’s.

Albers grew perceptibly in the following years with Tonnies’ help. By 1912, the small town of 175 people contained three general stores, a hardware store, a creamery, a saw mill, three salons, a barber shop, a butcher shop, an elevator, a lumberyard, a blacksmith, and a livery stable.

Albers, throughout its history, has done an extensive amount of business for its size, much more comparatively than most towns. This is true to such a degree that Albers has often been referred to as “The Biggest Little Illinois Town.”

On June 5, 1907, Mr. Tonnies called a meeting to take up subscriptions to drill for coal in order to improve the town and farming district. At the depth of 313 feet a 9-foot vein of coal was found and 60 feet deep a 7-foot vein was found.

On December 16, 1907, he plated and laid out 100 town lots.

On April 2, 1908, the Church Building Committee, of which he was a member, appointed him as the secretary and treasurer, and he was told to order brick and rock and collect subscriptions to pay for them.

In April, 1908, he donated and gave a deed to the Rt. Rev. John J. Janssen, Bishop of Belleville, of all of block No. 6 for Church and School purposes.

On August 8, 1908, the first shovel of ground was dug by him for the church foundation; he also ordered all the steel trusses, mill work, and lumber.

In 1910 he built a hotel and rented it out to Mr. Frank Ellering.

On March 1, 1912, he started a R. F. D. Route from his Post Office with T. H. Stroot as temporary carrier, who was succeeded by Emil Molet as regular carrier.

Owing to the great activity displayed, and his public spirited action the little town of Albers has so flourished that Mr. H. Tonnies was in 1912 obliged to add an addition to his already large store. Here he enjoyed an ever increasing trade, and served his friends for many more years.

(Note: All information on this page was taken from the Albers Centennial Book.)