The Heimbach Legacy

The Heimbach Legacy
By Rachael E. Martin, Club #25 Historian

It's time for the annual Carlie Heimbach Memorial Campship Drive!  Some people in our club knew him, but not I.  So I began my research.

Carlisle M. Heimbach (1891-1976), together with his brother, William P. Heimbach (1889-1966), operated their father's lumber business in Duluth.  Their father, whose name was also William P. Heimbach, started the Heimbach Lumber Company in Duluth in 1883.  A few years after starting this business, his sons were born in Duluth.  Carlisle, nicknamed Carlie, graduated from St. John's Military Academy and served with the French and American armies in World Was I.  William junior graduated from Central High School and attended Princeton Preparatory School in New Jersey. 

In 1907, the senior Heimbach also founded the Endion Lumber company, which was managed by his son William P. Heimbach, Jr. until 1931.  William P. Heimbach, Sr., president of the Heimbach Lumber Company at 20 East Railroad Street, joined the Duluth Rotary Club in 1912 with the classification of Lumber, Retail.  In 1922, William P. Heimbach, Sr. died and both sons continued to operate their father's businesses.  In 1931, they consolidated the Endion with the Heimbach Lumber Company with Carlie Heimbach serving as president and William P. junior serving as secretary/treasurer.  They moved their business in 1954 from 1st Avenue East and Railroad Street to London Road and 14th Avenue East.

William P. Heimbach, Jr. was also a member of the Duluth Rotary Club, the Kitchi Gammi Club and the Northland Country Club.  He had two sons, William Phillip Heimbach, Jr. and J. V. V. (Van), who was also a Club 25 Rotarian (as are his son Bob and Bob's daughter Ann) Heimbach.  When he died in 1966 he had six grandchildren and resided on Lakeview Drive in Duluth.

In 1920, Carlisle Heimbach married Charlene Bagley, daughter of the founders of the Bagley Company jewelers.  They had two children, Richard B. Heimbach, also a member of Rotary Club 25, and a daughter, who became Mrs. James Claypool (Jim also became a Rotarian).  Carlisle Heimbach joined Rotary Club 25 in about 1917 with the classification Lumber, Retail.  He served as director of the City National Bank, an advisory director of the Northern City National Bank, president of the Northland country Club, member of the Kitchi Gammi Club, The Pilgrim Congregational Church, and president of the Forest Hills Cemetery Association for 25 years.   At the time of his death in 1976, he had nine grandchildren and five great grandchildren.  He lived at the old Paine Farm.

Carlie Heimbach served 59 years in the Duluth Rotary Club.  He was past president, and founder of the Duluth Campship Fund.  His work as a leader in Rotary youth work projects is legendary.  No wonder the Campship Drive is now named the Carlie Heimbach Memorial Campship Drive.  I can almost hear him making his announcement for 100 percent participation this year!