|
|
|
|
From Quebec to Milwaukee (ref 2 and ref 12) The trip from Quebec to Buffalo, New York, was a combination of ships, boats, canal barges and trains. Much of their travel was by boat down the St. Lawrence Seaway. At the time, trains were still somewhat primitive. Somewhere in New York State, the Langenholzhausen group was riding a train that could not make it over hills without the male passengers jumping off and pushing it. Trains were known for going so slowly in places, that passengers had time to jump off, grab apples and other fruit along the tracks, and hop back on the train. At Buffalo, New York, the Langenholzhausen group took a steamship through the Great Lakes to Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The Dilemma Presented by Land Agents (ref 2 and ref 12) The original destination of the Langenholzhausen group was Iowa where they brought along enough money to buy farmland there. At the Milwaukee Harbor, however, the group met with land agents that would forever change their destination, and perhaps destiny. The land agents had land in Wisconsin they were trying to sell. Much of the land was held by US government soldiers which they received as pay for their military service. Some of the land was still available directly from the US government. The Langenholzhausen group was weary, and undoubtedly very anxious to find a place to settle. The Wisconsin land was presented to them as very desirable and as a place that they could settle and start a community. Indeed, the land agents told them that Iowa was still a long distance away with a hard overland passage to get there. Furthermore, the land prices in Iowa were said to be much higher than the Wisconsin land. The group still would need to find someone in Iowa to sell them land while the land agents were here ready to sell land in Wisconsin to them on the spot. The 112 people from Langenholzhausen were divided. Some wanted to settle in Wisconsin, and the others wanted to continue to Iowa. One can easily imagine the reasons for ending their trip in Wisconsin. There was a deep-seeded need to start their community where they could eventually be self-supporting, and resume the lives that had been put on hold since leaving Lippe-Detmold. It is more difficult to understand the reasons that some of the group wanted to continue to Iowa. Upon perusing the American census records for immigrants from Lippe-Detmold at www.nhv-ahnenforschung.de, one finds no record of Lipper in Iowa prior to 1847. So, one can discount a prior Lipper community in Iowa as a reason for some of the Langenholzhausen group to want to go to Iowa. (There were two prior Lipper groups that settled in Missouri about 60-100 miles (90-160 kilometers) west of St. Louis.) Perhaps, promises were made for the Langenholzhausen group to settle in Iowa to start a seminary. The Mission Haus, a seminary in Wisconsin was eventually built by the Langenholzhausen group. Speculation is that plans for the seminary were made in Lippe-Detmold before the trip to America. If one were making plans for a seminary, it seems likely that they would desire to build it in a more central location like Iowa instead of an out-of-the-way location like east central Wisconsin, where it was eventually built. Another reason for wanting to continue to Iowa is simply that they had received stories of the prairie land there that was easily converted to farmland. Why change your plans for an unknown wilderness in Wisconsin? Destination Wisconsin Wilderness, Not Iowa At the Milwaukee Harbor, the Langenholzhausen group was deeply divided over settling in Wisconsin or continuing to Iowa. The group was on the spot and they needed to decide. Friedrich Reineking organized the group near a hill. Everyone listened to arguments for Wisconsin versus Iowa. The Langenholzhausen group was divided between the people who had enough money to afford land in Iowa and those who could not. Friedrich Reineking himself spoke about how the group should remain together to draw on their common strength. The wealthier of the group need to help the poorer members of the group. Friedrich argued that Wisconsin was the logical place to settle to allow every family the ability to purchase land for them to build their lives. It is not difficult to see the social reform theology shine through Friedrich Reineking's spoken thoughts. Friedrich Reineking was persuasive. Not only did the Langenholzhausen group remain together, but they purchased the land from the land agents. The group made their way 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Milwaukee to their newly purchased land. They first made their way to Sheboygan, which was a small fishing village at the time. It is unknown whether they sailed on a ship to Sheboygan or walked a US government military road that went between Milwaukee and Green Bay. From Sheboygan they traveled another 15 miles (25 kilometers) northwest to their new land. They could have traveled along the Sheboygan River or other rough roads that existed at the time. The land that they purchased was along the Sheboygan River in, what is now known as, the Town of Herman in Sheboygan County. Even though the trip of the Langenholzhausen group was shortened by the decision to settle in Wisconsin rather than Iowa, the trip to their new land was not without difficulties. Johanne Friedericke Helmingsmeier, wife of Heinrich Adolf Martensmeier, was pregnant during the trip. She went into labor near the end of the trip to the group's newly purchased land, and the child was stillborn. The child was said to be buried in an unmarked grave near the Reineking land. Her story is told here. Trip Ends in Wisconsin |
For problems or questions regarding this web contact
familyhistory@rretc.com
|