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Census Sunday: The Rolfes Family, 1850 and 1860

10/4/2014

Johann Heinrich (Henry) Rolfes was my husband's 4th great-grandfather through my mother-in-law's Brunswick line. He immigrated to America from Germany in the early 1830s. After arriving at the Port of Baltimore, he made the journey to western Ohio, and settled in the newly-formed German-immigrant town of Minster. Henry married Maria Catharina Huessmann in 1836 and, in 1852-53, he purchased a fair amount of land in Auglaize County's Jackson Township, a couple of miles southwest of the Minster town limits.

Until this past week, I had had trouble locating Henry and his family in the 1850 and 1860 U.S. Censuses. I decided to take a fresh look at the information I did have and try to search again. I made the assumption that he stayed in the general vicinity of Minster between 1836 and 1852. (And yes, I made the conscious decision to come back and search the 1840 U.S. Census; that census only lists the male heads of household, and, at the time, I didn't feel like looking through tick marks and trying to decide if I had the correct family).

First, I manually read through the entire 1850 U.S. Census enumeration for the town of Minster itself. I did not find a family resembling the Rolfes family. There was no enumeration district known as Jackson, so I decided to check German Township's enumeration; German Township was known as such because so many German immigrants settled there. Plus, it is directly adjacent to Jackson Township, where I know they did end up.

I am fairly sure I did find Henry and Catherine Rolfes, with their only two children living at the time, Joseph and Catherine, in German Township. The surname isn't spelled correctly, but their ages match other evidence I have found. Two teenage girls with the same surname also live in the household, but I haven't been able to identify the correct relationships yet. (Click for larger view.)

The Rolfes Family, 1850 U.S. Census, German Twp, Auglaize Co, Ohio

Finding the family in the 1860 Census was a little more challenging. By now, I knew that the family was established in Jackson Township, and I knew that I had combed through that enumeration section before. But, I went back and looked more carefully. There were not any families with an 'R' surname whose first names and ages even resembled the Rolfes family. But, I did find a family by the name of 'Wolfast' whose names, ages, and birthplaces fit.

Rolfes Family, 1860 U.S. Census, Jackson Twp, Auglaize Co, Ohio

I went to Google Translate, selected German, and typed 'Rolfes' into the box. Then, I clicked on the little sound button in the lower right corner to listen to how Rolfes would be pronounced in German. And, let me tell you, with a thicker German accent, a census enumerator not familiar with German could very well interpret it as Wolfast. Take a listen here. I should mention that I'm not exactly sure who the ten-year-old 'Catherine M.' is in the family - it could possibly be a daughter or a niece I haven't yet researched.

Then, I went and manually searched the 1860 Agriculture Census forms for Jackson Township. I should have looked here first, because there is no 'Henry Wolfast' listed, but instead his name is spelled 'Henry Rolfast.' It turns out that he was one of the top landowners in Jackson Township, with a total of 290 acres and a farm value of $5,000. (Click for larger view.)

'Henry Rolfast' 1860 U.S. Agriculture Census, Jackson Township, Auglaize County, OH

Henry Rolfes did not appear in any future census. He passed away in 1866. His wife, Catherine, went to live with her married daughter, Catherine Rolfes Prenger, whose husband was also a farmer in Jackson Township. The widow Catherine Rolfes passed away 11 Oct 1877.

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder.

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Census Sunday: Casimer and Veronica Kowalski, 1940

8/30/2014

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On this day in 1915, my paternal grandfather, Casimer John Kowalski, was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Polish immigrants Dominik and Wladyslawa ('Lottie') Kowalski. He was the youngest of four boys and the only member of his family born in America. He married Veronica Bodziony in Cleveland in 1939. Here is the 1940 U.S. Census in which they are listed (click for larger view):

1940 U.S. Census: Casimer and Veronica Kowalski

In 1940, Cas and Veronica are living at 6601 Hoppensack Ave on Cleveland's east side. They had remained in the same neighborhood in which they grew up; both of their parents are still living on E. 65th and E. 63rd Streets, just right around the corner from Hoppensack Ave.

Here is what the home looked like about five years ago, according to Google Street View. The front siding and windows are obviously newer in make, but the house probably looks much like it did in 1940. (According to real estate data, it was built in 1900.) Some of the older wooden siding can be seen on the side where the newer siding has come off. Unfortunately, like this house, many houses in this area of the city have become run-down and/or abandoned.

According to the census form, Cas and Veronica rented living space from the home's owners and residents, Frank and Anna Kontor, who were Polish immigrants. My grandfather was working as an inspector in a cast iron foundry. You can see, by glancing at the occupations of the other residents on the census form, that this was a very blue-collar, industry-dependent neighborhood.

UPDATE (11 Dec 2014): Since August, Google has updated this particular street's Street View images. Because the photo above uses a widget to pull directly from the current database, it updates when the images update. As you can see, the home in which my grandparents lived has been torn down. I am so, so glad that I took screen shots of the previous images, and saved them on my hard drive. Here is what the house looked like:

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Census Sunday: The Burtcher/Bulcher Family, 1850

6/14/2014

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Around 1847, Pierre François Burtcher, with his young wife, Marie-Celestine (Voisinet) Burtcher and daughter, Marie Rose Julie, left their home of Évette, Belfort, France and sailed to America. They settled in a small French Catholic farming community in southwestern Shelby County, Ohio. The first U.S. Census in which they appear is the 1850 census. (Click on image for larger view.)

Year: 1850, Place: Loramie, Shelby, Ohio, Roll: M432_729, Page: 243B, Image: 193

In America, Pierre François went by the name of 'Francis' or 'Frank' and Marie-Celestine went by just 'Celeste' or 'Celestine.' On this census form, their surname looks more like 'Baltaser' than Burtcher, but because of the family members' first names and ages, I have confirmed that this is the correct family. (In fact, most of the French family names in this particular 1850 enumeration district are grossly misspelled - there must have been a great language barrier in this part of the county at this time, when most of the French immigrants were relatively new arrivals.) The Burtcher family eventually changes their surname to 'Bulcher', and that is the name found on Pierre François' and Marie-Celestine's gravestone.

According to his Marie Rose Julie's birth record, Francis Burtcher (or Bultechert as it is spelling in her birth record) was a farmer by trade in France, and he continued to farm in Ohio, as well. Although difficult to read, the 1850 Loramie Township Agriculture Census shows that Francis owns 50 acres of land, only 12 of which are 'improved.' He has one horse, two milk cows, and two oxen. Interestingly, he had 21 pigs, which was more than even some of the larger farms in the area had. In the previous year, the farm produced 24 bushels of wheat, 18 bushels of oats, and as seen on page 2, 35 bushels of potatoes and 75 pounds of butter.

Year: 1850, Place: Loramie, Shelby, Ohio, Archive Collection Number: T1159, Roll: 9, Line: 37, Agriculture

At the time of this census, Francis and Celestine had two daughters, Marie Rose Julie (who went by Rose or Rosa), and Josephine Lucine (who usually went by Lucy). Sometime between 1854 and 1860, the Bulcher family moved into the larger French Catholic community in neaby Darke County, Ohio. In that time frame, they also added five children to their family. They had a total of eleven children, with the youngest being born in 1867.

(Pierre François and Marie-Celestine Burtcher were my husband's 4x great-grandparents.)

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Census Sunday: Joseph Brunswick and Family, 1900

5/10/2014

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In 1900, Joseph Brunswick, my husband's gg-grandfather, was living in German Twp, Auglaize County, Ohio with his wife, Bernadina (née Rolfes), stepson, Clemens Vehorn, and sons, Julius, Lawrence, Edwin, and Frank. He is listed as a farmer and land owner. (Click on image for larger view.)

There are several mistakes in the names and birth dates on this family's census form. Several of the names are spelled incorrectly, and the enumerator failed to note that Clemens ('Clarence' on the form) was Joseph's stepson (who had a different surname). Also, I have located county probate birth records for every member of this family, and the only date of birth that is correct on the census is Frank's, who was born only a few months before the census was taken. The enumerator did correctly record the couple's number of years married at six years; according to Joseph's obituary, they were married 4 Apr 1894.

Joseph Brunswick and Family, 1900

The location of Joseph's land can be seen in this 1898 Land Ownership Map for Auglaize County, Ohio. The farm was on the western edge of German Twp, and shared a border with Mercer County. The area of gridded streets in German Twp is the town of New Bremen, and farther south in Jackson Twp is the town of Minster. This area of Auglaize County, along with neighboring Mercer County, was heavily settled by German Catholic immigrants during the 19th century. (Click on image for larger view.)

1898 Auglaize Co, Ohio Land Ownership for German and Jackson Townships.

In the modern-day map below, Joseph's land would be located in the rectangle between Amsterdam Rd, Wilker Rd, OH-274, and Mercer-Auglaize Co Line Rd. His land would have been about in the middle of that rectangle.

Map below showing Auglaize County. The purple circle indicates the location of German and Jackson Townships.

Image source: Wikimedia Commons

Census source: Year: 1900: Census Place: German, Auglaize, Ohio; Roll: T623_1240; Page 19A; Enumeration District: 33
Map source: U.S., Indexed County Land Ownership Maps, 1860-1918; Collection NumberL G&M_27; Roll Number: 27

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Census Sunday: Street Name Changes and Enumerator Errors

3/15/2014

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In 1940, my great-grandparents, Louis and Adele Licciardi, lived with their two adult daughters, Dina and Yola, on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio. (Click on image for larger view.) On this form, their surname looks as if it is spelled 'Silccirdi,' which is probably just a mistake of the enumertor (not the only one, either, as we will see.)

The Licciardi Family, 1940 U.S. Census

My great-grandfather's occupation is listed as 'Sewing' and 'Men's Clothing'. He owned and operated a business known as 'Paris Art Embroidery' in downtown Cleveland, and here it is listed in the business section of the 1940 Cleveland City Directory:

1940 Cleveland, Ohio City Directory, Business Section

My grandmother, Dina, who is listed as 'Diana' on the census form, and her younger sister, Yola, are working as a 'Saleslady' and 'Cashier', respectively. In the residential section of the 1940 Cleveland Directory, we actually see that they are working at The May Company, which was one of the major department stores in the city at the time. (Dina is listed as 'Dine' and Yola is listed as 'Viola.'

1940 Cleveland, Ohio City Directory, Residential Section

The census form lists their address as 3521 East Blvd, and the city directory lists it as 3591 East Blvd. I searched for both addresses on Google Maps and Google Street View and came up with nothing; there are not even any addresses on the current extent of East Blvd that are close to the 3500s. My initial thought was that this part of the street had changed names between 1940 and the present day. To solve this mystery, I decided to consult the 1940 census enumeration district (ED) maps, which, fortunately, are found online.

In my humble opinion, the easiest way to get to the right map is to use this search link at stevemorse.org. You simply select the state, county, and city in which you are interested and you will get a list of links to the available 1940 enumeration maps:

How do you know which map is the area you are interested in, especially if you are searching a larger city? Go back to your census form and find the city Ward number, which is in the upper part of the sheet. In this case, we are interested in Ward 28. I had to search each map individually until I found the big number 28. Once I did, I went back to this link (large-city street finder) on stevemorse.org, chose the correct state, city, and ED number, and the page will then list all of the streets covered by THAT enumeration district. (The ED number is in the upper-right corner of the census form - in this case, it is 92-683.) This process is essentially a way of finding my great-grandparents' most immediate neighborhood, which I outlined in the red box below (click on image for larger view.)

1940 ED Map, Cleveland, Ohio

Stevemorse.org; Results of Large-City Street Finder

Indeed, if you look closely on the old ED map, there is East Blvd, right between Glenboro and Clarebird. I searched for 'Glenboro Dr, Cleveland, Ohio' on Google Maps, and here is what I got:

Oh look, that street between Clarebird and Glenboro is no longer called East Blvd, but instead has been renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. (By the way, there is still a road known as East Blvd in this part of Cleveland, which simply added to my confusion.)

Turns out, the census enumerator wrote the wrong house number for the Licciardi family's address on the 1940 form. He wrote '3521,' which, if you look carefully, doesn't even fit the sequence of the other addresses on the page. And, upon further searching, I discovered that there isn't even a lot at 3521 MLK Jr. Blvd. Thank goodness for the city directory, which DID have the family's correct address (3591).

I HAVE located the home via Google Street View and will be talking about it in a separate post later this week, so stay tuned!

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Census Sunday: The Voisinet Family, 1860

3/1/2014

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George and Rosalie (Jardot) Voisinet immigrated to the United States from France in 1852. They are my husband's 5x great-grandparents through his paternal grandmother's (Naomi Grilliot's) line. They made the journey from their hometown of Évette, France with their children Marie Therese, Louis, Anthony, Louise, François Joseph ('Frances'), and François Charles ('Charles'). The eldest daughter, Marie-Celestine had already immigrated to America in 1847 with her husband, Pierre Burtcher and baby daughter, Marie Rose Julie (husband's 3x great-grandmother). Their eldest son, Joseph, later came to America with his wife and children in 1865. All of the family members initially settled in Loramie Twp, Shelby County, Ohio, near the small French-immigrant settlement of Russia (still pronounced "roo-shee").

In the 1860 Census, the family is listed with the surname 'Weisinger.' I'm willing to bet that this difference was due to language barrier issues between the census-taker and the family - not uncommon in this area, especially with the mix of German and French immigrants who settled around here. The family lives on a farm. Only four of the children who came over with their parents remain at home; Marie Therese married in 1854, and Louis is living with his wife and child in the nearby town of Versailles. Louise, Frances, and Charles are still attending school.

Voisinet Family, 1860 U.S. Census

Unfortunately, this is the only U.S. Census in which George Voisinet appears. He passes away in 1866 at the age of 63. Rosalie lives until 1875.

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Census Sunday: The Brunswick Family, 1940

1/25/2014

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Today's census schedules show the family of Lawrence H. and Justina (Braun) Brunswick. In 1940, most of family is living on their farm in Gibson Twp, Mercer County, Ohio, which is also where they had been living in the 1930 Census. The 1940 Census lists Lawrence, Justina, and nine of their children. One daughter, Wilma, passed away tragically in 1931 following an accident at home in which her clothes caught on fire. Another daughter, Rita, is also missing from the family. In 1940, 18-year-old Rita lives on Main St. in the nearby town of Ft. Recovery. She works for the family of Oscar Nicholas, who is listed as a 'minister.' (Click on images for larger view.)

The Brunswick Family, 1940

Rita Brunswick, 1940 Census

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Census Sunday: The Bellan Family, 1900

1/18/2014

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The 1900 U.S. Census is the first census in which my Croatian great-grandparents, George and Ursula Bellan, appear. They are living on Stanton Avenue in Cleveland, Ohio. George's occupation is listed as 'laborer.' Their surname is listed as 'Belan,' which is one Americanized version of George's birth surname, Beljan. (In these early years of their American residence, family records switch from Belan to Bellon to Bellan, the latter of which ultimately becomes the family's permanent name.)

The Belan Family, 1900 U.S. Census, Cleveland, Ohio

Ursula is listed as 'Mary,' and this name difference made me wonder, at first, if I indeed had found the right family. George and 'Mary's' ages were about right, as was their place of birth (Austria-Hungary) and their dates of immigration. Their first-born child WAS named Rudolph and he WAS born in May 1900, as the form states. How do I confirm that this is the right family?

Fortunately, I found some other family documents from the 1900-1901 time frame which helped me verify that THIS family in the 1900 census IS my Belan family. As mentioned above, Rudolph Bellan was born in 1900, and George and Ursula had another baby, Olga, in 1901. I was able to find the Birth Returns for both of these children. In Cleveland, during this period, birth returns were simple forms that were submitted to the Secretary of the Public Health Division by the attending doctor or midwife. The birth return lists the date of birth, sex and race of child, place of birth, and names and ages of parents.

Rudolph Bellan Birth Return, 1900

Olga Bellan Birth Return, 1901

The mother is listed as 'Marie' on both birth returns, which is consistent with the 'Mary' on the census form. 'Marie's' maiden name is listed here as Benitzki or Benici. (It is listed on Ursula's death certificate as 'Benicki,' so that is a pretty good match.) Notice also the place of birth - 'Stenton.' Considering that the midwife seems to have had a little trouble with the English language, I feel safe in assuming that this is supposed to read 'Stanton.' It is also worth noting that the residence of the midwife (Platt) is only a block or two south of Stanton.

If you look carefully back at the 1900 census form above, you'll see that Ursula ('Mary') cannot speak English. (Understandable, since she's only been in the country about a year and a half.) I suspect that she may have gone by an 'easy' generic name in these first years after coming to America, as many immigrants tended to do. George and Ursula's next child, George, was born in 1903, and Ursula is indeed listed by her correct first name on that birth return.

©2014, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder

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Census Sunday: The Kahlig Family, 1880

1/11/2014

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Franz and Juditha Kahlig are two of my husband's 3x great-grandparents through his maternal grandmother's line. They immigrated to America from Austria (Oesterreich) in August 1871 with their three children, Ludmilla, Josef, and Aloisia. Their ship manifest can be seen below:

The Kahlig Family 1871 Immigrant Ship Manifest

Although the ship manifest indicates that their destination was Indiana, the Kahlig family ended up settling in Recovery Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The township itself actually shares a border with Indiana, so they were, in fact, very close to Indiana.

The family is listed in the 1880 U.S. Census under the surname 'Kallack.' Franz is listed as Frank (a very common Americanization) and Juditha is listed as 'Euphena.' Three children are listed: Joseph, Loisa, and Caroline. Caroline was born in 1873 and was Franz and Juditha's only child to be born in America. (Loisa, my husband's great-great-grandmother, becomes 'Louisa' as an adult, and marries John M. Braun around 1890.)

Kahlig Family, 1880 U.S. Census

The family's eldest child, Ludmilla, had already married and had a child by the time this census was taken. Her husband was John Spangler and they were living in the same township as her parents. (She and her husband later moved their family across the border to Adams County, Indiana.) Ludmilla adopted the more common first name of 'Amelia' and is referred to as both 'Emma' and 'Ludmilla' in her father's will.

The Spangler Family, 1880 U.S. Census

According to the 1880 U.S. Agriculture Census, the Kahlig family owned a relatively small farm - a total of 40 acres, with 20 acres being used for production. They had three horses, two milking cows, six swine and, eighty poultry. They grew Indian corn, oats, and wheat. Between 1880 and Franz's death in 1895, twenty more acres of land was added to the farm, as, in his will, Franz explicitly describes the location of sixty acres of land to be given to his wife, Juditha, upon his death.

Franz Kahlig 1880 U.S. Agriculture Census

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Census Sunday: The Drees Family, 1850

12/8/2013

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Today's census schedule show the family of Johann Michael Drees, my husband's great-great-great grandfather through his paternal grandmother's branch. In 1850, Johann Michael, or John Michael, was living in Minster, Ohio and working as a blacksmith. (Click on image for a larger view.)

The John M. Drees Family, 1850 U.S. Census

John Michael was 38 years old and living with his younger second wife, Catherine. His first wife, Christina Elisabeth Schemmel, passed away on July 30, 1849 and he was married later that year toMaria Catherine Wellerding. The five children listed on this census form are Christina Elisabeth's children. My husband's great-great grandfather, J.M. "Mike" Drees was not born until 1851. Also living with John Michael is his younger brother, Henry, also a blacksmith, who later goes on to become a Catholic priest (and actually the head of his order in the United States - good topic for another blog post). The 44-year old woman, 'Agnes Swelerding,' is likely Catherine's mother.

After researching this family more, I discovered that Johann Michael Drees is actually somewhat of a 'celebrity' in the history of Minster. He was one of the founding members of the town and served as the town's first mayor. His was the subject of a short biographical sketch in The History of Western Ohio and Auglaize County, by C.W. Williamson (published in 1905):

Biography of Johann (John) Michael Drees, The History of Western Ohio and Auglaize County, pages 838-839.

Here is a photo of John Michael Drees that was published in Pilgrims All: A History of St. Augustine Parish, Minster, Ohio, 1832-1982. Personally, I see a pretty good resemblance between John Michael and my father-in-law (his great-great-grandson), especially considering there are four generations separating them.