An American town: A self-portrait: Manitowoc, no. 2: Why Did They Come

An American town a self-portrait. This is the second in a series of programs on the history of Manitowoc Wisconsin and surrounding towns. The title. Why did they come refers to the many German emigrants who chose to leave their homeland and endure the hardships of a long ocean crossing that eventually led to Wisconsin. Many of them walked from Milwaukee north to manage to walk out where they found rich red soil and fellow countryman who spoke the same language. Schmidt family our family came to demand what county area in the 1860s the Schmidt Family were guards in

the Prussian in that Prussian army kind of thing and apparently our grandfather didn't like that tradition and wanted out. My grandfather was brought here by the man brothers who had opened a sawmill and so came here and really got established the lumber business. Schmitz had been in the building materials business ever since. They did have some competition because they were in those days sailing ships that would come into a harbor loaded with cedar shingles and then would come to the lumber company and say Would you like to buy our product. They say no we have enough cedar shingle and then they would have a sale on the dock. And undercut any price that you had and so leave. And they might come with a boat load of lumber and do that very same thing. My grandfather had red chiles burst but he was an immigrant in the family he came over here about fifty four years of age he was brought by his parents from Elberfeld Prussia. My grandfather started the drug

in 1972 in Manitowoc as a boy of seventeen. My dad all by himself just a bunch thrown together like that. But every day was a bad storm and I think that destiny lasted for treaties and these people are locked in this hole so whatever you call it and he said. To me get to New York and so we saw some nice apple store and he was going to buy some of those nice apples. So he was handed his money I think to start by 3 or 4 apples whatever it was. And when my dad bit into one of my guys he says Do you think that apples taste funny and he looks so cute so nice and red he says and it took me a couple years to follow it to find out that I bought tomatoes. So we had a very strong influence in Manitowoc County. Why did they come here

in 1848 in Europe it was an unsuccessful group of revolutions mostly led by liberals and Germany and many of them were students. You had also a religious conflicts. A marriage a German girl but now there is always this conflict of religion and I was raised Catholic. I find they get tied up with us and the fight was on. Yes she is supposed to turn my donors and sooner or later something is going to happen you know. Now I gave in a little bit but it was nothing. Between me and her and between families between families still if that's going to fighting we can win. Germany is not the Germany that we know it now it was one of the last parts of the Holy Roman Empire and it consisted of many many small principalities

each of those states in order to divorce themselves from the control of the papacy establish their own state religion sometimes they were Catholic sometimes they were Protestant. But anyway it created problems if you weren't of the religion that the state created. Also during this period of time you had the growth of Prussia with the German states all trying to gobble each other up and most of these states had a series of universal military service which was an important issue for these Germans that were coming over from Germany. What kind of people were these Germans. Well they were mostly merchants and professional people and craftsmen and they had a little money. They were unlike the later Irish or the polish that came that came over largely as laboring people. There are relatively well-educated people many of them like shirts and that particular

group were liberals and professors and students. We had two German newspapers in Manitowoc the matador post in the north western. You don't have German reading newspapers if you don't have people who can't read. Many of these Germans that came over and took into farming at that were call book farmers I'd rather read than farm. Most of the school classes were in German and tell about eight hundred sixty eight when the state statute prohibited the teaching in German languages. They circumvented that by making German a course in the school. Did you speak German tome. Yes I did until I was 6 years old. I was able to speak English you speak good now as a good English perhaps I speak German as well as I do English. It was not a German. We didn't speak German. The difference between older men and I in German the area in which they come

from in Germany. There are many dialects. There are about eight or ten dialects in in Germany. And how about within the German community here in matter what were the differences in the way that people spoke. Not too much most of the Germans that migrated to this part of the country the were from died in the Hamburg area the Rhine district. I was raised as a German so you refreshed and learn our English in school. It interferes with your dialect and it carries over into your your future. I know because it does bug me. In what ways does it lie. I cannot speak English to me I'm supposed to. I went to school and graduated from fingers for it great. I was a top scholar. I would have liked to go to his school but I had to stay home for there was not going to school. So I kept my education after my wife died. My wife died of

cancer and six years ago. I went back to school in the first class I took was at the opening of course and I return to the field can you Corson Nestico Dr. Jemison beach. I was proud of it but I really worked for Darwin and I gave to take the ship's Peter. I rowed and I passed the con examination. They gave me my high school diploma that following fall I went to symbolic and to college and I took courses in history and humanities. I come out and be heir which the community you come from doubters routers and the fact that your German Norwegian community how the two groups in Riyadh going back to what you would call my or my early childhood years where I was full of conflict between the Germans and the Norwegians mostly because there's always difference differences in religion. Now Norwegians are predominately European and used it pretty strong Wichman whereas the

Germans start to hate Germans are Catholics. My father became a minister. They landed here in Rome at a walk eventually and the questions along those days were very violent in fact the Norwegian girl was not supposed to marry anyone thing but a Norwegian bark or else they would reap a Master Mark. Which reasons do you think no agency particularly. One was the law about the inheritance of land. You see the land owner by law had to give all of his land to his oldest son and that left all the others without any land. They were more than attracted practically mesmerized by the idea of free land in America. My grandmother landed at Port Washington in the 1850s. And she was in a covered wagon train that trekked from Port Washington westward to Minnesota. When the wagon

train part of which was Rock Ark strong got as far as that portage between the Wisconsin River and the fox. And they were encamped overnight and during the night they started to hear the beating of drums. Of course they knew they were Indian drums and they were terrified and the drums kept kept getting louder and louder. You know our song trifles over water and they were getting more and more petrified with fear. And she tells how they started to sing a Lutheran hymn says. By morning they saw the canoes starting out. They didn't know what to do. They couldn't really run because there were two women that were pregnant in the tree. And the canoes got closer and closer to the shore. And then the phone call they wanted was to trade beads in return for Earth crossing. You know it's you know it's about concept the Mackerras were very friendly. That was her first experience with the Indians.

The heat the load. My family came from Germany in the early 1850s. They walked along the man Walker River. My grandfather told me I never knew my great grandfather. Little baby was and my great grandmother's arms and they

walked two columns. Which was about 18 miles west. Are they better down there with the four boys. Mother. When he woke up in the morning she had died and he stayed right there Tom and it was a big an Indian settlement right there and the Indians to pretty good care of him. But my great grandfather was a big I think he was six seven. But my great great grandmother as the story goes was about 411. So it must have been quite a looking couple. And then he wrote. He wrote to his friends in Germany and said is a wonderful place who had all the hardships yet so this was a great place to be. And then he brought the other people over he was the first one out there. He was a staunch German Luthern he was a good friend of this father of father or Schwab and he got his first call or two from Father R. Schwab at that same news if he had some money. So he won a lot of the land down there and so you never did learn the English language onto it because like Father Ashwell you know was German. Over and

say museums are in the settlement they call them. So he was could speak to the priest over there you know. But he had such a strong voice. They tell me and he was so big. And the Indian sometimes when he had a garden there they'd come in and figure everything was community property and he'd be a half a mile away and he'd yell at the Indians and they'd all run helter skelter because they were afraid of him they thought he was a god or something because the Indians are very short. As I understand they were about 5 feet 5 2 were that was a big Indian. My grandfather because he was quite young at that time. But it and it was only when US in fact they would buy a lot of things from seniors and they had a tailor there. It was all community property you know overseas natives they call it settlement. It was a kind of a communistic set up. They had the tailor there the butcher the baker and everybody put it put money into a common

fund and then when father died of course and everybody got a little greedy here and there and broke up the whole the whole idea from what my grandfather said his father washboard was very well-liked. He brought craftsmen of every training blacksmith he want them brought in bakers even brew masters in those days dad. Nicknames for different people. One person was called oxen pitter which means ox and Peter and the other one was Savior set which means saw jaws of referring to a different type of work they were doing as far as greatest concerned. He done himself and later on he was a colony of yesterday. But. It isn't the community it used to be because after father died I think

everything more or less generated. And now of course the big push over there so to speak is Kennedy prep school. And then after mass just by the other works were originally set up. How did your parents talk about their experience with the community. Did they ever tell you any stories of what it was like oh it was rough and rugged. These people that came over went by the time they had more or less promised to stay with the colony. But after a while and just ignore a guy making sure you can show us some of the left economy you have been married to and how many people went back again many you know went into around. The world had gathered about 200 people to form this organization

before they came over. And these people women graded to the United States were immigrants from Baden. There's a lot of turmoil in fact the bishop when I did well first got permission to leave. The Bishop said OK and a week after they left the bishop was in prison. The following were were banned such as far finers rebellious people ways for people and freeloaders tale bearers and those that were jealous of a jealous nature. And of course all the goods was held in common and before he started it was arranged that the orphans would be provided for in the event that one of the people. Would die during the voyage which of course was a great possibility of that happening. And I was wild of course was the leader and he was also the custodian of the funds. Very pious man very giving. He was many times quite brusque and he went to the University of Munich and for two years

studied medicine. He also studied botany because he knew if you would come to the United States he would have to use herbal medicines when he was at seines and frequently had his own staff as his own medicines that he prepared. He worked with the people during the day in the fields. He would come home and minister in medicines and people from as far away as St. Louis would come up. New York would come in because you're supposed to be quite of the faith healer whatever you want to call it. He had quite a few. Enemies. One night he woke up with a knock on the window. He went to the door and opened it up and someone threw it. Of sewage on top of him. Under his breath he muttered a mild oath and said it was that person would die in his own sleep or have a bucket of sleaze thrown on him. And. The next day he received a note from a woman that these two men that had thrown the sewage on him had fall into an open pit of an outhouse was not there and they had suffocated. So he thought maybe his oath came through even one of them. But it was a very

patient man and very dedicated. This was the first and possibly as far as I know in Wisconsin Anyway the only communist society first commune really and I lasted 50 years each of course had their own task. The nuns for instance would glean in the fields after the men had gone through with everywhere the nuns did the laundry and the washing the sewing for the whole community. The brothers did the baking for the whole community. They did the farmer milk the cows for the whole community although in each individual family could have up to six cows and for themselves they had common meetings every night after prayer taverns came up as they would in any German settlement and I will meet with the men in the tavern and they would discuss the plan genes and what they should do the next day. And after his death Of course there was cider only. There was no more beer available and he starts and in 1873. Father died due to weakened health.

Father Peter months. He was appointed biological as his replacement within a few years after he took over. Trouble started some of the people who had first come in and. At first to harass the organization but then sort of were convinced that this was maybe a good thing join them and then get dissatisfied again. Now one of their money back and ours will always have the stipulation that anytime anyone left the association they would be given the money they had put into the beginning. But all their labor would not be paid for. No wages for labor. They wanted wages for labor too. So they took it to court there were quite a few court proceedings against the association but immediately months at least had the sense to incorporate the association but it sort of started the deep downfall of the organisation. It was finally disbanded about 18 92 and is interesting to note that a fair percentage of these people disappeared into the North Woods at the time of the draft of the civil war also. There have been 16 members of the Grange were conscripted.

I want to carry this up into the Civil War experience of this German dominated locality. We saw what kind of people these are naturally because they were liberal most of them turned out to be Democrats anti slavery but like most Americans of the time they weren't violently so I'm almost sure that in the Douglas Lincoln the election of 1860 that Lincoln did not carry Manitowoc County Douglas carried one of the principal characters was governor Solomon who is the only governor that came out of the city of Manitowoc. And he was a part of the

South Side German settlement in Manitowoc. He became governor after the death of Governor Harvey who drowned in the Tennessee River delivering medical supplies to the Union troops after they had been defeated in the battle of Silo. Or as we know it in the north in the battle of Pittsburgh Landing now the Germans had a problem. We're coming to a draft. And they were afraid of the draft as we have an influx of freed slaves and coming Irish to take their jobs. What would be left when they got back. Now there were several exceptions one of which was if you were a fireman. Many of these people in all rush to join volunteer fire departments so that some of them became 10 20 times their size. Solomon said you had to be a member before the date of the draft situation was pretty bad in Manitowoc with the local surgeon specifying just an awful lot of these members as not being

physically fit. So Governor Solomon resident of the city amounted to walk had to send up his own doctor. To re-examine all of these exemptions that had been issued because of physical fitness. But in spite of all of these things the Germans of the lake shore in a matter walk served with valor in the civil war. My own great grandfather for example was a member of Cadwalader Washburn 2nd Wisconsin cavalry that helped to take Vicksburg and later chased foot all over Texas. Many of these Wisconsin Germans round up and Otis Howard's eleventh Corps their great moment of glory as they say of the first day in the battle of Gettysburg by holding off the southerners that the Devil's Den. They serve valiantly. I'd like to read just a few extracts. From the Diary

of Frederick Charles Pearse 30 written and chairman when he enrolled in the twenty sixth regiment of the Wisconsin infantry tears and enlisted on the 12th of February 1864. He begins by saying I volunteered for duty with the twenty sixth regiment Wisconsin and to treat volunteers for three years or duration of the war on the 7th of May he writes. The entire army is on the move. On the 16th of me. He writes the enemy was beaten this morning. We had the last stragglers of the Reds behind us. We capture more material and munition. The gun they left behind are all just dried. The road is scattered full of dead horses and pieces of clothing weapons cartridges containers and so forth. These are the tracks of an army in flight. The heat is terrible and we are almost finished. Relations are becoming scarce and

on the 7th of June he writes. Today we are encamped on a hill. We had to build best bricks deep into last night and I don't know what the word hunger means. The rebels came to within ten paces of us at which time my musket balls became too thick for them. They turned to the right and recreated up the hill with us behind them. This was a sight which I shall have never seen before and hope never to see again. The entire field was covered with dead wounded and dying. The wounded moan so much that they could hardly watch. However we had no time and had to advance up the hill. On the 24th of December he says we cleaned our quarters. Each person playing the Christmas tree in front of his tent writes Christmas morning inspection. We see he had a few crackers race and meat. On the 15th of May he writes we marched through the Spotsylvania courthouse and crossed the wilderness battlefield. It really looked wild. Trees be around

us in all directions. There were the breastworks and hands feet and heads the God of the Grays. Nothing but trees and breastworks. The area was scattered for miles with canisters knapsacks and various articles of war. Tonight we camp on the testor Del battlefield which looks very similar on the twenty ninth of June. We were paid off. I received at three months one hundred twenty eight dollars regular pay and forty dollars bounty. Today is Sunday. The bells in the city are ringing but one cannot go to church no matter how hard one tries because one must deal and clean rifles. Why did they come is the second in a series of programs on the history of Manitowoc

Wisconsin. It was produced at W h a radio a service of University of Wisconsin Extension with the cooperation of the Manitowoc County Historical Society and library and is funded in part by the American Revolution Bicentennial Commission and the educational communications board. Producer Jay Meredith gets. Technical operator Phil Corvo. Your announcer cliff Roberts.