After a longer break I can continue my postings on the website. Today I will invite you to a little journey through my photo archive showing the barns and houses of emigrants, the first essentials they needed to make a living . In the second part I have added some pictures about the dramatic revolution in the agricultural environment. .
I will start with the barn of the ancestor of Gena Schantz, Johann Jacob Walker. Gena has written a great essay on the barn of her grandfather.
Johann Jakob Walker, born Feb 4, 1859 in Wankheim emigrated in October 1874 to America and settled together with his brother, Johann Friedrich Walker in Hartford City, IN.
We are staying in the neighborhood and have a look on the barn of Johannes Schwartzkopf. He was born on July 29, 1833 in Wankheim and emigrated in 1853 to the U.S. His later wife, Barbara Maier, born Sep 20, 1830 in Maehringen followed him in 1854. Via Bucyrus, OH they moved on westward to finally settle in Montpellier, Blackford Co., IN.
Christoph Walz, born 24.9.1839 in Jettenburg emigrated with his wife Barbara Henes, born Feb 16, 1841 and the six children to the U.S. in 1884 and settled in Edon, Williams Co. OH.
Johann Adam Riehle. born Oct 30, 1864 in Maehringen emigrated in 1881 and settled in Edgerton, Williams Co., OH in the neighborhood of Christoph Walz. More pictures about the Riehle farm you will find in the post about the visit of Renate Riehle in Edgerton for the Riehle family reunion.
Anna Maria Grauer, born Feb 6, 1829 in Jettenburg emigrated to the U.S. before 1855 as she married Valentin Raeder in 1855 in Wisconsin. The couple settled in Newton, Jasper Co., IA. The picture shall display the farm house in 1868.
Johann Jakob Grauer, born Jan 31, 1856 emigrated in 1866 together with his parents Johann Jakob Grauer and Maria Katharina Grauer and his siblings. They settled in Oxford. Johnson Co., IA. In 1882 he married Rosina Gutbrod, born Sep 1, 1862 in Jettenburg as well. The new family moved further west and settled in Sheridan, Yamhill Co. OR.
Johann Adam Gutbrod, born Feb 28, 1838 in Jettenburg emigrated in 1883 with his wife Christine Knapp, born Jun 11, 1840 in Degerschlacht and the four children to the U.S. and settled in Sheridan, Yamhill Co. in Oregon.
In the second part I have put together some pictures illustrating the tremendous development in the agricultural environment during the last century.
Johann Jacob Walker on his fields in Hartford City, IN harvesting hey. He was one of the first farmers with a tractor in the area.
An impressive horse setup to draw the combine harvester on the fields of Johann Georg Riehle, born Feb 5, 1879 in Jettenburg who emigrated as one of the last ones in 1902 and settled in Harrington, Lincoln Co, WA.
In 2003 we could see this big harvester on the soja fields of the descendants of Johann Friedrich Walker in Hartford City, IN
The trucks bring the soja beans or the corn direct to the grain elevator in Montpellier. In 2003 the elevator had a total capacity of 204 Mio. m3, die inbound capacity was 881 m3 per hour and could fill about 150 train waggons.
This picture was made in 2003 on a farm fair in Illinois. My father , Emil Kemmler and John Kearns, the husband of my cousin Brenda (Walker) Kearns are stand in front of a huge corn harvester.