CHAPTER II
IN AMERICA
The first Germans from the Eifel arrived in the virgin
Illinois country of what is now known as Johnsburg,
McHenry, and Volo on August 2, 1841. They were Nicholaus
Frett, Nicholaus Adams, Jacob Schmitt and John Baptist
Mueller. In order to capture the feeling of what it was
like for those pioneers, it is only fitting to reprint a
copy of a letter sent by Nicholaus Frett in 1841 to a
friend back in the Eifel. It was translated as follows:
"We left our wives and children in the city of Chicago, and
we three, (Frett, Adams and Schmitt), went into the country
to look for an opportunity, and we found it thirty English
miles from the city of Chicago near the village of McHenry,
where there is an English free school and a house of
correction.''
"The village is only three miles distant from us. There I
bought land of 160 acres, which according to German measure
makes 200 morgen, at $2.50 per acre, in German money, 6
marks. The land lies in a good situation and also is a
beautiful area.''
"Also, we have very fine meadow land upon which the grass
is so high it reaches above my head. This will perhaps seem
unbelievable to you, but it is true. I would not have
believed it myself had I not seen it. The forest is
composed of many trees and hazel bushes like none such as
found in Germany and they grow in great masses. Also, in
the woods, the wild lemons, (plums), grow in abundance.
When we bought the land we hardly knew what to say as we
glimpsed the splendid fruit and high grass."
"Nicholaus Adams from Hirten also has as much land as we.
Jacob Schmitt of Muenck has sixty acres. We three took ours
altogether in one piece. We also bought two oxen that are
as heavy as the largest one to be found in Germany. Also, a
double span wagon and a cook machine, (cook stove), which
is artfully constructed. One can cook on four fires at once
and at the same time have an oven baking."
"We also bought two cows and a plow, besides household gear
which one needs to farm. The oxen cost forty dollars, and
wagon thirty-three dollars, the stove twenty-two dollars
with the utensils included, the plow seven dollars, and the
two cows twenty-four dollars. When we get things somewhat
arranged, we can keep a hundred head of stock at our own
place."
"Here it is not like in Germany that one must support the
cattle with his labor; here the cattle support themselves.
They run out day and night, cows, hogs, oxen, horses, etc.
Cows come home evening and morning by themselves. Feed is
absolutely free. One can make as much hay as he wants and
where he wishes without paying for it. Here one knows
nothing about taxes. One does not need to worry about
beggars as they do in Germany. Here a man works for
himself. Here one is equal to the other. Here no one must
take his hat off to another. We no longer yearn for
Germany. Every day we thank the dear Lord that He has
brought us, so to speak, out of slavery and into paradise.
This also I wish from my heart for my dear friends, sisters
and brothers, who continue to live in Germany
as if under lions and dragons, fearing every moment to be
devoured by them."
"Costuming in America is similar to the best people in
Germany. It is particularly handsome in the case of men.
One cannot distinguish the farmer from the gentleman, they
all stand on the same plane. If a women should cross the
street without a hat she would be laughed at. In New York,
I bought my wife and daughter, Maria, a new mantie, (coat)
, of American cut."
"Board is also cheep in America. The common men lives
better than the highest in Germany. One cannot describe how
good it is in America and the many remarkable things to be
found here. If one should write about them, they would
sound too unbelievable.'
I am sure the eloquent words of Nicholaus Frett had a great
influence on those oppressed and discontented people
remaining in the Eifel , for in 1843 another group left the
Eifel for America. Many of them came to the McHenry area.
Among this group were Anne Oehmen Wirtz, age 32 years, and
now married to Michael Winkels, age 34 years, her son
Theodore Wirtz, age 7 years, and son Nicholaus Winkels, age
1 year. They, along with 155 other passengers and a crew of
22, (not including officers), arrived at New York's harbor
on July 11, 1843 aboard the American selling ship Rhone
from Havre, France. One of the crew deserted in France and
one of the passengers was not aboard when the ship docked
in New York. From a copy of the ship's manifest, or
passenger list, as submitted by the Rhone's captain, John
Johnston, Jr., to the Collector of Customs, thirty-four
passengers were from the Eifel area, (shown as Prussia on
the manifest), and the remainder from Baden, Bavaria,
Wurttemberg , Hessen, Switzerland, and several from France.
The passengers ranged in age from infants to a man 73 years
of age.
Those passengers from the Eifel had to take an overland
eastward route from their homesites to Koblenz, following
the Mosel River. At Koblenz, the Mosel joins the mighty
Rhine River. There they boarded river boats which took them
to Rotterdam. It is not known by what means they were
transported from Rotterdam to Havre. However, in early
June, 1843, they boarded the Rhone in Havre, France and set
forth on perhaps what was the greatest adventure in their I
lives. Crossing the ocean to reach the Port of New York
required 38 days.
A moment will be taken here to offer the reader some
technical data regarding the vessel Rhone. If, from this
information, one can conceive a mental picture of the
Rhone, it will assist in imagining the ordeal of the
journey across the Atlantic Ocean. The Rhone, built in New
York in 1831, was a three masted sailing ship with two
decks. She was 127 feet and 11 inches in length, 28 feet
and 5 inches in breadth, 14 feet and 2 1/2 inches in depth,
and weighed 471 tons. The emigres must have been extremely
elated upon landing on the shore of America after enduring
the privations and hardships of such a long, hazardous
voyage in such a small ship. A story has been passed down
through generations that within sight of land a sudden and
severe storm developed and drove the ship off course and,
consequently, delayed its scheduled arrival . The
passengers believed they were doomed. One of the men made a
vow that,if they survived the storm, one of his first acts
would be to build a chapel in thankfulness to God for
being spared. He kept his vow and built a chapel out of
logs in 1843. That chapel was later rebuilt and still
stands today on Chapel Hill Road in McHenry.
What could have been the thoughts of Michael and Anna
Winkels with their two small children, on that day they
left the ship and had to begin life anew in a strange and
foreign land? They, and all of the others, must have been
stout-hearted and intrepid people. There they were,
probably without money to spare, in a strange city, and
with about another 800 miles of overland travel ahead of
them before they reached their destination. And, when they
got there, no means of housing would be available to
shelter them; they would have to build their own before
winter set in. In any case, the Winkels and the other
members of their party made it to the then small village of
Chicago in covered wagons drawn by oxen. From there, they
followed the old Indian trail to the banks of the Fox
River.
As the Fox flowed south from what is now the Wisconsin
border, it formed a chain of beautiful lakes, most of which
lie what is now Lake County, Illinois. From these lakes,
the river continued in a southwesterly direction. It was in
this general vicinity that the German emigrants originally
settled. They named their little community Johnsburg. The
community maintained their old country traditions and
language for many years to come.
Living conditions in those early years were harsh, but as
Nicholaus Frett mentioned in his letter, with their new
found freedom it was still better than in Europe.
Transportation was by oxen, horses, or on foot. Clothing
was handmade, either from homespun fabric or from animal
skins. Their original homes were constructed of logs with
everyone assisting in the project. The only illumination
was the glow from candles or the Fireplace. Lighting was
not an absolute requirement, however, because everyone was
so exhausted from dawn to dusk toil that they retired to
bed very early. In later years, kerosene came into general
use for lamps. Heat was provided from the Fireplace, For
which wood was the only fuel. Cooking was done in large
metal pots over the open fireplace. The only way a Fire
could be kindled was by use of a flint stone or From the
friction of rubbing two sticks together. At that time,
matches had not yet been invented.
The laundering of clothes was performed on a scrubbing
board and floors were scrubbed with a heavy bristled brush
on a person's hands and knees. There was no packaged soap
or detergent soap powder as we know it now. All soap for
cleaning was made with lye from wood ashes. Baths were
taken sparingly, perhaps once a week on Saturday in a large
washtub or, in warm weather, in nearby lakes or streams.
There was no indoor plumbing. They had to use rainwater or
carry in water from the lakes or streams. As time passed,
windmills and hand pumps provided water from wells dug by
hand. Nevertheless, despite all of the privations, there
was plenty of food. Food that was produced through farming
was preserved as well as that which grew in the wild. In
addition, there was plenty of fish and game to be
harvested. On the other hand, medical care and facilities
were virtually non-existent. The pioneers had to depend
upon home remedies and their trust in God.
Michael and Anna Winkels most certainly experienced all of
these conditions as they started a new life on their land
in the vicinity of Fox Lake. They apparently resided at
that location for about two years. They then moved to land
at Lily Lake near Volo. After about five years they moved
again to a farm on Ringwood Road, a short distance north of
McHenry. Why the Winkels made these moves is unknown. One
can only conjecture that perhaps larger or better farmland
was the reason.
An examination of the 1850 and 1860 United States census
records revealed that the family was living in McHenry
County by 1850. This would indicate that they must have
moved to the Ringwood farm in 1849. Also, Anna had given
birth to four more children since coming to America and by
1860 Theodore was no longer residing with them.
Another interesting feature of the census is the erroneous
spelling of names. In the 1850 census the family name was
spelled "Wengels" and Theodore was listed as ``Peter''. In
the 1860 census the family name was again misspelled as
"Winkle'. These errors were probably due to the inability
to communicate precisely due to language and pronunciation
difficulties. In addition, proper spelling was not
considered to be of prime importance to most people in
those days.
For purposes of comparison, following is how the official
census records read:
1850 Census 1860 Census
Name Age Origin Name Age Origin
Michael Wengels 42 Prussia Michael Winkle 52 Prussia
Hannah " 40 Hannah " 50
Peter " 14 Nicholas " 18
Nicholas " 8 Adam " 13
Adam " 3 Jacob " 12
Jacob " 2 Frank " 10
Frances 1 John 8
Realizing that they were growing older and their children
were raised, Michael and Anna Winkels retired from active
farming to take residence in Johnsburg. It was there on
December 12, 1891, that Michael Winkels passed away at the
age of 83 after being ill for only a few days. He was
considered to be a kindly, honest man as well as a good
farmer. Anna apparently lived in Johnsburg for another year
and then moved to McHenry to live with her son, Nicholaus.
She resided with him until her death on February 7, 1902.
She had been ill for some time with what was the diagnosed
as dropsy. Those that knew "Grandma Winkels" say that she
had red hair. This genetic trait periodically appears in
her descendants. Just north of McHenry in St. Mary's
Cemetery the Winkels family burial plot can be found. It is
located close to the front of the cemetery at the northern
end. The tombstones are very old and mark the final resting
place of two stalwart pioneers, Michael and Anna Winkels.
Also interred in the family plot are two of their sons,
Nicholaus and John, and some grandchildren.
Except for Nicholaus, not too much is accurately known
about the rest of the Winkels children. Even with Nicholaus
there are some conflictions with dates. For example, his
obituary in the McHenry Plaindealer states he was born in
Koblenz Germany in 1839 and his grave marker indicates he
was born on December 23, 1840. However, neither are correct
for in my possession I have a copy of his birth certificate
which clearly states he was born on December 19, 1841 in
Kirchweiler.
Nicholaus apparently remained with his family on the farm
until his marriage to Maria Frei of Mequon Station,
Wisconsin. The marriage was performed there on June 12,
1873. Six children were born of this marriage, two of whom
died in infancy, His wife died December 21, 1888 at the age
of only 33 years, and he apparently never remarried.
On the evening of November 8, 1911, Jacob Worts and two men
helping him were bringing in a load of household goods,
(Jacob had rented the First Floor of Nicholaus' house),
when they discovered his body at the Foot of the stairway
leading to the second floor. He had apparently Fallen down
the staircase earlier in the day. A coroner's jury
concluded that he had broken his neck in the fall. One of
his children, Theodore, who died December 18, 1964 at the
age of 87, rests in the family plot with the other Family
members.
Information regarding the rest of Nicholaus' brothers was
difficult to assimilate. Early records kept at St. John the
Baptist Church in Johnsburg state that on September 18,
1861 John A. Winkels was the godfather for John A. Wirtz,
my grandfather, who was baptized on that day. Since my
grandfather's middle name was Adam, it must be assumed that
John A. Winkels was one and the same as the 13 year old
Adam Winkels listed in the 1860 census and not the 8 year
old John Winkels. Further confusion exists in the fact that
while John was listed as 8 years of age in 1860, his
headstone in St.Mary's Cemetery is inscribed with a birth
date of June 16 1855,which mean he was only 5 years of age
in 1860. He died October 27, 1888.
In 1902, Anna Winkels' obituary reflected some interesting
information. It stated that she was survived by four sons:
Nicholaus of McHenry, John A. of Canby, Minnesota, Jacob of
Iowa, and Frank of Johnsburg, Minnesota. This means that
sometime prior to 1902 three of the brothers moved out of
state. No mention was made of Theodore Wirtz in the
obituary.
The obituary of Theodore Wirtz in 1927 mentioned he was
survived by two half-brothers, Jacob and Frank, living in
Iowa. This indicates that between 1902 and 1927 John A.
Winkels died and Frank had moved to Iowa.
Further information gathered from St. John the Baptist
Church shows how the Winkels and Theodore Wirtz's family
maintained close ties. In 1866, Jacob Winkels was godfather
for Jacob Wirtz. In 1871, Adam Winkels was godfather to
Maria Wirtz, daughter of Theodore and Katherina. The
Winkels were having children too. On January 27, 1871, Adam
Winkels and his wife, the former Mary Berlinger, had a son
and named him Jacob. November 27, 1871 brought a daughter,
Christine, to Jacob Winkels and his wife Maria, Nee Blick,
and Adam was the godfather. Another son was born to Adam
and Nary on August 5, 1873 and named Theodore. Theodore
Wirtz was his godfather. A daughter, Anna, was born on
January 4, 1874 to Jacob and Maria with Anna, Jacob's
mother, as godmother. On April 5, 1875 Nicholaus and his
wife became the parents of a girl and named her Anna. Anna,
Nicholaus' mother was again the godmother. Maria Winkels
became the godmother to Helena Wirtz, a daughter born to
Theodore and Katherine on February 26, 1877. A son was born
to Nicholaus and Maria on July 8, 1877. He was also named
Theodore and his godfather of course was Theodore Wirtz.
This is all the information I was able to gather regarding
the Winkels. I do not know the whereabouts of any of the
subsequent generations of Winkels, but it is my sincere
wish that if any of this material should fall into their
hands, they will find it interesting and useful."