USA > Maryland > Annual report of the Society for the History of the Germans in Maryland, 13th-14th, Vol. II > Part 11
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Among the names of the high officials of the new State, as was already stated, are several German ones, like: Arthur I. Boreman, Governor from 1863-1869 ; Daniel Polsley, Congress- man, Judge and Lieutenant-Governor, born at Palatine, Mar- ion county, Va., and of German descent243), and H. A. G. Zieg- ler, State School Superintendent from 1869-1870.
Previous to 1861 the public education was as much neg- lected in West Virginia as in East Virginia, but already in 1872 of 170,035 boys and girls of school age 85,765 were enrolled in 2,479 public schools, and in 1882-1883 the total enrollment amounted to 155,544. The German language was taught in al- most every high-school and college.
248.) "Prominent Men of West Virginia," p. 231.
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Another evidence of the important part the Germans have had in the settlement and development of West Virginia is fur- nished by the following names of counties, cities, villages, riv- ers, etc. : Wetzel county, named after the Indian hunter Ludwig Wetzel ; Wirt county, after the lawyer and statesman B. W. Wirt; and in the counties: Barbour : Hackersville, Huffman, Burnersville, Galls : Berkeley : Martinsburg, Gerrards Town, Flaggs, Darkesville; Boone: Coon's (Kuhn's) Mills, Hager ; Braxton : German, Cutlip's (Gottlieb's) ; Brooke : Steubenville, Herrmann Creek, Bowman ; Fayette : Ansted, Nuttalburg, Leb- long, Crickmer, Deitz, Frederick ; Gilmer : DeKalb, Tanners ; Greenbrier : Frankford, Hughart, Lewisburg ; Grant : Lah- mansville, Keyser, Kerms, Kelterman, Jordan's Run; Hamp- shire : Frankfort, Hainesville, Ruckman; Hardy : Moorfield (formerly Mohrfeld, Doman, Baker's Run; Harrison: Hess- ville, Hacker's Creek ; Jackson : Wiseburg, New Geneva, Muse's Bottom, Lockhart's, Fisher's Point; Jefferson : Shepherdstown (formerly Mecklenburg), Harper's Ferry, Charlestown, Snyder's Mills, Lectown (founded by Jacob Ilite) ; Kanawha : Winifreds, Sissonville, Copenhaver's Mills, Jordan ; Lewis : Freemansburg, Berlin, Hacker's Creek, Fink's Creek ; Logan : Burch ; Marion : Palatine, Metz, Meyers, Sturm's Mill ; Marshall : Becler's Sta- tion ; Mason: Cologne, Grimm's Landing; Mercer : Duhring ; Mineral : Frankfort, Hartmonsville, Schelle, Keysertown; Mc- Dowell : Jaeger ; Monongalia : Statler's Run, Decker's Creek ; Monroe : Lindside, Peterstown; Morgan : Unger's Store, Stat- ler's Cross Road; Nicholas : Kessler's Cross Lanes; Ohio : Wheeling, Zane's Island; Pendleton : Macksville, Fort Seybert, Kline's Cross Roads ; Pleasants : Schultz; Preston : Kyer's Run, Newburg Town, Gussman, Amblersburg, and also founded . by Germans : Kingwood, Franklin and Fellowsville; Putnam : Carpenter's; Pocahontas : Knapp's Creek; Raleigh : Launa ; Randolph : Helvetia ; Ritchie : Rusk ; Roane : Linden, Schil- ling, Harper's District; Summers : Mohlers, Barger's Springs, Foss; Taylor : Westermans, Fetterman Town, Astor, Forman's Ford ; Tucker : Hannah's Ville; Upshur: Hinklesville, Hin- kle's Mill, Tallmansville, Lorentz, Peck's Run ; Wayne : Krout's Creek ; Webster : Hacker's Valley, Stroud's Knob, Boughman's ; Wetzel ; Lowman, Steinersville, Cline's Mill; Wirt: Shertzville;
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Wood : Luebeck, Vienna, Boreman, Lockhart's Run ; Wyoming : Saulsville. - Many other places settled by Germans or with their aid bear English names, and also in some counties not mentioned above the German element is strongly represented, as for instance the St. Clara Colony in Doodridge county.
Wheeling in Ohio county has the largest German population of the West-Virginian cities. The U. S. Census of 1890 num- bers the total population of Wheeling at 34,552, and the Ger- man element at 9,612. Ohio county, in which Wheeling is lo- cated, is in a high state of cultivation and among its farming population are many Germans. The grapevine has been culti- vated by them with gratifying results. On the island at Wheel- ing, known as "Zane's Island" and owned by the descendants of the original German owner, the pioneer of that name planted a large vineyard. C. L. Zane, one of the proprictors, claims24+) an average product of 500 (?) gallons of wine to the acre. In Wheeling itself, which was first laid out in town-lots by Colonel Ebenezer Zane in 1793, many of the leading manufacturers and merchants are of German nationality. German churches, schools, societies, lodges and several German newspapers have been founded in that city. Education has always had ardent supporters among the German citizens.
The liberal and hu- mane tendency of progressive pedagogical science possesses many warm advocates in their circles. When in 1837 a "Ger- man Convention" at Pittsburgh, Pa., discussed the means for the maintenance of German customs and language, Virginia was represented by Andreas Schwarz of Wheeling. He was one of the vice-presidents of the convention and took a prominent part in the foundation of the first American Independent Teachers' Seminary at Philipsburg, Pa. 245)
After the separation of West Virginia an excellent public school system was established and an important concession was made to the Germans of Wheeling by the organization of a
244.) "U. S. Agricultural Report of 1863," p. 60. Washington, 1863.
245.) Compare "Geschichte der deutschen Schulbestrebungen in Amerika," von H. Schuricht, Seite 41-42 und 47-48, Leipzig, 1881, und "Deutsches Magazin," von H, A, Rattermann, Seite 594-613. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1866.
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"German Department in the Public Schools of the city." Six teachers for instruction in German were appointed,"46) and in 1875 the German classes numbered 482 pupils, besides several German private and parochial schools with about 300 pupils. This concession to the German element was made in recognition of their patriotism displayed during the struggle for the inde- pendence of West Virginia and the war against the Confeder- acy. The German citizens of Wheeling organized an entirely German company, " First West Virginia Artillery," under the command of Captain Fuerst, which joined the Union forces. But in 1877 knownothing intrigues succeeded in limiting the instruction in German to the higher classes of the public schools, and consequently the list of the enrollment of the Ger- man department was reduced to 166 pupils. In the Spring of 1865 a German Educational Society for mutual instruction in educational matters was formed by Prof. C. A. Schaefer, super- intendeut of the German department, and everything indicated a sound spirit for the cultivation of mind among the German inhabitants. The culture of music rested, like in other Ameri- can cities, almost exclusively in German hands. A lady vo- calist of eminent talent lived in Wheeling about 1860: Louise Gubert, born 1837 in Philadelphia of German parents?"") ; but her sonorous melodious voice and efficiency never benefitted the great world. She was content as music teacher at the De Chan- tal Seminary. Celebrated artists, composers and managers re- peatedly tried to secure her talent to publicity; Max Strakosch offered her fifty thousand dollars for a concert tour of six months, and Rubinstein was put in ecstasy by her truly phe- nomenal voice; but nothing could induce her to resign her conventual privacy.
During the stirring time of war Johann G. Eberhard ?** ) was chosen Pastor of the free Protestant church, which he ad- ministered until 1867. He was editor of the " Protestantische Familienblatt," the author of "Onkel Biesebrecht's deutsch-
246.) "U. S. Report of Commissioner of Education for 1871," p. 366. Washington, D. C., 1872.
247.) "Der deutsche Pionier," 14. Jahrgang, Seite 259-261. Cincinnati, Ohio.
218.) "Deutsch in Amerika," by Dr. G. A. Zimmermann, p. 229. Chicago, 1894.
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amerik. Volkserzählungen " and published a number of pretty poems.
Only once, as mentioned previously, a small number of German fanatics, who dreamed of Germanizing America, en- dangered the friendly relations of the Anglo and German ele- ments of the city. In September 1852 a "Congress of German Revolutionists" assembled at Wheeling2+9) and issued a pro- gram for the formation of a "Universal Republic." The at- tendance was very small, only sixteen delegates participating, of whom only three were German inhabitants of Wheeling; but this so-called Congress created an angry feeling among the Anglo-Americans, exciting suspicions, and gave, as stated be- fore, an impulse to the unjust and hateful knownothing move- ment which disturbed the harmony of Virginia from 1854 to 1856.
Next to Wheeling, Martinsburg in Berkeley county and Parkersburg in Wood county have many German inhabitants. The influence of the German element of Parkersburg is demon- strated by the appointment of Prof. W. M. Strauss to the office of superintendent of the public schools. 250) Martinsburg was made a town by legislative enactment in October 1778, on the lands of a German : General Adam Stephan, anglicized to Ste- phen or Stevens, and its first inhabitants were Pennsylvania- Germans, Germans and Dutch. At present 251) the German element amounts to about one-fourth of the population, num- bering in 1880 in round figures 8000 inhabitants. The de- scendants of several of the German pioneers are still residents of the town, as the families Seibert, Noll, Rentsch, Kuschwa, Doll, Diefendoerfer, Schaefer, Klein, Schmal (now Small), Bentz, Martin, Blessing, Homrich, Schobe, etc. Most of them are farmers, but some of them are engaged in commercial and industrial pursuits and all are esteemed as good citizens.
Shortly after the foundation of Martinsburg a Lutheran
249.) "Das deutsche Element in den Ver. Staaten," von Gustav Koerner, Seite 122. Cincinnati, Ohio, 1880.
250.) "U. S. Educational Report of 1888-1889," Vol. I, p. 274.
261.) Correspondence of Mr. C. P. Matthaei at Martinsburg, W. Va.
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and Reformed church were built, but the divine service was conducted in English. The first German church was erected in 1858 by the influence of Rev. Cast, a native of Baden ; but during the late war it was burned down (1863.) After the war Rev. Prof. Gehrhardt of Lebanon, Pa., became pastor of the German community and he was also elected superintendent of the public schools. In the year 1868 a German private school, a Turnverein and a German lodge were organized, but at pres- ent they only have a bare existence.
Charlestown, the county-seat of Jefferson county, gained historic fame by the execution of John Brown ; it is also one of the early German settlements in Shenandoah valley. A native of Germany, Mr. Gustav Braun, was for years, up to 1897, Ma- yor of the town. .
Charleston, in Kanawha county, now the capital of West Virginia, has 7,500 inhabitants and several of its prominent merchants and manufacturers are Germans.
The new State of West Virginia has rapidly increased in population and wealth. In 1870 the population amounted to 442,014 inhabitants, in 1880 to 618,457 and in 1890 to 762,794, and the German immigration can claim to have added largely to this progress.
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CHAPTER XV.
GERMAN IMMIGRATION AND RURAL LIFE IN VIRGINIA AFTER THE WAR.
ORE than a quarter of a century has elapsed since the army of Northern Virginia grounded their arms at Appomattox Court House and the soldiers returned to the plough and harrow to restitute the devas- tated land. The progress of building up the waste places however has been slow. During the war farming was brought to a partial standstill and for some years thereafter it was in a state of extreme depression. The determination and physical endurance of the planters and the former slave-owners appeared seriously broken ; only in those sections of the State which were settled by Germans, especially the Valley, the farm- ers went to work with renewed energy and enterprise. The Anglo-American land-owners, disheartened and in a state of dejection, were almost helpless. Burdened with debt, without money to pay wages or taxes, their houses, farm implements and stock reduced or demolished; unaccustomed to work and also too proud to sell a part of their large estates in order to procure the necessary means for repairs and improvements, no progress in tilling the soil was made and their fields and mead- ows turned into a state of wilderness. Very singular circumstances resulted. The formerly wealthy slave- and land-owners were drifting into poverty, the amount of unpaid taxes was increased to exorbitant amounts, and finally the large estates of many were sued by the executive officers and offered at public sale. Very frequently no purchaser able to pay appeared, and conse- quently the indebted estates were left in the hands of the old
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owner. The lands were then taxed to the utmost capacity of production and their fertility was rapidly exhausted, for the soil was not fertilized, but scantily tilled ; there was no change of seed and the same crops were grown successively year after year. The forests were laid waste without consideration, but only in order to make money for the most urgent needs. Sim- ilar uncongenial conditions existed among the small Anglo- American farmers. Slavery always and everywhere degrades labor ; this degradation is positive in the South. The small white farmers have adopted during the time of slavery the ex- ample of the rich planters : to look upon manual labor as dis- gracing a " white gentleman." They are possessed of presumption which strongly contrasts with their poverty and their want of learning. The wife of a neighbor of the author once complained to a lady-relation of his : " You cannot imagine how poor we are !" - " Why," replied the lady, "you have three grown daugh- ters and four strong boys able to work, who can hire out. Female and male help are much in demand and high wages are offered." -- " How can you propose that we shall become servants," she was interrupted by one of the daughters, "if we should work for other people, we would no more be received in society." -This occurrence illustrates the notions prevalent among this class of Virginian farmers. The "society" of which the girl spoke, consists of people just as presumptuous and as poor and ignorant as herself ; people who are even called by the negroes with disregard : " poor white trash."-Labor for a fair remuner- ation, whether mental or physical, should be the glory of all Virginians, as it is among the German-Virginians. There is- true dignity in labor, especially in the tilling of the soil; there is also success in labor, as is demonstrated by many German-Vir- ginian farms ; but it has been distasteful to the Anglo-Virgin- ian element and considered degrading by them. The result has been violation of wise economy and the State has been retarded in its progress. Another peculiar symptom is, that after the war many of the old masters became the debtors of their former slaves. They frequently lacked the ready money to pay the labor of the blacks; the claims of the latter accumulated and finally the negro received in payment a tract of land or some cattle. In this way negroes came to be the present neigh- bors of their former masters.
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It would however be unjust to hold the Virginian people alone responsible that the wealth and prosperity of the State are slowly augmenting. After the war the Virginians, with but few exceptions, were zealous to reestablish good relations with the victorious Union. The fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, abolishing slavery and giving citizen-rights to all persons born in the Republic, was ratified by the required majority, and General Grant, who was sent to Virginia to investigate the feeling of the people toward the Union Government, stated in his report: " That the inhabitants had submitted to the results of the late war and that the two chief differences - secession and emancipation of the slaves - had been definitely disposed of." The North did not however assist, as had been hoped, to heal the bleeding wounds and to make the southern land again a source of national wealth.
" When the Confederacy fell," says Edw. Ingle in his book, " Southern Sidelights," " the whites of the South were relieved of an enormous incubus - slavery - but were at the same time deprived of the means to turn the relief to their immediate advantage. The blacks had freedom without the capacity to undertake the responsibility of freedom, and presently were, through partisan politics, surrounded by influences that would, for. a generation at least, stand in the way of their develop- ment."
The Northerners boast of the forbearance and clemency towards the conquered " rebels," but on the other hand it can- not be denied, that the Government at Washington has with partiality considered the Eastern and Western lands and that the South was the neglected drudge of the Union. If a pro- portionate share of the enormous sums which have been spent to develop the Northwest had been invested in the South; if the spirit of enterprise, which constructed a network of rail- roads in the unpopulated prairies, would have been induced to restore and enlarge the roads of travel and traffic in the South- ern States; and if efforts had been made to direct the stream of an industrious and wealthy immigration to the South as well as to the West, the traces of imperfect negro labor and poor tillage and of all the devastatione of the war would have dis-
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appeared years ago. Beladen Virginia was left to herself ; she could not make liberal venture to attract immigration of intel- ligent white laborers. In 1866 the Legislature passed an act to encourage and increase immigration to Virginia ; a Board of Im- migration was organized and General G. Tochmann and Mr. B. Barbour were appointed agents of immigration to Germany and England, but without any obligation on the part of the State to pay the expenses. Only insignificant results could be expected of such illiberal policy. Colonel Frank Schaller 252) was au- thorized by General Tochmann to travel to Germany and to visit first his native State of Saxony, to draw immigrants to the Old Dominion. But the success was very trifling. However full credit must be given General Tochmann for his endeavors and good will. He was a native of Poland and had partici- pated in the campaigns of 1830 and 1831 as major in the Polish army. During the period of 1832 to 1834 Tochmann was vice- president of the Polish Revolutionary Committee at Avignon in France, and in 1837 he came to America and visited the princi- pal cities to awake sympathy for his suppressed fatherland. In 1845 he was admitted to the bar as a lawyer and since 1852 he settled in Virginia, where he lived and associated principally with the Germans. Henry G. Miller of Richmond was his sec- retary. After the failure as agent of immigration he left the State in disgust.
During the summer of 1868 Rev. I. A. Reichenbach came to Richmond, Va., with the intention to organize German colo- nies in the South. On July 21st a public meeting was arranged in front of the City Hall to hear the propositions of the pastor, and a committee was elected to examine his plan. The com- mittee consisted of the following highly respected citizens: Peple, Hoffbauer, Tiedemann, Gimmi, Leybrock, Dr. Strecker and Dr. Grebe. But the project was soon abandoned for want of confidence in the propositions and the person of the reverend.
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German settlements promising good results were started in the counties Chesterfield, Prince George, Louisa, Lunenburg and Mecklenburg. Wm. Grossmann of Petersburg, Va., a native
252.) "Virginische Staatszeitung," January 25th, 1868, B. Hassel, Richmond, Va.
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of Silesia, and in the old country professor at a German college, but now real-estate agent, has done very much to develop the German settlement at Port Walthall in Dinwiddie county, near the city of Petersburg. In Chesterfield county at Granite Sta- tion, not far from the city of Manchester, is a prosperous settle- ment of German Catholics. In Lunenburg233) Ch. Rickers and O. Jansen from Schleswig-Holstein and AA. and G. Petzold from Saxony are successful farmers, and the same may be said of E. Williams (Wilhelm ?) of Prussia, in Prince George county. In the southwestern part of Louisa county in 1868 two German villages, Frederickshall and Buckner, stations on the C. & O. R. R., were started by Heselenius, Frosh, Mauker, Lieb, Goering, Stolz, Schrader, Lorey and others. Some of these settlers have removed to other parts of the country, but the majority still re- main and are doing well. In the northwestern corner of the same county the author purchased in 1886 a farm and planted a large vineyard, known as " Idlewild Vineyards." The reports of the State Commissioner of Agriculture mention, that in 1888 to 1892 several Pennsylvania-Germans came to Botetourt. Into Albemarle and Orange Germans immigrated from Illinois, Wis- consin, Dakota, Nebraska and Ohio; in Prince George a num- ber of Germans from Russia and Bohemia purchased farms, and in Goochland many families from the northeastern States, and among them some Germans, settled since the war and are well pleased. Other official documents show that the counties Henry, Norfolk, Warwick, Roanoke, Alleghany and Taxwell increased in population from 126 to 195 per cent. and that a large num- ber of the newcomers are Germans. The old German settle- ments on Opequan, Shenandoah, Rapidan, Rappahannock, Dan. New and Roanoke rivers also received some additions from the Northeast and direct from Germany. The status of Virginia for the year 1870 says (page 178) : " Of the foreign population of Virginia Ireland furnished nearly one-half, Germany one- third, England one-sixth and Scotland one-twentieth. Over 49 per cent. of the foreign-born population were found in tide- water, where they are located in the seaport cities. Over 29 per cent. lived in the middle country and nearly S per cent. in Piedmont, while the Valley had over 11 per cent."
.253.) Correspondence of Mr. Wm. Groszmann, Petersburg, Va.
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During the last two decades there was a slight increase in immigration, owing to efforts made by some of the railroad companies. They had pamphlets printed. explaining the ad- vantages in Virginia for capital and labor, and these papers were liberally distributed. The conclusion had gained ground that it be better to seek immigrants from other States of the Union, especially from the Northwest, rather than to repeat the efforts to invite a stream of promiscuous population from abroad, - and immigration from the northwestern States has actually set in. The German element being very strong in the West, it is also well represented among these newcomers. All of these are desirous to escape the rigorous winters of the in- hospitable western climate; to get nearer to the markets and to again enjoy society and those home-like comforts which charm life and which are wanting upon the borders of civilization. Immigrants going to the cities and into some professional or mercantile occupation did not succeed, on an average, as well as those engaged in farming. The statistics show that some- thing like 90 per cent. of all those who go into mercantile pur- suits in the United States either become bankrupt or have to make arrangements with their creditors, while of the remaining 10 per cent. not more than half succeed in making more than a bare living.254)
Among the number of successful merchants in Virginia the Germans are largely represented. Virginia is also a good field for German medical men speaking the English language. German musicians are predominating and German mechanics are much in demand; but surest of success, we repeat, are those engaging in farming. They at least secure a good livelihood ; they produce on their farms sufficient of nearly all the neces- saries of life and many of its luxuries, and above all the farmer if not rich, is at least independent. It is surprising that the di- rect immigration of farmers from Germany is not taking larger proportions. The settler will find in Virginia a lovely climate, neither too hot in summer nor too cold in winter, for regular work all the year round. Its proximity to the ocean on the
254 ) "Virginia." a Synopsis published by the State Board of Agriculture, p. 81, Richmond, Va., 1889.
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East and the range of mountains on the West modify the cli- mate and make it most healthful, enjoyable and suited for out- door life. The farms, and in many cases with dwellings and outhouses, can be bought at very low prices and will, with in- telligent working and proper manuring, produce as good crops as anywhere else. The taxes on the lands are light and the produce can be sold readily. Why then does the great mass of Germans seek the far West in preference to Virginia? At the annual meeting of the State Board of Agriculture on October 31st, 1888, the Committee on Immigration made the following statement in its report"35): " Virginia needs population; it needs more good men, women and children. It has thousands of acres of broad, fertile, unoccupied lands awaiting the tiller's toil; it has thousands of acres of timber awaiting the wood- man's axe and thousands of veins of most valuable ore and coal, only awaiting capital." -- In fact every Virginian asserts : "What we want is good working people." But in truth it is not foreign labor, but foreign money they are looking for; and the selfish and unkind tendency is felt and keeps immigrants and especially the sensitive Germans away. A correspondence in "Der Sueden,"256) written by a highly respected German citizen of Charlottesville, Va., gives a good illustration of this assertion. The correspondent wrote: "It is easily explained why Virginians give preference to English immigration. In
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