August Ziebarth and his wife, Louisa Fechner were both born near a collection of villages some forty miles northeast of Poznan. This area is now part of Poland, but in the early 19th century, it was part of the Prussian Empire. Historically, this area supported ethnic enclaves of both German and Polish populations—until the end of World War II, when ethnic Germans were expelled.
This community was centered on a Lutheran church in the village of Peterawe. Today, this area is still rural and sparsely populated. Though small, the Peterawe church supported a congregation that traveled in from the villages of Klempitz and Jasien, both about 5 miles away. (Wronke, a small town that also figures into our story, was slightly outside this radius and was part of another parish.) The records kept by the church officials have been preserved despite wars and cultural upheavals, and they have provided valuable insights into the Ziebarth family origins.
Charles August Ziebarth
According to church records, Karl (Charles) August Ziebarth was born to Martin Ziebarth and Beata Mathey in the village of Klempitz on August 24, 1819. He was christened early the following month, on September 5th. He was the fourth child of five for this couple, having one brother and three sisters. His mother was a widow with four children when she married Martin, so Charles had two half brothers and two half sisters in his family as well.
Although most of his people were farmers, it is said that August was apprenticed as a tailor, a trade he followed all of his life1Being accepted into an established trade as a tailor was difficult in Germany at this point in history. A master tailor—and his sons—could expect to live a long and prosperous life. Our oral family history confirms that he made all of the clothing for his family and tailored commercially in all of the communities where he lived, at least part-time. Census records, however, generally indicate that when asked, he told people that his primary occupation was farming.
August’s grandson, Edward remembered questioning his uncle Fred (August’s son): “How was it that your dad homesteaded on only 80 acres in the Turtle River area, when there was so much land available at such a low cost?” Fred replied: “You must remember first that he came from a background of small farms, and 80 acres looked like a lot of land to him, and second, he actually did very little of the farming operation himself, for he was a professional tailor. He sat in the house, made all of the clothing for the family, and tailored commercially, while his wife and children did all the farm work.”
Louisa Fechner
Charles August’s wife, Louisa, was a Fechner. We do not know her exact birthday, but numerous records indicate she was born around 1830, making her about 10 years younger than her husband.
Her birthplace was the village of Jasien, not far from Klempitz and Peterawe in Prussia. Though the Fechner name is fairly prominent in the church records from this parish, we know nothing of her family background: only her name and approximate date of birth. We do believe that she had four brothers: Edward, Charles, William and one other whose name is unknown. Her brother, Edward, became a minister in the Evangelical Church in Germany. Charles is said to have become a violinist of some repute. The two other brothers came to New York State with their sister, Louisa.
Though little was recorded about her, she was a remarkably strong woman. During the course of her life, she gave birth to 15 children. Six of them died young, most in infancy. While her children were young and most dependent on her, she and August made momentous changes in their lives, moving to the United States, on to the Minnesota frontier and finally to Dakota territory—a journey made primarily on foot.
Family tradition has it that Louisa’s mother, known only as “Grandma Fechner,” migrated from New York to Minnesota with her daughter and the two sons, dying at Long Prairie, Minnesota and buried at that place. Unfortunately, the records we have for the family’s time in Minnesota have no mention of this woman. It seems odd to me, too, that she could have been with the family for so long but no one remembered her name.
Migration and History
The Ziebarths migrated to the United States with some of their neighbors, and relatives, particularly the Fechners, Weiers, and Bauers. I believe that Christian Weier was the pathfinder for this group, finding his way and setting up house in upstate New York before other members of the clan followed.
August and Louisa arrived in New York City in the midst of autumn on October 11, 1854 on board the steamship Isaac Allerton. August is listed as a tailor (the only record I have confirming his trade) and they have three children with them: two and a half year old Emma and six-month old twins, Carl and Helene.I
From the city, they migrated north, likely up the Hudson River, either by horse-drawn barges or steamboat. They settled in West Sand Lake in Rennsselaer County of New York in the same neighborhood as the Weiers and Bauers. Louisa was seven month pregnant when she first stepped on American soil. She gave birth to another set of twins, George Henry and William Henry right before Christmas.
The first few years in New York were undoubtedly difficult. By the time of the 1860 census, Emma, Carl and Helene had passed away. George and William were joined by a new sibling, August Herman,
By 1862, the family was living in Todd County, Minnesota. Their son, Edward August, was born in the township of Long Prairie in that year. Historically, it was a tumultuous time. The American Civil War was in full swing and the Dakota Uprising, a full scale war between Native Americans, settlers and what elements of the U. S. Army that could be spared from the fight against the South. There’s no record that August, over 40 at this point took any interest in either war. His sons, of course, were too young to participate.
Minnesota had just been admitted to the Union (in 1858), railroads and immigration societies were actively working to bring pioneers into the state. German immigrants were heavily targeted in marketing campaigns. It seems likely that August, working hand to mouth as a farm laborer in New York saw opportunity out West despite the dangers.
While pioneering in Minnesota the family moved about considerably, establishing residence in multiple townships just west of St. Cloud: Litchfield, Sauk Center, Long Prairie and, finally, Paynesville in Stearns County. In total they lived in Minnesota for about 20 years. Land grant records indicate that they attempted to homestead at times, but there’s no indication they were ever able to make good on their claims and retain the land permanently.
Before leaving for Dakota Territory, they had eight more children: Amelia Florence, Frederick Bernard (a frequent informant for this history), Mattie Johanna, Ernestine Henrietta, Gustave August, Emmet John and another set of twins who died in infancy. Their names were never recorded.
In 1879, they lost their son Hermann, who was in his early 20’s at the time of his death. Fred recounted to later generations that Hermann used to carry him around on his shoulders, and that all his life, he carried a scar between his eyes from a fall while horsing around with him. He also remembered his mother, Louisa, preparing Hermann for burial—a stark reminder just how isolated life on the prairie could be.
Some time around 1880, the family began to work towards a move even further westward, into Dakota Territory. August and Louisa’s son William was sent ahead to reconnoiter, and in 1878 August purchased an 80 acre plot of land in the Turtle River area. The 1880 census records the family as still living in Stearns County, Minnesota, so preparing for the final move apparently took some time.
It’s likely that the first move from New York to Minnesota was made by train, but Dakota Territory was truly the American Frontier. Though some rail service was available, the family made the trek via oxcart and on foot. Fred, in his early teens at the time, was charged with driving the cattle and recalled that he walked the entire way in bare feet.
The land on which they settled was raw, undeveloped prairie. Fred was charged with breaking all 80 acres, a task he completed with oxen (later with horses) at a rate of some two to three acres a day. (At this point, his older brothers, Will and George, were living on their own. Little is known about the success of the Turtle River farm, though it appears to have provided the family with a decent living for almost 10 years.
Around 1889, August and his son Will sold their holdings and purchased the Selkirk Hotel in Grand Forks. A city directory for this time period indicates that the Selkirk was a small hotel at 205 North 9th Street. The family was unable to make the hotel profitable, and shortly after the purchase they were forced to give up the business. That failure was a watershed moment; August and Louisa were of retirement age, and their kids were ready to be out on their own. As Arthur would later put it, this moment marked the breakup of the family.
August died just a few years later in the spring of 1892 while living in Grand Forks, North Dakota. He was 72 when he passed. Louisa lived with her son Fred for some 17 years after the death of her husband. She was in a wheelchair for several years before her death, having been hurt in a run-away (horse and buggy) accident with grandson Charley driving the horses. She passed in 1909.