Frederick Metzger (abt. 1818 - abt. 1885)

Born about 1818 in Preußen

Descendants

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Biography

Frank was born about 1818.^[1][2][3] He arrived in Mora County, New Mexico, before 1849, since he had an illegitimate daughter with Apolonia Gutierrez named Maria Juana Metzger, who was about 11 in the 1860 US Census. He left Prussia in 1842, shipping from La Havre, France, and arriving in New Orleans, Louisiana.^[4] In a lawsuit filed by his children over his estate, ( De Cordova v. Korte, NMSC-005, 1895), he is listed as Frederick. In another lawsuit filed in 1970 posthumously, he is listed as "Frederick Metzger, also known as Frank Metzger."^[5]

In the 1870 US Census, he is shown living with Apolonia and 3 young women sharing his last name: Maria Metzger, Pastora Metzger, and Josefa Metzger. However, only Josefa was his daughter and was most likely just visiting for the day since she was also counted in the Census in her mother's house. It is doubtful that the other two were his actual daughters, natural or not, because they were not included in the court case over his estate where it was determined that the 3 daughters of Viviana Martin, and Apolonia's daughter Juanita Metzger, were his only natural children.

He had an extremely successful business partnership with his son-in-law, Henry Korte. There were also rumors of a secret gold mine that was very profitable.^[6] When he died about 1885, his three daughters with Viviana Martin sued Henry Korte, claiming that since they were Frank's only heirs, they should get his half of the business. The case was eventually settled by the New Mexico Supreme Court in favor of the daughters.^[7]

Research Notes

1. I have a copy of the final ruling by the New Mexico Supreme Court but I can't post it because I think the person that posted the link to it shouldn't have. To obtain a legal copy, you have to pay a monthly fee of $69 to NMOneSource.com, the official source of New Mexico law.

Sources

1. ↑ Year: 1860; Census Place: Santa Gertrudes, Mora, New Mexico Territory; Roll: M653_716; Page: 473; Family History Library Film: 803716
2. ↑ Year: 1870; Census Place: Mora, Mora, New Mexico Territory; Roll: M593_894; Page: 303A; Family History Library Film: 552393
3. ↑ Year: 1880; Census Place: Santa Gertrudis, Mora, New Mexico; Roll: 803; Page: 4C; Enumeration District: 020
4. ↑ The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1820-1902; NAI Number: 2824927; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service; Record Group Number: 85
5. ↑ Legal Notice, Las Vegas Optic, 8 May 1970, archived (https://www.newspapers.com/image/35600190/ : accessed 15 Jan 2019,) citing print edition, p. 2.
6. ↑ Romero, Melaquías, "The Lost Gold Mine of Juan Mondragón, A Legend from New Mexico performed by Melaquías Romero," edited by Charles L Briggs and Julían Josué Vigil, The University of Arizona Press, 1990.
7. ↑ De Cordova v. Korte, NMSC-005, 1895