Dietrick Lamade (1859 - 1938)

Born 6 Feb 1859 in Gölshausen, Bretten, Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Descendants

Died 10 Oct 1938 at age 79 in Williamsport, Lycoming, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Dietrick was born in 1859 and he was the son of Johannes Dietrick and Caroline Stuepfle Lamade. ^[1] He was brought to America, in 1867, when he was 8 with his family who settled in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States. At age 10 he dropped out of school to support his family. By age twenty he was working for the local newspaper; Williamsport Daily Sun and Banner. When the paper failed in 1884 he and two partners bought a newspaper plant and bought the failing Sunday edition; The Grit. In 1885 while struggling to keep the paper a float they tried other tactics such as gun raffles and traveled the rails to sell the idea of a "big prize". Having worked the paper subscriptions flourished in smaller towns East of the Mississippi River. Appealing to the base he started to add stories reflecting the ideas of his readers, add color photos that could be cut from the paper, and even comics. Among the content he also hired boy/girl paper sales persons. ^[2]

There have been more than one million children who have sold copies of The Grit ^[1]. Many famous names worked for The Grit selling papers; including Loretta Lynn, Harlan Sanders, and John Glenn. ^[2] He passed away in 1938.

Emigration

Date May 1867

Port of Embark: Bremen

Port of Arrival

Naturalization

Date: 2 Sept 1880

location: Williamsport, Lycoming, Pennsylvania, United States

Historic Marker

Location: W. 3rd. and Williams Sts., Williamsport

Dedication date: November 23, 1996

Inscription: German-born publisher of the Sunday Grit, for many years a "family newspaper." He founded it in 1882, this site was its former home after 1889. He built the Grit on a "good news" concept, an appeal to rural tastes, a nationwide network of young carriers. ^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Man of Grit
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Waymarking

• Find A Grave: Memorial #78088499
• Waymarkers #2
• "United States Passport Applications, 1795-1925," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVJP-SDZL : 16 March 2018), George R Lamade, 1917; citing Passport Application, Pennsylvania, United States, source certificate #56352, Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 - March 31, 1925, Roll 372, NARA microfilm publications M1490 and M1372 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.).