Carolus Jodocus Diethelm (1823 - 1901)

Born 15 Jan 1823 in Galgenen, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland

Ancestors

Husband of Francisca Elisabetha (Fessler) Diethelm — married 1 Jul 1850 in Alpthal, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland

Descendants

Died 20 Mar 1901 at age 78 in Laketown Township, Carver, Minnesota, USA

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Pat Quinn [send private message]

Biography

Baptized as Carolus Jodocus Diethelm, on Jan 15, 1823, (psbly born the day before), in the village of Galgenen, Canton Schwyz (pr Shweez), Switzerland. His village is on the edge of the Swiss Alps, about 25 miles SE of Zurich. He was commonly known as Carl but Carolus is Latin for Charles and he used the name Charles for most official business so his name is recorded here as both Charles and Carl. His tombstone spells his name as Karl.

Carl was the son of Joseph "Alois" Diethelm from Grabenegg Farm in Galgenen, and Maria Anna "Theresia" Market. Godparents were Carolo Diethelm and M.A. Regina Schuler from Weggia Valley (psbly meaning from Wägithal Valley).^[1]

On Jul 01, 1850, when he was 27 years old he married Franzisca "Elisabeth" Fässler (1820-1918), daughter of Zacharias Fässler and Maria “Theresia” Steiner, in the bride's village of Alpthal. They had 11 children, two of whom died at birth in Switzerland, one died at age 4 in Minnesota, and a fourth died at age 19, also in Minn.

On Dec 8, 1853, with his wife and 2 small children, he boarded the ship "Rome" in Le Havre, France and arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA on Jan 25, 1854. Carl's brother, Joann "Michael", immigrated with them. Click here to see the original "Rome" passenger manifest. Diethelms are on image pg 128, lines 146-150 (can pg fwd).^[2] From New Orleans, the Diethelm party traveled north on the Mississippi River towards Minnesota Territory but Carl didn't have enough money to finish the trip and his family had to get off the boat part way there. He got carpentry jobs to earn enough money to finish the trip (and buy 2 cows). Conflicting reports say they either stopped in Dubuque, IA, or Cairo, IL, (both are river towns). His brother continued on to Minnesota without them.

After his brother preempted land in what would later be Laketown Township (Victoria), Carver, Minnesota, about 35 miles west of St. Paul, he wrote to Carl and advised him to hurry on up. When Carl and his family reached Minnesota Territory, (different dates found, but most logically in the spring or summer of 1854), "...he arranged temporary lodging for his wife and children and then started out to meet his brother. After arriving, he selected and established his claim by cutting down a few trees about one-third of a mile to the southeast of his brother's claim. Here there was a small patch of ground, about three acres, which the Indians had used several seasons previous. Most of the trees had been removed from it, and so it could easily be cleaned up for planting. The brothers then planted more beans, potatoes, and other vegetables. In later life Mrs. Carl Diethelm often remarked that the first crop was so abundant that it easily carried them through to the next season."

"The brothers now commenced to build a permanent log house on the spot where Michael had staked his claim and completed it by midsummer. It was quite large, and both families moved in until a house for Carl was completed on his claim that fall. They now had homes for themselves and about three acres of land ready for the plow, more than they had had in Switzerland and of much better quality."^[3]

Their livestock wouldn't have survived a Minnesota winter without shelter, so building a barn would have been a priority that summer too. (A common complaint among pioneer wives was that their husbands placed their livestock's welfare before their family's. Cabins remained in their original rough hewn condition for years while barns and other outbuildings were routinely expanded and improved.)

His wife must have written glowing reports of Minnesota to her family back in Switzerland because over the next few years his wife's father and most of her brothers also immigrated from Switzerland and settled nearby. Oddly, none of Carl and Michael's siblings followed suit, although one of their cousins later immigrated to Chile, South America.

In the 1860 census, Carl and Elisabeth were in their own cabin with 5 children and a 30 yr old farm laborer, "Franz Fesler", who was Elisabeth's brother, Josef "Frans" Fessler, who had followed them from Switzerland in 1858. Most of the Fässlers changed the spelling of their name to Fessler in America.

When Carl and his brother had arrived in Minnesota, they'd been able to lay claim to any piece of unoccupied of land they chose, without having to ask permission, file any paperwork, or pay anyone. All it took was building a shelter, no matter how crude, and marking the boundaries. It was called "preempting", which is a tactful way of saying they squatted on it before the GLO (Government Land Office) officially sold or even surveyed the tract, and were thus given a preemptive right to acquire the land from the United States. It wasn't long before more immigrants arrived and the area changed from wilderness, to settlements, to townships, but established claims were respected. After the US passed the Homestead Act in 1862, the floodgates opened and settlers poured in. The Act allowed any male who homesteaded land in the public domain for 5 continuous years, and became an American citizen, to get it free, after paying a small administrative fee. Land in Carver county was getting snatched up fast.

Carl must have logically thought that since he and his brother had been the first settlers to arrive, (although one report says 2 other men had beaten them by a few months) and had already been there for 8 years, he would have a clear path to a homestead claim. Unfortunately, the land he'd claimed was already allocated to someone else. The owner was a veteran of the New York Militia who'd been granted a Military Bounty Land Warrant by the US Government for his service during the New York Frontier Disturbances. (Explained in "Military Bounty Land Warrants" section below.) Carl didn't qualify for a homestead claim, and instead had to buy the land warrant from the army veteran.

04/20/1863 - Land Purchase of 120 acres by “Charles Detele or Charles Diethele”. Twp 116N, Rng 024W Carver, MN, Land office in Minneapolis. Click here to see the original land patent.

In the 1870 census Carl's real estate was valued at $3000, and personal property at $800. The 1870 Agricultural Census (a sub-section of the population census) gives details of his farm production. He had 60 improved and 100 unimproved wood-land acres, cash value of farm $3000, farming implements & machinery $200. Livestock owned: 2 mules & asses, 4 milch cows, 2 working oxen, 5 other cattle, 4 swine. Produced 600 bushels spring wheat, 200 Indian corn, 180 oats, 700 barley, 100 Irish potatoes, 400 lbs butter, 20 tons hay. Estimated value of all farm production, including betterment and additions to stock, $1200. (Ag Census link above brings you to pg 1 of 2. Click "Image" fwd arrow to see 2nd pg. Charles Dethelm (sic) is on Line 1. His brother Michael is on Line 2. Interesting to compare their farms with neighbors.).^[4]

In the Apr 25, 1872 issue of the (Chaska) Weekly Valley Herald, some of C. Diethelm's land was to be sold in an upcoming Sheriff's sale for non-payment of taxes amounting to $24.45, but it's not as dire as it sounds. The paper routinely published these lists and it looks like nearly everyone in Carver County is on them. Apparently it was just a heavy-handed way of telling everyone that their taxes were due.^[5]

Over the years, Carl periodically expanded his farm by buying large parcels of his brother's land. Around 1872 Michael sold Carl his last parcel then he and his wife Thecla moved a few miles away to Shakopee, in Scott County.

In 1876, Carl sold 80 acres to his oldest son, Mike, and leaving the rest of his farm in Mike's care, packed up the wife and kids and spent the next few years on the west coast, in California, Oregon and Washington.^[6] (Reports differ on the dates and time span of their wanderings, but it was most likely from 1876 to 1878.) Some of Elisabeth's brothers had left Minnesota and moved to Oregon around 1872. It looks like Carl wanted to see if they'd found greener grass out west, while wisely keeping a foothold in Minnesota. Since two of his daughters later married men from San Francisco, California we can assume that that was one of their stops. (One daughter married a Hotelier named Steiner. Elisabeth's mother was a Steiner, and this man came from the same area in Switzerland as Carl and Elisabeth. It's possible that he and Elisabeth were distantly related and the Diethelms sought him out, perhaps even stayed in his hotel, when they went to California.)

A 19 yr old son died in July, 1878. His obituary said that he'd "contracted a disease" in Oregon and returned to his parents home in Laketown to die. (Another source says that, according to family lore, he was gored by a bull. Since I can't see anyone surviving the long trip home with a such a serious wound, family lore may be mistaking this boy for a grandson who died in "an accident" at roughly the same age, 20 years later.) Their son's illness may have been what brought all the Diethelms back to Minnesota.

It seemed that Carl was always open to new money making opportunities. One of Elisabeth's nephews had preempted land in Big Stone County on the Minnesota-South Dakota border. Although homestead-able land had long since disappeared in Carver and surrounding counties, there was still plenty of free land available in western Minnesota. Around this time, the (Chaska) Weekly Valley Herald had numerous articles reporting the steady stream of Carver County farmers selling out and immigrating to "the prairie", as that part of the state was known. The Diethelms kept their farm in Laketown, but followed Elisabeth's nephew's example and pre-empted their own land in Tokua (or Toqua), Big Stone County around 1878.

Carl, Elisabeth, Joseph, Mary and Frank were in the 1880 census in Toqua, Big Stone County, MN. Their surname was misspelled as "Teatholm".^[7]

12/15/1883 - Homestead Certificate / Land Patent #5822 awarded for 157.3 acres to “Carl Diethelm". Twp 124N, Rng 047W, Section 13. Land Office in Benson, Big Stone Co, MN.^[8]

The Diethelms would have had to have been on their new homestead no later than Dec, 1878 in order to be awarded the homestead by 1883. He sold this land before 1885 and moved the family back to his farm in Laketown. Another daughter married a man from Big Stone County and stayed there. (Interestingly, another land patent was issued out of the same land office in 1882 for "the heirs of Charles Fessler, deceased". This was his wife's nephew whom they had followed to Big Stone, and who died of typhoid fever there in 1880. Counting back 5 years from 1882, Fessler had to have started homesteading no later than 1877. (Although I still don't understand how his claim could have been filed after he'd already been dead for 2 years.) Fessler was unmarried, making his parents, who still lived in Laketown, his heirs. It would be interesting to know who posthumously filed his homestead claim (and got the money when it was sold); his parents, or Carl Diethelm.-pq)

In the 1885 census the Diethelms are back on the old homestead in Laketown Township. Having married off most of their offspring by now, only their youngest, 21 yr old Joseph still lived with them though they also have a boarder, 76 yr old Anton Schumacher. Their son Mike's family lived next door.

The Weekly Valley Herald (Chaska) Jan 27, 1887 (pg 4, col 3)

"Miss Lena Breher, Carl Diethelm and wife and Mathias Huitmakers, all old residents of Laketown, will leave next week for California. Mr. Diethelm and wife, will remain if they like the climate and country. Miss Breher and Mr. Huitmakers make the trip for their health, and will remain until well. the HERALD wishes them all a pleasant trip and safe return." (Below this article was their son Joe's wedding announcement. Though no sale notice was found in the paper, it's possible that Joe bought his parent's farm at this time, which financed Carl and Elisabeth's west coast trip.)

Carl and Elisabeth stayed on the west coast for a year. Their 2 daughters in San Francisco had given them 8 grandchildren that they'd never seen. The railroads were in full operation by now, making it relatively easy to visit family in distant parts of the country. We don't know if they also visited Elisabeth's family in Oregon during that year.

In the 1895 census, Carl and Elisabeth were living with their son, Mike, with Mike's wife, 9 children and 1 boarder. Mike ran the farm while Carl, now 72, helped out. An 1898 plat map shows that by that time, their son Joe owned Carl's original homestead. Joe's family may have been living in the old house when this census was taken, explaining why Carl and Elisabeth were bunking with Mike's family. Or maybe the old cabin was just too worn out to be lived in.

In 1897, Carl went into partnership with his son, Mike, and son-in-law, Arnold Noterman, to build the first merchantile store, near the corner of Rose & Steiger Lane, in Victoria, Carver, MN. Carl sold his interest to Arnold and his son, Mike Noterman, a couple of years later.

In 1898, the local paper followed the progress of the building of Carl Diethelm's new house with great interest. They started hauling stone for the foundation in February. Hau Willer & Kohman put in the foundation in July. Jon Dols built the frame in August, and in November the "new residence is painted and ready for occupancy".^[9]

In the 1900 census, Carl and Elisabeth were living in their new house, which they owned free and clear. Their granddaughter, Theresa Thompson nee Diethelm, and her new husband Arthur were living with them (and paying rent). Carl, now 77, was fully retired from farming, and listed his occupation as "Capitalist" (investor).

It appears that Carl lived a successful and profitable life in America, and did it all without ever learning to speak English. His grandson summed it up the best.

"...It is almost incomprehensible to realize the fortitude and resoluteness, the steadfastness of purpose against overwhelming odds which they had to overcome in establishing their new homes in complete wilderness, 35 miles from any sign of civilization. The Indians still roamed about the area... In addition, the fact that must not be overlooked that these sturdy pioneers were handicapped and powerless to retreat. They came here with their wives and small children, they wanted land, they were several thousand miles from their homeland, and, in most cases, practically destitute. But with grim determination they tackled the job."^[10]

Carl passed away at his home in Victoria, Minnesota in 1901 and is buried in St. Victoria Catholic Cemetery, Victoria, Carver, MN.

Other biographies written about Carl

1915

"Charles Diethelm, one of the pioneers of Minnesota and one of the founders of Victoria, was born at Galgane [sp Galgenen] in Canton Schwyz, Switzerland, and died at his home in Carver county March 20, 1901, at the age of seventy-nine years.

His wife, who was Elizabeth Fessler of Alpthal in the same canton, born November 11, 1820, is yet living. Charles Diethelm and his wife read of the attractiveness of Minnesota in a book of Von Humboldt's, while they were yet in Switzerland.

December 8, 1853, they left Switzerland for the New World. Sailing from [Le] Havre, [France], they reached New Orleans after a voyage of thirty days. (Per ship's manifest, they arrived in New Orleans 01/25/1854. - pq) Then followed a journey of two months by boat up the Mississippi to Dubuque, [Iowa] where they were obliged to stop and bury ten or twelve passengers who had died of the Cholera. At Dubuque Charles Diethelm stopped a while, his money having given out, but his brother, Michael, went on to Saint Paul.

In the fall of the same year Charles, with a little capital he had earned and two cows, joined his brother, who had settled on the site of the present Saint Victoria Church, and built him a log house. Then Charles, with his wife and two children, began their experience in opening up a new country. They secured a claim of 120 acres adjoining the brother, and cut down timber to build a log cabin.

In 1876 he went to Big Stone county and preempted land, but about six years later he sold this and in 1865 [before going to Big Stone Co] bought forty acres of his brother Michael, and in 1872 he acquired eighty more from his brother, enlarging his farm to 240 acres. (In 1870 census, his brother only had 60 acres left to sell.) The brother, Michael, removed to Shakopee and later to Chaska, where he died about 1895. In 1897 Charles Diethelm and his son, Michael built the first store at Victoria, and for some time they were in business as partners. About this time also, be built him a home in Victoria, leaving the farm, which he had turned over to his children. Some seventy-five or eighty acres of this farm he had cleared.

Charles Diethelm and his brother were devoted Catholics. The first services of the church, in 1855, were held at their homes, and they donated ten acres for parochial purposes. The church was organized in 1856 and the first building, a log house, was erected in the spring of 1857.

Among the men who with their families united in this pioneer organization were John Meyer, Martin Schmidt, Frank Kessler, Michael Kessler, Henry Kessler, Engelbert Schneider, John Schmieg, Paul Mattly, Peter Gregory, Leonard Celestine, who also donated twenty acres to the church, John Wey, Nicholas Wey, Hubert Wey, Leonhard Breher. In 1871 the log church was replaced by one of brick. Also a parochial school has been built, to be used as a supplementary to the public school, and the building and grounds donated to the school district. The Franciscan Fathers, from Chaska, have been in charge since 1877."^[11]

Excerpt from son-in-law's biography

"...in 1895, Mr [Arnold] Notermann established the first store in Victoria, in company with his father-in-law, Charles Diethelm and the latter's son, Michael Diethelm. (Sev'l sources, including newspaper reports, verify it was 1897, not '95.-pq) Two years later the elder [Carl] Diethelm withdrew from the firm and Mr. Notermann's son, Michael, who had been employed as clerk in the store, became a partner and has since, with his father, bought out other interests..."^[12]

Excerpt from "Germans in Minnesota"

Due to copyright laws I can't copy text from this book here, but you can read parts of this book online. Pages 17 & 18 retells the legend of the migration of the Diethelm brothers to America. It's a quick read, and for once, Elisabeth Fessler-Diethelm is mentioned, even if only in relation to her brothers' immigration. http://books.google.com/books?id=VEuw0QlLxFgC&printsec=copyright&source=gbs_pub_info_r#v=onepage&q&f=false (Search [Ctrl+F] "Diethelm" to find pages. - pq)

Obituary

IN MEMORY OF THE LATE CARL DIETHELM

Carl Deithelm was born on January 21, 1821, at Altendorph, Canton Schwytz, Switzerland, and married Elizabeth Fessler, on January 13, 1850. He emigrated to America in 1854, first settling at Dubuque, Iowa, but moved the same fall to Carver County and settled on the old homestead in Laketown.

In 1876, he took a trip to the Pacific coast, and spent three years in California, Washington and Oregon, working at the carpenter trade. He also spent the year 1887 on the coast. Some twenty years ago he took a claim in Big Stone County and lived there for five years. The rest of his life he spent on the homestead in Laketown, where he died on Wednesday March 20, 1901.

The funeral took place on Saturday, March 23, from the Catholic church at Victoria and was largely attended. May He Rest in Peace.

Weekly Valley Herald, April 4, 1901

^[13]

Maps

Carl came from Galgenen, Canton Schwyz, Switzerland (abbr SZ, CH). His wife Elisabeth was born and raised in Alpthal, SZ, CH.

Clickable map of Europe. First map shows where the country lies within Europe. Click Switzerland to see its Cantons. Click Canton SZ (Schwyz) to see its towns. (Clicking the town shows its flag.) Maps and boundary data copyrighted by <A HREF="www.flagspot.net/flags/g_ix.html">FOTW - Flags Of The World web site</a>

Minnesota Counties. They arrived in Minnesota by riverboat at St. Paul in Ramsey Co. and walked to Laketown in Carver County. Their 2nd homestead was in Big Stone Co.

1880 Plat Map - (part of) Laketown Township, Carver, MN: Charles and Michael Diethelm (father & son) farms are by the big "N" in "Lake Town".[6]

1898 Plat Map: Laketown Township. "J. Diethelm's" 118.59 acre farm is in Section 13, south of Steiger Lake. Comparing the 1880 map to this one, although smaller, this is Carl's old farm, now owned by his youngest son Joe. There are 4 structures on the property, one is the Co-Operative Creamery that Carl and son Mike were involved with (in the NW corner), one would obviously be Joe's house, and another one is probably Carl and Elisabeth's new house that they built the year this map was made. Mike's farm is to the south of Joe's.

1890 - Digitized State of Minnesota Plat Book Earliest plat map found of Toqua, or Tokua in Big Stone County. Carl homesteaded there, from 1878-1883. (Twp 124N, Rng 047W, Section 13) http://geo.lib.umn.edu/plat_books/bigstone1890/reference/map02747.jpg

City of Victoria website featuring Diethelms as first European settlers.

History of area, from Native Americans to town's early years. http://www.ci.victoria.mn.us/index.aspx?NID=187

Military Bounty Land Warrants

In this country's early years, up to 160 acres of land in the public domain were awarded by the government to veterans of various wars as partial compensation for their military service. These land grants were called "Military Bounty Land Warrants". Veterans went through a multi-step application process, at the end of which they were given either a warrant to receive land or scrip which could be exchanged for a warrant. Only a few soldiers actually received title to the bounty land or settled on it; but they weren't allowed to sell their warrant either. Don't know when Captain Reuben H. Gray received his warrant, but the New York Frontier Disturbances (aka Patriot War) for which it was awarded occurred in 1838-'39. At that time there was neither a state nor territory named Minnesota. It was part of Wisconsin Territory. It was still inhabited by the Indians and not officially open to settlement. In the early 1850's various Indian bands in Minnesota Territory signed treaties with the US government, handing over much of their land, which the government put in the public domain. Once this new area opened up, the government now had land they could assign these old military warrants to. Since so few of the old veterans wanted the land they'd been granted, and the government was interested in populating this area with people who would tame the wilderness, they changed the law in the mid 1850's to allow Military Bounty Land Warrants to be sold, which enabled Carl to buy the land his farm occupied.

Sources

1. ↑ Galgenen Parish Baptismal Record provided by A. Fassler, Alpthal, CH.
2. ↑ [1] : "Louisiana, New Orleans Passenger Lists, 1820-1945," index and images, FamilySearch, accessed 08 Sep 2013), 1820-1902 (NARA M259) > 039b - 18 Jan 1854 - 29 Apr 1854 > image 125 of 751.
3. ↑ "The History of St. Victoria Parish 1857-1957" by John A. Diethelm, 1957
4. ↑ 1870 Agricultural Census. [2]
5. ↑ Link to newspaper: [3]
6. ↑ There's no record as to which family members made the west coast trip with Carl, but they had young children that they wouldn't have left behind, which means that his wife went too. Plus there's the 2 daughters that married San Francisco men and the teen age son that got sick while in Oregon.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1880," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-GYBW-JF5?cc=1417683&wc=QZ27-L8Q%3A1589406338%2C1589407271%2C1589407299%2C1589394743 : 24 December 2015), Minnesota > Big Stone > Tokna > ED 3 > image 3 of 6; citing NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.). Toqua mis-transcribed as Tokna, and his family name listed as Teatholm.
8. ↑ Bureau of Land Management. Certificate #5822: [4]
9. ↑ Carver County Historical Society Newspaper Index [5]
10. ↑ “The History of St. Victoria Parish, 1857-1957” by John A. Diethelm, Printed in 1957 by Sentinal Publishing Co. St. Cloud, Minnesota
11. ↑ "Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota". Edited by Maj. R.J. Holcombe and William H. Bingham. Published in Chicago by Henry Taylor & Company, 1915. pg 278
12. ↑ "Compendium of History and Biography of Carver and Hennepin Counties, Minnesota". Edited by Maj. R.J. Holcombe and William H. Bingham. Published in Chicago by Henry Taylor & Company, 1915. pg 321
13. ↑ Obit & biography found at FindAGrave.com: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Diethelm&GSiman=1&GScid=1974448&GRid=74054342&

"Germans In Minnesota" By Kathleen Neils Conzen. Pages 17 & 18. http://books.google.com/books?id=VEuw0QlLxFgC&printsec=copyright&source=gbs_pub_info_r#v=onepage&q&f=false

Disclaimer

There are many contradictions (mostly in the dates) in the biographies written by various people about Carl Diethelm. In some cases, it's impossible to know which details are accurate. I've researched what I could, charted my own timeline, and when all else failed, made a few educated guesses. I believe the first biography appearing above is the closest to being complete and accurate. - pq