Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-08-24
the enterprise. In tho first printed ro.

port by him as president, made October
], 1884, he states that tho first mootng,
looking towards tho establishment of tho
German Settlement Society was hold in
his use on tho 9th October, lS4S, at
which some twelve signatures were given
to tho movement. Con. Wagencr was at
this timo publishing a paper in tho Ger
man language in Charleston called tho
"reutono," aud the printing Office was
evidently in the same building with his
residence for we find from tho worry first
minutes Of the society that it is recorded
as having hcou held in tho Office of the
"Toutone," and that there were eleven
persons present rs follows: j. A. Wage
ner, j. H. Wuhrmann, j. NJ. IIonckon,
Cord Often, Elmer Cappelmann, Jacob
Schroeder, Jacob Koopman, IL. ID. I.lcr-
horst, Claus Bullw .nkol, ID. Won Eitzen
and George Cordos. Those had all paid
their initiation foe of $40. 1t did not
tako long for this number to double and
soon to triple. In 184o tho first land pur
issued 10th October, 1913, we find tho
report Of tho organization, with tho fol
lowing liamed otlicors:
j. flonning Wuhrmann, president;
Jacob ijchroder, treasurer; ID. Won Elton,
secretary, and Cord Otton, Claus Bull
winklo, II. ID. Ellorhorst, j. M. Honckcn,
directors.
lHo purpose VI tno ooCloCy ID sou 1OfIn
in tho bylaws to be chiefly to offer to
Germans a homo in tho upper portion of
tho State, to offer thom lands on low and
reasonable conditions, to obtain suitable
cattlo ranches and to establish factories.
Notice of tho organization of tho Society
and of its purpose and of tho dosiro of tho
Society to purchase lands in the upper
portion of tho State were Immediately
published in tho Charleston papers. In
| rna tfN 10 trxy hnr Of
| sons wrote offering lands. Tho land
offered which seemed best suited for tho
purposes Of tho Society was that of Col
Jos. Gresham. Ile wrote on 2Sth No.
vember, lS4S, oiforing somo 10000, acres
mountain land and somo 10000, acres
below tho mountain.
Tho correspondence shows that Mr.
Gresham was Informed that a committee
would be sent to investigate the lands.
! 1t will bc of interest to present here a
lcttcr writton to tho Farmers Society at
| Pondleton, from which we can gather
something of tho spirit under which the
founders of this Society woro acting:
| "'ro the Farmers Society at Pcndlcton-t Gen
| tlcmrn: The undersigned, corresponding see
retary of the German Colonization Society o.
| Charleston, is very dcsirous of obtaining some
| advice from you whether Il settlement of Ger
man farmers might he successful in Pickcns
grain iands ami hcalthirst climate ARC to lie
| found, and what is the value of good, arabic
| land?
al am causing you some considerable incon-
ycnicncc by my queries, but venture upon this
course under the belief that it is the most proper
assist me.
"wo wish to purchase large tract of land,
say from $4,000 to 100000 or more acres, for
| farming aud stock raising purposes. Our rcla-
tirns, friends and ncignbors In Germany will
follow us, and we have no doubt that cnigra-
tion, once turned into this channel, will increase
|
State considerably. The European Germans
labor under the mistaken notion that upper
| South Carolina is an unhealthy and barren Soil,
and the establishment of colony in saluljriouS
! situation will therefore rcfutc the idea
men, of as earl, answer as may he convenient to
you, assuring you of our sincere acknowledge
| mcnts.
"vcry respectfully, your ohcdient servant,
| "JOuN a. WAGESEK,
| corresponding Secretary"
Unfortunately it does not appear what
reply was received to this letter.
On the 3d May, lS40, Col. Gresham
personally attended before Il meeting of
the Society i'll tho Office of tho "Tcutonc"
and Il definite proposition in writing was
thereafter made on 18th May, 1910, by
him, and in tho early part of August,
1910, a committee, consisting of Mcssrs.
j. d. Meyer, j. NJ. Ostcndorn, II. Knee
and j. III. Langc, was appointed to pro
coed to the Gresham lands and inspect
the same. Lot us note here their report
and tho Impressions they received as IL
this land.
| After rcciting visits to different places
of interest on the land and entering
minutcly into details as to variations of
soil, tho water powers and such like, and
| the beautiful springs Of water on the
land, and describing various tracts in.
volved, they conclude that they feel
satisfied that thoy have not ovcr-cSti-
mated tho value of the property, and
report favorably-thati in their opinion IL
settlement at that point must be success
full; that tho section is delightful, water
good, the roads good, tho soil pro-
dnctivc, and the land that on which
any Industrious person can succeed.
| Upon this report of tho committee an
offer of 100000 was authorized and
further negotiations were had with Col.
Gresham, which resulted i'm the purchase
Of the land in tho latter part Of the year
1910 at tho sum Of S2i,O00.
Mr.. j. IIenning Wuhrmann, tho first
president, who still survives, served as
such until tho 9th October, 1850, when
Con. John A. Wagcncr was elected rs
ID. Biemann, j. SEMINARS, II. Oldcnbut-
tel, l.. IIcichel, {. NonIche, II. Meyer,
II. Wulrmann, j. ii. Iangc, ii. lIohnS
and j. ID. klcinbcck were elected mem
bers; on the 9th April, 1910, G. f. Sccba,
Louis Rcmrodt and III. Mueller; on the
18th July, 1910, II. f. Wicbcns, and on
tho 25th OF same month j. II. IIcncken,
! Fritz Schulken and Goo. f. Cordcs; on
the I'd Of August, 1910, IL. ,Jcsscn, j. NJ.
Ostcndorn, ii. Gissel, j. +. Iucrs, j. G.
II. Claussen, II. Bremen, G. +. Mcmtcns,
f. bampc, and J. ID. Meyer sign the con
stitution. On LIST November, 1910, j. II.
| kalb was elected and j. ID. Meyer resigned
and j. H. KONG was elected in hi place
on the 2lst December, 1910, G.. +. llcnckcn
was elected member in tho place of his
deceased brother, and T.. IL. Wuhrmann
in place OF III. Meyer, and Menkc Bull
winkcl in place of Claus Bullwinkcl on
Fajcm, G. Wcndclkcn and G.. II. ID. Cra-
mer were elected. On the 2Gth March,
1870, the first land sale took place, and
on tho 9Th April 1850, q. Rieckc was
elected a member.
On the 2id May, 1850, Jacob Schroeder
resigned as treasurer and +. Schulkcn
was elected in his place. Secretary Won
Eitzen also thcreupon resigned and j. u.
| Nichbuhr was elected, and at this time
Mcssrs. John A. Wagner and j. II.
| Kalb were appointed committee to Law
in the latter part of 1910 Mr.. Fred Vie
bcns was sent to Walhalla to take charge
OF the High Falls property on behalf Of
the Society.
On the 9th June, 1850, Mcssrs. Jacob
Schroeder, Claus Bullwinkel and Klein
beck moved up with their families. They
were accompanied by Mcssrs. G.. +.
Sccba and j. &. NonIchc, who visited
tho lands purchased to inspect the same,
and also by Mr. John lIouSckamp, who,
with Capt. Sccba, still survives MIR.
Schroeder and those who accompanied
him were thus the first actual scttlcrs
| In August. 1850, Emer Capnolmann