Kleinhans / Petitjean Family
Embedded Files
1855-1880 Homesteads & Census facebook
►info- click to show/hide
Most of the Kleinhans family members who farmed were not commercial farmers but rather simple farmers who relied on their farms to feed and support their families as people had for hundreds of years. Some of them may have been able to grow some extra produce to sell, but not like a commercial farm. Some had side jobs such as sawmill laborer, farmhand/threshing laborer, and carpentry to make extra cash.
Also, anytime a person listed their place of work as "radiator factory" in a census it was almost certainly Harrison Radiator since it was at one point by far the largest employer in Niagara County and likely Western New York as well.
Partial 1860 Town of Royalton from the Library of Congress. Wolcottsville was called the Prussian Settlement.
Census
1855 Town of Weatfield, Niagara County
In the Town of Wheatfield, Niagara County 1855 NY State Census were 49 y.o. Christian Yagow with his wife 54 y.o. Dorothea, sons 17 y.o. Ferdinand, 15 y.o. Augustus, 10 y.o. William, and 4-year-old David who was the only one born in Niagara County, USA, the others were born in Prussia. The census also states that they were residents of Wheatfield for 8 years meaning that they immigrated near 1847, close to the beginning of the 1843 "Old Lutheran Faith" pastor-led immigration (see German/Prussian/French Roots page)
Also, the Yagow family moved to Wolcottsville sometime before the 1860 US Census coinciding with the reports of some immigrants leaving Wolcottsville in 1857 (see Sep 10, 2023 News) helping to make room for the Yagow and Kleinhans families.
1860 Royalton pop. abt. 4,800
On the map above on Fisk Rd. underlined in red is "F. Kliehann". Next door to the east is "F. Ladsch". On the Town of Royalton 1860 US Census page 78, Frederick's family (misspelled Klinhang) was listed right after the Ladsch (misspelled Ladet) family. The listing includes Annerteena (sic) Frederick's (sic) 37-year-old wife born in Prussia, Minnie a 10-year-old daughter, and Augusta a 4-year-old daughter (nearly 5) both born in Prussia, and Mary a 1-year-old daughter born in NY.
On the map across the street from Frederick also underlined in red is "Jagow". Just four (4) families down on the same census page were 52 y.o. Christian Gagow (sic) with his wife 48 y.o. Dorothy, sons 21 y.o. Ferdenand (sic), 18 y.o. Augustus, 14. y.o. William, and 9 y.o. David. As such Ferdinand Jago and his future wife Wilhemina "Minnie" Kleinhans were neighbors when he was 20/21 and she was just 10/11 years old.
So the Kleinhans family settled on Fisk Rd. right after immigrating to the US directly across the street from the Gagow/ Jagow/ Jago family. Sometime after 1860 and before 1870 Frederick moved his family to the property on Akron Rd. (see below)
The census also indicates Frederick's real estate was worth $350 (about $12,000 now) and his estate was $75 (about $2,500 now) meaning Frederick owned his house/property. The census doesn't include the type of house, but the dollar amount indicates it might've been a log cabin since frame houses were generally worth more. All the adult men on the same census page were listed as German-born farmers except for Ferdinand's brother Augustus Gagow who was an eighteen-year-old shoemaker.
Partial 1875 Royalton Town Map from Historic Map Works
1870 Royalton pop. abt. 4,700
In the 1870 US Census Ferdinand Yargow (sic), wife Minnie Yargow, and children Lousia and Augustus (who died as an infant) were listed in Royalton. Immediately after them were 62 y.o. Christian Yargow, 58 y.o. Dora, and son 20 y.o. David. Barring misspelled names, newly married Ferdinand and Minnie Jago/Yargow were next door to his parents and brother on the same Fisk Rd. property as in 1860. Ferdinard's property was listed at $1,320 (about $28,000 today). Both Ferdinard and his father were naturalized.
Also in the 1870 US Census image 88 were Fred Klienhans (sic), wife Erenstina (sic), and children Mary (see below), Frederick (Jr), William, and Paulina the youngest. Wilhemina/Minnie was already married, and 15/16-year-old Augusta Kleinhans/Rlanhaus (sic) was working for Jacob and Sophia Miller. Fred's neighbors were the Ranneys, Greens, and Craatz/Kraatzes in the census which places him on Akron Rd. near Mud Creek as in the 1875 map above. His property is listed at $2,350 (nearly $50,000 today) although the 1875 NY Census has his dwelling listed at $200.
Additionally, in the 1870 US Census image 79, the Jacob Miller family was listed with the same neighbors mentioned in the picture below and Augusta Rlanhaus (sic) as their (domestic) servant.
On the right of the 1875 map in a red box, you can see Mrs. Puppy to the north, A. Klien in the middle, and W. Schrader to the south. In the 1870 US Census, the Augustus Klinhans' (sic) family was listed between the Schrader family and the Poppy / Puppy family meaning they were neighbors. So apparently A. Klien was Augustus/August (Sr) Kleinhans.
There are a couple of other names on the map in the Kleinhans family tree as well such as Brunning, Harpst, and Lindke. This map makes it look like Royalton was crowded but there were acres of open fields around most farms. Nevertheless, the city of Lockport and the Erie Canal both were only a few miles away, and train stations were available just to the north in Middleport and Lockport.
1875 Royalton
Near the center of the map, Frederick Kleinhans' ("F. Klinehans") farm is underlined in red near Mud Creek on Akron Rd. (Rt. 93) with Wocottville (sic) nearby. In the Town of Royalton 1875 New York State Census image 29, page 53 Frederick's family listing was sandwiched between the Dromen and Hendrick families which are neighboring farms on the map with Dromen north and Hendrick south. Frederick's dwelling was listed as a log cabin valued at $200. (see pic below).
In fact, for both William and Augusta Kleinhans' funerals, several of the Hendricks / Handricks were pallbearers. In the 1875 NYS census, Frederick Kleinhanse (sic) was a 51-year-old married farmer born in Germany. Ernestine was his 52-year-old wife born in Germany. With them are Frederick (Jr.), William, and Paulena all born in Niagara County. The older children had moved out. Minnie was married by 1868, Augusta by about 1874, and Mary at 15/16 years old was already on her own.
Just to the east, across the street from Frederick's previous Fisk Rd. home are two properties in a red box both with the name Gargow (sic). Also in the 1875 census, on image 29 page 52 were Carl Yargo (sic), Doratha (sic) Yargo, and David Yargo who was now 24 years old. On image 28 page 51, just one family away is Ferdinand Yargo (sic) and Minnie Yargo with daughters Eliza Yargo and Augusta Yargo.
So it appears Carl/Christian Gargow/ Yargo/ Jago was still on Fisk Rd. with his son Ferdinand and daughter-in-law Minnie next door, apparently on the same property as 1870 (see above).
Other than Ferdinand's age being off and Louise's name listed as Eliza, the census indicates Ferdinand owned his log cabin/property. Ferdinand's parents also owned their log cabin. The Gargow/ Yargo/ Jago properties were less than a mile from Minnie's father Frederick's property on Akron Rd. straight through the fields.
On the 1908 Royalton Town Map, the Jago family doesn't appear on Fisk Rd. anymore since Carl/Christian Jago would've been over a hundred years old by then. Today the Jago/Fisk Rd. properties are empty lots now except for one older frame house. Log cabins didn't seem to last long in Wolcottsville because as many as there were at one point there's now only a couple left. It's likely log cabins became a sign a family couldn't afford a frame house and were therefore quite undesirable and a social stigma.
On the left of the map are two properties underlined in red for J. Miller on Miller Rd. with H. Frey to the east across the road and the Harteranft, Rinehart, and Day properties to the south. In the 1875 NY Census image 18 page 32, the Jacob Miller family was listed with the Hoteranft (sic), Fry, Rhinehart, and Day families among others from the map. In the 1875 NY Census, Jacob was listed with two children, Myraette and George, and Augusta Cleinhanse (sic) as their 19-year-old (domestic) servant.
1880 Royalton pop. abt. 4,800
In the 1880 US Census, Wilhemina Yago's (sic) family was listed right after her father Frederick Kleinhus' (sic) family which is significant. Census takers would generally travel down a street one house after the other, especially in rural areas. Because Wilhemina's family is right after Frederick's in the census they were living next door to each other. The census taker numbered the families he visited in sequence. Frederick's household was numbered 131 and Wilhemina's household was numbered 132. Immediately after Wilhemina's family, family number 133 was Cristian Yago (sic), and his wife Dora, apparently Ferdinand's parents. The dwelling was numbered 132, the same as Wilmenia's meaning they were living together.
Other than the 1875 Royalton Town Map the closest map to 1880 is the 1908 Royalton Town Map which shows there were two buildings on Frederick's property. The Kleinhans family may have kept the log cabin from 1875, built a new house, and were living in both houses for the 1880 census although there's no actual account or mention of it anywhere else. The 1908 map also seems to indicate their main house was L-shaped.
In the 1880 Census image 50, Gust (August Sr.) Kleinhans with his wife Mary and five (5) children were listed with the Buth/Boot and Plafka/Prafke families as neighbors meaning they were living on the same property as 1870 (see above). Gust was working in a sawmill.
In the 1880 US Census image 2, Augusta (Kleinhans) was listed as Jacob Miller's wife with step-daughter Myraette and step-son George. Jacob and Augusta's farm was only two (2) miles west of her father Frederick's farm on Akron Rd. (see map above & pic below)
1880 Alabama, Genesee County
In the 1880 US Census for Alabama, Genesee County Nelson and his wife Mary Newton were employed as a farm laborer and a (domestic) servant respectively. They had only been married a few years, there's no indication of a child, and the census doesn't say if they were renting or where they were specifically.
8629 Akron Rd., Royalton, NY built in 1876
See Frederick and William Kleinhans' homesteads on the main page.
6158 Miller Rd., Royalton, NY built in 1870
See Augusta (Kleinhans) and Jacob Miller's branch on the main page for Frederick Kleinhans.
👇 Click on the map below to open Google maps, and click on a marker to see the location/info about one of Frederick's children or grandchildren.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse