1872, March 1 The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad commissioned
Anton H. Kettler to recruit German Catholics who would
purchase land in the area then known as Sumner Township,
Shelby County, Iowa. It was further stipulated that 50 cents
per acre sold would be placed in a fund to build a church.
The first Settlers in 1872-'73 in Westphalia Township,
Shelby County, Iowa, came from Westphalen, Germany except
H. SCHWARTE; born in Hanover, Germany
1872 ARRIVALS
Sept. 1 FLUSCHE, Emil b. 1849 - d. 1930 Mt.Carmel, Texas
Sept. 14 FLUSCHE, Joseph b. 1840 - d. 1895 Pilot Point, Texas
DREESMANN, Anna b. 1851 - d. 1912 Muenster, Texas
Oct. 5 Joseph and Anna were married in Dunlap, Iowa)
October SCHWARTE, Herman b. 1845 - d. 1913 Westphalia, Iowa
Oct. 31 FLUSCHE, Karl b. 1843 - d. 1896 Westphalia, Iowa
1873, August The first Catholic Church in Shelby County is built on the
future site of the town of Westphalia; a 24X36 ft frame
structure.
NOTE: The first house in the town of Westphalia was
reportedly built by an old Austrian wood carver named
Herr Streaka.
October Emil FLUSCHE is appointed sole land agent by the Rock Island
R.R. for the the colony replacing A. H. KETTLER..
1873 ARRIVALS
March 16 FLUSCHE, August b. 1853 - d. 1928 Muskogee, Oklahoma
RUESCHENBERG, Johann b. 1838 - d. 1908 Westphalia, Iowa
ZIMMERMANN, Emill b. 1849 - d. 1911 Westphalia, Iowa
May 20 FLUSCHE, Wilhelm b. 1839 - d. 1901 Lindsay, Texas
FLUSCHE, Eva Katharina (FLUCHT), widow of Stephen W. FLUSCHE
FLUCHT, Maria Anna, sister of Mrs. FLUSCHE 1827 - 1877
FELDMANN, Clara b. 1848 - d. 1917 Milwaukee, Wisconsin
SCHNUETTGEN, August b. 1853 - d. 1907 Earling, Iowa
ZIMMERMANN, Johann, b. 1821; wife, Maria Anna (SCHNUETTGEN)
and Children: Maria Anna b.1851; Joseph A. b. 1858;
Regina b. 1861.
May 28 A Catholic priest, Rev.John KEMPKER, visited from Council
Bluffs,Iowa; celebrated the first Holy Mass in the Colony
and performed the first marriage on May 29, that of
Karl FLUSCHE and Clara FELDMANN.
May 29 Herman Joseph KETTLER, son of Anton H. and Maria A. (KNABE)
KETTLER was baptised by Rev. KEMPKER at the SCHWARTE home.
1874, June 22 The Town of Westphalia is platted on the S 2/3, SE 1/4 of
Section 21, Township 80, range 39. on land originally owned
by Herman SCHWARTE.
Dec 7 The first term opened in the school house located on Block
8 with sixteen pupils enrolled; the teacher was Anton J.
STRUEDER from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
1874 ARRIVALS
BAKER, George KENKEL, Nicolaus
BEHRENDT, William KRAMER, Joseph
BLUM, Joseph KUHL, Joseph H.
BOOK, Peter KUHL, Mathias
BUDDEN, Bernard ? KUHL, Valentine
EIKE, Lorenz ? LAPKE, Andrew ?
EVERY, Mathias ? MAIWALD, August
FRANK, Ernest MESTER, August
FRIEDENBACH, F. M. MILLER, Michael
GALDERINI, Thomas ? MUELLER, Henry
GOESER, Joseph MOLITOR, Nicolaus
GORSCHE, Michael MUSCHITZ, George
GREVE, Peter NOWATSKI, Joseph
GROSS, Adam PAOLAZZI, Ferdinand
GUBBELS, Jacob PETSCHE, Michael
GUBBELS, Peter RUESCHENBERG, Joseph
GOLLOBITH, John SASSE, Carl Theodore
GRAF, Philip SCHMITZ, Johann N.
HALBE, Frank SCHNEIDER, Caspar
HENDRICKS, August SONNTAG, Thomas
HESSE, Joseph STEPKSAL, Anton ?
HESSE, Heinrich STERNBERG, Michael
KAUFMANN, Peter VON TERSCH, Joseph and
KEMMERICH, August ? wife, Maria Elisabetha (BOCK)
WEILAND, John Baptist
1875, January 1 As a result of elections held October 13, 1874, the
following officials assumed the duties of their respective
offices:
Township Clerk, Joseph H. KUHL;
Assessor, Nicolaus KUHL;
Trustees, Peter BOOK, F. W. LOEHR and Joseph SCHMITT;
Road Supervisors, August KEMMERICH and F. W. LOEHR;
Constables, Mathias FRUEND and Philip GRAF.
April 2 The name of Sumner Township was officially changed to
Westphalia Township and the postoffice thereof was called
Westphalia; the first postmaster was Joseph H. Kuhl.
1875 ARRIVALS
ANASTASI, Louis MALY, Rev. Peter
ASSMANN, Albert MERTENS, Heinrich
ASSMANN, Peter McCABE, Michael
BOCK, Johann Joseph NEPPER, Christian
DEIHL, Andreas ? NOLLES, Joseph
ENERTS, Matthias ? PANIAN, George
ENGEL, Peter PICART, Joseph ?
FUCHSHOFEN, Louis PIMPLE, C. (Catherine ?)
GAPR., C. Sacrist ?? RAU, Anton
GAU, Christ SCHECHINGER, Martin
GOESER, Stephen SCHEEL, Fritz
GUBBELS, Peter SCHMIEDING, Caspar
GUDRIAN, Gottlieb SCHMITZ, Adam
HEESE, Johann SCHNUETTGEN, Peter ?
HEIMERMANN, Anton SCHNUETTGEN, Theodore
HENNES, Johann SCHOMER, Jacob
HEUNES, William ? SCHOMER, J. Peter
KENKEL, John SCHUMACHER, Peter
KERSTING, Xavier SCHWERY, Gottfried
KESSLER, Mathias ? STEPHANY, Charles
KLOEWER, Anton STOLZ, Aloysius
KRANTZ, Winand WERTH, Ed ?
LACKMANN, Mrs. Mary WILDERWING, Michael
LANGENFELD, Jacob WILDERWING, John B.
LEUSCHEN, Benedict
1876 and 1877 ARRIVALS
BAUER, Joseph KOLL, John
BERGHAUS, Joseph MILLER, Alex ?
BLOCK, George PAPE, F.W., Rev.
GREINER, Nicholas RAU, Michael
HOCHHAUSEN, John and C. ROSMANN, George
HERTERT, Emil THELEN, Peter
KLEIN, Joseph
HISTORICAL FOOTNOTE:
When Rev. J. A. Weber was installed as pastor at St. Boniface
Parish in 1880 he found a rapidly growing and diverse community
which has also become 'disputatious'. A quick glance at the above
surnames will reveal their origins -- the European Countries
including Germany (all Provinces), Belgium, Luxembourg, France,
Switzerland, Austria, Yugoslavia, Italy (Trento), and England.
This cultural mix was eventually brought into harmony with the
construction of the Church in 1881. The 125th Anniversary observed
in July, 1997 celebrated these transplanted rootstocks which
continue to blossom and bear fruit.
Special Thanks to Bill Langenfeld for this information.
If you have further information regarding early Westphalia Township
history, please contact BILL.
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