I have told you of the Oldest German Settlement in Jefferson Township, which is the Southeast part, sections 34 and 35. Now I will try and give a short sketch of another one in the northwest part of Jefferson, sometimes known as the “Clayton County German Settlement”. As I have stated in the previous article these all came to Northeastern Iowa. When that country began to settle up and land rose in value they sold out and were seeking cheaper lands. As there had been American settlers from Clayton county that had settled in Madison county along after the war, 1866–67. A. M. Peters and others, and the Rock Island railroad was building through from Des Moines; they heard of Madison County as being noted for cheap lands and fertile soil, thus they were directed this way.

Mr. George Storck was the first to come to this county. He came in 1868, purchased a quarter section of raw prairie land in section 13, Madison township, and then returned to Delaware county, where he was then living. In January 1870 returned to this land, improved it and has lived there continuously ever since and now owns 550 acres of the best land in Madison county. 

 Mr. George Storck came to Clayton County in 1848 with his parents when he was five years old, living there until he enlisted in Company E 27^th Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry August 22, 1862, and was mustered out August 8, 1865. He was promoted to corporal after the battle of Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, where he received a wound in the shoulder. After the war he returned to Clayton county and in 1867 to Delaware county and then to Madison county in 1870.

Mr. Stark served on the Board of Supervisors 1883-85 and made an enviable record as a public officer. He has been connected with the Madison County Mutual Insurance Company since 1880, first as president and for many years as secretary which position he still holds. Much of the success of the company was due to the labors of Mr. Storck.

Gerhardt Storck, a brother of George Storck came to Madison County in the spring of 1870 and settled on the northeast quarter, section 9, Jefferson, and has continued to live there and is considered one of the prosperous farmers of that township, and owning 860 acres Jefferson and Madison townships.

Ferdinand Marquardt also came from Clayton county with Gerhardt Storck then a single man, a brother-in-law of both Geo. and G. Storck. About 1871 he bought the Southwest quarter section 3-77-27, improved it and still lives there. He owns another farm in Jefferson township and one near Dexter in Penn township.

August Bernau came from Clayton County in 1872 settling in section 7 or the wi widow of his son, William, now lives in owns a farm with 200 acres. August Bernau died in 1883, his son, William in 1894. His son J. H. Bernau bought the northeast corner of section 23 in Jefferson where his son, Elliott H. Bernau, is living now. J. H. Bernau died in 1899.

John Westphal also came from Clayton County in 1872 and bought 240 in section 3 Jefferson. He was Treas. of the Farmers’ Mutual Insurance company at the time of his death in 1880. His widow owns 160 acres which she rents, and his son Herman Poland’s the 80 acres.

Reinhold Kneuper, whom I mentioned in a previous article, and direct from Germany to George Mueller’s in Union township, whom he had known in Germany. Mr. Kneuper lived about that locality until about 1874 when he bought the S. E. quarter section 8, Jefferson township, his present home. He also owns the N. W. quarter, section 16 and is a leading citizen of Jefferson township.

August Ziemann came from Clayton in 1873, first renting of L. Renshaw and in a few years bought the farm where he now lives, section 21, and improved it. The added to his holdings until he now owns 280 acres.

Charles Wishmeyer, was born at Urbana, Ill., came to Madison County in 1871 and bought the farm where he lived in the seventies, and died in February 1907.

Carl Marquardt and family came from Germany to Clayton county in 1859 and to Madison county in 1873, buying a farm in section 9 where he died in 1896. The farm is now owned by Gerhardt Storck.

H. E. Marquardt came with his parents, in 1873, from Clayton and bought 80 acres in section 9, later selling to Geo. Storck and buying a larger farm in sections 4 & 5 Jefferson township, 220 acres. He has been secretary of Jefferson twp. school board for several years.

Fred H. Meyers came in 1872 with his stepfather, John Westphal, and about 1887 bought the S. E. qr. Section 21 and a few years ago purchased the Sylvester Renshaw farm, now owning a half section of land.

Wm. Steinhaus and his son Edward and their families came direct from Germany in 1872 and lived here several years until about 1884 they went to Nebraska.

August Prochnow also came with the Steinhaus’ from Germany in 1872 owned 100 acres in section 10 and 15, dying about 1903 in a misers hut with plenty about him.

William Buske came in 1878 and later on the N. E. quarter section 8 and sold his farm some ten years ago and is now living in Des Moines.

Fred Roggemann came from Clayton in 1873 and remained until 1875 when he sold his farm in section 8 to Lewis Neindorf and left the County.

Mr. Neindorf, who came to Jefferson Township in 1874 and later bought 100 acres of Wm. Buske making a farm of 320 acres now owned by his heirs, Mr. Neindorf dying a few years ago.

Chris Heitman came to Madison county in the early seventies and bought the S. W. quarter section 9 which he sold in 1885 or 86 and moved to Nebraska.

Ferdinand Jensen came to Madison county in 1883, a few years later bought the S. W. quarter section 9 of P. D. Lienmann and later sold it to N. Boos and bought a farm where he now lives in section 4.

Conrad Fundinger came to Madison county in 1881 buying the N. E. quarter section 16, which he still owns.

B. B. Lienemann came from Germany to Jackson county, Ia. And in 1882 to Madison county buying quite a large farm in sections five and six Jefferson township. His son, John, lived in section 24 a few years and later moved to Arkansas. B. B. Lienemann died some years ago about 1901. His sons Peter and Brachtel live on the old farm.

Fred Thomas who I have mentioned before lived a few years on the farm on by Conrad Fundinger to whom he sold in 1881 and went West.

Lewis Vaudt, came to Madison county in 1885 from Stuart, Ia., Rented a year or so and bought 40 acres in section 15, his present home, and later 160 more in section 9, and now owns 275 acres of land. His sons, A. J. And Albert, attending the farms, and a son William, lives in Jefferson township, later bought a farm in the Shambaugh neighborhood.

Carl Radke came from Germany to Madison county in the early 80s and a few years later bought a farm in section 10 where a son Otto, resides. Mr. and Mrs. Radke are both dead. Herman Radke also lives in Jefferson Township.

George Lentz came to Madison County from Germany and 1891, living on a farm in section 20 for about ten years when he and his son, Henry, moved to South Dakota. His son John lives on a farm that he bought recently of the Niendorf estate section 8.

Nicholas Boos bought the Chris Heitman farm, southwest quarter section 6, in 1898 of Ferd Jensen, and is living there today.

Frederick E. Meyer came from Germany several years ago, living for a time in Penn township, then at Vanmeter, and about 1885 married Ida Storck, a daughter of Gerhardt Storck, and lived on one of Mr. Storck’s farms until his death about 1903. He was clerk of Jefferson township for several years.

Henry Wehrkampf came from Clayton county in the 80s and owned a farm in section 4 which he sold about 1898 to Ferd Jensen and returned to Clayton county.

Ferdinand Dallman came in 1875 from Wisconsin and later bought the north half of southwest quarter, section 10 living there until after the death of his wife a few years ago. He sold his farm about 1903-04 and with his daughter and her husband moved to Dakota.

William Kading also came from Wisconsin to Madison County, lived here a year or so and moved to Adair as also did a family by the name of Crumnie who with the Kadings and Dallmans had come from Wisconsin. They are prosperous farmers in Adair County. When they came to Madison county in 1875 they had one team and wagon. Also for a few years there lived to families among the settlement by the name of Kahre. They have gone to North Dakota, I believe.

Thus I have given a brief sketch of the German settlement in Jefferson township and one family and Madison township, covering a territory of four miles square. There are others among them but the principal owners of the farms are Germans.

I am indebted to George Storck for much of the information and possibly some were left out, unintentionally on my part. I have not mentioned the names of Cudliff, John and George Brooker lived in this community since about 1868 for the reason that they married American wives and never associated much with the Germans, but will speak of them in “The Clayton, a settlement in Madison County”.

It will not be amiss to say something about the settlement of Germans as to their character and citizenship. Originally they left the old country to better their conditions. They were well drilled in the school of labor and economy, and arriving in a country of opportunity quickly prospered, as their beautiful homes, capacious barns, and well cared farms indicate as a rule the members of the settlement as well as of most to German settlements, are honest, industrious people, strictly attending to their own affairs, paying for everything they get, and getting everything desirable that their homes will afford; paying their share of the taxes and seldom if ever appearing in the criminal or even civil courts, and never found in the poor house, thus making good citizens and doing their share to make the community and country prosperous.

Published in the May 3, 1907 edition of The Winterset News and edited for clarity and spelling.