Person:Johannes Krumm (70)

John Krumm went "out West" for the gold mining business in late 1840's

1. ↑ Death Registration, Location: County of Event
   of wife.
2. ↑ Death Registration, Location: County of Event.
3. ↑ Death Registration, Location: County of Event
   file 8459 cert 341.
4. ↑ Death Registration, Location: County of Event.
5. ↑ United States. 1850 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication M432).
6. ↑ Johannes (AKA John) Krumm. Johannes (AKA John) Krumm letters home, Recipient: Krumm family inColumbus, Ohio, Author Address: Colorado Springs, CO and also Califor. (dated 1849-1897 and originals preserved).
7. ↑ Johannes (AKA John) Krumm. Johannes (AKA John) Krumm letters home, Recipient: Krumm family inColumbus, Ohio, Author Address: Colorado Springs, CO and also Califor. (dated 1849-1897 and originals preserved).
8. ↑ Johannes (AKA John) Krumm. Johannes (AKA John) Krumm letters home, Recipient: Krumm family inColumbus, Ohio, Author Address: Colorado Springs, CO and also Califor. (dated 1849-1897 and originals preserved).
9. ↑ United States. 1900 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T623)
   ED# 77; page 19A; sheet: 6A; ancestry image: 3.
10. ↑ United States. 1910 U.S. Census Population Schedule. (National Archives Microfilm Publication T624)
    ED#54; page: 236A; sheet 2a; ancestry image: 3.
11. ↑ Death Registration, Location: County of Event.
12. ↑ Death Registration, Location: County of Event.
13.   edited by Lafayette Haymaker. The First Book of the Dead. (Mainesburg Press, New Albany, OH, 1995).
14. ↑ disentery
15. ↑ I have copies of letters that John Krumm wrote to his family here inColumbus. The original of these letters are kept at the Ohio HistoricalSociety in Columbus, OH and anyone can obtain copies of them. I havecopies, but they are poor and DIFFICULT to read!
    
    the earliest letter is:
    April 2, 1849
    The Indian territory six miles from Saint Joseph
    Dear sis,
    The affections I have for you is what makes me the write these few linesmailed here. We are in the woods surrounded by imagrents for Californyand rattlesnakes.
    We stayed at saint Joseph's in a couple of days, and intend to start ontowards California day after tomorrow, as we are some distance north ofColumbus grass is not been sufficient for our mules to feed on. As tothe luck we have had I can not brag. all done we are all alive yet. Someinsedense have happened and our journey so far. coming up the riverbelow St. Louis. Mr. McColm driving water for our mules and fell overboard and got a first rate washing. and the evening We arrived at St. L.he took sick and was unable to do any work until today. Mr. (?) Waltonleading the mules from off the steamboat got a very severe kick on hishead. So we thought at first it was a mortal one, but has recoveredagain. And thank the lord we are all healthy and as stout as ourjackasses themselves. I saw Christian Krayer and found him and all hisfamily in good health. He has just got ready to go into business again,as he has been building an addition to his shop. He lives then theprettiest part of the town of St. Louis.
    The people in St. Joseph are very much alarmed about the cholera. Therehas been ten or twelve cases within this week, and so we think we betterbe leaving this place. This is about all the news I can give you thatthis time, and I expect it will be sometime before you will hear from meagain. But have patience, next time I'll pack some of my gold in. Ihave good health and enjoying myself as well as it could be expected. Ihope that this letter will find you also (still?) my affectionatefriends.
    John Krumm
    *****************
    (The next letter tells of Gottlieb's death and so I have placed that inGottlieb's note section)
    *****************
    The third letter is:
    
    Cold springs California
    March 23, 1851
    Dear brother,
    Having a good opportunity of sending you another letter by Dr. CE Boyle,who leaves here on Monday next. I am about doing, so to let you knowthat I am still among the living. But I am not on my way home yet, norshall I be for the next six months. For chance has not favored me withthe luck of getting a big pile nor is there much of making muchhereafter, for the little streams and ravines about here are worse toreup than a plowed field. So that our man can not average more than $3-4 aday. Digging gold, the prices of everything else have come down to justabout half they was last year. so that neither miners, mechanics nortraders are making much. This has been a very favorable winter forminers, for we have not had ruin of any consequence during the two ofJanuary and February. And until this week we had considerable stormyweather, but to say the truth, I have never lived to see as mild andpleasant winter as this. Trees are sprouting and the grass is coveringthe stony valley's of the golden streams. And flowers are blooming andeverything is coming forth in the most reviving spirit, but gloomy isthe thought, to think of one who has witnessed the sufferings ofcrossing the plains and then depart to the grave, in the prime of hislife As our brother Gottlieb did. it is the only thought that chillsthe warm and cheerful heart of your hero John in the far west. A word tofather. Read it to him and explain it.
    Dear Father, I feel ashamed of myself for not having wrote to youbefore but excuse me for I know you cannot read English and I cannotwrite German and so I thought the boys would tell you all that I wouldwrite to them. I was glad to hear that you and mother enjoyed goodhealth and was doing well. And I hope that very soon be ready to returnhome and see for myself. Hope you are getting along for I have notforgotten you yet. Tell some of the boys to write a few lines by you tome, for I have not received a letter yet. This is all I will write untilI get a letter from you. I give my best respects to you.
    Your humble and most obedient son
    John
    Now Martin. I want you to tell everybody that I have not forgotten themyet. For I would be very glad to see them all. Tell Mary then she mustexcuse me for not calling on her before I left Columbus. Tell George Ithen I would like to know how his son is getting along. I'm going tosend you about 5oz. of gold is specimens by Dr. Boyle. This is all Iwill mail to you this time. for don't know what to write having receivedno ... (end of page two)
    ...letter yet. Write to me and let me know what you want me to write.Address your letters to California.
    I give my best respects to you and your wife.
    Your most affectionate Brother,
    John Krumm
    (even a copy of the envelope is with this letter!)
    *************************
    
    Canon Creek
    August 11, 1852
    Dear brother Martin,
    I am ashamed of myself for not writing to you more frequent, but excuseme for circumstances have been such as would not encourage anyone towrite very often. About April 15th I and George Shirm started forSeirses Diggins And after a very pleasant tramp through the rain andsnow storms, in traveling for miles on snow from 6in. to ten or twentyfeet deep, we arrived here on Canon Creek and found plenty of snow andwater seeming that it would be useless to try to make anything mining.We got a whipsaw and went to sawing lumber at eighteen cents per foot.And for two months we did not stay at any one place more than one weekat a time until about six weeks ago. When the time arrived forflooming the creek I bought an interest in the flouming company and paid$150 for it. We have the water turned out of the bed of creek, washedthree days and a half, and took it out $90.00 a man. Everybody thinksthat's we have the best claims within 10mi. of here. I have belonged tomany companies, but this is an exception. We are like brothers to eachother. I am captain of it and what I say or do is right. I have been inbut one company and I have not been manager of since I came intoCalifornia. I've also taken up a claim at Seirses Diggins which issupposed to be a good claim, which I intend to work next winter. Shirmis mining about 3mi. above on Canon creek doing very well. He says thathe is not going home until next spring when if I have good luck I willgo with him.
    It may seem strange to you that I have not made my fortune yet but nodoubt if you were to live in California as long as I have lived here youcould surely account for it. It is true that I do spend very freely, butI have spent but very little foolishly. And I have worked hard but thegold mines are a lottery. And the man that draws a good number will win,and he who draws a bad number will loose. And it appears that I havedrawn a bad one. But prospects now are way favorable. I think by goodcare I will be able to go home with a better start next summer althoughI think that I will not be contented. I am getting so used to thismountain life. sometimes I think of making it my home. I have neverenjoyed as good health as I do here in these mountains. Read and explainall my letters to father and our folks. Tell Mary that I have notforgotten her yet and Myer our brother in law that when ever I come homeI am going to spend two or tree night with him. And tell the girls notto be discouraged am going to make up lost time when I come home.
    This is all I'll write this time. Write to me soon for news from homewould be most interesting. Address you letters to Cold Springs, Eldoradocounty.
    I send my best respect to you and our folks
    your most affectionate brother
    John Krumm.
    **************************
    Here I site one of his letter in which he tells of his children:
    
    Orilla, King Co. Wash.
    Dec. 4, 1896
    Mrs. Martin Krumm,
    Dear sister,
    We were glad to hear through brother William that you were still aliveand in good health. We have written to different members of the Krummfamily and could get no answer. We have been very anxious to hear fromyou especially, because we're interested from a business point of view.
    We opened a correspondence with George's family eight or ten years ago,but afterwards could get no answer. About a year ago, Martin Krumm,William Krumm's son, wrote us a good sociable letter. Through him welearned that the Krumm (words here to faded to read) well to do and someof them really well off. We were glad to hear that they were all doingwell and we're sorry not to be able to report ourselves prosperous.
    Just at the beginning of 1873 panic I had a fine quarter of section offarming land with some improvements and 160 acres of timberland with afine water power on which I built a saw mill, got involved in that debt.And through misfortunes, among which were the crippling of my hand bysawing off three fingers on my left hand, and a big burn out, I lost inall. At present I do not own a foot of land or personal property toamount to anything.
    We have been leasing state lands which are now up for sale (perhaps tobe sold within five weeks). Wishing to secure a twenty acre piece forourselves, and having known means, we take this opportunity to call uponyou for a little assistance, believing that I ought to have my share offather's estate. In our letter to brother William we inquired into thatmatter and learned that brother Martin claimed my share of father'sestate on account of letting me have some money to come to Californiawith. I will therefore state the arrangement that was between us.Bother Martin funished me two hundred dollars to pay for an interest inthe joint stock company, with which I started out, Captain John Whartonbeing the leader. We started out to return in eighteen months as acompany. But in landing at Cold Springs, California, the companydisbanded and every man went in for himself.
    Now the conditions on which I took the money were that brother Martinwas to have � of the money which I had when I returned in eighteenmonths. If my memory serves me right, and I think it dies, I did nothave money enough to play my way home at the end of eighteen months.
    I suppose you remember brother Gottlieb came the next summer after Idid. When I found him, he was some distance from my home. I found himscarcely able to walk from a sickness and starvation. Well he lay sickon my hands for two months under the doctor's care. The expense of hiskeeping was enormous.
    What little he ate cost $16.00 per week. And the time I lost was justin the season when mines were preparing for winter work. The loss oftime then was greater than it would have been, in any other season ofthe year.
    Taken the whole together, his keeping, attention, doctors though andburial costs me more than a thousand dollars. When I got thingsstraightened up I was in debt. It took me over a year to get square.Now these are the facts in the case and if it is so that you can assistme by sending me a few hundred dollars it would be a great accommodationto me and at the same time would show a disposition on your part to dowhat is right.
    I have a wife and four children, two girls and two boys. The eldest,Ann Elizabeth is nineteen, the next, John Thomas is sixteen, the nextFrederick Martin Jacob is fifteen, and the youngest, Millie Florence isthirteen.
    We have had the coldest weather ever known in these parts in November.Now it has moderated until it is as warm as it is in the summertime.
    We shall anxiously await your answer,
    Sincerely your brother
    John Krumm
16. ↑ John Krumm: gold miner. age 23 (this would cause his birth date to beabt. 1827) Placerville was the heart of the Gold Country
17. ↑ living five mile North of Kent, Washington