Jul 07

The Breuninger Boots

Last Saturday was a very pleasant summer day so we decided to drive up to northern Indiana and spend the day in Shipshewana.

I actually had an ulterior motive. Ever since we were up there last month, talking with the shoemaker at the Center for Traditional Arts, 160 Morton Street, about my great-great-grandfather’s boots, I couldn’t wait to go back and show him the boots in person and see what he had to say about them.

Louis Breuninger Boots

These boots belonged to my great-great-grandfather Louis Breuninger who was born in Bachlingen, Württemberg, in 1819 and came to America with his brother Carl about 1840. Louis lived in Green Bay, Wisconsin, until about 1869, when he moved to Van Wert County, Ohio, near Willshire. He died near Willshire in 1890.

Louis Breuninger (1819-1890)

My mom found these boots in an old wooden chest/box in the barn along with some other items she said belonged to Louis. She thought that he brought the boots with him from Germany. When she found them they were very dirty and inhabited by wasps and it took her a lot of time and work to clean them up.

Her cleaning paid off and they look like a new pair of boots! They are in very good, nearly pristine condition and I was eager to learn more about them from someone who is an expert on antique footwear.

I took the pair of boots along with me Saturday and here is the shoemaker’s assessment of the boots:

They are leather riding boots, but they could have been worn as dress or a work boots. They were made and machine stitched by a professional and would have been made specifically for Louis. They are a left and right boot, not a straight last boot made for either foot, as I first thought.

Stitching on Breuninger boots.

Stitching on Breuninger boots.

This type of boot is called a Whole Cut Wellington, made from one continuous piece of leather, stitched for inner support. This style, high in the front and low in the back, dates back to the 1700s and they were popular during the Civil War.  They have a steel shank and a clump sole. The heels consist of 8 layers of thin leather pieces stacked together and the soles are held together by screws, square zinc nails, and square wooden pegs.

Heel made of stacked leather.

He gave me a couple wooden shoe pegs, which are about 5/8 inch long. They put these little square pegs in round holes. Evidently this is where the term “a square peg in a round hole” comes from!

Square wooden boot pegs.

The boots measure 18 inches tall in the front and 15¼ inches in tall in the back. They are about 11¾ inches long and 4¼ inches wide at the widest part. They have a square toe and the heel is about 7/8 inch high. They are very dark brown or black and red on the inside top 4 inches.

Breuninger boot sole

And they are heavy! They weigh a little over 7 pounds. The leather is rather stiff, not soft and supple, and I think they would be difficult to put on.

These boots look large but compared to Joe’s shoes, which are size 9½, Louis’ boots are about an inch shorter. So he had rather small feet.

Louis’ boots were likely made sometime between the mid-1800s and the 1920s, but the beading indicates that they were made close to the 1900s. That news was a little disappointing because that means that Louis would not have brought them with him from Germany when he immigrated.

If they are indeed Louis’ boots they would have been made before 1890, when he died. I am not sure how my mom determined they were Louis’ boots when she found them in the barn. Maybe grandpa Schumm told her that or maybe she found them with some of Louis’ other possessions. But since it appears these boots were made much later than we thought I suppose there is the possibility that they belonged to someone else in the family. Perhaps they belonged to my great-grandfather Louis Schumm. Louis Schumm (1851-1938) was Louis Breuninger’s son-in-law, married to Sarah Breuninger (1861-1921). My grandfather Cornelius was born in 1896, and they could have even been his boots if they were made in the 1920s.

It is wonderful to know a little about the history and construction of this wonderful pair of old boots, which appear to have hardly ever been worn.

For now I will go with what my mom said and assume they were Louis Breuninger’s boots. They are still a great family heirloom even though Louis probably did not bring them with him from Germany.

Jul 04

Happy Fourth of July!

Independence Day 2017. 241 years since the Continental Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence, declaring that the thirteen colonies were no longer part of Great Britain, but independent sovereign states, part of a new nation.

“Where liberty dwells, there is my country.” –Benjamin Franklin

“Those who won our independence believed liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret of liberty.” –Louis D. Brandeis

“And I’m proud to an American, where at least I know I’m free. And I won’t forget the men who died, who gave that right to me.” –Lee Greenwood

I wish everyone a happy and safe Independence Day.

God Bless America! Land that I love.

Jun 30

Chatt-Valley Vacation Bible School 2017, Chatt Methodist Church

This past week Zion Lutheran Church in Chattanooga, Ohio, the church we attend, along with the Chattanooga United Methodist Church hosted their annual Vacation Bible School. The two churches have combined to host very successful and popular Bible School programs for as long as I can remember. They take turns hosting Bible School every other year and this year it was held at the Methodist church. Volunteers from both churches participate.

Bible School 2017 at Chattanooga, Ohio, United Methodist Church

Our 3 1/2 year-old granddaughter spent the week with us and I took her to Bible School. As you might imagine, it was a very busy week for us since we aren’t used to having an active little one in the house.

I can now say that as of this year three generations of our family have attended Bible School at Zion Chatt. I attended back in the 1950s, when it was put on by Zion only. Our son attended in the 1980s and now our granddaughter attended this year.

This year’s Bible School theme was Maker Fun Factory and those in charge should be commended and thanked for putting together yet another very successful Bible School. Days were packed with Bible stories, upbeat songs, prayer, crafts, fun activities, snacks, and more.

A big thank you to the Chatt Methodist Church for opening their doors and hosting Bible School this year.

The Chattanooga United Methodist Church was formed in 1910. A few years ago I looked at the WPA [Works Progress Administration] records for Mercer County churches, housed at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center in Fremont, Ohio. These records were created during the Great Depression and they contain some interesting information.

Chattanooga, Ohio, United Methodist Church

The old WPA file gives a little history of the Chattanooga United Methodist church:

Reverend John Albright, an ordained Methodist minister, moved into the vicinity of Chattanooga and began preaching the Gospel as previously interpreted by John Wesley. A sufficient number embraced the doctrine, making it possible to formally organize a society in 1911. Although the society was nurtured by Rev. John Albright he was not officially appointed the first resident pastor until in 1919. He continued to minister to the people until sometime in 1921.

Rev. Albright was able to secure the use of a vacant community hall for church services. Later the society collected sufficient funds, purchased the building, and converted it into a church.

It is a frame building in the Old English-type of architecture and the high tower distinctly identifies it as a church. All the windows were of clear glass and the exterior was painted white. This energetic society organized the church and purchased, rebuilt and dedicated the hall all during the year 1911.

The WPA information indicates that the Chatt Methodist birth, marriage, death, membership lists, minute books, and finance records from 1911-1937 were at the home of pastor at that time. That the Ladies’ Aid Society minutes were at home of Mrs. Arthur Bailey, RR Rockford; the Foreign Mission records at home of Miss Ruth Broerien, RR 1 Rockford; the Young People’s Class records at home of Miss Ruth Oakely RR Rockford; and that the Young Marrieds records were at home of Glendola Myers, RR Willshire. The church has no cemetery of its own.

The Reverend Ray Hershberger was the pastor during the time the WPA Church Records Survey was completed.

I received the following poem about the Chattanooga United Methodist Church a couple years ago from Jerry Duff, a relative of the poem’s author, Ray Duff.  Ray Duff’s father James Madison Duff was one the founders of the church and James Madison Duff was also Jerry’s great grandfather.

A Community Need
By J. Ray Duff

There were many things our community needs

Of that we were aware,

But the most important thing of all,

Was that of our soul’s welfare.

A few of the people of the neighborhood

Felt the need of a church nearby,

And proceeded to remedy the cause

By building their hopes up high.

A hall was finally rented

And a time set, we agreed,

But some folks really doubted

That it really would succeed.

The group met on Sunday Afternoon

And proceeded to elect,

The ones they thought best suited

To fill the jobs correct.

We were not disappointed

For the first response was great,

And when the count was taken

The number was thirty-eight.

They met some disappointments

That come to one and all,

For the man who owned the building

Later refused to rent the hall.

We found a hall in the center of town

Where were held dances and desecration

So they rented that and changed it

Into a Soul-Saving Station.

Well, the interest and numbers gradually grew

And the hall became too small

For the people who were interested

They could hardly accommodate all.

So a new church was suggested

And the idea grew and grew,

Until the present edifice

Finally came into view.

Many of the charter members

Have gone to their reward,

But many attend each service

And serve the risen Lord.

The church had a small beginning

But we’re sure most will confess

That down through many, many years

It has been a great success.

Many souls have found their Savior

And their lives have much been blessed,

Just because a few had visions

Of the needs of all the rest.

May the church just keep on growing

And have visions bright and fair,

Until all our needs are settled

By the God we worship there.

 

Thank you to Jerry Duff for sharing that poem and thank you to the Chattanooga Methodist church for hosting Bible School 2017.

 

 

 

Jun 27

Tombstone Tuesday–Elizabeth Huffman

Elizabeth Huffman, Kessler/Liberty Cemetery, Mercer County, Ohio. (2017 photo by Karen)

This is the tombstone of Elizabeth Huffman, located in row 3 of Kessler Cemetery, Liberty Township, Mercer County, Ohio. The marker is inscribed:

HUFFMAN
Elizabeth
1859-1951

Elizabeth Huffman and her twin brother Philip were born 24 December 1859 in Mercer County, Ohio, to Ferdinand and Elizabeth (Herzog) Huffman. Some sources show that her mother’s maiden name was Hartzog.

It appears that Elizabeth was not baptized at Zion Chatt and I do not see that her baptism was recorded at St. Paul (Lutheran) Liberty Township either. Her twin brother Philip was confirmed at Zion Chatt on 14 April 1874 but there is no record that Elizabeth was ever confirmed.

Elizabeth was born south of Chatt and their family had a Skeels Cross Roads Post Office address in 1860. She was enumerated in the 1860 census when she was 8 months old. [1] The 1880 census indicates that she was deaf and was not sent to school. [2]

Elizabeth was enumerated as Isabella, age 37, in the 1900 census and she and her twin brother were still living at home with their parents. [3]

Her father Ferdinand died in 1908 and Elizabeth and her widowed mother Elizabeth lived together in 1910. This enumeration indicates that daughter Elizabeth could not read or write. [4]

Elizabeth’s mother died in 1917 near Muncie, Indiana, likely living with her son John and his wife Samantha (Bebout). [5]  

Elizabeth “Lizzie,” 69, single, lived with her brother-in-law Adam Kable, 68, in 1930 in Liberty Township. Adam was the widower of Elizabeth’s sister Catharine (Huffman) Kable, who died in 1913. Elizabeth was enumerated as Adam’s sister, doing housework, and this enumeration indicates that she could read and write. [6]

In 1940, 79 year-old “Lizzie” still resided with her widowed brother-in-law Adam Kable, age 78, in Liberty Township. She was enumerated as a maid. [7]

Elizabeth Huffman never married. She died at Otis Hospital, Celina, on 22 March 1951, where she had been a patient for 2 days. She was 91 years old and according to her death certificate she lived at RR 2, Celina and did housework. Mrs. Dwight Raudabush was the informant for information on her death certificate. Elizabeth’s cause of death was Heat [?], unreadable.  She was buried on the 24th and Charles Dick was in charge of the arrangements. [8]

Obituary:

Miss Elizabeth Huffman
Celina, Mar. 23—Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Dick and Stallter funeral home for Miss Elizabeth Huffman, 91, Celina, who died Thursday in the Otis hospital here. The Rev. Waldo Byers will be in charge of services with burial in the Kessler cemetery near Chattanooga.

A native of Mercer Co. she was born Sept. [sic] 24, 1859, in Liberty Twp. She and her twin brother, Philip, were one of the oldest set of twins in Mercer Co.

Surviving with her brother is a sister, Mrs. Rose Zellinger of Milwaukee, Wis. [9]

Although Rev. Byers was the minister at Zion Chatt, Elizabeth’s death and burial is not mentioned in Zion’s records.

Elizabeth’s tombstone is located next to that of her twin brother Philip and his wife Etta (Leistner).

 

[1] 1860 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer, Ohio, p.358, dwelling 998, family 1003, Fred Hoofman; Ancestry.com; FHL microfilm 805009, NARA microfilm M653, roll 1009.

[2] 1880 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer, Ohio, Ed 188, p.472D, dwelling 27, family 28, Ferdinand Hoffman; Ancestry.com; NARA microfilm T9, roll 1048.

[3] 1900 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer, Ohio, ED 85, p.9A, dwelling 166, family 171, Ferdinand Hoffman; Ancestry.com; FHL microfilm 1241304, NARA microfilm T623, roll 1304.

[4] 1910 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer, Ohio, ED 119, p.16B, dwelling 352, family 313, Elizabeth Huffman; Ancestry.com; ED 117, p.16B; FHL microfilm 1375227, NARA microfilm T624, roll 1214.

[5] Indiana Deaths, 1882-1920, Ancestry.com, Elizabeth Huffman, 9 Nov 1917; Indiana WPA.

[6] 1930 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer, Ohio, ED 20, p.6A, dwelling & family 128, Adam Kable; Ancestry.com; FHL microfilm 2341584, NARA microfilm T626, roll 1850.

[7] 1940 U.S. Census, Liberty, Mercer, Ohio, ED 54-22, p.2A, line 37, household 30, Adam Koble; Ancestry.com; NARA microfilm T627, roll 3114.

[8] “Ohio Deaths, 1908-1953, FamilySearch.org, Elizabeth Huffman, 22 Mar 1951; Ohio DOH, Mercer County; FHL microfilm 2372798.

[9] The Lima News, 23 Mar 1951, p.2, Ancestry.com.

Jun 23

Found Shoes, aka Concealed Shoes

We were in an antique store in Shipshewana, Indiana, a couple weeks ago where we had a nice conversation with the owner. He had a little workshop in the back of the store and he was working on a pair of shoes. He was very knowledgeable about shoes and I mentioned the old boots I have that once belonged to my great-great-grandfather Louis Breuninger.

Louis Breuninger boots

My mom always said that Louis brought these boots with him from Germany in about 1838 when he came to this country. For as old as these boots are they are in near pristine condition. In fact, they look so good that I always joked that they must not have fit him very well and thus he hardly ever wore them. But I doubt people back then had a lot of extra clothing like we do today. Perhaps these were his dress boots and if so he probably took very good care of them. Maybe he even had them resoled a couple times. The soles look like new, too.

Louis Breuninger boots

The shoemaker in the antique store started asking me all sorts of questions about the details of the boots. Were they straight on top? Were they left and right or generic for either foot? Where were the seams? What was the stitching like? Gosh! I never really studied the boots that carefully and could not answer most of his questions.

So I told him that I would just bring in the boots on our next trip to Shipshewana so he could examine them himself. We go up there several times a year and I will have to write about his assessment of the boots at a later date.

But one of the questions he asked me was if they were “found shoes.” I had no idea what he was talking about. He went on to explain about found shoes and I found the whole story very interesting.

He said that years ago, from the 1300s to the early 1900s, people used to put an old shoe in the walls of a house when they built the house. Usually it was the northwest corner, according to him. The old shoe was placed there for good luck, or to keep bad luck away, and mainly to avoid a broken leg. A broken leg would have been disastrous for anyone in the house back then, but particularly for the head of the household. He said people often hid one shoe belonging to each spouse and sometimes a shoe from each of their children.

This was a superstitious custom practiced by several nationalities—Germans, English, French, Americans, and others. Their nationality did not make any difference and he said it was done in the old country as well as in America. The custom was practiced in America into the early 1900s.

He even had at least one found shoe in his store. It originally had a buckle on it and reminded me of a Puritan’s shoe. It was very worn and the heel was worn down on the outside.

I did a Google search about this superstition and read several articles about it. I learned that they are also called “concealed shoes” and they are pretty much as the store owner said.

Shoes were hidden in the building structure, often found in chimneys, under floors, above ceilings, around doors and windows, and in the roof. People believe they were concealed as magical charms to protect the occupants from evil beings such as demons, ghosts, and witches. Others feel the old shoes could have been an offering to a household deity, which would protect the house, or to bring fertility to a female member of the house.

Concealed shoes have been found in country houses, public houses, a Benedictine monastery, and a Baptist church. The earliest ones found were in Winchester Cathedral, behind choir stalls that were installed in 1308. An index created in 2012 contains 1900 discoveries of concealed shoes found in Great Britain, about half belonging to children. [1]

Other thoughts are that shoes seem to have had a special significance because a shoe is the only item of clothing which takes on the shape of the person wearing it. A single worn shoe may have been hidden so that a malevolent spirit could not steal it and take away the protection the shoe gave.

Finding these shoes today can show us what ordinary people were wearing on their feet hundreds of years ago.

I also read that a person from Zweibrücken, Rhine Pfalz, found an old pair of shoes in a house built in 1903. [2] Zweibrücken is not all that far from where some of my ancestors were from.

I would love to hear from anyone who has heard of or who has found concealed shoes in an old house.

And in the future I will report what the shoemaker has to say about great-great-grandfather Breuninger’s old boots.

[1] Concealed Shoes, Wikipedia.

[2] Concealed Shoes, Northampton Museums & Art Gallery, blog posted 19 June 2012.