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The Heebink History |
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Descendants of Garret John Heebink |
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1800 - 1939 |
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FOREWORD |
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Details of family history, unless recorded, are stored only in the minds and memories of our fathers and forefathers. With their passing, they are often lost to the present generation. So that some of this history might be available for our present generation, I have collected in this booklet such anecdotes, narrative details and experiences as would seem of interest to them. |
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It especially relates to their early life in Holland, migration to America, pioneering in eastern Wisconsin on the shores of Lake Michigan and their final settlement as a community in western Wisconsin. |
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Herman and John Heebink furnished all of the historical data contained in this booklet. |
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In the Netherlands, a mile and one half from the boundary of Germany, is the city of Aalten. It is a thriving city of twelve thousand people, in the province of Guelderland one of the eleven provinces into which the Netherlands is divided. In it lived many families whose lives were interwoven, not only through ties of friendship and love, but also through bonds of blood and marriage. They were the Vriezes, the TeStrootes, the TeGrotenhuises, the Gantfords, the Snoeyenboses and the Heebinks. It is the experiences and history of the latter two families which we are relating in this "geschiedenis." |
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It was in the city of Aalten on Church Street that the Heebinks had lived for several generations. The house was built of red brick with a quaint tile roof. As was customary in the architecture peculiar to this period, the house and barn were housed under one roof. A passageway was built between, which was wide enough to accommodate a load of hay. |
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The Heebink home, at extreme left in photo. Situated on the corner of Kerk and Hof Straate, Aalten, Netherlands. This home was in the possession of the family for 300 years. |
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During the latter part of the year 1800, Herardus Johannes brought his bride Dersken TeStroote to live in this home. They used part of it as a tavern. Meals and lunches were served to their customers, as well as liquors and soft drinks. |
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Their first child was born in this home on the 9th of March, 1804. They were very happy because he was a son. He was named Garret John in honor of his father Herardus Johannes. He was a sturdy little fellow with all of the traits of his Dutch ancestry. Little did they dream he would become the father and grandfather of a whole community in America in years to come. |
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Seven years passed before Elizabeth was born. She was a frail child with a deformity of the spine. Two more daughters followed her, Henrietta and Grace, then another son Dick and their last child was Johanna or "Nachen." |
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Herardus and Dersken were proud of their six children and wished to provide them with as many comforts and necessities as it was possible for them to do in a peasant family. In order to help increase the family income, Herardus also manufactured hats in addition to managing the tavern. |
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Hat-making in the 18th century was a simple, crude process. Hats were made from rabbit fur. The fur was soaked in water and molded into a cylindrical shape, resembling an unblocked hat. It was then ready to be dyed and blocked again. |
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Dyes were hard to obtain and after using them for hats, they were often used again and again to dye silk and woolen fabrics. When the hat was dyed and blocked, it was ready for sale. The hats were displayed on small tables to be sold. Market Days were held once a month when anyone having articles for sale would exhibit them along Market Street. |
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Children in Dutch families were taught early in life to help with the many and varied duties of the home and business and the Heebink children assisted their parents in every way they possibly could. Since it was the custom for the oldest son to follow his father's trade, Garret John learned the hat-maker's trade. Garret John became quite skilled in this line. Dick served as an apprentice to a cooper and eventually followed that trade. The other children helped about the home and garden where sufficient vegetables were grown for the family use. |
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The photo at left shows the Heebink's church (built before Reformation). To the immediate left of church is a backview of their home. Relatives replenished the footstoves carried to church, with live coals from the Heebink's hearth. |
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They also helped care for a little tract of land outside of the village limits, where rye and clover was raised for food for their two cows. These cows were pastured during the summer months on the village common, which was a community pasture furnished by the village. |
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Among the poorer classes in the Netherlands, the children received but very little education and this was also true of the Heebink family. While Garret John learned to write very legibly, he read poorly. This was partly due to lack of training and partly to the fact that his eyes were weak. |
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Military training was compulsory in the Netherlands at this time and Garret John served for three years and four months as a home guard at Breda, a Dutch village. This was during the period 1830 to 1833. Belgium separated from Holland during these years and it was one of his duties to compel slackers to be loyal to their country. As Belgium was largely of the Catholic faith, many Holland Catholics favored that country and their loyalty to the Netherlands was questioned. |
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After returning from service in the army, Garret John resumed his father's trade of hat-making and helped in the management of the tavern or inn. It was at this time he became interested in one of the daughters of the Snoeyenbos family named Johanna. She lived near the German border, at a country place called "Snoeyenbos". Their friendship grew and grew until it terminated in their marriage on April 24th, 1842. Garret John was thirty eight years and his wife Johanna was twenty four. |
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Johanna had several brothers and sisters. Her youngest brother, Chris John, was fond of travel and adventure and was constantly planning to migrate to America. |
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The years had passed rapidly for Herardus and Dersken and their family had grown to maturity. Elizabeth had died at the age of twenty eight. She had always been frail due to her spinal weakness. |
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Henrietta had married Wm. Heinen and had a daughter named Dachen. Grace had married into the TeGrotenhuis family and had two sons, Garret and Bart and two daughters, who later became Mrs. Wm. DeSmith and Mrs. Draayers. Dick had married Hentjen Van Buel and had two sons. The oldest son had been very helpful to his parents and they depended upon him to a great extent for financial support. He was a sailor and during one of his voyages he was very ill with dysentery. He died at sea and was buried at Batavia, West Indies. The other son was lost during a storm on one of his voyages and was buried at sea. Dick had moved to Amsterdam. His first wife had died and he had re-married. His second wife was Elizabeth VanDerSchacht. They had a daughter named Elizabeth. It is believed she is still living in Amsterdam with her daughter Elizabeth, now Mrs. J. H. Nagel. |
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The youngest daughter, Johanna, married Mr. Christophel Schumacher, who also was a hat manufacturer. They migrated to America in 1848. He continued to make hats in America for a period, when he later became a Baptist minister. He was a studious man and had a splendid command of three languages - English, Dutch and German. Johanna, his wife, died shortly after coming to America and was buried at Baltimore. Two sons had been born to them but they died in infancy. |
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Garret John continued to assume more and more of his father's business until he had taken it over. It was a Dutch custom for the oldest son to carry on his father's business and support his parents during their advancing years. After the death of the parents a settlement was made to the other brothers and sisters for their share of the estate. Herardus had passed the age of eighty years and was glad to be relieved of business cares. |
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On February 10th, 1844, a son was born to Garret John and Johanna. True to their custom of naming him after the father and grandfather they called him Garret. He was blue-eyed and fair-haired and his parents were proud of him, particularly because he was their first child and heir. |
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When little Garret had reached the age of two years, another son was born on May 16, 1846. He was called Herman. Two other sons were born in later years, Englebart or Bart on July 13, 1848 and John on October 31, 1852. These were happy years for both Garret John and Johanna and they were devoted to their family. |
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However, the care of four young sons became rather heavy for Johanna and her health in consequence was often poor. She became neurotic and was often ill. Garret John was a kind husband and father and in his calm, comforting manner, helped to share her burdens in every way he could. |
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At this period in history many of the European people were becoming interested in the opportunities offered in America and many families and entire communities were migrating across the Atlantic and settling in the United States of America. |
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In the year 1846, Chris John Snoeyenbos, Johanna's youngest brother, had joined a group of immigrants enroute to America. He was now well established in the new country and had settled at Oostburg, Wisconsin. |
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He wrote them letters, which were very enthusiastic in regard to the opportunities offered in America. He urged them to come to this country where land was cheap and food plentiful, where the laws were so just and impartial that everyone had equal rights. |
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Garret John and his wife became very enthusiastic and wished that they too might go to America. They feared to voice their desires to Herardus, the father, who was living with them. They believed he was too old to attempt so long and strenuous a journey across the Atlantic Ocean. So they carefully with-held the letters from Chris John, so Herardus would not see them. One day he chanced to find one of the letters and he suggested that they too plan to make the trip to America. |
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Herardus was as eager as a child in regard to the migration and in spite of his eighty three years began making plans for the event. He gathered his garden seeds and fishing nets together saying he intended using them in the new country to which they were going. His joy was of short duration as he contracted dysentery and was very ill. The doctor who attended him said he would live only a few days. The plans for the journey were, of course, discontinued. Shortly before his death he gathered his children together at his deathbed and talked to them about his death - but he spoke words of encouragement for their future in America. He said he wished to be buried in his native country, which he loved, but that they should continue their plans for leaving it and he wished them every success in their undertaking. He died on the very day they had planned to sail to the United States. |
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His children, relatives and friends grieved greatly at his death for he had been a kind, noble father and friend. They sadly renewed their plans for their journey, but their former ardor was subdued because of his death. |
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Ocean voyages in 1854 were long, dangerous undertakings and the villagers felt they would never see their departing friends and relatives again. One hundred nineteen persons expected to leave Aalten at this time. Naturally this created a great deal of excitement in the community. |
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The Dutch people are a God-fearing nation and believe strongly in the power of prayer, so a prayer meeting was planned for them before they left. Reverend Pape of the Reformed Church of Holland conducted a farewell service for them. He stated he understood the doubts and fears they would have a taking this step but he encouraged them to have faith in their God who would help them to overcome their difficulties and bring them safely to the land of promise, America. |
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They were filled with sad emotions at leaving their mother country and the old established order of things for a land, which was entirely strange and foreign to them. A land whose customs and language would have to be learned and they were uncertain what the future might have in store for them. But they were a brave courageous band and eager to progress. They believed their income would be better in America and they wished to provide a better living for themselves and their children and to raise their standards of living. |
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After many sad farewells, they were ready to begin their journey. The first part of their trip was from Aalten to Arem, a distance of thirty miles, which they made in covered wagons. It took ten hours of time. At Arem they boarded a boat which took them across the canal and finally to Rotterdam where the ship they were to take lay at anchor. |
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At Rotterdam they were met by Dick Heebink (Garret John's brother). His home as in Amsterdam but he had come by railroad to Rotterdam. He came in a little rowboat to meet the ship bringing candy and foodstuffs for farewell gifts. Garret John and Garret Jr. accompanied him for a little visit before the ship sailed. The visit lasted longer than Johanna had anticipated and she was alarmed that they might not return before the ship sailed. They returned in sufficient time however, and finally the ship was ready to sail. This was a memorable day in their lives, the 18th day of August in 1854. The ship was an English sailing vessel named "The Lily" with Captain Stafford in charge. |
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The accommodations offered to the voyagers were very limited. The bunks were hard and narrow. During a storm when the boat rocked heavily it was impossible to stay in the bunks. The water supply was kept in large barrels on deck. It tasted badly. The supply was limited and each passenger was allowed only a small portion. |
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They were steerage passengers - the only type of accommodations offered. Before going on board, each passenger had to exhibit his foodstuffs to determine if it was sufficient for the voyage. Each family provided its own bedding. |
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There were three hundred sixty passengers on board. Practically one third of them had come from Aalten. Only one of them is still living, John Heebink. |
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The casualties often were great during a voyage. But only one death due to illness occurred - that of Miss Gantford, a twenty two year girl. |
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Johanna dreaded the long journey with four young sons to care for. Garret was ten, Herman eight, Bart six and John two years old. She was afraid it would be difficult to care for them properly because of the unsanitary conditions on shipboard. |
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It was common to encounter severe storms at sea. One of them lasted for two days. The ship was in total darkness and it was impossible to find anyone. Garret was lost during this storm. When the captain gave orders to leave the deck, he was nowhere to be found. |
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Mr. Vrieze searched every nook and corner of the ship, but could not find him. The huge trap doors had to be closed without knowing his whereabouts. His mother and father were almost frantic, as they thought he had been washed off the deck into the ocean. There was nothing to do but wait until the storm was over to renew the search. The storm finally ended and a sailor found him clinging to a rope by which he had saved himself during the storm. |
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At another time the boat struck a sand bar and it was necessary for all of the passengers to keep walking back and forth in an effort to get it off the bar, which they finally succeeded in doing. |
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The voyage grew very tiresome. Weeks dragged into a month and yet they had not sighted land. The emigrants were alarmed lest their food supply should not be sufficient and they prayed daily that they might see land soon. Finally on the forty second day of their voyage, the word spread that land had been seen in the distance and the passengers shouted with joy. At last they were in sight of America and their long ocean voyage, which had taken practically a month and a half, was over and they would soon be on land once more. |
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Many difficulties still awaited them before they were to reach their destination in the state of Wisconsin. It was a long distance from New York to Oostburg, Wisconsin, where their friends and relatives were living. The chief difficulty was the inability to make themselves understood, as none of them spoke the American language. Garret John spoke the German language fluently and as many people in America spoke this language it helped them considerably. He assumed the leadership from this time on and he was the spokesman for the emigrants. |
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Plans for leaving the ship had to be made. The first procedure was to reload the passengers into smaller boats as the water was too shallow for "The Lily" to get close to the shore. |
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The doctors then came aboard to examine them before they were allowed on the gang-plank to ascertain whether there were any pestilence or diseases among the emigrants. After considerable confusion, the emigrants were loaded into the smaller boats and brought to shore. |
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The emigrants were very happy and relieved to leave the ship and to be on land again. |
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Their next problem was to secure a hotel for the night and to find storage space for their baggage and possessions. They were advised to go to a certain hotel not far from the dock. It was a second-rate hotel, but they were glad to find one so near the dock, as they were hungry and tired and were not able to travel far. A place to store their baggage was also found. |
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After reaching the hotel, Garret John was negotiating with the manager, while the other fellow travelers were waiting in the lobby near the dining room. Bessie Vrieze and Garret Grotenhuis were very hungry and took a cracker. One of the waiters had watched them and angrily slapped the youngsters. Garret John heard their outbursts and came to their rescue and struck the waiter on the head. The manager of the hotel was called and he scolded the waiter for having been so impatient with the hungry children. They spent a restful night at the hotel and decided to start their journey by train and proceed on to their destination. |
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When Garret John was arranging settlement for the hotel bill, the clerk tried to over charge him. Garret John raised strenuous objections and finally succeeded in arriving at a fair settlement. |
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They took the train from New York to Buffalo. From Buffalo to Toledo they made the trip by ship. Garret John earned food for himself and family by stoking on the boat. |
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When they reached Toledo they left the ship and arranged passage by rail. No passenger coaches were available and the trip had to be made in a box car without seats. This was very uncomfortable traveling. Three days were required for the trip from Toledo to Chicago. The train stopped at station enroute so they could buy bread and coffee. However, their food supply was very scanty. If the train happened to stop near an apple orchard, they often picked apples along the way for food. |
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After three days, they arrived in Chicago. They expected more difficulty because of not being able to talk the American language, but fortunately they encountered one of their own countrymen at the depot. He was a man from Zealand. He was glad to help them and secured accommodations for the group at a first class German hotel. |
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Some of the emigrants decided they could guard their trunks and baggage better if they camped in the open, so they did not go to the hotel. It necessarily took more time to cook their meals over their campfire and consequently they were not ready to leave when it was time to board the ship. The Heebink group had taken a dray from the hotel to the dock and arrived in time to board the ship, which left at eight o'clock. The others were left behind for the next ship. |
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The ship was expected to stop at Milwaukee, but to the disappointment of their friends and relatives who were waiting to greet them there, it did not do so. Grace Decker was among those waiting at the Milwaukee pier. |
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They reached their destination Sheboygan, Wisconsin at midnight. They were taken to the old Wisconsin House, which was owned by a German hotel-keeper, Joseph Scharer, who treated them very cordially. |
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It was now only ten more miles to travel to Oostburg, their destination. The next day they would be with their relatives and friends in their new home. |
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Garret John and little Garret decided to walk the ten miles to Oostburg to the home of Chris John Snoeyenbos and spread the news of their arrival. Then wagons and ox carts could be brought to convey them to Oostburg from Sheboygan. They had not gone far when they met one of their old friends from the Netherlands, Mr. Walfort. He was on horseback. He agreed to turn back with them and offered them his horse to ride. They took turns in riding back to Oostburg. |
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As there was no means of communication in those days, except slow mail service, the relatives and friends at Oostburg did not know the exact date of their arrival, but they had planned that the first one to hear the news should blow dinner horns and this would be relayed to those living a greater distance away from Sheboygan. Immediately that Garret John and little Garret arrived this was done. |
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The first farm that Garret John came to was that of the TeStrootes. They were busily engaged threshing grain. All operations were stopped to welcome the newcomers. A wagon was found to take them to the Chris Snoeyenbos home which was their destination. |
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The news of their arrival had now spread and a caravan of wagons and carts had been assembled to meet them. They quickly started for Sheboygan where they were to meet the emigrants waiting there and bring them to their various destinations. |
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The ten mile trip was a long, slow ride, but it did not seem long to the emigrants as it was the final journey of their long, long migration from Europe. Their destination was almost in sight and their new home where long parted brothers, sisters, relatives and friends were waiting for them. Finally they arrived and what a happy meeting took place. Greetings and joyous welcomes radiated to everyone. Their pastor compared it, in his welcoming speech, to the meeting of Jacob and Joseph in the old Bible story. |
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The daily work was laid aside and the day was spent in visiting and welcoming the newcomers. Greetings and reminiscences were exchanged, plans were formulated and it was a day never to be forgotten in their lives. |
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Now, came the problem of helping the emigrants to find homes. Necessarily some little time must elapse before they would be able to buy farms or rent little homes of their own. They were all eager to get settled into some sort of dwelling before winter came. Their friends and relatives were eager to share what little they had with them. This trait was, of course, very outstanding among the early pioneers and soon arrangements for living quarters had been made for all of them. |
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Chris John Snoeyenbos offered the Heebinks a home with him. They accepted gladly until such time as they would be able to build their own cabin. |
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Garret John conducted a country store for the convenience of his neighbors and a small part of the home was given over to this. He also purchased thirty acres of heavy timber land which they began clearing. Later he built a small cabin for his family. |
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In the year 1856 Garret John and Johanna had another son. They named him George. |
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These were trying years - not only for the newcomers, but for the older settlers. In 1857 a depression was experienced know as the panic of 1857. Money was very scarce and everyone lived on cheap food. There was little food for the livestock. The hogs were fed on beech nuts, which were plentiful. The Heebinks managed to earn a fair livelihood from their little store and their timber land and consequently did not suffer. |
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Then came the Civil War. At the beginning it appeared it would be of short duration - perhaps only a matter of three short months, but the true circumstances were not known at this time. |
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Home guards were being organized and some of the community boys enlisted. One of the most enthusiastic leaders at the beginning of the war in this community was Peter Daane, a keen minded, respected young man. It was he who organized the Oostburg Home Guard. When the first call was issued for volunteers, Peter, together with his father and brother Adrian, were among the first to enlist. The whole community was quick to respond to the call for men. Many young boys enlisted, who had scarcely passed their eighteenth birthday. |
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The Government paid single men $12.00 a month for their services in the army. Men with families were paid $18.00 a month. The township also raised as much money as it could for a bounty for them. |
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Enlisted men collected subscriptions of money. They were identified by wearing red, white and blue ribbons in their coat lapels. Those who opposed the Union cause were known as "Copperheads". They often refused to donate funds when solicited and were forced to do so by the soldiers and men of the community. |
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A man named Mr. Draayers, who was a prominent member of the community was solicited for funds, but refused to donate. The soldiers decided to make a public example of this incident, so they forced him to make a large donation and to kneel beside the bucket well on his farm and shout "hurrah for the union". |
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One of the wealthy men in the vicinity was greatly opposed to the union cause. He, too, refused to pay the donation of $300.00 demanded of him asking for security for his payment. The solicitors became very angry and young Peter Daane threatened to throw him into a mill pond nearby if he did not donate. He finally acceded to their demands. In grim mockery they compelled him to salute the flag three times each day and shout "hurrah for the union" which was the proper slogan of the period. |
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The people were eager to receive news from the battlefields, but it was very difficult to receive communications in any form. There was no telegraph service in the smaller towns and the only newspapers printed were weekly ones and no one had enough money to buy these. |
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Depression was rampant in the community at this time - in fact throughout the whole country. Food was scarce. The crops had been poor. Spring wheat had been a total failure so flour was scarce. Fortunately Garret John had seeded winter wheat and winter rye and both of these crops had produced a fair yield. In this way he was better prepared than many of his neighbors. He was a generous, kindly man and when his customers could not buy flour, he loaned it to them until such time as they would be able to pay for it. |
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The war, which had been expected to last only a few months, dragged on. President Lincoln needed more men, so they were drafted into the army. More and more of them were taken until finally there were none of them left to do the farm work, and it was left to the women. They took care of the stock and worked in the fields and it was a common sight to see threshing crews composed entirely of women. |
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The draft finally reached the Heebink home. Garret received notice that he had been drafted into the army. He was only eighteen years old. Garret's mother was very panicky at the thought of his going to war. She thought of the numberless lads of eighteen who were unable to withstand the extreme hardships of army life. Most of them succumbed to malaria and yellow fever, which was so prevalent in the south. Few of them returned home alive. She was very nervous and frail and they were afraid her health would break if Garret were taken, so they decided to purchase a substitute. Three hundred dollars was raised and another man was sent in his place. It was learned many months later that his substitute was killed in the war. |
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The war dragged on to its bitter close. There was great rejoicing in this patriotic community when it was learned the Union had been victorious. However, they mourned for the many who had lost their lives in the war and there were many hard adjustments to make because of it. The assassination of President Lincoln at this time caused everyone a great deal of grief, for they had looked to him as the one leader who could bring order out of chaos in this troubled period. |
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On May 5, 1862, a daughter was born to Garret John and Johanna. She was their first and only daughter and they called her Johanna or "Nachen". |
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The following year their oldest son Garret was married to Gertrude Lemeness. |
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The excitement of the Civil War had scarcely died away when Indian up-risings broke out in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Several massacres had been reported in Minnesota and Wisconsin feared attacks from them. Bridges leading to Sheboygan City were raised and cannons stationed at strategic points in preparation of their coming, but fortunately their reports proved false. However, the Sauk tribe did pass through the community causing much fear and alarm - but little damage actually was done. |
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A Sauk Indian Chief came to Garret John's store and demanded "fire-water". He was ordered out of the store, but before leaving he displayed a long bladed knife very threateningly. Garret John was not frightened, but slammed the door after him, but his little son Bart was so frightened that he fainted. |
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One of the early Dutch settlers in Oostburg was a man named John Westendorp. He had become interested in land in the western part of Wisconsin known as Happy Valley in St. Croix County. He decided to investigate this section and made a trip across the state to do so. He returned with the report that excellent farming land was to be bought in this county and he had purchased a half section there and expected to settle on it in the near future. |
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Shortly after he took his wife and family, together with his personal possessions to his new farm that he had bought. It was on this trip that Chris John Snoeyenbos and Garret Jr. accompanied them. Not long afterwards, Herman Heebink and Lambert Vrieze had the "urge" to see this pioneer country and they too set out for St. Croix County on April 1, 1869. |
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They went from Sheboygan Falls to Fond du Lac, then by train to LaCrosse, where they took a boat bound for Prescott. There was so much ice in the river that the boat was able to go only to Winona, so they took a train. They did not know the train went directly through Prescott, so they went on to St. Paul. The Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway was the only one in Minnesota at this time and it extended only to St. Paul. There was a small, poorly constructed depot located near the Wabasha Bridge and a toll charge of five cents was collected to cross the bridge. This was in the year 1869 and St. Paul had a population of only eight thousand. They stayed in St. Paul over night at a small German hotel on Third Street. |
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They started on foot the next morning for Happy Valley. When they reached Afton they inquired at a farm home how to cross the river. The woman who answered their knock, was baking biscuits and invited them to have some of her hot biscuits. They were so hungry and tired that this seemed like "manna from heaven" to them. She instructed them to walk up the shore where they would find a trapper's boat. They did so and waited for the trapper, who came at four o'clock. He was intoxicated and they hesitated crossing with him, but it was their only alternative, so they decided to take the risk. At Hudson they left their luggage and inquired as to the road to Happy Valley. They were misdirected to Pleasant Valley and after a mile and a half tramp back and forth they realized their mistake and returned to the main road again. |
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The roads were wet and muddy. Crusts of ice and snow were encountered at intervals, which made traveling on foot very hard and they were often forced to rest along the way. During one of their frequent rest periods they heard a vehicle approaching in the distance. It proved to be Chris McCabe and George Tubman returning from Hudson with a wagon load of rail fence nails. They stopped to inquire as to where the boys were going and upon hearing it was John Westendorps in Happy Valley, they were invited to ride while Mr. McCabe and Mr. Tubman walked. After several miles of riding Herman suggested they take their turn at walking but the two men insisted that they ride. The tired boys were very grateful and never forgot their kindness. It gave them a very fine impression of their new neighbors. |
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They arrived at the Westendorp home in Happy Valley at three o'clock in the morning, tired, wet and almost broke. Because of having to be enroute longer than they had expected their funds had become very low - Herman had forty three cents left and Lambert had two and a half dollars. They had walked a distance of forty four miles. |
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The Westendorps welcomed them heartily and gave Herman a job with them for a short period. Later he worked for Daniel Quinn, a resident of Hammond. The Herrick farm was available for renting so Herman, Garret and Lambert decided to rent it. They each bought a yoke of oxen and rented three yoke more so they could do their farm work properly. |
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St. Croix County was sparsely settled at this time. There were only one hundred people at Hammond. Four families lived on the eastern border of the township of Baldwin. Bill Evensons, Leonard Davis, Casper Johnsons and the Wernlunds. |
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From Baldwin to Menomonie there was twenty eight miles of solid timber, except for one small settlement of Pioneers from Ohio. The township of Rush River was well settled because there was prairie land there, which did not need clearing of trees and stumps. |
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The country around Baldwin was twenty miles from transportation facilities at Hudson and the people eagerly waited the coming of the railroad. |
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Herman Heebink and Lambert Vrieze were among the first to secure jobs of clearing timber between Woodville and Baldwin in anticipation of the railroad's coming. They secured a contract to clear a space of one hundred feet in width and seventy feet of this was to be cleared of underbrush. It was difficult to clear the land of pine trees and stumps and there was but little profit in the cutting of hardwood, but they were glad to secure what little employment there was to be found. |
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For almost a year Herman hauled supplies for the stage coach company and the railroad. A fine highway had been built for the stage company. As there were no other means of travel, the stage coaches did a very thriving business. |
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The railroad station had been called Clarksville while the post office was known as Baldwin. This led to so much confusion that the railroad company was requested to change the name of its station to Baldwin - although it was located a mile south of the station. This group of buildings was finally moved to its present position. |
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On October 21, 1871, the Railroad Company began building a depot and four buildings were moved from a mile south by Mr. D. J. Foster, a contractor and mover and one of the oldest settlers. |
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It was during this time that the first railroad trainload of passengers came into Baldwin from Menomonie. This caused great excitement in the village and November 24th, 1871 was a memorable day in the lives of the villagers. Mr. and Mrs. A. C. Ayers from the state of Vermont were the first passengers to arrive. |
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The first and only business on Front Street was Pat Hickey's Grocery and Saloon. The first stock of goods for this store was hauled by horse and wagon from Hudson, twenty miles distant. The first commodity unloaded was a three gallon keg of whiskey. Since there were no glasses in the village the liquor was sipped through straws inserted into the keg. The price was reckoned "per draw". |
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In 1872 saw mills and flour mills were erected by D. R. Bailey and L. M. Bailey. D. R. Bailey was known as the father of Baldwin because of his interest in it and because of his heavy investments. A hotel was also built called the Bradshaw House. The first regular merchandise store was opened by Mr. Charles Riechenback on February 8, 1872. Amos Crippen followed with a grocery and liquor store. Mr. O. A. Saugestad operated the first drug store and another merchandise store was opened by O. E. Shibsted. |
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The school-house was a small building of 20x30 feet and was moved from the settlement a mile south also. When the buildings had practically all been moved and the new ones erected, the little settlement was beginning to take on all the aspects of a fine village. |
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The photo at left was taken of Main Street, Baldwin, November, 1912. |
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The first editor of the Baldwin Bulletin, Ed Borchert came from Manitowoc at this time. He installed his first printing press but had considerable difficulty in getting it started, but finally on October 18th the first copy of the Baldwin Bulletin was printed. It was presented with great ceremony to Honorable D. R. Bailey. |
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In the year 1872 Herman had returned for a visit to Oostburg and brought Bart back with him. Then their mother came to visit them and Bart took her back to Oostburg. He tried to persuade his father to sell his property there and return to St. Croix County with him and establish a home. |
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After careful consideration, they decided to do so and Herman began building a small home for them on the property now owned by Etta Cleland. They left Oostburg on the day following Thanksgiving Day in 1872, with John, George and Johanna. The Snoeyenboses had given them a farewell party before their leaving where they bade farewell to their friends, neighbors and relatives in Sheboygan County. Then they began their trip across the state to St. Croix County and the town of Baldwin. |
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They were taken to the station by their nephew, Garret Grotenhuis. All of their personal effects were packed in a wagon and they sat on the packed boxes. |
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Their route was from Sheboygan Falls to Fond du Lac, where depots were changed. Conveyance from one depot to another was by ox team. The horses in Fond du Lac were all sick with an epidemic so it was difficult to get a team of horses in the whole city. As travel accommodations were very poor by rail, it took two days and one night for this short distance from Oostburg to Baldwin. |
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After a long, wearisome trip they arrived at Baldwin. There was no one to meet them so they waited in the depot until Garret would come for them. After a short interval Herman and Garret arrived with a span of horses and a bob-sleigh to take them to their new home. |
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Herman had bought ten acres of land a mile south of Baldwin and built a home for them there. It was to this home they were being taken. There had not been time to finish the interior of it so Herman, Bart and John completed it for them. They later bought the home from Herman. |
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In the year 1877 Herman was married to Dena TeStroote of Oostburg. His brother Bart was also married during this period to Gertrude Brethower of Oostburg. |
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Herman, Garret and Bart had set up a small grocery and mercantile business in Baldwin and enjoyed a fine trade. |
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In the meantime John had married Plona Van Driest of Cedar Grove on June 3, 1885. They first year and one half of their married life was spent with John's parents, after which they bought a farm two miles north of Baldwin. |
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Garret John, the father, had become rather feeble at this time and though he did not have a long illness he gradually grew weaker until his death December 17, 1887. He was greatly missed by his wife and family for he had been a kind, generous man, loved and respected by all. |
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Herman had withdrawn from his partnership in the mercantile business and had set up a small lumber yard in Baldwin. |
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George, too, had married. His wife was Dena Hopeman. The first year of their married life they lived in Baldwin and later moved to a farm near Dahl, five miles northeast of Baldwin, where a part of his family of eight children were born. |
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After Garret John's death, Johanna Sr. lived with her daughter Johanna and George for a time in their home south of Baldwin. Later they moved to Baldwin into what was the old Norby house. Here Johanna kept a small boarding house. |
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Later Johanna married Mr. Neal Beaton. He was a photographer and built an establishment in Hammond where they lived for several years. |
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Johanna, Sr. then took turns in living with her sons. She was in extremely poor health and suffered greatly from rheumatism. She was unable to walk for seven years and became helpless as a child. On October 20, 1898 she passed away. |
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She had been a kind, sympathetic, mother but because of her high strung, nervous temperament and emotional nature, she was bound to suffer greatly during a period when hardships were plentiful. |
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Garret John's children and their spouses are pictured at left. Standing from left: Herman, Neil Beaton, Johanna, Bart, Mary, George, Dena (Hopeman), John and Garret. Seated from left: Dena (Testroote), Plona and Alice. |
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The five brothers had all established themselves in the community in or surrounding Baldwin. The mercantile and grocery business was flourishing, but Garret had withdrawn his partnership and returned to farming. Bart retained his interest for a period, but the active work was taken over by Bart's son, George B. Garret and Bart both lost their first wives and remarried. |
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John and George had a meat market in Baldwin for a few years but left it to begin farming. George later moved to Souris, North Dakota. |
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Johanna and Neal Beaton had sold their photograph business and moved to Quebec, Canada. |
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Herman's lumber business flourished and a large volume of trade resulted. |
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The first death in this family was that of Garret. He had a short period of illness and died March 16, 1910. George was the next one to pass on. He was very ill with cancer of the bowels, which finally caused his death early in December, 1919. Bart had a series of kidney ailments and he died from them at the age of eighty three on April 9, 1934. Herman reached the age of eighty nine years when he had a short siege of illness which culminated in pneumonia causing his death December 5, 1935. |
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The present generation of Heebinks number approximately two hundred nine individuals. Perhaps most of them have settled in and around Baldwin, Wisconsin. Many of them live in different sections of the state of Wisconsin, while others live in North Dakota, Montana, Washington, Oregon, California and West Virginia. Johanna still lives in Quebec, Canada and her children have founded homes in different parts of Canada. |
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I have tried to secure the names of all of the Heebinks, classified according to families in the list, which follows. It was a bit difficult to do this since they are so scattered, but we hope the list is accurate and we ask your leniency in case there are errors or omissions. |
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Compiled by Joel Heebink, 1998. Written by Nell Heebink, early 1940's. |
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Relatives are encouraged to forward information to [email protected] regarding updates, particularly interesting stories, that may extend this historical account of the Heebink family either forward or backward in time. |
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