My Trails into the Past

The Legacy Family Tree Webinar’s presentation, given by Ute Brandenburg, titled The Emperor’s New Code was about the implementation of civil records in some of the western parts of Germany that came under Napoleon's rule, beginning in the 1790s. Previously, most vital records were kept by the priests in the Catholic or Lutheran churches. After Napoleon’s fall in 1814, many parts of Germany returned to the churches recording vital records, but other parts retained the civil registration. My husband’s paternal ancestors were from Kusel in the Pfalz. There is a gap in church records found on FamilySearch that coincides with Napoleon’s rule. Sure enough, I found civil registrations of marriages and deaths for several Wollenweber and Emerick families. But They are in French I do not know how I found some records many years ago. I don’t have access to my notes. I took photographs of the microfilm, locating the records probably by looking page by page for the two surnames. However, ...

Ludwig Wilhelm Wollenweber (1822-1873), my husband’s 2x-great-grandfather, had interactions with the courts while living in Louisville, Kentucky. It mostly had to do with his occupation of selling liquor. Newspaper articles give us some clues. Court record minutes give us the proceedings, but not the details. In the 1860s, Louis ran a saloon at 90 West Market Street, between Third and Fourth Street. Here is a map showing the Market Street between Pearl & Fourth Street. Not sure why Third was called Pearl here. [1] His saloon was often the place for meetings. The Second Ward Democratic Club held their meeting at Wollenweber’s. [2] He was an inventor and manufacturer of cures. An ad for his “Celebrated Stomach Bitters,” is here: [3] He received patent no. 132,424 for a “Medical compound” made up of “angelica root, calamus root, gentian, herb absinthe, Peruvian bark, orange peel, nutmegs, cloves, laurel leaves, and anise seed, all added to a one-fourth barrel of soft water, previo...

Often, we do not know about a family member’s brush with the law until we find a notice about their arrest or report of a court case in the newspaper. Early newspapers are full of articles listing upcoming court cases and the results of court cases. One example in my husband’s line is the case of Ludwig Wilhelm “Louis W.” Wollenweber. He lived in Louisville, Kentucky, and Jeffersonville, Indiana, which was just across the Ohio River from Louisville. [1] He owned a saloon at 90 Market Street in Louisville selling liquor and wines. [2] One way to be on the wrong side of the law with a saloon is to not pay for the business license. In May 1865, L.W. Wollenweber petitioned for a license for his tavern on Market Street between Third and Fourth Streets. [3] When a list of successful petitions for licenses was printed in the newspaper for taverns and groceries of the Western District, L. W. Wollenweber’s name was on the list. [4] So far, so good. Later, in June 1866, Louis appeared i...

Not all people who end up in court commit crimes and experience punishment. Here’s a short tale of my husband’s great-great-grandfather who lived either in Jeffersonville, Indiana, or Louisville, Kentucky, which was just across the Ohio River. Ludwig “Louis” Wollenweber, my husband’s 2x-great-grandfather, was a saloon owner in Louisville, Kentucky in the 1860s and 70s. In 1861, he appeared in the local city directory on four pages, where he was really covering his bases on his cliental: selling wines and liquors on 520 E. Market Street manufacturing bitters at n.s. Market between Jackson and Hancock sirup manufacturer at 520 E. Market and wines and liquors wholesales at 520 E. Market. [1] Four years later his saloon was at 90 Market near 3 rd and lived at the same address. [2] Running an establishment dealing with liquor or tobacco involved regulations. Licenses and special taxes had to be paid. It turns out that if one is late in paying, the court gets involved. This happen...

This is my third year working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow. I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails into the Past. I have enjoyed writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways. I have many ancestors listed in my tree that go back pretty far that I could select one to be the oldest person in my tree. However, many of those “old” people were obtained not from my own research, but from trees in books or on websites. They have not been verified with my own research. Now to select someone that I have personally researched, I could select Matilda “Tillie” Wollenweber’s ancestors, whom I found in Pfalz and Württemburg. Matilda was born in Louisville, Jefferson County, Kentucky on 27 Aug 1859 to Ludwig Wilhelm “Louis” Wollenweber and Philappina Margaretha Voehringer. [1] Both of her parents were not native born, but married in the U.S. Louis and Philappina married on 5 September 1858 in Louisvill...

I am working on this year-long prompt, hosted by Amy Johnson Crow . I will write each week in one of my two blogs, either Mam-ma’s Southern Family or at My Trails Into the Past . I’m looking forward to writing about my children’s ancestors in new and exciting ways. The first child born to Johan Adam Voehringer and Maria Agnes Reiff was named Philippine Margaretha Voehringer. She was born 18 February 1832 in Unterhausen, Schwarzwald, Württemberg. She lived just over one year, dying on 14 April 1833. [1] Their second child was also named Philippine Margaretha, born 28 May 1834. [2] She was the 3rd great-grandmother of my children and the oldest child who lived to adulthood. She was confirmed when the family was living in Bronnweiler. She then left for America, arriving on the SS Gebhard in New York on 1 September 1857. [3] It is not clear she traveled alone or with other known people. A year later she married Ludwig Wilhelm Wollenweber on 5 September 1858 in Louisvil...