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IGI update 2/2/2000. Birthdate is 9 Oct. 1798 per Rev. Henry Obenaufand 19 Oct. in the IGI.
Christian was a farmer from Trepnitz as listed on the "Germania" steamship passenger list NY 1854. Present day Trebnitz is 2 1/2 miles NE ofGera, Thuringen, Germany. Trepnitz is not on present day maps.
Christian and his five youngest, are on the microfilm of the Bremen MailSteamer "Germania" passenger list, arriving in N.Y. on 10 July 1854. Itwas the 872nd ship into N.Y. in 1854, the master was F. W. Bremer; itdisplaced 1222 ton, carried 380 people, 30 in first class. LDS Film #175498.
Unlike most immigrants, who sailed in steerage on wind powered Brigs orBarks, this family could afford to travel in second class which may tendto substantiate the claim that he brought $16,000 with him. They may havedeparted Bremen on May 25, for it is said that a storm blew them offcourse, south toward the equator and they were 46 days in crossing (infofrom Rev. Henry Obenauf). The "Germania" Steam ship made four trips toN.Y. according to BYU records. N.Y arrival dates were: 8/26/53, 11/19/53,7/10/54, 9/22/54. It sailed from Bremen 8/28/54 on the last trip,arriving in N.Y. 25 days later. Forty six days on the third trip wasexcessive, however Michael Palmer (below) says the Germania put in toBoston for coal which indicates the trip may have had bad weather. Therewere no subsequent N.Y. records for this ship.
An E-mail from Michael Palmer follows:
Subject "Germania" 1853 ship
Prior to 1853 there were at least two vessels named "Germania" thatlanded more or less regularly at New York carrying passengers:
1. a Harve-Whitlock packet (sailing ship) and
2. a Hannoverian Brig.
The "Germania" undertook only four voyages between Bremen and New York,none of which took 46 days. The following are the dates of departure(taken from the contemporary Bremen records) and arrival (taken from theNew York newspapers):
Bremen 08/02/1853 - NY 08/26/1853 = 24 days
Bremen 10/21/1853 - NY 11/19/1853 = 29 days
Bremen 06/15/1854 - NY 07/10/1854 = 25 days *
Bremen 08/28/1854 - NY 09/21/1854 = 24 days **
* (via Boston where she had to put in for coal)
** (Film at BYU indicates ship departed from Bremen Aug. 28). (okay!)
The steamship "Germania" (1,154 gross tons, 207 x 34 feet; clipper bow,one funnel, three masts) was built in 1840 by the firm of John Wood(later Robert Duncan & Co.) of Port Glasgow, Scotland, for the CunardLine, and launched as the "Acadia". She was sold in 1849 to the NorthGerman Confederation Navy, which named her the "Erzherzog Johann".Together with the "Hansa" (built in 1848 as the United States for theBlack Ball Line of sailing packets, and acquired by the North GermanConfederation Navy in 1849) she was purchased in 1853 by the Bremen firmsof W. A. Fritze & Co. and Karl Lehmkuhl, who refitted both vessels asmerchantmen and placed them in service between Bremen and New York inopposition to the "Washington" and "Bremen" of the American owned OceanSteam Navigation Company. The "Germania" set sail on her first voyagefrom Bremen to New York on 2 August 1853. She made only four round tripsbetween Bremen and New York before being chartered, early in 1855, to theBritish government for use as a Crimean War transport; she never returnedto passenger service, being sold and broken up on the Thames in 1857/58.
Michael Palmer
Claremont, California
mpalmer@netcom.com
Book: "Germans to America", Vol 17., records the ship "Germania"passenger list from Bremen to NY, arrive 10 July 1854 with 380 souls,includes a family head Obernauss, Heinr. Christ, 54, male, farmer, fromGermany to USA.
Another book "German Immigrants" by Zimmerman & Wolfert lists the nameObenauf, with the same arrival date and family names, from Trepnitz.There is confusion in the use of "ss" and "f". Some names are spelledObenauff. The small town of Tribnitz is 2 1/2 miles NE of Gera, Germany.Christian Heinrich's family on the ship includes: Eduard 16, Ferdinand14, Louis 11, Pauline 12, Emma 4.
On the passenger list, two German girls, one of which Francis married,are separated from the Obenauf family by only five names. The girls wereboth age 19, from Vogelsang, Germany and traveling without family.Vogelgesang is 5 miles SE of Ronneburg, Thuringen, Germany. WilhelminaDoerfer married Francis on 3/15/1855. The other girl, WilhelmineKretzschaer, does not appear in 1860 census records in Mahoning County,OH. She could be any one of the Wilhelmines in the census, married to oneof the many Germans in the area. Rev. Henry Obenauf said that aboard theboat Christian was on the lookout for a wife for his son Francis.
Christian bought 290 acres for $8700 north west of North Lima, Ohio on 9August 1854. He purchased the land just one month after his arrival inN.Y. using half of his $16000 in gold. Francis may have previouslyselected the land for his father. His farm was the north third of section10, township 13, range 2. Today the Youngstown-Elser airport is in thatsection which is bounded by Bassinger road on the west, Calla road on thenorth, Sharrott road on the east and Middletown road on the south. Theland can be seen from Exit 16 on the Ohio Trunpike.
He bought his farm from Samuel Warner who "signed" his name, and his wifeElizabeth who made her "X", on the court record. Sam and Christian mayvery well have spoken the same language!
Wilhelmina Doerfer-Obenauf wrote in a letter:
April 61 You have to wait long a letter because Father O. was verysick. He died Thur. 10 O'clock 21 Oct. 1858. Herman O. arrived onehour after his death. Trawgut O. was also there. 24 Oct. ____ Hisillness was tuberculosis. He had made a will. (signed) Francis &Wilhelmina.
Rev. Henry Obenauf wrote in his family history sheets:
P. S. Christian Heinrich Obenauf.
Came to the U. S. A. in 1854 following two sons Traugott and Francis.etc. He carried a bundle or handkerchief containing 16,000 German dollarsin gold and a child Hulda, 4, in his arms. This story is told, boardingthe ship at Bremen he fell off the gang plank into the harbor, but heheld onto his gold!! Only a few Obenaufs since then could do so wellthough ___ much frugal in some cases. This same ship carried 4 Germangirls to America one of which was Wihelmina Doerfer who became a domesticworking girl 1 1/2 miles north of Lima, and whom Francis Obenauf, aftermaking acquaintance and a very brief courtship, promptly married,probably 3-15-1855 (engaged 2-14-1855). They moved into a five year oldhouse Apr. 2. Theo. et al born here.Theodore's family born here too.Francis had probably come over the year before or maybe 2 or 3 yearsbefore and bought the Ferd. Obenauf farm 2 1/2 miles No. west of NorthLima for his father 290 acres. Traugott likely accompanied Francis over.In 1855 Christian bought the 2nd farm south for Francis. Theodore took itover from Francis when he married in 1878. Tradition has it that a stormblew them off course toward the Equator and they were 46 days crossing.Francis and Traugott. Theodore related this to his son Henry. Likely asailing vessel.
Note by Bill Obenauf:
Ship and other records show differences with a few of the abovestatements. Traugott, Herman and Francis each came separately. The steamship Germania came in 25 days according to Michael Palmer. Christianbought the 290 acres of land 'after' he arrived. See above data.
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1798 - 1858 (60 years)
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