Ida Lang, my great grandmother, came to America from Switzerland with her sister Anna. They sailed from the Port of Bremen and arrived in New Orleans on November 15, 1870. Ida was 19 and her sister Anna was 24. They came with their brother, Ben who had come back to Switzerland from America to recruit colonists for Dallas.
Benjamin Franklin Lang was named after, yes, that Ben Franklin. His Father, Johann George Lang, was a teacher and his grandfather a Lutheran minister. His father wanted him to go into the ministry but Ben wanted to come to America. So, his grandfather gave him the money. To be a fly on the wall during that conversation!
Ben arrived in Galveston, Texas July 4, 1855. http://www.galvestonhistory.org/immigration-login.asp They were supposed to land in New Orleans but could not because of a storm. Basically they walked all the way to Dallas. It takes 5 hours now to drive from Galveston to Dallas; of course, some of that is Houston traffic with which they did not have to contend! Ben joined the utopian society of La Reunion. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/LL/uel1.html
The colony failed in 1857 and most of the colonists moved to Dallas. Like most utopian societies it failed because everyone was sitting around having great thoughts instead of actually working. Not to be too cocky, that is probably the modern day equivalent of blogging when you should be cleaning the house or doing laundry or cooking, etc.
During reconstruction, Ben was appointed mayor of Dallas by Texas Governor, Edmund Davis. In 1870 he resigned to return to Switzerland to see his parents who were not in good health and to recruit colonists for Dallas. This is when he brought over his sisters Ida and Anna. After they landed in New Orleans they took a steamer to Shreveport, Louisiana then rode the train to Hallsville, Texas which is where the Texas and Pacific Railroad ended. Then the real fun begins … they WALK to Dallas. According to mapquest.com it is 137 miles from Hallsville to Dallas. In Dallas, where you-are-what-you-drive, it’s just funny to think about people actually walking TO Dallas. On December 3, 1870 they arrived in Dallas. To go about a quarter of the way around the world took 23 days. To go 530 miles, took 18 days.
In November 1872, Ben, who had changed his last name to Long, was elected mayor by popular vote. In 1874 he was appointed United States Commissioner.
On the 1870 Census, John Chiesa, also an immigrant from Switzerland, lives near Ben Long. Ida marries John Chiesa on May 20, 1873. I don’t know how they met. The Swiss immigrants had established social clubs and music clubs so I guess they met that way.
Ben was killed June 23, 1877 in a bar room fight over ten cents. The Morning Mail newspaper headline read “Oceans of Blood! A desperado on the war path – for two glasses of beer two lives are sacrificed, two others are jeopardized and a happy home turned into a house of mourning.”
I wonder how Ida felt? I have never read anything that gives her take on it. By this time she has two small children and has moved about 25 miles from Dallas with her husband and his brother to farm. Did she go the funeral? Would she have gotten word in time? Did someone ride out and tell her? Did they tell their Mother still in Switzerland?
Ida and John had five more children. He died in 1899. Their youngest was seven, the oldest 23. I believe she continued to run the farm. Ida died in 1918. http://www.dallaspioneer.org/stories/obituaries.php?ID=166
She and John and buried at Mill Cemetery. Their headstone says, “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.”
Benjamin Franklin Lang was named after, yes, that Ben Franklin. His Father, Johann George Lang, was a teacher and his grandfather a Lutheran minister. His father wanted him to go into the ministry but Ben wanted to come to America. So, his grandfather gave him the money. To be a fly on the wall during that conversation!
Ben arrived in Galveston, Texas July 4, 1855. http://www.galvestonhistory.org/immigration-login.asp They were supposed to land in New Orleans but could not because of a storm. Basically they walked all the way to Dallas. It takes 5 hours now to drive from Galveston to Dallas; of course, some of that is Houston traffic with which they did not have to contend! Ben joined the utopian society of La Reunion. http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/LL/uel1.html
The colony failed in 1857 and most of the colonists moved to Dallas. Like most utopian societies it failed because everyone was sitting around having great thoughts instead of actually working. Not to be too cocky, that is probably the modern day equivalent of blogging when you should be cleaning the house or doing laundry or cooking, etc.
During reconstruction, Ben was appointed mayor of Dallas by Texas Governor, Edmund Davis. In 1870 he resigned to return to Switzerland to see his parents who were not in good health and to recruit colonists for Dallas. This is when he brought over his sisters Ida and Anna. After they landed in New Orleans they took a steamer to Shreveport, Louisiana then rode the train to Hallsville, Texas which is where the Texas and Pacific Railroad ended. Then the real fun begins … they WALK to Dallas. According to mapquest.com it is 137 miles from Hallsville to Dallas. In Dallas, where you-are-what-you-drive, it’s just funny to think about people actually walking TO Dallas. On December 3, 1870 they arrived in Dallas. To go about a quarter of the way around the world took 23 days. To go 530 miles, took 18 days.
In November 1872, Ben, who had changed his last name to Long, was elected mayor by popular vote. In 1874 he was appointed United States Commissioner.
On the 1870 Census, John Chiesa, also an immigrant from Switzerland, lives near Ben Long. Ida marries John Chiesa on May 20, 1873. I don’t know how they met. The Swiss immigrants had established social clubs and music clubs so I guess they met that way.
Ben was killed June 23, 1877 in a bar room fight over ten cents. The Morning Mail newspaper headline read “Oceans of Blood! A desperado on the war path – for two glasses of beer two lives are sacrificed, two others are jeopardized and a happy home turned into a house of mourning.”
I wonder how Ida felt? I have never read anything that gives her take on it. By this time she has two small children and has moved about 25 miles from Dallas with her husband and his brother to farm. Did she go the funeral? Would she have gotten word in time? Did someone ride out and tell her? Did they tell their Mother still in Switzerland?
Ida and John had five more children. He died in 1899. Their youngest was seven, the oldest 23. I believe she continued to run the farm. Ida died in 1918. http://www.dallaspioneer.org/stories/obituaries.php?ID=166
She and John and buried at Mill Cemetery. Their headstone says, “The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.”
This is Ida with her first grandchild, Joe Merrill.
No comments:
Post a Comment