Heinrich Baumhover

BAUMHOVER, KNIEST, VENEMANN

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 9/9/2004 at 01:22:15

I translated the following biography from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published in a special 25th Anniversary Edition of the paper on Friday, 20 September 1899. I have not changed the place or name spellings. Information in brackets and notes at the end are my own explanations. It reads as follows:

Heinrich Baumhover

The name of this man is so familiar in Kniest Township, and he is so connected to the growth of the township, that one can hardly imagine the name Kniest without the name Baumhover, because the name Baumhover has been known in Carroll County as long as the name Kniest has been spoken. The writer of this article certainly has no desire to diminish the service of the deceased Mr. Kniest to Kniest Township, but Mr. Baumhover was the originator of an idea whereby Kniest Township was later laid out and organized.

Mr. Heinrich Baumhover was born on 26 December 1829 at Ostenfelde bei Muenster, in Westphalia. He immigrated to America in 1849 and settled first in St. Louis, where he remained for two years. He then turned toward the west and worked for two years in Dubuque, Iowa. Then he went again back to St. Louis, where he married Miss Anna Venemann [possibly spelled Benemann], a virtuous young woman who was born at Behlen bei Muenster, Westphalia. He then went again back to Dubuque in order to settle there. But then in 1858, he moved back to St. Louis, and after he had worked there at his trade for a year, he took up the plow and took over a farm 90 miles north of St. Louis. At this time the [Civil] War broke out and Mr. Baumhover was enlisted in a Missouri militia company. He served his adopted fatherland for two years as a soldier, and after he was honorably discharged, he went to New Vienna [Iowa], where he again farmed for three years. Mr. Baumhover’s aspiration now turned to acquiring his own land, but after the war the land became so expensive that it was impossible for him to purchase there. Therefore, he again abandoned farming and moved to Dubuque, where he again worked at his trade.

Since he had long arrived at the age where the wish for a home of one’s own is particularly strong, he started to ponder by what means one could obtain cheap land among German Catholics, because he had discovered in Missouri what it was like not to live in a German Catholic community. He formulated a plan, but he did not want to carry it out alone. He confided in Mr. Lambert Kniest and told him of his plan, and Kniest also entered in. He [Kniest] then received a commission to lay out an entire township on the Northwestern Railway, and the land was committed by contract for settlement. Mr. Kniest then also went to the Rev. Bishop and explained the plan to him. The prelate quickly promised to send a priest and nuns for teaching. At this time, the land was inspected and surveyed, so that each newcomer could see what he wished to purchase. The first thing that was built in Mt. Carmel was the schoolhouse, and thus did the community later develop.

In 1876, Mr. Henry Baumhover met with his old associate, Mr. Franz Breda from Dubuque. This man had some liquid capital, which he wanted to invest. Mr. Baumhover advised him to build a mill in Carroll. Mr. Breda entered into this plan. However, he stipulated the condition that Mr. Baumhover himself support the venture financially. Accordingly, the two men went to work and the mill was built. Today, Mr. Baumhover is the sole owner of the mill, and the owner of 700 acres of the finest land in Kniest Township. His extensive farm is equipped with good buildings, he has excellent livestock, and for some time he has been engaged in sheep farming, an experiment which up to now in Carroll County has not been attempted on a large scale. Mr. Baumhover is one of the most respected men in the county and an honest German-American.

NOTES: Heinrich Baumhover died in 1904. I believe he had a second wife, Helena, but she is not mentioned in the biography.