Week 1: Foundations

Week 1: Foundations
The theme for January and for Week 1 is "Foundations." Some ways you might interpret this include focusing on the person who sparked your interest in family history, a builder in your family tree, or the person who is the bedrock of your family.  

    After much consideration, I decided to write about my immigrant ancestors, Frederick, Johann Michael, and Andreas Fuchs. Johann Michael is my 3rd Great-Grandfather. Frederick is his brother and Andreas is his nephew. They came to St. Louis in 1832. But the reason I chose them is not what you may think. While it makes sense since they were the foundation of my Fuchs family in America, there is another reason I thought of them. It was the REASON they came to America.
    According to a history book of Jefferson County, Missouri, the Fuchs family was contracted in Europe by the Catholic Church authorities to come to St. Louis to help construct the St. Louis Cathedral also known as the Old Cathedral. You see, they were stonemasons. So they would have helped with the "Foundation" of the church. Didn't see that one coming, did you?

History of Jefferson County
St. Louis County Library

The history of the Old Cathedral is as follows:

"Founding fathers Pierre Laclede and Auguste Chouteau deed a tract of land to the people of St. Louis where a one-room log structure is erected as the first Catholic Church in the newly founded city. Known originally as Laclede’s Village, it is later named St. Louis by Laclede to honor King Louis IX of France. 

"A second, larger log church is built in place of the first church… a new church more in keeping with the growing importance and dignity of the young city that was becoming a town of marked beauty, size and prominence. 

By 1831, the 55-year-old log church is deteriorating and can no longer accommodate the growing parish. Rather than enlarge it, Bishop Rosati decides to replace it all together. The cornerstone of the new church is laid in August of 1831, and the sum of $63,360.85 is raised to build the new church. It was designed by Morton and Laveill and completed in 1834." History of the Basillica of St. Louis

Old St. Louis Cathedral
Lithograph by J.C. Wild
1841
Source: NextStl.com

    According to a ship manifest, "Mr. Fox and Family" arrived in New Orleans in May of 1832. "Fox" is the way Fuchs would have been pronounced. (Although at some point the pronunciation changed for my specific line at some point; it now sounds more like the Fuschia plant). There have been other sources that spelled the surname this way. From New Orleans, the family would have traveled to St. Louis up the Mississippi River. This timeline fits with the history of when the new stone church would have been built and the completion year coincides with when Johann Michael bought property in Jefferson County. 

    So not only is my Fuchs family the foundation of start in America, they helped build the foundation of a very important church which became the foundation of the Catholic church in St. Louis. Based on the year they immigrated, the Fuchs family also qualifies to be listed as one of the "First Families of St. Louis". I found this out in 2019 when I attended the St. Louis History Fair.

    I'd say you can't get any more foundational than this. I still have quite a bit of research to do on the origins of my Fuchs Family in St. Louis. Still need to track down more sources so I can get the family listed on that register. My family was here from the beginning and I'm proud to be a part of that history. 

Come back next week for the new 52 Ancestors Prompt. If you wish to join in, click here: 52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks.

Sources:
History of Jefferson County, Missouri - St. Louis Public Library

History & Story of St. Louis IX - Basilica of St. Louis

The Importance of Preserving Pre-Civil War Era Architecture in St. Louis - NextSTL.com

The Old Cathedral: A Photo History - St. Louis Post Dispatch

Happy Find Friday - Les Wheeler Hospitalized

     I know you are probably thinking, how can someone being hospitalized be a happy find? Well, let me tell you. I have been trying to track down this story since about 2014. And today, I am happy to report, I finally found a newspaper article mentioning this event.

     My mom told me about an incident that happened when she was a teenager. Her dad, my grandpa Les Wheeler, was into CBs. He would repair them, use them, sell them, etc. One day, he and two other friends, J.D. Weiskoph and Edward Iffendohl(sp?) were attempting to put up a huge antenna on top of Grandpa's garage when they were electrocuted. According to Mom, Grandma was on her way home from work and heard about it on her car radio. So she rushed right to the hospital. Here are two articles I just found.

The Springfield News-Leader

22 Aug 1969

St. Joseph Gazette

22 Aug 1969

     Grandpa was burned all down his throat and the soles of his shoes were melted to his feet from being electrocuted. J.D. Weiskoph lost a few toes. Unfortunately, from what I'm told, Edward Iffendohl lost his life. I have yet to find proof of this, but mom remembers someone dying from this incident.
     I posted about this in the Facebook group You grew up in the High Ridge, Murphy, House Springs, Cedar Hill area if.. to see if anyone remembers this incident and to get details if they do. Here are a couple of accounts:

Lou Mayes: I was a friend of JD and he told me about it. His feet got burnt is all that happen to him. I also think it was the aluminum ladder that fell against the power line. The location was at the intersection of Carol Park and Old Gravois at Les Wheeler's home. That is all the info I have about the accident. JD Has passed away last year. (2019) 

John Mcguire: Re: “...’Men Are Injured’....” ...Believe, if remembered right (..think I was 4?-5yrs old at the time..) , hearing the Adults at ‘Dot & Oscar’s [..Isabel ] Tavern’ discussing what happened.. 

Doug Woolford: I new them Les JR and I were best friends and I remember that all to well it scared the hell out of us burned a hole in MR Wheeler foot , I don’t remember about the other two!!! 

Eileen Ries Faries: I was on that ambulance run. That was a long time ago I will think on it I do remember the lines laying across a patient and burning skin smell.

      You still may be wonderful why I call this a Happy Find. Well, like I said, I'd been trying to track down this story in the newspapers for the longest time. My mom couldn't remember the exact date, but remembered it was before they moved to Lemay but it was after she was able to drive. So that would put the range in between around 1966-1970. Not a bad range, but here in the problem. The local newspaper for the area was the Jefferson County Record. And while the Jefferson County Library has this newspaper on Microfilm, it is NOT indexed. So I was going to have to page through 4 years of article to try to find the incident. I started a few years ago, but only barely got through one year. So I hadn't tried again. Now that I have a date, I can actually try to locate the article(s) in the local paper.
     Unfortunately with this Stay-At-Home order in place because of the Coronavirus Pandemic, the libraries are closed, so I will have to wait a little while to make a trip there to locate the article. When I find it, I may not get anymore than what is written here, but I will at least try. I might be able to talk to someone in the historical society about what other sources I can access.
     I love finding sources to match up with stories I am told about my family. I also love getting other accounts from friends of the family from around that time. If you haven't yet, I absolutely recommend joining a Facebook group for your ancestors' hometowns. You never know what you are going to find out.

Grandpa Les Wheeler

What Will I Find Next?