German Immigrant Ancestors
in Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York
Surnames - M
Sender: Roger Dahlin
Email: Roger@Dahlin.com
Date: 17 January 2021
Surnames: MUHLAUSER, MARKERT, SPAETH, SCHMUCKMEIER
Searching for information on these families.
See "Old St. Joseph's Cemetery: A Dahlin/Spaeth Family
Perspective" by Roger Dahlin for more information.
Sender: Dolores
Email: wildewinde@yahoo.com
Date: 16 December 2006
Surnames: MOHR, HESS
Going back as far as I can on my dad's side of the family, arriving on the Ship "Urania" in New York on 25 June 1847 from the port of Havre from the part of Germany known as Prussia, was my great-grandfather, Jacob MOHR (born 1819, died between 1901-1909). He married G/Jenevieve HESS (born 1844, emigrated from Hesse-Darmstadt in 1865 or 1866, died between 1921 and 1930). I think Jacob's brother was a Philipp MOHR.
Jacob and Jenevieve MOHR had 8 children. These are 4 of their names: Henry, Eda (alt spelling Ada), Anna, Ernest, which are documented via Census. The other 4 names, based on newspaper accounts and obit records I believe were May (aka Mae), Franklin, Hazel, and Jacob. Henry Mohr was the father of Justin Mohr who opened Eastwood Litho, Inc. in 1946. Both Jacob and Jenevieve are buried in Woodlawn Cemetery, Syracuse.
Sender: Ethel Stanton
Email: stanton@gte.net
Date: 4 June 2005
Surnames: MYERS, OSTRANDER, LOOMIS
I located the businesses of two of my direct ancestors in Syracuse in your pages from the directories of
the New Atlas of Onondaga County, NY (1874) produced by Mr. Sweet:
First: Ostrander, Loomis & Co., 28 and 30 James St. ...Welton Benz (Bens) Ostrander was my great-grandfather. His daughter was Lucy Loomis Ostrander. I had many stories but only knew that the company dealt with tea, coffee and spices.
Welton's father died at age 30 and his mother remarried, Chauncy Chester Loomis. I heard that there was some insurance money which allowed them to start a country store on the Erie Canal. Welton was only about 5 years old at the time, but learned the business as he grew up and eventually became a partner. They began the coffee, tea and spice business when he was old enough to help run the business. They built it up to include horses and wagons for deliveries, teasels for the carding of wool, peach and apple orchards, willow trees to use for making baskets for the fruit, as well as a large warehouse for their products. He also had an interest in the Quaker Yeast Co. They had a coffee roasting plant as well.
They did very well and were considered moderately rich. However, in the 1880's when Welton Bens Ostrander was in his 40's, he thought he had either tuberculosis or tea poisoning from his business, so he changed his plans. He sold the business to Col. O. V. Tracy and began a project for a ranch in Texas....
One time, an order was received from Syracuse, NY for 20 horses. Somehow the order was read as twenty carloads of horses. About 200 horses arrived in Syracuse and had to be herded through the streets to a corral. Apparently they were not trained horses and went quite wild after riding the train and arriving in a strange and noisy city....
Second: M. J. Myers, Cashier, State Bank of Syracuse, No.3 basement, Onondaga County Savings Bank building. My grandmother, Lucy Loomis Ostrander, married Matthew Jervis Myers, the son of this M.J. Myers. This M.J. Myers was Matthew Joseph Myers. (One story is that he and his wife took the train to the South early in the Civil War. The Bank had a branch down there and they withdrew their capital of GOLD and brought it back to Syracuse in little pockets attached to her hoop skirt. If this is true it must have been a great adventure.) This Matthew Joseph Myers was also connected to the
first telephone company in Syracuse. His son, Matthew Jervis Myers, invented a patented "Break Finder" for the telephone lines. Welton Benz Ostrander hired him to come to Texas to his huge ranch project in order to find the breaks in their wire fences. Lucy Loomis Ostrander met him there (the story goes) and they were later married in Syracuse.
I would like to share information with anyone else researching or connected to these families.
Sender: Jim Glick
Email: jglick1428@comcast.net
Date: 24 November 2003
Surnames: MEYER/MAYER, GLICK/GLÜCK
My great-grandfather, Adam Glück, arrived in Syracuse in 1849 or 1850 according
to the 1855 NY census. He was originally from Württemberg, Germany. In the 1860
census he is listed as a master Baker and the 1859-60 city directory shows him
residing at 19 Kirkpatrick street.
Adam married Elisabeth C. Meyer June 25, 1853 at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in
Syracuse. She and her younger brother Charles had been in Syracuse for about a
year at that time. There are other Meyer/Mayer families tied in with Elisabeth and
Charles through church records of baptisms and weddings throughout the 1850s and 60s.
Adam and Elisabeth had four children in Syracuse: Charles in 1855, my grandfather
Martin Peter in 1858, John H. in 1862 and Elisabeth Caroline in 1863. They are
shown as living at 17 Union Place in Syracuse in the 1862-63 city Directory.
However, they left Syracuse in 1863 and moved to Florence (later incorporated into
Saginaw City) Michigan where he worked in the salt making industry until his death
in 1899. Elisabeth followed him in death just a few months later in the same year.
The name was spelled Glick in Saginaw.
When I started researching the Glück/Glick family, I discovered that Württemberg
was a major salt-producing area in Europe through the 18th and early 19th centuries.
That Adam settled in Syracuse which was the prime salt producing area of New York
and the eastern United States seemed more than coincidental, and his move to the
Saginaw area to work in the salt industry there as it became a new competitor and
eventually displaced Syracuse's lead in the salt industry seemed to be the prime
motivator for his choice of places to settle, even though his occupation in
Syracuse had been that of a baker.
Whether it was the salt that led Adam to Syracuse and then Saginaw or
if was just coincidence may not be determinable, but the tie between the
two cities is fact. A history of Saginaw cites the trip to Syracuse in 1863 by
the partners in a new salt mining cooperative to learn about the most effective
methods and to recruit experienced salt makers as the beginning of the lucrative
salt industry that flourished in Saginaw along with the lumbering industry for
about the next fifty years. Each industry contributed to the success of the other
until the lumber gave out and the cost of fuel for boiling the salt became too
much to make it profitable to continue. Then, as had happened to Syracuse,
Saginaw turned to other industries to prosper.
Sender: Kelly Michaels Schaff
Email: kschaff@twcny.rr.com
Date: 28 October 2003
Surnames: MICHA/MICHEL/MICHAEL/MICHAELS, SCHNEIDER, SWAB, WIRTH, WOLDT, ENGELHARDT
I have ALL German/Prussian ancestors on my father's side; and on his
mother's side, the Wirth's; they always lived on Townsend Street. I think
my Engelhardt's did too. Because gr gram Engelhardt married gr grandfather
Wirth! I also had Swab's and Schneider's and I believe they also lived on
the North side. Prussian records are so hard to find! I am totally stuck
on my father's grandparents; on his fathers side:
Micha/Michel/Michael/Michaels -and Woldt, which I have found more on! Not
sure what our last name 'really' was! But my maiden name is Michaels; but I
believe gr grandfather Gustav changed it!
Sender: Dale Miller
Email: dmiller@co.oneida.ny.us
Date: 6 October 2003
Surnames: MUELLER/MILLER/MULLER, PETERS
Trying to track down my great grandfather, Denis MUELLER (or Dennis MILLER or
MULLER). He lived in Syracuse until about 1888 and I have found some information
about him in local city directories. I know he married a Katharine PETERS in 1871 in
Syracuse. My grandfather (their son) was born there about 1877. Would appreciate help
in finding their marriage record, or any other information.
Sender: Thorsten Buhl
Email: Thorsten.Buhl@t-online.de
Date: 17 September 2003
Surnames: MAIER, MATTES, MUELLER, RACK, SCHILLING, STEHLE, STRAUB
Albertina Mattes, born 24 April, 1840 in Renquishausen, emigrated in 1866 to the
USA, was married 14 August 1866 in Syracuse to Vinzenz Reitze.
I am currently researching all these surnames listed above, all families from Renquishausen,
Oberamt Tuttlingen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, where I live.
There are more than 10 families who emigrated from our village to Syracuse. I would
like to hear from anyone who may help in searching.
Sender: Larry Magee
Email: lnnmagoo@netins.net
Date: 13 June 2003
Surnames: MAGEE, KELLEY
Looking for information on a "John Magee" of Onondaga County.
Married an Esther Kelley. Had a child named "Woolsey" born 1811/1812.
Woolsey's death certificate says John was born in Germany. Both John and
Esther owned property through the early part of the 1800's, in Syracuse.
It would appear that my John came into the country around 1790.
Sender: Janice Simpson
Email: SGranJan2000@aol.com
Date: 30 January 2003
Surnames: MILLER, HEY, THURWACHTER
My great-great-grandfather's brother was Louis Thurwachter. Louis was a prosperous
willow and wooden ware merchant living at 92 James Street at this time [1870-80].
Another brother John was the proprietor of the European Hotel at 227 and 229
Salina. At least two married Thurwachter sisters also lived in Syracuse: Margaret Hey and
Carolina Miller. Margaret was married to Carl/Charles Hey and Carolina was married to
Christian Miller. My ancestor and another brother settled in northeastern Missouri and
another brother finally settled in Watsonville, California after finding Syracuse not
to his liking.
Sender: Bill Moore
Email: wbmoore@gremlan.org
Date: 9 January 2003
Surnames: HENSBERGER, MEEBOLD, STEG, WEEBER
I love your website! Found 4 relatives on one page of your translation of the
Deutschen in Syracuse!
Sender: Mary Fisher Hall
Email: whitefis@mindspring.com
Date: 1 January 2003
Surname: MARKLE / MARKELY, EMERICK / EMMERICH, CARHERNE
Seeking info on my gr grandfather Matthew MARKLE born 1820 Baden, Germany
married Mary A. EMERICK born 1837 Baden, Germany. Father was Joseph EMERICK
and maiden name of mother was CARHERNE. Matthew was listed as Matthew
MARKLEY in 1860 census of Onondaga, Syracuse, NY and in 1863 their
first 5 children died within 1 mo of each other and father was listed
as Mathias Markle. They had additional 9 children, 7 grew to adults.
There is a John Emmerich buried next to Mary in Minoa cemetery.
Any information you might be able to provide would be most greatly appreciated.
Sender: Deborah Colombo
Email: melsdane@shasta.com
Date: 13 November 2002
Surname: MELOLING
Might you know if the surname MELOLING is German in origin? For some
time now I have tried to find out and been unable....gone back with the
family in Onondaga county to 1800 and even that member was born in New
York! I realize its a long shot, but there was so much great
information on your site I thought maybe you would know something.
Thanks for your time. And again, you have a fabulous site...I
especially enjoyed the timeline!
Sender: Craig Stevens
Email: craigstevensmusic@worldnet.att.net
Date: 24 July 2002
Surname: MANTEL, MUELLER, MILLER
I'd like to find out about the Mantel family, specifically my great-great-uncle,
Florey Mantel. He worked at Crouse-Hinds as an engineer, and was a
co-developer of the air-cooled automobile engine with HH Franklin; he died in 1947.
I have 2 cigar boxes full of pictures that my father gave to me.
My great-grandparents were from Niederschelt (Dillensburg).
The Mueller (changed to Miller) and Mantel family.
Thanks so very much.
Sender: Theresa/Tess
Email: soozrosebud@webtv.net
Date: 7 April 2002
Surname: MUELLER, WANHOFFER
I don't know a lot about Germans in Syracuse but I know a little!
My GGrandfather and his brother were in US about 1888. He was in
Syracuse a little before turn of century. 1906, was here in Jamesville.
George had business in Syracuse, Jamesville and NYC (where he first came
to US)...any sound familiar? I know they lived on Oak St., in Syracuse.
My Ggrandfather had a greenhouse business...First wife Clara...second
wife Katarina Krick Wanhoffer- she brought with her a son
Joseph...Ggranfather's brother's name was Joseph.
Hope this helps!
Sender: Ethel Myers Stanton
Email: stanton@gte.net
Date: 4 February 2002
Surname: MYERS
Two generations of my Myers ancestors lived in Syracuse, NY.
My grandfather, Matthew Jervis Myers, b. 1861 d. 1911.
Lived in Syracuse and worked for the Syracuse Telephone Co.
He married Lucy Loomis Ostrander.
His father was Matthew Joseph Myers. (1835 - 1906)
He was a banker and also had a position with the telephone co.
He married Frances Jervis Hough. It is said as family tradition that Matthew
Joseph Myers and his wife took a train into Southern territory, early in
the Civil War. They withdrew their bank money from a branch bank
and brought it back to Syracuse, tied in little sacks to the hoop frame
for her hoop skirts. (It must have been heavy!)
The ancestors came from Herkimer, NY.
The immigrant ancestor came from Michelfeld, Wurrtemburg, Germany.
Sender: Ann Derner
Email: annlynnd@rma.edu
Date: 6 September 2001
Surname: MENTZ
My GGGrandfather Rev. William Mentz was a circuit rider Minister...if
any one has a record of a visit to a church in this area,
I would appreciate hearing from them.
Sender: Fran Vanderveer
Email: PhoeFran@aol.com
Date: 30 August 2001
Surname: MAURER, LETTER, VANDERVEER
I am looking for information regarding John LETTER and Maria MAURER Letter
who came to Syracuse from Germany approximately 1885. They were the parents of
seven children, John Jr., Adam, Viola, Emma, Rose, Marie, and Annie. They were
living on Park St. at the time of John Sr.'s death in 1902 and he was
employed as a stone mason. Emma married Jewell W. VANDERVEER in Syracuse
in 1909.
Sender: Sandy Allen
Email: updated Sept. 2010: sandal1963@frontiernet.net
Date: 29 August 2001
Surnames: MIETZ, McDONALD
My lines are:
MIETZ (1910 - current Syracuse, 1850 - 1910 Wolcottsville, Niagara
County)
Art Mietz and then his son, Jack, owned a service station on Salina
Street in the Valley.
McDONALD (immigrated from Canada to Syracuse 1870 - current) many
McDonalds, male and female were employed by New York Central Railroad.
Sender: Eric Schultz
Email: eric.schultz@iname.com
Date: 19 August 2001
Surnames: MILLER, SCHREINER, SCHLOSSER, HELLER, KLETTKE, KNOPF, KUEHN, BENKE,
RUMPF, HORNUNG, KELLER, DANIER, ZIMMER, etc.
See Descendants of F. Christian Heller
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