Elm Street — A Final Blog Post
This 1870 stereograph of Elm Street in Washington, Franklin County, Missouri shows a dusty town with only a main street and a handful of people. The town was home to the C. Kegelmann Cigar Factory until 1889, and a general store owned by H. Poppenhusen. These remnant buildings and names are the dirt of a taproot once grown by our first German immigrants here in the United States.
“Ideals are like stars; you will not succeed in touching them with your hands. But like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, you choose them as your guides, and following them you will reach your destiny. I invite you to ascend with me the watchtower of history, overlooking the grand panorama of the development of human affairs, in which the American Republic stands in so bold and prominent relief.” -Carl Schurz
Ideals are the guiding principles that motivate us towards our most distant goals. As the quote suggests, “ideals are like stars that we use as guides to reach our destiny.” This alludes to those early immigrants who came to distant America, risking everything they valued, including their lives, to see those ideals realized.
The early German immigrants who came to America were driven by one unifying ideal -to seek a better life. They brought with them their industry and skills, sowing the seeds of their culture. Much like the cigar shop they founded on Elm Street, Germans would frequently meet for a cigar and a fine German beer on the weekend before the work week started.
They settled here in America, building homes and businesses like the one in the stereograph above.
German immigrants organized and came to America in droves. One such group being the Geissen Immigration Society. Over one thousand people applied to join this company, including Fridrich Meunch, who came to Missouri and established farms and wineries. [1]
The Germans’ practical nature allowed them to cultivate the land and thrive. But they needed to have the right tools and equipment. The Germans were known to bring their flax wheels, spinning wheels, and looms to America. They were able to adapt their skills to the new environment, leveraging the resources available to them to establish successful enterprises. In doing so, they not only contributed to the growth and development of America but also ensured the preservation of their cultural heritage. [2]
The stereograph of Elm Street in Washington, Missouri, Franklin County, in 1870, offers a glimpse into the humble beginnings of a small town that grew to become a thriving community of nearly 15,000. The German immigrants who came to America played a significant role in building not only that town, but also this nation. Cultivating their own culture here in the US. They were driven by the ideal of seeking a better life and pursuing their dreams.
[1] W. Arthur Mehrhoff, Explore Missouri’s German Heritage (Missouri Life, 2019), 35
[2] Charles Van Ravenswaay, “Introduction: The German Settlers,” in The Arts and Architecture of German Settlements in Missouri (University of Missouri Press, 1977)
