Photo to the right of this story shows George Koffler with the widowed Anna Messer who became Mrs. Koffler. Back row is Josephine Koffler and Catherine Messer. Catherine had two brothers, Nick and Adam, all children of Anna Messer. First row is Monica seated, with Raphael and Pete. Two sons, Jack and Johannes, died during infancy.
In January 1900, George and Anna left their colony in Russia to begin their new lives in Dickinson, North Dakota. Two years later they ranched by the Antelope Creek, and in 1902 they filed a homestead 14 miles southeast of Amidon. There he filed a homestead entry claim with the United States Land Office for a quarter section of land that contained a water spring in a township known as Sand Creek on June 29, 1902. The area, SE 1/4 34-134-100, was surrounded by a large area of virgin grass.
At this point in America's history, there was still much open prarie so George Koffler started a sheep ranching operation. There were times when he owned from two to four thousand head of sheep. As the settlers came in and filed their homesteads, he disposed of his sheep, and undertook grain farming and cattle raising.
He had planted corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes for six seasons with about 50 acres broken and under cultivation. George Koffler employed an immigrant stone mason to erect a stone house 30 X 16 feet with a 12 X 16 foot stone kitchen with board floor and shingle roof attached to it. Other improvements included a stone barn about 16 X 60 feet; framed sheep barn, 30 X 50 feet; stone chicken house; stone hog pen; framed granary, 12 X 16 feet; framed coal shed, 14 X 16 feet; well, 15 feet deep with the entire claim fenced with 2 strand barbed wire. Total value of improvements claimed was $1,500.00. The balance of George's land (about 110 acres), was used for grazing of 800 sheep on shares, 400 of which were his, 5 head of cattle, 10 head of horses, and 6 hogs.
On August 31, 1900, George Koffler first made application for a Homestead Entry for the Southeast Quarter (SE1/4) of Section 2, in Township 137 North of Range 97 West of the 5th P.M. in Slope County, North Dakota. He rode over the entire tract with Christ Badinger who assured him that the land was fit for farming purposes, so he purchased all the improvements on the land from Mr. Badinger.
Short of stature at 5' 4", the blue-eyed light haired German immigrant came to America in July 1900. George Koffler could not read nor write the English language and was unaware of land markings later learning that his new land was too stony and unfit for farming purposes. He was at a disadvantage because he could not read plat maps nor was he familiar with the land in southwestern North Dakota. He told the U.S. Land Office Commisioner that he looked at the township plat from the North instead of the South; that he pointed at the top left hand Quarter of said Section 34, and the person who made out the papers, assuming that he had described the said quarter correctly, looking at it from the south, assumed it to be the Northwest quarter, and the papers were prepared accordingly. But, George never intended to file upon the Northwest quarter. He had always intended to file on the Southeast Quarter of Section 34, Township 134 North, Range 100 West.
George's brother-in-law, Peter Braun, informed George that his Homestead Entry papers had actually called for the Northwest Quarter of Section 34, Township 134 North of Range 100 West of the 5th P.M. instead of the Southeast Quarter. George first applied to the U.S. Land Office for an abandonment of his first claim on May 23, 1902. The following July 1903, he settled on his new claim which was entirely suitable for farming and ranching. Over the next six years, the Department of the Interior's Land Office filed various papers concerning the error.
On August 21, 1906, the Department of the Interior's U.S. Land Office issued George a Homestead Entry Final Proof in which George stated he was 37 years old and using Hume, North Dakota as his postal address. It was also in this year that George and Anna became naturalized US citizens.
George Koffler's application to amend homestead entry 5571 was finally transmitted in an official document dated April 11, 1908. The U.S. Land Office recognized George
had made an honest mistake and afforded him every opportunity under the law to amend his original claim.
November 21, 1918, George Koffler passed away due to flu. After the death of her second husband, Anna Koffler-Messer made her home for the next 15 years with her youngest daughter, Josephine Koffler Keller and her husband. She passed away on May 20, 1943, due to kidney failure and was laid to rest in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Dickinson, North Dakota.
Copyright © 2010 Michael W. Koffler. All Rights Reserved. Stories on this page are © 1976 Lyle J. Koffler. All Rights Reserved.
In January 1900, George and Anna left their colony in Russia to begin their new lives in Dickinson, North Dakota. Two years later they ranched by the Antelope Creek, and in 1902 they filed a homestead 14 miles southeast of Amidon. There he filed a homestead entry claim with the United States Land Office for a quarter section of land that contained a water spring in a township known as Sand Creek on June 29, 1902. The area, SE 1/4 34-134-100, was surrounded by a large area of virgin grass.
At this point in America's history, there was still much open prarie so George Koffler started a sheep ranching operation. There were times when he owned from two to four thousand head of sheep. As the settlers came in and filed their homesteads, he disposed of his sheep, and undertook grain farming and cattle raising.
He had planted corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes for six seasons with about 50 acres broken and under cultivation. George Koffler employed an immigrant stone mason to erect a stone house 30 X 16 feet with a 12 X 16 foot stone kitchen with board floor and shingle roof attached to it. Other improvements included a stone barn about 16 X 60 feet; framed sheep barn, 30 X 50 feet; stone chicken house; stone hog pen; framed granary, 12 X 16 feet; framed coal shed, 14 X 16 feet; well, 15 feet deep with the entire claim fenced with 2 strand barbed wire. Total value of improvements claimed was $1,500.00. The balance of George's land (about 110 acres), was used for grazing of 800 sheep on shares, 400 of which were his, 5 head of cattle, 10 head of horses, and 6 hogs.
On August 31, 1900, George Koffler first made application for a Homestead Entry for the Southeast Quarter (SE1/4) of Section 2, in Township 137 North of Range 97 West of the 5th P.M. in Slope County, North Dakota. He rode over the entire tract with Christ Badinger who assured him that the land was fit for farming purposes, so he purchased all the improvements on the land from Mr. Badinger.
Short of stature at 5' 4", the blue-eyed light haired German immigrant came to America in July 1900. George Koffler could not read nor write the English language and was unaware of land markings later learning that his new land was too stony and unfit for farming purposes. He was at a disadvantage because he could not read plat maps nor was he familiar with the land in southwestern North Dakota. He told the U.S. Land Office Commisioner that he looked at the township plat from the North instead of the South; that he pointed at the top left hand Quarter of said Section 34, and the person who made out the papers, assuming that he had described the said quarter correctly, looking at it from the south, assumed it to be the Northwest quarter, and the papers were prepared accordingly. But, George never intended to file upon the Northwest quarter. He had always intended to file on the Southeast Quarter of Section 34, Township 134 North, Range 100 West.
George's brother-in-law, Peter Braun, informed George that his Homestead Entry papers had actually called for the Northwest Quarter of Section 34, Township 134 North of Range 100 West of the 5th P.M. instead of the Southeast Quarter. George first applied to the U.S. Land Office for an abandonment of his first claim on May 23, 1902. The following July 1903, he settled on his new claim which was entirely suitable for farming and ranching. Over the next six years, the Department of the Interior's Land Office filed various papers concerning the error.
On August 21, 1906, the Department of the Interior's U.S. Land Office issued George a Homestead Entry Final Proof in which George stated he was 37 years old and using Hume, North Dakota as his postal address. It was also in this year that George and Anna became naturalized US citizens.
George Koffler's application to amend homestead entry 5571 was finally transmitted in an official document dated April 11, 1908. The U.S. Land Office recognized George
had made an honest mistake and afforded him every opportunity under the law to amend his original claim.
November 21, 1918, George Koffler passed away due to flu. After the death of her second husband, Anna Koffler-Messer made her home for the next 15 years with her youngest daughter, Josephine Koffler Keller and her husband. She passed away on May 20, 1943, due to kidney failure and was laid to rest in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Dickinson, North Dakota.
Copyright © 2010 Michael W. Koffler. All Rights Reserved. Stories on this page are © 1976 Lyle J. Koffler. All Rights Reserved.
Photo to the right of this story shows George Koffler with the widowed Anna Messer who became Mrs. Koffler. Back row is Josephine Koffler and Catherine Messer. Catherine had two brothers, Nick and Adam, all children of Anna Messer. First row is Monica seated, with Raphael and Pete. Two sons, Jack and Johannes, died during infancy.
In January 1900, George and Anna left their colony in Russia to begin their new lives in Dickinson, North Dakota. Two years later they ranched by the Antelope Creek, and in 1902 they filed a homestead 14 miles southeast of Amidon. There he filed a homestead entry claim with the United States Land Office for a quarter section of land that contained a water spring in a township known as Sand Creek on June 29, 1902. The area, SE 1/4 34-134-100, was surrounded by a large area of virgin grass.
At this point in America's history, there was still much open prarie so George Koffler started a sheep ranching operation. There were times when he owned from two to four thousand head of sheep. As the settlers came in and filed their homesteads, he disposed of his sheep, and undertook grain farming and cattle raising.
He had planted corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes for six seasons with about 50 acres broken and under cultivation. George Koffler employed an immigrant stone mason to erect a stone house 30 X 16 feet with a 12 X 16 foot stone kitchen with board floor and shingle roof attached to it. Other improvements included a stone barn about 16 X 60 feet; framed sheep barn, 30 X 50 feet; stone chicken house; stone hog pen; framed granary, 12 X 16 feet; framed coal shed, 14 X 16 feet; well, 15 feet deep with the entire claim fenced with 2 strand barbed wire. Total value of improvements claimed was $1,500.00. The balance of George's land (about 110 acres), was used for grazing of 800 sheep on shares, 400 of which were his, 5 head of cattle, 10 head of horses, and 6 hogs.
On August 31, 1900, George Koffler first made application for a Homestead Entry for the Southeast Quarter (SE1/4) of Section 2, in Township 137 North of Range 97 West of the 5th P.M. in Slope County, North Dakota. He rode over the entire tract with Christ Badinger who assured him that the land was fit for farming purposes, so he purchased all the improvements on the land from Mr. Badinger.
Short of stature at 5' 4", the blue-eyed light haired German immigrant came to America in July 1900. George Koffler could not read nor write the English language and was unaware of land markings later learning that his new land was too stony and unfit for farming purposes. He was at a disadvantage because he could not read plat maps nor was he familiar with the land in southwestern North Dakota. He told the U.S. Land Office Commisioner that he looked at the township plat from the North instead of the South; that he pointed at the top left hand Quarter of said Section 34, and the person who made out the papers, assuming that he had described the said quarter correctly, looking at it from the south, assumed it to be the Northwest quarter, and the papers were prepared accordingly. But, George never intended to file upon the Northwest quarter. He had always intended to file on the Southeast Quarter of Section 34, Township 134 North, Range 100 West.
George's brother-in-law, Peter Braun, informed George that his Homestead Entry papers had actually called for the Northwest Quarter of Section 34, Township 134 North of Range 100 West of the 5th P.M. instead of the Southeast Quarter. George first applied to the U.S. Land Office for an abandonment of his first claim on May 23, 1902. The following July 1903, he settled on his new claim which was entirely suitable for farming and ranching. Over the next six years, the Department of the Interior's Land Office filed various papers concerning the error.
On August 21, 1906, the Department of the Interior's U.S. Land Office issued George a Homestead Entry Final Proof in which George stated he was 37 years old and using Hume, North Dakota as his postal address. It was also in this year that George and Anna became naturalized US citizens.
George Koffler's application to amend homestead entry 5571 was finally transmitted in an official document dated April 11, 1908. The U.S. Land Office recognized George
had made an honest mistake and afforded him every opportunity under the law to amend his original claim.
November 21, 1918, George Koffler passed away due to flu. After the death of her second husband, Anna Koffler-Messer made her home for the next 15 years with her youngest daughter, Josephine Koffler Keller and her husband. She passed away on May 20, 1943, due to kidney failure and was laid to rest in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Dickinson, North Dakota.
Copyright © 2010 Michael W. Koffler. All Rights Reserved. Stories on this page are © 1976 Lyle J. Koffler. All Rights Reserved.
In January 1900, George and Anna left their colony in Russia to begin their new lives in Dickinson, North Dakota. Two years later they ranched by the Antelope Creek, and in 1902 they filed a homestead 14 miles southeast of Amidon. There he filed a homestead entry claim with the United States Land Office for a quarter section of land that contained a water spring in a township known as Sand Creek on June 29, 1902. The area, SE 1/4 34-134-100, was surrounded by a large area of virgin grass.
At this point in America's history, there was still much open prarie so George Koffler started a sheep ranching operation. There were times when he owned from two to four thousand head of sheep. As the settlers came in and filed their homesteads, he disposed of his sheep, and undertook grain farming and cattle raising.
He had planted corn, wheat, oats, and potatoes for six seasons with about 50 acres broken and under cultivation. George Koffler employed an immigrant stone mason to erect a stone house 30 X 16 feet with a 12 X 16 foot stone kitchen with board floor and shingle roof attached to it. Other improvements included a stone barn about 16 X 60 feet; framed sheep barn, 30 X 50 feet; stone chicken house; stone hog pen; framed granary, 12 X 16 feet; framed coal shed, 14 X 16 feet; well, 15 feet deep with the entire claim fenced with 2 strand barbed wire. Total value of improvements claimed was $1,500.00. The balance of George's land (about 110 acres), was used for grazing of 800 sheep on shares, 400 of which were his, 5 head of cattle, 10 head of horses, and 6 hogs.
On August 31, 1900, George Koffler first made application for a Homestead Entry for the Southeast Quarter (SE1/4) of Section 2, in Township 137 North of Range 97 West of the 5th P.M. in Slope County, North Dakota. He rode over the entire tract with Christ Badinger who assured him that the land was fit for farming purposes, so he purchased all the improvements on the land from Mr. Badinger.
Short of stature at 5' 4", the blue-eyed light haired German immigrant came to America in July 1900. George Koffler could not read nor write the English language and was unaware of land markings later learning that his new land was too stony and unfit for farming purposes. He was at a disadvantage because he could not read plat maps nor was he familiar with the land in southwestern North Dakota. He told the U.S. Land Office Commisioner that he looked at the township plat from the North instead of the South; that he pointed at the top left hand Quarter of said Section 34, and the person who made out the papers, assuming that he had described the said quarter correctly, looking at it from the south, assumed it to be the Northwest quarter, and the papers were prepared accordingly. But, George never intended to file upon the Northwest quarter. He had always intended to file on the Southeast Quarter of Section 34, Township 134 North, Range 100 West.
George's brother-in-law, Peter Braun, informed George that his Homestead Entry papers had actually called for the Northwest Quarter of Section 34, Township 134 North of Range 100 West of the 5th P.M. instead of the Southeast Quarter. George first applied to the U.S. Land Office for an abandonment of his first claim on May 23, 1902. The following July 1903, he settled on his new claim which was entirely suitable for farming and ranching. Over the next six years, the Department of the Interior's Land Office filed various papers concerning the error.
On August 21, 1906, the Department of the Interior's U.S. Land Office issued George a Homestead Entry Final Proof in which George stated he was 37 years old and using Hume, North Dakota as his postal address. It was also in this year that George and Anna became naturalized US citizens.
George Koffler's application to amend homestead entry 5571 was finally transmitted in an official document dated April 11, 1908. The U.S. Land Office recognized George
had made an honest mistake and afforded him every opportunity under the law to amend his original claim.
November 21, 1918, George Koffler passed away due to flu. After the death of her second husband, Anna Koffler-Messer made her home for the next 15 years with her youngest daughter, Josephine Koffler Keller and her husband. She passed away on May 20, 1943, due to kidney failure and was laid to rest in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Dickinson, North Dakota.
Copyright © 2010 Michael W. Koffler. All Rights Reserved. Stories on this page are © 1976 Lyle J. Koffler. All Rights Reserved.
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