FRED'K RAATZ

OLD TIMERS - FREDERICK RAATZ
Sleeping on the floor was better than sleeping out of doors. That was the way
Fred Raatz and nine other people figured it out when they came to town one
night in the summer of 1855. They arrived about 11 o'clock at night and after
unsuccessful efforts to get beds to sleep at that late hour, they accepted the
hospitality of August Abel under the conditions mentioned.
Mr. Abel had a house full of boarders. There was not a spare bed in the house.
There were over a dozen standby boarders at this place - nearly all sawmill
employees. Mr. Raatz arrived here with four of the Zander brothers. He
discovered by accident, early in his journey, on the sailing ship, that the
Zander's were like himself, bound for Two Rivers. They came from a different
part of Germany.
Mr. Raatz was able to find a permanent boarding place. He found employment at
one of the sawmills. He worked there for a short time only and then engaged
in fishing. After a few weeks he gave this up also and rented a farm near Shoto.
After about a year he changed his location to a farm at Saxonburg.
Here he remained until the death of an older brother made it necessary to go
to help on his father's farm. This farm became his and is now conducted by his
son, Herman. When Mr. Raatz first came to farm at Shoto in 1856 he found the
country an almost unbroken wilderness, there were no roads at all, only Indian
trails There was no clearing, all was a dense forest. Venison was plenty but
other provisions had to be obtained by paddling down the river in a boat to Two
Rivers or by following the trail with the bag on one's back. To prevent taking
the wrong trail, marks were chopped on trees along the way. Most of the time for
the first few years was spent in chopping down trees and clearing the farm.
Nearly all the logs were burned including the white oak which now brings $70 per
thousand feet. The road was laid out in 1855. Then it was chopped out beginning
in 1856, and from time to time improved. The first house which the Raatz's
occupied on the farm was a one room log house. To attend school or church, it
was necessary to go to Two Rivers. Mr. Raatz worked hard and lived economically
and his farm today comprises 200 acres of which 180 is under cultivation. He has
retired from active work. His wife died ten years ago. At the age of eight-two
he is in fairly good health. He smokes his pipe habitually and reads considerably.
He says he often looks backward over the time since he came to America and wonders
at the marvelous improvements and changes that have taken place since then and
transformed this vast wilderness into a beautiful garden in a time that seems so
short to him when he thinks of such a formidable wilderness it was a comparatively
few years ago.”
Two Rivers Reporter, Saturday, Aug. 2, 1913
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This is most likely the Frederick in the article. This one was b. in 1830 and his
wife b. in 1833. According to the article,
she d. around 1903 and he was still alive in 1913)
(1860 Mishicot census: Frederick Ratz age 30 farmer; Anna Ratz age 27; Amelia Ratz age 7;
Mary Ratz age 2)
(1880 Two Rivers township census:
Fred Raatz age 50; Johanna age 46; Amilia age 26; Mary age 20; Herman age 17;
William age 10; Fred age 6)
(1900 Two Rivers census: Chas. Raatz age 72 b. 1827; Hannah age 66 b. 1833/both
married 49 years despite the first name Chas. on the census, this appears to be Fred
and Johanna)
(1910 Two Rivers census: He is listed as father age 80 in Herman's household)
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(From the Manitowoc County Civil War Roundtable, Frederick died November 5, 1919.)
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[Frederick/bur. 11-09-1919]
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