In 1867, Paul and Walburga Kraemer bought a farm that had been homesteaded in 1855 by Michael Weishan and his wife Katherine. What did a homestead look like after being lived on for ten years?
What a homestead farm might have looked like
Source: Hildegard Thering, History of Plain, 1984. The photo shows the old Lena Reaser farm, which was located at the end of Dead End Road east of Plain.
We are fortunate to have a very good picture of such a homestead from the probate record of Michael Weishan whose estate was sold to pay debts after he died in the Civil War (see the earlier story “Was Paul Kraemer a homesteader?”). Below is an inventory and appraisal of the Weishan estate dated September 1865. The inventory includes two parts:
- The real estate and farm property – or as put by the Court: “all real estate and all the goods, chattels, rights, credits and estate of said deceased.”
- The household and personal property.
The inventory and appraisal was prepared because the property was ordered to be sold at auction by the Sauk County Court.
- The real estate and farm property
The original homestead was 40 acres on which the Weishans had built a log cabin and log barn and cleared and fenced 15 acres of cultivated land. All the other land, and probably this land originally, were described as wild lands, which meant that they were heavily forested and untouched since the ice age except for a few Native Americans and animals passing through the area. Michael had to cut down the forest, clear the brush and grub the stumps to create the 15 acres of cultivated and fenced land – grueling work that he could do only gradually over the ten years he lived there. Perhaps he could prepare 3-5 acres over each 3 year period.
The real estate and farm inventory (List 1 below) also shows that he had two horses, two oxen, two heifers and seven head of sheep. He also had a wide variety of farm equipment and farm hand tools. It is worth perusing the inventory below to get a personal sense of what it took to run a farm as a Wisconsin pioneer. One had to be self-sufficient as the farm was located three miles from Plain and there were few services available there other than a blacksmith. The pioneer had to be part farmer, part carpenter, part mason, part shoemaker and part weaver.
It was surprising that the farm animals were valued so high and that the bid prices were even higher, whereas the implements and tools generally were sold for less than appraised.
- The household and personal property
In these distress sales, the widow was permitted to reserve certain things from the sale. Of course, the more she excluded, the less money that could be raised to settle the debts. Katharine Weishan was a practical woman and took only what she needed as the list below shows. The total value of $52.52 – not much of a reward for ten years of grueling work. Probably equally distressing for her was the fact that very little of the personal property was sold at the auction as illustrated in List 2 below.
The Widow’s Reserve
| Quantity | Description | Appraised value | |
| Dollars | Cents | ||
| No. 1 | Bed and bedding | 5 | |
| No. 2 | Bed and bedding | 6 | |
| 1 | Clock | 5 | |
| 6 | Chairs | 1 | 50 |
| 1 | Stove and pipe and ware | 10 | |
| 1 | Table | 1 | |
| 1 | Spinning wheel | 1 | 50 |
| 1 | Flat iron | 25 | |
| 1 | Set candle xxxx [Could not decipher the writing] | 10 | |
| 1 | Fluid lamp | 50 | |
| 6 | Milk cans | 30 | |
| 1 | Wash tub and board | 50 | |
| 2 | Buckets | 40 | |
| 1 | Lot crockery and a dozen knives and forks | 2 | |
| 1 | Looking glass | 50 | |
| 1 | Lot of small articles too tedious to name | 2 | |
| 1 | Set of books | 5 | |
| Wearing apparel of deceased | 12 | ||
| Total amount of household furniture and other personal property selected by widow | 52 | 55 | |
The rest of the personal property included the mundane tools of farming and living, but it is unclear why the following were considered personal property. Very few of these were sold.
| 1 ½ | Acres of corn standing | 15 | |
| 1 | Lot of hay and xxxx [Could not decipher] | 9 | |
| 1 | Lot of potatoes in the ground | 2 | |
| 1 | Lot of buckwheat standing on the ground` | 3 | |
| 1 | Stack wheat | 36 | |
| 2 | Hogs | 12 | |
| 1 | Red cow 6 years old | 15 | |
| 1 | White and red cow 6 years old | 15 |
The buyers at the auction
The last thing to observe about these documents is the buyers. There were only 32 families living in the Franklin Township at the time and about 50% of those names show up as buyers on the inventory (See below for who lived in Franklinship township in 1875). The reader from Plain will recognize names such as Bindl, Nachriner, Hutter [Hooter], Schoenman, Volkel, Pronold [Burnhold], Luther, Alt, Frank, Cramer and Rieck.
Honor them by remembering them
The Weishans life was tragic. If Michael Weishan had survived, there probably would be Weishans living at S10595 Butternut Road today instead of descendants of Paul and Walburga Kraemer. Fortunately, most pioneers did not suffer such tragedy and neither did the Paul Kraemers. They flourished in America. Although their lives were hard, they were able to give their children a better education than they had, to accumulate land, to pass on modest inheritances, and provide a better life for their children than they had. These gifts equipped subsequent generations to take advantage of opportunities that have come with the economic and social development of Wisconsin and the broader United States. One can honor them by remembering them and sharing their story with your children.
1875 Census of Franklin Township
1. The real estate and farm property
In probate Sauk County Court
In the matter of
The estate of Michael Weishan deceased
A true and perfect inventory of all the real estate and of all the goods chattles, rights, credits and estate of said deceased; except such articles as elected by widow and included in the annexed special inventory which have come to the possession or knowledge of the undersigned administrator or to the possession of any other person for him up to and including this 8th day of September AD 1865:
| Quantity | Description | Appraised value | Buyer | Sale price | |
| dollars | cents | ||||
| 40 | Forty acres of land known as the homestead farm and being the NW ¼ of NE ¼ of Section 15, town no. 9 North of Range 4 East fifteen acres fenced and under cultivation appraised at | 150
|
|||
| 40 | Forty acres of land known as wild land being the E ¼ of NE ¼ Section No. 15 town 9 North of Range 4 East uncultivated and appraised at | 10 | |||
| 40 | Forty acres of land known as wild land and being the NW ¼ of NE ¼ Section 15 Town 9 North of Range 4 East appraised at | 60 | |||
| 20 | Twenty acres of land known as marsh and timber lot being the E ½ of SW ¼ of the NE ¼ of Section No. 10 Town 9 North of Range 4 East appraised at | 40 | |||
| 1 | Sorrel mare supposed to be 7 years old | 75 | Theo. Claridge, Jr. | 78.00 | |
| 1 | Spring colt Sorrell | 20 | Jost Volkel | 44.50 | |
| 1 | Pair work cattle (oxen) | 75 | Fred Rosen | 122.50 | |
| 1 | Stag four years old Red | 20 | F. Gass | 30.50 | |
| 1 | Red heifer 2 years old | 8 | John Cramer | 18.10 | |
| 1 | White and red heifer one year old | 5 | John B. Hooter, Jr. | 10.25 | |
| 7 | Head of sheep | 28 | Ulrich Schoenman | 30.25 | |
| 1 | Two horse wagon | 50 | Ignatz Bindle | 97.00 | |
| 1 | Stiring plow | 4 | |||
| 1 | Shovel plow | 2 | J. Reick | 3.10 | |
| 1 | Two horse cultivator | 4 | Fred Rosen | 4.55 | |
| 1 | Horse brush and comb [added] | Fred Schoenman | .80 | ||
| 1 | Horse collar [added] | W.J. Hawes | .60 | ||
| 1 | Horse collar [added] | Urlich Schoenman | .60 | ||
| 1 | Pair of bob sleds | 15 | F. Cellar | 21.00 | |
| 1 | Hay rack | 1 | Fred Schoenman | 2.00 | |
| 133 | Feet of pine lumber | 2 | F. Cellar | 5.80 | |
| 40 | Feet of oak and elm plank | 50 | |||
| 1 | Old chopping axe | 25 | |||
| 2 | Old axes | 25 | W. G. Alt | .55 | |
| 1 | Old sleigh tung | 25 | |||
| 1 | Old wagon tung | 25 | |||
| 1 | Grain cradle | 2 | |||
| 1 | Mowing scythe and snath | 1 | 25 | Geo. Burnhard | .35 |
| 1 | Cant hook | 1 | F. Cellar | 1.50 | |
| 1 | Sod knife (sod ax and xx shovel) | 25 | J.B. Hooter | .36 | |
| 1 | Pair maul singes | 25 | |||
| 1 | Plow and extra shear | 2 | 50 | Widow | 5.00 |
| 1 | Round pointed shovel (long handled shovel) | 25 | Ignatz Bindle | .80 | |
| 1 | Well shovel | 10 | |||
| 2 | Iron wood dogs | John B. Hooter | .65 | ||
| 1 | Large iron wedge | 50 | John Cramer | .95 | |
| 1 | Small iron wedge | 40 | W. G. Alt | .75 | |
| 1 | Stone pick | 75 | Ignatz Bindle | 1.85 | |
| 1 | Mason (stone) hammer | 25 | Ignatz Bindle | 1.25 | |
| 1 | Grain rake | 13 | |||
| 2 | Bee boxes | 75 | John Burnhold | .40 | |
| 2 | Clivices and whippletrees and irons | 50 | |||
| 19 | Drag teeth | 4 | |||
| 1 | Sash saw | 1 | 25 | John Genuini | .50 |
| 1 | Shot gun pouch and flask | 5 | George Gass | 6.75 | |
| 1 | Pair steel yards | 75 | Abigail Bear | 2.00 | |
| 1 | Pair wood xxxx [Could not decipher the writing] | 25 | |||
| 1 | Work bench | 1 | Ignatz Bindle | 2.15 | |
| 1 | Staple and bing | 1 | 50 | ||
| 1 | Brick trowel | 10 | J.B. Hooter, Jr. | .45 | |
| 1 | Broad axe | 2 | 50 | Michael Hooter | 3.90 |
| 3 | Iron rods
and one drill |
50 | John Cramer
Ignatz Bindle |
.35
.60 |
|
| 1 | One old scythe and 5 horse shoes | 50 | Ignatz Bindle | 1.01 | |
| 12 | Bolts and lot of buckles | 40 | Michael Bindle | 1.10 | |
| 1 | Well hook and wheel | 25 | Andrew Hutter | .50 | |
| 1 | Pair ox chains | 50 | Ignatz Bindle | 1.50 | |
| 1 | Lot of old irons and chains | 20 | Michael Bindle | 1.05 | |
| No. 1 | Plow chain | 12 | Fr. Cellar | 2.05 | |
| No. 2 | Plow chain | 1 | W. G. Alt | 4.05 | |
| 1 | Large rope | 25 | Jost Volker | 1.05 | |
| 1 | Box and lot of old iron | 10 | John Weishan | .50 | |
| 1 | Small bench vise | 1 | Ignatz Bindl | 2.50 | |
| 1 | Gun rench | 10 | John Weishan | .30 | |
| 1 | Whippletree clevice [and old horse shoes] | 15 | Joseph Reuschlein | .40 | |
| 1 | Lot shoemakers tools box and old iron | 50 | Fred Schoenman | 2.05 | |
| 1 | Carpenter square | 75 | F. Cellar | 1,85 | |
| 1 | New hand saw [rip saw] | Frank Frank | 1.75 | ||
| 1 | Old hand saw [compass saw] | 50 | Ignatz Bindle | .75 | |
| 1 | Lock saw | 30 | Jas. Lomax | 1.80 | |
| 1 | Crosscut saw | 2 | 50 | George Hooter | 5.60 |
| 1 | Old rifle gun | 1 | 50 | Michael Nachriner | 6.50 |
| 1 | Pair sheep shears | 1 | Paul Luther | 1.50 | |
| 1 | Curry comb | 10 | |||
| 1 | Piece barred iron and wire | 10 | |||
| 1 | Set double harness, no lines | 5 | Henry Bear | 6.75 | |
| 1 | Set of check lines | 2 | John Cramer | 3.00 | |
| 1 | Riding bridle | 1 | Michael Nachriner | 1.25 | |
| 1 | Bridle [added] | Jost Volkel | .70 | ||
| 1 | Single line and halter | W. G. Alt | .65 | ||
| 1 | Inch auger | 25 | Fred Garber | .60 | |
| 1 | I½” auger | 40 | Ulrich Schoenman | 1.20 | |
| 1 | ¾” auger | 20 | Andrew Hooter | .70 | |
| 1 | 2” auger | 75 | J.B. Hooter, Jr. | 1.65 | |
| 1 | Auger handle | 25 | Andrew Hooter | .40 | |
| 1 | ½ “ [and 1 inch] auger | 5 | Andrew Hutter | 1.00 | |
| 1 | Brace and bits | 75 | John Cramer | 2.50 | |
| 1 | Carving knife | 50 | |||
| 1 | Brick trowel | 50 | Theo. Claridge | 1.50 | |
| 1 | Pocket rule | 5 | Michael Hooter | .40 | |
| No. 2 | Pocket rule [two foot) | 10 | Joseph Beck | .46 | |
| 1 | Bevel square [and saw set] | 10 | Ignatz Bindle | 1.00 | |
| 1 | Reamer and bevel square [added] | John Weishan | .15 | ||
| 1 | Try square | 20 | A.Rieck | .75 | |
| 1 | Saw set | 10 | |||
| 1 | Plumb bob | 5 | |||
| 1 | Chalk line | 15 | Ignatz Bindle | .20 | |
| 1 | Scratch awl and line | 5 | J.B. Hooter | .20 | |
| 1 | Small file and Awl [added] | Jos. Beck | .46 | ||
| 1 | Compass and cold chisel | 25 | F. Gass | .80 | |
| 1 | Pocket screwdriver and chalk line | 5 | |||
| 1 | Wrench and chalk line [added] | John Cramer | .35 | ||
| 1 | Wood compass and No. 1 gauge | 5 | John Cramer | .10 | |
| 1 | Set screws and nuts (butts) | 10 | John B. Hooter, Jr. | .25 | |
| 1 | Shoe punch | 50 | P. Schriner | .50 | |
| 1 | File and ¼ “ chisel | 10 | Frank Frank | .20 | |
| 1 | Door chisel | 10 | A.Beck | .40 | |
| 1 | 1 ½ “ chisel | 25 | A. Beck | .55 | |
| 1 | 1 ¼ “ chisel | 10 | Ignatz Bindle | .75 | |
| 1 | Jack plain | 30 | George Hooter | 1.60 | |
| 1 | Block plain | 25 | Ignatz Bindle | 1.40 | |
| 1 | Fore plain | 30 | Theo. Claridge | 1.50 | |
| 1 | Set match plains | 1 | George Hooter | 2.00 | |
| 2 | Cornice plains | 50 | Ignatz Bindle | .70 | |
| 3 | Old files [Large files and rasp] | 25 | Ignatz Bindle | .85 | |
| 1 | Lot old iron and nails in box | 25 | Theo. Claridge | 2.40 | |
| 2 | Stone chisels | 10 | W. G. Alt | .65 | |
| 1 | Heel bing punch and stapler | 5 | |||
| No. 1 | Dog hide | 25 | Theo. Claridge | .45 | |
| No. 2 | Dog hide | 10 | J.B. Hooter | .50 | |
| 1 | Cow hide | 10 | Theo. Claridge | .30 | |
| No. 1 | Sheep skin | 20 | Wm. Ecker | 30 | |
| No. 2 | Sheep skin | 5 | Wm. Ecker | 30 | |
| 1 | block | 25 | George Hooter | .25 | |
| 1 | Map of U.S. | 50 | Geo.Bronholt (Pronold) | .40 | |
| 1 | Clevice [added] | John B. Hooter | .60. | ||
| 1 | Hoop setter | Ignatz Bindle | .45 | ||
| 1 | Neck yoke | John Cramer | .25 | ||
| 1 | Old wagon tongue and sled tongue | J.B. Hooter, jr. | .65 | ||
| 1 | Woodwork cultivator [added] | Ignatz Bindle | .75 | ||
| 1 | Sleigh | Fred Schoenman | 4.00 | ||
| 1 | Drag | Geo. Gass | 5.10 | ||
| Total amount of appraisement | 628 | 33 | |||
We the undersigned appraisers do hereby certify that pursuant to the annexed warrant to us directed we have appraised all the property described and mentioned in the above inventory which has been to us exhibited or described setting down opposite to each item in said inventory in figures the value thereof in money as by us determined on the 8th xxxx witness our hands this 8th day of September AD 1865.
Signed: Eli Jones Administrator
Signed: John Young and Johan Biran, Appraisers
Source: Source: Sauk County Court, In probate In the matter of the estate of Michael Weishan deceased, 8 September, 1865. Baraboo: Sauk County Historical Society, Probate Box W, Michael Weishan.
2. The household and personal property
In probate Sauk County Court
In the matter of the estate
Of Michael Weishan deceased
A separate and distinct inventory and appraisement of all the household furniture and other personal property of said deceased selected by the widow of said deceased pursuant to the statute in such case made and provided household furniture:
| Quantity | Description | Appraised value | Buyer | Sale Price | |
| Dollars | Cents | ||||
| No. 1 | Bed and bedding | 5 | |||
| No. 2 | Bed and bedding | 6 | |||
| 1 | Clock | 5 | |||
| 6 | Chairs | 1 | 50 | ||
| 1 | Stove and pipe and ware | 10 | |||
| 1 | Table | 1 | |||
| 1 | Spinning wheel | 1 | 50 | ||
| 1 | Flat iron | 25 | |||
| 1 | Set candle xxxx [Could not decipher the writing] | 10 | |||
| 1 | Fluid lamp | 50 | |||
| 6 | Milk cans | 30 | |||
| 1 | Wash tub and board | 50 | |||
| 2 | Buckets | 40 | |||
| 1 | Lot crockery and a doz knives and forks | 2 | |||
| 1 | Looking glass | 50 | |||
| 1 | Lot of small articles to tedious to name | 2 | |||
| 1 | Set of books | 5 | |||
| Wearing apparel of deceased | 12 | ||||
| Total amount of household furniture and other personal property selected by widow | 52 | 55 | |||
| 1 ½ | Acres of corn standing | 15 | |||
| 1 | Lot of hay and xxxx | 9 | |||
| 1 | Lot of potatoes in the ground | 2 | |||
| 1 | Lot of buckwheat standing on the ground` | 3 | |||
| 1 | Stack wheat | 36 | |||
| 2 | Hogs | 12 | |||
| 1 | Red cow 6 years old | 15 | |||
| 1 | White and red cow 6 years old | 15 | |||
| 1 | Set farming mill irons | 12 | Michael Nachriner | .90 | |
| 1 | Wheel barrow | 1 | |||
| 1 | Grindstone and xxx | 2 | |||
| 1 | Stack of oats | 9 | |||
| 2 | Spring calves | 8 | |||
| 6 | Wheat sacks | 2 | 50 | ||
| No. 1 | Box | 10 | |||
| No. 2 | Box | 10 | |||
| 1 | Large chest | 1 | |||
| 6 | Barrels and 4 boxes | 2 | |||
| 1 | Large jug and meal sieve | 30 | |||
| 1 | Meal barrel | 20 | |||
| 1/3 | Barrel salt | 75 | |||
| 1 | New chopping axe | 1 | 25 | ||
| 1 | Corn hoe | 50 | |||
| 1 | White and red heifer 2 years old | 8 | |||
| 1 | Brush sythe and hanging | 50 | |||
| 1 | Potato hook | 50 | |||
| 1 | Spade | 25 | |||
| 2 | Old hay fork | 20 | |||
| 1 | Grain rake [cradle] | 13 | Michael Nachriner | 1.00 | |
| 1 | Grain rake [added] | George Burnhold (Pronold) | .18 | ||
| 1 | Large sash saw | 25 | |||
| 1 | Carving knife | 20 | |||
| 1 | Hand axe | 1 | |||
| 1 | Pair pinchers | 10 | |||
| 1 | Hand hammer | 25 | |||
| Total | 159 | 08 | |||
I certify that the above is a true inventory of the household furniture and other personal property selected by me this the 8th day of September AD 1865 [Signature: Catherine Weishan] widow of said deceased. I certify that the above is a true inventory of the household furniture and other personal property allowed to and selected by the widow of said deceased this 8th day of September AD 1865.
Signature: Eli Jones Administrator
I certify that the above is a true appraisal of the several items of household furniture and other personal property set forth in the above inventory made by me on the 8th day of September AD 1865 pursuant to the annexed warrant to me directed.
Witness our hands this the 8th day of September AD 1865.
Signatures: John Young
Source: Source: Sauk County Court, In probate In the matter of the estate of Michael Weishan deceased, 8 September, 1865. Baraboo: Sauk County Historical Society, Probate Box W, Michael Weishan.
Kraemer history 