On July 14, 1853 – 163 years ago today – my great-great-great grandfather Moritz Strauss immigrated to the U.S.A. along with almost six million other Germans in the largest flow of German immigration to America between 1820 and WWI.
In 2011, The Strauss, Herzog, Wedepohl, and Radloff families came together to form Majestic Crossing Dairy, but the farm has a rich history in Sheboygan County. Last week, I shared the farm history beginning in the 90’s. Today, I thought we’d take it back a few more decades.
When my three times great grandfather Moritz originally purchased land in the Town of Herman, just outside of Howards Grove, he paid only $600 for 40 acres of land, which comes out to just $15 an acre. To give you something to compare it to, in 2015 the weighted average price of farmland sold in Sheboygan County was $5,624 per acre.
Moritz went on to marry Mary Christina Garize and they had a daughter, Julius, and a son, William (my great-great grandfather), born in 1860. On February 6, 1885, William Strauss purchased another 60 acres of land in the Town of Mosel for $5,960, so just shy of $95 per acre. This land is east of the original family land purchased in 1853.
In the “History of Sheboygan County,” written in 1912, it says, “William Strauss was educated in the district schools and after putting aside his text-books worked at farm labor. In 1886, when twenty-six years of age, he began his independent career as an agriculturist… Under his careful management and supervision, the land has been brought to a high state of cultivation…”
William went on to marry Mary Schreiber, a daughter of Gottlieb and Sophia (Voight) Schreiber. In the photo below, you can notice the Schreiber who is a neighbor on the map. When William inherited his father-in-law’s land next door, he owned a total of 200 acres.
The original plot of land that Moritz Strauss purchased in 1853.
William and Mary had four children, one of whom was Herbert (my great grandfather), who farmed at home, and eventually moved to a farm near the site where Majestic Crossing Dairy is today. Herbert’s son was Elton (my grandfather), and Elton’s son was Ed (my dad).
That brings us to me and my brother Darin, the 6th generation of Strauss farmers and co-owners of Majestic Crossing Dairy.
In the “History of Sheboygan County,” it says that William “had lived in this county from his birth to the present time and there is no better evidence of the sterling worth of his character than the fact that many of his staunchest friends are those who have known him from youth, having found him true to high principles in every relation of life.”
He is recognized “among the prosperous and leading agriculturists of his community.” Darin and I work hard every day to live up to the legacy of our great-great grandfather. We are really proud of the history our family has in this county.
Darin and Dean, 6th generation farmers, with their dad, Ed, a 5th generation farmer.