This two volume set was found in the home of Fred Gretsch Jr. in Manhasset, New York. It was given to his niece Katherine (Katie) Gretsch Cuddeback when the house was divided after his death around 1980. My sister Katie gave me the books after I moved to Ann Arbor , Michigan.
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The first volume of this two volume set of
Schlegel's German-American Families in the United States was published
in New York in 1916 by the American Historical Society. An elegant black and
white portrait of Carl W. Schlegel follows the frontispiece of Volume I.
A long Forward describes the purpose of the publication and
gives an overview of the history of German immigration. It is signed "The
Editor". However, no full mention of just who the editor is, is
mentioned. The final essay in this first volume records the history of the
Schlegel family. It begins," The family of Schlegel, from which Carl Wilhelm
Schlegel, the editor of German -American Families in the United States is
decended...." No author is given for any of the essays in either of the volumes. The frontispiece to the left introduces the second volume in the set. In this volume can be found an essay on the "Gretsch" family. It was published in 1917 |
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This picture of three woman, Historia who stands on an orb higher than the other women, Columbia representing America and Germania representing Germany, is found opposite the frontispiece of Volume II. Its hand drawn lines and flowing robes and flags than the black and white portrait of Carl W. Schlegel at the beginning of Volume I.
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Following is a copy of the essay on the Gretsch family.
Please click on each image to see an enlargement.
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The facts which
Emily decided to includes and to leave out of her story are curious.
One important fact that Emily left out of the family
history is the story of the very successful liquor business that William
Gretsch operated in New York and Brooklyn. William was the oldest son of
William Gretsch and his first wife, Katherina Fick. He was a first cousin to
Emily. Perhaps, emily choose to leave him out of the story becaues he ran a
liquor business. the business did not survive as long as the music business
that Fred Gretsch began in 1883. Fred choose not to go into the business of
his older half brother. He opted to start another business entirely. Louis
Gretsch however, followed his older half brother into the liquor business. |
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Another example of the facts that Emily left out of the family history is the story of Auguste Katherine Gretsch the third daughter and 4th child of William and Anna Maria von Gerichten . " Katie"Gretsch came to America in the early 1880's. Her daughter Helma von Hellerman was born in San Diego on March 24, 1884. However, since Emily is not telling the story of the Gretsch girls in America, the adventures of Auguste Katherine Gretsch are left out. Most likely Katherine lived with her mother's brother Peter Karl von Gerichten in San Diego. Since Auguste Katherine decided to live with her mother's side of the family and not with the Gretsch side, Emily probably considered her not important enough to record. |
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In this third page of the essay, a clue to
the writer of the essay is given. "She (Anna Maria Artz) came to the United States in 1854 and for a number of years resided with her sister (Rosina Artz) until her death and upon her union with her brother in law (Jacob Gretsch) she faithfully filled a mother's place and bestowed a parental affection on her sister's child ( Emilie Gretsch). This child now places this tribute in this work to the memorny of a kind and loving mother, Anna Maria (Artz) Gretsch died in 1872." This long complicated sentence makes it quite clear that Emilie Gretsch, daughter of Rosina Artz and Jacob Gretsch is the writer of this article.
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