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Joseph Seiler

b. December 10, 1827 (per headstone in Mound Cemetery)
?? Arrived in US if in fact he was born in Hanover Germany.
m. Anna E Bretz abt. January 1848
d. December 6, 1917 Racine Wisconsin
Buried: Mound cemetery, Racine Wisconsin.
Grave 6,Lot 94,Block 20.

Name appears as Seiler, Sailor, Sailer, and Siler in different censuses.

Information furnished from Thomas Shallenberger notes that his cousin (my aunt) Ruth (Seiler) stated that Joseph was over 90 years old when he died.
On John Seilers Death Certificate and the 1850 and 1880 census state that Joseph was born in New York. There is some reason to believe that he was born in Hanover Germany Bohemia (1860, 1900, and 1910 Census) and immigrated to the United States in 1827 (1900 census). Perhaps he was born on the boat trip here to the US. The 1910 census says he immigrated in 1830. According to family knowledge, it is more likely that Joseph and Anna immigrated to America around 1848 because of religious reasons. Joseph married Anna contrary to his parents faith (Jewdism) and was disowned from his family. They became Episcopalian. Joseph and Ann Seiler moved to Chicago Illinois some time between October 21, 1848 (birth of Mary), and February 1850 (birth of Jane) a time span of about 15 months. He was about 21 or 22 when he moved himself and his family to Chicago Illinois. The family of three traveled to Chicago one of two ways.

A. From New York City to Buffalo New York via the Erie Canal or
B. By train. Train service just started in 1848 from New York City to Buffalo New York.
From Buffalo the only methods of transportation to Chicago were by schooner, steam boat, or possibly Stage Coach.
Stage coach would have been far to expensive and would have had to travel through all of the wilderness West of the Allegheny mountains. Plus the road system, if you want to call it that, was a series of mud holes, was very dusty in summer, and in winter was not travelable because of mud and snow.
Steamboats were just starting on the Great Lakes and were expensive.... $10.00 per person.
The schooner would have taken 3 to 4 days to arrive in Chicago from Buffalo New York but was the most reasonable in regard to rates. In fact, there was a price competition between competing lines. This is probably how they arrived.

Note that Barbara Braun (b. 1840 - 10 years old) and Elizabeth Braun (b. 1836 - 14 years old) are also living with Joseph, Ann, Mary, and Jane in 1850. They were both born in Illinois. Are they related?

According to Aunt Ruth, Joseph was a very large man - 300 pound plus! A rare photocopy was obtained from Thomas Shalenberger. A second photo was obtained through Keller descendents.

Information in censuses state that Joseph was a Chandler, Laborer, Painter, and an Engineer. An article written about Walter J Seiler in 1951 states that Joseph Seiler "started working there (Peoples Gas and Coke)" in 1850. According to Chicago history, Peoples Gas and Coke company started doing business in 1850. Joseph Seiler had begun working there the first year of "Peoples gas", in fact, he would have not only witnessed the first gas lights being lit up in Chicago, but had worked for Peoples Gas and Coke as a lamplighter.

The population of Chicago in
1850 was 29,963,
1860 was 109,263,
1870 was 298,977,
1880 was 503,185.*

On January 15th, 1849, "the first message by electric telegraph was received over the line then completed from Milwaukee to Chicago".*

Cholera made its first appearance in Chicago. The scourge was so general that daily reports of death were published in the papers. The highest number occurring in a single day was August 1, 1849 when thirty deaths were reported.*

This family may have also witnessed the Flood of 1849 in Chicago along the South Branch.*

Chicago Fire October 8 and 9, 1871.
We can now honestly say that the Joseph Seiler family lived through the greatest fire in the history of Chicago. The area that was affected probably would have fallen within the area they were living in the 17th Ward. The probability of their house being burned down was very great. You can see by looking at the black and white map the area and streets that were affected. The boundaries of the 17th Ward are lined.

The Great Chicago Fire killed 250 persons, burned 17,450 structures; and caused $196 million in property loss, destroying much of the central business district.

Aftere the Great Fire, "Joseph Seiler sailed a three mast Schooner "The Taylor" from Chicago Harbor to Cadillac Michigan where he purchased wood from Heinz Lumber Co, to help rebuild Chicago. The Schooner Taylor was docked in Racine, WI and demolished by 1928". **

According to verbal family information when Joseph moved to Chicago he became a lamplighter. He spoke of it often with his family. There were conversations of his religion that were passed along to us about him being Jewish. Also, after he moved to Racine, Magnus Hanson, Joseph, and Anna would drive to Chemung Illinois to visit cousins. Joseph or Magnus Hanson owned a hardware store in Chemung Illinois at some time, where Adam worked as a painter.

Places he lived;

He lived in New York (Mary born in New York), Chicago (Jane born in Chicago), Chemung Illinois, and Racine Wisconsin with his 1st daughter Mary SEILER Keller where eventually he died.

Known Children in order of birth
Mary, Jane, JOHN, Stephen, Anna, Joseph, Benjamin, Adam, William, Lizzie, and Bertha

* Information obtained from History of Cook County Illinois, A. T. Andreas, 1884.

** Taken from notes of Jerome Keller