In 1840, the Canadian government opened up the area of Perth for settlement after making treaties with the Chippewa Indians. The Canadian land company incorporated in 1824, surveyed a million acres and built the Huron road (now Highway 8). Between 1856 and 1858 railways were built through surrounding communities including Mitchell connecting them with the Great Trunk railway. By 1879, the population of Logan Township had reached 909. The Canada Land company carried out a campaign to attract immigrants from Germany, as well as Ireland and Scotland. As a result Perth County today has the second highest German population in Ontario (http://www.visitperth.ca/history.html).
[Friedrich Strickert home in Canada]
The actual land holdings by the Strickert family can be seen online through documents and a map preserved by McGill University from atlases created for various counties in Ontario between 1874 and 1881. According to the Perth County atlas of 1879, there were four Strickart plots, two in the name of Frederick Strickart (50 acres and 100 acres) and two in the name of Carl Strickart (50 acres and 75 acres) located in Logan Township (1). The atlas noted that the Strickarts had settled in 1856. It is quite understandable that Johann would put the land in the name of his sons. Carl, as the oldest, was 22 years old in the summer of 1856. Friedrich (Frederick), however, was only 17. It may have been that a portion of the land was originally in the name of 20-year-old Johann and then transferred to Frederick at Johann’s death in 1870.
See "Strickert Farms Bonholm" to see the map. The coordinates for plots under the name of Frederick Strickert were X, 20 and XI, 18, and for plots under the name of Carl Strickert were X, 23 and XI, 21. Logan Township was rectangular in shape (20 miles by 18 miles) bordered by highway 8 in the south west and by highway 55 in the northeast. Highway 23 connecting Mitchell and Monkton was located a little to the east of center. Sixteen northwest-southeast roads were positioned one and a quarter miles apart. These sixteen divisions were called concessions and were numbered from south to north with Roman numerals. Thus concession X was 12.5 miles north of the southern border and concession XI was 13.75 miles. Each concession was divided into about 20 lots ranging from 50 to 75 to 100 to 200 acres. The Strickert plots were thus located slightly north and west of Bornholm on the map. Several miles to the west of the Strickert plots was a 100-acre lot owned by William Hoppinrath (sic). This is significant because of the prevalence of Hoppenraths in the Warthe and Hardenbeck area near Weggun and because Johann and Christine Strickert’s daughter married Carl Hoppenrath. Today there are no less than 14 Hoppenrath graves in the cemetery of St. Peters Lutheran Church, Brodhagen, where Christine Strickert is buried.
The main town of Logan township was Mitchell, located 11.25 miles southwest of the Strickert plots. A post office was located at Bornholm, several miles south of one Strickert plot. Another post office was located at Brodhagen, several miles west of another Strickert plot. St. Peters Lutheran Church, where Christine Strickert is buried, has a Brodhagen address.
The Strickert family is documented in several census reports during this time period. In the index of 1861 census, only two families are included by name. However, an asterick indicates that other grown children are included in the household.:
• John Stricker, 55 Pru, UP, Mrs. 50, Pru.
• John Stricker, 25 Pru, LU *
In 1871, all the Strickert families occur except Frederick: (2)
• Johann and Christine Stricker with son Christian still unmarried and living at home. (3)
• Charles (Carl) Stricker, age 37, and wife Justine, age 31, with six children.
• Johann Stricker, jr.
• William Stricker.
By 1881, only three Strickert households appear in the census: (4)
• Johann Frederick and Christine Strickart.
• Charles (Carl) and Justine Strickart and four children.
• Christian and Pauline Strickart and five children.
Johann junior had already died and Wilhelm had moved away. It is puzzling that the name of son Frederick is omitted in both 1861 and 1871. It may be inadvertent since his name is listed in the 1879 atlas and several children were born in the area over the next decade.
For more detailed information concerning births and marriages see "Logan Township Records."
In 1858, an Evangelical Lutheran congregation was former. By 1867, a frame church was built called St. Peter's Lutheran Church at concession VIII: 23. Just one mile south of one of the Strickert farms.
[St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Brodhagen 1867-1921]
In 1870, tragedy struck. an epidemic of quinsy and nerve fever or diphtheria wiped out entire families. In Karl Strickert’s family, three children died, ages 5-7 and were buried Nov. 15, followed by two other children on Nov. 30.
On 9 August 1871, Johann the younger died at the age of 34 after suffering from the inflamation of the bowels for ten days.
It appears that Wilhelm moved to Chicago in 1872 along with his wife Pauline and two of his children. By the 1880 U.S. Census for Cook County, Illinois he is listed under the name Shuhert along with wife Pauline and six children.
By the 1880's Johann and Christina were becoming old and frail. Christiana likely suffered from dementia. The family of son Fredrich looked after them. In 1888, shortly after Scott City, Kansas had been opened to settlers, Karl moved there with his family. On 9 September, 1891, Christina died. Soon after that, Fredrich and family moved to Kansas taking along father Johann. Only the family of Christian was left in Canada.
Footnotes
1. Between 1874 and 1881, 32 atlases were published for counties in Ontario by H. Belden & Co.; H.R. Page & Co; Walker & Miles: J.H. Meachem & Co; and H. Parsell. McGill University has published these on line. The atlases included historical text. The names of residents were marked on the lots themselves.
2. This information was provided by Joe Gerralt of Perth County.
3. The ages given are obviously wrong: Johann as 96, Christine as 90, and Christian as 37.
4. The 1881 Canadian census document can be accessed online at www.familysearch.org
5. Perth County Marriages: 1872, page 66 in Jeff Stewart and Sherilyn Bell compilers, Perth County Marriages—1869-1872. Only in 1869, did the government begin comprehensive registration of births, marriages in deaths. See http://globalgenealogy.com/books/899108.htm
6. The Ontario Death Index, 1869-1916, mentions the death of Daniel Strickart and Mary Strickart in November 1870. In both cases Rev. C. R. Gerndt is listed as informant. |
