Adam Kleinschmidt

Adam Kleinsmith, b. circa 1824, d. 30 January 1889

    Adam Kleinsmith was born circa 1824 at Prussia. He married Catherine Dera on 3 March 1851 at Stezyca, Kartuzy, Gdansk, West Prussia. Adam and Catherine emigrated in 1858 aboard the S.S. Atlantic having departed from Bremen, Germany. They came from the village of Msciszewice in the "powiat" (county) of Kartuski in what was then called West Prussia. Also listed on the passenger list was, Eva and Martin. The ship arrived at the Port of New York on 9 Aug 1858.2 Adam, along with Joseph Platta and John Zynda, were among the earliest Polish settlers in Portage County arriving in 1858.

On 2 Apr 1860 Adam appeared before the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Portage County to declare his intention of becoming a citizen, commonly known as filing "first papers".

The Homestead Act of 1862 was enacted to distribute public lands to those who were without and enabled a citizen, or intended citizen to become patented land holders. Up to 160 acres could be allotted to heads of households, widows, single persons over the age of twenty-one, and anyone "who has never borne arms against the United States government or given aid and comfort to its enemies." The only compensation required were filing fees and the law required that homesteaded property be consistently resided upon, built upon, and cultivated over a five-year period.

On 23 Nov 1868, Adam filed Homestead Entry #683 and paid filing fees of $6.85 for 73 60/100 acres in the township of Sharon (N1/2 of NW1/4 of Section 5 in Township 24 N, Range 9E). Since homestead entries had to be made by a citizen or an immigrant who had filed a declaration to become a citizen, Adam also signed an affidavit that day again declaring his intention to become a citizen and that "said application No. 683 is made for the purpose of actual settlement and cultivation and is for my own exclusive use and benefit and is not directly nor indirectly for the use or benefit of any other person or persons whomsoever." Adam Kleinsmith appeared on the 1870 Federal Census of Town of Sharon, Portage Co, WI, enumerated 22 June 1870. His children Eva, Frances and Joseph were listed as living with him.

The final application for the certificate of patent had to be made within two years after the completion of the residency requirements, or the claim was no longer valid. For Adam that would have been by November 1875. However, for some reason he missed this deadline. So on 23 Feb 1876 Adam had to go to the Land Office at Wausau, along with two witnesses, John Merunk and Andreas Yack, to straighten this out. He made the following sworn statement, "Adam Kleinsmith being duly sworn, deposes and says, that he is the identical person who made Homestead Entry No. 683 embracing the N2 NW4 sec 5, T24N, R9E, that he has resided upon and cultivated said land as a homestead ever since he entered it, that he intends still to make it his permanent home and that the reason why he did not make proof within the time prescribed by law is that he is ignorant, unable to read, and did not know that such proof was necessary." His witnesses, John and Andreas, made the following statement "We, John Merunk and Andreas Yach do solemnly swear that we have known Adam Kleinsmith for 8 years last past; that he is the head of a family consisting of 6 members; that he is an inhabitant of the N2 NW4 of section 5 in Township No. 24 of Range No. 9 and that no other person resided upon the said land entitled to the right of Homestead or Pre-emption. That the said Adam Kleinsmith entered upon and made settlement on said land on the 23 day of Nov 1868, and has built a house thereon of logs 16 x 26 shingled roof, board floor, 2 doors, 3 windows, (had built a house 12 x 18 feet when he first went on the land and in which he lived until he built the new house above described) and has lived in the said house and made it his exclusive home from the 1st day of Nov 1872, to the present time, and that he has, since said settlement, plowed, fenced, and cultivated about 25 acres of said land, and has made the following improvements thereon, to wit: built a log shed 16 x 24 slab roof, grain barn 20 x 24 of logs, board roof, dug a well 64 feet deep, set out 6 apple trees, 16 plum trees."

On 26 Apr 1876 Adam went before the Circuit Court of Portage County and was granted his citizenship.

Finally, on 16 Dec 1876, after the payment of $1.85 for the second half of the filing fees, Adam's application was complete and his patent was secured. Adam Kleinsmith appeared on the 1880 Federal Census of Town of Sharon, Portage Co, WI, enumerated 7 June 1880. Son Martin and daughter-in-law Rosa were living with him.

Adam Kleinsmith died on 30 January 1889 at Polonia, Portage Co, WI.8 He was buried on 1 February 1889 at Sacred Heart Cemetery, Polonia, Portage Co, WI.

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~wispags/families/p65.htm

Her and his wife and two children left Poland and came to America in 1858. He emigrated in 1858 aboard the S.S. Atlantic from the port of Bremen, Germany. The ship arrived at the Port of New York on 9 Aug 1858.They settled in Polonia, Portage County, Wisconsin. They were the first Polish settlers in that region.

Age: 37

Birth Year: abt 1821

Arrival year: 1858

Arrival Place: New York, New York

Primary Immigrant: Klesmit, Eva

Family Members: Child Eva 6;Wife Marianna Dera 33;Child Martin 7 months

Source Publication Code: 8865.9.90

Annotation: Date and port of arrival. Name of ship, date and place of embarkation, place of origin, family members, and ages are also provided.

Source Bibliography: SOPA, ADELINE M. The Kaszuby Region Home of the Polish Pioneers of Portage County, Wisconsin. In Rodziny (Polish Genealogical Society of America), May 1996, pp. 3-7.