CLAES HENRICK HERRMAN

This history was taken from "Kansas history for Kansans", written and compiled by William E. Connelly, Secretary of Kansas State Historical Society, Topeka, Kansas, Vol. III, 1918; and from accounts given by Mr. Herrman's family in 1961.

Claes (Charles) was born in Sweden, October 19, 1841.  He came to the United States in 1867 when he was twenty-six years old.  In Sweden he had acquired a public school education and had been thoroughly trained as a blacksmith.  He had decided that his opportunities were few and that in America his chances for success and a home and fortune were good.

Soon after he arrived in Chicago, Mr. Herrman became a member of the Scandinavian Agricultural Society of fifty members who were all mechanics.  They left Chicago in 1868 to settle on the Kansas Prairies.

He came to Kansas a poor young man without means or influential friends, and the only prospect before him, a great new country, undeveloped and almost unexplored.  The colony covered several thousand acres.  He was a skilled blacksmith and other members followed various trades.

They were compelled to stay close together because of the Indians.

In November of the year they arrived, some Indians were killed.  A white boy was scalped and two oxen shot in an encounter between the whites and Indians.  Mr. Herrman's brother-in-law was killed trying to keep the Indians from taking their horses.

Soon afterward, the government armed the pioneers with guns and sent regular troops for their protection.

During the earliest days, the colonists' meat was buffalo and other wild game.  Only a few of these earliest settlers made good on their claims.  Lack of funds and Indians were the main reasons for leaving.

Claes Herrman went through the greatest of hardships and dangers and worked at anything and everything to make a living.  Life in those days was a real struggle.  He carried a mail route on foot from Scandia into Nebraska and drove provision wagons for the government into Colorado, hauling food for the soldiers.  He drove an ox team over the Santa Fe Trail down into New Mexico and had many narrow escapes when the caravan was attacked by Indians.

Claes Herrman and Miss Hilda Amelia Grahnstedt were married in 1873 by George Johnson, Justice of the Peace at White Rock.  They walked over to his home and had to ford the river.  She lived five miles from Justice Johnson's home.

Hilda Amelia was the daughter of Christine and Franz Grahnstedt and the granddaughter of Adolph and Amalia C. Leander Grahnstedt.  Franz Grahnstedt brought a signed statement with him from Sweden, dated 1851, that he was an expert carpenter, and recommending him.

Hilda Amelia Herrman had come to Scandia from Tranas, Saby, Forsamling, Smoland, Sweden where she received her education in a private school from Miss Christina Hahn.  She taught in this school later.  She was confirmed in 1870 and came to America in 1872.  Her parents came in 1857.

Mr. and Mrs Claes Herrman lived for two years north of Scandia.  In 1878, they moved to the farm home of Michael Thompson in Norway Township and lived there until their own home was completed on an adjoining farm where Mrs. Herrman lived continuously for fifty-nine years.  Mr. Herrman died in 1928 aged fifty-nine years and his wife in 1937 aged eighty-two years.  He had one brother Eric P. Herrman in American who was a miner in Colorado.  Eric was born in 1847 in Sweden and died in 1911 in Colorado.  The Herrmans prospered and were the owners of one thousand acres of good land.  They produced fine corn, wheat, and alfalfa, and had a herd of superior grade cattle.  Mr. Herrman built a fourteen room home of native dressed stone, with full basement.  It was one of the finest homes at that time, finished in 1900.

Mr. Herrman threshed the first wheat to be threshed in his community and with his own equipment.  He approved of raising the standards of the community, especially schools and roads.

"By Gone Days" -- This paper was written in Swedish by Claes Henrick Herrman in 1908.  The family had it translated into English to be used in this history of Norway Township.

"I am not a writer but when I see how Olavis puts forth his efforts, I will do my best.  After more than forty years of friendship with Swedish Americans and other people, I am wondering if one of the Swedes should read this, that was with the sixteen prairie schooners that left Fort Harker October 1, 1868 and were overwhelmed by a big band of Indians on November 11.  It was a wonder that any of us could come out with our lives.

A young man from Boston was killed by two bullets and an arrow.  Two oxen of ours were killed.  One Indian fell so near he was scalped when he fill.  Others fell like frozen potato plants and hung over their horses, and we had two miles yet to travel.

After the burial, we went back one mile for provisions which took two days.  When we came back, the graves were empty.  The dead lay beside the graves with scalped heads.  This was sixty miles from Fort Lyon, Colorado.

When I came to Scandia in the year 1869, my brother-in-law was shot along with several others, and the women were taken prisoners.  The colonists' horses were stolen and the colony pilfered, but not the Swedes.

The present Scandia

I am from Boxholm's Ironworks (In Sweden)
              Claes Henrik Herrman"

Claes H. and Hilda Amelia Herrman reared five daughters and two sons, one son dying in infancy.  Their daughters attended Nazareth Academy in Concordia, Kansas. Hilda (deceased 1938) married Emil Erickson, Amelia (deceased 1945) did china painting, Ellen (deceased 1954) painted pictures, Hilma was a musician, Alice who married Chas. W. Marshall lives in Racine, Wisconsin, Carl Frederick died in 1893, Victor died in 1960, Alicia Marshall has two sons - Robert who lives in Racine, Wisconsin and Charles who is married and lives in St. Louis, Missouri and has two sons.

In 1908, Mr. and Mrs. Herrman and their daughter Amelia went to visit their old homes in Sweden.  They took passage on the Cunard Line, returning on the British Steamship Lusitania with Captain J. B. Watts.  This was one of the fastest and finest of British Steamers afloat at that time.

Olena Ingebretson was born in Osterdalen, Norway, Europe, and came to America in 1904.  She went back to Norway in 1912 and returned to make her home here with her Uncle John Ingebretson in 1913.  She had done domestic work in several large cities in America.

Victor Herrman and Olena Ingebretson were married in Atchison, Kansas, November 21, 1917.

They reared two sons, Clarence and Eugene.  Clarence was inducted into the Army in 1942 and was released in 1945.  He served nineteen months in the infantry in the European Theater entering Normandy on D-Day.  Clarence was discharged with Staff Sgt. rating.

Clarence Herrman married Virginia Persinger July 10, 1953.  Mrs. Herrman was a successful teacher before her marriage.  They are farmers and have two sons, Leroy C. and Marvin D.

Eugene Herrman graduated from Norway High School in 1942.  He and Miss Patricia Ball were married in February 1947.  They have three daughters: Doris B., Vickie J., and Carol L.; and five sons: Harold E., Howard L., Eric E., Victor E., and Olaf C.  They are also farmers.