Newaygo County MI Archives Biographies.....Gauweiler, John F. December 2, 1824 - 
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Jan Cortez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00020.html#0004939 March 23, 2009, 6:24 pm

Author: Chapman Brothers

JOHN F. GAUWEILER, retired farmer, assistant at Croton village, was born Dec. 
2, 1824, in Bavaria, 

Germany, of which province his parents were both natives.  His father, George 
Gauweiler, was a farmer, and 

was born in 1799, died in Croton in 1850.  His mother, Catheine (Bopp) 
Gauweiler, was born in 1798 and is 

living in Ohio.  In 1842 the family came to the United States, and the son 
remained under the control of 

his father until the end of the period prescribed by law.

Mr. Gauweiler received a good education under the judicious school system of 
his native country, which 

compels the attendance of children at school until they are 14 years old.  He 
worked in a brick yard 

summers after he reached the age of eleven years, and fulfilled the time 
required by law at school in 

winter.  At 15 he was apprenticed to learn the business of cabinet-making, at 
which he worked until 18 

years old.  On coming to America his parents located in Warren Co., Ohio, and, 
on the arrival of the 

period of his legal freedom, he went to New Orleans and there found employ at 
his trade six months.  He 

came to Chicago, spent a month there, and, June 24, 1846, came to Croton, 
where he engaged as a mill-hand 

with George W. Walton, making lath.  An associate, Christopher Kaufman, and 
himself labored one year and 

received $20 each, as remuneration.  At the end of that time they both took 
the mill for payment.  An 

individual of unsavory memory, named Daniel Hammond, arranged to purchase the 
half interest of Kaufman, 

representing he had money in Chicago, whither he proposed going to procure 
both that and needed 

provisions.  The honest Geman acceded to the proposition, and, moreover, 
confided to him their aggregated 

$40, to make some purchases of clothing for them.  This probably proved a 
fortunate investment, for he was 

never heard of; and it is hoped, if this record ever comes to his knowledge, 
that he will extract the 

proper degree of comfort from this permanent recognition of his merits.  The 
young men thus defrauded of 

their hard-earned savings found a friend in John F. Stearns and managed to 
pass the winter in comfort.

Mr. Gauweiler has operated extensively as a lumberman and farmer.  when he 
first came to Newaygo County it 

was in the most primitive state of nature.  The roads were all Indian trails, 
provisions were brought from 

Muskegon on the backs of men or in canoes or flat-boats, of which latter there 
were two on the Muskegon 

River.  Mr. Gauweiler frequently performed this service, which required three 
days for a trip.  The 

landing point was Indian Village, and transportation thence to Croton was made 
by ox teams.  His mail was 

directed to Chicago, and was brought thence by the captains of sail-boats in 
the lake service to Muskegon 

and from there by raftmen.

An incident related by Mr. Gauweiler is interesting as a reminiscence of the 
early date of his settlement 

in Croton Township.  In 1847 the supply of provisions was so low that they 
found themselves a day late in 

their calculations, and to relieve the presure of hunger, collected the 
abraded meal that scattered from 

their "corn-cracker" and transformed it into cakes; but ir proved worthless 
from the mixture of sand and 

dirt.  A council decided on the organization of an expedition in search of 
game, and six of the party set 

out to hunt and fish.  The first spoils were two pigeons, which were left in 
Mr. Gauweiler's charge, and 

he built a fire and cooked the birs in accordance with his instructions.  On 
reflection, he decided that 

the requirements of his comrades had fallen below the exigencies of the case, 
and when the culinary 

process was completed he perfected the whole arrangement by eating the 
pigeons, and complacently awiting 

the return of the expedition.  His companions appeared empty handed and 
announced that the party would 

dine off the pigeons.  Mr. Gauweiler stated the facts on the case with 
Teutonic politeness and 

consideration, but the depraved natures of the others failed to appreciate his 
forbearance, and they 

proceeded to inform him without ceremony that he was the kind of Dutchman 
described by a dash and two d's, 

and deserved shooting.  The fact that he was sustained by the pigeons enabled 
him to refrain from malice, 

and he silently accorded to them his full and free pardon for their lack of 
sympathy.  They went 

supperless to bed, and the following day the opportune arrival of two barrels 
of flour put an end to the 

famine.

Mr. Gauweiler owns 480 acres of land and his dwelling at Croton, besides 
another building in that village, 

occupied as a store and hotel.  Among his other business enterprises was the 
building of the Washington 

House.  He was a Democrat previous to the organization of the National party, 
since which time he has 

affiliated with the Greenback element.  ZHe is prominent in the Order of 
Masonry, and has opfficiated as 

Master of the Lodge at Croton.  He is now a member of Newaygo Lodge, No. 131, 
of the Newaygo Royal Arch 

Chapter, No. 35, of Big Rapids Council, and DeMolay Commandery, No. 5, at 
Grand Rapids.

Mr. Gauweiler was first married in 1849, in Ohio to Mary Ann Miller.  She was 
born in Ohio in 1830, and 

was a daughter of Andrew and Julia (Sauers) Miller, natives of Pennsylvania, 
of Geman extraction.  

Margaret, John F. and Mary, three children, constituted the issue of this 
marriage.  The eldest daughter 

survives, and is the wife of John W. Carskadon, of Muskegon.  The wife and 
mother died in 1857.

Minerva (Bennett) Gauweiler, the present wife of Mr. Gauweiler, was born Jan. 
12, 1836.  She is a daughter 

of Isaac H. and Sally (Cassidy) Bennett, the former born in the State of New 
Jersey, April 23, 1800, and 

still alive.  He is a descendant of ancestors born in Holland.  The mother was 
of Scotch-zIrish 

extraction, born in New York in 1802, and died in 1877.  The daughter's 
marriage to J.F. Gauweiler 

occurred Jan. 21, 1858, in Croton.  Their six children all survive.  They are 
Mary C., George F., Martin 

VanBuren, Alfred R., Seymour B. and Rosantha.

Additional Comments:
1884 Portrait & Bio Album of Newaygo Co.

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