Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Fritsche, Frederick Sr. 1877 - 
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Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

             FREDERICK FRITSCHE, SR.

     Frederick Fritsche, Sr., one of the few remaining territorial pioneers and
defenders of New Ulm, who is now in his seventy-ninth year and is still
physically and mentally well preserved, loves to relate the more important
incidents of pioneer days.

     When he was eighteen years of age, his father, John Karl Fritsche,
emigrated to this country from Saxony in the year 1854. He lived in Chicago a
little over a year, driving a canal boat during the summer and going to school
in winter.

     In the fall of 1855 his father joined the German Land Association of
Chicago and settled in New Ulm. He preempted a homestead joining the city site,
which was later acquired by the Cincinnati Association in exchange for lots and
four-acre pieces and added to the city site.

     In the year 1856 he helped erect a log-cabin on his father's homestead and
also was employed in the erection of eight other log houses on the city site,
some of which were used for primitive stores, blacksmith shop and postoffice. In
those days it was necessary for a village to prove that eight buildings were on
the site before it could incorporate. At the same time his elder brother, Ernest
Fritsche, and Peter Mack carried the chains for Surveyor Volk when the city was
platted.

     During the month of March, 1857, Mr. Fritsche took part in the Inkpoduta
expedition, which turned out to be a failure, in April, the same year, he
secured employment at the Lower Agency as carpenter for the government and
helped in the erection of buildings which the government was putting up for the
Indians. Two of these houses were intended for the chiefs, Wacouta and Wabasha,
and quite a friendship was formed between him and the chiefs. It was quite a
god-send for early pioneers to have such an opportunity to earn some cash money,
as most of the business was carried on by the exchange of commodities, and there
was real labor exchange between settlers. The virgin soil had not been turned
and there was no income to be derived from that source yet. By fall he had
earned enough money to buy a yoke of oxen.

     In the year of 1858 he was mostly engaged in hauling freight with his
ox-team from St. Peter to New Ulm and Ft. Ridgely, and also made one long trip
with a train of ox-teams to Ft. Abercrombie. Ft. Abercrombie was erected that
year and the material for the same was partly carried by steamboat up the
Minnesota river to Ft. Ridgely and then by ox-team to the fort site. It took
three weeks to make this interesting trip over the unbroken prairie, through
sloughs and rivers, often getting mired and made uncomfortable by the mosquitoes
over night.

     In the year 1859 he took part in the memorable Yankton expedition to
Devil's lake, North Dakota. The government was about to enter into a treaty of
peace with the Yankton Sioux, and whenever an Indian treaty was made it was the
custom for the government to bring a large quantity of presents. These presents
were shipped by the government on the "Frank Steele" up the Minnesota river to
Yellow Medicine. This was a record-breaker for a steamboat to make and the feat
has never been repeated since.

     Some seventy ox-teams had been chartered from Henderson, Traverse and New
Ulm to carry these presents, which consisted of provisions, clothing, blankets
and many other things, to the Yanktons.

     This expedition was headed by Superintendent of Indian Affairs Cullen;
Joseph Brown, Indian agent; Dr. A. W. Daniels and Dr. J. W. Daniels; James
Magner, foreman; interpreter Prescott and trainmaster Thomas Brown. It took
three months to make this expedition and it turned out to be a fiasco for the
government.

     In the year 1860 Frederick Fritsche bought a homestead of one hundred and
sixty acres, which later became the nucleus of a large stock farm, on the north
side of the Minnesota river, in Nicollet county, and two miles from New Ulm. On
April 20, 1861, he was married to Louise Lillie, youngest daughter of Christian
Lillie. Eight children were born to this union, namely: Louis Albert, Bertha,
Emil H., Frederick W., Otto A., Rudolph E., Carl J. and Henry W.

     Louis Albert is a physician and surgeon and practices his profession in New
Ulm. Bertha is married to William Mueller, of St. Peter, who is a member of the
manufacturing firm of Johnson & Company. Emil H. and Otto A. are living on the
divided homestead and are prosperous farmers. Frederick W. practiced dental
surgery in New Ulm until his death, three years ago. Rudolph E. was a member of
the firm of Arnold & Fritsche and died five years ago. Carl J. and Henry W. died
during childhood.

     Mr. Fritsche was a defender of New Uhn during the Sioux outbreak of 1862,
and was a member of the Lafayette company. The part which he took in the
massacre of New Ulm is best described in his own words in the narrative which he
has written, and appears elsewhere in this history.

     Mr. Fritsche was elected clerk of the township of Lafayette in 1862 and
re-elected until 1872. In the fall of 1871 he was elected treasurer of Nicollet
county and reelected four times unti1 1882. During the first six years his
family lived at the county seat in St. Peter and there his children enjoyed the
advantage of attending the excellent graded schools and high school of that
city. In 1882 he voluntarily retired from office to assume the management of his
growing stock farm. After that time he had higher offices tendered him
repeatedly, but always steadfastly refused to enter politics again. He served as
member of the school board for many years before moving to the county seat and
again for many years after returning from the same.

     In his declining years he made his residence in New Ulm until the death of
Mrs. Fritsche, November 22. 1914, and he now makes his home with his son, Otto,
in Lafayette.

     Mr. Fritsche was public spirited and always had the welfare of his
community at heart. In the early days he was very helpful to the settlers in
acquiring good homesteads and never accepted any more thanks for his services.
On account of his generous spirit he has always been held in high esteem by the
citizens of Nicollet county and the city of New Ulm.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY MINNESOTA
ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS

L. A. FRITSCHE. M. D.
Editor

With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Old Families

VOLUME II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana


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