Bio of Meyer, Baltz Wabasha Co., MN
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Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Barbara Timm
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This bio comes from "HISTORY OF WABASHA COUNTY" 1920.
Check out Barbara's site for more great information on this book:
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mnwabbio/wab3.htm
There are also some pictures and information from descendents for some 
of the bios on her pages.

Meyer, Baltz (page 563), a pioneer of Wabasha County, now deceased, was a
native of Germany, where he spent his early years, and on beginning
industrial life worked for six dollars, one pair of wooden shoes and one
suit of overalls as yearly salary. How he accumulated sufficient money to
pay his expenses to the United States is a matter for conjecture, but in
some way he got here, landing in New York with two dollars in his pocket.
This was not a very munificent sum for a young man to begin life with in a
strange country, and speaking a foreign language, but in some way he got
along and in course of time married, for a while making his home in
Columbus, Ohio. In 1857 he came farther west, locating on a 40-acre farm
near Dubuque, Iowa. It was not a desirable location, as the soil was full
of stones and rocks, but he remained there six or seven years, at the end
of which time he sold out and came to Wabasha County, Minnesota, buying
120 acres of wild grub land in Pepin Township, 40 or which were located in
section 20 and 80 in section 29. There was a small log house and a shack
for a barn. He and his wife, Mary Catherine, had then three children;
William, John F., and Mary, who soon learned to make themselves useful,
the two sons breaking the land with an ox team, John F. and William
driving, while the father held the plow. Many acres were thus broken, and
after two years the log house was replaced by a better structure, and
other buildings erected. Other land was also purchased and developed,
including the Matt Koenig farm of 122 acres in section 29, which was
purchased in 1872. Mr. And Mrs. Meyer resided on the home place until
their death, Mrs. Meyer passing away on February 19, 1888, and Mr. Meyer
March 14, 1900. They were worthy people and highly respected. Their two
sons are both farming in Pepin Township on different parts of the family
estate, William in section 20 and John F. in section 29. The daughter Mary
married Bernard Henry Welp and settled near the old home. Her husband died
at the age of 25, leaving her with five children, and she has since
developed the farm and kept her family together.