Category Archives: Albeitz

Albeitz, Stoutner

1875-1880: New additions to the Stoutner family

5 Comments

Sepia Saturday 560. Twelfth in a series on my maternal German ancestors, the Stoutners, of Gloversville, Fulton Co., N.Y.

Christina (Albeitz) Stoutner (1844-1924). Scan by Molly Charboneau

When the 1875 New York State census was enumerated, there were two new additions to the blended family of my maternal great-great grandparents Andrew and Christina (Albeitz) Stoutner of Gloversville, Fulton County, New York.

Their first surviving child together — John H. Stoutner (b. 1869) — appeared in the 1870 U.S. census, along with the family’s two older children William and Mary E. Stoutner from Andrew’s second marriage.

By 1875, two more children had been born to the couple — a daughter Gertrude (b. 1871) and a son Andrew “Pete” Jr. (b. 1874). Pete is my great grandfather. And by 1880, the younger children were all in school, as shown in the table below.

Family of Andrew and Christina (Albeitz) Stoutner in the 1875 NYS[1]FamilySearch requires free login to view records. and 1880 U.S.[2]Ibid.censuses of Johnstown/Gloversville, Fulton Co., N.Y. – Source: FamilySearch
Name Age in 1875 Job/Details 1875 Age in 1880 Job/Details 1880
Andrew Stoutner 42 Brick Mfg.; Born in Germany; Naturalized; Brick house worth $2,000 47 Brick Mfg.; Born in Germany
Christina Stoutner  30 Born in Germany 35 Keeping House; Born in Germany
William Stoutner 14 Works in brick yard; Unemployed for 6 mos. 18 Brick Maker
Mary E. Stoutner 11 — 16 —
John Stoutner 6 — 10 At school
Gertrude Stoutner 3 yrs. 11 mos. — 8 At school
Andrew Stoutner Jr. 9 mos. — 5 At school

A family of teens and toddlers

Andrew Stoutner Sr. (1832-1910). Scan by Molly Charboneau

During these years, the Stoutner household was a mix of teens and toddlers — with William and Mary becoming young adults while their younger siblings were at play and at school. Undoubtedly a busy and boisterous home with such a wide age spread among the children.

Andrew Sr. followed brick making tradition by bringing his oldest son William into the business during his teens — perhaps only on a part-time basis in 1875, since the census indicates that at age 14 he was unemployed for 6 months that year. By 1880, William, 18, had graduated to Brick Maker.

Nor was this uncommon in other upstate New York industries at the time — as I discovered while researching my dad’s Uncle Albert, who began work in an Adirondack saw mill at age 15. He went on to a career in lumber.

The dawn of photography

I dearly wish that photography had been widespread enough for there to be a group shot of the Stoutner family during this period. Yet despite advances during the U.S. Civil War, most photos were take in studios — or by traveling professionals who might photograph a family home for a fee.

My maternal great grandfather Andrew “Pete” Stoutner, Jr. c. 1880 at about age 5. Pete was the son of Andrew Stoutner and his third wife, my great-great grandmother Christina (Albeitz) Stoutner. Scan by Molly Charboneau

Fortunately, my Stoutner ancestors seem to have taken to photography — perhaps to send photos back home — because I have inherited a number of studio shots, including one of my great grandfather Pete (above) as a child and another of his older half-sister Mary (below) taken around the same time.

Mary E. Stoutner c. 1880 at about age 16. Mary was the daughter of Andrew Stoutner and his late second wife Elizabeth — and the older half-sister of my great-grandfather Pete. Scan by Molly Charboneau

Alas, I have no photos of the other Stoutner children in their youth. Nevertheless, these two studio portraits of Pete and Mary amply illustrate the age and maturity range among the Stoutner siblings toward the end of the 19th Century.

Up next: Some technical work on Molly’s Canopy will require a few weeks off, but blogging should resume by the end of March — or early April for the A to Z Challenge 2021. Please stop back! Meanwhile, please visit the blogs of this week’s other Sepia Saturday participants here.

© 2021 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

References

References
↑1 FamilySearch requires free login to view records.
↑2 Ibid.
Albeitz, Stoutner

19th Century Brick Manufacturer Andrew Stoutner

13 Comments

Sepia Saturday 559. Eleventh in a series on my maternal German ancestors, the Stoutners, of Gloversville, Fulton Co., N.Y.

Andrew Stoutner (1832-1910). Scan by Molly Charboneau

While my great-great grandmother Christina (Albeitz) Stoutner tended to the domestic side of the household, my great-great grandfather Andrew was earning a living as a brick manufacturer on the outskirts of Gloversville, Fulton Co., N.Y.

Although he appears to have worked as a laborer when he arrived in the U.S. in 1855, within five years Andrew had established brick making as his primary career — only turning to farming and commerce in his senior years as his working life wound down.

Andrew Stoutner’s Occupation in US and NYS Censuses of Johnstown-Gloversvillle, Fulton Co., N.Y. —  Source: FamiliySearch
Census Name Age/Details Occupation
1855 NYS census Andrew Stoutner 22; In town 2 months on 30 June 1855 Laborer
1860 US census Andrew Stoutner 26 Mechanic – Brick Maker
1865 NYS and 1870 US censuses Andrew Stoutner 36/38 Brick Maker
1875 NYS and 1880 & 1900 US censuses Andrew Stoutner 42/47/67 Brick Manufacturer
1905 NYS census Andrew Stoutner 72 Farmer
1910 US census Andrew Stoutner 77 Commerce

Brick making in the 1800s

Brick making has a long history in the U.S., but really took off in the 1800s as a reliable, fireproof medium for building and home construction. An article titled “Brickmaking and Brickmakers” in the Encyclopedia of Philadelphia describes nineteenth century brick making:

“Brickmaking was a poor man’s game, as it required no capital to start with,” noted New York brickmaker James Wood  in 1830. This was especially true early on, when firing bricks required only enough bricks to build a kiln and, most importantly, an abundance of clay.

The process of making bricks changed little from its origins through the mid-nineteenth century. Brickmakers dug the clay, allowed it to weather, tempered it, molded it, let it dry, then burned the bricks in a kiln….They then sorted the bricks by firmness and color.

Nineteenth century brick making practices

A brick from Andrew Stoutner’s brick works in Gloversville, N.Y. (c. 1870-1900). My mom got a set of these Stoutner bricks from her cousin Stephanie — and now my siblings and I each have one. Mine, shown above, resides in special display case on a bookshelf. Photo: Molly Charboneau

So my ancestor Andrew could have begun his brick manufacturing career as a modest enterprise, then expanded as business picked up — a common practice in the brick industry. Also, according to the article:

Brickmaking was frequently a family business, spanning generations. Mechanics who worked in the trade became brickyard owners, often in partnership with family members.

In fact, Andrew worked as a Mechanic in 1860, and by 1865 was a Brick Maker — and he later brought his oldest son William into the business once he was of age. So my great-great grandfather appears to have followed the standard practice of the time.

The building of Gloversville, N.Y.

Fortunately for Andrew, he arrived in the Gloversville, N.Y., area just as the need for bricks was ramping up. In the 1850s, with its proximity to hemlock forests, the Mohawk Valley town was a center for tanning and leather production — and there were already scores of glove making shops.

https://goo.gl/maps/HZ4tvuVbtkuXSCqj8
Contemporary photo of the once-bustling Four Corners intersection of E. Fulton and Main Street, Gloversville, Fulton County, N.Y. No doubt some  of the bricks used to construct these buildings came from the Stoutner Brick Works. Photo: Google Maps

As the 1800s progressed, the glove industry grew and the bulk of those shops were brick structures — as were the stores, workshops and hotels near the bustling Four Corners intersection of E. Fulton and Main streets. No doubt some of the brick for those structures came from the Stoutner Brick Works.

No place like home

And there is perhaps no greater tribute to my great-great grandfather’s skill as a brick manufacturer than the family home Andrew built circa 1882 at 4 Wells Street, Gloversville, N.Y.

Contemporary photo of 4 Wells St. The bricks have been painted green, the original front porch has been removed, and a second story was added to the side room. But the basic brick structure erected by my German great-great grandfather Andrew Stoutner has stood the test of time. Photo: Zillow

The bricks have been painted green, the original front porch has been removed, and a second story was added to the side room. But the basic brick structure erected by my German immigrant great-great grandfather Andrew Stoutner has stood the test of time — and is still going strong 131 years later!

More on the Stoutners and other ancestors in March. Please stop back! Meanwhile, please visit the blogs of this week’s other Sepia Saturday participants here.

© 2021 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Albeitz, Stoutner

1869: Baby John brightens the Stoutner household

16 Comments

Sepia Saturday 558. Tenth in a series on my maternal German ancestors, the Stoutners, of Gloversville, Fulton Co., N.Y.

Christina (Albeitz) Stoutner (1844-1924). Scan by Molly Charboneau

The marriage of my German immigrant great-great grandparents Andrew and Christina (Albeitz) Stoutner got off to a difficult start with the tragic October 1868 death of 7-month-old baby Rose — their first child together.

The couple was already co-parenting William, 6, and Mary Elizabeth, 4 — Andrew’s children with his second wife Elizabeth, who died in 1865. Now, the blended Stoutner family had to begin a new period of mourning for a lost child/sibling.

Fortunately, Rose’s passing came at a time when mourning rituals were changing in the wake of the U.S. Civil War. Mourning periods grew shorter and there was more focus on looking to the future – with cemeteries designed like parks to encourage family visits.

https://www.facebook.com/Pictorial-History-of-Gloversville-148220148548697
Prospect Hill Cemetery, Gloversville, N.Y. (1898) After the U.S. Civil War, cemeteries were designed like parks to encourage family visits. Prospect Hill Cemetery, where Rose is buried, was one of these garden cemeteries — with softly winding paths, trees and foliage that must must have been a healing balm to the Stoutners. Photo: Pictorial History of Gloversville

Prospect Hill Cemetery in Gloversville, N.Y., where Rose is buried, was one of these garden cemeteries, with softly winding paths, trees and foliage – which must have been a healing balm to the Stoutners.

Baby John is born

Yet perhaps the surest sign that my great-great grandparents were looking forward was the October 1969 birth of their first son together – John Stoutner, who would survive into adulthood.

How relieved the family must have been to have a new addition to brighten the household and distract them from past losses.

When the census taker called on 7 July 1870, baby John was nine months old — enumerated for the first time, along with his step siblings and parents, as excerpted below.

Andrew Stoutner Household in the 1870 U.S. census, Johnstown, Fulton County, N.Y. – Source: FamilySearch
Person No. Name Age Born Occupation/School
20 Stoutner, Andrew 38 Prussia Brick Maker; U.S. Citizen
21 Stoutner, Christina 26 Prussia Keeping House; cannot read/write
22 Stoutner, Wm. 8 N.Y. Attended School; Can’t write
23 Stoutner, Mary E. 6 N.Y. Attended School; Can’t read or write
24 Stoutner, John H. 9/12 N.Y. Month if born within one year: Oct.

A gem of a census

Sometimes family history research turns up a gem of a census return, packed with helpful details and clues — and the 1870 enumeration of the Andrew Stoutner household is one such example.

Andrew Stoutner (1832-1910). Scan by Molly Charboneau

Through this census, I learned that Andrew and Christina were from Prussia in northern Germany. And while Andrew, a brick maker, could read and write, Christina could not — at least not in English, although the census does not stipulate a specific language.

Birth, schooling, citizenship details

Because John was born during the previous year, the census return provides his birth month “Oct.” in column 13 — which is headed “If born within one year, state month (Jan, Feb, &c.).”

The 1870 census also reveals that Andrew was a U.S. citizen through a tick mark in column 19 — which is headed “Male Citizen of the U.S. 21 years of age and upwards.”

Even William and Mary’s enumerations offer telling details. William could read, but could not yet write — while his younger sister Mary, no doubt new to school, could not yet read or write.

In short, an informative 1870 snapshot of a family with shared experience of both sorrow and happiness moving into the future together.

Up next: Andrew Stoutner’s Brick Works. Please stop back! Meanwhile, please visit the blogs of this week’s other Sepia Saturday participants here.

© 2021 Molly Charboneau. All rights reserved.

Follow my blog with Bloglovin