Michael Fischer of Carrick Township

Not much is known of Michael Fischer but his descendants know his name as the first of their family to come from Germany and settle in the New World. Published biographies contain inaccuracies and do not fully explore his place in the settlement of Carrick Township, Bruce County. What follows is an attempt to discover Michael's story through published and archival documents and incorporation of oral family history. He came to Canada bringing no family history of his own, yet left a legacy for his descendants.

Peace was just returning to Europe in the years after the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. The Germanic states were suffering from economic backwardness, overpopulation and depression. In these climates, in the Black Forest of Baden, on September 27, 1822, a son was born to the family of Michael Fischer and his wife, Maria Hoch. In keeping with a family tradition, they named their new son Michael.

Consensus in the Fischer family is that Michael left Baden because of irreconcilable differences with his father. However, other influences may have prompted Michael to seek his fortune in America. Prospects in Germany did not offer much future and many were making the long voyage to America, a country that proclaimed itself the land of opportunity. This would be very appealing to a young ambitious man just starting out. Throwing his last 15" into the Danube River, a young Michael found employment aboard a ship bound for the United States and worked the six-week long voyage across the Atlantic in exchange for his passage.

The most likely port of entry, which brought Michael to the U.S., is Philadelphia. From there the 17-year old travelled to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Michael's exact whereabouts and vocation for the next approximate 5 to 10years unknown. Attempts have been made to locate him in the United States Census during these years have but with no success.

By the mid 1840's Michael is placed in New Orleans where he met Leopold Kramer, recently arrived from Germany. Kramer, newly married, was making plans to take his family to New Germany (Maryhill) in Ontario. Michael would have learned little in Baden about Canada. There was apprehension about the climate and if given the choice between living in a free republic rather than a British colony, most chose the former as the most likely to offer opportunities to get ahead. A friendship formed between Michael and Kramer and after hearing of the successful settlement of German Catholic settlers in New Germany, Michael made the decision to join Kramer. In 1846, the Kramer family, with Michael, set off on foot for Canada. Travelling the Mississippi River, they joined a group of Mennonites who were travelling to Waterloo County. In New Germany, they found a thriving community of Roman Catholic families, newly arrived Germanic immigrants like themselves, whom came from the southwestern Germanic states and Alsace.

On 17 July 1849, Rev. John Holzer celebrated the marriage of Michael Fischer and Regina in the St. Boniface Roman Catholic Church in New Germany. Witnesses were Regina's brothers, Peter and Herman Zettel. Regina was born March 19, 1828 and was the daughter of Lucas Zettel and his wife, Monika Straub. In 1830, the Zettel family had immigrated directly to New Germany from the Black Forest of Baden. The census for 1851 shows Michael, with his wife Regina and two children, farming near New Germany. Three children were born to Michael and Regina during their time in New Germany.

Michael had arrived in Waterloo County at its peak immigration time and the land had all been taken up with no more places to settle or to expand. It is unlikely that Michael held ownership of the land that he farmed at that time and was probably working land owned by the Zettels. New settlers, like Michael, wanted to own their land and to address their needs, the government began to look to offering up for sale their Crown Lands. In the years 1850-51, plans were made to open land in the Queen's Bush in Bruce County. The Elora Road was laid out from the north-west corner of Carrick Township down to the Township of Maryborough and the lots in Carrick on Concessions 'C' and 'D' on each side of the road were surveyed. The rest of the township was laid out the following year. The first notice of the sale of these lands was published in the Canada Gazette on July 30, 1852. 'Bush Fever' (also known as Saugeen Fever) attracted a mass migration of homesteaders into these new lands. The conditions of purchase set out in the first published notice of land sale, however, were not properly enforced and were mismanaged. The Canada Gazette therefore published a new notice on August 17, 1854 announcing sale of these lands, this time with a set time and place for the sale. The conditions of purchase were also altered to be more accommodating to the new purchasers. By the time of the 'Big Land Sale', squatters had claimed every lot in the township. The sale finally took place on September 27, 1854 and the squatters arrived in masses in Southampton. In order to retain their rights, they had to have their names entered as purchasers, make a first payment to obtain a license of occupation and agree to meet conditions set out in the Canada Gazette. Between two to three thousand appeared to file their claims on that day and J.M. McNabb best describes the frenzy in his paper on the history of the County:

The Crown Land Deed #14358, dated Carrick, 2 Oct 1854, gave Michael title to his land. Michael's lands comprised of 220 acres located on Lots 13 and 14, Concessions 'C' in Carrick Township. His first initial payment was 7s6d per acres ($1.50), with 10 years to pay equal instalments at 6% interest, and with the condition of clearing 2 acres for every 100 annually during the first 5 years and to build a house 16-ft. by 18-ft. To minimize the labour required in clearing the land, Michael burned much of the dense Queen's Bush that covered his acreage. In the 1861 census, Michael was able to report crop yields consisting of 5 acres spring wheat, 4 acres peas, 6 acres oats, 1 acre potatoes, 2 acres turnips, 1 acre hops and 6 acres for hay and pasture. While most homes were built facing the road, the Fischer homestead was built with an aesthetic eye. It sits recessed into a hill looking out onto the Formosa valley rather than traditionally facing the road. The family lived in a cave dug into this hill while the house was built over them. The centre wall in the house is reminiscent of this first home and the cave is now a root cellar. It bears the workmanship of the Scottish stonemasons who travelled throughout Bruce County building homes for the settlers. By December 1858, the time of the birth of Michael's first child (John) by his second wife Catherine, the roof of the homestead was laid.

On March 12, 1861, Alexander McNabb, the Crown Land Agent, certified that about 27 acres were cleared and a house 20 X 22 feet had been erected on Conc. C Lot 13 and on Jan. 30, 1866, 40 acres of land had been cleared on Conc. C, Lot 14. Clear title for 3 parcels of land was granted from the Crown to Michael:

"His industry and energy resulted in the changing of 200 acres of primeval forest into a beautiful and productive farmland."

Conditions in this unsettled land were primitive and whole families shared the heavy task of clearing the land and building homes. Many women died in childbirth and there was a heavy infant mortality from fever, cholera, diphtheria and even simple injuries from accidents. On July 18, 1856, following the birth of her fourth child Teresa, Regina passed away at the age of 26, the cause of death unknown. She is buried in the Immaculate Conception RC Church Cemetery in Formosa and her marker is the oldest in this Cemetery. Her young daughter followed her at the age of four. It is not known where little Teresa is buried or what caused her death. Many times when young couples were taking up the task of homesteading new land or a mother died, children were fostered with other family members. Theresa's death is recorded in St. Boniface Church in Maryhill, which gives indication that Regina's children may have been fostered with the Zettel family following her death.

Before Regina's death, the family had taken in young Catherine Hohenadel, to help Regina with the household chores and care for the children. Catherine, the daughter of Nicolaus Hohenadel and Rosina Doser, was christened on the 12^th August 1840 in Otterstadt, Speyer. The family had recently arrived in Canada (Prince Arthur 1852) and had also been attracted by the lands in the Queen's Bush. Some 17 years younger than he was, Catherine became Michael's second wife in the spring of 1857. A priest sent out from Guelph, might on his circuit, make it to visit the settlers in Carrick Township once every six weeks. The winters however could delay this visit and so, after the snows had cleared, Michael and Catherine walked to Deemerton and were married in St. Ignatius RC Church. Catherine bore Michael 13 children, the last child was born just 9 months before he died.

Those of British descent dominated government positions in Upper Canada during the early years. Preferring to wait for 'qualified' newcomers from Britain to fill government positions and the fear of an American democracy, the Crown limited the power it gave to local governments. This caused much unrest and indignation among settlers who called for a more egalitarian system. This system was replaced by Robert Baldwin's Municipal Act of 1849, which called for an electoral system broken into townships and counties. In 1856, the Township of Carrick achieved a separate municipal existence. Michael was a member of the first meeting of the Township Council held at Balaclava in a tavern owned by John Shennan. By 1858, Michael was appointed Reeve by the Carrick Township Council and held the office uninterruptedly until 1867. Before 1867, the Council of each local municipality chose its reeve. In the year 1867, Michael became the first Reeve in Carrick Township elected by the direct vote of the ratepayers. He was returned to office again in 1873-1875 and 1877-1878. One of the qualifications required for Michael to hold the office of Township Reeve was that he must be a naturalized British subject. To become naturalized, the applicant must have spent a minimum of seven years in Canada and take an Oath of Allegiance. Records for Michael have not been found and may well have been destroyed, but he must have met this qualification by 1856 when he held seat on the first Township Council. He holds the honour of having been entrusted with more decisions affecting the destiny of the Township of Carrick than any other of its officials.

Township councils had power to make by-laws for:

Michael's signature also appears on many of his neighbours' Crown Lands papers certifying that they had fulfilled their agreements. In the summer of 1858, no rain fell from mid June to mid August. Crops were a complete failure and the new settlers faced starvation and the prospect of losing their newly acquired land because there was no seed to plant next year's crop. The Carrick Council directed Michael to go to Paisley to approach the Provincial Warden in order to obtain from the Relief Fund as much wheat as #500 could buy. Carrick Township received #2000 from monies raised by the County Council to be used to issue seed grain at a reduced rate and to hire the needy and destitute to build roads. Their payment was to be in foodstuffs or to apply to the payment of their debt for the seed grain. By 1859, the crisis was over and prosperity returned.

Some family descendants who still reside in Carrick remember the controversy over the establishment of Separate schools in Carrick Township. In 1859, the Township Council, of which Michael was Reeve, resolved:

A search through Egerton Ryerson's school correspondence revealed a concern about "those nasty, German Catholics in Carrick who were starting an illegal school.". Another record, places Michael in the midst of this controversy, is a letter addressed to Ryerson from John Eckeford, the School Superintendent for Bruce County:

In a different handwriting to the left of Eckeford's closing is the following notation:

Michael also found himself in a personal controversy regarding Common (Public) School Section Number 1, located on the corner of Lot 13, Conc. C in Carrick Township. In the land records for Carrick, Michael Fischer donated the land for this school under the following land record for Concession C, Lot 14 Carrick Township:

This one-room log schoolhouse was in existence as early as 1860. With a row of benches, which served as desks, a teacher's desk and stool and a few blackboards, it had no maps, few textbooks and few workbooks. It has been alternately known as the Elora Road School and as the Fischer School. Michael was insistent that this school be a Common School as there was one Protestant family on the Elora Road and Michael wanted a school that all children could attend. This brought him into conflict with the Church and his Catholic neighbours. Readings in any of the local published histories failed to turn up any mention of the controversy regarding S.S. #1 or of the Separate School on Concession B. In 1861, according to Council Minutes, the Separate School on Concession B ceased to exist. A more thorough search of the Council minutes and of School correspondence is needed to find proof to the stories handed down by family and local residents.

In 1909, Public School Section No. 1, Carrick changed to Separate School Section No. 1, Carrick with the ratepayers' consent. It later became R.C.S.S. No. 1B, Carrick. The original log schoolhouse was torn down and replaced by a brick building. The school closed in 1968, the property sold and is now a private home.

Language and common culture enticed new immigrants Waterloo and Bruce Counties. However, there was a struggle to maintain this ethnic individuality. Early education was very much a local matter and in 1851, the educational authorities had adopted a very tolerant attitude with respect to the use of language in the classroom. However in 1871, the creation of the position of the County Inspector brought tighter control over the German schools. The Education Department, dominated by the British majority of the province, pursued a deliberate policy that sought to eliminate the French and German language. The military success of the Franco-Prussian War in Europe opened a new era of awareness for German-Canadians, and opposition to the loss of German schools. Shortly thereafter, a German-Canadian Society formed in Mildmay called the Deutsch-Candadier Nationalverein. It petitioned the Ontario government to provide a special board of professional educators to examine and to grant teaching certificates to German teachers, and to have the same powers to supervise German teachers and German schools as those of the County Inspector. A degree of success was met when on February 9, 1872, the Council of Public Instruction, decreed:

World War I brought a quick end to the concessions hard won during those times. Michael's grandchildren were to experience disorientation when they entered school. Their family and friends still spoke German and they had to learn English quickly. Use of German in the Fischer family has all but disappeared with current generations. Events of WWI caused one branch of the family which settled in Chicago, to drop the 'c' from the spelling of the Fischer surname in order to distance themselves from being associated with anything German.

Michael spent the last years of his life travelling. He returned to Germany to help settle his mother's estate and returned with a money belt full of gold. While there, he learned two of his brothers had also immigrated to America. He sought to find them but never did. He visited each of his children who had moved to the United States to make sure each was well set up and secure. Michael also held the position of Vice-President of the Formosa Mutual Fire Insurance Company, which formed in 1880 and was a Justice of the Peace. Politically, he was a staunch advocate of the Liberal Party and its policies.

Michael passed away from Bright's Disease on 9 April 1882 at the age of 60 years. Buried near his first wife, Regina, in Immaculate Conception RC Cemetery, Michael's marker no longer stands and has been laid flat on the ground. Michael and Regina's grave markers are the only markers in the family engraved in German. Remembered as a man who loved to fish and hunt, he instilled in his children strong sense of commitment to their community. Many of them participated on municipal council, school boards and volunteer organizations as he did.

Widowed at age 43, Catherine faced the challenge of rearing and providing for 12 children ranging in age from nine months to 22 years. She moved to Formosa when John married, leaving the homestead to him and his young family. It wasn't until her later years, when the infirmities of age prevented her from climbing the Formosa hill to attend Mass that she moved to Mildmay. She was never alone and lived with John's family (who had moved to Mildmay, leaving the farm to his son) until her death on December 27, 1920 at the age of 82. Catherine is buried in the Sacred Heart RC Cemetery in Mildmay. An early photo of Catherine shows a young girl with a slight smile. Later photos depict a matriarchal figure with a straight back and a stern line to her mouth.

Seventeen children were born into the Fischer family. Two daughters, Teresa and Regina, did not live past infancy. Catherine's attempts to give children to her church were only partially successful. Two daughters joined the Sisters of Notre Dame. Elizabeth became Sister M. Febronia and lived a full life. Susan took the name Sister M. Cletina but the religious life did not suit her well. At a time when women who entered religious orders retained only minimal ties with their families, Sister Cletina found the enforced separation difficult and suffered delusions. The Church tried to return the young woman to her family but Catherine refused to accept her back saying, "I gave her to you whole, you must return her to me whole." Sister Cletina is buried in Milwaukee and Sister Febronia is buried in Waterdown. Two boys, Henry and Peter, were sent to St. Jerome's College in Waterloo to study for the priesthood but they had other plans. Both went on to graduate from the Chicago Medical School. Henry, invited by Zettel cousins, went to Shakopee, Minnesota, to open his practice. He invited Peter to join him after he opened the Mudcura Sanatorium. Joseph moved to Tipton, Kansas where he pursued farming and was one of the Directors of the German National Bank in Beloit, Kansas. George went to Tacoma, Washington to farm and efforts to make contact with his family have been unsuccessful. John and Michael stayed in Carrick Township. Together they farmed the homestead until Michael bought his own farm in Culross. Both took an active role in the community and political affairs of Carrick and Culross Townships. John fought the incorporation of the Town of Mildmay and yet, was the village's first Reeve. Michael II was a Formosa school trustee and his son, Michael III, was Reeve of neighbouring Culross Township for nine years and in 1980, Warden of Bruce County. Cecilia also remained in Carrick Township. She passed away 6 months after the birth of her sixth child. Mary Ann, Veronica, Pauline, Monica and Kate went with their husbands to farm in Michigan. Rose was considered an independent woman of her time. She kept books for her brothers, Peter and Henry in Shakopee. After her marriage to a man who disappeared before the birth of their daughter, she returned to Formosa to be with her mother. She also lived in Kitchener and finally settled in Stratford.

With Catherine's passing, the family began to drift apart. However, in August 1996, over 1000 of Michael's descendants answered an invitation to come "Celebrate the Family" in Formosa and Mildmay. Ontario farms flourished and the summer of 1858 was not known. The family became reacquainted with each other and with the history of the land Michael had helped pioneer. With a new commitment to the family, they made plans for another reunion in 2001.

Laurie Strome

18 December, 1998

"History with its flickering lamp stumbles along the trail of the past, trying to reconstruct its scenes, to revive its echoes and kindle with pale gleams the passions of former days."

-- Sir Winston Spencer Churchill (1874-1965)

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