The one challenge in undertaking genealogy research is keeping all relatives with the same first name straight. In the Daleiden family that lived in DuPage County I encountered three Daleidens with the same first name of Michael. I will explore one Michael in this blog, the first Daleiden in my direct family line immigrate and live in the United States.

In reviewing the New York, U.S. Arriving Passenger and Crew Lists (1820-1957) available on Ancestry.com we search and find the name: “Michel Dahleiden“. Michael arrived on 17 October 1856 at Castle Island in New York City. He left Europe from the port of Antwerp in Belgium. His ship was the David Hoadley. He was sixteen (16) years old. It is uncertain whether he was traveling with anyone we can verify were his neighbors or extended family members. We can speculate that he was what I would call an “advance person” from the Daleiden family who arrive prior to the other members traveling and settling in America. This is what is called ‘chained migration’. One of the names on the passenger list with Michael is that of a man with the last name of Arends. I will have to following the lead on this person to see if they also settled in Winfield.

It would not be until 7 December 1857 that Michael would be joined by his father Matthias and his brothers Christopher and Peter, and sisters: Barbara (age 22) and Barbara (age 13). They came from Ralingen, Landkreis Trier-Saarburg, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. For more information on Matthias’ and Christopher’s immigration see my blog posting on that topic.

There is an information gap on the whereabouts of Michael from the time he entered the Castle Island immigration area on Battery Park in the port ot New York City in 1856 to 1865. I will continue to explore possible paths Michael may have taken once arriving in America. Further research is required.

The next trace in official records where we locate Michael is on the Illinois 1865 Manufacturers and Agriculural Census. The following information is revealed (the date of the census 3 July 1865) about this family and their property and farm. The property is located in Winfield Township Dupage County Illinois. We are now nine years after Michael arrived in America.

Michael is listed at the ‘head of the household on the 1865 Illinois Census. There are three “hashmarks and counted” people listed as “white persons over age twenty and under age of thirty. No names are listed. I am making an assumption that the people with hashmarks include: One is a male (Christopher), two are females (Maggie Weiland and Barbara Daleiden). There are two “white persons over thirty and under forty (Michael and Katherine Daleiden). One person a male (Matthias, the father) is the only “white person over fifty and under sixty” listed.

In terms of the commodities produced and or value of property: the Census lists only $ 25 worth of oats. The Census does not enumerate any other items such as livestock or products.

The 1870 U.S. Census (taken on 7 August 1870) accessed through Family Search online shows the following: Matthias Daleiden the father is now sixty-five and is a “retired farmer”, Michael is now thirty-four, Christopher is thirty-two, Maggie (Christoher’s wife) is twenty-nine (and Keeping House) and Barbara a two month old infant – Chris and Maggie’s first child born in March of 1870. Their real estate is valued at $ 3,000 and they own $ 300 worth of personal property. We do not see the two sister of Chris and Michael listed as living with the family.

The 1880 Census reveals that Michael is now farming his own land near his brother Christopher.

Michael is now married by 1880. The U.S. Census for 1880 was taken over a two day period of time on the 22nd and 23rd of June of 1880. It records Michael (36) now living with his wife Susan Daleiden (34 years of age) they have two children Mathias age 7 (born 1873), Mary age 3 (born 1877). Susan’s mother “Barabard Kurrans” is living with the family (age 70 born 1810).

Next door to the farm just west along the West Branch of the DuPage River is Michael’s brother Christopher. Chris (41) is living with his wife Maggie (40), and their four children: Barbara (10), William T. (7), Anna (5) and my great grandmother Susan (4).

The 1880 Agricultural Non – Population U.S. Census Schedule was taken on the 23 June 1880 for Winfield Township and reveals how much the two brothers have prospered since immigrating to America.

Michael has twenty acres under tillage and twenty acres (20) listed under “Premanent meadows, pastures, orchard, vineyards“. His farmstead is valued at $ 1,800. He owns $ 100 worth of “farm implements and machinery”. He has $2,000 worth of “livestock”. An estimate value of all farm production for 1879 is $ 800. He has twelve acres of property either “mowed, hay field, or grass seed” harvested.

Christopher, his brother, has thirty (30) acres of tilled property, with twenty acres of “Premanent meadows, pastures, orchard, vineyards“. The value of his property is $2,000. He owns $75 worth of “farm implements and machinery“. He has $2,300 worth of “livestock“. An estimate value of all farm production for 1879 is $ 400.

DuPage County area farms at this time frame in the 1880s and 1890s were becoming predominantly producers of milk and other dairy products. Also reflected in the census is the fact that more wheat then corn was being produced at the time. This would change dramatically by the late 1880s and early 1900s as “corn became the king” in terms of production on Illinois farms. Wheat production and harvesting would move to the expanding western plains states and territories as they began to be settled.

Michael and Chris owned eight milk cows between their two properties and four other types of cows. They had seven calves born on their properties over the past year. They produced 1000 lbs. of butter. They owned fifty chickens that produced two-hundred (16.5 dozen eggs). They grew: buckwheat, indian corn, oats, rye and harvested eighty-five acres of wheat between their two farmsteads. They grew one hundred fifty bushels of “Irish Potatoes”, fifty bushes of apples were grown and picked their orchards. They sold only $10 of their products as “Market Garden” during the previous year. It is assumed that most of their crops or livestock were consumed by their families with little of their produce or products being sold to outside individuals. Some of their products and milk were no doubt shipped to Chicago via the Chicago of Northwestern Railroad depot in Winfield. Farmers would transport their products by moving them on horse drawn wagons to the depot.

For more on what happened to Michael from 1904 to the time of his death on 15 February 1916 click this link here.