This collection documents the Krueger family's 1850 immigration to Wisconsin and their life
on the family homestead in Emmet township through four generations of Kruegers and
Goetsches. The papers are divided into five series: correspondence, genealogical
information, ledgers and journals, legal papers, and miscellaneous.
The correspondence is subdivided into (1) correspondence from relatives in Europe and (2)
correspondence from relatives in the United States. English translations of several letters,
1856-1900, to William Krueger from his family in Pomerania are filmed with the originals.
His brother and mother wrote concerning family news, crop conditions, and current events.
References to their relationship to the local nobility, “the count, countess and
baron,” reveal the nature of the obligation of the East Elbian peasant to his
protector. The larger portion of the correspondence is from the U.S. relatives and is
addressed to August Krueger and to his son Alexander's family. Of special interest are
letters between August and Alexander Krueger while the son attended the University of
Wisconsin, 1896-1897.
Filed as the second series is genealogical information which traces the Goetsch and Krueger
families in Europe and America.
In the third series, several diary/ledgers kept by August, Alexander, and Edgar provide an
account of the day-to-day activities of the small dairy farmer as well as of the market
prices for his commodities and livestock. The volumes often contain a variety of records
including accounts August kept as treasurer of the Town of Emmet, and as director of the
Farmers Mutual Insurance Company of Hustisford. In addition to farm ledgers there are school
notebooks of Alexander Krueger and an account book of a general store owned by Herman,
William, and Henry Goetsch in Watertown.
The legal records include real estate mortgages, titles, abstracts, surveyors' reports,
probate records, and loan certificates, involving the Krueger family and their farm
property, 1852-1965.
The miscellaneous papers include receipts, calling cards, an autograph book, scattered financial
records, a short history of Town of Emmet School District No. 7, news clippings, and other
papers.
