The Falk Brothers
Carl Friedrich Wilhelm & Friedrich Danial August Falk are the sons of Daniel Friedrich and Marie Dorthea Falk.
Friedrich & Carl, the eldest by 10 years, began their lives in the state of Brandenburg, Germany. Friedrich married Wilhelmina Caroline Fredericka Woldt Borschart in 1836 at the age of 20. It took a bit more time for Carl to find his love with Fredericka Wilhemine Kramer in 1856 at the age of 30.
Carl Falk and his wife Fredericka escaped from Germany in 1860 with their two young children; Carl II & Anna in tow. Decades of German wars and the requirement all males of fighting age must defend Germany may have been the catalyst to make the sixty-three day voyage to America.
Carl Falk and his family settled near Rock Creek, a few miles north and east of Alta Vista, Kansas. As the newest state in the Union and a ‘Freestate’, this likely appealed to the Falk’s as their sons would not be subject to required military service. Here the Falk’s homesteaded and built their life. Carl is credited with helping establish the Zion Lutheran Church in Alta Vista and the Templin School in 1865. On his land he built a “Stone Fort” to protect from the marauders from the Kaw Reservations by building gun ports in the side of his new barn.
Many early settlers like the Falks would write letters back to their loved ones still in country, telling them about the opportunity and challenges they were experiencing. There were no envelopes at that time, so addresses were hand written on the back of the folded letter. Sending a letter took many weeks to be delivered as the correspondence had to be sent by friends, merchants and Native Americans via foot or horseback and then handed directly to captains of ships who would transport the letters who would then deliver all mail to the posts at the first port of entry.
August Falk, Carl’s eldest nephew, aged 21 in 1870 had influenced his family to leave their native country and settle in the Wabaunsee County, Kansas. Friedrich Falk (54) and his wife Wilhelmina Caroline (59) left Germany in 1870 with five of their children, arriving Castle Garden New York July 27th; 10 years after his brother Carl had made the voyage with his young family.
We can assume that Friedrich’s family reached Carl’s homestead and then decided to go a bit further toward Alma, Kansas settling there, building their lives.
Sources: Ancestry.com, People of the Flint Hills