The Merchants


John Fred Stoer and Carolina Heimerdinger
In 1973 Emma Barham Callaghan published a meticulously researched narrative of the life or her great grandfather Johannes (sometimes John) Heimerdinger. He was a German immigrant that settled on the great plains of Minnesota in the 1850's. Her telling of the story of his life in Minnesota and Montana reads like an old western, replete with Indian attacks, swarms of locusts, gold strikes, and great fires. One of Johannes' Daughters and her husband John Stoer would later relocate to California and are the Main subjects of this page. 

Johannes and his wife Regina along with their first eight children came to America and settled in St. Paul in 1854. Barham says he was a "political refugee" escaping the "oppressive rule of the time". They originally settle in St Paul, but ventured a little further west in 1856.  Johannes had been a miller in Germany, and procured land in the new town of New Ulm. 

I have uncovered little of John Fred Stoer (Fritz) prior to events related by Emma Barham Callaghan. We believe he came to America from Germany in 1853, and worked for the railroads somewhere in the Southern US. He lived for a time in Cincinnati where he started the process of becoming a citizen of the United States. Later, he moved to Saint Paul with one of the organizers of the German Land Association of Minnesota. Barham described him as "slight and rather small with even features and dark complexion" and stated he possessed "lots of ambition". In 1858 he along with a partner opened a butcher shop in Saint Paul. It is not clear how he met Carolina Heimerdinger. They were married on 10/29/1859. Their first child Elizabeth Sabina was born about a year later (10/7/1860). 


New Ulm
​New Ulm, incorporated March 6 1857,  was a creation of the German Land Association of Minnesota. Germans in Minneppolas. Saint Paul face significant discrimination, and the challenges of leaving the city for the wilderness offered greater opportunities for success. The association set up a cooperative community with shared ownership of the towns resources. The community faced many challenges. Plagues of locusts and blackbirds threatened crops, and prairie fires destroyed communities in additions to harvests. 

John Heimerdinger's trade was milling. In New Ulm, he helped to build a grist mill. In time (1860), the Association dissolved and the members took ownership of the land. Heimerdinger procured a few parcels for his family. 
Among the Hiemerdinger's eight children was Carolina. Barham describes her in 1858: "she had a nice plain face with a delicate nervous body". The description foreshadows Carolina's eventual fate. 

The town of New Ulm was to suffer the consequences of the failure of the United States, and Minnesota Territory Governments to honor the obligations of multiple treaties. After the Sioux people had been forced to relocate to a reservation along the Minnesota River, they experienced a crop failure accompanied by a lack of game caused by overhunting on the part of settlers. A group of Sioux men attacked the administrative center of the Lower Sioux Indian Reservation. After burning the facility, the group attacked New Ulm (8/16/1862). The townsfolk were not prepared or trained to defend themselves from the attackers. Fortunately, news of the attack on the reservation facility reached the local towns, and many (or most) of the settlers were able to flee. The Heimerdingers escaped to Saint Paul where they joined sister Carolina and her husband John "Fritz" Stoer. 

Federal troop put down the revolt by late September, and many of the New Ulm settlers returned to rebuild. The entire Sioux nation was held responsible for the uprising. Nearly 400 were tried, and just over 300 were sentenced to death. President Lincoln commuted the sentences of most, but 38 Sioux men were put to death. Lincoln's decision was unpopular with the settlers. Two thousand federal troops were assigned to keep peace at the execution. This event was the single largest mass execution in US History. 

Montana
John Hiemerdinger returned to New Ulm, started (completed?) a new mill, but did not stay for long. Gold had been discovered in the what is now southwest Montana (then, the Dakota Territories). Heimerdinger and his son and law Fritz Stoer determined that the gold fields held greater promise. Heimerdinger's goal was to earn money for rebuilding in New Ulm. Stoer's goal was more money, and perhaps greater opportunities elsewhere. Heimerdinger sold part of his land holdings in Brown County,  Stoer sold his share of the butcher shop to his partner, and on 4/13/1864 along with other members of the family, they set out for Montana. 

The Hiemerdinger/Stoer group traveled by horse drawn wagon State where they went general discriptionof the path. . Along with John H. was his son Fred (Ferdinand-age), and daughters Carolina (age 23 ) and Minna (Wilhelmina age 21). They were accompanied by Carolina's husband John Stoer and the Stoer children Fred (age 1) and Lizzie (age 4). The group joined a large group of immigrants. The train included 150 wagons, and 300 armed men.  Their route was to take them from central Minnesota to Fort Kearney (Nebraska), to Fort Laramie (Wyoming), and then on to Virginia City. After Fort Laramie, the route crossed lands inhabited with Indian peoples hostile to white settlers. The Heimerdinger/Stoer group opted to join a splinter group of immigrants that preferred a safer but longer route led by the famous trapper Jim Bridger. 

Descendants of Heimerdinger/Stoer are encouraged to read Barham's Grandfather Heimerdinger (1973) . Her telling of her ancestors experiences is gripping and believable . She describes scenes of mythic images of the American Westward migration:  mules and oxen pulling covered wagons, narrow passages on thin trails along precipitous cliffs. fording rivers on improvised boats (rafts), wagons  lost in river crossings, and herds of bison. The book can sometimes be found on Amazon, and is in the library of Congress. 

Montana

1864 Gold in Montana (known as the Idaho territories). John H. , daughters Minna and Caroline Fritz, grandson Fred go by wagon to Virginia City Montana



  • left off page 26 right column middle 

  • Arrived Virginia City Montana July 13 1864. Upon their arrival, the city was a collection of log buildings, a few clapboard structures and a multitude of tents and improvised shelters. The landscape had been denuded of flora for heat and building materials and then the land was gutted in the search for gold. Here John Stora Frits sought his fortune, but not in the earth. He choose a slower, but surer path to wealth. Check below
  • The town was very diverse, Mexican, Chinese, Irish, German. Greatest divide was Northern vs Southern.
  • Fritz participated in the lynching of John Dolan who stole $700 worth of gold from a cabinmate. According to Emma Barham Callaghan, Fritz was joint the vigilantes " with great pride and sense of duty. 
  • 10/5/1864 Maria marries Jost Pfeiffer back in Minnesota.
  • Fritz had some knowledge of mining. At first, gold could be found by digging up the soil and sluicing or panning for it. Later tunnels had to be dug to get to it. Initially Fritz and his father in law worked in mining, but in the Spring of 1865 he returned to butchery and opened a shop. His sister in Law Minna (Wilhelmmina) opened a boarding house.
  • Winter ran late in 1865. The passes remained closed by snow, and food became very scarce. A group of minors from Nevada City marched to Virginia city and  began going house to house to search for hoarded flour. The confiscated flour was resold at a fair price, and the hoarders were paid a fair price, but likely much less than they had paid during the shortage. 
  • Left off Page 33 Just below the top of the right column
  • summer 1864 Fritz Stoer elected alderman
  • Indian trouble grow to massacres of tribes
  • Summer of 1866 John Heimerdinger decides to return to New ULM. Floated down the Yellowstone river. Use description of flotilla's and boats on Page 34. John took Uncle Fred Stoer and his daughter Minna with him. Fritz and Caroline stayed with their other children
  • arrived NewUlm 10/23/1866. J Hiemerdinger wrote article for the New Ulm Post 4/13/1864 (find article and attache image. Text is on pages 36-37.
  • John went on to acquire more property and built a mill in the township of Home
  • Late 1869 word arrived from Montana that Caroline had another child - Helena Augusta Stoer (Lena)
  • After ten years in Montana, (Spring 1873) Fritz Stoer returned to Minnesota with his family (no with just Caroline and the two youngest). He realized that the boom was over in Virginia City and began to make plans to move west. Caroline's depression and progressed, and she was not capable of taking care of her family. She "withdrew into a world of her now, one of sadness and depression." Fritz dropped her off with his inlays and went by stage to California were his brother George was.
  • Caroline dies of Melancholia.
  • Fritz got word of the death. He had returned to Montana to sell off his property and take his children to Montana. "His last act before leaving Virgina City has been to tear out the counter of his store, burn the old boards worn smooth by countless transactions, carefully sift the ashes and retrieve some $3,500 in fine god dust."
  • May 1877 he put together his own stage train and took his family to San Francisco via Ogden (wagon to Ogden - trains to California). Hired two armed men to protect them from criminals the indian threat had been reduced. 
  • Fritz goes back to New Ulm to marry Emma
  • 11 months after Caroline's death Fritz remarries. 
  • 7/16/1877  Fritz married Emma - age difference of 27 years). Possible forced marriage.The next day they set off for California
  • 1879 check date  -Fred completed his milling apprenticeship. 
  • Henry Pfieffer went to ca to work for John Stoer




completed
  • New Ulm - created by the German Land Association of Minnesota. 1856 New Ulm was incorporated in March 6 1857. 
  • John Heimerdinger - Miller from Germany - "political refugee" left the oppressive rule of the time and came to america in Spring 1854
  • New Ulm Heimerdinger family plagued by locusts, blackbirds, and prairie fires. 
  • 1858 description of Caroline "She had a nice plain face with a delicate nervous body.

  • Originally settled in Saint Paul. moved family to New Ulm in 1856. New Ulm was incorporated the next year (1857). He procured land, helped to set up the first mill.
  • John Fred "Fritz" Stoer came to America in 1853. Originally a railroad worker in the South, me moved to Cincinnati (Lots of germans there) and then to Saint Paul with one of the organizers of the Land Association. Description of Fritz - Slight and rather small with even features and dark complexion. Lots of ambition. 
  • Fritz started a butcher shop by 1858. Not sure how he met Caroling, but the married on 10/29/1959 in St Paul. 
  • first child about a year later. Elizabeth Sabina.
  • 1860 Land Association dissolved. 
  • Summer 1862 Sioux Indian uprising in response to broken treaty obligations. 8/19/1862 New Ulm attacked
  • New Ulm abandoned 8/25/1862. The Heimerdingers left their land and went to Saint Paul to stay with Fritz and Caroline. 
  • By late September, the uprising had been put down. 392 were tried, 307 sentenced to death.. Lincoln allowed only 39 to be executed.
  • The entire Sioux people were held responsible for the uprising. 

  • Who went, John Hiemerdinger, HIs older son, fred, and daughters Minnie, and Carolina. The younger son, three youngest daughters,  and second daughter Maria stayed behind. Carolina's husband John Stoer, along with toddler Fred Stoer, and infant LIzzie Stoer,
  • 1864 Gold in Montana (known as the Idaho territories). John H. , daughters Minna and Caroline Fritz, grandson Fred go by wagon to Virginia City Montana
  • Overland just like the mythic images, mules and oxen pulling covered wagons. Narrow passages on thin thrills with precipitous drop offs. Fording rivers by building boats (rafts). Wagon in the train was lost in a crossing. almost 150 wagons three hundred armed men. Herds of buffalo.


  • ​
Montana
  • They saw opportunity .Fritz to make even more money than he had in St Paul, and John to get enough to rebuild in New Ulm. To finance the trip, John sold some of his land in Brown County. Fritz sold his share of the butcher shop to his partner. Departed on 4/13/1864.
  • Route Fort Kearney, fort Laramie and the Virginia City MT.
  • After fort Laramie, the route became dangerous. They elected to take the slightly longer route and followed a group guided by Jim Bridger. They were about three days behind them. 










PictureJohn Stoer (from Grandfather Hiemerdinger)
John Stoer was born in Nurenbury Germany in 1831. He came to the United States by boat in 1853. Initially, he settled in the Minneapolis Saint Paul area, but later came to New Ulm. There he met the Heimerdinger family. He Married Carolina Heimerdinger on 10/29/1859. Their first two children, Fred and Elizabeth were born in the Saint Paul area on 1/15/1863 and 10/7/1860. 

Around 1864 John and Carolina moved the family to Virginia City, Montana. There, they had four more daughters, including Augusta. The family returned to New Ulm in 1876. Carolina's health had been fading. The family history is documented in Emma Barham's book Grandfather Heimerdinger. Her description of Carolina's ailments could lead one to conclude she suffered from depression. 

Carolina Passed in 1876. Just under a year later, John married Amelia, Carolina's younger sister. The family settled in Emeryville and two more daughters were born.  John died on 3/17/1914 in Emeryville. Amelia died in Piedmont on 7/15/1936.


PictureCaroline Heimerdinger Stoer
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The Stoer family mansion near Thirty-eighth and Adeline Streets was built in 1901
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The Stoer family store. In the 1880's, John and and his son Fred purchased land near Adeline Street and San Pablo Avenue. The lower sign reads "Groceries & Liquor. Hay, Grain & Feed"