Center for Archival Collections

Introduction | Biographical Sketch | Scope and Content | Series Description | Inventory

Introduction

The papers of the Louis Emil Schraidt family, consists of 2 linear feet of material centered on Johann Casper Schraidt of Ottawa County, Ohio. Spanning the years from 1847 to 1971, the collection includes correspondence (some in German), legal documents, clippings, photographs, and genealogical files relating to the Schraidt, Weigand, and Trapp Families, and life in Ottawa County, Ohio and Put-in-Bay.

The donation and transfer of these records to the Center for Archival Collections was arranged through the cooperation of Calvin C. Kuehner, Murray, UT, (formerly of Lombard, IL) on Sept. 4, 1991, with addition material received on May 4, 1996, and on Oct 13, 2006 from Elizabeth Daly. No restrictions exist on the use of this collection. Duplication is permitted for the purposes of preservation and research. The register was completed by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts in May 1996, with a revision in 2006.

Biographical Sketch

The Louis Emil Schradt Family Papers center on the descendents of Caspar Schraidt, a German immigrant to Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Caspar, who was born in 1823, emigrated to the United States in 1852, settling first in Sandusky, where he worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker. Moving to Put-in-Bay in 1859, Schraidt bought some land and became involved in the wine-culture of the island, developing a grape variety under his name, "Schraidt's Seedling". A founder of the Put-in-Bay Wine Company, Caspar was also a member of the American Wine Growers Association.

Caspar was married in 1852 to Dorothea Humbert, who died in 1881. In May of 1882 he married again, to Wilhelmina Trapp, with whom he had two children, Louis Emil (born Jan. 30, 1884) and Bertha. When Caspar died in 1886, his son was just a year old and his daughter was an infant. Wilhelmina remarried William Weigand in 1889 and he became the guardian of her minor children. Her second marriage added another child to the family, Laura.

Louis Emil was married to Hilda Heinemann in 1912 having one child, Norma, born in 1914. She later married Nick Parrino and had two children, Thomas and Stefani. Louis Emil died on Jan. 16, 1972. Bertha married Arthur Oswald Kuehner in 1914. Their son was Calvin Charles Kuehner, born in 1922.

Scope and Content

The Louis Emil Schraidt Family Papers consists of 2 linear feet of correspondence, legal documents, photographs, newsclippings and genealogical material relating to the Schraidt Family of Ottawa County, Ohio, dating from 1847 through 1971. The material is of interest from a genealogical standpoint for the related Trapp, Schraidt, Kuehner, and Weigand families of the German immigrants to the Lake Erie Islands area, as well as for information on the wine culture of the region.

The one group of correspondence in the collection includes a series of German letters between Franz and Alois Trapp, written between California and Sandusky from the 1860s through the 1880's, with some personal documents dating to 1847. These have typed transliterations for a few pieces, but no translations. The other body of correspondence relates to the family of Louis Emil Schraidt, including letters between his mother (Wilhelmina Trapp Schraidt Weigand), a series of letters from daughter Norma Schraidt Parrino and her family, and letters from miscellaneous friends. There are additional letters of Wilhelmina Weigand from the 1930s corresponding with friends and relations, and a small grouping of letters written by Louis Emil Schraidt to Ann Weis Ranke and Helen Weis Judson, dealing with family and Put-in-Bay history. All of this family correspondence makes frequent references to life and people in the the Put-in-Bay area. The small grouping of business correspondence includes a detailed material costs list from the construction firm of John Feick for the construction of the Heineman-Schraidt house and barn, Put-in-Bay.

Among the subject files are two folders of genealogical material collected by Calvin Kuehner, a descendant of Caspar Schraidt's daughter, Bertha. The family group record sheets cover information on the related Schraidt, Weigand, Kuehner, and Trapp families, and the miscellaneous correspondence includes copies of official documents from county officials.

The legal documents in the collection include both personal papers, such as marriage certificates and wills, as well as property records. These center primarily on Wilhelmina Trapp, her first marriage to Caspar Schraidt, his estate, her marriage to William Weigand, and their property in Put-in-Bay, on South Bass Island, Lake Erie.

The final section of the collection consists of photographic material, both loose items and family photo albums. The loose photos show views of Schraidt/Weigand related wine businesses in Put-in-Bay. The albums were the possessions of Louis Emil Schraidt, and most of the identifications supplied were written by him.

Series Description

CORRESPONDENCE

CORRESPONDENCE - Franz Trapp to Alois Trapp
1847-1883
Arranged chronologically
Correspondence from California to Sandusky, in German script, with some letters transliterated, but not translated. Photocopies and originals

CORRESPONDENCE - To Louis Emil Schraidt
1923-1963
Arranged by correspondent, then chronologically
Personal correspondence, including letters from his mother, a series of letters from daughter Norma, and her family, and letters from miscellaneous friends

CORRESPONDENCE - From Louis Emil Schraidt
1967-1971
Arranged chronologically
Correspondence from Schraidt to Ann Weis Ranke and Helen Weis Judson, dealing with family and Put-in-Bay history. Transcripts provided by donor Elizabeth Daly

CORRESPONDENCE - To Wilhelmina Weigand
1930-1936
Arranged chronologically
Personal correspondence, including a series from Anna Fiedler, a friend in Toledo, Ohio

CORRESPONDENCE - Miscellaneous business
1865-1933
Arranged chronologically
Business receipts, correspondence, and notices. Includes a detailed inventory of materials and costs of the John A. Feick Company in building the Heineman-Schraidt house and barn, Put-in-Bay

CORRESPONDENCE - Miscellaneous political
1918-1935
Arranged chronologically
Ephemeral political items, including an acknowledgement of membership in the National Union for Social Justice, a receipt for a donation to the campaign of Alfred E. Smith, and a guest pass to the 1924 Republican National Convention in Cleveland

SUBJECT FILES

GENEALOGICAL FILES
1968-1976
Typed family group record sheets with information on the related Schraidt, Weigand, Kuehner, and Trapp families; compiled by Calvin C. Kuehner

GENEALOGICAL CORRESPONDENCE
1970-1972
Arranged chronologically
Responses from family members, various county officials and clerks regarding requests for vital statistic or genealogical information. Includes copies of some of the requested documents

LEGAL DOCUMENTS

WARRANTY DEEDS
1919, 1941
Arranged chronologically
Miscellaneous deeds to property in Ottawa County, with accompanying correspondence

CHATTEL MORTGAGES
1876, 1912-1913
Arranged chronologically
Mortgages on property in Ottawa County

TRANSFER OF REAL ESTATE
1939
Probate transfer of property in Put-in-Bay from the Estate of Wilhelmina Weigand to Louis Emil Schraidt

WILLS AND ESTATE PAPERS
1865?, 1886-1898
Arranged chronologically
Will of Caspar Schraidt (in German), inventory of the estate of Caspar Schraidt, and Will of William Wigand, guardianship papers, and receipt for $13,287.70 belonging to wards Louis E. And Bertha Schraidt

LICENCES
1882, 1889
Marriage licences of the two marriages of Wilhelmina Trapp to Caspar Schraidt and to William Weigand

MISCELLANEOUS LEGAL
1878-1922
Cemetery deeds, insurance papers, power of attorney papers, liquor traffic tax notice

FINANCIAL DOCUMENTS

BILLS AND RECEIPTS
1907-1919
Arranged chronologically
Miscellaneous personal and business receipts of Louis Emil Schraidt and also of William Wigand Winery

PASSBOOKS
1886-1891
Account passbooks from Second National Bank, Sandusky, Ohio, in the names of William Wigand and Mrs. Caspar Schraidt

SCRAPBOOKS AND SCRAPBOOK MATERIAL

NEWSCLIPPINGS
1948, 1953, n.d.
Arranged chronologically
Clippings (photocopied) related to Put-in-Bay or island life

POSTCARDS
n.d.
Published postcards, primarily of Put-in-Bay

DRAWINGS
n.d.
Pencil and crayon drawings of lake ships, horses, technical sketches, and general scenes, by Louis Emil Schraidt

PRINTED MATERIAL

BROCHURES
1949-1963
Put-in-Bay tourist brochures, maps, boat timetables, and booklets

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINTS
1890-1911
Arranged chronologically
Includes photos of individuals, scenes around Put-in-Bay, and an interior of the Schraidt-Weigand "Wein Stube"

PHOTOGRAPHIC ALBUMS
Circa 1860-1960
Family albums (4), originally in the possession of Louis Emil Schraidt. Many with individuals identified, including members of the Weigand, Trapp, Phillips, and Schraidt families

Inventory

Box 1

Folder

1. Correspondence - Franz Trapp to Alois Trapp (German - originals), 1847-1883
2. Correspondence - Franz Trapp to Alois Trapp (German - copies), 1847-1883
3. Correspondence - L.E. Schraidt from Mother, 1923
4. Correspondence - L.E. Schraidt from daughter Norma Parrino, 1925-1961
5. Correspondence - L.E. Schraidt from Parrino Family, 1962
6. Correspondence - L.E. Schraidt from Miscellaneous, 1929-1963
7. Correspondence - L.E. Schraidt to Ann Weis Ranke & Helen Weis Judson, 1967-1971
8. Correspondence - Wilhelmina Weigand from Miscellaneous, 1930-1936
9. Correspondence - Miscellaneous business, 1892-1933
10. Correspondence - Miscellaneous political, 1918-1935
11. Subject files - Genealogical family group sheets, 1968-1976
12. Subject files - Genealogical correspondence, 1970-1972
13. Warranty deeds, 1873-1941 (scattered)
14. Property correspondence, 1921-1925

Box 2

Folder

1. Chattel mortgages, 1873-1879, 1904-1915
2. Transfer of Real Estate, 1939
3. Will of Caspar Schraidt (in German), 1865?
4. Inventory and appraisal of the estate of Caspar Schraidt, 1886
5. Will of William Wigand, 1890
6. Guardianship papers for wards, Louis and Bertha Schraidt, 1886-1898
7. Marriage License, Wilhelmina Trapp and Caspar Schraidt, 1882
8. Marriage License, Wilhelmina Schraidt and William Weigand, 1889
9. Miscellaneous legal documents, 1878-1922
10. Bills and receipts, 1907-1919
11. Bank passbooks, 1886-1891
12. Newsclippings, 1948, 1953, n.d.
13. Postcards, n.d.
14. Pencil and crayon drawings, by Louis Emil Schraidt, n.d.
15. Put-in-Bay maps, brochures, timetables, 1949-1963
16. Ice Yacht Club, Put-in-Bay, 1890
17. Kurtesmann Family, 1892
18. Andrew Schiele, William Wigand and others, 1892
19. Sadie and Adam Ritchie, 1936
20. Fire Brigade and Fire on Middle Bass Island, 1909
21. Display at the Heidle & Schraidt's Wine Rack, 1911
22. Interior of Schraidt-Weigand "Wein Stube", circa 1904
23. Interior of Schraidt-Weigand Wein Garten, 1892
24. "The Tourist" and party, laying at wharf, Wyandotte, Mich., 1911

Box 3

Folder

1. Album, Schraidt Family, Put-in-Bay, circa 1900-1949
2. Album, various (Miller, Weigand, Phillips, Webster, etc.), circa 1870-1900

Box 4

Folder

1. Album, Weigand-Phillips Families, Circa 1870-1918

Box 5

Folder

1. Album, Schraidt-Weigand Families, Circa 1860-1910

Manuscripts by Subject | Family Collections