Title
Jacob Schmitz Interview, ca. 1977
Files
Download Jacob Schmitz Interview Transcript (224 KB)
Document Type
Book
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Interviewer
Lee Tempte
Interviewee
Jacob Schmitz
Date Recorded
1977
Date Digital
7-29-2020
County
Traverse County
Keywords
German Americans; Germany--Emigration and immigration; United States--Emigration and immigration; Blacksmiths--Minnesota; Frontier and pioneer life--Minnesota; American bison; Rural schools--Minnesota; Smallpox; Smallpox--Vaccination; Blizzards--Minnesota; Farm life--Minnesota; World records; Publicity
Description
Jacob Schmitz was 81 years old and was from Wheaton, Minnesota.
In this interview, Jake discusses the first Schmitz moving to the Wheaton area in 1876. He also discusses his father's journey from Germany to the United States. He talks about his father's work as a blacksmith and his father moving to homestead in the Traverse County area. He discusses the conditions and life his father had homesteading in the area. He talks about his parents collecting buffalo bones to sell.
In the second part of the interview, he talks about his father helping to start a school in the area. He discusses the smallpox epidemic in the area during his father's life, and the neighbor who had his own method of smallpox vaccination. He talks about the blizzard of 1880. He then talks about his own experiences farming in the area. He talks about his family (he and his wife had 20 children) and about how one of his children made a record for the largest baby born at 16 pounds and 24 1/2 inches long. He talks about the newspaper publicity of the story of his son being the largest baby.
Run Time
00:24:49
Language
English
Original Format
Reel-to-Reel
Digital Identifier
KMRSSchmitz01
Repository
West Central Minnesota Historical Research Center (WCMHRC)
Local Identifier
1019
Recommended Citation
Schmitz, Jacob, "Jacob Schmitz Interview, ca. 1977" (1977). Reminiscing in West Central Minnesota (KMRS Feature). 82.
https://digitalcommons.morris.umn.edu/kmrs/82
Primo Type
Audio
Notes
This interview was done in two parts, to be aired over two weeks on KMRS.
The digitization and transcription of this oral history was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Any views, findings, opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, or the Minnesota Historic Resources Advisory Committee.