As part of the series on the people who arrived on the Aristo, the next family on the passenger list to discuss is the Peter Klein family.

While he is listed as “Peter Klein,” on the passenger list, I have seen his full name listed as Johann Peter Philip Klein (and various combinations thereof). He was born 30 Aug 1790 in Sonderbach (Heppenheim), Bergstrasse, Hesse, Germany. He married Barbara Grissemer on 9 Sep 1817 in Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany. He emigrated from Germany, departing from the port of Antwerp in Belgium and arriving in New York City on 16 Oct 1839.

In addition to his wife, Barbara, also traveling with him were his sons, Adam, John, John Adam, and Peter; and his daughter, Elizabeth.

Johann Peter Philip Klein settled in Randolph Township, Portage County, Ohio, where he purchased a farm. He and his wife lived in this area for the rest of their lives. He died 18 Mar 1868 in Randolph, Portage, Ohio. His wife, Barbara, died in 1849. The couple raised the following children:

While researching Elizabeth and John Bauer’s later years, a tragic tale emerged about how John Bauer died. He had retired from farming and moved into a house in the town of Huntington. But he still owned the farm and tended a garden on the property where he grew vegetables for his household’s use.

WARNING: The article is quite graphic as to the extent of John Bauer’s injuries, so be forewarned. This wasn’t uncommon in the newspapers of the era. The article provides a great deal of information about the accident and the Bauer family’s life during this time.

This wasn’t the first tragedy to visit the family. The couple lost their youngest son, Adam, 7 Apr 1881 when he was 10-years old to a riding accident. According to the newspaper account on Find A Grave, John Bauer sent his son on horseback several miles away to see his sister. The next day, a passerby noticed the horse in a deep ditch by the roadside. On closer examination, he found the boy beneath the horse, both dead. The horse was blind and likely stumbled on the ditch bank, threw the boy into the ditch and then fell on top of him.

Interestingly, I found another article published in the local daily paper just a few weeks after John Bauer’s tragic accident that said his wife, Elizabeth, was knocked down to the floor of her kitchen by a bolt of lightning during an electrical storm. She wasn’t seriously injured and recovered at home.

I will share what I know about Elizabeth’s brother, Peter Kline, and the rest of the Portage County, Ohio, Klines in a future post.

Links & Resources

Huntington County Map and Historical Musum

Huntington County Historical Museum