Clara & Emma Brandt

BRANDT, ZIEGLER

Posted By: Debbie Gerischer (email)
Date: 7/7/2007 at 10:50:36

A Narrative History
of
The People of Iowa
with
SPECIAL TREATMENT OF THEIR CHIEF ENTERPRISES IN
EDUCATION, RELIGION, VALOR, INDUSTRY,
BUSINESS, ETC.
by
EDGAR RUBEY HARLAN, LL. B., A. M.
Curator of the
Historical, Memorial and Art Department of Iowa
Volume IV
THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY, Inc.
Chicago and New York
1931

MISSES CLARA & EMMA BRANDT. Misses Clara and Emma Brandt, always referred
to as the Brandt sisters, were for years, until the death of Miss Emma Brandt
in 1927, closely associated in all their interests and activities. These
interests and activities have meant a great deal in Davenport and in Muscatine
County.

Their father was Conrad Brandt, who was born at Hamburg, Germany, and was
left an orphan at the age of fourteen. For five years he pursued the
apprenticeship of a wood carver in Germany. When he came to America, alone, he landed
at New Orleans without money, worked at hi trade as a carver and cabinet
maker and came up the Mississippi until he arrived in Muscatine County. Not
being in robust health, he desired to live as much as possible in the open air,
and after a short time he bought a heavily wooded tract of land in Muscatine
County.

In 1850 Conrad Brandt married Mrs. Ernestine Ziegler, who came to Iowa in
1849. By her first husband, Franz Ziegler, she was the mother of two children:
Frances, now deceased, and William Ziegler, who is also deceased. Mr.
Conrad Brandt died in 1906 and shortly after his death his widow left the old
homestead and moved to Davenport.

William Ziegler, of this family, is remembered as one of America's most
successful manufacturers. He grew up in Iowa, walked several miles to school,
and for a time was employed in a drug store at Muscatine at $100 a year. He was
ambitious and energetic, and as a young man began experimenting with
chemicals and he produced a formula for baking powder and began its manufacture and
exploitation, being the founder of the Royal Baking Powder of New York. Long
before his death he was a multimillionaire. He was always deeply interested
in his old home community of Iowa, and was a generous benefactor in the
Philanthropic enterprises of his half-sisters, the Brandt sisters.

To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Conrad Brandt were born the following
children: Miss Emma, who died in 1927; George Wm. now deceased, who was in the
baking powder business in Chicago; Edward, a farmer, now deceased; Miss Clara,
who now resides at Davenport; and Arthur C., who has charge of the old farm
near Muscatine.

Miss Emma Charlotte Brandt was born in Muscatine, October 8, 1850, the
oldest child of her father and mother. She attended a private school in
Muscatine, and for several years taught in rural schools. She also spent some time in
New York with her brother, William Ziegler. For many years the Brandt
sisters devoted their time between the Brandt farm home in Muscatine County and
their residence at 308 East Fourteenth Street in Davenport.

In 1892 the Brandt sisters became interested in the task of regenerating the
old home community near the farm. Along in 1840 Benjamin Nye, the first
settler of Muscatine County, had constructed a mill on Pine Creek, and that
became the center of a community which in after years became notorious for its
indifference to educational, religions or cultural interests, and was
frequently called "the devil's half-acre." Day schools and Sunday Schools did not
flourish in that community. The Brandt sisters secured the cooperation of
their brother William Ziegler and they went to work with the handful of serious
people in the locality and founded a church, Mr. Ziegler donating the money for
the erection of a building. That was the beginning of a new era for the
community and the Brandt sisters subsequently adopted the name New Era for the
church. It has since been known as the Ziegler Memorial Lutheran Church. The
Brandt sisters did more than establish a church for Sunday services. They
interested some religious leaders who started a day school, taught domestic
science and other arts, and endeavored to make the church as much as possible a
community center. Then, in 1910, they erected a building to serve as a
gymnasium and community center, and in 1927, the year Miss Emma Brandt died, the
building was completely remodeled and dedicated as the New Era Community House.

The other building is the home of the pastor.
New Era clams the distinction of having the first rural gymnasium in Iowa
and the community house is a center for a great range of activities. Annual
agricultural festivals are held there, dramatics and athletic sports are
regular parts of the season's program, and there are many other musical and social
entertainments. The leader of the church and the pastor in recent years has
been Reverend Mr. Lack.

The Brandt sisters were inseparable for many years and together worked in
the New Era community. In addition to what they did in establishing the
community center there they were generous contributors and workers in behalf of the
Lutheran Hospital at Moline, to which they gave both time and money.

The Misses Brandt have done something for the entire State of Iowa. They
shared their father's enthusiasm for nature, and some years ago, in order to do
their share towards the conservation movement in Iowa, they deeded
sixty-seven acres of the old homestead farm to the State Board of Conservation. The
board subsequently purchased additional acreage, constituting over 200 acres,
all within about a mile of the New Era Church. This park is popularly referred
to as the Wild Cat Den Park, near Muscatine.

At the time of the death of Miss Emma Brandt one of the local newspapers
said: "Her home was her chief attraction. She not only loved her own home but
many times made a home for those who were without one. She had a strong sense
of justice and a determination to finish a task which she had once started.
This trait was evidenced more than once in the long struggle with the work
at New Era. She was of reserved nature and enjoyed wild plant life and
flowers at Wild Cat Den and for many years she kept a custodian on the place whose
duty it was to car for and conserve the flowers, shrubs and trees."