NOTES:
1 - John and Francina married shortly after arrival in USA; Francina
was an only child; John Sebastian had several brothers, none came to the
USA; naturalized in Mankato, Ks 1900; served in Civil War on Western Front;
lived in Braddyville, Iowa 1867-1892; lived Formosa, Kansas 1892 - 1908
2 - children of #5 Madeline and Leo Wolcott were born 1895 and 1897.
Leo settled in Eudoria, Iowa.
3 - Clarinda Herald, Clarinda, Iowa Jan 20, 1910 - JOHN
GOTTBREHT WRITES - Old resident whom many thought dead sends letter to this
paper. John Gottbreht, an old time resident of Braddyville and a man who
has much to do with the early history of the town, has written a letter
back to his friends at last, years after many had given up ever hearing
from him again.
He has written a letter to his friends at Braddyville and wishes to
have it published in the Clarinda Herald so that everybody can see it. John
was an old time resident of Braddyville and in the sixties [1860's] he
bought the mill of James Braddy and repaired and operated it for a number
of years. He also built the large house near the mill which was his home
for a number of years. He states in his letter that he kept a record of the
time that the railroad first entered Braddyville. The first train coming
through stopped in front of the mill at 9 a.m. on August 8, 1879. In the year
1885 he built the first mill in Dunseith, North Dakota. Then coming back
here and moving onto a piece of land that he purchased northeast of
Braddyville, he lived there a few years. Then he moved to Montrose, Kansas
where he now owns 1280 acres of land worth $50 to $60 per acre. He is now
intending to move to Dunseith, North Dakota in the future, where he owns a
mineral spring about three miles from town. The stream has a fall of 46
feet and at that place he intends to build an electric lighting plant.
Dunseith is the home of his son William who owns a large mill and
4500 acres of land valued at $15 per acre, and he has the farm well
stocked. John says it is the finest land in America and that it is a great
place for a man to make money. It certainly must be a fact for John has
accumulated while up there about $75,000.
4 - Clarinda Herald, Clarinda, Iowa, Sep 23, 1915. John
Gottbrekt estate settled in Formoso, Kansas. |