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Note: Jacob Roland II, sone of Jacob Roland I and Margaretha Becker, was born in Neidermiesan, Rhineland Pfalz, Germany the fifth day of June 1846.
He was persuaded to come to America by his good friend, Mr. Briedenbach, who had already emigrated to the United States and was living in or near Hawesville, Hancock, Co. KY.
Jacob II came here alone i 1884 to establish a business and get settled here before sending for his family. When he arrived in New Hork, someone cut open his overcoat and stole all his savings. He pawned his watch maker's tools tp get some money for his fare to Hawesville, KY. when he got there a friend loaned him enough cast to send for his tools. He arrivedin Hawesville, the night of Grover Cleveland's election as President. He cold only understand a few words of English and when he saw people parading in the streets, carrying torches, yelling and drinking he was so frightened that he said later, "I would have gone back to Germany if I caould have." After seaching for a man he called Archer and not finding him, a storekeeper locked him in his store to keep him from being trampled in the streets. Here he spend his first night in Kentucky sleeping on a counter of overalls.
His first watch repair shop was set up in Hawesville, KY. He saved enough money withina year to send for his wife, Magdalena and six children. She must have been a brave woman to start for a new country with six children ranging in ages from one to nine years. Each of the older ones were responsible for a box or a parcel on the trip. One of the girls left a box of hats at a railroad stateion just before sailing. An event which impressed them during the voyange over was when a mother also traveling alone, lost her only daughter through illness and the daughter was buried at sea. they said it was a sad sight when the father met the mother at the port and was told of the girl's death. when the Rolands arrived in Hawesville, KY, all the children had the measles. A family took them into their home until they recovered -- the Bergeuroths. While living in Hawesville for about two years, they attended school but could not understand or speak English. Their teacher was Miss Hattie Lentz.
During that time, they crossed the Ohio River in a skiff each Sunday to attend church in Cannelton, IN. There was not Lutheran Church in Hancock Co., KY. Jacob was Lutheran and Magdalena his wife was Catholic. Back in the old country, he would take the babies at birth and have them christened into his church, even before their mother was able to be up and about. She really did not object.
The Roland Watch Repair Shop in Hawesville burned down and the family moved to Cannelton, IN to start over again. There the children went to a school which taught both English and German. Some of the children claimed this was even more confusing.
Jacob II, in later years, raised canaries and shipped them to customers in various parts of the country. He also had dogs and a horse. Older people told his grandchildren that they could remember him dressed ina dark suit, carrying a cane and walking his dogs. He was a stern man, having rules for his family to live by. He expected them to be home and in bed by 9 PM. Once the oldest boy, Jacob III, got home late and climbed in an upstairs window, frightening his sisters, who almost gave him away with their screams. Another rule was that they were to eat everything on their plates, if they didn't, it was saved for them until the next meal and that is all they got.
Aside from better opportunities in America, the Rolands left their homeland because of forced vaccination. Their fourth child, Carl I, died from smallpox which was contracted from an improper vaccination. An incident occured on the ship coming over which showed their strong feeling against the law. During a health inspection, the officer asked Magdalena if the one-year-pld boy, Carl II, had been vaccinated. She showed him the child's arm and he informed he that he could not see a scar. She stuck her baby's arm right up under his nose and shouted, "See that red mark?" Evidently, the arm was red from his mother grasping it so firmly. Anyway, the officer agreed that he saw it and told her to move on down the line. She was taking no chances of losing another child, and her vehement answer convinced the officer.
One thing that Magdalena told her children was that when she was a girl, she stayed with a wealthy family to take care of their children. Once when the parents were away, the room where the children were playing caught on fire By her quick thinking, the children were saved. The parents were so grateful to her than on their next trip to the city, they bought Magdalena a beautiful locket. It is still in the possession of one of her grandson's wives, Mrs. Roland Brewer.
These notes were compiled by granddaughters, Louise Roland Veatch and
Magdalena Reynolds Jolly
March 1973
Jacob Roland II"s daughter, Lena Roland, mentions in her biography that her
father had a brother, Christian Roland who came to the United States in 1891 with his wife Anna and two sons, Theodore and Oskar. They visited in Cannelton, IN but settled in Buffalo, NY where Christian Roland died.
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