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Note: Notes for Kaspar Hotz: Kaspar's June 7, 1816, date of birth in this chart is based on his known date of death of April 21, 1877, minus his age at that time as stated on his grave marker, which was 60 years, 10 months, and 14 days.
"Caspar" was how his name was written on the ship's manifest when he immigrated, although that isn't necessarily proof of the original, correct spelling of his name. His grandson's name was written as Caspar in the 1880 census.
Kaspar was a farmer in Switzerland.
In April of 1855, Kaspar Hotz sold everything he owned that wouldn't fit in the family's suitcases. He and his wife and children left their home in Switzerland that month. They traveled to the port of Le Havre, France. About May first, they boarded the <i>S.S. R. L. Gilchrist.</i>
Photos of the ship's manifest pages show the family consisted of "Caspar", 39 (actually 38); his wife "Elisa", 34; and children Herman, 7; Bertha (Anna Bertha, who went by Bertha) 5; Barbara, 3; "Heinrich" (Gustave Heinrich), 2; and Suzanne, two months of age. Notations next to Suzanne's age state that Suzanne died May 5th, which was at sea. The family surname was misspelled as "Holz". They were from "Suifse". The "fs" meant "ss". "Suisse" is how Switzerland is spelled in French. French is one of four official languages of Switzerland.
A photo of parts of those manifest pages: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/qRbBuPTd2U9hx9iu5">Photo</a>
The ship arrived in New York City on May thirty-first. From there, the Hotz family traveled to Sauk County, Wisconsin, which is about 40 miles northwest of Madison.
In the United States, people wrote the English spelling of his first name; Casper. But it isn't known if Kaspar himself decided to adopt the English spelling. If he did, then whoever ordered his grave marker reverted the name to the original spelling (Link below)
The family did not arrive in Wisconsin in time to be enumerated in the 1855 Wisconsin state census.
After one year in Sauk County, Casper decided to move his family about 100 miles NNE to Scandinavia Township in Waupaca County, Wisconsin, which is about 10 miles northwest of the town of Waupaca. He was a farmer, and he moved to this new location because the land was cheaper because it was in Indian territory. The family's mode of transportation was a covered wagon drawn by an ox team. Casper's new farm was 80 acres. But he had to cut down many trees before he could farm the land.
The 1860 U.S. census had an effective date of June first. The Hotz family was enumerated July third. The census page shows the misspelled name Casper "Hauts", 34 (actually 44); his wife "Cathrine", age 30 (probably actually about 40); and four of the couple's five children, including 12 year old Herman. (For some unknown reason, the couple's daughter Bertha was not listed as living with the family, but she was listed in the 1870 census.) They lived in Scandinavia, Waupaca, Wisconsin. Everybody was listed as being born in "Germany", but Switzerland was correct. Casper was still a farmer.
A photo of part of that 1860 census page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/WELhFAiyZQppiqCB7">Photo</a>
On June 1, 1868, Caspar became a naturalized U. S. citizen.
The 1870 U.S. census had an effective date of June first. The Hotz family wasn't enumerated until August eleventh. The census page shows the misspelled name Casper "Hotc", 54; and all five of his children, including 22 year old Herman. Casper's wife had died since the 1860 census. The family still lived in Scandinavia. Everybody was born in Switzerland. Casper was still a farmer.
A photo of part of that 1870 census page: <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/Eiatb2ChubZp3tVd8">Photo</a>
Casper died in 1877. Under that year, there are probate documents on file for Casper Hotz, file number 194. They are located in the probate office, on the 3rd floor of the Waupaca County Courthouse.
The FindAGrave memorial for "Kaspar" includes a photo of his grave marker: <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95661699/kaspar-hotz">Memorial</a>
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