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Note: Art Witt: Johan Hinnerrich Witt (1856-1907). Johan Hinnerrich Witt arrived in Olney, Kansas from Nordstrand, Germany in the early 1880's in what is now Rush County. He filed a homestead claim on section 2, township 18, range 17 and proceeded to prove up his claim. This fact is supported by homestead Certificate no 4141, signed by President Benjamin Harrison. He sent fro his fianc�e, Marie Heidtmann of Hamburg, Germany. She finally arrived in Larned, Kansas by train from the East Coast. They lived in a dugout home on the south part of the Witt land for some time. On this farm, one and one-half miles east of the town of Bison, were born their six children: Minnie, Annie, William, Maggie, Dora, and Hannah. They took active part in the establishment of the Baptist Church. They built a frame home about 1890 which was added to about 1900. The house still stands and looks much the same as when John and Marie lived there. John Witt died in 1907 and Marie Witt died in 1928. Their son, William, purchased the homestead in Nov. of 1927. Their grandson and Wm.'s son, Art Witt, purchased the homestead in March of 1952. --------------- Written to Gladys Fritzemeier by Mrs. Art (Ruth Schlick) Witt (date unknown). This information would have been from Art Witt: Johann Heinrich Witt was born in Nordstrand, Germany on February 3, 1856 to Heinrich and Maria Elizabeth (nee Hanson) Witt. John Witt came to America as a young man. Sometime after arriving here, he sent a message back to Germany to Miss Marie Heidtmann asking her to come to America. Our information about her seems typical of ladies. She was born October 28, _____. But she was a lady of her word and in due time arrived in Larned to marry John. Years later, their daughter, Maggie Hildebrand, recalled the story of difficulty Marie and John had in getting together. John went to Larned to meet Marie at the time of her expected arrival. After waiting some days and she had not come, John returned home. After that Marie reached Larned. The rest of the story had been lost in time. According to Rush Co. records they were married March 10, 1884 by the justice of the peace, E.S. Patrick. John and Marie Witt lived in a sod house on the southwest part of their homestead. It was located in the flat north of the horseshoe shaped bend in the creek. Now this bend crosses in and out under the south fence-line. Evidence of this house and a barn were visible for years, says Arthur Witt. This evidence was destroyed in 1928 or 1929 when 9 or 10 acres at the south end of the pasture was broken out for farming. The first crop raised there (except perhaps a garden) was in 1930. Later the sod house was replaced by the north part of the house now standing on the north-west part of that quarter. Bill Hildebrand, John Witt's son-in-law, used to tell about the charivari of one of the Witt daughters during that time. Later those five small rooms were added onto. The addition was to the south and a half-story was placed over the entire house. John Henry Witt's Homestead Application was made at the U. S. Land Office, Wakeeney, Kansas on October 31, 1883. John's correspondence from the land office was addressed to Olney, Kansas. Another official document still in the possession of Arthur Witt, Bison, is the Homestead Certificate No. 4141, which refers to APPLICATION 6550. In part it states: There has been deposited in the General Land Office of the United States a Certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Wakeeney, Kansas, U. S. ----- the claim of Johann Heinnerrich Witt----- for the North East quarter of Section Two in Township eighteen South of Range Seventeen West of the Sixth Principal Meridian in Kansas containing one hundred sixty-one acres and forty-eight hunderths of an acre. This is dated May 11, 1891 and has the name Benjamin Harrison, president of the United States, signed by a secretary. The affixed red seal of the United States Land Co. has the American eagle embossed in it. ---------------- Ruth Witt Stude: My grandparents, Johann ("John") Heinrich Witt and Anna Marie ("Maria" Heidtmann) Witt were born in Germany. John came to America and homesteaded a farm one and a half miles east of Bison, a small town in Rush County, Kansas. Maria came to America in 1884 to marry John and live on this farm. Grandpa Witt became ill and had to be committed to Osawatomie State Hospital in 1895. I didn't know my Grandfather Witt, he died on April 9, 1907. This left Grandma Witt alone to raise their six children. In order of birth, their children were: Minnie, Annie, my father William Henry August, Margaret, Dora and JoHannah. Grandmother Witt died on Sept. 18, 1928. I can vaguely remember stopping at her place on the way home from school. --------------- Sharon Allen: John and Marie Witt lived in a sod house on the SW part of their homestead. It was located in the flat north of the horseshoe shaped bend in the creek. Now, this bend crosses in and out under the south fence line. Evidence of this house and a barn were visible for years, according to Art Witt. This evidence was destroyed in 1928 or 1929 when 9 or 10 acres at the south end of the pasture was broken out for farming. The first crop raised there (except perhaps a garden) was in 1930. Later the sod house was replaced by the north part of the house now standing on the NW part of that quarter. An addition later on was added to the south and a half story was placed over the entire house. This land passed on the their son William H. and then their grandson Art Witt. --------------- In Osawatomie State Hospital records for Johann (John) is listed a living half sister. This would have been Margaretha Dorathea Paulsen Thielenhaus. -------------- Merle Witt: The original homestead claim was staked in Rush County in 1883 at Olney, KS. by John Witt. Bison did not yet exist at that time. Olney no longer exists now. In 1888 the homestead requirements were met such that a deed was issued at the Wakeney land office. The homestead was sold May 2006 and no longer belongs to the Witt family.
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