The Harness Maker

 

 

The Harness Maker

 

P.E. HINDORFF

~ MANUFACTURER AND DEALER 18-- ~

HARNESS, .........................SADDLES,
WHIPS, ETC., ETC.

Lewis, Iowa______188_

 
Per Gustav & Adolfus Fredrick HINDORFF were the Swedish immigrant sons of Pher Eric Hindorff, all of whom came to the USA in 1868. Education is Sweden had been considered of the utmost importance and the older children had been attending school there before coming to America. The Hindorff Family first settled in Iowa, but then relocated to Chicago, Illinois where there was more work due to the historical Chicago fire. Pher Eric appd for American Citizenship and the family stayed in Chicago are until it was finalized. After attaining American Citizenship, Pher Eric Hindorff began using the name of Peter Eric Hindorff or just "P.E. Hindorff".  The HINDORFF FAMILY, now having grown to include five children, returned to Iowa to live. The family settled in Davenport and later Dexter, where the children continued their American education. After a number of years, there was some sort of a falling out in the family and the two older sons left their father's home in Dexter, Dallas County, Iowa and traveled to Cass county, Iowa where they took a position with a Mr. George HIND, who owned and operated a saddle & harness manufacturing shop in Lewis. According to the Lewis, Cass County, Iowa census of 1880, it is recorded that Per Gustav and his brother, Adolfus Hindorff resided at a cross-roads boarding house run by a Mrs. Ann VAUGHN, recent widow of Amos VAUGHN. Per Gustav HINDORFF began to court one of Mrs. Vaughn's daughters, Nancy Leanore VAUGHN. At the same time, Adolfus HINDORFF also began to court another of Mrs. Vaughn's daughters, Lucy Ann VAUGHN.

Apparently, P.E. Hindorff did not approve of their choice of work nor their association with the two Vaughn girls and objected bitterly,  estranging his sons by his actions. Both "Gus" and "Dolf", as they were known,  worked for Mr. Hind for three years as apprentices. They learned the art of the leather goods trade quickly and soon became a well known and respected part of the community of Lewis.
Per Gustaf, or P.G
as he was called by his constituents in Lewis, was a member of the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows. He served as an Officer in one capacity or another from 1879 through 1883. (See the record below).

Gus worked for George Hind for about 6 years- [1875-1880 ]. (We had previously thought that it had only been for about three years -see Business Ad below). At that time, Mr. Hind sold the factory to Gus and went to Temecula, California. The Harness factory became the "P.G. Hindorff Manufacturer and Dealer in Harness, Saddles, Whips, Etc, Etc., Lewis, Iowa."

This is a scanned image of the actual Newspaper Ad that was placed in an Iowa Newspaper @1880, after P.G. took over the Harness shop in Lewis, Iowa. The newspaper clipping had been in the possession of Martha E. (Vaughn) Newcomb, sister of Leanore (Vaughn) Hindorff. Martha's daughter, Edith Newcomb, my Grampa's 1st cousin, sent it to my Aunt Margaret, since it was about her Grampa Hindorff, and Edith knew that Aunt Margaret collected family things.

Business advertisement - Lewis, Cass Co., Iowa @1880
CLICK on image to enlarge

The P.G. Hindorff Wholesale Harness Manufacturer & Dealer business in Lewis, Iowa employed several men, and he operated this shop from about 1879 to 1883. Gus and Leanore began a family at once and on November 24, 1881, they were blessed with their first-born child.. They named her Leora Anna HINDORFF; the Anna was for Gus's mother, Anna Larsdotter- HINDORFF. Two years past and on July 24, 1883, they were again blessed with a child,- a son. They named him Eric Charles HINDORFF. This boy-child in time, became my Grandfather.

From a book entitled " Cass County Historical Biographies", a reference under "Societies" listing (pages 544-545) was found in regard to P.G. Hindorff:

Lewis I.O.O.F. Lodge No. 140 met July 5, 1858 under dispensation, by authority of the meeting of the Grand Lodge of the State of Iowa, held at Fort Des Moines, June 16, 1858."
"The Lodge was organized under charter dated Davenport, June 8, 1859."
"The Lodge is in good condition financially. Of its charter members, Daniel Stanley and S.L. Lorah are the only ones known to be living in 1884. Regular meetings are held on Saturday, on or before (the) full moon of each month. The Lodge room is well furnished."
The officers for the years 1886, 1887 and 1888 could not be obtained with any degree of historical accuracy and are for this reason omitted. Beginning with the year 1879, the officers have been as follows:............"

"1879 - First half: N.N. Jones, N.G.; C.C. Weaver, V.G.; G.W.B. Fletcher, R.S.; P.G.. HINDORFF, P.S.; R.C. Kennedy, Treas. Last half: O.H. Conrad, N.G.; G.W.B. Fletcher, V.G.; L.V. Crum, R.S.; R.C. Kennedy, Treas."

"
1880 - First half: C.C. Weaver, N.G.; G.L. Miles, V.G.; J.E. Cowan, V.G.; L.V. Crum, R.S.;D.M. Perkins, P.S.; P.G. HINDORFF, Treas."

"
1881 - First half: J.E. Cowan, N.G.; P.G. HINDORFF, V.G.; S.R. Barhite, R.S.; D.M. Perkins, P.S.; R.S. Kiehl, Treas. Last half: P.G. HINDORFF, N.G.; S.R. Barhite, V.G.; L. Hardenbergh, R.S.; W.H. Gaynor, P.S.; W.W. Haworth, Treas."

"
1882 - First half: R.D. Hopkins, N.G.; G.W.B. Fletcher, V.G.; W.A. Kennedy, R.S.; J.E. Cowan, P.S.; P.G. HINDORFF, Treas." Last half: G.W.B.Fletcher, N.G.; Paul Stevens, V.G.; P.G. HINDORFF, Treas."

"
1883 - First half: R.S. Barhite, N.G.; W.A. Kennedy, V.G.; C.F. Hamlin, R.S.; J.T. Grearley, P.S.; P.G. HINDORFF, Treas. Last half: W.A. Kennedy, N.G.; R.S. Kiehl, V.G.; J.R. Jones, R.S.; D.A. Peters, Treas."

Credits - Thomas Petznick
Cass County Historical Biographies

 

  <- Gus's Handmade Leather Tool that he used in his Harness and Leather Goods Business
-
CLICK  on image to enlarge
Image courtesy of Margaret N. (Hindorff)
Ray

The HINDORFF BILLIARD HALL and  SALOON, Dexter, Iowa

On February 22, 1879, Gus signed a loan to his father for One Hundred fifty dollars, to be paid in full by February 22, 1880. This Chattel Mortgage was against his Billiard Hall & Saloon in Dexter, and listed all the inventory. The agreement stated that if P.E. Hindorff (the Party of the first part) did not make good the loan, then PG Hindorff, his son, (the party of the second part) or his designated representative or his heirs could foreclose and take possession at any time they saw fit to do so, to sell and reclaim the loaned amount, with any remainder (profit in the transaction of sale) to go to his father, P.E. Hindorff. I had been told that this was a Loan to buy the Saloon, but it looks to me to be a Mortgage lean against the saloon which he already owned.

Peter Eric died on July 19, 1880, six months after the loan was to be paid off. I would therefore assume that his estate would have been in Probate until the Saloon could be sold, all debts paid, with the remainder to be divided amongst his heirs. The estate was not settled until after both Gus and Dolf had passed away (aft. 1889). The living children, Albert, Alma, Minnie & Edward & widow of P.E. (Agnes Hindorff), should have received their shares of the Estate. A legacy of about $1400 from that estate went to the widows of the eldest Hindorff boys (Gus & Dolf), but upon their deaths was to go to the widows & any children. In this case, Mrs. Leanore (Vaughn) Hindorff & Mrs. Lucy Ann (Vaughn) Hindorff-Mack and their children - Leora, Eric, Dora Hindorff, & Mabel Hindorff-Mack, respectively. Leanore's children gave their shares to their mother.

MARRIAGES
On 5 Aug 1880, only 19 days after his father's death, Gust married Leanore in Lewis, the Rev. W.F. Arnold officiating. Nineteen days later, Dolf married Lucy on August 24th.

~ Curiously, on the marriage registration for ADOLPHUS FREDRIC HINDORFF, he gave their mother's name as "Anna Erickson". This was also found on Gus's Naturalization papers, giving her name only as "Anna". From this we supposed that it was correct and so was the basis of my early pursuits for her and her family in Sweden. It wasn't until this past year that her true identity was discovered. This I owe to the efforts and work of a friend, Roger Lindholm, who hoped to discover that my Anna was his Erickson ancestor's sister or aunt. He arranged for researchers in Sweden to do searches for the families of PHER ERIC HINDORFF. Imagine our surprise when they discovered her name was not ERICKSON, but ANNA LARSDOTTER. Even so, Roger continued to have the researchers look for more information. As a result, we now have much more knowledge about our Swedish ancestry than I had ever hoped we could find. "Tack Så Mycket, Roger!!!"

 

The P.G. Hindorff wholesale harness Manufacturer & Dealer shop in Lewis prospered, but Gus contracted Tuberculosis and his health began to wane rapidly. Tuberculosis was very contagious and quite common in those days, & tragically, even his younger brother, ADOLPHUS HINDORFF "Dolf" was found to have the deadly disease, as well.. (It is not known who had the illness first nor when or where they became infected. At that time, it was a fairly common disease). Due to his declining health, P.G. decided to sell the business and take his young family West to Southern California, where the drier air and more temperate climate was said to be helpful in the recovery of TB & might prove healthier for him.

In October of 1883, they traveled by Emigrant train on the Transcontinental Railroad to California. The train trip that was to take 4-5 days was vexed with many disasters along the way. The complete trip took ten days. LEANORE & P.G. kept journals of the entire trip. Departure was from Council Bluffs, Iowa, aboard the Union Pacific R&R, and was by way of Sacramento, California, where they boarded the new Southern Pacific Railroad, just finished that year. Their destination was another 35-40 miles south to the small & very old Spanish/Indian community of Temecula where Leanore's older sister, AMANDA VAUGHN-KEELER & her family had gone to live some years earlier. A short time later, DORA ALICE VAUGHN, "Allie", another sister, came to Temecula and brought with her ANN BRADSHAW-VAUGHN, their mother (my GG-Gramma).  Allie came to Temecula to teach school.  She later married a Native Californian by the name of MACEDONIA LLORA MERRION MACHADO.
(SEE "story" of M. Machado)

It also seems that his former employer & good friend, GEORGE HIND (see his name mentioned in the above newspaper ad), formerly of Cass county, Iowa, now owned and operated a Harness goods store there in Temecula. Gus went to work for his old friend, whom he referred to simply as "Hind". George Hind had a small ranch up over the mountains from Vallecitos*, but operated a Harness Shop in Temecula.

THE NEW HOMESTEAD -

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