Hermann Mueller / Herman Miller

Hermann Mueller emigrated from Stettin, Prussia to Cazenovia, NY in1908 with his wife Emilie (alternately spelled Amelia, or Emily in censuses), son Otto, and mother-in-law Sophia Bloedow.   They were sponsored by Emilie’s sister and her husband, Bertha and Charles Baaske.

Hermann and Emilie Mueller

Sitting around the kitchen table on a rainy evening in the Adirondack Mountains, Aunt Elaine, my mother, and I were discussing the many places that we had found Otto and his wife and son living in Syracuse.  But where did Hermann and Emilie live?

1910

We had the 1910 census, placing them on Ridge Road in Cazenovia, next door to the Baaskes.

1920

The 1920 census, with a bit of searching, found Hermann and Emilie (now going by “Herman Miller” and “Emily” according to the census taker) residing at 150 Briggs Road, in Syracuse.

Emily is listed as born in Stettin, Herman born in “Pommern” (in which Stettin is located).  Herman’s occupation is as a “Laborer / plowwork”.

1930

“Herman Miller” with wife “Amelia” are still living at 150 Briggs St., Syracuse

They owned the house!  It was reported as worth $8000 in 1930.  Herman was working at a plow factory.

1940

We looked up 150 Briggs St. in the 1940 census, and sure enough, there was Herman… only written as “Herbert”.  Everyone in my family knew him as Herman so this is clearly an anomaly of the census taker’s hearing.  He is a widower at this point – Emilie passed on in 1938 – and has renters in the house:  William and Ida Saggay, with son Williard and grandson William Wheeler

Herman is unable to work, receiving income from a source other than wages.

The house, after the Great Depression, is worth only 2500.

When was the house sold?  This calls for a trip to the County Clerk’s office.