The following story about the Kohn family is a transcription of an article published in the Reeseville Review in the early 1900s.
Uncle Christian Kohn
South of the Railroad track in the town of Lowell many families reside by the name of Kohn. A few have got into other towns and villages but not far away. We present this week a likeness of the venerable man who is all that is left of those who came from the Fatherland to cast their lot amid the savage wilds of Wisconsin. We shall not go into the details of his life. In fact his live has been an open book. He passes along the street daily respected by all who know him. His silver hair shows that time has been fleeting since he was a boy but his kind face has lost none of the boyancy of youth. Of his sixty-seven years fifty-seven have been spent in this vicinity and every year has added honor to his name. Per haps some of our readers will think we praise him too much but this is our chance. Ever since we learned to talk he has been our kindest and best friend. Now after all those years we beg leave to return our thanks. But we are not alone in this, for all who know him will bear testimony to what we say. As public officer in the town and village he has acquitted himself with honor and his name stands for all that is honest, pure and upright.
The Kohn Family.
Michael Kohn and his good wife were born across the water in historic old Bavaria. There were born to them six children, Michael, John, Christian, Margaret, Barbara and Christine. In 1841 Mike Kohn, one of the boys came to this country. He lived two years in the state of New York and then returned to Germany. In 1847 the family came to this country. They started on their journey in March, and for seventy-seven days they battled on the waves of the Atlantic to reach land in August they landed in New York. From there they went to Cleveland where part of the family rested. The elder Mr. Kohn and the two boys John and Mike left for Wisconsin. Coming out from Milwaukee to Watertown they were informed that there was some State land in Lowell. They came out here and found a man by the name of Mr. Solomon who with Mr. Wm. Hiliker gave them the number of the section and they returned to Milwaukee and bought the land of the Government. Mike Kohn then went to Cleveland and brought his mother and the rest of the family to Milwaukee. They hired a team and bought a yoke of oxen and moved to Lowell, and settled at the foot of the hill where the Lutheran and Reformed Church stands.
Here the old couple spent the balance of their days, Mrs. Kohn passing away in 1857 and the old gentleman in 1868. The hardships they endured in those primitive days now reads strange. For the first years the two older boys worked on the Dam in Lowell for 50 cents per day taking their pay in midlings, which supported their family. Their first grist of wheat was hauled to Columbus. There was no bridge and in trying to make the cattle ford they balked. They were compelled to go out into the river and break the thin ice to cross. When they reached the mill it was broke and they returned making a two day trip to Watertown before they had the wheat converted into flour. These and other things made life far from pleasant.
The decendants of the Kohn family are numerous, and we cannot enumerate all in this list but we will go as far as the third generation as follows:
Of the six children Christine died shortly after she came to this country. Mike Kohn's children are G.M. Kohn, G.H. Kohn, Christian Kohn (deceased), Mrs. O. Klug, Mrs. R. Lau, and Mrs. Caroline Lau. John's children are Christian and August of Portland, Charles and Albert of Lowell, P.W. Kohn and Mrs. Peter Reinhard, Reeseville, Mrs. F. Heinig and Ida Kohn, Beaver Dam and John, George and Fred who have passed away. Christian's family embraces William, Fred, George, John, Mrs. Wm. Bickel and Mrs. Louise Steindor, Mrs. August Bickel and Mrs. E. Schultz. Margaret married Leonard Neuberger and their children are: John and Mrs. Adolph Roth of Lowell, Leonard, Mrs. Len. Benninger and Mrs. Wm. Winters of Portland. Barbara married Christian Steinacker and their children are: Mrs. Chas. Schroeder and Christian Steinacker of Lowell, Chas. Steinacker of Reeseville, Mrs. Sanborn, Mrs. Sumnicht and Virginia Steinacker of Lake Geneva. All have contributed to the welfare of the community and all are know for their sterling honesty and industry. This community was fortunate when old Grandpa Kohn settled in Lowell.