Charles Fries, my 2nd great grandpa on RootsMagic tree

Charles Fries was born about 1822 and probably came to America from Baden, Germany around 1840. Charles married Emma. On the 1860 census, they lived in Kenton, Kentucky and had 4 kids. Charles was a teamster, in 1860 Teamsters drove a team of animals: ox, horses, mules.  By the 1880 census, Charles was a widow and married to Mary Moore, also a widow. Charles and Mary lived in Cave In Rock, Illinois, across the Ohio River from Kentucky. Charles and Mary, along with a hired man to help out on the farm, Charles’ youngest son, Mary’s son and daughter and their shared 4 daughters, were a family of nine.

Charles’ farm is on the 1880 US agricultural census. The Hardin County, Illinois farm was owned- not rented, with 60 acres tilled land, 20 acres meadow, 15 acres woodland and 10 mown acres. The farm value was $2000 total, with $20 machinery, $400 of livestock, $30 spent on buildings and repairs. $80 is the total amount paid for wages for 25 weeks hired labor. $1135 is the total value of all farm productions which are: 8 tons of hay, 2 mules on hand, 2 working oxen, 2 cows, 1 other cow, 1 cow born, 2 cows sold, 1 cow purchased. And 175 lbs. of butter, 100 pigs, 20 chickens with 175 dozen eggs, 20 acres of Indian corn produced 800 bushels, 20 acres of oats produced 150 bushels, 5 acres of wheat produced 160 bushels, 7 acres of Irish potatoes produced 1200 bushels. 3 acres of apple trees had 60 fruit bearing trees and 25 cords of wood were cut.

Charles probably lived to age 70 or so and died around 1890.

Sources

• 1860 and 1880 United States census database at FamilySearch.org
• Illinois Agricultural Census 1850-1880 at FamilySearch.org