Our History

    

Our earliest known  ancestor, Hann Alter was born in Hochhausen Germany in the very early 1600’s. We will begin with his son, Michael Alter 1646, also born in Hochhausen.  In the  1700’s,  Michael’s son Anton Alter moved to Uissigheim, Baden Germany.  It was  in Ussigheim that the Alter family remained until our closest ancestors came to the United States.

    The Alter surname is well known in the German City of Uissigheim.  From a history in the “Chronicles of Uissigheim” an interesting article was found…

    In 1798, the castle and the crown-domain was owned by the Duke Ingelheim, Echter from Mespelbrunn.  Within this domain there was a court-house, with a court-district, surrounded by a wall. In those days it was said that this crown-domain was leased to several leaseholders with a yearly lease.  Our grandfather was on of them.  From the years of 1796 to 1798, it was leased to Anton Alter as “Heir-Fief” with a yearly lease of 20 malter of cereals, 20 malter spelt, and 20 malter of oats. 

     Anton Alter moved here from Hochhausen.  He managed the crown-domain together with his brother John Heinrich Alter who was born Nov 29, 1765.

     With the approval of his master, Anton Alter gave up half of his farm to his sons, Daniel and John Alter.  From here, now two Heir-Fiefs exists.  A second house was built at this time.  It also  was standing inside the crown domain and in the center of the  domain  was a well.  Not only were there fields and meadows to which the livestock could graze, there were also vineyards.  The old house had the number 10 on it. 

     A Coat of Arms didn’t exists on the house and never has been fixed there.  No one could tell for sure if this was really a knightly domain.  The village mayor was ordered to treat this farm from 1798 on, like any other  farm.  The owner was treated like every normal person, the children of the wife  became like the children of every other woman-bondmen.  

     In 1802, John Alter purchased his portion of the farm for 9,000 Gulden.  At this time the farm consisted of 187 acres of field, 16 acres of meadows, 2 1/2 acres of vineyards and 8 acres of forests.  The buildings were surrounded with this wall so it became known as a closed domain.  John’s farm was bequeathed to Heinrich Anton Alter (1844-1930), and then to Heinrich’s son, Joseph Alter.

     In order to understand the above, why the farm had to be purchased again  one must know something about German history during this period of time.  When Napoleon wanted to conquer Russia, he had to pass through Germany which was divided into a lot of kingdoms and dukedoms. The smaller ones next to the border  of  France where Uissigheim is located had no chance against this mighty aggressor.  In order to avoid being conquered they decided to become allies with Napoleon.  They allowed him to pass through their territory.  The residents of these small towns had to provide for the soldiers of  the “Big Army”.   Napoleon compensated the dukes with properties he had taken away from the Catholic church.  All monasteries were expropriated and all privileges were cut. Churches were made into storage sheds, the pictures and statues often destroyed.  Not so the protestant churches, because the Grand Duke of Baden was a protestant.  The Alter family was Catholic.

     By these new orders, the whole region fell to the Dukedom Baden, even though  it  had been never before been under a such control. From the very early beginning of  Christianity, before 800, Uissigheim had  always belonged to the Archbishops of Würzburg, Tauberbischofsheim und Uissigheim, and  to the Archbishops of Mainz, which were closely related with the catholic Counts of Ingelheim. This was the situation 1802.  After Napoleon came through, the Alters in Uissigheim not only lost their ranking privileges and land because they were catholic,  they had to buy back their living court and they had no longer had any special privileges.

     Half  of the farm owned by Daniel Alter, was sold to the Baron of Bettendorf zu Eubigheim on April 16, 1832.  It was shortly after this date that Daniel immigrated to the United States.  The other part of the property belonging to Daniel was purchased by the town of Uissigheim.  Another report in the article after buying thefsection of domain from Daniel Alter sold parts of it again to other people and one of them bequeathed it back to the town Uissigheim with the condition to build a kindergarten/school on the land.  The well is still in the middle of the courtyard.  Because of the building of the new school house, Joseph Alter who was still farming here, moved and built a new house with farm building at the south town border.  The Alter name is still popular here, even today.  The Alter Family is today called The Hofbauern (Crown Domain Farmers).   The remainder of the farm was purchased by the local government from the Grandducal domain administrator Fritz Von Gissigheim on July 25, 1844.  

     Interesting enough is our family history in Germany, however, once to this country, things became more interesting.   

      Why did Daniel just up and leave such a prestigious life in Uissigheim Germany to come to a new country still in its infancy?  Daniel applied for an exit visa from Germany in 1832 – 1833 according to document from Germany.  Daniel was allowed to leave Germany and he came to the United States in 1833 with his second wife Catharina Geiger, a 4 year old daughter Eva Catherina Alter, and Daniel’s oldest son, Francis.  

     Daniel Alter, my 3rd great grandfather was originally married to Gertraud Kodel.  Gertraud Kodel was the mother of my 2nd great grandfather, John Adam Alter as well as 8 other of Daniel’s children.  During the birth of their last child on May 5, 1826 both Gertraud and the child died.  It was on June 30, 1828 that Daniel married his second wife Catharina.  July 22, 1828 Catharina gave birth to Daniel’s daughter, Eva Catharina Alter.  Now, let’s do the math !  Daniel’s second wife had to be pregnant with their daughter prior to their marriage one month earlier.  From reviewing all of the documents I have received from the German Catholic Church, I see no indication of any family members being witness to either Daniel and Catharina’s marriage, or the birth of Eva Catharina, their daughter. This is very unusual since in all other instances, there are family members listed as being present.   Did Daniel and the rest of the family have a disagreement over the pregnancy of Catharina?  I can only imagine what the Catholic Church would have said in those days, however Daniel and Catharina were allowed to be married in the Catholic Church, as Daniel first wife was dead. It could be possible that Daniel’s family was upset in that he sold off his portion of the farm and got money to come to America.  In those days maybe they thought he should have given it back to the rest of the family.   One will never know for sure, but there had to be a good reason why Daniel left his home country to travel that great distance to start a new life.  Maybe Daniel was upset over the politics of the era.  Daniel, Catharina, their daughter Eva settled in what I believe is Milwaukee WI.  In 1833 I believe Daniel died.  I am still researching this.  I can not seem to find Daniel’s records anywhere other than the ship he was on, and I am wondering if maybe he died on the trip over. Francis Joseph Alter, Daniel’s oldest son settled in Detroit, MI that year. It seems unusual that Francis would go to Detroit, and leave his father if in fact Daniel was still alive.  It still seems unusual that Francis would leave his step mother unless my first theory of the rest of the family not approving of Daniel’s new wife.  

      Daniel’s second son,  John Adam Alter, my 2nd great grandfather came over one year later in 1834 and also settled in Detroit.  

     It is unknown why Daniel and Catharina wanted to settled in Milwaukee WI. It should be noted that Wisconsin during this period of history was not a state yet.  It was still Michigan Territory although a great distance from the Detroit area.  I have often wondered if maybe there was some distrust of the French because of Napoleon’s actions in Germany.  Detroit was a city founded by the French, and it is possible that Daniel did not want to settle in a French city even though there were many Germans in Detroit as well. Maybe there were other Alter family members in this area of Michigan Territory  who came here before Daniel, I don’t know.  

John Adam Alter settled in Detroit Michigan in 1834 and many Alter Family members remain in the Detroit area. John Adam Alter married Catharina Koenig (Konig, King).  There are many Konig descendants in Detroit Michigan, but checking the area of Manitowoc WI, I also find many Koenig names buried there.  In those days families married into families that they had known and lived by. It is speculated and very possible that John Adam Alter had relatives in Wisconsin and  it appears coincidental that many Koenigs were there as well.  Interesting is that there is a Clarence Alter who is a descendant of a Carl August Alter.  

I recently received information on a  Clarence Alter, descendant of Carl August von Alter and Carolina von Kutzleben.  Clarence is the Great Grandson of Carl.  Carl August Alter was a former Prussian major in the 25th Infant.Reg. located  in Koblenz, Rhenania, Germany. Carl and his wife Carolina Friederike von Kutzleben emigrated from Germany to the United States and settled in Manitowoc County in the early 1850’s, some years after Daniel Alter and John Adam Alter, my ancestor however settled in the same areas.   Are these two Alter families related?  That is a question that still must be researched but is very interesting and coincidental.  Most Alter families are related unless Jewish and that will be explained later.   Here are some interesting similarities between the two Alter lines:  

        –  Daniel Alter or his family settled in Milwaukee Wisconsin 1833.  Carl August Alter settled in Manitowoc Wisconsin in the early 1850’s.  

         – John Adam Alter settled in Detroit Michigan in 1834 and many Alter Family members remain in the Detroit area.  Clarence Alter the great grandson of Carl also went to the Detroit area, Plymouth Michigan.  It was here he started a company to build the Alter Motor car.  In Plymouth MI there was a factory build and it was here numerous cars were fabricated and built.  It was Henry Ford however that contributed to the Alter Motor Car Company going out of business as they could not compete with the assembly line.  I have posted pictures below.  Today there is only one of these cars left in the historical museum in Plymouth Mi.

As Daniel Alter or his family settled in Milwaukee WI, (Michigan Territory) his son John Adam Alter settled in Detroit Michigan in 1834.  John Adam Alter was a shoemaker by trade.  The father of John Adam’s stepmother, Catharina, was a master shoemaker in Germany.  I think it can be safely assumed that John Adam, then a young man was taken under the wing of his step-grandfather and was taught the trade of shoe making since Daniel, John Adam’s father was a farmer.  After coming to Detroit,  John purchased land and married Catharina Koenig (King).  In Detroit, John Adam and Catharina Koenig raised a family of seven children, one being my great grandfather, John Jacob Alter. 

John Jacob Alter became a farmer buying a large amount of land.  The Germans were know as excellent farmers.  Wayne County, near the mouth of Lake St.Clair and the Detroit River in these early days of Detroit’s history was prime farm land.  John Jacob recognized this, and began his ribbon farm. John Jacob then married Elizabeth Munsch. The Munch family according to land records also owned a good deal of farm land next to John.  This was all in the Grosse Point area of Michigan near the Detroit border.  John and Elizabeth began their family having  9 children, one being Frederick Jacob Alter, my grandfather. 

The large area of farm property in this prime area became known as The Alter Farm and it was eventually subdivided and sectioned off being given to the children of John Jacob to be farmed and built upon.  Today, in Detroit, the property is not owned by any Alter ancestors, and has been subdivided many times and sold, but the road which was a back boundary line of the Farm is still named Alter Rd. from the Detroit River to Warren Ave in Detroit.  John Jacob Alter had given the City of Detroit an easement to build the road in early days and these roads that were built were usually given the last name of the property owners as thanks and recognition.  Many roads in the local areas have the names of the original property owners.  Many were neighbors of my ancestors.    

  So, why did Daniel possible come to America?  Was he tired of the political situation in his homeland?  Did he have a falling out with the rest of the family?  Maybe it was both; I do know that as said, in that period of history Daniel would have given his portion of the family land to his brother or other family member.  This was not the case, Daniel sold it.  Daniel may have just needed money to leave for America and this was the only way to get it.  We will never know however it was because of him that we have the freedom we now have in the United States.  Click on the link below to see how Germany was before Daniel left for America.

History of Old World Germany in 19th Century

A Few pictures of farm in Ussigheim Germany as it is today

                                                            New House that was built

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                       The wall still stands around where the Crown Domain Farm was located