• Home
•  | 
• Login/Register
•  | 
• Help

Alexander Mayer was born 15 July 1844 in a small village, Eigeltingen, in the Black Forest, a few miles from the Swiss border, near Lake Constance.
He was baptized in the catholic parish of St. Mauritius in Eigeltingen, minister Bauman. Patrons on his catholic baptism records show Dionis Martin, farmer and Josefa Riede nee Probsthof.
Alexander was married prior to marrying Katharin. The eldest child, Joseph, was born to his first wife, who died in Mannheim, Germany. It is reputed that she was afraid to come to 'The Wild West' & so she & Joseph stayed in Germany. It is also reputed that she was the sister of Katharin.
Alexander came to the United States 1873. It is said that he went back to Germany after his wife died & came back with his second wife Katherin & his son Joseph.
They first lived in Williamsburg, CO & had a baker/house that was made of brick. He sold the property to the county for $87.00 as it was the only brick building in the town & the county wanted it to house a calaboose (jail). The kids used to say they were born in jail. From there they moved to Canon City, where he built a bakery-confectionery-home in Coal Creek, CO (burned down in a fire that started in the next door saloon when someone was attempting to clean the chimney with gasoline in 1907). The family lived above the bakery. He owned a lot of land/property. In his will, he has 7 houses, the bakery and a store.
Alexander Mayer was a staunch and faithful Catholic. He gave money so that a church could be built in Florence, CO. The priest would visit the family often. Alex would send the youngest son, Alex, next door with a tin pail for beer. "Und you dond't let dot Henrich send mit you home ein bucket of foam again, Dumkopf." Young Alex would carry the bucket with a dime and nickel rattling inside. The uncles/aunts would complain (probably unjustifiably, that he should not give all that money to the church "when we needed shoes".
He was said to be overly thrifty, keeping his money in gold, which he drew on whenever he paid debts.
His closest companion, Gus Wasmuth, was also from Germany. Records in the County Clerk's office in Canaon City indicate that Gus attempted (unsuccessfully) to put his property in Alexander Mayer's name temporarily in the course of a divorce. Family legend has it that Alexander Mayer may have buried his gold on the Wasmuth farm. A cousin relates that her folks DID locate a can with $300 in gold. It is of record that Gus did return to Germany after Alexander's death. He died some years later, a wealthy and important man.
He was naturalized 31 Oct 1894 in Canon City, CO. Witnesses were Fred Riede & J. A. Wacker.
When Katharin died he went to Switzerland to marry another woman (Elise/Alese) who had a son, Emil, and brought them back to the USA. They came back on 01 November, 1899 on the 'SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse', sailing into Ellis Island, NY.
He died 15 July 1905 in Colorado.

You must be logged in to post a comment regarding this story.