While I was going through my mom’s photo albums looking for photos of my brother, I came across a photo of a huge family reunion of my mom’s family. I posted the photo to our cousins’ Facebook page and that started a long discussion about who was in the photo and where it was taken. (My uncle was a professional photographer and he took the picture. His daughter said he set up the shot and then had eight seconds to get into position before the delayed shutter release. He is the man in the yellow shirt on the far left.)
On the left side of the photo are all my mom’s family: brothers, in-laws, and their children. On the right side are my grandfather, Martin Louis Ehlmann’s brothers, sisters, and their families. The best we can guess is that the photo was taken around 1974. I immediately recognized the building in the background.
Before we bought our house in 1963, we rented the right half (I say “we” but I was just a freeloading kid) of a large brick duplex in the historical part of St. Charles.
Our brick duplex was owned by Caroline Iborg who lived in the big house behind the family in the photo. I remember going to the house with my dad to pay the monthly rent of $60. I don’t know why I’ve remembered that all these years, maybe because it sounded like a lot of money at the time. At this time Highway 94 now Highway 364, (the Page Avenue extension and a multi-lane highway), was just a two-lane highway. That part of the highway complex is now the north service road.
Our second cousin, Steve Ehlmann, who is the County Executive, wrote in his blog
As you know from these articles, I enjoy history. And while I appreciate what all our parks have to offer, I have a special affinity for the St. Charles County Heritage Museum. That’s not just because a distant cousin of mine once owned and lived on the property, but also because it is rich in history.
Located where the Page Avenue extension and Highway 94 meet, the land had many owners before part of it became County property. Records date back to 1796 and show that it passed hands five times before it became the property of Frederick “Fritz” and Anna Kuhlmann in 1897. The Kuhlmanns purchased approximately 113 acres for $10,500, and fell in love with it. In fact, they liked it so much that they wanted everyone else to enjoy it, and opened the land to the public for picnics and baseball games. It became known as Kuhlmann’s Grove…
After Fritz and Anna Kuhlmann both died in 1928, their will stipulated that their daughter, Caroline Iborg, receive 245 acres, and their grandson, Erwin Ehlmann (my distant cousin), receive 104 acres. Iborg and her husband, and Ehlmann and his wife, all lived in the house at Kuhlmann’s Grove. The family lived on the land until the 1970s, when part of it was sold to housing developers for Heritage Landing.
***Author’s Note, Fritz Kuhlmann actually died in 1927.***
I remember attending a picnic at “Kuhlmann’s Grove” and the long driveway surrounded on both sides by trees that led from Highway 94 to the big house. After I read what Steve Ehlmann wrote, I wanted to figure out how we were related to the Ehlmann who inherited Kuhlmann’s Grove.
Long story short, Erwin Ehlmann is my grandfather, Martin Louis Ehlmann’s nephew. He is the son of Grandpa’s brother Emil (or Amiel) and my cousin “once removed”.
Emil Ehlmann was born Sept 1, 1887 or 1886 depending on which record you look at. In the 1910 census, Emil is listed as a “servant” in the home of Fred and Carrie Iborg. Emil married Laura Kuhlmann, sister of Carrie Iborg on May 2, 1912. Laura was born January 23, 1892. Emil died on August 1, 1921, from appendicitis and peritonitis. After Emil died, Laura married William J. Hilker. Unfortunately, she died too at the young age of 34 on March 16, 1926 when she succumbed from Lobar Pneumonia. This left eight-year-old Erwin an orphan. He was taken in by his aunt and uncle, Caroline and Fred Iborg. In the 1930 census, twelve-year-old Erwin is listed as living with them.
I found more information about Kuhlmann’s Grove on the website of the Historical Marker Database, Centennial Greenway, Heritage Crossing
Cribbin’s Home
• This park, historically known as the Cribbin’s Home, Kuhlmann’s Grove, and even Cedar Grove in 1875, features a well-known home built in the mid-1800s.
• The home was built by Lawrence Cribbin (sometimes spelled Cribben), a native of Ireland and a farmer by trade. Mr. Cribbin and his family came to St. Charles County from Louisiana in 1844. He succeeded at farming and began to acquire a large land holding in the area. In 1851 he purchased approximately 264 acres from William and Nancy M. Douglass for the sum of $4,500.
• Mr. Cribbin benefited from the location of his home and farm. Records show he had his own boat landing on the Missouri River that he used for shipping his grain and livestock to markets in St. Charles. In addition to shipping goods on the river, his farm intersected Boone’s Lick Road, which provided an overland route to the western cities and markets of the state. Lawrence Cribbin understood the importance of this “trade route,” and he and a group of citizens helped created a plank roadway on the Boone’s Lick Road.
• In 1877, thirty-three years after arriving in St. Charles County and establishing his successful farm, Lawrence Cribbin’s passed away. Probate records at the time of his death indicate he had amassed a substantial income while farming his land, which was valued at $18,000 dollars. He had accrued no debt, and his personal property was valued at $2,000. These records also provide a glimpse into his farming operations. At the time of his death, Mr. Cribbin had a large holding of livestock, including hogs, cows and sheep, along with 500 bushels of corn and the materials associated with harvesting wheat and corn. Following his father’s death, son William Cribbon continued to live on and farm the property until 1897, when he sold the house to Fritz and Anna Kuhlmann.
Kuhlmann’s Grove
William Cribbin sold the house to Fritz and Anna Kuhlmann. The Kuhlmann’s continued to live on and farm the land and provided their name to one of St. Charles County’s more popular spots for recreation—known as Kuhlmann’s Grove. In front of the old house built by Lawrence Cribbin stood a lush grove of trees and grassland that was used by many St. Charles residents for family picnics, church gatherings and group socials. Groups would come from all over the county and enjoy the Grove. Baseball games were played in the fields and people picnicked under the trees on picnic tables placed there by the Kuhlmann’s.
Kuhlmann’s Grove is nothing more than a memory. The home and Kuhlmann’s Grove were bought by Kansas City-based developers Hardesty and Johnson in 1975. The developers selected a Civil War theme around which they constructed single-family residences, condos, apartments and a small commercial tract. Over the years, the home built a Lawrence Cribbin has served many purposes, housing offices and even a popular restaurant known as Mr. Cribbin’s Restaurant. With the purchase of this land by the St. Charles County Parks and Recreation Department, the home and the land that surrounds it will once again become a popular place for visitors to enjoy. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=150854
So all this information is because inquiring minds want to know…at least mine does.
And again because inquiring minds want to know:
Carpediemdona.com 