Christian Miller

As printed in 1906

CHRISTIAN MILLER. Among the worthy residents of Berrien county of foreign birth is numbered Christian Miller, a native of the province of Saxony, Germany, born September 12, 1836. Reared and educated in his native country he was married in 1857, to Miss Anna Sophia Weber, who was likewise a native of Saxony, born February 9, 1839. It was in war times — in the year 1861 — that Christopher Miller became a resident of Chicago. He had been a coal miner in Germany, and afterward worked for three months on a farm. Subsequently he learned the cooper's trade, which he followed in Chicago for three years during the period of the Civil war. He had been in this country for a year when he was joined by his wife. In 1866 they removed to Michigan, and Mr. Miller purchased twenty acres of land in the midst of the forest. So dense was the timber that he had to cut a road to his new possession. He built a house of rough boards and it was necessary to clear a space on which to erect a little structure. For forty years Mr. Miller has remained upon his place, carrying forward the work of cultivation and improvement as the years have gone by and as he cleared away the timber and prepared the land for the plow he determined to give part of his attention to horticultural pursuits and planted each orchards. For his first twenty acres of land he paid five hundred and twenty-five dollars, which he had saved from his earnings as a cooper in Chicago. He worked by the piece there and earned good wages. After coming to Michigan in 1866 he returned to Chicago on one or two occasions in order to make money at his trade that he might thereby be enabled to continue his farm work. He cleared his first five acres in four weeks and paid for the plowing with a double harrelled gun. After returning from Chicago he cleared six acres of land for a home, taking out the grubs, his wife assisting him in this work. He paid one hundred dollars for a wagon and twenty-nine dollars interest thereon. Times were hard and money scarce in early days but he persevered in his undertakings and in the course of years his labors were crowned with success. In early days he raised very fine peaches, which brought a high price on the market. As his financial resources permitted he bought more land from time to time until he became the owner of eighty acres, which he still retains. He has cleared it all and has about forty acres planted to fruit, peaches being his principal crop although he has made considerable money from years.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Miller have been born six children: Augusta A., the wife of William Dunn, a merchant at Derby, Michigan; Eba, the wife of Rev. Frederick Ewald, a minister of the Evangelical church, at Elkhart, Indiana; Minnie, the wife of Fred Schroeder, of Royalton; Martha, the wife of Charles Johnson, of Stevensville; Anna, the wife of William Schneider, a section boss at New Bufifalo on the Michigan Central Railroad; and Frank, who is assisting in the operation of the home farm.

Mr. Miller is a Mason, belonging to the lodge and chapter and is also connected with the Grange. He and his wife hold membership in the Evangelical Association and are most prominent and worthy people of Lincoln township. A self-made man Mr. Miller owes his success entirely to his own efforts and the assistance of his estimable wife, who has indeed been a helpmate to him. She aided him in his cooper work, in the arduous task of clearing a farm and hauled ties to St. Joseph, Michigan, where they were sold. In former years their was a strenuous existence but now they have a good farm property which has been brought under a high state of cultivation and which yields to them a good financial return because of the well kept orchards and the fine variety of fruit raised. They have never had occasion to regret their determination to seek a home in America, for in this country where effort is unhampered by case or class they have made steady advancement to a place among the substantial residents of Berrien county.

As printed in A twentieth century history of Berrien County, Michigan (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.