Leaving for the New World

“Mr. Druar built the foundation of St. Louis Church at Main and Edward streets.

He was to have charge of the entire stone work on the church but became ill and had to

give it up. He also built the stone work of most of the buildings in Delaware Park.

Mr. Druar built the foundation of St. Louis Church at Main and Edward streets.

He was to have charge of the entire stone work on the church but became ill and had to

give it up. He also built the stone work of most of the buildings in Delaware Park.”

The voyage would have been about 6 weeks on a sailboat bouncing around on the

huge waves of the Atlantic wondering if they would ever make safe landfall. Well we are

here so we know they did make it and most likely they arrived at the Port of New York

and travelled the Hudson River, the Erie Canal and then landed at Black Rock near

Buffalo NY. That big black rock was a natural dock of rock about four feet above the

waterline, one hundred feet across and one hundred feet back into the sandy beach. Many

immigrants landed there and a community of “Lorrainers” were settling in nearby North

Woods now Kenmore which is part of Buffalo NY. Apparently the Alsatians, Germans

and those “Lorrainers” each kept to themselves in their own little communities. The area

was a bustling busy place of commerce, the port was large, the Erie Canal was completed

and many immigrants were arriving from Europe via the port of New York. Hopefully

the Druars did not suffer the results of hucksters waiting like vultures at that port, to

swoop down upon the unsuspecting new arrivals selling them non-existent land and

generally relieving them of their cash and possessions. It was a common occurrence.

Most immigrants continued inland via the waterways to Buffalo and then further

west for the Ports of Chicago or Milwaukee on the west of Lake Michigan. The fur trade

was still booming, and timber and beaver was in great demand in England. The future

was looking pretty rosy indeed. John Druar (b.1809) had made up his mind to stay right

there, as he was a husband and father already by 1834. The rest of the family may have

stayed awhile with him and worked too, but Jacob, and his dad Henry and the two girls

Marie Anne and Anne Marie in the end decided to leave for Waterloo County, probably

after hearing favourable reports about this area from others. First I will tell you about

John Druar’s interesting life in the Buffalo area and then about Jacob’s adventures in the

bush of Upper Canada.

Thanks to Uncle Leo for telling me about his mother Hilda, talking about her

grandfather and saying, “Old Jacob took his grain all the way to Niagara to be ground

and sold at a higher price.” Right away I thought he must have had family to visit in that

area to make such a trip worthwhile. Sister Jeannette had mentioned in her book, “Some

settled in the States” but she didn’t say where in the States or how many or any of their

first names. She didn’t tell us Henry was the father of Jacob or that Anna (Mrs. John

Schuett) in the back of the book with her family was a sister of Jacob. Sister Jeannette’s

book was mysterious but Niagara seemed a most logical place to look.

I remembered reading about Black Rock Landing which is now part of Buffalo

and of the early immigrants and how they crossed the Niagara River at Fort Erie into

Canada. If I could find a link we just might get a clue as to where they were from in

France and then find the rest of the family by searching microfilmed records in France!

So I wrote letters to all the Druars in the Buffalo area and one reply came from Grace

Druar including her Family Tree and clippings from an old Buffalo newspaper. The same

names were repeated in the Tree from Grace. John, Jacob, Henry, Anne and Marie were

in that tree. I was sure there was a connection. We found a researcher in Buffalo and

confirmed that tree. We, by the way is Dick Schneider a cousin in Kansas, he is

descended from Jacob’s first born son Henry, so he and I hired that researcher in Buffalo

to do the Druars and they were indeed the same family. Dick then searched the microfilm

from France. Our Druars were now traced back to 1654! Was this Jacob again “lending a

hand?” Sometimes I really wonder!

These Buffalo newspaper clippings had such interesting information as you will

see. John Druar (this is our Jacob’s brother) it said in a newspaper clipping was a native

of Warminster,(Volmunster?) Lorraine France and settled at 1876 Niagara Street in

Black Rock, where he lived many years.

He had a general store, built the first sawmill in that vicinity and was active in

many interests. He was well known as a successful lumberman and had large lumber

interests between Black Rock and Tonawanda for several years. He married Margaretha

Faller/ Fallen and their first child;

#1 Catharina was born 1834 and November 24th 1851 she married Nicholas

Rust/Rost, their first child also named Catharina was born in October 1853. The

young mother Catharina died 2nd of November 1853 at age 19 and her baby

Catharina died on December 4 at age 5 weeks. Nicolas later married again.

#2 John Druar born 11 February 1837 married Clare Bate of Cleveland in 1874.&

had son J Fenimore Druar and daughter Helen Bate Druar.

#3 Maria Magdelena (Lena/Elen) born August 12th 1840 married Jacob F Schanzlin

Jr had son John born 1866 and Maria Magdelena died of difficulties of childbirth.

on 18th November 1866.

#4 Andrew was born about 1843, never married and spent ten years in Stockton

California and in 1872 he was in Virginia City Nevada, it looks like he was where

the gold was thought to be. I wonder if he was a prospector or involved in

construction along the San Joaquin River, near San Francisco? Virginia City was

another prospector’s dream location. Something went wrong and in 1875 he died

at Sister Rosaline’s old Lunatic Asylum in Buffalo NY of suicide.

#5 Jacob Druar born 28th of June 1845 married 15 November 1870 Maria Leichtnam

It says on their marriage record that they are related by blood in the third and

fourth degree.[one of his grandparents was a sibling of one of her great

grandparents.]

John and Margaretha also had much sorrow to bear. They lost two grown

daughters in childbirth, a granddaughter infant death and their son Andrew took his own

life at just 32 years of age. Three of their five children died as young adults. They were

left with two sons, John and Jacob.

John Sr. left Buffalo went by boat south on Lake Erie in early June of 1872 to

visit his son John who was building a lighthouse in Cleveland Ohio. He died there on the

15th of August 1872 and was buried in Buffalo. He did not have a will. His widow

Margaretha died in 1873 and in 1885 his estate was still not settled. It included a grocery

store on Niagara Street, a wood yard and a saloon, which was a step up in society as it

had a separate ladies lounge. John Druar Sr. is buried in St. Joseph Cemetery, Buffalo

Plains.

He was 63, and had worked hard and I would say he did a pretty good job of it in the

New World.

John Druar Jr was born in 1837 and like his father before him also did very well

in life.

It seems the “New World” was a good place to be. Here is a good write up of his

escapade building the first City and Town Hall in Buffalo. Here is his story from

newspaper clippings, it will be easier to read than the old copy which is faded.

The Headline states;

“JOHN DRUAR DEAD”

He Had Charge of the Building of the City and County Hall.

Raised the Statues

Used a Derrick of Peculiar Shape Which the Wise Men of the City Said Would Fail

John Druar who was the superintendent of the construction work on the city and

county hall died this morning at his home 288 Franklin street, after an illness of 13 years.

For nine weeks before his death he was confined to his bed. Hardening of the nerves was

the cause of his death.

In his active life Mr. Druar was one of the prominent contractors and builders of

the city. He was born in Tonawanda in 1837 and lived in Buffalo for 65 years. His father

John Druar had huge lumber interests at Tonawanda for several years. Mr Druar was a

foreman in the employ of the late Charles Berrick, whose contracting and building

business is now carried on by his sons. While in the employ of Mr. Berrick, Mr. Druar

mastered the contracting and building business and in time went into business for

himself.

When construction of the city and county hall was begun Mr. Druar was

appointed superintendent of the work. [a line is missing here at the bottom of page]

[also the top of next page illegible.]-------in its movement the derrick would topple over

and derrick and the figures it was raising would fall to the ground. Mr. Druar listened to

the wise men and studied their figures and drawings and smiled ------illegible what ----

possibly –be rewarded –ns the foolishness of men whose learning was mostly that of

books. He told the commissioner not to worry about the looks of his derrick, that it would

raise the figures without doing them any damage. – more illegible

Said Mr. Druar to the commissioner, if you will come on the day appointed for

the raising of the statues I will serve a banquet for you after the figures are in place.

When the commissioners got to the hall on the morning of the raising, one statue

was already in place. The derrick worked perfectly and thus did the man who had learned

his business in a practical way confound the men who depended entirely on what books

said. One of the statues was in place in just one hour after the work of raising it was

started. Each granite statue is16 ft and weighs 14 tons. [Carved of granite by Giovani F

Sala, the statues were raised about 268 ft to a 40 ft square base on which the clock and

bell tower was. The four statues were on pedestals on the four corners. They represent

“Justice” on NE corner, NW is “Mechanical Arts”, SE is “Agriculture” and SW is

“Commerce”. This was no small job for John Druar, our Jacob’s nephew.]

Mr. Druar built the foundation of St. Louis Church at Main and Edward streets.

He was to have charge of the entire stone work on the church but became ill and had to

give it up. He also built the stone work of most of the buildings in Delaware Park.

Mr. Druar in his days of business activity was the President of Queen City Paving

Company and the proprietor of the Buffalo Batting mills. He laid the brick pavement in

Franklin St in front of the city and county hall.

In politics Mr. Druar was a Republican. He never held office and never was a candidate

for any office.

In 1874 Mr. Druar was married to Miss Clare Bate of Cleveland [I wonder if he

met her while building that lighthouse in 1872 in Cleveland] who survives him together

with two children. J Fenimore Druar and Helen Bate Druar both of this city.

The funeral will be held Monday afternoon at 3o’clock. from the family home and

will be private. [end of this newspaper article]

“The Commercial Dec. 9 1905" [a Buffalo Newspaper]

MAN WHO BUILT CITY HALL IS DEAD

John Druar Formerly a Prominent Contractor Dead After a Long Sickness

The subject of our sketch today John Druar, was the builder of our present

City and County Hall and if he had no other monument it would suffice to mark his

citizenship which was honourable in every respect during the 65 years that he lived in

Buffalo. He worked faithfully with the commissioners of that building who were proud to

say when completed there was money in their treasury, a phenomenal happening in these

days of universal grafts. [greed?]

John Druar was born in the North Woods now Kenmore on February 11, 1837 .

When young [at age 3] he moved to Buffalo where his father John Druar was well known

as a successful lumberman having large lumber interests between Black Rock and

Tonawanda.

John Druar Sr. was a native of Warminster, Lorraine France and settled at 1876

Niagara St. Black Rock, where he lived many years. He had a general store, built the first

sawmill in that vicinity and was active in many interests. He had five children, Jacob,

John, Katharine, Andrew, Magdelena, the latter marrying Jacob Schanzlin a well known

German. Katharine married Nicholas Rost and Jacob S married Mary Leichtnam

daughter of John Leichtnam of Buffalo. [next line illegible and first of next column.]

- - home was a pleasant center and here he passed away after 13 years of constant

invalidism caused by a disease of the nerves of which hardening of the nerves themselves

is a consequence. At the last Mr. Druar was confined to his bed for nearly three months

which infliction he patiently bore.

John Druar [Jr.] was a distinguished looking man. He

wore a flowing beard and moustache almost unknown in this day

of shaven faces and his face was amiable in expression. He had

lots of friends who felt that his word was as good as his bond,

hence his demise was sincerely deplored.

John Druar put in the foundation of St. Louis Church and

but for his health would have had charge of the entire stone work.

He also built the stone work of most of the buildings in Delaware Park.

Outside of his contracting business John Druar had many

interests. among them were his presidency of the Queen City

Paving Company also being proprietor of the Buffalo Batting

Mill. The brick pavement in front of the City Hall was laid by him as an experiment and

proved a success besides being ornamental.

John Druar was survived by his wife and son and daughter. the former now living

in St. Paul Minnesota where he is engaged in mechanical engineering, and the daughter is

now Mrs. Ralph Little and resides in Sewickley Pennsylvania her mother living with her.

Mr. Little being a mechanical engineer. This is the end of the newspaper clipping.