The Backwoodsmen of Ora Labora

Eduard was born 8 Apr 1838. Herman was born in 1837. They immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1854 at ages 16 and 17 respectively.

In 1862, the young Eduard and his older brother Herman were two of the original “Backwoodsmen” of the Ora Labora Colony. Legend states that the brothers surveyed the area near Wild Fowl Bay and picked the location where the Ora Labora settlement would begin.

Eduard participated in at least one of the colonies business meetings in February 1863. It’s uncertain of how involved they were with the colony after the initial two years.

In 1864 in East Saginaw, they collaborated in establishing the Deutscher Kaufladen (German Shop) Goeshal H&E. Offering dry goods, grocery and general merchandise. The brothers were listed as Foreign Passage Agents. In 1872 Herman ran as a Republican and won the position of Treasurer in the Saginaw County government.

Herman passed away 2 January 1914 at age 73, while Edward Passed away 31 Oct 1921 in Saginaw at age 83