The Miller-Fiege House

The Miller-Fiege House. . The Miller Fiege house was built was built in 1850 by Johannes Dahmer. It is a vernacular German cottage with Italianate influences; a brick house on a limestone foundation, one and a half stories in height; with segmental - arched brick lintels over all the original windows and secondary doors, long green shutters which were typical of German homes in the Midwest, and a recessed entrance with a transom and side-lights. It features a secondary entrance through a recessed door to the west, leading to a staircase to the upper floor of two large bedrooms and a central staircase to the home below. This home was suitable for two families, and featured a share summer kitchen in the backyard. A kitchen was added so the rear of the house in later years, as was a very small bathroom under the secondary stairs. At one time a newspaper and tobacco stand was operated out of the landing of the secondary entrance., The Builder , Johannes Dahmer was born in 1827 in Wenings, Germany, a small market town near the little farming hamlet of Wernings. He was only 14 when he immigrated to Columbia with his family Johannes, his 12-year-old brother Christian, and his parents Johann Phillip Dahmer and Magdalena Gebhardt Dahmer were among 156 immigrants who came to Monroe County from small villages near Gedern, Germany Columbia's Sister City, Johannes built the home at 140 South Main in 1850 and married Louisa Donner in 1852. After living in the home for five years they sold it to Peter Wilhelm Miller on November 3, 1857. Johannes and Louisa had five children: Louisa, Maria, Sadie. John William and Ida. Johannes served as a Private in the 59th Regiment of the Illinois Infantry during the Civil War under the name John Dahmer. After the war, Johannes and Louisa moved to East St. Louis. Johannes died in 1890 and Louisa passed in 1909., The Miller and Fiege Families , Peter W married Amelia 'Emile' Wenkel in 1858. Peter was a blacksmith and worked in the shop located next door to the home. There was an agricultural implement shop between the home and blacksmith shop. Peter and Emilie Miller had four son, but two died as infants. Conrad H. Miller and Friedrich 'Fred' J. Miller grew up in the home. Emilie passed in 1907 and Peter in 1921. Fred J. Miller married Ida Ziegenhagen in 1883. They were the next family to live in the home, where they raised four daughters Mrs. Elizabeth E. Miller Fiege, Ida M. Miller, Emilia Miller, and Mrs. Dorothy Miller Schumutzler. Fred was a blacksmith like his father and served on the town council. Fred passed away in 1934 and Ida in 1954. Fred and Ida's eldest daughter Elizabeth Emilie Miller married Ferdinand Ferd Fiege in 1905. After Ferd died in 1917, Elizabeth lived in the home with their two daughters until she died at age 86 in 1971. Their daughters, Dolores Fiege and Winnifred Fiege, never married and lived in the home until Dolores passed in 1993 and Winnifred in 2008. Winnifred Fiege, a third-generation descendant of Peter W. Miller, was the last resident of this home. The City of Columbia purchased the home and many family antiques in August 2008., The 1842 Immigration , In 1840, Germany's economy w strong, but there was growing social inequality that fueled widespread discontent, especially in small villages. Tales of a promised land on the other side of the ocean filled the people with hope, and the idea of leaving Germany caught on. In August of 1842, 156 people from Wernings, Wenings, and surrounding villages were granted permission to leave Germany. After a long wait in Bremen, they boarded the Swedish ship Mimer in late September. On October 8th, after an emotional farewell, they departed. The transatlantic voyage was harsh and there was overcrowded conditions in the ship's hold. The group arrived in New Orleans on December 2nd, and continued up the Mississippi by steamship. Large ice, masses near Chester made the trip further north impossible. The immigrants left the ships and continued the journey over the Kaskaskia-Cahokia Trail in wagons, arriving on December 26th. After a trip of 98 days, almost all settled near Columbia and Waterloo.