Those Who Fell: Part 2 of Profiles of Selected 1900 Storm Victims

By Casey Edward Greene

Part 2 examines more Galveston and Galveston Island victims. The profiles include discussion of archival sources and their limitations. Victim lists often contain incorrect, incomplete, and contradictory information, making any effort to identify hurricane casualties a major undertaking.

Gottlieb Adameit Family

Mrs. Gottlieb Adameit and her seven children died in the 1900 Storm.

The 1891-1892 Galveston city directory listed Gottlieb Ademeit, a bartender at Fritz Bohle’s Post Office Saloon, 1928 Postoffice. Ademeit resided at 2713 Postoffice. According to the 1893-1894 directory, he owned Gottlieb’s Corner, 2202 Postoffice (downtown). He lived at 2202 33rd Street. Gottlieb was still the owner in the 1899-1900 Galveston city directory.

Although the database HeritageQuest transcribes the surname as “Ademeir,” the handwritten name in the 1900 census schedules can also be read as “Ademeit.”

Gottlieb Adameit resided at 5202 Avenue P (Galveston Ward 7) at the time of the census. The address was within the hurricane’s region of total destruction. Gottlieb was born in March 1865 in Germany. He married in 1883.

Annie Ademeit, his wife, was of German heritage. She was born in October 1865 in Texas. Her seven living children were sons Gottlieb (16), Fritz (12), Otto (8), and Eddie (3), and daughters Ida (14), Edna (5), and Margaret (5 months). The children were all born in Texas. Gottlieb, the son, was a saloon employee; Ida, Fritz, and Otto attended school.

Gottlieb Adameit, Sr., survived the 1900 Storm. The downtown location of his bar suggests that he was at work during the cataclysm. According to the 1901-1902 Galveston city directory, he worked at a saloon at 2127 Postoffice, where he also resided. His name appeared through the 1911-1912 city directory.

On September 24, 1911, Gottlieb Ademeit died of acute gastritis in Galveston (Texas, Death Certificates, 1903-1982, in Ancestry, online). Although his name is transcribed as “Gottleib Ademut,” the handwritten name can also be ready as “Gottlieb Ademeit.” The death certificate recorded his birth date as March 28, 1860, and his occupation as bartender. Ademeit was buried in Old Potter’s Field in Galveston.

 Those Who Fell: Part 2 of Profiles of Selected 1900 Storm Victims
Galveston skyline, circa 1899. Carpenters were in high demand in Galveston before the 1900 Storm. G-25.4FF1#1, Galveston Photographic Subject Files: Storm of 1900. Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas.

Jacques Ardisson Family

The Galveston and Texas History Center’s victim index records Jacques Ardisson, his wife, and nine children. Other lists record Mrs. J. Ardisson and eight children.

The 1899-1900 Galveston city directory listed Jacques Ardisson, a carpenter residing at 3724 Avenue S 1/2 (Galveston Ward 7). Joseph Ardisson, a plasterer, lived with him.

HeritageQuest transcribes the surname as “Avelisson.” The family still resided at 3724 Avenue S 1/2 at the time of the census. The address was located within the region of total destruction.

According to the 1900 census, Jacques Ardisson was born in January 1859 in France. He married in 1881. Josephine Ardisson, his wife, was the daughter of a Spanish father and a German mother. She was born in January 1867 in Louisiana. She had eight living children.

Seven children lived in the household. Four were sons: Joseph (15), James (11), Russie (6), and Louie (2). The daughters were Annie (13), Francis (9), and Viola (4). The children were all born in Texas. Joseph Ardisson was an office boy; Annie, James, and Francis were school students.

Joseph C. Falco, Jacques Ardisson’s brother in law, was also a member of the household. Falco was a 24-year-old carpenter. He was born in April 1876 in Texas.

Jacques Ardisson survived the 1900 Storm. According to the 1901-02 Galveston city directory, he lived over his shop at 1917 Market with two other people. Subsequent city directories did not list his name. At the time of the 1910 census, Ardisson resided in Douglas Ward 3, Cochise County, Arizona. He had remarried and was still employed as a carpenter. The census recorded his immigration date as 1877. In the 1920 census, Ardisson and his wife were residents of Los Angeles Assembly District No. 63, Los Angeles, California. He died on June 17, 1929, in Los Angeles, California (California, Death Index, 1905-1939, in Ancestry, online).

 Those Who Fell: Part 2 of Profiles of Selected 1900 Storm Victims
1900 Storm map. Enlargement showing 3310 Avenue N. Map 456B, Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas.

Frederick J. Attaway Family

Victim lists sometimes published the names of survivors.

Frederick J. Attaway, his wife, and an unknown number of children mistakenly appear in the Galveston and Texas History Center’s Victim Index. Attaway’s entry includes the notation, “(Avenue N between 33rd and 34th).” The family does not appear in other lists.

The 1899-1900 Galveston city directory listed Frederick J. Attaway as a blacksmith at the Santa Fe shops. His home address, 362 Avenue K, was erroneous.

The 1900 census enumerated the Attaway household at 3310 Avenue N (Galveston Ward 7). The address was located near the edge of the region of partial destruction.

Fred Attaway, a day laborer, was born in January 1873 in Louisiana. His father was English; his mother was born at sea. Fred married in 1897.

His wife, Bertha F. Attaway, was born in April 1875 in Texas. She was of German extraction. She had one living child, Henry J. Attaway, who was born in June 1898 in Texas.

The Attaways survived the 1900 Storm. In the 1910 census, the family lived in Lowell, Cochise County, Arizona. Frederick was still married to Bertha and worked as a blacksmith. He died on January 25, 1927 in Bisbee, Cochise County, Arizona, and was buried there. Bertha died on May 12, 1953, in Phoenix, Arizona, and was buried in Bisbee. (U.S., Find a Grave Index, 1600s-Current, in Ancestry, online)

There was evidently a connection between the Attaway family and Jacques Ardisson. The 1910 census enumerated both of them in the same Arizona county.

William H. Bautsch Family

William H. “Willie” Bautsch, his wife, and their two children were victims.

The 1899-1900 Galveston city directory listed Bautsch, a carpenter. He resided in the Kinkead Addition (Justice Precinct 2, Galveston County). His home was located on the south side of Avenue T between 59th and 60thstreets.

According to the 1900 census, Bautsch was of German extraction. He was born in August 1861 in Texas and married in 1890. Jen Bautsch, his spouse, was also of German heritage. She was born in December 1869 in Texas. She had two living children, Armand (7 years) and [Jenney] (1). Armand attended school.

Galveston was growing at a rapid pace in the closing years of the 19th century. The 1899-1900 Galveston city directory noted:

A very large number of cottages have been erected, several splendid residences have gone up, and nearly every prominent corner in the retail business section, formerly occupied by a frame structure, has been replaced by a good, substantial

Carpenters and their families, along with other tradesmen, migrated to Galveston in the leadup to the 1900 Storm.

 Those Who Fell: Part 2 of Profiles of Selected 1900 Storm Victims
Construction of the Texas Heroes Monument, 1898. Scaffolding surrounds the statue’s pedestal. The monument was dedicated on San Jacinto Day, April 21, 1900. G-14881FF3#5, Galveston Photographic Subject Files: Historic Sites. Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas.

Jean Cazenave

The 1900 Storm claimed dairymen in Galveston and “down the island” as casualties. The San Antonio Daily Light, September 30, 1900, listed “Jean Cazenave (milkman).”

According to the 1899-1900 Galveston city directory, Cazenave’s dairy and residence were “down the island.” (Justice Precinct 2, Galveston County). They were located in the Kinkead Addition at the northwest corner of Avenue R 1/2 and 61stStreet.

HeritageQuest transcribes his surname as “Cazemere.” The handwritten name in the 1900 census schedules can also be read as “Cazenave.” John Cazenave, a single farmer, was born in November 1855 in France.

[Douaner] Hircin[th], a day laborer, was also a member of the household. He was born in May 1855 in France. His name does not appear in victim lists, probably because household workers, such as cooks and servants, were not well known.

Hyancin[th]’s handwritten first name in the census schedules is difficult to decipher. A reasonably accurate spelling of a decedent’s name is a prerequisite for searching archival records.

Henry H. Gollmer Family

Victim lists record H. H. Gollmer, his wife, and their five children.

According to the 1899-1900 Galveston city directory, Henry H. Gollmer, a carpenter, resided at 4024 Avenue P (Galveston Ward 7). The address placed the family within the region of total destruction.

HeritageQuest transcribes Henry Gollmer’s name as “Huey Goltmer.” In the 1900 census, Henry H. Gollmer was of German extraction. He was born in May 1856 in Texas. He married [Nathalia] Gollmer in 1877. She was also of German heritage and was born in July 1857 in Texas. [Nathalia] had six living children, five of whom lived in the household: Adolph (19 years), Antonia (16), Selma (6), Norma (4), and Illa (3 months). The children were all born in Texas. Adolph Gollmer was a butcher.

The only survivor appears to have been the eldest child. The 1910 census enumerated Adolf Gollmer, a farm worker, in Justice Precinct 2, Austin County, Texas. He lived with his grandmother, Anna Bormann (72 years old). The census recorded his age as 23 years.

Gollmer died on January 19, 1919. He was buried in Welcome Cemetery in Industry, Austin County (Find a Grave Index, online).

 Those Who Fell: Part 2 of Profiles of Selected 1900 Storm Victims
1899-1900 Galveston city directory, p. 19. Advertisement. Lithograph of Elevator A. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth894022/:

Benton Kennedy Family

Benton Kennedy died in the 1900 Storm with his wife and three children.

According to the 1899-1900 Galveston city directory, Kennedy was a foreman at Elevator A. He resided at 2201 – 37th Street. The address (Galveston Ward 7) was located in the region of total destruction.

According to the 1900 census, Kennedy was born in April 1858 in Missouri. His father was English; his mother was a Maryland native. He married in 1884.

Emma Kennedy, his wife, was 43 years old. She was born in July 1856 in Illinois. She had five living children: sons Henry (14 years), Charles (9), and Geaman (5), and daughters Emma (13) and Mary (4). The children were all born in Missouri. Henry, Charles, and Emma were school students.

Murat Halsted, a journalist, author of Galveston: The Horrors of a Stricken City (1900), mentioned the Kennedy family. In the midst of the hurricane, Benton Kennedy placed Henry and Charles on a raft. The sons were rescued, although Benton, his wife, son Geaman, and the two daughters died.

Benton Kennedy is the only member of the family recorded in Find a Grave (online). He was buried in Episcopal Cemetery in Galveston.

During the early 1890s, Galveston developed a deep-water port serving the world. One of the harbor’s improvements was a massive grain elevator with a 1-million-bushel capacity, built in the summer of 1892. Located at Pier 14, Elevator A was a prominent feature of the Port of Galveston for the next 40 years. It sustained heavy damage in the 1900 Storm, finally being demolished in 1932-33. Elevator B, which had a capacity of 5 million bushels, superseded it.

 Those Who Fell: Part 2 of Profiles of Selected 1900 Storm Victims
Steamship from Bilboa, [Spain], moored next to Elevator A after the 1900 Storm. G-1771-2 FF2#7, Galveston Photographic Subject Files: Storm of 1900. Rosenberg Library, Galveston, Texas.

Burnett Mapson Family

Various victim lists record Grace V. Mabson and three children. A scope note, (Avenue K between 45thand 46th), follows Mrs. Mabson’s name.

The 1899-1900 Galveston city directory spelled the surname “Mapson.” Burnett Mapson, an African American, resided at 1717 Avenue N. Although the directory did not include his occupation, the 1898 edition noted that he was a “gen[era]l office scavenger.”

The 1900 census spelled the surname as “Mabson.” The family resided at 1807 – 18thStreet (Galveston Ward 10).

Burnett Mabson, a butcher, was born in April 1864 in Texas. He married in 1887. His wife, Grace A. Mabson, 30, was born in February 1870 in Texas. She had five living children: Martha (8), Clarence (6), Albert (5), Grace (2), and Florenc[e], an infant. The children were all born in Texas.

The 1901-02 Galveston city directory listed Burnett Mapson as a drayman residing at 1012 9th Street. Four people lived with him. The 1903-1904 edition listed him as Burnett Mabson.

The 1910 census enumerated a Burnett Mabson, a 38-year-old farmer, in Justice Precinct 1, Washington County, Texas. He was a widower who lived by himself. In the 1920 census, he had remarried and had children.

The Mabson/Mapson family is one example of spelling discrepancies found in archival sources. The 1899-1900 Galveston city directory appears to have more accurate spellings than the census, although both sources contain errors.

Many entries in victim lists include scope notes. These provide specific information, such as age, occupation, and general location, which help to identify the dead. In the case of the Mabson/Mapson family, the vicinity may reflect where the family was believed to have lived or died in Galveston.

John Mantzel Family

John Menzelll, his wife, and five children were casualties.

The 1900 census enumerated John [D.] Mantzel, a farmer living “down the island” (Justice Precinct 2, Galveston County). Mantzel was born in April 1854 in Germany. He immigrated in 1856 and married in 1886.

His wife, Hanna Mantzel, was of German extraction. She was born in March 1864 in Texas and had six living children. The oldest was Diedrich (17), a single farm worker. The others were John Jr. (13), Annie (11), Katie (6), Mollie (4), and Willie Mantzel (1). John Mantzel, Jr., and Annie Mantzel were school students. All of the children were born in Texas.

John’s mother, Mary Mantzel, a widow, resided with the household. She was born in December 1825 in Germany.

The 1899-1900 Galveston city directory did not list John Mantzel. This edition did not always list West End residents.

Mantzel family members were not listed in Galveston city directories through 1903-1904. They also did not appear in the 1910 census.

 Those Who Fell: Part 2 of Profiles of Selected 1900 Storm Victims
Galveston was the nation’s leading cotton port in 1898-1899. It fell to second place in 1899-1900 behind New Orleans, Louisiana. Galveston city directory, 1899-1900, p. 35. https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth894022/

James Winsmore Family

Texas Genealogy Trails maintains a Galveston 1900 Hurricane Casualty List. It records the loss of seven members of the James Winsmore family.

The 1899-1900 Galveston city directory listed James Winsmore, a cotton screwman residing at 1112 Avenue A (Galveston Ward 1). The address was within the region of total destruction.

According to the 1900 census, James Winsmore was born in July 1848 in England. He immigrated in 1863 and married in 1882. His wife, Elinor Winsmore, was born in February 1861 in England. She immigrated in 1884 and had five living children.

Charles Winsmore (16 years) was the oldest child. He was employed as a clerk in a real estate office. The other children were Mary (14), Annie (11), James Ed (9), and Arthur (1). They were all born in Texas. Mary Winsmore attended school.

Find a Grave’s Galveston Hurricane of 1900 Memorial records all family members as casualties.