The
Oldest Known Photograph of a Buermeyer
In June, 1861, Heinrich (Harry) Ernst Buermeyer posed in his finest suit a few days before enlisting in the Union Army's 83rd New York Regiment. Seven years later, he and his colleagues would organize the New York Athletic Club to promote "lives of self-restraint and regularity", an organization that continues to this day.
Born
in 1839, Henry was a celebrated athlete, winning national boxing, running
and swimming championships. Harry Buermeyer was the first recorded national winner of the 100 yard dash in America. As a major promoter of amateur sport, he
was a judge and referee in the 1904 St. Louis Olympic Games.
His
father, Ernst Heinrich, emigrated to New York in the 1830's . He ran
the "Broad Street House", known today as Fraunce's Tavern,
a heritage site where George Washington and his Generals discussed tactics
for the American Revolution.
In
his autobiography, written shortly before his death in 1921, he states,
"To my mind, now that the race has been run and it is all behind,
it seems to me as I am drawing nearer to the night of Eternal Silence
I am still interested in all that passes around me and will be to the
end."
Is Harry and his family connected with the Buer lineage? In a
word, probably. Genealogist, George Buermeyer has provided
tantalizing research suggesting a link with the original family in Buer,
Germany.
A
United States census from 1860 lists Henry's father, mother and two
brothers; Fernando and Charles. Henry's father, Ernst Heinrich leased
a boarding house in New York City. One of the tenants was a bartender
named Gustave E. Wellenkamp whose mother was Margarethe Marie Buermeyer
(b.1808).
George
Buermeyer notes: "Given all the saloons and boarding houses in
New York City at the time in which Gustave "fresh off the boat"
could have been a bartender, it's improbable that he was not related
to Ernst."
The speculation is that Ernst Heinrich was Gustave's uncle and that Ernst's father was Clamor Adolf (b.1767). Ernst's fourth child died as an infant of "croup". He was listed as "Claymore Adolf." George also noted that the name "William" is only present in Henry Ernst's family. Clamor Adolf Buermeyer's son was named Friedrich Wilhelm. Although inconclusive, the Buermeyer chronology would go something like this:
Johann
Friedrich Buermeyer (b.1733) has two sons: Clamor Adolf (b.1767)
and Johann Friedrich (b.1775) who inherited the farm. Records
indicate Clamor Adolf had a son named Friedrich Wilhelm and
a daughter, Clara Elizabeth, but all indications point to a
second son named Ernst Heinrich who would be the first "Buermeyer"
to emigrate to America. Johann, Clamor's brother, marries Clara Dutscher.
After his death, she remarried, retains the Buermeyer name and has a
daughter named Margarethe Marie (b.1808). She marries Johann Wellenkamp
and has a son named Gustave, who resides at his step-uncle's boarding
house.
Do you have old photographs of family members linked with the Buermeyer Lineage? If you do, please contact me:
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