Longer Than a Man's Lifetime in Missouri

by Gert Goebel, Adolf E. Schroeder (translator, editor), Elsa Louise Nagel (translator)

Gert Goebel arrived in Franklin County, Missouri, in 1834, an eighteen-year-old caught up in the early stages of a transformative immigration wave that eventually brought more than one hundred thousand newcomers from Germany to Missouri (and several million to America). Four decades later, Goebel drew from his range of experiences as a pioneer farmer, enthusiastic and wide-ranging hunter, county surveyor, and state legislator to write a vivid and insightful memoir describing German settlement, state politics, and Civil War events within Missouri. First published in German in 1877, Goebel’s narrative has long been known to scholars as a significant record of nineteenth-century Missouri history. This translation by Adolf E. Schroeder and Elsa Louise Nagel, annotated and with an Introduction by Schroeder and coeditor Walter D. Kamphoefner, offers a historical treasure to English-language audiences.

434 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Liana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightful read. My ancestors were German immigrants coming to Missouri as well, and this provides a nice glimpse into their experiences in coming to this country and particularly to this state that was still in its infancy and sparsely settled.