Chapter 4
February 2004
Historical Insights by Donald A. Baumann
In my research of the Steffen family establishing a residence on a farm in Four Mile, I became a bit puzzled.
Peter Steffen and part of his family arrived in New York July 9, 1841.
On May 15, 1841, Richard Southgate, a name well known in early Campbell County, sold 62 acres to a Peter Steffen for the sum of $520.00. The deed was made at the request of John Walker.
Then on August 13, 1841 Peter and Mary Steffen sold that property to Peter Steffen and Anna Bone Steffen for the price of $600.00. Peter and Anna Bone were the Steffen family who began our new life here in America. There was a Peter and Mary Steffen, a son, who arrived in America with Peter and Anna. Are they the same or was there another Peter and Mary Steffen who came before Peter and Anna? Further research will be required.
Was there a buying agent? Or was there another Peter and Mary Steffen?
As you will see in future writings the name of Peter was the name of choice for many, many German families. My Germany cousins tell me at one time there were 10 living Peter Enzweiler families in the village of Bachem Germany.
The Campbell County Property records indeed tell a story of the history of our County. Peter Steffen and his wife Anna Bone are part of that history. They came before there was an established Catholic community in Four Mile, Kentucky. They helped to begin a new life for all of us.
The property transfer from Richard Southgate to Peter Steffen.
The Property transfer dated August 13, 1841, only about a month after they arrived in America, Peter Steffen bought property for his family in Four Mile, Camp Springs, Campbell, County, Kentucky.
When Peter Steffen arrived to establish his new home for his family, there were no Catholic Churches in this rural area of Kentucky. These early Kentucky German immigrants traveled to Covington or Cincinnati for infrequent religious worship or to make “Their Easter Duty”. The Churches listed in some of the early records were the German speaking churches of Mother of God Church in Covington or Holy Trinity Church in Cincinnati. Mother of God church still remains in Covington but The Holy Trinity Church, which was located on Fifth, Street in Cincinnati, in the general location of the I-75 expressway has long been demolished.
When searching these early documents, I found that some of my ancestors were married at The Old Saint Mary’s Church in Cincinnati. This Church is the oldest remaining German speaking church in Cincinnati.
The Diocese of Covington had not been created until 1854. Peter Steffen the oldest settler in Four Mile along with Michael Enzweiler and other German immigrants began to bring the Catholic Church to this small community. Peter Steffen donated a half acre of his property to Bishop Carrell for the construction of a church. Another half acre was purchased by the community for the sum of $10.00. The property is located on the land transfer above. The original church was located at the base of the hill where the present church is located. It is now part of the St. Joseph Cemetery.
Logs were cut and prepared thru the winter months of December, 1845 and January and February, 1846.
On the 24th day of March, 1846, these German Catholic immigrants began the construction of their first church and placed every log in an eight hour work day. The building measured 35x50 ft. The church was completed two months later and was placed under the Patronage of Saint Joseph.
Source of information is in part from the souvenir book of the Diamond Jubilee 1920 St. Joseph Parish.