Thompson, Blanchard, Edelmann, Kraemer, Sparenberg, & Serbe:Information about John Henry Edelmann

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John Henry Edelmann (b. February 03, 1857, d. April 02, 1922)

John Henry Edelmann (son of Valentine Edelman and Louisa George) was born February 03, 1857 in Maryland, and died April 02, 1922 in Baltimore. He married Margaret Miller, daughter of Ludwig Müller and Catherina.

Notes for John Henry Edelmann:
He made the wooden box that Houdini used in his under-water packing crate escapes. John said the Houdini must be Satan to get out of his box.
Houdini began offering rewards to anyone who could successfully restrain him, first in handcuffs and later in all manner of objects. Houdini escaped from handcuffs, leg irons, straightjackets, jails and prison cells, a mail pouch, packing crates, a giant paper bag (without tearing the paper), a giant football, an iron boiler, milk cans, coffins, and the famous Water Torture Cell. In most of these escapes, upon later examination, there was never a sign of how Houdini accomplished the release, that added to the miracle. Some of Houdini's escapes, such as the Straight Jacket or being tied with a hundred feet of rope, Houdini would do in full view of the audience. To help draw crowds and sell tickets, Houdini would do escape challenges, often at police stations with newspaper reporters present, assuring a headline story.

The History of the Church he went to....

Olive Branch - Good Shepherd United Methodist Church is the remaining presence of Methodism on the historic peninsula known as South Baltimore. Like Baltimore City landmarks such as Federal Hill and Fort McHenry, The United Methodist Church, is a distinctly American-born church. Its roots are traced back to England where in 1739, John Wesley, an ordained priest of the Church of England, responded to the request of 8 or 10 men to lead them in their search for a deepened experience of Christ. The group grew into what became The United Society. Spreading to America about the time of the American Revolution, these societies became the pattern of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Created at the Christmas Conference in 1784. Held in The Lovely Lane Church then at the corner of Lovely Lane and Light Street, it was here that Bishop Asbury was ordained. Due to its quick growth, a new building was erected at Redwood and Light Street. This the first Light Street Church was also identified as the Baltimore City Station of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1834, under the efforts of a prominent Layman, a chapel belonging to a Protestant Episcopal Congregation at William and Churchill Streets was purchased. It remained a part of City Station until 1894 when it became a separate charge and was known as South Baltimore Station commonly referred to as "Big William Street". With the growing area to the South, differences of language, worship styles and doctrines, distances to walk, clustered communities gave rise to the organization of five other churches, all with the Methodist or Wesleyan traditions. Light Street Methodist Protestant was established in 1852. Lowe Memorial, originally South Baltimore Free Methodist Society, was established in 1873. In 1874, Fort Avenue Methodist Episcopal began as a mission of the Baltimore City Missionary and Church Extension Society. In 1878 it became necessary to enlarge and again in 1890, additions were made. Continuing growth culminated with a rebuilt church in 19)24. Patterson Memorial began about 1880 at Charles and Ostend Streets. A tent, a single room structure preceded the building at Hanover and Clement Streets in 1889. Variously known as Bethel, Cook Memorial, after a brief closing in 1894, a Day Nursery was organized in 1895. And became a Mission of Mount Vernon Place. In 1899, endowed by a wealthy merchant, it became known as Patterson Memorial. It continued as such until around 1958 when it became a part of the Good Shepherd merger. In 1879 another Protestant group, possibly influenced by the number of German speaking immigrants in the area, organized the Olive Branch Independent Methodist Church. Starting in a building housing the keeper to a grave yard, a one story brick structure was built at South Charles and Fort Avenue. Here in 1889, having joined with another mission at Light Street and McComas, it became the Sixth Church of the Evangelical Association of North America and the name was changed to the Olive Branch Evangelical Church. To accommodate the gradual growth, on February 19, 1905 a new church was dedicated. This with various structural changes to the Sanctuary, additions for class rooms, administrative and program activities - remains the center for worship and all other needs of the newly merged Olive Branch - Good Shepherd Congregation . Several denominational mergers have resulted in duplication of space and pastoral leadership. Despite reduction of supportive income, the United Methodist Churches have been reluctant to give up their individual identities. However the need to use the lay leadership more effectively and have a more unified Christian witness became a driving force toward merging the various entities. The merger of Light Street and South Baltimore Station in 1958 becoming the Galilean Methodist Church. Soon there followed a union with Lowe Memorial, Patterson Memorial and Fort Avenue. They became incorporated in 1958 as The Good Shepherd Methodist Church. With perhaps too little logic, the attractive, practical, still serviceable Fort Avenue Church was replaced with an Education Building which was to become the first unit of a "Cathedral" of Methodism in South Baltimore. With the subsequent merger of the Methodist and the Evangelical United Brethren denominations in 1968, two United Methodist churches, in close proximity, were faced with the need to work together. Attempting to survive individually failed. The South Baltimore Parish with a shared minister was not again successful - separately, Olive Branch with Union Square until it closed and Good Shepherd with Dorgouth Memorial. The impracticality of these efforts hastened the most recent merger. By action of each Church Conference, on June 7, 1995 it was voted to merge and to begin worship in the Olive Branch facility effective July 1, 1995. All other activities to be held there also. Under the shared and voted on name of The Olive Branch - Good Shepherd United Methodist Church we closed one part of our various histories.

The Great Fire of Baltimore took place during his life.

THE GREAT BALTIMORE FIRE
OF 1904

On Sunday February 7th most of Baltimore was looking forward to a quiet Sunday afternoon.
The firefighters at Engine Co. 15 were looking forward to a quiet day at work. When at 10:48 they received an alarm at the John Hurst & Company. Also responding were Truck 2 the Salvage Corps and the Fifth District Engineer L.H. Burkhardt.
As Engine 15 turned up Liberty street Captain John Kahl could see light smoke from the top floor of the Hurst Building. Captain Kahl did not think he had much of a fire so he went to check the automatic alarm box. The box indicated that there was fire in the basement, so Captain Kahl had his crew force entry threw a glass door on the German street side and entered the building with a 3/4 inch chemical line and 2 1/2 hand line. As the crew was standing on the stairs to the basement they could see the fire
rolling across the ceiling towards the elevator shaft. It was not long after Captain Kahl entered the building when a smoke explosion occurred in the elevator shaft. The explosion was powerful enough to blow off the roof , break several windows and also throw large embers across the street into the broken windows of several buildings. All the firefighters escaped with out injury, but flames from the explosion did burn ( Goliath ) one of the horses pulling Engine 15. Then the fire soon ignited a steamer Engine and one of the Truck companies where the horses had just been removed. The time was now 10:55 when District Engineer Burkhart ran to box 414 at the corner of German and Howard streets and pulled four more alarms. At around 11:40 The Chief of The Department, Chief Horton sounded the general alarm which activated all the companies in the city to respond to the fire.

Around 13:30 fire equipment from Washington D.C. arrived by train but since their hoses would not fit the hydrants in Baltimore they were not much help. By this time the fire had spread a little over 12 blocks. A decision was made to dynamite a few blocks to try and stop the spread of fire. 1,000 pounds of dynamite were brought in from near by Anne Arundel County. Several attempts were made to bring buildings down by explosion but the structures would not fall..... some just caught fire.

The fire was brought under control around 17:00 Monday evening. The fire was fought by 1,231 firefighters, 57 Engines, 9 Trucks, 2 Hose Companies, 1 Fire Boat, one Police Boat, several Tug Boats and many volunteers from several fire companies. Washington D.C., New York, Philadelphia, Wilmington Del, Atlantic City NJ, Pennsylvania, and all Counties surrounding Baltimore took place in the battle. The City Of Baltimore furnished 460 firefighters, 24 Engines, 8 Trucks, and several Boats.
The crew of 130 firefighters, 7 Engines and several Hose wagons from New York City were delayed when their train derailed just North of Philadelphia.

The fire claimed 140 acres, more than seventy blocks. 1,526 Buildings were destroyed, a long with 2 large Lumber Yards. The number of business, banks, enterprises and merchants burn out were around 2,500. About 35,000 people were left jobless in the dead of winter. The fire claimed one life...The life of Firefighter James McGlennen. Firefighter McGlennen developed pneumonia and died a few days later. The Great Fire Of Baltimore which took 31 hours to contain was said to have started by a cigar or cigarette which had fell through a hole in the sidewalk vault lights of the Hurst Building then into the basement where it ignited blankets and cotton goods stored in open cases.....

227 E. HEATH STREET WAS PURCHASED BY JOHN EDELMANN. LEWIS
MILLER LIVED UPSTAIRS AND JOHN EDELMANN AND HIS WIFE LIVED
DOWNSTAIRS. IT WAS BUILT AS A TWO FAMILY UNIT. AFTER LEWIS DIED
JOHN MADE IT A ONE FAMILY HOUSE. MY GRANDMOTHER TOLD ME THAT ALL
THE GIRLS SLEPT IN THE BACK BEDROOM. THE STAIN GLASS TRANSOM WAS
BOUGHT BY MAGGIE EDELMANN. IT WAS MADE BY MR. KANEE. JOHN SOLD THE
HOUSE TO HIS DAUGHTER ANNE CATHERINE AND HER HUSBAND. HER BIRTHDAY
WAS MAY 27 1991. ANNE CATHRINE WHO WAS NICK NAMED RENNIE SOLD THE
HOUSE TO HER DAUGHTER AUDREY WHOSE BIRTHDAY IS JULY 27 1917. WE
MOVED INTO THE HOUSE WHEN I WAS 6 MONTHS OLD AND MY BIRTHDAY IS JAN
27 1941. MY SON DOUG WAS BORN ON FEB 27 1965. THE HOUSE WAS SOLD TO
LAURA AND MAX BROWN IN 1994. FIVE GENERATIONS HAD LIVED IN THE
HOUSE. IT WAS SOLD DURING THE GENERATION THAT A BOY WAS BORN ON THE
27TH (2/27). Written by Audrey Janice Creamer

More About John Henry Edelmann:
Burial: April 05, 1922, Cedar Hill Section K Lot 710 Grave 2 Deed 3006.
Occupation 1: Box Maker ( Census).
Occupation 2: Partner in a Savings and Loan.

Children of John Henry Edelmann and Margaret Miller are:

+Louisa Edelmann, d. date unknown.
+William Henry Edelmann, b. March 26, 1879, Baltimore, d. December 26, 1946, Baltimore.
Annie Edelman, b. July 10, 1883, d. November 20, 1891, Baltimore.
Charles Edelmann, b. 1888, d. September 27, 1958, Baltimore.
+Anne Catherine Edelmann, b. May 27, 1891, Baltimore⁶⁷, d. February 1974, Pasadena, Anne Arundel, MD⁶⁷.
+Anne Julia Edelmann, b. 1893, d. date unknown.
+Emma R. Edelmann, b. 1897, Maryland, d. date unknown.
+Evelyn Edelmann, b. 1900, d. date unknown.
Carrie Edelmann, b. September 1901, Baltimore, d. August 07, 1903, Baltimore.