His father had paid for his ticket to make the trip and had given him $7.00 extra for spending money. His brother met him in New York and helped him find a job working in a General Store which handled everything from a spool of thread to molasses. He slept in the store, his bed being a plank two feet wide.

Henry was a rather frail man, and his health worsened as a result of not getting the right kind of food, being cooped up inside the store all the time, and the pungent odor of the store. After five years he decided to go back to Germany. He used his savings to buy a new overcoat to make the trip, thinking after he purchased it that perhaps he shouldn't have spent the money on that new coat, for he didn't think he would live long enough to get much use of it. He went back to Germany on a sail ship, being on the water for seven weeks. Back in Germany he worked outside in the fresh air, had regular hot meals, plenty of rest, and his health was restored. After three years he again returned to the United States and to New York, again working in a General Store. Sometime later his brother bought a store in St. Louis, Mo. and Henry went to Missouri to manage the store for his brother.

In 1864 Henry decided to try his hand at farming. He went to Corning, Mo., where two of his uncles lived. He farmed at Corning for four and one-half years. Again his health started to aggravate him, this time from the open wells which were in use in that area.

(An interesting note is that while Henry was farming in Corning, Mo., he boarded with August Eyl, Fred Eyl's parents.)

When Henry heard that John Tiedgen was coming to Nebraska he decided to come with him. John Lucht also joined the party, and the three men started out in the spring of 1869. They arrived in April. It took them three weeks to drive the hogs and cattle through. They would milk the cows, make a little ditch, pour the milk in this ditch for the hogs to drink, and thus did the chores along the way. Neither Henry Tomhagen nor John Lucht were married at this time. Mrs. Tiedgen did not make the trip until later.

Henry took out a homestead of 160 acres one mile southeast of what is presently known as Battle Creek. This deed was signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, Sept. 5, 1871. A few years later he took out another 160 acres as a timber claim, President Rutherford F. Hayes, signing this document, April 25, 1877.

When Mrs. John Tiedgen came to Nebraska she brought

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