Return to the El Dorado County Page Return to El Dorado County TalesWritten by Joanne Burkett from research taken from Paolo Sioli's History of El Dorado County California, from El Dorado Co. birth, marriage, death and land records and often from interviews.
German-born Henry Wulff traveled across America to California twice -- once all the way on foot, was a failure as a gold miner, ran a 15-mule pack train, was attacked by Indians, was a carpenter in Oregon, and lost two of his 16 children as babies, but he persevered, building a good life for his big family in El Dorado County.
Henry was born on a farm in Hanover, Germany, on Jan. 11, 1829 to Frederick Wulff and Charlotte Flente Wulff. After receiving a childhood education, he learned cabinet making and went to work in that trade in 1844, when he was just 15 years old. Four years later, he immigrated to the United States where he earned a living at his trade for about two years in St. Louis, Mo.
Out west, the California gold rush was in full force. Henry had heard all about it and was intrigued. Finally, joining with six other men, he traveled across the state to St. Joseph, which was located less than 50 miles from the state's northwestern border and was then the most populated jumping off point for California. They quickly set about outfitting themselves for the journey ahead. The weather had grown severe and, on April 27, 1850, with fingers frozen blue with cold, the little party set out across the plains.
Five months later, on Sept. 29, they rode into Ringgold, on Weber Creek. For the next few months, Henry was unsettled, traveling between Ringgold, Sacramento and San Francisco, and finally on to Oregon where he made some money at carpentry, while seeking what he called the "gold lake."
Failing that, he spent some of his newly earned money on a horse and returned to California, via Yreka Flats in Siskiyou County, a newly discovered mining area. Not having much luck, he traveled on, learning later that he had abandoned Yreka Flats too soon -- it had proved to be a very rich camp.
Further disappointment on the Salmon River, which had its headwaters high in the Trinity Alps, sent him packing, literally. With a 15-mule pack train he purchased, Henry set out for Oregon to buy goods to sell back in the gold fields.
Unexpected horror lay in wait a few miles from the Rogue River in the form of a band of Indians who attacked Henry's party, killing one member and robbing their train.
Defeated, he returned to Shasta County where he stayed until January 1852, when he left for New England, via the Isthmus of Panama, arriving sometime in May. He found work and his life improved when he met the woman he would marry on Oct. 2.
Her name was Caroline Lehrke, and she was the daughter of fellow Hanover natives, Dietrich and Elizabeth Lehrke. On Jan. 31, 1854, Henry and Caroline became parents when baby Henry was born in St. Louis.
When mother and baby had recovered from the birth, Henry paid the $150 fare and he, along with Caroline and little Henry, joined an ox train for a return trip to California. Henry had to walk, driving the ox team along the trail.
After crossing the plains that evolved into a 40-mile stretch of desert -- the most dreaded portion of the California Emigrant Trail -- the party reached the Carson River and the small hamlet of Ragtown.
Ragtown was not really a town, but never the less, it was an oasis to the travelers, the most welcome site along the dry, parched trail. In fact, after the long days in the desert, it was the first water for the dehydrated travelers.
After resting, Henry and his family left the train and journeyed on to Placerville, arriving on Sept. 1.
Carpenter work provided the $500 needed to buy a tunnel claim, but somehow, he lost it. Carpentry again provided a living until 1859, when he purchased 960 acres in the area of White Oak Township.
Before this move, though, the couple became parents twice again, first to John, who was born on Aug. 16, 1856 in Spanish Hill, and then to their third son, George, born on May 17, 1858 in Placerville.
Less than a year after they settled down to a life as farmers, Caroline gave birth to Albert on April 16, 1860. On Feb. 6, 1862, Herman was born, followed two years later on Jan. 21, 1864, by the family's first daughter, Elizabeth Amelia.
A second daughter came along on March 12, 1866 and then it was back to boys with the birth, on Feb. 12, 1868, of Frederick Lincoln. Another child, who had died, had also been born on Feb. 12, in an earlier year.
Augustus "Gus" William was born on June 12, 1870, followed by Frank on March 11, 1872.
Tragedy struck, though, when another son was stillborn on Jan. 18, 1877.
Actually, according to Paolo Sioli's History of El Dorado County, California, published in 1883, the Wulff's would have 16 children in all.
Over the years, Henry and his family became important members of the community. He was one of the three founding members of the Ancient Order of Druids, No. 1. In fact, he was even named grand marshal of the order at San Francisco in 1882. Henry worked and developed his property, became a member of the International Order of Odd Fellows, and saw his children grow and marry.
John married Annie Smith on Sept. 14, 1876. Elizabeth Amelia joined the Uhlenkamp family when she married their son, Christian Thomas, on Oct. 18, 1883.
On Sept. 27, 1894, Caroline married Albert, the son of William Rust.
Uriah Stroup married Henry's daughter Mary on Jan. 30, 1895. Mary, like her parents before her, would suffer the loss of two of her own children, one a little boy who died just 18 days after his birth.
Frank married Ida Walker on June 27, 1900.
When Henry and Caroline died I haven't been able to determine, however, they left a fine legacy in the large family they raised. Today, there are almost 200 Wulff's listed in the telephone white pages, many of them living in the Sacramento Valley.
Permission is granted by the author to use or republish this article, but proper attribution to the author -- Joanne Burkett -- is requested.
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Last Updated on: 11 January 2004