In 1857, they sold their farm for $ 1.225.00. They wanted more land, and hearing of Kansas land being cheaper, they decided to look there. In April of 1857, Grandfather and Frederick began the trip. They came to Grasshopper Falls where they bought two quarters, the one on which Uncle Philip lived and the other where Frederick lived. The 1and cost about two dollars an acre. It was purchased from two Swiss who had the claim rights. This land had belonged to the Delaware Indians. They appraised their own land. Some of the Delaware River bottoms were sold for four dollars per acre. The river was called Grasshopper at this time.
Grasshopper River was changed to the French name Sautrelle Falls, which is French for Grasshopper. This the irate citizens wanted changed. So the city was named Valley Falls, and the river Delaware.
Frederick remained in Kansas and Grandfather returned to Wisconsin in September to get the rest of the folks, which included Abe Stauffer, Christina, and Christina and Lizzie, their small children. (1860 Census-Christina was 5 and Lizzie was 3).
(No one remembers stories of how the family came, to Kansas. At this time some came by river to Leavenworth and then; by land to the new home. Others came by covered wagons from Milwaukee to Janesville, Wisconsin; headed toward Lincoln, Nebraska and then down toward Holton and Topeka, Kansas. Robert Reichart said that he had thought that they came to Leavenworth, but he had no particular thing he could use to prove this. They brought practically nothing with them so this-may favor the water route (it is strange that Aunt Laura missed getting this part of the story in from Uncle Anton.).
North of Kasper Abbuehl’s house there was a ravine. There were two houses. Streuber , who bought a quarter close to Grandfather’s lived in one house, and the folks in the other. These were no doubt the first homes of the Abbuehl’s. They were one-room log houses. (An account ‘History of Lower Coal Creek’ found in the State Historical Building, described the cabins thusly: “‘in 1854 the first homes were cabins of round logs--crevices filled with wood, stone and mud--roof dirt or clapboard--no floors--no windows--doors low and wide--fireplaces logs plastered with mud--chimneys wood and plastered with mud.”). Written by J.H. Bennett, July 27. 1878. There was a spring and there was a timber, though small, it offered some protection. (The first well was dug in 1857. Both families, Abbuehls and Reicharts , had the four necessities of the times--wood, water, prairie and Swiss and German enterprise. Neighbors were Ephraim Lowman, Willis Frakes, Franz Ammen, and Jack Frakes. The Frakes were for slavery and this caused a bit of trouble . J.H.B.)
In 1857 it was very dry, and very little corn was raised, except on ground that had been broken up before. Rains came too late for the corn on the newly turned-over sod, but they had a good crop of potatoes on timber ground, where there had been no sod. Farming was done with oxen.
The next year they built a log house on what is now Alex’s place, where the smokehouse now stands. It was built lengthwise, standing north and south. The fireplace was across the north end. The top logs and roof where rafters were nailed to, were left open at the south gable end, and boards were laid across these logs and this was fixed up for sleeping, with warm August nights this was a nice place, but not so in winter. Benches were home made, tables were home made, dishes were few.In the little hill east they dug a cave. The following year crops were good, but in 1860 it was very dry, only nubbins and fodder. Provisions were sent to the needy from the East, but Grandfather had enough to get his family through the year.
Aunt Christina (Mrs. Kasper Abbuehl) kept house for the family, when the oldest girl, Lizzie, married. Frederick was married to Margaret Abbuehl and Christina was married to Kasper Abbuehl, on July 10, 1860, at the home of a sister Catherine Abbuehl Ratz ( Mrs. John Ratz). This double wedding was a gala affair with the Old Country dancing and the drinking of beer or wine.
Grandfather and Philip worked at their trade in Kansas also. In the first few years they built the first stone house on Sunny Hill farm. This house became Philip’s home. They built the Blake house two miles north of Valley Falls, and the arch cave on the home place and the rock room on Uncle Anton’s place which are still standing. A stone house was built near the log house which became the home of Frederick. A well was dug here which was walled up with dressed stones to make a smooth circumference. Sometimes they did stone mason work in Leavenworth, Kansas.