Nicholas & Anna Pohlman

February 17th marks 144 years since the death of Nicholas Pohlman.

Not much is known about Nicholas, as he appears in very few records.  The birthplace on is gravestone is all but illegible, but reads in part "---reich Koening".  According to census records, he and his wife Apolonia "Anna" both were born in Bavaria, though it is unknown if they immigrated together, or arrived separately and met in the U.S.  The 1900 census record shows that Anna immigrated in 1850, and Nicholas became a naturalized citizen in Baltimore City on October 31, 1856.

The Pohlmans are missing from the 1860 census, but by 1870, their family was living in Reisterstown.  Their last name was spelled Bolman by the census taker, and for some reason, Nicholas was listed as "George".  All of their children were born in Maryland, from 15-year-old George to 4-month-old William.  Anna was keeping house with the four younger children, while George and his sister Rachel were attending school.  Nicholas was working as cooper (barrel maker), and owned real estate valued as $550.

In November of 1868, Nicholas and Anna had purchased a tract of land in Baltimore County, "together with the buildings and improvements thereupon", from Ignatius and Janette Gravel for $550.  Nicholas took out a mortgage on the property from the Bank Street Building Association in Baltimore City.

Three years later, in April of 1871, the Bank Street Building Association released the mortgage, stating that "Nicholas Pohlman hath paid ... all the sums of money and interest and hath performed all the covenants and agreements mentioned in the said indenture of mortgage."  However, on the same day, Nicholas again mortgaged the property, this time to Lewis A. Dehoff, to whom Nicholas apparently owed $350.

Sadly, Nicholas passed away less than a year later, on February 17, 1872, at about 50 years of age.

Afterward, there was some dispute over the Pohlmans' property, but in 1879, Anna took out a mortgage from the Franklin Permanent Building Association to purchase the land for $330 from Nicholas Herder, who had been named as trustee by the Orphans' Court.  In describing the property, all the prior land records had mentioned a "bounded chestnut tree" as one of the land marks, but for the first time, this deed noted that the lot was located on Nicodemus Road.

In the 1880 census, Anna was listed as a farmeress, living with four of her children.  Her son John, age 17, and daughter Maggie, age 15, were working in a paper mill.

The year 1891 was a rough one for the Pohlman family.  Two daughters passed away in April:  Anna Pauline, age 23, who had married Jefferson Pate in 1887, died on the 8th, followed thirteen days later by her sister, 19-year-old Ella Vina.  In October, Anna Pauline's young son Emmett also died.

By 1900, Anna was living in Baltimore City in the household of her daughter Maggie, who had married John Wheeler, a boiler maker.

Anna Pohlman passed away on June 8, 1905 from Bright's Disease, at the age of 72.

Nicholas and Anna's children were:

• George Pohlman, c1855-1915, husband of (1) Alvina Dorsey and (2) Elizabeth Pate
• Rachel Pohlman, 1860-19??, wife of John T. Mooney
• John M. Pohlman, 1862-1925, husband of Arnola Ida Yingling
• Margaret "Maggie" Pohlman, 1865-1948, wife of John B. Wheeler
• Anna Pauline Pohlman, c1868-1891, wife of Jefferson D. Pate
• William Pohlman, 1871-1960, husband of Annie Marie Ludwig
• Ella Vina Pohlman, c1872-1891

Sources:
Ancestry.com (census & naturalization records)

• Year: 1870; Census Place: District 4, Baltimore, Maryland; Roll: M593_569; Page: 263A.
• Year: 1880; Census Place: District 4, Baltimore, Maryland; Roll: 495; Page: 575B.
• Year: 1900; Census Place: Baltimore Ward 8, Baltimore City, Maryland; Roll: 611; Page: 12A.

Baltimore Sun

• "Died." Date: 10 April 1891; Page: 2.
• "Died." Date: 12 October 1891; Page: 2.

Maryland Archives (marriage, death & land records)

Cemetery photos © AgateGS