CHRISTIAN GOTTLIEB CONRADT

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THE STORY AS I KNOW IT

Christian Gottlieb Conradt was born in 1796 in Germany. There is a family document Conradt Genealogy that shows him to be the oldest of five sons born to Georg Michael Conradt and Regina of Saxony Wurttemberg, Germany. The family tradition is that they feared Napoleon's army would sweep through and take all their sons, so they immigrated to the Untied States about 1810. They settled in Washington County, Maryland. However, you will see later that when he married C. G. Conradt was said to be formerly from Frederick County.

In 1820 Christian G. Conradt bought the Antietam Woollen Factory. A public notice was in the Maryland Herald, Hagerstown byline on August 1, 1820. It stated that "the business would now be conducted by C. G. Conradt, under the firm of Shafer, Stonebraker & Co". They made and sold "Cloths, Cassimeres, Cassinetts Blankets, Etc." Christian was 24 years old.

The Torchlight newspaper on June 25, 1822 described the celebration upon laying the corner stone of the Masonic building. There were dignitaries, parades, speeches and music. The members of the Choral group that sang were all listed. Christian G. sang as well as his sister Connie and his future bride Emily Hughes and many of her family.

We know that Christian lived in Funkstown just on the edge of Hagerstown because the Torchlight issue of April 8, 1823 listed a house for rent that was "lately occupied by C.G.Conradt". Interesting. Perhaps his name was listed because it was known and had value as a former tenant.

The Frederick Town Herald issue Dec 27, 1823 reported that "Miss Emily Hughes of Hagerstown married Tuesday evening last by Rev. Lemmon, to Christian G. Conradt, formerly of Frederick.

In fact the wedding was announced in all the news. Besides the Frederick Town Herald it was also in the Maryland Herald Dec.30, 1823 and the Torchlight Dec 30, 1823. The wording was always the same and to our great regret never included her parents' names.

The Rev. Lemmon was Rector of St. John's Episcopal Church from 1822 - 1828. During his tenure a new church building was completed on the corner of Jonathan and Antietam Streets. Unfortunately it burned down in 1871 taking with it records that may have identified Emily's parents.

I have a note that says that C.G.Conradt opened a carpet factory in Martinsburg, Va. in 1822. I'm not sure where the information came from. It needs to be clarified.  The Hagerstown newspaper Torch Light , reported on July 2, 1829 that Christian G. Conradt accepted a proposal to build a church in Martinsburg.  He wasn't a builder, but he must have been instrumental in getting the church built. The St. John's Lutheran Chruch website history of Martinsburg it says "On  June 10, 1832 St. John’s Lutheran moved into this present building. It cost $3,786.50 and was described as plain and unobtrusive."  It has been enlarged and embellished but is still in use. 

Christian and Emily had one child in Maryland in 1827 and then moved to Martinsburg, which was then in Virginia, now West Virginia, but only about 20 miles away from Hagerstown.  There they had 8 more children. They moved to Baltimore between 1842 and 1845.

What becomes confusing is when did he open the carpet factory in Baltimore, noted below and move there? His youngest child was born 1840 in Virginia according to the 1850 census but The Niles Register, page 33 dated Oct. 5, 1833 has an article titled Baltimore Manufactures: It goes on about a visit to the carpet manufactory of Messrs. C. G. Conradt & Co. Situated on Granby Street. "It is a large establishment, in excellent order producing articles of the best quality at reasonable prices." It goes on to list 38 carpet looms and a work force of nearly 100 people of men, women and children were appeared contented and were being paid a fair compensated. Was C. G. running two factories, one in Virginia, and one in Baltimore? The Baltimore factory was toward the inner harbor just 2 blocks from the Shot Tower and next to the Flag House.

The. 1850 Census 18^th Ward of Baltimore list a large family:
Christian Gottlieb Conradt age 54, manufacture born in Germany
Emily, age 44 born in Maryland
Elizabeth, age 21 born in Virginia
Christina "Connie", age 19 born VA (married James J. Sylvester)
Rebecca, age 17 born VA (married James Deane)
Emily, age 15 born VA (married John Smith)
Harry, age 14 born VA
Mary "Milly" age 12 born VA
Christian Hughes, age 10 born VA (married Carrie)
Frank age 8 born VA (Lost in a blizzard in Cheyenne when a young man.)
William Walsh age 29 a clerk, born Maryland
Ann age 23 born Maryland (she is Conradt oldest daughter, Ann Regina)
Emily Walsh age 3 born in Maryland
Yates, age 1 born in Maryland
Ann Hughes age 79, born in Maryland (Emily's mother)

A story written in the Conradt genealogy tells that he opened a carpet factory in Baltimore, which was very successful and prosperous. William H. Walsh was his bookkeeper. He married the oldest Conradt daughter, Ann Regina. After marrying into the family they formed the firm of Conradt, Walsh and Conradt.  They had numerous ads in the Daily Exchange and Democrat Advocate in 1859 through 1865.  One gave address as off Baltimore St. on Gay St. another that they were selling carpets at 75 Baltimore St. between Gay and south. and the Daily Exchange Jan 14, 1861 reported a valuable horse had been stolen from the Walsh Conrad Stables at rear of North Gay St. near Gilmore.  Value $175.  All went well until new machinery was invented. They could not compete and the company failed. Christian G. Conradt then took a position in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved his family to Covington Kentucky. "He died there having lost all he had". The story goes on to say that Wm. Walsh died not long after in 1871. So Christian Gottlieb Conradt died about 1867-69. This date is based on the fact that by 1870 his wife Emily was back in Baltimore.

The Family document lists the places the children of Christian and Emily moved to:

Connie and James Sylvester went to St. Louis, Missouri by 1860
Rebecca and James Deane moved to Oakland California
Emily and John Smith, a lawyer, lived in Covington Kentucky
Harry and his wife moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming
Frank to Cheyenne, Wyoming
Hughes and Carrie moved to Chicago, Illinois.

The family is not listed on 1860 census. Eliza Conradt was living with the Walsh family, probably helping with the children. I could not find anyone else in this Conradt family.
However, I do find them on the Cincinnati City Directory in 1861, page 112:
Christian G. Conradt home 101 E 3rd St.
Christian H. Conradt Jr. home ditto, salesman 53 W. Pearl St.
F.P. Conradt home ditto, clerk 53 W. Pearl St.

101 E. 3rd St. is now a high rise building and parking lot which has a view of the 2 huge sports stadiums on the Ohio River.  Pearl St has gone beneath I-71.  So we know that Christian Sr. died sometime after 1861 and before 1870.  I don't know if he lived in Covington before or after or ever his time in Cincinnati.  

The 1870 Baltimore Census has Emily Conradt and her daughter Eliza living with her daughter Anna Regina and William H. Walsh.

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Date Created: 2/24/2010
Date Edited 7/24/2014