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a Generation of Kansas Pioneers in Atchison, Brown & Doniphan Counties
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Brox Query

Nov 2009

Is Frank Prox of Atchison County, Kansas, a brother of John Brox of Neu Waldek, Bohemia, Austria

John Brox and his family arrived in Shannon Township, Atchison County, Kansas, in 1875. Even before his arrival, there were other individuals in the neighborhood with his relatively uncommon surname who sometimes used the spellings Brox, Prox or the original Prax. In addition, there were other families who came from the same group of Bohemian villages, and several other families who probably did, as part of a chain migration. Some or all of these are probably related to John and/or each other.

Frank Prox/Brox

Possibly the most important of these individuals is Frank Prox/Brox who is a potential brother of John Brox. According to census records, Frank was born c.1840 in Austria, immigrated in 1864, and lived in Missouri before coming to Kansas. However, his first known location is in Shannon Township in Atchison County in 1875. He was here without family, but this census does not give a marital status. In 1885, he was living in Lancaster Township with his wife, Victoria, who was born c.1843 also in Austria. It is not known when or where they married. They could have emigrated together, or they could have married as late as 1875-85. Victoria died 9 Jun 1898 and was buried in Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Atchison, Kansas. The 1900 and 1905 censuses show Frank living on his own and working as a teamster. In 1910, now in his 70’s, he was still in the same area but now boarding with the Austrian family of John Broraska.

Anton Brox

Anton (Anthony) Brox was born 10 Jun 1854 in Austria and according to census records, immigrated c.1866. He is found living in Shannon Township earlier than Frank in 1870. About 1879, Anton married a woman named Hattie, and by 1880 they were living in Wolf River Township, Doniphan County, Kansas. A man named Christopher C. Naylor had been working with Anton in 1870. Now his brother, John Naylor, was living with Anton and Hattie here. A third brother, James W. Naylor, was now only two farms away as well. These were all sons of Isaac Naylor. By 1885, Anton and Hattie had moved to Sumner County in southern Kansas where they were living next to the first brother, Christopher. These repeated associations with the Naylor family suggest that these may have been relatives of Hattie. From here it was a relatively short trip to Kingfisher County, Oklahoma, where they moved between 1890-92 and remained. Anton died here 14 Sep 1935 and Hattie died in 1944. They were both buried in the Hennessey-Calvary Cemetery. The names of their children are:

  1. Josie (1881).
  2. Arthur J. (1882-1938).
  3. Jessie V. (1888).
  4. Edna (1890).
  5. Ruth Grace (1892).
  6. Roy H. (1897).
  7. Joseph Irvin (1900-1964).

Teresa Brox

Teresa Brox was born 28 Nov 1854 in Austria and also lived in Missouri before coming to Kansas. One census says that she immigrated in 1855, but another says the more likely year of 1865. In 1870, she was living with the Austrian family of Wenzel Keeler in Shannon Township. By 1875, she was living with the family of John Drimmel. Also in this household was a Theresia Gergele and her infant son, both of whom had just arrived in the country after travelling with the John Brox family. Teresa then married Raymond Kauer 7 Aug 1880 and died 13 Jul 1938 in Warrensburg, Johnson County, Missouri. Her death certificate shows her father's name as Anton Prox.

In 1894, a daughter of Wenzel Keeler, Elizabeth, married John Joseph Brox, a son of John Brox. In 1933, a granddaughter of Wenzel married a grandson of John Brox as well.

The Henry Myers Farm

The family and farm of Henry Myers provide a loose connection to each of the previous individuals. In 1870, a young Anton Brox was a laborer on this farm while Teresa was living nearby. Five years later, Frank Prox was living as a farmhand on the same farm and working with both Christopher and John Naylor who are associated with Anton Brox. Teresa had moved in with a different family, but she was still close. Finally in 1888, John Myers, a son of Henry, married Mary Anna Brox, a daughter of John Brox.

Anna Prax

The fourth and final known individual in the area with the Brox/Prox/Prax surname is also the earliest. Anna Prax and her new husband, Joseph Zalfler, were issued marriage license No. 1 in Atchison County, Kansas, on 4 Mar 1867. For them to marry without parental consent, Anna had to be born before 1849 and Joseph before 1846. No other information has been found regarding this couple. (The most similar surnames found in the area so far are Zelfel, Zalphel and Zeltner.)

Other Early Arrivals

A particularly intriguing document is the passenger list of the S.S. America which landed in New York on 3 Jul 1865, ten years prior to the arrival of my ancestors. It contains the names of nineteen individuals who were travelling together from Bohemia (Austria). More than ½ have been located in and around the city of Atchison, and many of the surnames can be linked to family names mentioned on the passport of John Brox. Each person is listed here followed by the earliest date they have been found in Atchison County.

Immigrant Ships Passenger Arrival Lists, National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), microfilm (database online at Ancestry.com).
Steamer S.S. America, From Bremen to New York, Arrived 03 Jul 1865.
p.13

  1. Franz Philipp, age 31, male, farmer, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1875]
  2. Maria Philipp, age 20, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1875]
  3. Theresia Zeit, age 67, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA.
  4. Victoria Zeit, age 29, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA.
  5. Joseph Philipp, age 29, male, farmer, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1880]
  6. Anne Philipp, age 28, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1880]
  7. Alois Philipp, age 5, male, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1880]
  8. Franz Antel, age 30, male, farmer, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1870]
  9. Rosa Antel, age 26, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1870]
  10. Aloisa Antel, age 3, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1870]
  11. Marie Antel, age 6 mos, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1870]
  12. Anton Prax, age 35, male, farmer, origin Bohemia, destination USA.
  13. Anna Prax, age 29, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA.
  14. Anton Prax, age 7, male, origin Bohemia, destination USA.
  15. Theresia Prax, age 6, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA.
  16. Franz Prax, age 5, male, origin Bohemia, destination USA.
  17. Veit Antel, age 56, male, farmer, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1880, possibly 1870]
  18. Theresia Antel, age 56, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [1880, possibly 1870]
  19. Theresia Antel, age 7, female, origin Bohemia, destination USA. [probably 1870 but wrong age listed]

The only people on the list who have not been found afterward are an older woman who may not have survived until the next census, a younger woman who may have married by the same time, and the Anton Prax family. The names of Anton's wife and two older children match those of three of the individuals discussed above, however, the ages of the children do not match up. If it is assumed that their ages on the manifest are incorrect, it is entirely plausible that Anton died soon after arriving. Then Anna remarried in 1867, possibly then dying as well, and Anton Jr. and Teresa were left to fend for themselves.

Chain Migration

Johann and Veronica Woletz are the only other couple proven to come from the same area as the John Brox family. Finally, some names that appear in Shannon Township other than Brox and appear to be connected to a chain migration include: Antl/Antel/Antle, Philipp, Wolez/Woletz/Wohletz, Frodl/Frodel/Frodle, Gergele, Drimmel/Dremmer, and Zeit. According to the passport of John Brox, Antl is his mother's maiden name, his godparents were named Filipp, and his midwife may have been named Wolez. The maiden name of his wife's mother was Frodl. Gergele sailed with his family and lived with John Drimmel after they arrived in Kansas.

Summary

  1. There are no proven direct family relationships between any of the separate individuals, but there are enough indirect connections to believe that at least some were related.
  2. At least one other family is known to have come from the same location as the Brox family, the Woletz family.
  3. Other families in Shannon Township must have come from the same villages as well, in particular the Drimmel family and those families whose surnames appear on the passport of John Brox.
  4. If others came from the same area, there is a strong possibility that the other Broxes could have come from the same location too.

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