doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com A pre-Flues, Flues-Bay City

ClapperZapper,

You may be interested in this broadcast that ran on NPR in April of this year.

Keeping up the Mother Tongue
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102537759

NPR News - All things Considered.
In Rural Wisconsin, German Reigned for Decades.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102523977

Podcast of the above
http://www.npr.org/templates/player/medi...amp;m=102618927

Also this thread on Ancestory.com (mentioned above) that was started by Robert Chambers, there are some interesting bits of information:
http://boards.ancestry.families.aol.com/...bay/968/mb.ashx

Do not be too concerned with the city / county boundaries. They are political and can vary greatly over the course of a 100+ years, as can street names and numbering schemes.

There is still a question as to who Flues apprenticed to. This may be buried in those church records.

Pete

A year or so ago, I made the aquaintance of a 75 year-old gentleman who had been the chairman of a major insurance company headquarterd in Frankenmuth, MI, not far from Bay City. Frankenmuth has a strong Geerman heritage. He spoke with a heavy German accent. When I asked him when he came to America, he bristled a bit, and said that he was 4th generation American - but that English wasn't taught in the Frankenmuth schools until about the 6th grade

A year or so ago, I made the aquaintance of a 75 year-old gentleman who had been the chairman of a major insurance company headquarterd in Frankenmuth, MI, not far from Bay City. Frankenmuth has a strong German heritage. He spoke with a heavy German accent. When I asked him when he came to America, he bristled a bit, and said that he was 4th generation American - but that English wasn't taught in the Frankenmuth schools until about the 6th grade

Grant in his book More Single Shot Rifles, shows this example of a Ballard. According to Grant, on the top of the gun in small lettering is "E. Flues E. SAG. MICH." 1885 appears on the gun. Also a small heart has been stamped on the gun using a punch. To Grant the gun has a Marlin barrel. So, Flues at least worked on this gun, perhaps rebarreling, perhaps engraving...



Pete

If by chance, E. Flues announced his arrival, and setting up of shop, in the E. Saginaw newspaper, I have it. I have the bound newspapers out in the barn.
It was not uncommon to post a bio in the local paper upon arrival. Save me a trip to Bay City (5 miles).

Sounds good. Also check for any ad's he may have run. I found some ad's for Golcher by checking local papers.

Pete

I will, page by crumbly page.

Just stumbled across this thread, and since I saw a link to an earlier post I made elsewhere, I thought I'd add what I know about Emil Flues, and maybe a bit about Chambers also.
I own an 1881 Marlin that Flues built for a judge in Saginaw, Mi., who was a member of the Schuetzen club which Emil Flues was secretary for. From what I've gathered over the last decade or more, Flues started out his apprenticeship at age 14, and became a full time journeymen gun maker by age 18. He was partners with a gentleman named Wrege in Bay City, Mi. in the late 1800's, and into the early 1900's. He built a number of fancy schuetzen single shot rifles, and later fine shotguns, but to my knowledge the 1881 Marlin I own is the only lever action he ever customized. I have quite a bit of information on E. Flues, and much of it came from the Bay City, Mi. Historical Society, and the Michigan Historical Society. I also have his autobiography that was published in the Double Gun Journal, and written by his nephew.
Here's a picture of my 1881 Marlin with "E Flues Bay City" rollstamped on the barrel, and under the buttplate. It also has "#100 Tested" stamped on the barrel, under the forearm. Flues built the wood for this gun in presentation grade walnut, bent the tang to a pistol grip, engraved the screws, added a Farrow style buttplate, custom sights, and casehardened the receiver. This is the gun mentioned on the first page of this thread, that was found in a barrel of clunker guns in a local gun shop that was closing years ago.

PS-I have spoken to Robert Chambers on a couple occasions, many years ago. Not sure where he disappeared to since then, and both email addresses I have come back when I've attempted to contact him. He had so much knowledge of Flues, but kept his info close to the vest, as he said he'd had some bad experience sharing info, and having it "stolen" and used without any acknowledgement to him.
There is much info on Emil Flues on the Iroquois Arms Collectors web site, but it hasn't been updated in years. Robert was the president, but not sure of his status, or the club's status at this time?
https://sites.google.com/a/iroquoisarmscollectors.org/iroquoisarmscollectors/home/emil-flues-buffalo

Vail,

I am not far from Bay City/Saginaw. Let me know if I can help with your research.

Phil