Benjamin Franklin Christlieb–Early Family Historian

Benjamin Franklin Christlieb became the principal family historian of the 19^th century. His writings – both published and non-published – made possible the detailed genealogical research that would take place several generations later. Without his writings, much of the knowledge of the Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip family would have been lost.

In 1853, Benjamin Franklin Christlieb began his studies at Big Spring Academy at Newville, Pennsylvania, where he studied English and mathematics in preparation for becoming a civil engineer and surveyor. For a number of years, he attended the Academy during summer sessions, alternating as a teacher in the common schools during the winter months. In 1859, he removed to Hennepin County, Minnesota, near Long Lake, where he found employment as a civil engineer. In time, he became Postmaster at Long Lake. B.F. Christlieb is shown here with some of his surveying equipment.

Benjamin Franklin Christlieb - Surveyor

Before continuing, it should be noted that although Benjamin Franklin Christlieb preferred the formal B.F. Christlieb on documents, he informally referred to himself simply as Ben or Frank Christlieb.

In The Christlieb Family, B.F. Christlieb described his life between the years 1859 and 1872:

“On arriving [from Pennsylvania] in May 1859, he located in Hennepin County near Long Lake, where he soon found employment in surveying, subdividing sections and defining the lands of pre-emption claimants and in surveying new public records established by the authority of the boards of supervisors of the township organized the previous year. In conducting his profession at the time, he was compelled to travel on foot and carry his surveying instruments, wending his way through forests to the different places of his operations in the undeveloped districts of the big woods.”

“In 1860, he was honored by a nomination for the Legislature on the Democratic ticket for Hennepin County, his associate on the ticket being R.J. Mendenhall. Both were defeated as was the entire Democratic ticket including Stephen A. Douglas, who headed the ticket as a candidate for the Presidency.”

“In 1864, he was employed by the St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Company to assist in surveying and examining the lands held by that company under its land grant and served at intervals as civil engineer with the same company in the years following, in locating and constructing its lines of railroad. He also served as Civil engineer with the Northern Pacific Railroad Company, and ran the transit on that part of the company’s line near Thompson on which the ceremonies of opening the work on that line in 1870 were conducted. He was associated with George W. Cooley of Minneapolis in his services with the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. He also served as a civil engineer with the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad Company and other companies.” History of Hennepin County, Minnesota, page 1403.

At age 36, Benjamin Franklin Christlieb married Amy Wakefield, whom he described as an “estimable young lady.” Amy Wakefield was the daughter of Bradford and Ellen Wakefield, who had settled in Minnesota in November 1859. Benjamin and Amy were married by The Rev. Charles Thayer, a Presbyterian minister, on October 31, 1872. Amy Wakefield’s photograph was taken at some time prior to the marriage.

Amy Wakefield

Sadly, B.F. Christlieb’s marriage to Amy was both short-lived and tragic. The town records of Medina, Minnesota, tell the untold story of the events of 1874. A son, Benjamin was born on February 28, 1874. Six days later, after giving birth, Amy Wakefield Christlieb died on March 6, 1874. This tragedy was followed by the death of the child who was just six months old. The funerals for the wife, Amy, on March 12^th, and for the infant, Benny, on August 25^th, were conducted at Long Lake by Rev. Thayer.

Although Benjamin F. Christlieb mentioned his wife’s death in his writings, he never made any mention of little Benny, such was the extent of his grief.

Amy Wakefield Christleb and their son, Benny Christlieb, were both buried in Union Cemetery, also known as Long Lake Cemetery, in Long Lake, Hennepin County, Minnesota. On the right side of the headstone can be seen the plaque with Benny's information on it.

After the deaths of his wife and son, B.F. Christlieb spent time in Nebraska. “In 1875-1876 he [B.F. Christlieb] resided in Nebraska, and was one of a party of six who first settled on the Fort Kearney Reservation, which movement resulted in the occupation of the entire Reservation by settlers, being confirmed to them by Act of Congress.” Jacob’s Ladder, Vol. IV, No. 3, May 1987, p. 5.

Amy Wakefield Christlieb's Headstone in Union Cemetery, aka Long Lake Cemetery, Long Lake, Hennepin County, Minnesota. Benny Christlieb's information is on the right side of this marker.

Benny Christlieb's Headstone in Union Cemetery.

Benjamin Franklin Christlieb wrote an extensive letter to the Minneapolis Tribune, in which he presented his opinions on a proposed narrow gauge railroad northwesterly from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dated 11 October 1874, the enlightening letter appears below:

Benjamin Franklin Christlieb returned to Long Lake, Minnesota, where he established a mercantile business beginning in 1877. This business, activity in politics, and the recording of the family genealogy occupied the remainder of his life. His intense interest to gather and record the Christlieb family history was nurtured, in part, by his desire to fill the emptiness in his life after the death of his wife and child. With the hope of finding his German roots, he began correspondence, in 1873, with Prussian theologian, Theodor Christlieb, who was engaged in a series of lectures, while touring the United States.

His curiosity regarding members of the West Virginia branch of the family (Chrislip/Crislip) was intensified when he discovered that some Chrislip descendants were neighbors of his Christlieb relatives in Oregon, Missouri. This led to correspondence with his second cousin, Ervin G. Chrislip of Elk City, West Virginia. It is from their letters that so much has been gained in the way of firsthand information on the family, including details that he chose not to include in The Christlieb Family, which he published in 1895.

It is fortunate that Ervin/Irvin G. Chrislip kept the letters he received from B.F. Christlieb, and that copies have been made available to our association. The first of these letters, written July 9, 1894, is a letter of introduction, as well as a request for information to be included in his book, The Christlieb Family, published the very next year, in 1895. The table below lists the letters and postcards from B.F. Christlieb to his cousin, Ervin/Irvin G. Christlip/Chrislip.

Regarding the West Virginia branch of the family, B.F. Christlieb wrote:

“The writer regrets that his acquaintanceship with the West Virginia Branch of the Christlieb family is so limited, being in correspondence with a few of its members within a few recent months. From what he has learned from that correspondence, he believes that he would have found many items of interest to record concerning that branch beyond what he has noticed, had he lived amongst and been personally intimate with its members.” Preface: Benjamin Franklin Christlieb’s The Christlieb Family, published in 1895.

B.F. Christlieb spent his retirement years in Orange County, California. During his final years, he furthered his efforts in matters historical. From time to time, articles and comments by him appeared in the Newville newspapers, revealing a man whose interest in historical matters continued to the end of his life. He died in Orange County, California, on April 4, 1900. He was buried in Angelus Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles, California. His gravestone reads: B.F. CHRISTLIEB, NATIVE OF CUMBERLAND CO., PA. OCTOBER 10, 1836 – APRIL 15, 1900.

Sometime after his death, a plaque was added to Amy Wakefield's Headstone, in Union Cemetery, Long Lake, Minnesota, which reads: Benjamin F. Christlieb, Oct. 10, 1836, Apr. 15, 1900, Rests in Rose Dale Cemetery, Los Angeles, Cal.

Benjamin Franklin Christlieb's Gravestone
in Angelus Rosedale Cemetery, Los Angeles, California

Benjamin Franklin Christlieb's Panel on Amy's Headstone in Union Cemetery, Long Lake, Minnesota, reminding visitors where B.F. Christlieb is buried—in Los Angeles County, California.

We are reminded that it was Benjamin Franklin Christlieb who pointed the way to Dürkheim, the family’s ancestral hometown in the German Palatinate. It was his effort that preserved the link between the Pennsylvania and (West) Virginia branches of the family. The link eventually led to the uniting of the two branches of the family together and the formation of the Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip Family Association in 1983. Without his motivation to pursue, write, and publish his family history, the rich heritage of the Christlieb-Chrislip-Crislip Family would not have been preserved. A great debt of gratitude is owed this descendant of Friedrich Carl and Anna Catharina Christlieb.

Child of Benjamin Franklin Christlieb and Amy Wakefield

• Benjamin "Benny" Christlieb (Friedrich Carl Christlieb¹, Carl Christlieb², Isaac Christlieb³, Benjamin Franklin Christlieb⁴), born 28 February 1874, died in infancy.