MS-112
MARIE AND PAULINE LANGE COLLECTION
INTRODUCTION
The Marie and Pauline Lange Collection was accessioned into the Flesh Public Library Archives on 19 January 1988 (88/6). Marie and Pauline Lange lived at 324 Broadway for the majority of their adult lives. After the death of Marie Lange, the house was purchased by Mr. Harry Oda. Mr. Oda found the collection in the attic. The collection is in one Hollinger box and consists of 25 files divided into four series. The collection covers the years 1895 – 1948.
There are no restrictions on the use of the materials in this collection.
HISTORY
In 1897, brothers Henry and Fred Lange and their families moved to Piqua from Grand Island, Nebraska. They purchased the Schneyer Brewery on the Northeast corner of Spring and Water Streets.
Among the children of Henry and Mary Bucher Lange (4 sons and 5 daughters) were Pauline (born 1890_ and Marie (born 1900). Both daughters were educated at St. Boniface School and the Ideal Business College. The two sisters continued to reside at their home at 215 Spring Street with their mother after the death of their father c. 1918. In c. 1919 Mary Lange (widow of Henry) purchased a home for herself and the two daughters at 324 Broadway. Mary died in 1925 and the house passed to her daughter Pauline. Pauline and Marie lived at 324 for the remainder of their adult lives. Pauline died in 1961 and Marie in 1977. The two ladies never married. Marie was employed by the J. Ben Wilkinson Insurance Co. from approximately 1923 to about 1949. From c. 1949 to 1954 Marie worked in the office of Wood Shovel Co. and after 1954 as a bookkeeper at Citizens National Bank. There is no record in the city directories of Pauline having ever been gainfully employed.
Both Marie and Pauline inherited land in Los Angeles County, California in 1929 from the estate of Joseph Bucher. The documents in the collection show the probate of the estate and the sale of parts of the land in the 1940s.
SCOPE AND CONTENT
The materials in the collection are divided into four series.
Series I – Letters from family relatives and the Bucher family
genealogy – most are in German.
Series II – General business papers and letters.
Series III – Miscellaneous photos and documents.
Series IV – Documents relating to land in Los Angeles County,
California inherited from the estate of Joseph Bucher.
BOX INVENTORY
BOX 1
SERIES I – LETTERS FROM FAMILY RELATIVE AND
THE BUCHER FAMILY GENEALOGY –
MOST ARE IN GERMAN
File 1 – Letter from Edmund Bucher to Aunty Mary [Lange] and cousins –
15 January 1925 – friendly family letter.
File 2 – Letter from a person in Minster, Ohio to Lange Bros. Brewing Co.,
Grand Island, Nebraska – 15 November 1895 – letter is in
German and is probably a letter between family members.
File 3 – Letter from Henry Lange – 25 September 1902 – letter is in
German, written on stationery of “The Burton House, West
Baden, Indiana.”
File 4 – Bucher Family Genealogy beginning with Lukas Bucher, born 18
August 1719 and continuing to the birth of a child, Rosa, 20
March 1891. A postscript signed by Joseph Bucher is dated 25
April 1915 – The entire document is in German.
SERIES II – GENERAL BUSINESS PAPERS AND LETTERS
File 5 – Letter to Pauline and Mary Lange from their uncle, William Bucher,
President of Farmer’s State Bank, Columbus, Nebraska – 8
December 1931 – letter originally contained two “new” notes
each for $3312.50 and two drafts on Chase Bank of New York
each for $165.62. This is possibly a refinancing of a debt owed
by the bank to the Lange sisters. The letter also briefly
describes the economic condition of Columbus, Nebraska in
1931.
File 6 – Letter to “nieces” from Uncle Wm. Bucher, President of Farmers
State Bank Columbus, Nebraska – 9 December 1933.
Originally enclosed with the letter were the renewals of the two
notes [mention in the letter in File 5] and two drafts for interest.
He apologizes for being unable to make part payment on the
principle at this time because his bank, along with four others,
has closed. The letter describes farm conditions in 1933
Nebraska and the fact that corn has almost no value. Asks
about the conditions in Ohio.
File 7 – Letter from L. H. Hartman, Chairman, Organization Committee, The
Citizens Trust Co. thanking Marie Lange for her purchase of 5
shares of the capital stock of Citizens Trust for $150.00
($30/share). The letter is on The Commercial Savings Bank
and Trust Company, Toledo, Ohio letterhead and is dated 15
March 1932.
File 8 – Letter from I. J. Fulton, Superintendent of Banks of the State of
Ohio, In Charge of the Liquidation of the Commercial Savings
Bank and Trust Company, Toledo, Ohio. The envelope is
addressed to Miss Pauline Lange and is postmarked 13 May.
The letter is not dated but contains the date 16 May 1932 in the
test. The letter announces a distribution of 3 % per certificate.
File 9 – Letter to Mr. Eherhardt of Troy from Mary and Frank Lange – 27
July 1907 – Letter contained the payment of $18.10 to cover
costs of Probate Court of the estate of Henry Lange, and
requests a receipt.
File 10 – Receipts for payments by Miss Mary Lange
(a) From City of Piqua - $198.03 for the Broadway paving
assessment – 9 June 1917
(b) From U.S. Post Office Piqua for $14.34 – 1 December 1947
(c) From Leonard’s Nurseries for $9.50 – notation as paid 26
September 1955
SERIES III – MISCELLANEOUS PHOTOS AND DOCUMENTS
File 11 – Four stereoscope slides – J. F. Jarvis, Publisher, sold only by
Underwood & Underwood, Baltimore, Md. and other cities.
(a) President’s Mansion, Washington D.C., U.S.A. (printed in
both English and German
(b) Washington Monument, 555 feet high, Washington D.C.
(c) 2nd Artillery and 19th Mass. Column, Battle of Gettysburg
(d) Westminster Bridge and Thomas’ Hospital, London,
England
File 12 – Advertising photo for a Starr Grand Piano with a price of $850.00
written on the photo
File 13 – Specifications for “Brick Mrs. Van Fred Residence Piqua, Ohio” –
location and date are not listed.
File 14 – Specifications for Hot Water Heating “Appartus” – 23 June 1915 –
in George Lange’s residence Broadway [909 Broadway].
SERIES IV – DOCUMENTS RELATING TO LAND IN LOS
ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
INHERITED FROM JOSEPH BUCHER
File 15 – Two Title Guarantees by “Title Insurance and Trust Co., Los
Angeles, California, bound into a single document for real
estate as follows: Lot One of Partition of Lot Five of McLean
and Wilson’s Subdivision of the Foot Hill Tract of East Los
Angeles, in the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles,
State of California.
The first title guarantee was made at the request of M. B.
Smith (a widow), Cordelia Howard and Marie E. Witter and is dated 27 April 1920.
The second title guarantee was made at the request of
Herbert M. Orr, husband of Lulu E. Orr and is dated 8 October
1921.
File 16 – Court Document – Superior Court of the State of California, In and
for the County of Los Angeles. In the Matter of the Estate of
Joseph Bucher, Deceased – Report of a commission established
to partition the property to the heirs – total value of the estate
was $216,400.00 to be divided among 12 heirs, division and
assignment determined by commission – Pauline Lange and
Marie Lange are listed. The document is not dated but internal
dates of 20 October 1927 and 7 December 1928 for meetings of
the Commission suggest that the document was completed and
filed in early 1929.
File 17 – Court Document from Los Angeles County Superior Court – Order
confirming Commissioners’ Report and Supplemental Report
of Partition of the estate of Joseph Bucher – 1 April 1929.
By this division, Pauline Lange received the following:
[1] Lot 26 of Peck’s Subdivision of Block 34 of San Pedro,
County of Los Angeles, CA. [2] Lots 160 and 161 of Tract
#2818 in the City of Los Angeles, CA. [3] Cash in the amount
of $3100.00.
By this division Marie Lange received the following: [1]
Lot 1 of partition of Lot 5 of McLean and Wilson’s subdivision
of Foot Hill Tract of East Los Angeles, City of Los Angeles,
CA. [2] Lot 22, Block 24 of Pacific Improvement Tract in the
City of Los Angeles, CA. [3] Cash in the amount of $3600.00.
File 18 – Payment of Street Bond Assessment Bill 1938 for Lot 22 Block 24
Los Angeles – payment of $95.49 made by Miss Marie Lange
and accepted on 28 December 1937.
File 19 – Letter from R.J. Zarubica, President, Southwest Escrow Corp., San
Pedro, CA to Michael E. Norris (Attorney for the Lange
sisters), Troy, OH. Letter concerns the Escrow Account #6298-
Lange, and discusses a business deal and asks for an extension
of time to complete the deal. The nature of the deal is not
stated. – 25 September 1941
File 20 – Letter from W. J. Bass to Marie Lange – 23 January 1946. Bass
requests permission to build a “semi-portable racing pigeon
loft” on Miss Lange’s property at the corner of 31st Street and
Peck Ave in Los Angeles.
File 21 – Letter from R. A. Leaver of the F. M. Phelps & Co. Realtors, Los
Angeles to Michael E. Norris, Attorney, Troy, OH – 1
November 1946. Letter concerns the desire of Phelps Realty to
become the exclusive agent for the sale of Lots 160 and 161
Mesa Street, Los Angeles, which are owned by Marie Lange.
Letter writer feels that $1500 per lot is “a little high” but
promises to do his best to sell at that price.
File 22 – Letter from Michael E. Norris, Atty. to Miss Marie Lange – 26
November 1947. Letter states that Norris has heard nothing
from the realtor (Phelps & Co.) and is advising Miss Lange to
pay the property taxes on Lots 160 and 161 at the amount of
$14.34 for the first installment.
A separate piece of paper itemizes the taxes and has the
address in Los Angeles to send the tax payment.
A flier called “Report to the Taxpayers 1947-48” about
how tax money is spent was included in the letter.
File 23 – Letter from Roy E. Templeton, Realtor to Pauline M. Lange – 17
December 1946. Letter concerns the sale of Lots 160 and 161
N. Mesa Street, San Pedro, Calif. The letter states that these are
vacant lost on a dirt street in a poor section of town and that the
most, which could be hoped would be $900 for both lots.
Attached are Exclusive Authorization to Sell forms to be
signed and returned but which were never returned.
File 24 – Title Insurance Certificate issued to Arcadio Arellanes, Vera
Arellanes [husband and wife], and Pauline Lange – 6 December
1948, to guarantee the title to Lots 160 and 161 of Tract 2818,
Los Angeles, CA. At this date the title to the land had passed to
the Arellanes by virtue of sale. Certificate issued by the
National Title Division of the Title Insurance and Trust Co.,
Los Angeles.
File 25 – Letter from Liberty Escrow Company to Pauline Lange – 8
December 1948. Letter confirms the sale of Lots 160 and 161
to Arcadia and Vera Arellanes and establishes payments and
accounts for cash receipts and disbursements. The Title Insur-
ance Certificate in File 24 was also included with this letter.