It was the month of May in 1892 when the former owner and editor of the Syracuse Union, Alexander von Landberg, entered his office one day and said to his "Factotum," "John L. Röhner has brought us something new again today. — Each immigrant German who has been in this country for thirty-five or more years, may be considered a pioneer." — The "factortum" calculated that he had only been here for twenty-five years so he couldn't be called a pioneer. He didn't respond to his "chief" about this but then he inquired about what occasioned this statement. He found out that after the funeral of furniture dealer Matthias Rauch on May 16, 1892 his friends, gathered together by Röhner, assembled in the guest lounge of the Amos Hotel. During the course of the conversation the topic of the old German "settlers" arose and Röhner came up with the idea of establishing a German Pioneer Society. Thirteen postcards were sent to well-known Germans, inviting them to the Amos Hotel on June 3rd to start a Pioneer Society. Six of the thirteen came, Charles Simon, Johann Bierhardt, Anton Wasmer, Nicolas Latterner, Georg P. Hier and John L. Röhner. Under the chairmanship of Georg P. Hier, John L. Röhner was appointed secretary. It was decided to place a "call" in the Syracuse Union for a second meeting on June 10th at the Amos Hotel. To the astonishment of the first six members 31 Germans came and enthusiastically supported the idea of establishing and organization for immigrant Germans, however each member must have lived in this country for at least thirty-five years.

At the first planning session the question arose, "In what language should sessions be conducted?" Since so many of those present had come as children with their parents and had never had German school instruction and since only English was spoken in the workplace and at the market, it was decided to speak English. Next came a proposal from Nate Sawmiller that a committee of nine be formed to stage a festival. Another proposal came from Georg C. Young "that each person present act as a 'committee of one' to enlist a friend to become a new member of the society. And then there should be a concerted effort to rent either the Turnhalle [sports hall] or the Alhambra." These comments received a storm of applause. The chairman appointed a festival committee consisting of Messers Charles Simon, L.H. Danziger, Georg Schättle, Christian Cook, Georg C. Young, S. Bronner, Nicolas Peters, John L. Röhner, and the chairman [Georg P. Hier.] This group decided on a coach tour through the city, which took place on the beautifully sunny day of July 20, 1892 under the direction of Michael Auer. It was a resounding success. Each participant paid two dollars but donations were gratefully accepted. The Treasurer reported a total income of $739.50. After the coach parade there was a feast in the sports hall. Speeches were given by Georg Schättle, August Falker, Jacob Knapp, Joseph A. Hofmann and John L. Röhner. Göttel's full music band provided the music entertainment and contributed much to the gaiety and the German brand of hospitality. All honor was paid to the god Gambrinus as the local breweries provided beer free of charge. The daily press of our Salt City was full of praise the next day for our "German Day." At the next general meeting it was announced that after all bills were paid there was still $49 in the society coffers.

The next festival of the German Pioneers took place in July 1893 at Maple Bay. In September of the same year an extra session was called to place a "floral piece" on the coffin of John L. Röhner and to publish an obituary in the Syracuse Union. With the death of Secretary John L. Röhner the soul of the Pioneer Society seemed to die. The society minutes showed that member participation in the sessions dwindled. At the end of 1892 the society had 292 members. By the end of 1894 half of the membership had left. In 1895 Anton Aman made a complete compilation of the minutes in the German language, which served as the final life record of the German Pioneer Society of Onondaga County. The initial enthusiasm by the German community instead turned out to be just a straw fire.

The writer of these lines took this matter to heart and he went to this and that former member of the society to find the reason for its extinction. Various answers were given — "Because the Germans spoke English;" "Because the Germans have never been united." The true answer didn't appear until a full twelve years later — when the collector for the Syracuse Union collected payment for the yearly subscription from Charles Simon of Danforth St. When leaving the collector said he was on his way to the next subscriber and Charles Simon said to him, "Schmidt, I'd love to see the German Pioneer Society revived. But we must have a man who will do the work and the man should be paid for it. You are the man who can do it. Would you accept?" A light went off in the newspaper-man's head. That was the reason why the Pioneer Society no longer existed. And so the two men decided to put an announcement in the next issue of the Syracuse Union inviting all still-living previous members of the German Pioneer Society along with any other Germans of good character who had lived in this country for thirty-five or more years to a meeting next Sunday at the sports hall. The closing lines on the invitation may be of interest to today's reader just as it was for the readers of that time. It read:

                  So that harmony and peace
                  May be granted unto each,
                  So that German life may prosper
                  And neighborly love may conquer,
                  The bitter mistrust of strangers
                  And the world's many dangers,
                  Let this prayer be our creed
                  Let our quest for peace succeed!

This invitation for a revival of the German Pioneer Society brought 56 German citizens to the sports hall. Approximately half were members of the earlier society. Once again, the first question was, "Which language do we want to use at assemblies?" Valentin Schilly stood up and said, "We'll speak German!" No word was spoken against this and it has remained the same to this day — The magnificent German mother tongue is held in high esteem! — Officers were appointed next: Charles Simon, president; Justin Seubert, Treasurer; and Wilhelm Schmidt, secretary. Those appointed to a committee to work out the bylaws were Valentin Schilly, Nikolas Latterner, Anton Aman, Ernst Held and the secretary. The bylaws were read out at the next meeting and accepted. The Pioneeer Jacob Stolz used kind words which touched everyone's hearts whereby it was affirmed that all effort should be made to support the German Press. These words so pleasantly surprised the German newspaperman who was present that he still feels gratitude towards the resident of 211 Cedar St.

The first festival of the revived Pioneer Society was a picnic in Long Branch, which was joyously well attended. The Pioneers came with their entire families. As usual, the weather gods were good Germans who blessed the day with absolutely beautiful sunshine. At the end of 1907 the finance committee of Charles Finkbeiner, Michael Kast and Georg Mänikheim calculated the income, expenditures and cash on hand — a three-leaf clover of calculations — The threesome then started a conversation among themselves: "Maybe our minds have stopped working." There were eight dollars and seventy-two cents more in the coffers than there were supposed to be! So things went in the year of healing 1907 in the famous salt city of Syracuse. 1908 also started off good. Postcards announcing the January meeting had been printed and addressed, ready to be mailed out and sitting on the secreary's desk. They were supposed to go out around January 24th. Then the news came that Pioneer Wilhelm Hurst had died. New postcards had to be purchased, printed and addressed, all within a few hours. However there was someone available to do the work even if it took all night. There was an impressive entourage of gymnasts and Pioneers on Sunday, the 26th of January 1908 who departed from the sports hall and went to the house in mourning at the corner of Plum St. and Park Avenue in order to give the first Pioneer member an honorable sendoff. The death gave rise to the occasion to work out a gift for offering condolences. It was a true work of artistry, a framed, glass-covered scroll which would be given to the families of Pioneers at the time of their death. Besides this the Pioneer Society laid a red, white and blue wreath on the coffins of deceased members to show that the Society strived to make the lives if the living as pleasant as possible while extending a token of honor to the deceased.

The entire German community celebrated its first "Deutschen Tag" [German Day] in 1908. The morning of August 3rd started with a parade in the morning and a picnic in Long Branch in the afternoon. Every German society fully attended. The Pioneer Society rented thirty coaches which followed a float representing a salt block with a chimney that puffed out smoke. Valentin Schilly had provided it. Glorious sunshine favored the day. Benjamin Mauer kept his promise, donating 500 dollars to the "German Bund" for a Goethe-Schiller monument to commemorate the first German Day at Long Branch. To this day we extend our hand in gratitude to Friend Benjamin since the donation was an enormous financial help. We wish him happiness and good health next year for his sixtieth birthday as well as his seventieth and eightieth birthdays.

On October 10, 1908 our Max Shott died after a brief illness. He was one of our most intelligent representatives of German culture, a gifted brother in song and founder of the Arion Singing Society. The many people who accompanied him to his final resting place provides the best proof of the high regard all had for the deceased.

At the October 1908 meeting the resolution was passed to give a bouquet of flowers to any German who turns 90 and name him an honorary member of the Pioneer Society. Here is what Pioneer J.B. Brilbeck said to the secretary at the funeral for Jacob Nann: "The Pioneer Society pays for postcards, pays the printer, pays for bouquets of ninety-year-olds. It pays for wreaths for deceased members, it pays for condolence tributes, and I hear there's a "little blowout" after each meeting. And all this for one dollar a year. How do you make all this happen?" The secretary chuckled to himself. He could pat himself and the society officers on the back for this, but sometimes silence is the best answer.

At the October 1910 meeting Valentin Schilly fulfilled his life-long wish. The wives of Pioneer Society members organized a Ladies Society and took an active role in the continued flourishing of the Pioneer Society. Shortly thereafter on October 15, 1911 the Goethe-Schiller monument was unveiled in Schiller Park with participation of our entire German community. German-American Mayor Eduard Schöneck presided. After the unveiling the members of the Pioneer Society posed for a photograph in front of the monument. A copy of the potograph decorates many German homes. It must be added that another German Pioneer departed from this life — the gifted F.X. Geiger, who designed and executed the inscription on the pedestal. It is a fine tribute to his memory. Similarly our long-serving president, Valentin Schilly departed this life on May 2, 1913. It was his wish that the Pioneer Society grow to 300 members. All signs indicate that this wish will be fulfilled this year.

In closing this article "From Days Long Ago" nothing would be better than to extend our thanks to the facility which gives us shelter — thanks to the Gymnastics Society [Turn Verein] Sports Hall of Syracuse in which we assemble four times a year. We always feel at home here and cannot express our gratitude better than with the words of our secretary given at the delivery of the new Stars and Stripes flag for the flagpole at the sports hall:

Let us hope and wish, that "Old Glory" may always wave from this building as the property of the Syracuse Turn Verein; let us hope and wish that this place may be instrumental in training a healthy generation, one that is willing, if necessary, to defend their country, but never, never again cross the Atlantic ocean in interest of those, whose sympathy was with the solid South in 1861 — and last, but not least: let us hope and wish that the spirit of George Washington, Benjamin Franklin and Abraham Lincoln may come to every nation to benefit the whole world.