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Iinformation about Baumbach plumbing, the first women master plumber in the World, Baumbach's looking for Baumbach's, the history of Baumbach plumbing from Arlington Virginia and Fairfax Virginia, the history of the Baumbach family name and much more... |
William J. Baumbach
03-15-1909 through 10-02-1993.
Died at the age of 84
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Baumbach History Main Page
Fixed By: William J. Baumbach II 08-23-96 most
of the spelling and grammar has been left alone.
|
Content INDEX: Beginning of life for William J. Baumbach One of Many Such Trips Same Crew Translation from gothaer directory of German nobility. Document of release The letter below Birth and christening record National Archives Advice. To sons, Hello Andy Profit Advice I learned the value of a Dollar Two years later the Watterman Park job I passed the Arlington Masters Exam The next part of my working life starts in Arlington Plumber who has had one five by-pass operation |
Beginning of life for William J. Baumbach
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history.3Bau
Beginning of life for William J.
Baumbach born in North East Washington near 15th and
Rode Island Ave, at 12:00 noon March 15th. 1909. My
father's name was Andrew G. Baumbach, my mother's name was
Lillian May McStay, they had four children & #1 Virginia #2
Charles #3 William #4 Andrew they separated when I was approx. 4
years old and my brother Andrew 2 years' old later was called
Bernie. The family divided, they took Virginia and Charles to my
fathers mother 11 N Street SE Washington, D.C. Where my grand
father owned and ran a very large wheel write shop making all
kinds of horse drawn equipment and shoed horses for many German
businesses and owned beside the shop two brick three story homes
until approx. 1923 then things began to fall apart after he
passed away. William and Andrew who where the youngest where sent
to live with my mothers mother at Military Road and Lee Highway
in Arlington County VA. My grandmother's name was Mary E McStay
and she had married John N. Toombs our step grand father was a
father to me we fished and hunted together, I was too young to
remember much about my first four years except that I was told
that I had on an Indian Suite with fringes on the sleeves. I
reached over a candle and caught on fire my right arm from above
the wrist to the end of the little finger to the bone. The little
finger is still deformed and I have a 4"x 1 " scare
that is still there 70 years later I remember the treatment that
was used in those years they had to run me down and most times
pull me from under the bed to make it heal from the inside it
would be treated with Vaseline and stuffed with Cotton and
wrapped each week for many months, they took care of us as best
they new how. He was a union painter and worked in Washington his
income was barely enough to survive she took in many people and
helped them survive. We had a small frame 3 room school for 3
grades we could jump over the fence and be at the school after
the 3rd grade we walked from Lee Highway in Cherry
Dale to the Ballston school at Glebe Road and N. Quincy St.
Approx. A 3 mile walk. One Year later we moved to Ballston and
continued in that school until I was 14 years old, I had a cousin
Henry McStay 17 who was my mother's brothers son and was working
with a group men and boys who traveled to Washington in a pickup
truck to work at a construction job known as Waterman Park by the
Waterman Construction Co., one day Henry McStay was taken to the
hospital. I was taken to fill his job as the money he earned was
needed very badly at home. We had a house full to take care of
much had to be done to survive!
My grand mother had a good
following that came to the house to have their dreams read to
them by cards, they could have Home Brew or Root Beer at one
point I was the caretaker of a small Distill working in the attic
this was made by a Plumber living close by Mr. Stevens made out
of a milk can to hold the Mash and a Wash Tub with a Copper coil
built in and several wash tubs to hold cold water the milk can
full of mash sat on a one burner gas stove and as this turned to
vapor and went into the copper coil that was submerged in the
water and condensed to 100 proof whiskey that we ran through
charcoal then through raw cotton and colored it in a pan of Purnt
Sugar production approx. One quart a night any and all means was
used to survive.
Henry McStay did survive and
moved to Pittsburgh I was not old enough, but it was a large job
with many people and I was using McStays payroll tag this had to
hang on the payroll board when you arrived only the men I was
working with new that I was not McStay I still carry this brass
tag #3-24 64 years later, it is my good luck charm and many
people thought I was much older and is the reason that I have
letters from 1927 recommending me my Master Plumbers License in
VA. is #20 in Washington, D.C. Is #29 in Maryland is #431 and
still active in 1987. 60 Years of work and success. This is near
the end of my active life but there is sometime left and more
will be added to this .
One of Many Such Trips Same Crew
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HISTORY.1BAU
Any and all means was used to survive and we
did, it was a total disgrace to ask the county or any one else
for charity. My grandmother some how had picked up a 1914 model t
ford touring car, her son in-law Calvin Hill was the only one who
could fix it or run it I hung around and helped any time my
grandfather and Calvin Hill worked on it, in the act I found out
how it worked and could tune up the car the know how paid of in
the future, his car had 4 spark plugs and a compensator between
the 4 coils and each coil had to be fine tuned to make the car
run smooth.
Calvin Hill was married to Pearl Marceron and
he lost interest in taking his spare time running the car. One
day my grandmother was sitting on the front porch unhappy and
restless as I walked past she said Willie can you run that car I
was 11 years old but large for my age I said that I could she
tossed me the keys and said run it. I did and for the next 3
years on weekends, when we could we looked like the movie
"Tobacco Road". We went to New York City and the State
and most places in between. My grandmother was quite large and
she sat in the middle of the back seat giving orders and
direction and to balance the car. My younger brother sat in the
front seat with me Ann reason and Francis Waters who also lived
at the house also sat in the back seat. We had not less than two
spare tires tied to the back of the car the running board had
racks to hold other things we were moving all the time, we ate
and sleep in the car and on the ground we arrived in Atlantic
City late at night in the dark we had been run of several beaches
in the past this was our last beach we ran the car on the beach
and settled down for the next day it turned out to be owned by a
very large Hotel, police was called and we were put off the beach
and told to get out of the town. We did and coming back in the
middle of the Jersey Marshes my grandmother had me stop by a
service station that was closed but had a small light she
insisted that I take off the bottom pan on the motor to fix the
problem I tried to convince her that the noise was from the wrist
pins the only reason she could hear them was that it was 2:00
A.M. and no noise but mosquitos.
She won Frances Hunter held a flash light I
took off the pan and found it ok as I was under the car with a
flash light to guide the bugs in I had grease hands and when I
slapped a mosquito it would stick in the grease, when I finished
I looked like I had the mumps, to this day a mosquito buzz makes
me shiver.
Translation from gothaer directory of German nobility.
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( Baumbach )
History. Bau from 1246 to 1987.
By W. J. Baumbach birth 1909
Reformed and Lutheran hessian original nobility with the parent
house of the same name (now village) near Rothenburg on the f.
River which is first documented with her degnus de Baumbach
knight 66 in 1246 (state archives of Marburg cf also dr landauthe
hessian knightly castles and their owners kassel 1836 and begins
the family roots with helmericus de Baumbach, knight of the
castle in Rothenburg, 1295-1316. The issue belongs to the
old-hessian knighthood coat-of arms: etc. The family
association(incorporated) was founded on July 5,1903 and conducts
an annual family reunion at Kassel...(Etc).
1.Line
Ancestor: Helmerich, 1330-1369, lord of the
castle Ofrothenburgon the Fulda river a few miles south of Kassel
Hesse
1.Branch
Ancestor: Reinhard....(Etc)
1. Bough: Nentershausen (village below Tannenberg.) (Etc)
2.The beginning of the present Baumbach family starts with my
great grand father Farrier Bernhard August Baumbach.
"Document of release"
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The undersigned dual ministry of the state of
the interior hear with certifies that the single 16 year old
farrier Bernhard August Baumbach be released from his citizenship
of the duchy of St. Meiningen on the grounds of his intention to
emigrate to America. This certificate causes the loss of the
citizenship of St. Meiningen for the above mentioned Baumbach at
the time that the certificate is handed to him. If however the
released should not within 6 months after the issuance of this
certificate have settled outside the federal territory or taken
the citizenship of another federal territory this certificate
become void.
Paragraph 18 of the law concerning the acquisition and the loss
of the federal and state Citizenship of the 1st .of
June 1870 Federal law book page 355 Meiningen 2ND
March 1872 ducal Ministry of State Department of the Interior
The letter below
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(added 12-2000 letter came from Catharine in the town Schweina, Germany. June, 30th 1872
"The letter below from (Catharine) the mother of Bernhard August Baumbach. With time proven advice is as good in 1987 as it was 115 years ago."
The day before yesterday we received your letter and we were very glad to hear that you arrived safely at your cousin Valtint we were very sorry that you were sick most of the trip and even arrived sick in Washington. We hope this letter reaches you feeling well and may God's kindness give you health and strength for your profession in the future so that you may become a very capable man. Most of all follow your dear cousin, be help full attentive a hard worker and not lazy so that your dear cousin can enjoy having you there and would not have to complain and be sorry to let you have come. Through pleasant and modest behavior one acquires friends and love dear son we cannot tell you the best about our health especially your fathers. His bad leg gets worse all the time he cant find peace day or night because of the pain and about your mother you know that she is week. Ferdin and Therese and Johannes are well so far but little Rickelchen had diarrhea and almost died. You can imagine that we think of you a lot and we feel very sad about your absence but we have wonderful comfort we know you are in good hands and we thank Gods guidance that takes care of the fates of all human beings and makes things turn out well. But also your friends are thinking of you the neighbors Reich your weaver uhlig asked many times about you he even came over this morning since he heard that you had written. Unfortunately you did not think of anybody in your letter not even a greeting when you write again which we wish and hope will be soon and you will do it too if your family is close to your heart please don't forget the greetings because even if we don't feel bad about it its for the other people because it is matter of tact other wise we don't know anything new except our neighbor Valtin Kellenbbach installed a bowling alley in the big hall and through the old house it is supposed to be 56 feet long when there is dancing he has to unscrew the planks, they are bowling a lot and the noise is like thunder. They are still drilling at the "Sower Well" and they are 60 feet already. We will see what's going to come out of it. Best regards to your dear cousin Valtin and family Cousinheinrich and family cousin Therese and Karoline and family and cousin Schonden and children. All the best may God keep you healthy. Take these wishes from your loving parents and brothers.
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( Father ) Ferrier
Friedrid Baumbach
#3
Birth and christening record. In accordance
with this churches birth and christening register the wife of
this place is neighbor and Ferrier Friedrid Baumbach Mrs.
Catharine margaretheneeaschenbach gave birth to a son 7th who was
Christened on the 22nd and named Bernhard August. God
father was Mr. August Baumbach school vicar at bad Liebenstein.
Rtified the above hweina, April 30th 1872. The Ducal
Saxon Meiningen Parish.
History.2Bau
National Archives
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We have to go to the National
Archives located on Penn- Ave N.W. at
each side of 8th St. go to the 4th floor for 1880 censes record
will be ok if there children under 10 year old information is on
micro film he was born in 1855 and came over hear in 1872 Approx.
in 1880 he was 25 years old. To find out if he had any children
under 10 but over 6 years find out about August death and uncle
Wills and aunt ruth and my father Andrew. The Cemetery on N.
Capital St.. May give a clue this information is a must. Also
Valtin Aschenbach his cousin that he lived with when he came over
here.
Information on birth and death and marriage of
Bernhard August Baumbach, Ruth, will, August and the Koch family
that changed name to Cook follow my grand mothers line back to
Germany as recorded also follow my grand mother Mary E Linkens
who married a Thomas H. McStay the father of my mother Lillian
McStay find out were he is buried. "Bye"
Advice. To sons,
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Advice. To sons, On how to
succeed in business the first thing that you must under stand is
that you are going to be close to and dealing with many kinds of
people all of them have there own way and thoughts of how they
are willing to do business with you and you must listen to them
carefully. They are your most valuable asset that you will have
as long as you are in business and must come first before family,
friends and pleasure for with out the good will of the great
majority of customers you cannot earn enough money to take care
of the family friends and pleasure. William you have been exposed
to the Plumbing and Heating & A/C Business since you were
very young and you are now 24 years old your knowledge of trade
is very good your health and your intelligence is well above
average you do not give enough of your self to the business and
little attention to the first two paragraphs is the main reason
why you at 24 have not succeeded in becoming a fully self
supported adult male. The first paragraph is the way things are
and you have to conform or fall by the wayside, as you apparently
have everything it takes to succeed, this leaves the name
Baumbach that I put on the map and it was respected for honesty
fair dealing and knowledge and as you know you have put it to the
test many times in the last 3 years and so far you have been
saved many times you have done things that ruin what the name
stands for time changes and all things must change for the
better, we can no longer take care of adults our income is
falling fast. Now at approx.$4000.00 Per month this is good
enough for your mother and me the adults will have to learn how
to be self supporting it has to stop now. Your grand mother will
be living hear in July and she will be paying $400.00 A month you
can not be an exception. You will have to pay your share of the
home expenses. You can succeed if you try you will have to change
now. Read the first paragraph you might find the answer. you all
the work you can do you can and you will succeed in becoming self
supporting you as well as you know your grand mother will be with
us in July and you will also be expected to pay your share of the
household expenses, this is the least that we can expect from
you.
Hello Andy
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You have been working very hard
and cooperating very good to get the house fixed up so your grand
mother can be moved in and we appreciate your help some of the
above letter applies you as well as William read the first
paragraph you will find some of your problems and you will have
to set your priorities in the right place and you can make enough
money to become a self supporting 22 year old adult male you have
enough knowledge of Plumbing to get you all the work you can do
you can and you will succeed in becoming self supporting as you
know your grand mother will be with us in July and you will also
be expected to pay your share of the household expenses, this is
the least that we can expect from you. All for now. Dad save Your
father May 21 1987 4:40 P.M.
Profit Advice
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This letter is to discuss the Baumbach
Enterprises future as Of 2/19/88, changes have to be made the
last three months have Been great, the first nine months sales
was $156.731. The last 3 months of 1987 produced $129.608.at this
rate 9 months could produce $388.824.00, 71% increase this is
because of the purchase Of the Arlington phone JA-5-1250 .
Therefore we are short of enough qualified mechanics. And changes
will have to be made .We Are losing money and the men are not
supervised, problems will continue unless the president gets his
act together, our Dispatcher, telephone, operator, book keeper
and all the house keeping plus no pay, and the lack of respect
and appreciation for her many assets by the president. There
should be some changes made in accepting work.
1. Should be reasonable qualified or have subs that do
2. Any ditch more then 4 feet on private property consider carefully.
3. Only well equipped contractors can make any thing on ditches.
4. Restaurants have to be considered as to who is running them.
5. and above all the money should be talked about who-when-how much before starting if not don't start with out signed contract.
6. The dispatcher should handle all service calls 8 hrs. All jobs that want estimates should be given to the president who must be in close contact with the job and mechanics and make his phone calls And order the jobs material, permits, etc-.
7. Last but not lest we must be discuss the
following. The total assets are $ 100.909.00 the liabilities are
79.700.00, 35.200.00 of this it is over head that has not been
paid and it seems to be that the president over draws his account
and hi Checks bounce that is degrading the company,+ cost money
and done With full knowledge. by purchasing things that are not
of value to the company and drains any cash available, the total
net listed is $6.887.00 above the cost. And can be 10 times this
if every one works together, and this must happen soon. We can
not keep the problems hid any longer the work is here now and
there is no other way to go but down. Without changes. W. J. B.
2/21/88
I learned the value of a Dollar
Back to indexhistory.3Bau
I learned the value of a dollar and how to make
it work, the value of a customer, and the need of friends that I
could depend on, to be fair and reasonable, and separate pleasure
from business, and how to work with employees. And I was on my
way to conquer anything that was in my way, I would take on all
size jobs, the first was Buckingham that developed into over 3000
apartments starting in 1935. $500.00 from the old dominion bank
putting up everything I had as security. When this project was
started everyone was trying to get a part of it. They were very
slow awarding contracts, to many changes were coming from New
York. I spend weeks on end revising the price so much so I could
give the cost of the change with out looking at the plan. They
had a Plumber put in the sewer line for the first building and
still had not signed a contract. And found them selves with the
concrete contractor working without the Plumbing and Heating
pipes in the Plumber who had put in the sewer. Did not know what
to do and I was called in to find out what could be done. I was
lucky enough to have worked on concrete construction in
Washington and said I could do it, they gave me the job I made a
metal sleeve so they could pour the concrete, this would leave
holes to bring my pipes thru. And I was on the road to a very
successful business. More later 3:33 P.M. Sunday September 20th
, 1987
At this time I was living and working out of my
home at 4439 North 15th Street it had very small rooms
a living room, bed room kitchen and bath heat and hot water came
off the same system of used cast iron radiators and small boiler
in the one car garage that was my Plumbing Shop. And as I
prospered I built a large house on the front of the lot and lived
there until 1955 as time went on and I purchased property at
Wilson Blvd in Arlington VA.
Two years later the Watterman Park job
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history.2Bau
Two years later the WatterMan Park job was
finished and I went hunting in Washington D.C. At that time there
was very little Building in Arlington County I was lucky to find
a large Apt-project at first St. and New York Ave. NE. not far
from my fathers blacksmith shop. D. H. Alsop was the mechanical
contractor and the job was just starting. The foreman from my
last job had been hired and with out a question I was put to
work. The contractor took a liking to me one day when his model T
Ford was not working well, I fixed it I had been working with
this type car since I was big enough to hold a wrench in my hand.
From then on I was called on to do all kinds of jobs. After I had
worked for him for approx. 6 months he ordered the foreman to put
me to work as a journey man installing fixtures in kitchens and
bathrooms. For the next 3 years I worked for him on many Hotels
and hi rise buildings. This kind of work trained me for what I
was able to do in the future. In 1928 Arlington and Fairfax did
not have the type of buildings that I was trained for. I also
went to the Abbot Trade School at night to study the theory and
Mathematics on Plumbing-Steam and hot water heat as I felt
installing it was not enough I had to know why and how it worked.
I passed the Arlington Masters Exam
I passed the Arlington Masters Exam-July 5th
,1928 as #20, 18 years old and continued to work in Washington
and lived at 2o third and l street with my wife and daughter, she
was born January 1st , 1929 and within the year my
wife was not well, the doctors said she should move back to VA. I
had passed the Washington Master Plumbers Exam-as #29 and we
moved to VA. This is the end of my working life in Washington
D.C.
The next part of my working life starts in Arlington
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(The next part of my working life starts in Arlington) I ventured out to try and expand. When I was living in Washington and working on the Ambassador hotel I came in contact with Morris Cafritz the owner of the construction company the foreman on the job his name was John Fish he was in his mid forties a very good Plumber and new the owner very well, he lived in the same house with me on the top floor with several unmarried construction workers lived. At this time I did not have a Washington master plumbers license, but I did want to have Cafritz work. I convinced John Fish that I was to young and they may not give me a license, if both took the Exam-the odds would be better. I was better at reading and could see small print, for 2 months at night we went over the code until we thought we had it made he was a heavy drinker and I had keep him quite dry when the time came for the test as we were leaving the house an old lady fell down in the door way, this shook John Fish up and he would not leave with out a drink. We got to the District Building ok, when we started the test he said he did not understand the Exam-Questions and very loudly wanted the inspectors to read the questions to him and I felt our chance go to zero after the test we went home with out any conversation. The following week John Fish got a card in the mail that he did not pass, I did not get anything I took this to mean that my test was not worth a card.All for know 9/15/ 87
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We got the Caritz work. But I still had to find
a license, I had worked on a job with a Plumber Art Donaldson who
I had did work for while he worked at the Navy Yard he had a
Master Plumbers license in Washington I convinced him that he
would be better off working with John Fish and my self, he agreed
to supervise the houses in Petworth D.C. John Fish was to
supervise apartments West Virginia AVE NE D.C. and I was to
handle all the service in Washington. This worked very good. 1929
the depression was on and building was down and drove John Fish
heavy drinking and he could not control the job people we
removing in some sewers and water service was not in as Donaldson
was the license Plumber he was called in and was told to finish
or get out. He called me in to take over the Apartments or we all
would be kicked out. I turned over my truck to Gantt a service
man working under me until I could finish the Apartments. John
Fish was a very good friend of mine this time he had slipped to
far to save. The next morning early 15 men were ready to go to
work, Donaldson told John Fish that he had orders to fire him, (I
was 22 years old) he told John and the men that I was totally in
charge, John went wild and made quite a seen for about 5 min-
that seemed like an hour, the men consisted of 9 Plumbers and 6
labors to dig the ditch only one Plumber came up to me and said
he would leave his reason was that he could not work under his
helper, he was the first plumber that I had worked under at 14
years old. He then went to work for the D.C. Inspectors Dept-. I
called Mr Cafritz at his office for direct approval to purchase
rain gear for the men to work in the rain with I then used most
of the Plumbers it was raining the reason for this was the
Plumbers could work faster by digging the ditch putting the water
pipe in and filling the ditch in 6 hours I had 6 to do were
people was moving it took 3 days to ketch up in the mean time the
regular labors were getting the not so rushed ditches ready for
the plumbers to put the water service in and the job was finished
quickly. The depression finally caused the building to shutdown
and all that was left was Auther Donaldson, myself, and Earl
Gantt, who I had turned my service truck over to and we were
dividing the small jobs up to live. Then one day Albinno the
second in command drove up the alley while we were trying to
divide up the work and he said fellows I came up the alley to
talk, he told us about how bad things were and he said that he
had to make some changes as Donaldson had the license the change
would have to be, if I would take the service truck back he would
pay $1.00 Per- hour and if I did not he would pay Earl Gantt $.75
I took the truck in those times I would have been nuts that was
as close as I came to no work. We continued with Cafritz I was
drumming up any kind of work on the side to make ends meet and
was working on a house for a booker in Cafritz office. There came
a day when I needed a new truck and I asked Donaldson to call
Cafritz for a new truck. Cafritz told him no. So I called Cafritz
and he asked me if I really needed it, I said yes, he said go to
Orsman on H St. SE and pick what I wanted I did. I picked a nice
1/2 ton red panel chevy- Donaldson was some mad in addition I
controlled the gasoline he had to come to me to get a purchase
order for gas. To add to this as I was stocking the red truck off
the old truck I was giving him things I did not need. And handed
him a set of planes of his, he opened them and blew his top they
were for a house for a Cafritz book keeper, long before this I
had taken the master plumbers test again and had moved to VA.
again I did not hear from them, and I was getting smarter so I
went to the Plumbing office and I had passed it the first and
second time. I found out if you don't pass the inspector sends a
card If you did pass it would sent to the District commission for
approval approx.-30 days, I had moved to VA. and my notice was
not forward. They sent it to the old address again when Auther
Donaldson saw the plans he told me that I would have give up my
Master Plumbers license or quit I said I would think about it I
had work to be done, I was on Georgia AVE NW DC, I was on the
roof putting a flange around a 3" vent, he came to the job
and hollowed to me (have you made up your mind) I said yes I
quit, now finish the job your self. That was the end of that
relationship. And work was hard to find the depression was still
on. I went to the phone and called the second in command Al
Albino he told me not to pay attention to Donldson he did not
have any authority ignore him I told him how I appreciated
working with him and the Cafritz co. That was the turning point
in my working life and I was ready the depression was good for me
it was a great tutor.
End of history.2Bau sep/20/87
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Plumber who has had one five by-pass operation
Dip Mole read the mfg description attached then read the test findings of a Plumber who has had one five by-pass operations in 1986. and two had to be red one July/3/86, 17 months ago the operation was a success. Then walking became a problem my feet was cold and the calf of the legs was sore to the bone and it was very hard to walk up hills or stairway apparently lack of circulation. I stood the misery and pain yo march 1987 and first had the blood flow to the legs checked (no problem) Next had the blood flow around the heart checked (no problem). But still no circulation nothing more can be done, I was taking dipridamole tablets 3 times a day and dyazide once a day for hypertension, I read the booklet on dipridamole and could not find anything pertaining to the problem, I stopped taking it within 3 days all singes of bruising left my hands and legs the circulation in my legs was fine, I could feel the heat going to the feet and coming back up the leg. The first time in 17 months. My theory is the heart was made to pump the consistency of regular blood, dipyridamole changes this to the consistency of water, the heart valve was also intended to work full blood and could not hold back all of the thin blood and is the reason why when I stopped taking the thinner the heart and valve having a thicker substance to work with could prevent the back flow increasing the force of blood to the legs.
End. W. J. Baumbach.
History.Bau starts with the name 1246-1872
history.1Ba travel and the years 1920-1925
history.2Ba 2 years after waterman park.
History.3Ba begining of wjb life to to 14 years.
History. 1935-1983 Jobs willson blvd-prefab
work luster rock inventions fixit systems.
History.4Ba clubs politics associations etc Back to top
history.5Ba family life and pleasure travel.
History.6Be 2nd family life and pleasure travel.
Fixed By: William J. Baumbach II 08-23-96 most of the spelling and grammar has been left alone.