According to notes compiled by Blythe V. V. Poage Kaiser, in 1966:
"The Christof Kaiser family came from Lippe-Detmold, Germany in the year 1855. They came to Galena, Illinois probably up the Mississippi River from New Orleans as their point of entry.
Lippe-Detmold is in Germany, north and west of center about 50 miles from the Belgian line. Now simply called Lippe with a good sized town in it called Detmold. This is a rather lower and smoother section of Germany."
According to the "Kaiser Chronicles, 1982" : Arrival to the U.S.A. is May, 1856. In Feb. 1856, as required by law, they filed an 'Intent to Emigrate,' which ws published in the local newspaper. In March, 1857, record of the baprism of their son, August (born Dec. 1856) at St. John's Church, Freeport, IL. Two of Christoph Kaiser's younger brothers had already settled in the early 1850's in Freeport, IL.
The 1860 Census lists both Christoph Kaiser and his brother, Fred, as teamsters, living in Freeport's Third Ward. About 1864, Christoph purchased farmland south of Freeport in Florence Township, Stephenson County, Illinois. The family prospered on the new farm. The 1870 Agricultural Census credits Christoph Kaiser with 230 acres of land, 12 horses, 10 milch cows, 14 sheep, 17 swine, and 20 "other cattle." They raised wheat, corn, oats, barely, hay, and potatoes.
