Neuchatel, Kansas
In 1864, the Swiss residents in southern Nemaha County, Kansas, petitioned for a post office to be named Neuchatel, in honor of the Canton in Switzerland where most of them originated. Many of the families can be traced back to the village of Lignières and the majority of these early pioneer are connected as siblings, cousins and in-laws. You will find many of them in our family tree at WorldConnect.
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The first French-speaking Swiss arrived in 1857. Ami and Charles Bonjour were two brothers who left Switzerland for Indiana in 1852. They found that Indiana was largely settled and decided to go west to see if they could find better opportunities. They arrived in Leavenworth in 1855, then decided to homestead on French Creek in Nemaha County in 1857.
Their brother, Fred H. Bonjour (with wife Julia Simon), and sisters Eugenie (with husband Gustave Bonjour) and Sophia (with husband Aime Bonjour), joined them later that year.
L. August Zurcher arrived in July of 1857, as did Fred Vautravers and his wife Sophia Bonjour, who was Aime’s sister.
In the Spring of 1858, Ami, Fred and Gustave went to Leavenworth to find more settlers to join them. They found the following, who had arrived in Leavenworth by boat from Indiana:
Alfred Bonjour (Gustave’s brother) & wife Zelie Melanie Simon
Charles Bonjour (Gustave’s brother) & wife Louise Zurcher
Louis Zurcher who later married Mrs. Maria Smith and his mother Cecilia
Ami Zurcher who later married Gabrielle Leroux
Louis Constant Simon & wife Louise Josephine Henry & mother Melanie Gauchat Simon
Charles Simon and wife Louise Simon
Shortly, they were joined by Henry Mouton and his wife, Catherine, with his son, August Mouton and August’s wife, Sophie Bonjour, another sister of Gustave.
The Reverand Eugene Laporte ministered to the pioneers from 1862 to 1866, when he returned to Wisconsin. He sent a number of settlers from that region, including:
Henry Labbe
August Seigneur
John Gilson and his brother, Francis
Casmir Steinon
Desire Wery
In 1868, August Sandoz arrived after two years in Illinois. He married Fred Bonjour’s daughter, Adele. That same year, Henry Ballou came to Kansas, having left Switzerland for Pennsylvania.
In February of 1869 came Frederick Auguste Simon, brother to Charles Simon. His wife, Sarah E. Benton, and his children who were born in Ohio also came to the area.
Also in 1869 came Jean Jaquet, a watchmaker and Adolph and Albertine Henry, whose sister was married to Louis C. Simon. Charles Gauchat also arrived in Kansas that year.
Ernest Descombes came to Neuchatel in 1870, having arrived in the U.S. in 1867. Henry Mentha and his family also came that year. In 1871 Caesar Surdez, who married Clarissa Clerget in 1874, arrived. Henry Sandoz, brother to August Sandoz, came that year and was joined by his family. Zelim Bonjour came in 1873 and married Eliza Mouton in 1876.
Paul Junod came to Neuchatel in 1877. That year, some of the Bonjours returned to Switzerland for a visit. They spoke so glowingly of the new settlement that a number of Lignieres residents decided to join them for the trip back. Alexandre Junod and his family formed a large part of the party. Fritz Barbier was also with them.
Significants dates for the Swiss in Neuchatel, Kansas, include:
1862-First religious service
1863-Saw mill constructed
1863-Organized school
1864-Post office is named Neuchatel
1865-First cemetery laid out on death of Melanie Simon (now an orchard)
1867-The French store is established
1870-Built a church and new cemetery
1871-Built the stone school
1873-Grist mill built