Page 24 - Senior Link Magazine Winter 2023 - Online Magazine

Slaton
History

Slaton, Texas

AND THE WHOLE

KITTEN CABOODLE

as told to Jane Bromley

ccording to Slaton resident, Jerry six children, and his son Johann (9)
Kitten, his family legacy began also had six children. In 1850, it was Anna Kitten Holinden, Lizzie Kitten Blume, Mary
Aseveral hundred years ago as Johann and his wife Theresia, and Kitten Schilling (c 1925)
the lineage can be traced back to 1100 sons Joseph (15), Henry (16), and
AD. But the story of the Kittens in Slaton Florenz (20) who emigrated to the trek from Indiana to the small railroad
started a little more recently. In the early U.S. and bought land in Indiana. town of Slaton in 1912. Some of the
19th century, three brothers and their other Kittens ventured out to Missouri
parents emigrated from Ibbenbüren, It was in the small town of Ferdinand, and Nebraska, but this story is about
West Germany to America, settling first IN that Florenz, gifted with a creative the ones who put down roots in the
in Ferdinand, IN. Some important family and practical mind, invented the famous uncultivated soil of West Texas.
history happened in Ferdinand, but we'll Kitten Steam Engine. The United States
get back to that. The important thing is Patent Office granted him Patent No. Thanks to an enterprising Catholic
that, despite great risk and because of 409,594 for his invention in 1889. Two priest, the Kittens, and several other
even greater courage, quite a few Kittens hundred twenty-four of these powerful, German Catholic families like the
made it to Slaton. innovative, and colorful machines were Bednarzes, the Kahlichs, the Heinrichs,
built between 1880 and 1940—when the Schillings, the Schwertners, the
A hefty 350-page history of the Kitten gasoline-powered equipment took over. Strubes, the Harlans, the Caldwells,
family, called The Whole Kitten Caboodle The very last Kitten Steam Engine built and the Wilkes, found out about the
(TWKC), lists many branches of the (#224) now resides in Slaton, under the inexpensive and plenteous land. Joe
family tree, out to twelve generations. care of Jerry Kitten (543), Florenz’ great- bought four sections and raised eight
Each family member is assigned a great-great nephew. children there; Henry purchased
number starting with #1 Johann Kitten, 640 acres (for $1000) and had twelve
who was born in Ibbenbüren, around Joe (15) and wife Sophie and Henry children. The family spread out
1700. His son (#2) Herman Kitten also (16) and wife Katherine had more of prolifically from that point. The German
lived and died in Germany. He had a pioneering spirit and made the long community was tight-knit and hard-
working. They built
a church, grew
their farms, and
became pillars of the
community as they
populated the town
of Slaton.

According to Regina
Einig, the original
author of TWKC,
the Kitten family
has spread to every
state in the nation,
as well as places like
Toronto, Bahrain,
and Australia. The
family now has

24 Lubbock Senior Link