03 February 2019

Nordheim vor der Rhön to the United States: The Baum Family of Kansas City

It's been a long time coming. This client project has dominated my life for quite a while. I am proud to announce the publication of The Baum Family of Kansas City.  

Members of the Jewish Baum family of Nordheim vor der Rhön, Lower Franconia, Bavaria, began immigrating to the United States in the 1850s. By the early 1900s family members were well established in several communities including Kansas City, Missouri; Norfolk, Virginia; New York City; Chicago; and Independence and Sioux City, Iowa.

Offspring of the Kansas City branch married into prominent Jewish pioneer merchant families in Trinidad, Colorado (Gottlieb) and Las Vegas, New Mexico (Rosenwald).

The publication is in three volumes. I researched and wrote Volume II. I researched the United States portions of Volume III and Dr. Ekkehard Hübschmann researched in Germany. I assembled our contributions and wrote Volume III.

This three volume set includes:
 
Volume I: In Honor of my Father, George K. Baum - by Brian Burnes
This volume is focused on investment banker George K. Baum (1892-1958), as recalled by his son G. Kenneth Baum (147 pages).
Volume II: Samuel Baum & His Children - by Emily H Garber
Samuel Baum & His Children explores Baum family origins in Nordheim vor der Rhön, Lower Franconia, Bavaria, and provides individual chapter on Kansas City immigrant and merchant Samuel Baum (George K. Baum's father) and his children (328 pages).
Volume III: Genealogy Report - by Emily H. Garber, with contributions by Ekkehard Hübschmann, PhD.
The third volume contains 29 graphic family trees and a register (narrative) report on almost 400 descendants of Hirsch Baum who was born likely in the early 1700s. This nine generation chronicle is accompanied by a CD-ROM with images of many supporting documents (189 pages).
A surname list for Volume III may be viewed here. A location list is here.

The books have been privately published and will not be available in digital format online. However, sets are on their way to the following libraries/repositories:
  • Albuquerque, NM - New Mexico Jewish Historical Society
  • Bamberg, Germany - Staatsbibliothek Bamberg
  • Chicago, IL - Newberry Library
  • Cincinnati, OH - Klau Library, Hebrew Union College
  • Independence, MO - Midwest Genealogy Center, Mid-Continent Public Library
  • Jerusalem, Israel - National Library of Israel
  • Kansas City, MO - Missouri Valley Collection, Kansas City Public Library; Jewish Archives of Kansas City
  • Las Vegas, NM - Carnegie Library of Las Vegas 
  • New York, NY - Leo Baeck Institute Library 
  • Norfolk, VA - Sargeant Memorial Collection, Slover Library
  • Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Jewish Historical Society 
  • Salt Lake City, UT - Family History Library
  • Trinidad, CO - Carnegie Library of Trinidad
  • Washington, D.C. - United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Library