Place of Birth: Prussia, Germany 1854

Occupation: Blacksmith

Married in Canada 1861

Circa 1869: Came to Saginaw, living first on a farm in Swan Creek township and later on a farm in Bridgeport.

Two children born in Blackmere, MI. Blackmere is Bohemian settlement next to Saginaw, Saginaw, Michigan.

1870 Census: John Helling 38, Josephine Helling 38, Starcky Helling 8, Mary Helling 6, August Helling 5, Charles Helling 3, Jacob Helling 1, boarder Elizabeth Syvus 24. Home in 1870: Taymouth, Saginaw, Michigan. John born Prussia, Josephine born Bavaria, rest born MI. John was a farm laborer, Elizabeth was teaching day school. They live close to Josephines parents, Mathias and Antonion Harbeck. Both from Bohemia, Mathias was a farmer.

Circa 1871: Moved to Elk Township Pennsylvania. The Helling farm was 50 Acres, on a creek, just south of the NY border and about 5 miles west of the Allegheny River. In extent it is one of the largest townships in the county, though for obvious reasons it is not so thickly inhabited as many of the more favorably situated and naturally wealthy towns. In general appearance it is rough, mountainous, and very rocky. Huge boulders scattered over the surface of the township present, superficially at least, the appearance of having been set in their beds by the convulsion of some prehistoric upheaval, earthquake, or "tempest, dropping fire."
The soil of Elk varies from a light sand to all kinds of clay and black loam, and is well adapted for the cultivation of nearly all the crops raised in the north - wheat, oats, potatoes, onions, grass, clover, fruit, and all the garden vegetables. It requires a good deal of manure, however. The writer has used plaster largely for this purpose, and finds it very effective, though he needs at least five bushels to the acre, rather than half a bushel, as a few theorists are accustomed to recommend. The principal business of the town is agricultural. The inhabitants, a stranger would think from their polyglot speech, are contributions from many nations, English, Irish, Dutch, German, Swedish, Danish, and Yankee. The lumber trade, at one time thrifty, has now dwindled, and is really unprofitable. The fact is that the timber has all been cut away except small tracts of hemlock and oak, and indeed, the latter is nearly all gone now, owing to the heavy demand for it in the manufacture of railroad ties. There are now about four tie mills in town, which consume all the oak timber, and do not realize very heavy profits. The dairying interest here is in its infancy, the land not having yet been sufficiently cleared for grazing large numbers of cattle. The facilities will undoubtedly be good in a few years.


The census of 1880 in the book on Elk Township lists John and Josephine. There is no mention of a Leo. The other two are listed as John being 10 and George 8. Leo was born in 1881 so that would be after the census was taken and died in 1890. There is no record of the 1890 census as it was destroyed. John and Josephine are listed in the 1900 census. Occupation 1880: Farmer

1880 Census shows John H C Helling 44, Josephine 46, Henry 17, Mary 15, August 14, Charles 11, John 10, George 8, Mathias 5, Patrick 3, living in Elk Twp, Warren, Pennsylvania. John and parents born in Prussia. Josephine and parents born Bohemia. John was a farmer.

1900 Census shows John H C Helling 64, Josephine 66, August 28, living in Elk Twp, Warren, Pennsylvania. John is a farmer, August is a day laborer.

1910 Moved to California

1910 Census shows John H C Helling 74, (Estimated Birth Year: abt 1836), Birthplace: Germany, Year of Immigration: 1854, Spouses's Name: Josephine 75, Home in 1910: Farmersville, Tulare, California. Had 9 children, 6 living in 1910. John is an operator of a farm valued at $36,000.