Flower in the River: A Family Tale Finally Told

From Gettysburg Grit to Eastland Survival

• Natalie Zett • Season 3 • Episode 117

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In this episode, I share the compelling story of the Wagaman brothers from Pennsylvania, not far from Gettysburg. In 1915, both were aboard the Eastland when it capsized in the Chicago River—one as the ship’s chief cook, the other as a last-minute passenger who couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong that morning. And he was right.

What followed was a dramatic survival story involving floating wreckage, a heroic rescue, and a loss that still haunts. But their story didn’t end there: Bernard went on to become the very first mayor of Bradenton Beach, Florida. Louis stayed closer to home, deeply involved in his Pennsylvania community.

And yet, despite their extraordinary survival—and civic contributions—these brothers’ names don’t appear in Eastland history books…until now.

We also touch on:

  • An Eastland Disaster family reaching out with powerful stories (and a pronunciation correction!)
  • Why “findability” matters in family history 
  • A forgotten Eastland hero who deserves to be remembered

Resources:

Newspaper Sources for This Episode

  • Gettysburg Times, July 28, 1915
  • The Gazette (York, PA), August 28, 1915
  • The Bradenton Herald, February 29, 1952
  • New Oxford Item (New Oxford, PA), September 2, 1915


Natalie Zett:

Hello, I'm Natalie Zett and welcome to Flower in the River. This podcast, inspired by my book of the same name, explores the 1915 Eastland disaster in Chicago and its enduring impact, particularly on my family's history. We'll explore the intertwining narratives of others impacted by this tragedy as well, and we'll dive into writing and genealogy and uncover the surprising supernatural elements that surface in family history research. Come along with me on this journey of discovery. Hey, this is Natalie, and welcome to episode 117 of Flower in the River. I hope you're doing well. So back in December 2024, I released an episode called From Factory Floor to Fighting Ring another Eastland story and that would be episode 92. It told the story of Frank Fuca, a young boy who died in the Eastland disaster. And, a bit of a coincidence here, frank was born December 13, 1895, and just a month earlier my aunt, martha Pfeiffer, who also died in the Eastland, was born November 13, 1895. So fast forward.

Natalie Zett:

In the spring of 2025, just this year, a couple of Frank's relatives reached out to me, and just the other day I had the honor of speaking with them. We talked for an hour and honestly, I think we could have talked for several days. They are what I call walking archives. They shared stories about their families' lives before, during and after the Eastland disaster. Some of these stories were painful, similar to my family, and some were joyful and all unforgettable. And this family is populated with a lot of brilliant and resilient people. I even told these two that they need their own podcast. The way they remember, the way they care about their history it's not just powerful, it's infectious. When I'm around people like this, I want to do a better job at what I'm doing. But before we go further, one of the first things they told me I had mispronounced the family name. It's Fuca. I was calling it Fuca and I was so grateful for the correction and even more grateful for everything they shared about their family's history, even more grateful for everything they shared about their family's history.

Natalie Zett:

I don't hear from relatives of Eastland disaster folks all that often, except for lately. I still don't know what's going on there, but when I do, it means so much to me because it tells me that this work is doing what I hoped making these stories findable for people who need these stories, for people who are interested in knowing more about their families. They don't necessarily have to be families, but I always hope that these stories will find their way to the families that they belong to, and I want you to know right now I'm just the caretaker. The story belongs to you and your family. No one owns the many stories of the Eastland disaster. What I have found in the last couple of years is an abundance of stories. It's just availability and findability has been a problem. But there's always more to learn and this is part of any kind of genealogical, historical or research work Course. Corrections are always necessary and they're necessary for getting it right, but also for transparency and for trust.

Natalie Zett:

In the past couple of weeks I've noticed a number of new listeners come from quite a few locations in Ireland Welcome Sweden. And this week was very unique because there are some new listeners from Bulgaria and Serbia. The chief historian at the Chicago History Museum asked me if there were any people from Serbia who were involved with the Eastland disaster. Now, as far as I can tell, based on the records that I have, there may not have been Now. Just because the records of that time and I'm referring to primarily the Cook County Coroner's Report from 1915, just because they didn't designate people as Bulgarian or Croatian or Serbian, that does not mean that they weren't there. It's just that in 1915, they had different ideas about how to categorize people, and that's something that I continue to study because, honestly, it's baffled me in my own family research because many of my folks, for example, were designated as Austrian or Hungarian when they weren't. So that's a whole other bailiwick to deal with, but it's something to keep in mind as we look at these records from the past.

Natalie Zett:

A couple of years ago, when I was still podcasting primarily about my book, which is about my aunt who was killed in the Eastland disaster, I felt this annoying nudge that's the only way I can describe it to look beyond my own family story, and I started asking well, what about everybody else? This didn't happen in a vacuum. There are all these people connected to this thing. And, wow, once I began that journey, I was beyond shocked by how few stories had been documented. So many lives lost and yet there was so little written about them. So more than 800 people died and yet so many were missing from the narratives that were being pushed forward, and that was strange. But all that aside, here's the good news historians, independent genealogists and independent researchers on places like Find a Grave and via various blogs, many of these stories have been shared and a lot of these people have gone the extra mile and put photos and details, things like this. These are people who are doing it for the love of it and seeing all that.

Natalie Zett:

That's when I knew this podcast and my website had to grow and go beyond my initial idea for it. All of these people, meaning those who experienced the Eastland disaster, they're not just names, they're not just ethnicities, they're not dates of birth, dates of death, and that's it what happened between those dates of birth and death, what happened after their deaths, what happened before their deaths? So these are people and I want you to know them and I consider them part of my extended Eastland disaster family. None of us wanted our families to be intermingled or intersected via a tragedy, but nonetheless, that's where we are, and my way of thinking about these families is that they deserve the same care and attention that I gave to my own family members. And there's also this sense of urgency.

Natalie Zett:

The stories of the people affected by the Eastland disaster are scattered all over the Internet, but they're not always easy to find. You have to know exactly where to look. Most of us just doing a generic search don't know all the nooks and crannies of the internet to start looking for this stuff. But that's where a genealogist or a historian comes in. They know how to do this stuff and that's why, for my part, I've been working, not just through this podcast, but also on my website, to make these stories more findable by making sure the names, the details, the humanity behind the headlines are searchable and findable online. So that is how this pivot came about. In a lot of ways, it was a natural outgrowth of what I was already doing, and I wanted to extend that to the other families, the other people of the Eastland. When I saw how sparse, in many cases, the information was, I wanted that to be available for anybody who looks for these people and to dispel the myth that there's nothing available, because that's just not the case the case. And so it was a lot of fun, and it was also an honor to meet yet another family whose family was affected by the Eastland disaster. So to Frank Fuca's family, how's that for alliteration? Thank you for reaching out. Thank you for trusting me to care for your loved one. I will always try to do that to the best of my ability for all of your loved ones On to today's story.

Natalie Zett:

This is a story about another couple of people connected to the Eastland whose names don't appear in any of the books or any online spaces. This has happened throughout the last couple of years that I've been doing this research. I really never know who I'm going to find each week because there are so many stories that have not been covered except for the time when they were originally published. There are more than a few people who are totally under the radar. So let's get to it. This is from the Star and Sentinel, wednesday, july 28th 1915. So four days after the Eastland disaster, gettysburg, pennsylvania, and before I get into this, this story in various iterations was repeated and published all over the place.

Natalie Zett:

Headline two county boys are rescued from a steamer Eastland. Bernard and Louis Weggemann, on board Pleasure Craft when she capsized in Chicago River, relate thrilling account of escape Clinging to pieces of timber broken from the capsized steamer Eastland which brought death to hundreds of excursionists. Saturday in the Chicago River, two Adams County boys, bernard and Louis Wegman, former residents of Square Corner, were rescued after being in the water for some time, but not before. They both had thrilling fights for their lives as scores of other drowning excursionists clutched after the few pieces of floating timber that presented possible means of escape from death. Louis Wagaman was engaged as chief cook on the steamer Eastland and his brother, bernard, accompanied him on the trip.

Natalie Zett:

When the boat started on the pleasure tour to Michigan City last Saturday, that he anticipated trouble when he saw the boat list to one side before the quota of passengers had been made up is stated by Bernard Weggemann, who writes an interesting account of his and his brother's escape. The text of his letter follows Okay, these are Bernard Weggemann's words. Quote we left the Clark Street docks on the morning of Saturday, july 24th, about 730. My brother, lewis, was employed as chief cook on the ill-fated steamer Eastland and as it was picnic day for the employees of the Western Electric Company, I decided to go along across the lake to Michigan City to spend the day with a friend of mine named Ernest Lulch, who was one of the company's employees. My brother being on the crew of the Eastland, we decided to take this steamer.

Natalie Zett:

The three of us walked upon the deck of the Eastland and stood talking a few minutes. I detected the boat listing slightly to one side and something seemed to warn me that to sail on it would be dangerous. I told my brother that I believed I would wait until the next boat, but he tried to give me assurance that my fears were unwarranted and finally persuaded me to remain, for they were about ready to release the boat. Suddenly she gave a lurch that tore her loose from her moorings and I, with the hundreds of other passengers, was tossed into the river. The hysterical screams of the women and children as they were struck by loose deck equipment or shoved down into the water by the toppling boat, caused a moment of indescribable horror.

Natalie Zett:

With a mass of struggling, frantic people, I was thrown into the water. It seemed to me like we were thrust to the bottom of the river, becoming disentangled from the mass. How, I am unable to say. I managed to swim a short distance, although my struggles to free myself from the clinging masses had weakened me, and seized a piece of lumber to which five other persons were clinging. When I thought my own safety was assured. Someone caught hold of me and, looking around, I discovered a woman groping to seize a means of support. I did not learn her name.

Natalie Zett:

Upon being rescued from the water, my thoughts at once returned to my brother and, giving way to my emotions, I shrieked his name. I knew he was a good swimmer, but as he had just left for the kitchen before the boat capsized, I fear that he may have been trapped in the hulk. However, as I learned afterward, much to my joy, he had not gone to the kitchen and as he was pitched from the boat, was struck by a deck chair, receiving a gash in his head. Stunned by the blow, he floundered about in the water for a short time and had it not been for a passenger named Hugh Thompson, he would certainly have perished. Thompson aided him to the rescue boat Kenosha. It was while I was inquiring if any cooks had been saved that I ran across a doctor bandaging my brother's head. My friend Mr Loch is among the dead, I believe, although his body has not been found. There have already been 1,346 found dead.

Natalie Zett:

I could relate scores of interesting happenings and tell of not a few heroes of the great disaster whose acts came within my sight. We are both recovering from the effects of the exposure. Before we move on, I want to mention a few things. I bet you noticed that Bernard had a premonition he did not want to get on the Eastland, but his brother talked him into it and fortunately for those two, they were able to survive. But Bernard's premonition was spot on, and this happened quite a bit with various Eastland people. Some were able to survive, some who had premonitions were talked out of them and they perished. The other thing that was mentioned was a person who was a friend of Bernard's, called Ernest Loch or Loe. I'm not sure how it was pronounced, but I can't locate anybody close to that name. So perhaps the reporter got it wrong and I'll keep searching for this person. Finally, there was a hero, hugh Thompson, and he's listed in at least one Eastland website. However, there's no information about him. But this is what I found out. If this is the same Hugh Thompson and I think it is he lost his sister on the Eastland.

Natalie Zett:

I will read her obit. I will read her obit Louise Thompson, 21 years old, 2233 South Springfield Avenue. A cashier for the Western Electric Company, she was born in Chicago and graduated from the William Penn School. She took active interest in the work of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Daughters of Rebecca, to which she belonged. She is survived by her mother, mrs Susan Thompson, a sister, bertha, and three brothers, rudolph Herbert and Hugh Thompson. Funeral was from the home and burial at Concordia. Louise's name sounded so familiar to me and, sure enough, I briefly covered her story in episode 56, which is called Bonded in Tragedy the role of fraternal orders in the Eastland disaster, and I'll put a link to that in the show notes. But Hugh Thompson's sister did die. He, however, was a rescuer and should be recognized as such.

Natalie Zett:

Here's a smaller article from the New Oxford Item newspaper from New Oxford, pennsylvania, from Thursday August 5th 1915. Two county boys rescued clinging to pieces of timber broken from the capsized steamer Eastland which brought death to hundreds of excursionists. On Saturday in the Chicago River two Adams County boys, bernard and Louis Wagaman, former residents of Square Corner, sons of Mr and Mrs A L Wagaman, were rescued after being in the water for some time, but not before. They both had thrilling fights for their lives as scores of other drowning excursionists clutched after the few pieces of floating timber that presented possible means of escape from death. Louis Wagaman was engaged as chief cook on the steamer Eastland and his brother, bernard, accompanied him on the trip when the boat started on the pleasant tour to Michigan City. Louis Wagaman is well known in this place, having been employed as cook in the JF Rickroad restaurant for some months. We just heard these articles.

Natalie Zett:

Let's step back and learn about Bernard and Louis Weggemann. Who are they? Who are their families? This is very unique because Bernard and his brother Louis, were originally from a place called Square Corner in Adams County, pennsylvania. That's a quiet little dot of a place near Gettysburg yes, that Gettysburg the Civil War battlefield. I'm sure a lot of people know about this, but I want to recap what Gettysburg was all about. So this is the place where, in July 1863, over 50,000 men were killed, wounded or went missing during three brutal days of fighting. It's where President Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, reminding a broken nation of its ideals and calling on the living to carry on the unfinished work. Now that speech, that place left a permanent mark on American memory, and for the Wagamon family it wasn't just abstract history. It was their home. It's where they're from.

Natalie Zett:

So the Wagamins had deep roots in the region, going back to at least the 1700s, maybe further, and they were part of a very unique group called the Palatine Germans and they migrated to Pennsylvania and they actually helped settle it and other places as well. This wasn't just a backdrop to their lives, it was a living, breathing place, layered with meaning. They were surrounded by history. You couldn't get away from it there, and that might have also made them who they were. But I really think in a place like that the echoes still shaped every brick and field. In fact, I've heard a lot of stories about that. So when Bernard and his brother Louis found themselves in another kind of chaos on the Chicago River, clinging to floating wreckage from the capsized Eastland, you can't help but wonder if some of that Gettysburg grit was in their blood. I don't know.

Natalie Zett:

So this shorter article is similar to the one that you just heard with Bernard's account, but it gives us a little more information about Lewis Bernard's brother. Bernard definitely had more publicity, if you will, throughout his life, but Louis also was involved in civic life. And why these two brothers ended up in Chicago from Gettysburg, I'm just guessing it was the usual. They could find work there. Both of them worked at various jobs throughout their lives. By the way, they didn't settle into one industry or one profession, and neither of them, as far as I can tell, ever worked for Western Electric. The Wegmans, the entire family, not just Lewis, not just Bernard. These were not obscure people living in the margins. That's why not having this story as part of the Eastland disaster history is really strange. This family was deeply woven into American history.

Natalie Zett:

But let's return to what happened to Bernard Weggemann after the Eastland disaster. He did a lot and I'll just touch on the highlights. While he served briefly during World War I, he went on to become the very first mayor of Bradenton Beach, florida. Yeah, you heard that. Right Now, that's civic leadership and public service. The entire family seems to have that in their DNA.

Natalie Zett:

So I want to share some additional information about Bernard Weggemann, and it has to do with the Pennsylvania Veterans Compensation Act of 1934. Genealogists, maybe you've heard of this. Just three years after surviving the Eastland, bernard enlisted in the US Army on August 27, 1918 in Gettysburg, pennsylvania. He served until November 23, 1918, just long enough to witness the war's end at Camp Lee, virginia. He never saw overseas combat, but he served honorably, and here's what's interesting. So in 1934, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania passed something called the Veterans Compensation Act. It appears to be kind of a bonus program to thank Pennsylvania World War I veterans for their service. If you served in the US military and were a Pennsylvania resident when you enlisted, you could apply for compensation $10 a month for domestic service, $15 a month for overseas duty Not a lot by today's standards, but during the Depression that really helped.

Natalie Zett:

So Bernard filled out a veterans compensation application. I'm looking at it right now, a rare document that I'd never seen before this project. So he listed his surface dates, his hometown, gettysburg, his wife Sarah, and his parents, alphonsus and Elizabeth. But here's the mystery within the mystery, stamped across the form in big purple letters, is claim withdrawn. Why did he withdraw it? Well, as often is the case, we don't know. Maybe pride, maybe paperwork both can get to you sometimes. However, this is a significant piece of history and I am looking forward to doing additional research, one of the reasons I love doing this podcast. I literally learn something new each week. So what happened to them later?

Natalie Zett:

As mentioned, bernard went on to do all kinds of amazing things. So let me read a tribute to Bernard. He was the first mayor of Bradenton Beach, florida, 1952. He was very ill and another guy stepped in to fulfill Bernard's role as mayor. I'm not sure what his first name is, but his surname is Gorsuch. He, too, was an influential character there in Bradenton.

Natalie Zett:

There's a big story about him, but it's this small headline that I want to share with you Tribute to Weggemann. This is Gorsuch talking about him, calling Weggemann the best loved man in Bradenton Beach. He said of all the men I have ever worked with, bernard Weggemann is the most cooperative, unselfish and dynamic. We shall miss his leadership but hope he will soon recover sufficiently to give us the benefit of his advice and experience. Bernard did pass away and his obituary is from the November 24, 1954 Bradenton Herald. This will also give you an idea of the impressions and the influence that he had on so many lives. However, not once in this obituary is the Eastland disaster mentioned. Ba Weggemann, former island mayor, succumbs.

Natalie Zett:

Bernard A Weggemann, 60, well-known civic leader on Anna Maria Island and first mayor of the city of Bradenton Beach, died suddenly at his Bradenton Beach home last yesterday afternoon. Also the first president of the Bradenton Beach Civic Club which organized in 1950. He was one of the leaders in the move to incorporate Bradenton Beach and was elected first mayor in December 1951. However, ill health forced him to resign in the spring of 1952. In accepting his resignation, council voted him honorary mayor for life Because of his devotion to island causes. In March 1952, he was awarded the Beachcombers Club Award of Merit. Although required by poor health to halt most of his civic activities, weggemann was instrumental in formation of the New Island Garden Club, which is dedicated to island beautification.

Natalie Zett:

A native of Gettysburg, pennsylvania, he came to Bradenton Beach in 1946 with his wife from Riviera Beach, maryland, and established Weggemann's Tourist Court. He was a retired sales manager of the Autographic Register Company of Hoboken, new Jersey. Surviving, in addition to his wife, mrs Sarah Weggemann, are his mother, mrs Alfred Weggemann of Gettysburg, and two brothers, louis Weggemann, gettysburg, and Harry Weggemann, mcsherrytown, pennsylvania. Funeral services will be held at 7.30 o'clock tonight at Shannon Chapel with the Reverend John Sanderson, assistant Pastor of First Methodist Church, officiating. The body will be forwarded to Redding, pennsylvania, for burial.

Natalie Zett:

End of a life, but not the end of his influence. It is astonishing that these two brothers were omitted from the story of the Eastland until now. There are stories within stories within stories of this family. As a genealogist, it's like whoa. I'm excited about this. I know other genealogists who listen to this podcast will also probably be on Ancestry right about now, trying to find out who is this person, who is this family. We want to know more about him. Now it's time to go on to Louis Wagamon's obituary, louis, who also survived the Eastland disaster. He kept a lower profile but that doesn't mean he was any less influential and he died much later. He died March 5th 1970. And this is an obit from the Evening Sun, hanover, pennsylvania.

Natalie Zett:

Louis W Agamon, 80, bonneville, died Wednesday at 9 am at the Hanover General Hospital after a lengthy illness. He was born in Mount Pleasant Township, adams County, a son of the late AL and Elizabeth Redding Weggemann, mrs Mary K Salmon Weggemann. His wife died in 1951. He was a member of St Joseph's Catholic Church and Holy Name Society. Bonneville Fire Company, gettysburg Aerie, fraternal Order of Eagles and McSherry's Town Lodge 720, loyal Order of Moose. Surviving are a daughter, Mrs Edward F Smith, gettysburg, a brother, harry Weggemann, mcsherrystown, and nieces. The funeral service will be held Saturday with prayers at 8.15 am at the Hicks Funeral Home, mcsherrystown, followed by a Requiem Mass at 9 am at St Joseph's Church. His pastor, the Rev Edward Garrity, will be celebrant. Burial will be in the parish cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home Friday evening. The rosary will be recited at 8 pm.

Natalie Zett:

Well, as we've just heard, lewis was also very, very involved. Both brothers had a sense of civic duty. The places that they lived the lives they've touched were probably better off because they were there, because they survived the Eastland disaster. So I will put their biographies on my website after the podcast is dropped. Take a look at it.

Natalie Zett:

As you can see, with the Eastland disaster, so much has been missed, but little by little, we're filling it in. So thank you for joining me for this and we will talk next week, because I have a lot more stories for you. Have a good week, take care of yourselves and take care of each other. Hey, that's it for this episode and thanks for coming along for the ride. Please subscribe or follow so you can keep up with all the episodes, and for more information, please go to my website. That's wwwflowerintherivercom. I hope you'll consider buying my book, available as audiobook, e-book, paperback and hardcover, because I still owe people money and that's my running joke. But the one thing I'm serious about is that this podcast and my book are dedicated to the memory of all who experienced the Eastland disaster of 1915. Goodbye for now.

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