Michigan’s Thumb, a Paradise for Saxonia Settlers: Conflict and Hardship while Forming Colonie Saxonia in Delaware Township, Sanilac County, Michigan 1850s–1930s

By Utz H. Schmidt

The story is novel and unique with half of the source material from Germany or in German. The colorful picture is painted with 440 historical photos plus 32 maps from Germany and Michigan’s Thumb. Valuable for descendants, historians and genealogists—15 pages of source material. The author, also a Saxon, arrived 150 years later and felt compelled to write this book like an eyewitness
Unbearable working and living conditions along with continuous wars in Saxony spurred a group of adventuresome men and women to emigrate. The Michigan Emigration commissioner M.H. Allardt, spent six years in Germany, helping form Colonie Saxonia, suitable for even low-income families. Obstacles arose, first, a warning from the Prussian government against leaving for the “Siberian-like” Michigan. Then settling in the Upper Peninsula, turned out to be a disaster. The second 1873 group of 30 families had already boarded their ship, and was warned in New York.
They decided to settle in Delaware Township, Sanilac County, Michigan. They bought 10,000 acres, nearly half a township and formed a co-op. By winter they were already in primitive log houses and had begun clearing land, and on July 4, 1876, they made their first public appearance. After English language classes, a theater group formed, performing in two languages. When the Englishmen took German, the “melting pot” effect was on its way.
Today, Forestville has just a few dwellings huddled around a blinking traffic light. But in 1878, there was a woolen mill with a weaving operation, a cheese making factory, plus a sawmill with planing, sash and door machinery. The novice farmers became experienced and prosperity had begun to glimmer. Then, the 1881 fire devoured the possessions, earned with hard labor and sweat, of some. Undeterred, the Saxons continued and turned Forestville into a center that exported farm products and even prefab houses to Detroit.
The events of the “Harmonie Society” and the First World War take us to a new age of farming with steam engines, tractors, threshing machines and four-bottom plows. Surprisingly, many descendants or relations of the 100 researched families are still in the area; others are spread over the United States. Road names, original log houses, and barns with silos prove the success of Colonie Saxonia.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jul 1, 2020
• ISBN: 9781716883101

Book preview

Michigan’s Thumb,

a Paradise for

Saxonia Settlers

Conflict and Hardship while Forming

Colonie Saxonia in Delaware Township,

Sanilac County, Michigan 1850s–1930s

A Chronicle by

Utz H. Schmidt

Self-published by:

Utz Schmidt

Palms, Michigan

[e-mail]

Written by:

Utz Schmidt

Layout and design by:

John Koziatek

Edited by:

Paul Flower, David deGiustino, and Greg Moss

Printed by:

LuLu Press

Printed and bound in the United States of America

Display type:

Germania One, font designed by John Vargas Beltrán

Photograph References

All captions have endnotes with source information.

The multitude of photographs begged for abbreviations

of source information. They are listed at the beginning

of the Notes in the appendix.

Scripture taken from the Thompson Chain-Reference®

Bible New International Version, copyright 1983 by

B.B. Kirkbride Bible Company, Inc. and Zondervan,

and Holy Bible, New International Version, copyright

1978 by New York International Bible Society.

Copyright © 2019 Utz H. Schmidt

Notice of Rights:

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced in any form or by any electronic or

mechanical means, including information storage and

retrieval systems, without permission in writing from

Utz Schmidt. Excepted are inclusion of brief quotations.

ISBN: 978-1-4834-9815-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4834-9814-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-7168-8310-1 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019902838

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any

web addresses or links contained in this book may

have changed since publication and may no longer

be valid. The views expressed in this work are

solely those of the author and do not necessarily

reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher

hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Lulu Publishing Services rev. date: 06/10/2020

First Edition 2019

In memory of our late local historian and dear friend Joan Potts, nee Schubel; Eunice Tarzwell, nee Reid, caretaker of her mother-in-law; Lena Tarzwell, nee von Zweidorff, keeper of the von Zweidorff Bible; and my parents.

And a thank you to all volunteers who contributed their hours on behalf of the Sanilac County Historical Society, Port Sanilac, Michigan, which was one of the major resources. The goal is to preserve a forgotten piece of local history.

–Utz

Foreword

Saxon Colony

For many, the early settlement of Michigan by a large number of German immigrants is either forgotten or little known. In reality in the early 19th century Germans began to settle Detroit and vicinity and the Upper Peninsula. Now for the first time we have a detailed study of a completely little-known settlement of Germans from the state of Saxony in Michigan’s Thumb area. Independent scholar, Utz Schmidt brings us a detailed study of these Germans using both German and Michigan resources. The study looks at every aspect of their lives and accomplishments in Michigan. It is the best study of a single group of Germans in the state.

Russell M. Magnaghi

Marquette, Michigan, October 28, 2018

History Professor Emeritus of Northern Michigan University and former Director of their Center for Upper Peninsula Studies. Series editor of Discovering the Peoples of Michigan, Michigan State University Press. Author of numerous books and articles dealing with the heritage of the Upper Peninsula.

Acknowledgements

The goals were high, the team dwarfed them.

C lio, the Muse of History, sitting on the left, offered first-time-ever-revealed stories from the treasure trove of olden days in Delaware Township, Michigan. ( P1-A ) Her wide-eyed listener thought that nothing of importance had ever happened in that forlorn area, but she has now learned that this is far from the truth. Like all histories of a particular locale, the chronicle of Colonie Saxonia has involved a number of families. Many of these families continued as part of the township’s history, and indeed several of them are still with us today. I am very grateful for their support and for their sharing historical evidence with me.

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P1-A 1875—Clio, Muse of History (Leslie’s Illustrierte Zeitung)¹

As the author, on the other hand, I embodied my own saying: Searching with finding is a perpetual activity, because each finding craves for further searching. This caused the project, initially planned for a few months, to grow into a 5-year adventure during which my hair grew but not the grass under my feet. New friendships, unearthed history, and the stuff I learned enriched my life and made me thankful for the opportunity to write this book.

Once you read the story you begin to grasp the task to turn the large amount of information from various sources into a continuous story. It was sheer luck that I found my editor, Paul Flower, who removed all the thistles and thorns of my accent for smooth reading. Greg Moss provided a final touch.

Luck struck again when John Koziatek put his expertise as a graphic designer to work to allow the numerous pictures to follow the text. He also created the appealing page layout as you lay the book open. As John and Paul became involved and found traits of their own heritage, they got entangled in the content, and I deeply appreciate their special efforts that went beyond their contracted work.

It wouldn’t have been possible to write the book without the team of dedicated descendants, experts in genealogy, as well as authorities on farming, on weather, and on Michigan and Saxon history. Together, we volunteered 12,000 hours for the project. The contributions of all participants are deeply appreciated, so I am sorry if your name was accidentally omitted in the listing. A few team members and people deserve special thanks for their commitment. There are, first of all, my parents, Elise und Helmuth Brandt, who paved the path for an excellent education, the foundation for my research. Next, I’d like to recognize my wife, Shirley, who released me for 5 years from most honey-do tasks, took care that I was able to work undisturbed, supplied me with valuable information and most of the pictures used as illustrations, helped with editing, and, let’s not forget, kept my stomach fed. Food for thought came from Karen Shepard, nee Gebhardt, my right hand. She did wonders to find 100 members of Saxonia with details on the immigrating family members, all based on Ella Klein’s initial research. She advanced to the role of chief detective. Joan Potts, nee Schubel, became my inspiration. She was always ready to help with stories and documents, and to encourage me to continue. She breathed Delaware Township history. After her death in early 2018, questions for Joan mounted, and fortunately, her valuable collection provided answers. Her sister, Jean McClung, also followed her footsteps and became a valuable information source and supporter.

Additional information, help and volunteer time came from the descendants and various sources: Ruth Ann Adler, nee Kirsch, descendant; Janet Curtiss, St. Clair County Library, special collections; Jodi Emming, owner of the first Graichen dwelling; Bob Erdman, descendant; Mike Erdman, descendant, who gave access to historical Delaware Township notes; Gene Denison, former administrator of the Sanilac County Museum; Matt Dreher, descendant; Joyce Edwards, nee Kappel; Jerry Gernt, descendant; Beth Gruber, Longyear Library, Marquette; Judy Heiden, descendant; Marianne Holt, nee Wahla, descendant (her father Ed’s time capsule, Old Forestville and the Saxon Colony,² quenched the initial thirst); Kevin and Tom Kiepert, descendants; Jean and Richard Kunze, descendants; Mary Ann Kyle, nee Ramisch, descendant; Violet Lapp, researcher, and her teacher, Dan Dean, of Deckerville High; Keith and Rose Loss, descendants; Russell Magnaghi, history professor emeritus of Northern Michigan University; Walt Maisner, Koltz descendant; Valerie Marvin, Michigan state capitol historian, Lansing; Jim Meissner, descendant, farmer, local historian; Don Meissner, descendant; Bill Moldwin, pastor; Hal Mullet, farmer; Gail Nartker, Sandusky District Library; Mark Newport, Cranbrook Academy of Art fiber studio; Beverly Prieskorn, nee Umbreit, descendant; Anna van Raaphorst,³ Riedel–Scheiter descendant with an outstanding family website; Harold and Joyce Reid, Zweidorff descendant; Ellen Shippert, owner of Behnke house; Jack and Mark Schubel, descendants; Fred Schultz, Rockstroh relation; Al and Clint Stoutenburg, material for 2018 farming; Jeff Tarzwell, Zweidorff descendant; and Richard Wagenmaker, National Weather Service, Detroit. Very valuable support came from our cartographer Walt Schlichting and the star photographers, Dietmar Haenchen and Brian Smith, descendant, who took pictures and digitized hundreds of photos and glass plates from the archives of the Sanilac County Historical Society and from private collections.

Also, I got important information and pictures from Europe: Bibliotheque Nationale de

Strassbourg; Wolfgang Fischer, Signa Graphik Design and Photographie, Quedlinburg; Romy Fritzsche, Schloss Schlettau, Posament Schauwerkstatt; Dirk Hoffmann, Historische Bibliothek Quedlinburg (at the time); Jana Kämpfe, Sächsisches Industrie Museum Crimmitschau, introduction to the world of weaving; Grit Lautenbach, Bundesforschungsinstitut, Quedlinburg; Heinrich Otto, Crimmitschau Heimatverein; Birgit Rothe, Nordzucker AG, Uelzen; Dr. Nikolaus von Rüling, local historian and friend for over 70 years, Halberstadt; Uwe Schmidt, Börde Museum Burg Ummendorf; Marcus Wunderlich, Deutsches Landwirtschafts Museum Schloss Blankenhain; and Sanitätsrat Dr. med. Dieter von Zweidorff, family history.

To gather more information, archivists and librarians from various locations supported me in this endeavor, and I thank them for the help. They include Bayerische Staatsbibliothek; Bentley Historical Library, University of Michigan; The Burton Historical Collection (BHC) of the Detroit Public Library; the Chicago Public Library; the Library of Michigan, Archives; Sächsische Landesbibliothek–Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden; and Stadtmuseum Dresden.

P2-%20Ackn%20Hist.Magdeb.96.t-1_Umschlag_vorn%20orig_Ret.jpg

P2-A 1902—‘The Province of Saxonia in Word and Picture,’

cover (A)⁴

After sorting through and rendering this jungle of knowledge, help was needed to correct my often-backwards sentences, to add needed info for the flow of the story, known to the author but not so to the audience, and to say it all in plain and familiar terms. There was no doubt my Germlish, needed editorial help.

As it happened, and the writing extended over years, I had two editors. Both deserve my deepest gratitude for their tremendous help in bringing the Chronicle of Colonie Saxonia to life. Caroline Goetze, a local historian and my first editor, unleashed my ambition, and her big thumb kept me going until she left for a year-long trip and thereafter began a second career in teaching. David deGiustino, a professor of modern history who was also very familiar with German history, was instrumental and supportive in changing the genre of writing to a Chronicle, which permitted multiple heroes at different times. Diligently he worked on my English, especially to fix the deep-rooted need to know that which is NOT the plural of who. His dedication, enthusiasm, experience in writing history, and guidance as an academic historian were invaluable for the writing of this book.

After digesting all the above, I am in awe and also thankful for the tremendous support, which allowed us to solve the riddle behind the two words Colonie Saxonia and write a chronicle that adds to its predecessor, which is in my library, Die Provinz Sachsen in Wort und Bild⁴ (The Province of Saxonia in Word and Picture), from 1902. Depicted is Saxonia, surveying her typical landscape with meandering rivers, fertile farmland, and towering castles crowning the hills. (P2A)

Acknowledgement of Helpers and Donors

The team and the author extend their whole-hearted thanks for the generosity of those with interest in the success of the book. They made it possible to outsource some research and to self-publish the book, after publishing houses saw limited commercial value for the general public and considered the cost to reproduce 430 historic photos and documents too high.

Honor Roll of Donors

Jean (Schubel) and Jim McClung; Dorothy an Jim Meissner; Karen Shepard; Joan and Jack Potts, and Mark Schubel

Special recognition is also given to those who volunteered sizable amounts of their time and special skills, a total of 4,000 hours, to do genealogy research, gather information, and assist with production. The value is modestly estimated at $80,000.

Honor Roll of Volunteers

Joan Potts; Greg Moss, Karen Shepard; Ella Klein; David deGiustino, Caroline Goetze, Dietmar Haenchen, Jim Meissner, Wal Schlichting, Shirley Schmidt, Brian Smith; and Jerry Gernt (Allardt, TN)

Preface

Compelling Reasons to Write This Book

T he igniting spark for this book had quite an unusual source. During a visit to Keinath Tires in Deckerville, Michigan, on August 26, 2013, I was asked about the content of a book in an unknown language. The faint cross on the leather- bound cover indicated the book was a Bible. ¹ The surprise was the first page, which was filled with old German script. ( P1-PF ) Luckily, my mother had encouraged me to learn it. Slowly, I was able to decipher some parts while some gaps remained. Dorothea von Zweidorff had meticulously entered her family’s history in the Bible. The family’s saga began in 1848 in Quedlinburg, Saxony, and continued to 1885 in Forestville, Sanilac County, Michigan—both places a stone’s throw away from my former and current residences, respectively. ( P2-PF ; P3-PF )

P1-PF%20P4-1A%2000%20Bible%20handwrit%20%26%20transc_Ret2.jpg

P1-PF Von Zweidorff Bible with Dorothea‘s hand-written entries¹ (transcribed by Utz Schmidt)

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P2-PF 2007—Map of Federal Republic of Germany. Highlighted origination area and emigration ports (courtesy kgberger)²

P3-PF%201849%20Michigan%20txt_Ret.jpg

P3-PF 1849—Michigan Map³ used in Allardt’s Auswanderer’s Wegweiser nach Michigan

I tell this story as another stubborn Saxon very familiar with both areas, coming to Michigan in 1985 as a 45-year-old automotive engineer. I reside now among these German immigrant families; many have become my friends. I certainly live up to the statement: You can always tell a German, but you can’t tell him much. I even write with a bit of the accent, which the editor called bad English and eliminated.

The role of the Michigan Emigration Commissioner, M.H. Allardt, is difficult to assess as his activities took place in Germany. The majority of the documentation, especially the Michigan Wegweiser, the advertising and information arm of Allardt, is written in German with very few issues remaining, all in a French library. This is also true for material on emigration motivation, collected over years by a statistician of the Prussian King. Of special interest is the unbelievable attention the Prussian Government paid to Saxonia—partially causing a hearing at the Prussian House of Representatives—and how Allardt was pushed around. This culminated in newspaper announcements from the Prussian Minister of Interior to warn emigrants against settling in a Siberia like Michigan.

P4B-PF%20Settler-267%20JP_Ret.jpgP4A-PF%20Settler-266%20copy%20JP_Ret.jpg

P4-PF 1908—Nicholas Potts postcard to daughter Loretta in Spokane, WA⁴

After arrival in Michigan, the society had contracted to purchase almost half the land of Delaware Township; in 2018 this would be a land transaction of about $50 million. As a reminder, Michigan’s largest ethnic group is German, thanks in part to Allardt’s activities. I have awarded him the well-deserved title, Godfather of Colonie Saxonia.

Another remarkable fact is the variety of professions of the immigrants, led by the 27 percent who were laborers from farm and industry, followed by those who worked in construction and trades, and only 9 percent who had actually farmed. It is quite remarkable that 20 years later 88 percent had become farmers, some with side jobs for additional income during times when farming activities had lessened. All this, combined with large amounts of family treasure from 17 descendants and glass plate pictures from the Sanilac County Museum in Port Sanilac, Michigan, allowed me to paint a story with unbelievable details, using specific persons and families with the available material as examples. Based on painstaking research and detective work, this story is a gourmet feast stretching from Germany to the Thumb of Michigan. The book reaches out to connected families, German immigrants, genealogy groups, and researchers in Michigan and Saxony simultaneously providing accurate information and names of available resources. Written in English, it allows us for the first time to read information from German material—about 50 percent of the resources used—and makes it possible for readers to tie together known bits, pieces and heirlooms of their ancestors’ lives.

From a time when immigrants from all over the world flocked to the United States, an 1853 Michigan map from one of the Saxons included the statement: There is only life south of the Port Huron-Grand Haven line, with one exception, Saginaw. Salt-making was well under way there; it began in 1860 and by 1869 was important enough to warrant the assignment of Michigan’s first salt inspector to East Saginaw. The rich deposits of this life-sustaining mineral were a cornerstone for the growth and success of the state, a fact worthy of being mentioned in the Wegweiser. By 1888, Michigan supplied 40 percent of the salt consumed in the United States. To profit from the state’s other significant resources, an abundance of workers was required, along with farmers to secure the food supply, especially in the remote U.P. It was only accessible by boat, and this stopped when ice prevented shipping. Another area in dire need of farmers was the portion of the Thumb devastated by the 1871 fire.

Colonie Saxonia became a showpiece thanks to the success of Michigan Act 112 of 1869, made to colonize Michigan with industrious Germans. People and statutes of Saxonia were praised in the Wegweiser and Allardt’s monthly reports. The reports served to explain to the governor at great length the progress and hurdles that were part of founding the colony. Later, the rapid growth of Sanilac County continued to be followed by reporter Hawkeye, who was likely a person selected by Allardt for the job.

Allardt liked the Colonie, his brainchild. For example, he invested and bought the shipping dock. Import and export monies gave him a reliable measure of the settlement’s growth. Just 2 years after the arrival of the first families, it was decided to write Colonie Saxonia in a large font across the settlement area on the plat map of Sanilac County (Beers & Co., 36 Vesey Street, NY, 1876). This was a unique action, not repeated elsewhere in Michigan or any other state.

The Saxonia settlers were kernels that multiplied, growing Sanilac County into a prosperous farming area with a food-related industry. The1880 census in Delaware Township showed there were 113 German families, mostly members of Saxonia. The average number of children per family grew rapidly from four to at least eight. We can only imagine the population explosion. Thereafter, it is quite difficult to give numbers, because the children started to venture out to surrounding counties and to Detroit; some even left beautiful Michigan altogether. In time, most of the Colonie families had relatives scattered across the U.S.—for example, the Potts of Spokane, Washington. (P4A-PF; P4B-PF) I even discovered some of my own relatives.

This book also describes the unbearable conditions in Germany which led to the life-changing journey of the settlers in 1873. Those brave settlers dreamed of a new start in the wooded farmland west of Forestville, a dot on the Lake Huron shore of Michigan’s Thumb. After the first group failed in its attempt to settle in Munising, Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it moved on. This book is the story and chronicle of the era they lived in, their adjustment to their new surroundings, and their success in making their new homes and prospering. The story ends in the 1930s.

The timeframe makes it quite impossible to find a single hero leading through the period. Instead, the original settlers and their descendants joined as a team of contributors, actors and heroes. With the help of their preserved documents, they revived the memories which shape this book. For authenticity actual names are used, except in tragic incidents. Even as the torch is passed on, we now have an even more complete picture of the lives of 95 families of Saxonia.

On a more personal note: Memories crept up as I wrote the book, including my own immigration; so I included, wherever suitable, notes of my experiences. I sometimes think of myself as a close neighbor on both sides of the ocean, even though I arrived 110 years later by plane. Like the settlers from the 1880s, I faced the challenges of language, culture and job. To fit into the American engineering society, I had to soften the edges of the square-peg German. It’s still a struggle as with the sequences of day and month in dates and the spelling of numbers (twenty-one = ein-und-zwanzig (one-and-20) in German).

While the settlers were tasked to learn farming, one of the most difficult but very rewarding jobs, they also created a German enclave and continued to use the old-fashioned German handwriting for their meeting notes at Harmonie Hall. As proof, we have the only available notebook, ending in March 1928, 50 years after they arrived; by that time the Michigan-born children and, in some cases, the grandchildren attended meetings at Harmonie. Today, so many generations later, I am the only one here to keep up the language, but we all think of ourselves as Germans.

The Saxon food tradition continued in America as well. Right after the settlers’ arrival, a German baker and sausage maker, Eduard Lange, opened up shops. Today, my cravings are more difficult to fill, requiring a monthly 2-hour drive to the outskirts of Detroit to stock up the freezer with the good German stuff—dark, solid sourdough bread and various sausages. Teawurst (a delicious cured pork spread) is to me like Popeye’s spinach, my energy source. Immigration for me was also full of major events, but sometimes it’s the little things we remember: like being taught how to properly eat a hambur ger without losing the patty.

A few more things we all had in common: the vastness of land, ocean-like lakes, and extreme temperatures were big surprises. On Easter 1983, when a business trip brought me from sunny Germany to Marquette, I saw large white areas covered with sand. It was quite a surprise when I stepped into knee-deep snow.

In conclusion, I wish my readers good luck in the Easter-egg hunt of finding your own ancestors or at least familiar names.

CHAPTER 1

Messages of Great Importance

I prefer dangerous freedom over peaceful slavery.

Thomas Jefferson, January 30, 1787¹

I n the newly formed German Empire of 1871 a handful of spirited settlers decided, after years of wars, insecurity and struggle for their daily bread, that the dangers of emigration would be by far outweighed by a better future in America, in a country with equality for all—an absurd concept for the aristocratic and authoritarian Germany of the Kaisers (Emperors).

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P1-1 Leaving Saxony via Hamburg (M)²

Ch1%20P2-1%20Detail%20SCHM-Photograph-517%20cr_Ret.jpg

P2-1 Detail Cabin in the wilderness of Sanilac County, Michigan,

Challenging; OUR cabin and OUR land to clear (S)³

MICHIGAN LURED; THEY LEFT SAXONY tells in only five words the complete story of Colonie Saxonia. (P1-1) These settlers had a tremendous drive to leave their homeland, Saxony, Germany, and venture out to find their own piece of land and live there with their families in peace. What seemed in the beginning an odyssey and obstacle course ended in a paradise. (P2-1 Detail; P2-1) As we read later, their activities made headlines along the way, and by 1876 their settlement area was marked in large font on the official Beers map of Sanilac County, Michigan.

The first message is part of an expected monthly report from Immigration Commissioner, M.H. Allardt, addressed to his superior, the governor of Michigan. Allardt had been sent to Germany from 1869 to 1874 with the goal to interest onlookers in Michigan by publishing at his residence in Hamburg a monthly newspaper in German, Der Michigan Wegweiser. It contained valuable information and numerous tidbits on Michigan’s opportunities. Once settlers had decided to come, it was Allardt’s responsibility to bring them safely to their destination.

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P2-1 Ready to move in, shell up with tar paper to keep the rain out. Cutting of roof boards, shingling and clearing the slashings have to wait. (S)³

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P3-1 Above: Original letterhead; below: 1872—Monthly report of emigration commissioner M.H. Allardt (M)⁴

To his Excellency, Henry P. Baldwin

Governor of the State of Michigan

(…) As heretofore reported, an association, under the name of Colony Saxonia, has been organized in the Kingdom of Saxony, on a plan similar to the one suggested in No. 5 of the Guide, for the purpose of locating in Michigan. The association is based on the co-operative principle, and the plan is meeting with great favor. It already has members in all parts of Germany, and in the Austrian provinces. The delegates of the colony (three in number) left Hamburg on the 6th of November, inst., for the purpose of securing lands in the northern part of the Lower Peninsula.

The membership is unlimited, and at present about 200 persons have joined the association, although the organization was not fully completed until the 20th of October, inst. The bulk of the members propose leaving in April next, and upon their arrival, the association will become an incorporated body under the laws of the State…Taking the arrivals at the port of New York as a basis, my prognostication that the emigration from Germany in 1872 would be unprecedentedly large, has been fully realized. During the first eight months of the year, the total increase of immigration at that port is reported at 52,919 over that of 1871, and the increase of immigration from Germany, during the same period, at 37,000. If no unforeseen eventualities occur, it is not only my opinion, but also that of all conversant with emigration matters, that the emigration of 1873 will far exceed that of 1872. While the German government is doing nothing to alleviate the very depressed condition of the laboring and agricultural population, it is expending millions for new fortifications, armaments, and the military. The United States of America, with its population of forty millions, and its army of only 30,000 with its cheap lands and remunerative employment, is an unprofitable example for the German government, and is operating fearfully on the exodus of its population.

Not only the poorer classes are seeking relief by means of emigration, but also the wealthier portion of the community, who wish to save their sons from a long, weary and expensive military bondage, are looking to our country as the land of promise. Heretofore the emigrants have enjoyed a reduction of fare on the railroads operated by the State…On the first of December next the privilege is to cease. The government is also enforcing more stringent regulations with reference to passports and emigration permits, hampering emigration and passage agents; in short, is seeking in every possible way to check the current of emigration.

All these measures, however, are working in favor of emigration. The more obstacles the government places in the way of the emigrant, the greater is the desire to escape. For these reasons, it is fair to presume that emigration will continue to increase from year to year.

In conclusion, I would suggest, if the Commission be continued, the importance of establishing a State agency in Detroit, with branch offices at Port Huron and Grand Haven.

Yours respectfully,

M.H. Allardt

Commissioner of Immigration in Germany

Hamburg, Germany, November 20th 1872

Our second message comes in form of a letter from Alvin Schreiter, written eight weeks after arriving with his wife and children at their new home in Michigan, America. Previously he had joined Colonie Saxonia, a society of emigrants, which had helped him in his mission to find a better life for the family. He was eager to share his experience with his siblings, left back home. This selected part of the letter reports on the start of their trip. It is quite descriptive; his words express excitement, loving care and a lot of detail, written with the accuracy of a fabric trim maker, his profession. (P4-1) He also worked as a miner to make ends meet.

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P4-1 1880–1890 Trims (Posamente)

(photo courtesy Schloss Schlettau Germany)⁵

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P5-1 Carl Heinrich Gebhardt in guard uniform early 1870s (P)⁷

Forestville, October 9, 1873

Dear Brother and Sister-in-Law,

Eight weeks have passed since we parted from you. So now I will write you how it has gone with us and how things are. We went from Zwickau to Hamburg in one day. We arrived in Leipzig at 8:30 a.m. and went on at 1:00 p.m. by express train to Hamburg. At 11:00 p.m. we arrived there. From the railroad station we drove to our hotel by hack, which naturally was a little expensive for us. But there was nothing else to do, for what can one do in a strange city at night with wife and children, and the children wanting to sleep. Here only full speed ahead is indicated, so that peace comes. When we got to the hotel, we were led up four flights and given a room with two beds tandem. It didn’t look like a hotel, but rather like a poor-house. The room had only one window and in this there were only two panes, so there was fresh air. The beds were hard, as though they were filled with iron. We weren’t able to use them—we made a bed with our blankets. There was nothing to eat but bread and milk for the children.

Many greetings to all, Alvin Schreiter

(A. Schreiter Letter 9 October 1873⁶)

From my research I knew that Carl Heinrich Gebhardt,⁷ shown here in his guard uniform, came with the bulk of the members, mentioned in M.H. Allardt’s letter to the Governor of Michigan. It also became clear that Heinrich’s son eventually met and married into the von Zweidorff family at a later point in America. These connections require us to know more about the messy situation in Germany during and for the few decades before Carl Heinrich’s decision to undertake his life-altering journey.

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P6-1 1815–1866—Map of German Confederation

(courtesy GNU Free Documentation)⁸

Many children today still love to dress up and play prince and princess, with the eldest acting the king and ruling the rest of the bunch. But when Carl Heinrich and his wife, Ida, grew up, there were still real monarchs in Germany and all over Europe. The political circumstances in what is now Germany had been tumultuous for quite some time. The countryside consisted at the time of their births (Carl Heinrich’s in 1844 and Ida’s in 1846), of a number of independent Kingdoms, duchies, principalities and free cities, all eager to expand their territory and power. (P6-1) The colorful map⁸ (above) from 1815 provides a general picture of the situation, but because of necessities of scale, it cannot show all of the smallest states. In the 1840s approximately forty of these principalities had already joined in the German Confederation,