Chris, Dundee was (and still is to the best of my knowledge) heavily German - Prussian, Neidersachsen and Bavarian. Many of the original settlers' names were still big names in town when I left in 1970. Names include Bruhn, Albrecht, Haertel, Holtz, Mueller or Miller, Nehls, Lemke, Schmidt, etc. My g-g-grandfather Heinrich "Henry" Haverkampf was one of the original village incorporators/trustees from what I can gather from the Dundee history books. He emigrated from Stade, Hannover in 1864. Family stories say there was a big division between the German Lutherans and Methodists in the late 1800s - early 1900s, hence East Dundee and West Dundee. (There were also a lot of Scots) A walk through the two major cemeteries, East and West, seems to support this. Incidentally, my family tree includes a Mehlan by marriage, as well as well as Wachser and Witt (shirttails). At 03:17 PM 6/3/00 -0400, you wrote: >Mary, >Just curious: were Carl et al. from Pommern/Western Prussia? I ask because I >have been researching several families in Dundee and Carpentersville, and it >sure seems like it must have been a collection point for folks from Western >Prussia. Many seemed to come from the Stralsund District. > >Anyone able to comment on my observation? I don't live in the area, and >actually have never been able to travel there. During 1890-1920 or so were >the Dundee and Carpentersville communities notably of German background? Or >is that my imagination based on census records of those living near my >relatives? > >Chris > >Researching: MELAHN, RAKOW, BARTELS, WASHER, SUND, WITT, DOSS, GRUEL