> From: The Michels <rpmichels@earthlink.net> wrote: > To: ILLASALL-L@rootsweb.com > > Is there any publication or listing that tells about the German migration to > Illinois, how they found out about it and why was LaSalle chosen? > Roger Hi! I have not heard of any publication, but maybe migration patterns would help you.... My family also came from an area of Germany, now in Poland. Flyers were passed out, seen on the local community board of the day and heard of in Germany and Europe in the 1800's. Many folks left for one of seven reasons: famine or lack of food, poor conditions in general, war or draft into army, poor farming conditions - poor land, opposition to the government, religious freedom..... Can not remember the rest, now. My relatives wanted to move out of the city. Anyone who came on a ship, arriving on the eastern USA coast, heard of "Great opportunities" out west. Many were disappointed, others were not. All found many hardships. Flyers and agents tried to convince immigrants to book passage with them on particular ships to inland ports. My relatives wanted to head to Chicago, so family stories go and in Chicago, they encountered agents who convinced them to come to LaSalle to work at one of the factories, in this case, a clock manufacturing place and eventually he did more masonary work which he was familar with. Any town with access to rivers had commerce lines coming into the area and with the opening of the railroad, more folks and commerce moved around. Hope this helps. Kay Diers MN reader and Genealogist