In a message dated 4/12/2000 1:00:17 PM Central Daylight Time, csds@lsol.net writes: << Does anyone know if there were in the mid to late 1800's a great number of Alsatian families that immigrated to Freeport or Stephenson County in general? My Alsatian relative did and I would be interested in who else might have found that in their family. Originally my 2nd gr grandfather went to Canada from Alsace, but then he came to Freeport. >> Hi, Sorry I've been unable to make it to the Genealogy Chat sessions recently. In response to the question of the Alsatian immigrated to the Stephenson Co. area. The 1970 "History of Stephenson County" gives about two pages to some of the political and economic factors that led many of the Alsatian immigrants to come to the US and the Freeport area. The book is available on microfilm (FHL US/CAN Film 1421921 Item 8) through the LDS Family History Center rental program. According to the article, many left Alsace due to political problems (e.g., the problem of the region repeatedly going back and forth from being part of France and then part of Germany and back again); some left due to the depression and political insecurity that resulted from an increase in Prussian Domination. "One covering explanation can be said: they saw no satisfactory future in the Germany of their day." Southern Germany felt the emigration fever first (("The period from 1816, when Napoleon was defeated and the thirty years of war ended, until 1855 saw the largest exodus from the German States.") "Few Northern Germans caught the emigration fever until after 1845. The book also points out some of these people originally went to the lead mines of Galena and then came to Stephenson County. Sam Brown Benbrook, TX

Sam, THANKS so very much. I will order the reel for sure!! Either that or see if our lib. can get it interlibrary loan. That is wonderful to know about. I havent been on line for chat either for a while. Thursday nights just are the worse around here and I have been swamped with other things going on. Thanks again and see you on chat sometime soon. Sue SBrown5329@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 4/12/2000 1:00:17 PM Central Daylight Time, csds@lsol.net > writes: > > << Does anyone know if there were in the mid to late 1800's a great number > of Alsatian families that immigrated to Freeport or Stephenson County in > general? My Alsatian relative did and I would be interested in who else > might have found that in their family. Originally my 2nd gr grandfather > went to Canada from Alsace, but then he came to Freeport. >> > > Hi, > Sorry I've been unable to make it to the Genealogy Chat sessions recently. > In response to the question of the Alsatian immigrated to the Stephenson > Co. area. The 1970 "History of Stephenson County" gives about two pages to > some of the political and economic factors that led many of the Alsatian > immigrants to come to the US and the Freeport area. The book is available on > microfilm (FHL US/CAN Film 1421921 Item 8) through the LDS Family History > Center rental program. > According to the article, many left Alsace due to political problems > (e.g., the problem of the region repeatedly going back and forth from being > part of France and then part of Germany and back again); some left due to > the depression and political insecurity that resulted from an increase in > Prussian Domination. "One covering explanation can be said: they saw no > satisfactory future in the Germany of their day." > Southern Germany felt the emigration fever first (("The period from 1816, > when Napoleon was defeated and the thirty years of war ended, until 1855 saw > the largest exodus from the German States.") "Few Northern Germans caught > the emigration fever until after 1845. > The book also points out some of these people originally went to the lead > mines of Galena and then came to Stephenson County. > > Sam Brown > Benbrook, TX > > ============================== > Search ALL of RootsWeb's mailing lists in real time. > RootsWeb's Personalized Mailing Lists: > http://pml.rootsweb.com/

Hi Sam, happened to be in Madison WI at the State Historical Society and they had a copy of this book you had suggested. WOW it is a wonderful article in that...copied it ofcourse! Thanks for having suggested it to me! It is those kinds of helps that give so much more depth to a family history. Thanks much Sue SBrown5329@aol.com wrote: > In a message dated 4/12/2000 1:00:17 PM Central Daylight Time, csds@lsol.net > writes: > > << Does anyone know if there were in the mid to late 1800's a great number > of Alsatian families that immigrated to Freeport or Stephenson County in > general? My Alsatian relative did and I would be interested in who else > might have found that in their family. Originally my 2nd gr grandfather > went to Canada from Alsace, but then he came to Freeport. >> > > Hi, > Sorry I've been unable to make it to the Genealogy Chat sessions recently. > In response to the question of the Alsatian immigrated to the Stephenson > Co. area. The 1970 "History of Stephenson County" gives about two pages to > some of the political and economic factors that led many of the Alsatian > immigrants to come to the US and the Freeport area. The book is available on > microfilm (FHL US/CAN Film 1421921 Item 8) through the LDS Family History > Center rental program. > According to the article, many left Alsace due to political problems > (e.g., the problem of the region repeatedly going back and forth from being > part of France and then part of Germany and back again); some left due to > the depression and political insecurity that resulted from an increase in > Prussian Domination. "One covering explanation can be said: they saw no > satisfactory future in the Germany of their day." > Southern Germany felt the emigration fever first (("The period from 1816, > when Napoleon was defeated and the thirty years of war ended, until 1855 saw > the largest exodus from the German States.") "Few Northern Germans caught > the emigration fever until after 1845. > The book also points out some of these people originally went to the lead > mines of Galena and then came to Stephenson County. > > Sam Brown > Benbrook, TX > > ============================== > Search ALL of RootsWeb's mailing lists in real time. > RootsWeb's Personalized Mailing Lists: > http://pml.rootsweb.com/