This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Meyer Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/ZVC.2ACE/824.113.115.1.1 Message Board Post: I have heard that they came thru Mexico during the time of the California gold rush. The ships were coming "around the Horn". One ship that I have heard of was the Falcon and that was in the begining - there were many others. It was unable to anchor near town (Chagres). some of the crew abandoned ship and some of the passengers paid native boatmen to take them to shore. A rush was on to cross the Isthmus. Many walked or traveled by any means they could hire.(canoes, mules etc.) Getting into Mexico some of the Germans stayed for awhile before moving on. My family research has been with the Maasberg surname. This story has been told to me with no way of verifying it. The rush to get to California this way went on from 1848 to around 1869. Somewhere I have the names of the cities in Mexico. I will look for them and add them when found.