Eddie wrote > Why would they live and marry > among Germans who speak German? > > Does anyone know when the German communities (of Washington Co.) stopped speaking German as the primary language? I was assuming that most of the Germans in Washington CO came from the German area of Penn. (Lancaster area) and not directly from Germany, This would have made it more likely that they would have started to assimilate into the English culture fairly early. John

My grandfather spoke German as a boy in Hawkins Co. He was a Jeter and his parents and grandparents were native speaking Germans. I am not sure where and when they came to this area. I have found them as far back as 1850 census. Yet grandpa could still give me a scolding in German in 1950s. My grandfather Snapp who's roots are from Alsace spoke no German. The family came in 1733 on the ship Samuel with the name spelled Schnepp. It was quickly changed while still living in PA by the time the family had moved to Sullivan Co. around 1803 they had changed religion and the naming pattern was not followed staunchly and no one indicates in the family histories that German was the language used on a daily bases by this time. Yet the neighbors were still some of the same families they had arrived on the ship Samuel together, only young generations. So they did seem to live together whether by accident of marriage, migration or culture. Teresa [email protected] Hughes, Clark, Capwell, Bennick, Schaub PA/FL Anderson, Horton, Herron Jeter, Snapp, VA/TN/FL

>>Does anyone know when the German communities (of Washington Co.) stopped speaking German as the primary language? I was assuming that most of the Germans in Washington CO came from the German area of Penn. (Lancaster area) and not directly from Germany, This would have made it more likely that they would have started to assimilate into the English culture fairly early.<< To my knowledge, there were no German settlements in Washington co., Va. such as were located in Penn. and NC.. The North Fork of Holston River area became home to a few Germans down near Mendota. Fleenors settled early in that area.. The Pippins did not settle along the North Fork at the beginning but came from Maryland to Russell co. about 1800 and some of them moved from Russell to Nordyke and Smith Creek along the NF River.. There were people named Scott, Roberts, Mongle and others who were early settlers along the river... Most of the early settlers in Washington (Fincastle) co. moved down from Augusta, Frederick and other counties of Va., Md. and Penn..... G. Lee Hearl Authentic Appalachian Storyteller Abingdon, Va..

All my life I was certain that I was mostly of British descent. (Collins and Crabtree) Just a short time after getting into genealogy I find that I am about three quarters German. (Sheffey, Groseclose, Fisher and Loehr) And they all migrated by way of Frederick Maryland and along the great Wagon Road on into Wythe, Washington and Smyth Counties. These Germans gave up their native tongue and ways early on and changed the spelling of their names to be better understood by the local population. And they freely married outside the German influence. I am not saying this was typical but I do believe that all our ancestors (those of the white population) tried hard to fit into the melting pot and their heritage was seldom an issue. Robert Crabtree

On 20 Sep 2000, at 20:30, John Hamilton: Eddie wrote > Why would they live and marry > among Germans who speak German? > > <>Does anyone know when the German communities (of Washington Co.) stopped speaking German as the primary language?<> There were church services being conducted in German on the North Fork in Wash. Co. up until WW I . -eddie