In a message dated 11/25/2005 7:23:04 P.M. Central Standard Time, ewicke@gvec.net writes: In your second paragraph, what do you mean by "I always take my information in, and let them pull up their site to find the numbers of what I need...that way there is no error." Thanks for clarifying this for me. ---Evelyn Hello Evelyn, I found my sentence hard to understand too, so will explain better. :) "I always take my information in" I take all the pertinent papers in with me to the LDS library: naturalization dates, census dates, children's births, all names, etc. If you use a genealogy computer program, print out this data if you want to carry less papers. I just make sure that I bring all the family info that I need, to help the volunteers look for me. "and let them pull up their site to find the numbers of what I need" I tell the LDS volunteers what I have, what I am looking for, and ask them if they can help me find it. Then a volunteer goes to one of their computers and pulls up the same site that I could access at home (family search.com). The difference is, they know where to search, what names to put where, and wh at numbers are needed to order the correct films!!!!! "that way there is no error." MUCH less room for errors compared to when/if I do the searching and ordering of the materials at home. Now, the volunteers in our small town are very good about doing this for me. I would think that the volunteers at most LDS libraries are as kind as these volunteers are. Hope this clarifies what I had previously written, Evelyn, Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger

On this type of query if you included the name and approx. age I could look them up in one of my CD's and help you. BILL WELLS Anaheim California BREATAX@AOL.COM

Thanks to everybody for the response on the port of New york. If I have any questions concerning the responses I will ask more.

The date should be 31 Mar 1633not Oct. Ken Maggard <maggard1939@yahoo.com> wrote: Elisbeth Megert was baptised 31 Oct 1633 in Munsingen, Bern, Switzerland. Her father was Hans Megert and her mother was Christina Schnyder. Who can help me find Hans Megert's parents? Thanks for any help. Ken --------------------------------- Yahoo! Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it free. --------------------------------- Yahoo! Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it free.

Elisbeth Megert was baptised 31 Oct 1633 in Munsingen, Bern, Switzerland. Her father was Hans Megert and her mother was Christina Schnyder. Who can help me find Hans Megert's parents? Thanks for any help. Ken --------------------------------- Yahoo! Music Unlimited - Access over 1 million songs. Try it free.

My Great grandfather arrived at the port of New York July 20, 1826. He sailed from La Havre France on the Brig Danube vessel. Ellis Island and Castle gardens did not exist yet. They settled in Monroe County OH. I am trying to find out why they picked that route and how they traveled. aber@kiski.net

Chuck, Also, what is the name of the ship, date of arrival, and name of your family members who were on it? Although I am avidly looking for some Canadian cousins, I may be able to search for you also. Do your records say arrival at "Manhattan"? My Swiss came in 1853, and their records just state Port of New York. Also, are you sure that they did not enter through Castle Garden? If I recall, it opened in 1855. I also forgot...you may want to check the NY newspapers of that particular day. I found much interesting information about my ships and the weather by reading these ship articles that were posted in the paper. Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger

Check the CD "Germans to America". (There are Swiss on there who left from Le Havre. If you don't want to buy it, sometimes there are searchers who will do look ups.) Check with LDS library. (I always take my information in, and let them pull up their site to find the numbers of what I need...that way there is no error.) Check with NARA site. (They keep changing their URL, so google it. It is always hard for me to find stuff there, but for a fee, you can order copies. I would definitely do LDS first. Those are the only 3 places that I know of that have original manifests. The shipslist.com and ancestry.com are good places to search too. (Ellis Island site is wonderful for those later immigrants. And just a note to others: After I found one family, I went back to order the manifest and I could NOT find the family! After a number of different sign ons, they finally "came back"...so keep looking!) If I may ask, where did you get the ship name, date, etc? I found some of my ship names on Naturalization papers, but many "brothers" had different months and years of arrival. Also, there were 2 different names for one of the ships. Some manifests are very dark. When you get it, you can scan it, lighten it up, save and print the improved model for others. Don't forget to post on other lists for a look up in that CD - if you can't afford to buy it. (Of course, if you can buy it, others will love you forever when YOU do the lookups for them!) Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger

Hello, I had a relative who left Kanton Thurgau around 1837 and emigrated to the Black Forest in Baden. Does anyone have an idea what route may have been taken? What was the mode of transportation from Switzerland to Germany in the first half of the 19th century? He gave up his Swiss citizenship and married in Obersimonswald northeast of Freiburg. Thank you, Susan Biedron

Happy Thanksgiving to Chuck and the list, Hope you all are watching the parade as we are. Ronald McDonald is a little slow, so thought I would comment on your comment while I watch. Yes, they were bunked in on most ships, had a crowded dining area on the same level, no privacy, and ceilings were sometimes only 6 feet high. Some ship trips divided the families: the men were in one section and women and children in another. Others had men sleep in one area, but all could eat together. The steerage passengers were down deep in the ship and were not allowed "up". When most ships landed, they would stop at NY pier (not the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island or Castle Gardens) and they would let the 1st class passengers debark. THEN they would go to Castle Garden and later - when it opened - Ellis to unload the steerage passengers. Actually, the steerage passengers were allowed quite a few pieces of luggage. My one family brought 19 pieces (so the manifest states). You probably all know that if your family landed at Ellis after 1892 when it opened, you can get a copy of the original manifest with authority paper. It can be ordered from Ellis. ($25 a sheet. One of my families was on 2 pages, so I had to pay $50.) My one grandmother arrived at 7 yrs old with her family just weeks after it opened, so I am sure it was a very nice experience. No one was allowed out of the "privacy fence" nor were the hawkers allowed in. They gave the passengers towels and soap to take showers in the large shower rooms. They did have men selling bread to the travelers. The ships would usually unload late in the day, because there was no place to sleep at Ellis. Then, they had the trains right there waiting to take the immigrants inland; when the immigrants boarded the trains, kids were sleepy and everyone slept through the night. If any of you have been on a cruise ship and were in an "inside" cabin, you know how teeny and close everything is. Bunks are narrow, aisles are narrower, and no windows. Luxury compared to what these people had. (And no one stays in their room while on a cruise ship!) Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger

Beginning in about the 1840s or 50s, there was a massive German & Swiss immigration to East Tennessee, specifically Morgan County. There was "free" land there (which was on the Cumberland Plateau & too rocky to grow much of anything), lots of advertising & "agents" in various places. Some of the families that came still have descendants there, believe it or not, but many moved on after a few years. If you can wade through it, here's link to a Master's Thesis from 1925, on the subject. (click on chapter #s at FAR right of page to read). A lot of it is about the county & may be of no interest, but it gives a good picture of what was going on with immigrants in mid 1800s. http://wchs.k12tn.net/community/colonizationthesis.html Ernie Hurst > [Original Message] > From: <Posnsrch@aol.com> > To: <SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> > Date: 11/23/2005 7:47:47 PM > Subject: [SWITZ] type error: Leaving the Old Country for America > > Hi List, I MEANT TO WRITE: Remember too that the agents were NOT so > bad.....!!!!! > > PS. Remember too that the agents were so bad...many of the folks from the > Empire of Germany and surrounding areas had someone already in America who was > writing to the Old Country telling their families how much land was > available here, and how they could own land and make a living. > > Regards from Texas, USA > Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger > > > ==== SWITZERLAND Mailing List ==== > Going on vacation? Gone longer than 4 days? Go to > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/CHE/SWITZERLAND.html > to unsubscribe

Hi Chuck, Remember too, if your ancestors left the Old Country around those years, the Passenger ship was not in use yet...a sailing ship took around 45 days to come across!!! (With 9 kids under 18!! Whew) My Swiss great great grandparents and children came on a sailing ship. Then my other 3 grandparents (as children) came on passenger ships in 1880-1894, and their trips took 13-15 days. Can you just imagine a 6 week trip on a small ship, in bunks, little washing facilities, and never getting to go to the main deck for fresh air?? Unless of course your families didn't come steerage - as thousands of emigrants did. My gr grandmother made all of her husband's white shirts by hand, and so she sewed during her spare time. Also before the regulations in the late 1800s the ship owners were not obligated to give the passengers fruits and veges, or have a doctor or medicine on board. The passengers ate a lot of potatoes and potato soup with bread on their crossing. And we won't even think about someone getting sea sick...:) Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger In a message dated 11/23/2005 9:14:27 P.M. Central Standard Time, niggley@comcast.net writes: I have a similiar question about my Swiss ancestors... 1856 from Fideris, Prattageau Valley, GR to LaHavre to New York arriving May 21, 1856. With GreatGreatGrandparents were 9 children from ages 18 down to 10 months plus GGGrandma was 7 months pregnant... Couldn't have been a leasurely trip with a total of 572 passengers on the Ticonderoga.. Thanks Chuck Niggley (Niggli -- Swiss spelling)

Hi List, I MEANT TO WRITE: Remember too that the agents were NOT so bad.....!!!!! PS. Remember too that the agents were so bad...many of the folks from the Empire of Germany and surrounding areas had someone already in America who was writing to the Old Country telling their families how much land was available here, and how they could own land and make a living. Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger

I have a similiar question about my Swiss ancestors... 1856 from Fideris, Prattageau Valley, GR to LaHavre to New York arriving May 21, 1856. With GreatGreatGrandparents were 9 children from ages 18 down to 10 months plus GGGrandma was 7 months pregnant... Couldn't have been a leasurely trip with a total of 572 passengers on the Ticonderoga.. Thanks Chuck Niggley (Niggli -- Swiss spelling) ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert Rothenbuhler" <rrothenbuhler@Austin.rr.com> To: <SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 23, 2005 6:16 AM Subject: Mode of Travel > Hi List, > With all this talk about the mode of travel that our ancestors took, > would anyone know the mode of travel for my ancestors. They lived in the > Lützelflüh, Grünenmatt, and Lauperswil areas, im Emmental, Canton Berne. > They left from Le Havre, France to America. Arrived 23 April 1855 at the > wharf's of Manhattan as Castle Garden and Ellis Island did not exist at > that time. What I would like to know is their mode of travel from their > small village to Le Havre, and any other info about their journey. > > thanks, > robert > rrothenbuhler@austin.rr.com > > ______________________________

Hello Jacques and list, Yes, I knew that the agents were many times (MOST times) in it for the money. I had understood that most of them were "locals" and could easily speak the language of the areas, and were hired by American Railroad officials. My other 3 grandparents - all farmers - came from the Empire of Germany - one around Berlin, the 2nd family from Sokolitz, Posen, Prussia and the 3rd family from Bromburg, Kolmar, Posen, Prussia - then to Russia near Kiev to work on Russian farms. Here is their stories: Each of these families were "enticed" by agents who bought the farmers' homes, paid off any bills, and put the money balance into the Port banks. (The agents were ordinarily NOT paid by the farmers but were paid by the American Railroad Officials, who wanted the farmers to locate and develop towns near their new Continental RR line.) There at Hamburg, my ancestors checked in at the port, were given physicals, withdrew their remaining cash from the bank, and boarded their respective ships. Earlier, Bremen had no rules to organize the emigrants' rights and health issues, and many were robbed and many even died on the sailing trip. Later, a Jewish man redeveloped Hamburg Port. I have his photo in one of my family booklets, but I can't remember his name. New rules were enlisted. Sailing prices were set, there was no gouging, and the emigrants were not taken advantage of nearly as often as in the earlier years. BUT, my great grandfather's trip from Glarus had a different scenario. The councilmen (representatives from each of the towns in the canton of Glarus) had voted to send some of their residents to America; it was agreed on. Since they had sent my shirttail relative Streiff and another man to explore America and find a prime place for the "New Glarus", they handled their emigrants differently. A Swiss "guide" from Glarus, helped the families go from their Glarus towns to the coastal port of Le Havre. There, the guide returned to Glarus to give "orientation" to the next group of emigrants. The families - usually in groups of 45-50 - sailed on the ships and when they reached the American shores, there was another Glarus "guide" - sometimes some one whom the families knew - who met the group and lead them overland to Wisconsin. Ralph Post was the Swiss man who met my family group and helped them get to New Glarus, Wisconsin. (The earlier groups traveled by water on the canal system that went all the way to Illinois, and the later groups came on the new Continental RR that was recently completed.) Of course, there are always exceptions and some emigrants arrived at New Orleans rather than the east coast. Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root PS. Remember too that the agents were so bad...many of the folks from the Empire of Germany and surrounding areas had someone already in America who was writing to the Old Country telling their families how much land was available here, and how they could own land and make a living. Thanks again Jacques for your input. It sounds like there were a few options for the emigrants. Jacques wrote: The road from Glarus to Le Havre was principally through Basel and Strasbourg, first up the Rhine and to Holland, or up to Strasbourg by train starting in the 1860s and then on to Paris. When in Paris, they had to change railroad stations for many years. Special emigrant trains were organized which later left from Saint Louis, (Alsace), now France, and would go directly to Le Havre.

I was in Switzerland and Germany a while back and it was very common from very early days to sail down the Rhine to Holland. We need to remember that most boats of that time were a LOT smaller. Often, people would walk around the falls or shoals and catch another boat on the other side. Before the famous Lorelei was dredged, sailors commonly gave offerings in what became St. Goar for safe passage. An Irish monk, St. Goar, in the 900's, I think - may be wrong thought it an ideal spot to set up a Christian mission. The wine industry along the Rhine commonly shipped their goods by boat and there are many towers on the river which where used for loading this cargo. There were also many lords to collect fees from travelers and merchants. We also need to remember that people were more used to walking - even if it took days to get somewhere. Before the trains were common, I imagine people used carts or horses or oxen to get wherever they needed to go. My grandfather lived in Darstetten, in Berne, way up in the mountains. They were quite poor when it was time for him to leave so he and his friend walked to Bern to catch a ride with a friend who took them halfway across France on the way to LeHavre. When he and another brother saved enough to bring the next child, they had enough for them to take the train into Bern and all the way to LeHavre. I guess they remembered their journey enough that they wanted to spare others. Hope this is helpful. marlena

I would like someone to explain if they know. The living condition of Kappel / Wattwil and Zurich in 1735. A mode of travel from Kappel / Wattwil and Zurich in spring of 1735. I was at a computer meeting and one of our members went to Germany a few weeks ago. He had pictures of his ride down the Ryan river. If any one could help me and my cousins how our 5th and 4th great grandparents and children would have traveled down from Basel. If this person just happen to have pictures they could share with us would be most welcomed. I have the names of over 30,000 of my distant kin and those who are living would like to know this too. My mother and father 4th great grandparents left Kappel / Wattwil / Zurich / Basel. Thank you: Charles Howard Felder _CFelderAMSC@AOL.com_ (mailto:CFelderAMSC@AOL.com) Click on sites below for other information. Please let me know if you can help me. Book I published The Felder Family From Kappel, Canton of St. Gall, Switzerland to Orangeburgh, South Carolina (Price $85.00 + $12.00 Shipping) You can see this book at the below locations. Orangeburg County, South Carolina Library (One copy can be checked out) Orangeburg German-Swiss Genealogical Society, Orangeburg, South Carolina Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church Orangeburg, S. C.) Calhoun County Archives St. Matthews, South Carolina The South Carolina Department of Archives and History Columbia, S.C. Reference Room Hours for research Monday through Friday Hours 8:45 A.M. to 4:45 P.M. And at the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. I am a Life Time Member: Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society, Orangeburg, South Carolina _Orangeburgh German-Swiss Genealogical Society_ (http://www.ogsgs.org/) Regular Member: Orangeburg Historical Society, Orangeburg, South Carolina Regular Member: Jacksonville Genealogical Society (JGS), Inc. Jacksonville, Florida _Jacksonville Genealogical Society Home Page_ (http://jaxgen.home.comcast.net/) I am looking for: Hans Heinrich Felder and John Henry Felder, Sr. Captain (Direct kin) _Kin of Hans Heinrich (Henry) Felder_ (http://hometown.aol.com/cfelderamsc/myhomepage/profile.html) Orangeburgh, South Carolina Information by Joop Giezendanner _Joop Giezendanner Web Site Holland_ (http://www.xs4all.nl/~sail/orange/a-index.html) Baltzar Paul Stroman (direct kin) Christopher Wiles (direct kin) All Waltz (direct kin) William D. Jordan (direct kin) Jane Ann Parrish (direct kin)

Hi Margaret and list, How wonderful that you have the ticket!! Can you imagine the thrill of that trip - of course, with the probable hardships...Do you think that their agent organized their stay at the Paris Hotel? I just figured out the trek and it was 457 miles from Mulhouse to LeHavre, and 117 miles from Glarus to Mulhouse. In today's world, it could be traveled in about 9 hours. But on the slow moving trains of those days, it was probably one long day. Any input from Bernadette, Jacques or Erich would be appreciated by many of us, I am sure. Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger In a message dated 11/23/2005 10:06:34 A.M. Central Standard Time, Mml 45 writes: My grandmother as a 9 yr old left with her family for the US in 1882. I have the actual ticket and it states that they stayed at a hotel in Paris before arriving for the ship at Le Havre. The ship was named, Canada.

Hello all, After emails from both Erich and Jacques, I can see the error in my thinking. Looking closely at the French and Swiss maps, one can EASILY see that the route from Glarus (and other Swiss towns) to Basel, then to Mulhouse and on to Paris, straight into LeHavre, is by far the most logical route that my ancestors (and maybe yours) used to emigrate from Switzerland - if they left by the Port LeHavre. Mine left Le Havre in 1853 on the ship CH Manchester, and they traveled by train from Glarus. (which by the way, rr following this exact route are also easily seen on a good map). Just another part of the mystery, Regards from Texas, USA Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger

Hello, Robert, I would think that Jacques would not mind my sharing this with you: There were other roads from Basel to Le Havre. Among them was a trip from Basel City up the Rhine River to Holland as Eric correctly mentions. Another was a trip to Strasbourg via St Louis, France, then to Paris and from Paris to Le Havre. Additional routes utilized were a mixture of the above: departures from Basel by boat up the Rhine to Antwerp, Belgium. Another was the going through Strasbourg, and taking the road to Paris. The Vosges Mountains are relatively high and were difficult to pass during the winters because the cold is often bitter there and the mountains are snow covered. I could tell you other emigration roads that existed which included the Port of Bordeaux and even San Sebastian, Spain.