Hello, Nellie: I wonder if you might have some thoughts about my Swiss ggrandparents' 1864 emigration route. They are included in "Germans to America" (though both are Swiss) as sailing on a ship that is listed as leaving from both Bremen and Antwerp. I know that they are from Cantons Zurich and Aarau, and family tradition has it that Basel figures somewhere in their leaving. Is there any more reason to think they left from Bremen than from Antwerp? Could they easily have taken the river up to Bremen? Could they have taken a train to Antwerp? I did read once that entrepreneurial agents did recruitment of emigres, gathering them together in larger cities and getting them to the boats. I understand that Basel was such a center for emigration. Is there any place to get information on this practice (with maybe some records????). TIA for any thoughts. Cheers, Jude ----- Original Message ----- From: <Posnsrch@aol.com> To: <SWITZERLAND-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Monday, November 21, 2005 5:03 AM Subject: Re: [SWITZ] Emigration: Toll Fees on the River Rhine > > > Hi, none of my relatives left Switzerland via the Rhine, but a relative > recently sent me a photo of STEIN AM REIN , a town located near the beginning of > the Rhine River in the SE part of Switzerland. Still in the German speaking > section of Switzerland, not the Italian speaking. Currently, the river > features excursion rides for tourists at this little town. > > The Rhine begins in Switzerland and flows NORTH out of the mountains down to > the flatlands through Germany and into the North Sea, rather than flowing > south; all along the way - including in Switzerland - there are vineyards along > the river. Hence Rhine Wine. Swiss wine is quite expensive and not usually > exported. > > The river is only a little longer than 800 miles, but only 500 of it is > navigable, because of the high waterfalls and other gorges in Switzerland, before > it hits the plains of Germany. It can only be traveled from Basel, CH to the > North Sea. > > In the 1800's most Swiss, like my ancestors, left the Old World via LeHavre, > France. They walked or rode wagons to the nearest train station, and > traveled via train through France to the coast. I know that doesn't help much > regarding river fees, but this may be of interest. If any of you would like a photo > of the STEIN AM REIN town, email me and I will send it. > > > Nellie, a 68-yr-old root digger > _http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwartwo/_ > (http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwartwo/) > WWII index - free for today > _http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/_ > (http://www.militaryindexes.com/worldwarone/) > WWI - free until 25 Nov 2005 > > > > In a message dated 11/20/2005 5:48:09 P.M. Central Standard Time, > gnlg4nhg@frontiernet.net writes: > > While researching in Germany a number of years ago, a cousin of mine was > told there is a book in which a record was kept of the toll fee paid by > all people traveling on the river from Switzerland to live in what is > now Germany. It was said to cover the period from 1556 to 1750 when > there were large migrations from Switzerland. > > Does anyone know of such a book? Can anyone tell me if there were such > fees? Who would have collected them? Would they be paid to each entity > they passed through on the journey, or maybe only to Switzerland? What > entities were in control of shipping on the Rhine during that time > period? Where would such records have been kept, and where might they be > now? > > Thanks for any help or information anyone can give me! > N. H. Goodman > > > > > > > > ==== SWITZERLAND Mailing List ==== > Going on vacation? Gone longer than 4 days? Go to > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/CHE/SWITZERLAND.html > to unsubscribe >