This is very interesting. My ancestors who migrated from the Trier area also first settled in Buffalo NY for a few years before going on to Michigan. Michael Kramer, his father Mathias, his step-mother Helena Minich, his mother's relatives the Trierweilers, and his wife Angela Bruch all came from various little towns in the immediate vicinity of Trier. How or why the came to Michigan was not recorded, but many of the German families going to Michigan came by way of Buffalo as well, and perhaps met with my relatives who talked with them during their short stay in Buffalo. I have from the book "Of Pilgrimage Prayer and Promise" published by the Westphalia Michigan Historical Society in 1986, that does not include the route taken in the written text, but shows in map form that perhaps the most common route was through New York City, up the Hudson River to Albany/Troy, the Erie Canal to Buffalo, and then by steamboat to Detroit. While this may not be the final answer, I believe it leads a lot of creedence to the first thought. Joseph Miller Troy, Michigan > > Kathy, Thanks for your insight. I would like to pose one more related > > question. An ancestor of mine settled in Jefferson County WI in 1847. He > > stated in his first papers (citizenship) that he entered the US in "Buffalo, > > NY". One cousin suggests he must have actually disembarked in NY and taken > > the Erie Canal westward, as your typical route suggests. I have my doubts! > > I wonder if he might have immigrated via Canada (Port of Montreal?) then > > entered US at Buffalo. > > Joe, > I have heard of Buffalo being reported as an entry point before, but I > can't remember when or for whom. Your suggestion of Montreal as a > disembarkation port sounds plausible. I know that a lot from the British > Isles went that route, but I don't know about those from the Trier area. > Kathy > > > ==== TRIER-ROOTS Mailing List ==== > Going on vacation longer than 4 days? Go to > http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/DEU/TRIER-ROOTS.html > to unsubscribe >