John, There is another mail list for Saarland http://lists.rootsweb.com/index/intl/DEU/DEU-SAARLAND.html I'm confused by the statement "Neunkirchen and areas along the border with Austria". ShtetlSeeker shows there are 19 villages with the name Neunkirchen in Germany. The old countries that border Austria were the the Kingdom of Würtemberg and the Kingdom of Bavaria. Saarland is quite a distance from Austria. The records for much of this area of old Germany start about 1650-1700, with a few to 1550. You search for records is very near the beginning of those available. At 12:01 AM 1/4/2007, you wrote: >From: "John Smeltzer" <johnsmeltzer@comcast.net> >Subject: [TRIER-ROOTS] Newby to the list - >Interested in any Schmeltzer or name variant connections >To: <TRIER-ROOTS@rootsweb.com> > >Good morning to all and Happy New Year >2007....already 2 plus days old. I'm new to >the list and not sure that I'm even properly >placed here but in inquiring with a German >contact they directed me to this list as a >possible source of information on my >Schmeltzer/Schmelzer/Smeltzer family connections >both ancestral and current in Germany and >vicinity. I would love to exchange information >with anyone who might be able to assist with >data or ideas on how to acquire data on this >family. I'm ultimately interested in pulling >together at least one trip to ancestral areas of >Europe and want to have my homework done in >advance. We believe the family was in Saarland >and vicinity as far back as the 1500's. There >is evidence of family roots in Neunkirchen and >areas along the border with Austria. The >family in the US came during the period 1680 - >1760 with most settling in Pennsylvania first >and then quickly into Maryland, Virginia, >Tennessee, Kentucky and on into Indiana, Illin! > ois, Missouri, Iowa, Texas, Oklahoma, Oregon > and California. There are also substantial > family contingents in Michigan and Wisconsin > many that originated from immigrants who landed > in Nova Scotia or came to Ontario, > Canada. So, I hope that I've found a place > that might help me in these pursuits. If not, > I'm open to suggestions as to what other stops > along the electronic highways might be of > value. Thanks....John F. Smeltzer, Colorado (snowy Colorado at that).