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From: John Blankenbaker <>
Subject: [GERMANNA] (933)Germanna Colonies, History of
Date: Wed, 02 Aug 2000 05:40:11 -0400


The nine hundred and forty-third note in a series on the Germanna Colonies

Many Germans made a mark as colonizers, promoters, frontiersmen, or
politicians. We know Christoph von Graffenried, Jost Hite, Johann Lederer,
Franz Pastorius, the Weisers (father and son). I have mentioned Hans Herr
and perhaps Martin Kendig. I don't think that I have spoken of John
Augustus Sutter whose misfortune was to have gold discovered on his property.

In Governors, Pennsylvania leads with the most and Wisconsin comes behind
that. Both of these states had a large German population so this is no
surprise. However, Arkansas did not have a large German element yet they
have had four German governors. Two of these we know well, William Meade
Fishback and Henry Massey Rector (were there more than this from
Germanna?). Two other German governors were James Eagle and Winthrop
Rockefeller though it must be admitted that the latter is the eighth
generation from the immigrant. Another Germanna descendant who was in a
governor's chair was James Lawson Kemper of Virginia.

A couple of famous jurists was Felix Frankfurter (the immigrant himself)
and Louis Dembritz Brandeis (a second generation immigrant). A Wanamaker is
in this group also. In the lawyers, we have Wendell Willkie (the Republican
convention that nominated him was in 1940 which was my introduction to
politics).

In this century we have had two Presidents of the United States of German
descent, Dwight David Eisenhower and Herbert Clark Hoover.

In the category of Other, we have Bernard Baruch (second generation),
Eugene Debs (2nd ), J. Edgar Hoover (6th), and two Henry Morgenthaus (1st
and 2nd ). The names that I have given in this note come from eight pages
of names so there have been no lack of names. I have chosen a few that
people who listened to the Republican convention in 1940 might remember the
best.

Many Germans had no particular desire to make a big mark in the world. They
wanted their own corner of the land that they could call their own and
where they could raise a family. Often they had little interest in
government. More likely, if they turned to anything besides farming, it was
to the ministry.

One of the names that I gave today was Hans Herr. His major motivation was
to establish a community where he and his co-religionists could worship as
they pleased without interference. At the same time, they could set their
roots down on ground that they controlled.

Germans left their names on towns all across the country. Examples include
Stuttgart, Brunswick, Germantown(s), Palatine, Schaumberg, Bern, New Bern,
Frankfort, Frederick, Hagerstown, New Ulm, Hershey, Manheim, Berlin (and
Berwin) usw. (und so weiter = et cetera). They even gave their name to some
of the English royal families.

John Blankenbaker

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