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Note: THE W�rtemberg EMIGRATION INDEX: Volume Four page 82 Name: Held, Johann David & F Birth Date: Birth Place: M�nsheim District: Leonberg Application Date: Sep 1856 Destination: North America Number: 837960 =================================== Passenger's Name: David Johann Held Age: 39 Occupation: Tailor Last Residence: Wurtemburg Date of Arrival: Nov 29, 1856 Final Destination: PA Purpose for Travel: Staying in the USA Ship's Name: Genesee Captain's Name: Th F. Appel Manifest ID Number: 00008796 Port of Embarkation: Marseilles Mode of Travel: Steerage ================================== Johann David and Christina Held were the original immigrants of our Held family. Johann David grew up in Aurich near Vailhingen on the Enz about 15 miles northwest of Stuttgart, in the Kingdom of W�rtemberg. Christina, maiden name also Held - a first cousin once removed, was raised in M�nsheim, about 5 miles away on the eastern edge of the Black Forest. They married in February 26, 1843, and were the parents of ten children: six born in W�rtemberg, the last four born in Armstrong Co, PA In America Johann David was called John David or David John and Christina was called Christina Lydia. The W�rtemberg and Baden regions where the Held family came from is now part of Germany, but Germany did not exist at the time they lived there. The Held family had lived in the Aurich-M�nsheim area over 150 years. Previously this Held line lived in Sersheim, W�rtemberg, about 10 miles from M�nsheim, where Johann David's GGgrandfather, Michael, had a family. Michael was born in 1679 in a small village in southern Baden called Biesingen, also in the Black Forrest. Biesingen is about 60 miles south of M�nsheim and about 10 miles from the Swiss border, where this Held family seemed to originate. In the mid 1500s there were several other Held families in Biesingen and the villages in the area: Oberbaldingen, �fingen, and Sunthausen. The family trace seems to end here because there are no more records. In the fall of 1856, Johann David Held and his family came to the United States of America for economic reasons They sailed on a three-masted bark called Genesee with 182 adults and 14 infants from Antwerp to New York. The Held family had first choice for space on the ship because they had the largest family. It took forty-four days to cross the Atlantic Ocean. Outside of New York harbor the ship stuck a sandbar at Little Egg Harbor. The first tugboat that went out to pull them off the sandbar asked too large a fee. They did not have enough money. After remaining on the sandbar four days the passengers pooled enough of their possessions to make up the difference. Then finding there was whiskey on board they would not work until they shared their drink. Finally the ship was pulled off the sandbar and landed safely at New York on November 29, 1856. Two families of cousins, Reichenbachs and Blyholders, had immigrated before them. The Reichenbach family had settled on a farm in Cherry Run. After arriving at Leechburg by train two of the older boys walked to Cherry Run to tell the Reichenbachs their friends had arrived and were waiting at the Leechburg train station. They went with the horses and wagon to meet their cousins, took them home with them and gave them temporary shelter and food. The Held family moved to Manor Twp. In 1862, they moved to a log cabin on a 75 acre farm in Burrell Twp. The only lights in the cabin were candles. John David was a certified tailor by trade and brought his own sewing machine packed in a trunk of clothes on the boat from Germany. At that time to be certified in tailoring, one had to make a suit of clothes for a stranger without measuring him. If the suit fit perfectly he was given certification. The first suit John David made in PA was for their pastor at St. Michael's Luthern Church at Brick Church, PA He charged fifteen dollars for the suit. Frederick walked to the manse to deliver the suit. Speaking only German, the Held family found it difficult to converse with English-speaking neighbors. The children learned English quickly and helped their parents. John David relied on his son Frederick to translate conversations while he measured men for suits. They walked to Greensburg to get orders and deliver suits. None of his sons cared to learn the tailoring trade. Frederick at age thirteen led a cow from Cherry Run to Mosgrove, a distance of seventeen miles. The cow was a wedding gift from John David to his son, George. As he was passing the Kittanning railroad station someone called to Frederick it had just come over the telegraph that President Lincoln had been shot. Their children grew older and went to find work. George moved to Kittanning to work. Regina married Joseph Frantz and moved to Kittanning, also. Jacob farmed a large farm at Kelly Station. Frederick built a house on the next farm. Luisa married Samuel Kunkle and moved to the Shay area. Hiram worked in the Apollo steel mill. Mary Ann was a dwarf and stayed at home. John David died in 1882 and was buried beside his two children in St. Michael's Luthern Church Cemetery at Brick Church, Armstrong Co, PA Nineteen years later Christina Lydia died and was buried beside him. Mary Ann went to live with her niece Bretha Swank. They were brave and courageous pioneers. From The Frederick Held Family Tree 1983, by Lois Jean Altman Rupert. [with changes and additions made based on research by Fred H. Held] [Broderbund Family Archive #355, Ed. 1, Passenger and Immigration Lists: Germans to America, 1850-1874, Date of Import: 8 Jan 2007, Internal Ref. #1.355.1.13432.41]
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