NOTES TAKEN FROM THE DIARY OF HEINRICH A. AND ANNA UNRUH SCHMIDT

The dates given here are all according to the Julian calendar. It is supposed that the immigrants used this calendar on the voyage to America and at least the first year in this country. If twelve days are added to their figures they agree with our calendar dates.

When we read the records left by our parents we find that they led very active lives. The most outstanding experience was undoubtedly their emigration voyage from Russia to America with all the excitement and hardships that accompanied it.

In the short notes of their diary we find that they left their cherished home in the village "Gnadental" on July 20, 1874, on a Saturday early in the morning. At noon they arrived at Hochstadt and boarded a train there at six p.m. This was their first train ride. In fact, most of them had never even seen a train before. They rode through the various cities in Russia and then on across the German boundary and on to Hamburg, the last city in Europe. Here they received a friendly reception and were served zwieback and coffee. While they waited several days for their ship, they stayed in a large six story emigration house. On Sunday some of the emigrants accepted the invitation to attend the Catholic Church. The pastor delivered a very stirring sermon. Their singing was exceptional to the accompaniment of an organ. In the afternoon they went to the large zoo. In the evening they went to church again for their last worship service in Europe. Depressing thoughts must have entered their minds.

Soon they began their ocean voyage boarding the ship Zimbria in the hands of Captain Brant on July 30 or August 1, leaving behind the European homes they had always cherished.

From this point on we should add twelve days to each date in order to get the accurate time.

In a few days they passed France, stopping at the seaport, Havre, for provisions and fuel for the ship.

The weather was mostly favorable throughout the voyage. In spite of that, however, most of the passengers experienced seasickness.

On August 13 they saw land. At twelve oclock noon, August 15, they landed at a New York harbor. Here they were taken to an emigration home where their names were recorded according to families. They also exchanged their money for American money. They received only seventy-nine cents for every German dollar. It is also recorded that a man from the mission house distributed copies of the New Testament among the immigrants.

The next day they went sight seeing in the city of New York they mention their first American meal; fried fish and potatoes. The price of the meal was thirty cents. Watermelons and various fruits are also mentioned. Everything was delicious to them although a bit more expensive than they were accustomed to.

From New York they traveled west to Chicago, Illinois. Some left the group there and went to Dakota. The others went to Lincoln, Nebraska. From there emissaries were sent out to find suitable land sites for their homes. These traveled through various parts of Nebraska and Kansas. Tuesday, August 25. the group from the other ship led by Ray. D. Gaeddert joined them. Their total number was now sixty-seven families. On Sunday morning August 30, Rev. Buller delivered the sermon, and that afternoon Rev. Regehr of Lincoln preached.

There in Lincoln the group divided into two groups. Some remained in Nebraska, although most of members of the Alexanderwohl Church went on to Topeka with Rev. Buller and Rev. Gaeddert. there they stayed in a vacant factory building for two weeks. They bought a few horses, cows. etc. from local farmers. The railroad company transported this to Newton free of charge.

During this time of waiting several men of the group had gone on to Marion County to help in the building of two immigrant houses eighteen feet wide end two hundred feet long. In these two houses the whole group remained until their own houses were completed. Later one of these two immigrant houses was used as a church until the large Alexanderwohl Church was built in 1886. The other group led by Rev. Gaeddert similarly started their pioneer life south of McPherson.

From Topeka they went direct to Newton on the train. Here our parents bought a wagon for eighty-three dollars and a set of harness for twenty-six dollars. Now they could at last pack some of their belongings in their own wagon and go to the immigrant house. After the land had been divided our family moved on to their land into a small shack on November 10. Here they lived until their house was finished in December. This was thirteen miles north of Newton. Provisions and other necessities were bought in Newton although a few times they went to Halstead to buy flour from Barnard Warkentin. A year or two later they also bought flour from Joseph Schrag near the Little Arkansas River.

At the close of the, diary Mother left a short note saying that Father Heinrich A. Schmidt was elected deacon of the Alexanderwohl Church in 1876. He served in that capacity for many years.

Isaac Penner, Burton Kansas