TERRE HAUTE — It is fitting for German ancestry to be highlighted in “The Immigrants: Celebrating the Ethnic Heritage of Vigo County” exhibit at the Vigo County Historical Society Museum. First arriving in Terre Haute in the 1840s, the German immigrants became the largest ethnic influence in the development of the area.
The 1860 census, the first to list the distribution of foreign-born persons, showed Germans to be the largest foreign-born nationality group in Indiana. Germans still led the list in 1920.
According to the 2000 census, 42.8 million Americans — about 15 percent of the population — consider German to be their primary ancestry. The German-American Heritage Foundation of the USA claims, “We are 43 million strong.”
Jan Chait said it well (Terre Haute Living, Jan.-Feb. 2008), “Where do you start with the Germans? For that matter, where do you stop?”
Prominent names include Debs, Hulman, Dreiser, Dresser, Ehrmann, Baur, Ermisch, Gerstmeyer, Heinl, Moggers and Prox, but the number of German names in this area is almost endless. If we look at the occupation of these German immigrants, the largest group were those in the skilled crafts; they also held a high profile as businessmen, shopkeepers and farmers.
From early on, the Terre Haute area Germans formed their own benevolent and social societies and organized Catholic, Lutheran and Methodist churches. They built Germania Hall at 18-20 N. Ninth St. (current site of Thompson Thrift Development offices), and they published newspapers in the German language until 1917 when anti-German hysteria of World War I swept through the nation.
Some of the items in the current display were loaned to the museum by Christa Phifer, Helga Phillips and Rita Goffinet, all natives of Germany and members of the German Oberlandler Club. Members of the club also funded the 19th century dressmaker’s shop, located on the second floor of the museum, in 1984 in commemoration of the contributions made by German immigrants in Vigo County history.
Those of us of German ancestry are proud to be included in this current exhibit at the Vigo County Historical Society Museum along with residents of 11 other ethnic groups who played a part in developing Vigo County. As the venerable thirteenth-century monk Thomas Aquinas reminded us, “Diversity is the perfection of the universe.”
History
Historical Treasure: German immigrants arrived in TH in the 1840s
- History
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Terre Haute Works of Allis-Chalmers closes
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: This little-known compromise may have saved the union
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Traveling Civil War exhibit makes history personal
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GENEALOGY: Virginia Historical Society takes on ambitious project
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: The Legacy of ‘The Old Silkworm House’
In 1837, and for several years thereafter, a gray sandstone obelisk was installed next to a one-story frame residence at the northwest corner of Sixth and Eagle streets.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A blast from valentines past
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: Flu outbreak forces Schulte closed
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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Original copy of 13th Amendment at Lincoln Library & Museum
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Freedom of religion — beliefs and actions
Because religious faith is, arguably, the quintessential example of our right to privacy, to say nothing of its prominent place in our First Amendment, throughout our history court cases involving the free exercise of religion have been handled with great trepidation and with particular care. One of the milestone “free exercise” religion cases, Davis v. Beason, was decided by the Supreme Court this week (Feb. 3) in 1890.
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GENEALOGY: SoCal Genealogical Jamboree coming up in June
The Southern California Genealogical Society announces its 43rd Annual Jamboree, to be staged for three days on June 8-10, at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel in Burbank, Calif.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: Disco Ernie featured on Maury
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Flashing the mayor's badge
This mayoral badge was presented to the Vigo County Historical Society by Elizabeth K. Schultz, the granddaughter of Samuel E. Beecher Sr., who served as mayor of Terre Haute from 1936 to 1940.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Deadly tornado devastates York in 1907
John T. Staff loved water and, particularly, the Wabash River.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Notorious Western desperado Ellsworth Wyatt captured in Clay County
In October 1892, Terre Haute police received a circular from the State of Kansas containing a description of Ellsworth Wyatt and offering a $1,200 reward for his capture.
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LOOKING BACK: 2002: ISU students honor Martin Luther King Jr.
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: News letter filled with wonderful local news
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GENEALOGY: Peyton, Downey, Fifer queries and a plea for help from Scotland
This week, we have several queries.
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Extension plans seminar on land use
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BRUCE'S HISTORY LESSON: Kennedy, Camelot, and other myths
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Actor to portray Lincoln at dinner for historical society
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GENEALOGY: Celebrate MLK Day with the Indiana Historical Society
On Monday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the Indiana Historical Society will offer free admission to celebrate Martin Luther King Day.
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HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE: Light Guards savor military and social experiences
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LOOKING BACK: 1962: 87 high school hoops teams compete in 47th annual Wabash Valley Tournament
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: A bottle of clove oil at the pharmacy
The Historical Treasure for today is a bottle of Clove Oil.
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LOOKING BACK: 1987: St. Mary’s Parish congregation celebrates 150th anniversary
Dorothy Jerse looks back at local history from 10, 25 and 50 years ago as reported in the Tribune and Tribune-Star.
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HISTORICAL TREASURE: Fire up the jukebox for a great night
The jukebox existed long before Glenn Miller’s “Juke Box Saturday Night” swing version.
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GENEALOGY: 1752 is one memorable year for genealogists
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