Economic Development. The Immigration

AHSGR, Work Paper No. 5, February 1971

(Excerpts)

Page 35:
According to the official dates of the Commissioner of Immigration since 1903 to 1927 there emigrated from Russia to the United States 115,022 persons., of German descent.

The highest number came in the years:

1905: 10,279
1906: 13,480 (MY NOTES: David Ehlenberger and family first arrived in 1907.)
1911: 11,031
1912: 17,857
1913: 9,889 (MY NOTES: The David Ehlenberger family's second arrival was in late 1913.)

Total persons who immigrated from Russia to the United States since 1857-1905: 1,565,487. (74)

This shows that the highest immigration took place during or about the time of the Japanese war and the years before World War I. Dates from 1857 to 1903 indicate in general persons from Russia, but not the nationality.

One can state that the Germans from Russia became in time quite prosperous. About half of the Volga Germans from Russia are on farms in Kansas, Nebraska, Colorado and other states. The other half lives in the cities and are employed in he factories, shops railroads, etc. They were usually much poorer than the Black Sea Germans at their arrival. Big settlements of Volga Germans employed in industries are found in Chicago, Lincoln, Denver, Portland, and Fresno. They usually live in the suburbs, but not in slums. Their yards and houses are clean. Hattie Plum Williams writes in her book A Social Study of the Russian German "Neglect and decay of buildings is nowhere visible. On the other hand many of the houses of the settlement are made over from half tumbled down structures which were brought at a low price and remodeled under the skillful and painstaking hand of the owner."


Page 36:
(Excerpt)
The steamship lines used by the Russian-Germans to reach the shores of the United States were: The Hamburg America Line, Red Star Line, Inman Line, and The North German LLoyed. (MY NOTES: David Ehlenberger and family came first on the Umbria, and second on the Ascania.)


NOTES:
(74) Rath. G. Die Russlanddeutschen in de Vereinigten Staaten von Nord Amerika. Heimatbuch. 1963. p. 42.