Family tradition in the Finn family says the Graeffs were from ALSACE LORRAINE and research hasn't disproved that claim yet. John Graeff was born abt 1800 and Barbara was born in 1806. In November of 1799 just before John Graeff was born, Napoleon Bonaparte overthrew the republican government of France. In 1801 Bonaparte reconfirmed all the cessions made at Campo Formio (Oct 1797) whereby the Rhine River became the East boundry of France. The cession of the left bank of the Rhine was on this occasion made definitive. France first acquired Alsace in 1648 at the Peace of Westphalia following the Thirty Years War which marked the end of the Holy Roman Empire and the emergence of France as the dominant European power. By 1807, the year after Barbara was born, Bonaparte was at the zenith of his career.

Research (PA Census 1870) gives LANDAU as the birthplace of Barbara. Landau is on the west side of the Rhine River and would have been in France at the time both were born. Alsace was a German speaking area and the people of Lorraine spoke French. Today (1993) this Landau is in Germany a few miles north of the Alsace border and west of the Rhine River. France controlled Alsace-Lorraine until after Franco-German War of 1870-71 when it came under German control. Alsace-Lorraine once again became part of France after World War II.

1747- A George GRAFF was born 10 Nov 1747 in Killendorf, Alsace and moved to Pennsylvania, according to the "Early Pennsylvania Births 1675- 1875 by Charles A. Fisher.

1800- There are three Graeffs in the 1800 US Census for PA. A Christian Graeff, a Henry Graff and a Mary Graeff.

1800- Our John Graeff gave Germany as his birthplace in the US census taken on 8 Oct 1850; he was 50 at the time living in Tremont, PA.

Landau in the Rheinland-Phalz area of southwestern Germany is also known as the Palatinate. It's about 12 miles west of the Rhine River and a little over 12 miles north of the French border of Alsace-Lorraine.

In his book "In Search of Your German Roots" Angus Baxter said in the chapter titled The Germans in the United States, "The leader of the first contingent to arrive in 1708 was the Rev. Joshua Kocherthal. His party consisted of forty-one people from LANDAU, in the Palatinate, and fourteen more from the same place joined them a few weeks later." Their journey took nine weeks.

The following historical data is taken from Larry D. Jensen's book "A Genealogical Handbook of German Research, Vol. 1."

1800-1820. Emigration out of Germany during this time period was very slight. After 1800 it was caused mostly by economic and political reasons and was not from any one particular area of Germany. It was due to a large extent to the reform movements in various areas of the world. The American Revolution in the 1770s, the French Revolution in the 1790s, and the overthrow of the Holy Roman German Empire in 1806, all created the feeling that changes would shortly come to Germany as well.

1816- Settlement in and about Tremont, PA began. Settlers probably came from Berks Co. according to history of the area.

1830-1840 Overproduction, overpopulation, unavailability of land, and the fact that mass-production had replaced the artisan worker caused many to decide to emigrate. In America at this time it was a period of prosperity. The Jacksonian Democracy provided what many Germans had been striving for in vain. Many of the Germans leaving at this time were from the Rhein area of Germany; and they settled extensively in the areas of Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri.

Our Graeff ancestors were known as Auswanders. The idea of emigration, of wandering out -- Auswanderung -- was well known to them.

The following is found in "Germany and the Emigration 1816-1885" by Mack Walker (1965)." "The Auswanderung of 1830-1845 was, with the exception of certain northern areas, decidedly a movement of what may be called the lower middle class: neither great landowners nor harvest hands, but small farmers who cultivated their own land; not apprentices, nor unskilled laborers, nor great merchants, but independent village shopkeepers and artisans; next to no one from the larger towns and cities emigrated. The Auswanderungs were people who relied upon their own skills and wished to do so in the future, who had property that could be turned to cash; they traveled on their own resources. They were people who had something to lose, and who were losing it, squeezed out by interacting social and economic forces: a growth of population without a corresponding growth of economic bases, and the increased cosmopolitanization and liberalization of the economy.

By the 1830-1845 period, in southwestern Germany, an area of divisible inheritances, agricultural lands had been divided and subdivided to match increased intensificaton. The family plot decreased in size and remained marginal in terms of its capacity to support those who depended upon it.

The emigration between 1830 and 1845 from Germany probably included a higher proportion of prosperous and skilled, educated people than that of any other time, while the poorest and least valuable members of the society stayed behind. The heavy representation of wine gardeners among the Auswanderer emphasized the factor of marginality. The grape is a notoriously unstable crop.

The price of land was disproportionately high to the income it produced. But the same high land prices which prevented the small farmer from acquiring enough land to feed his family made it possible for him to move; he might be able to liquidate his inadequate holding at a price enabling him to cross the sea to America and buy a larger farm, which would absorb his and all his family's energies productively. Those unable to do so did not ordinarily emigrate. Closely connected with the excruciating decline of the small farmers into precariousness was the pressure on small businessmen and artisans.

More important than any other agent in creating the favorable image of America in the thirties and forties was the private letter. Letters passed from hand to hand, from village to village, and were read and heard with eager curiosity. it seems likely that with large numbers of Germans from Landau already in the US including some Graeffs that John and Barbara most likely grew up hearing wonderful tales of America.

1830- There is a John Graeff age 20-30 in Maiden Creek, Berks Co., PA for the census 01001/20001. But this is too early for our John Graeff to be in the US.

1835- First child, Kitty was born in Germany.

1838- Wife Barbara with Catharine arrived in US. Have not found a passenger list for John.

1839- Son, John, born. Civil War discharge says "of Tremont." In 1894, an affidavit in John's pension file for his marriage shows that the marriage record says Jno. H. Graeff, "of Tremont."

1840- There is a John Graeff in Upper Tulpuhocken, Berks Co., PA for the census 2210101/011101. This John is 40-50 with wife 30-40. These ages fit John and Barbara, but there are too many children in the household. John and Barbara had only Catherine age 5 and John age 2 by 1840. There is a Michael Graeff in Orwigsburg, Schuylkill and a William Graeff in Pine Grove for this census. 1842- Early mining operations began in Tremont about 1842.

1846- John agreed to buy lot #53 on Main St. on an installment type purchase from Morris and Fisher. The town was laid out by Messrs. Fulwheeler and Miller. A corner lot, 50 ft. front, 150 ft. long, cost $50. An ordinary lot could be bought for $40. Lot #53 is between West and Oak Sts. According to the "Tremont Area Bicentennial 1776-1976" Laurel St. was the main street of the borough until 1876 when surveyors planned and laid out what is now Main Street. Main Street was not paved until 1925.

1846- Tremont had about twenty miner's dwellings, a store house and a log tavern, but not a church or a school.

1847- Township of Tremont formed from Pine Grove Township. The village of Tremont had a population of about 500.

1847- Last child, Elizabeth, was born. She was 3 in census taken on 8 Oct 1850.

1848- First school opened in Tremont; a post office was also opened.

1849- John recorded the deed for lot #53, which he conveyed to wife, Barbara, the same day (29 Mar 1849) for $1. The two year delay in recording may have been the distance to the county seat at Pottsville which was about 9 miles away.

1850- Census: Tremont Township; Schuylkill Co., PA (8 Oct 1850). John was 50 yrs. old; Barbara 44. Children: Kitty age 15; John age 13, Andrew age 9, William age 7 and Christian age 5 were "at school" Elizabeth age 3. Value of real estate was $700. Neither John or Barbara could read or write. This is the last census record for John. There is no occupation given for John in this census. The neighbors are stonemason, labor, miner & carpenter.

1850- The "Miners' Journal & Pottsville General Advertiser" for Saturday October 5, 1850 listed the train schedule and the price of a ticket between Tremont and Schuylkill Haven was $.50; between Tremont and Minersville it was $.25. The population of Tremont at this time was 1190; there were 203 houses in the town with 198 children in school.

1850- A John Graeff from Germany made his Declaration of Intention and or Oath of Allegiance on 7 Oct 1850 in Philadelphia. Another entry for John Graeff is on 5 Jun 1854. (From Philadelphia Naturalization Records at the LOC) However, since our John arrived in 1837 and purchased property in 1847, it's more likely he gained his citizenship before he purchased property.

1852- John bought Lots #3 & 4, Block 132 in Trevorton, Zerbe Twp., Northumberland Co., PA on 7 Jan 1852 for $90 from William L.Helfenstein. [Northumberland Records Bk NN, p.458.]

The first coal mine was opened in 1827, although the town of Trevorton was not laid out until 1850. Zerbe Township was formed from Coal Township in 1853. Trevorton is about six miles west of Shamokin and about 11 miles southeast of Sunbury as the crow flies. The earliest inhabitants were miners; the English and Welsh were Methodist and Baptist and the Irish and Germans were Roman Catholic.

The first Catholic baptisms and marriages for Trevorton are recorded in church records by Father Sheridan of St. Joseph's Church in Danville dated 1 Oct 1854. Danville is about 15 miles north of Trevorton. It wasn't until 1860 that services were regularly conducted in Trevorton and a structure completed. In 1866, Trevorton was a mission church of St. Edward's in Shamokin served by Father Koch. (Trevorton by Mrs. M. L. Watson 1929; Northumberland Co., Historical Soc. Proceedings Vol. 3 & 4, p. 126, 1931-1932. Also see: History of Northumberland Co., PA. by Herbert C. Bell, 1891, p.630, and The Catholic Church in Northumberland Co. by John L. Shields, Northumberland Co., His. Soc. Proceeding, Vol, 7 & 8, p. 98.]

1853- Tremont had about 1600 residents. Father Barr began building St. Mary's Catholic Church. Renamed Immaculate Conception Church in 1854.

1858- Reuben Kline, administrator for the estate of a John Graeff of Trevorton, Northumberland Co., PA, filed a Statement of Debts on 2 Aug 1858. The petition says, "..that the said intestate left issue four children, to wit, Catherine, Elizabeth, John and Andrew and Barbara Graeff his widow." At his death, John Graeff owned two contiguous lots of ground (#3 & #4) situated in the town of Treverton on which a two story frame house was erected. These lots were sold at auction for $323 to pay the debts Graeff left at his death. [Northumberland Co. PA Court Records, [Petition Vol.12:217] & [Report Vol.12;249]

The debts and assets were as follows: Assets arising from the sale of the personal estate of decedent being all his personal estate $19. Debts due by said intestate as appears by the records:

Why weren't Christian and William named in this document? They were alive at this time. Apparently John and his wife, Barbara, were not living together. It appears he signed over the Tremont property to Barbara in 1849 and left for Northumberland County shortly after the 1850 census was taken in Oct 1850. He was called John Graff of the Town of Trevorton when he purchased his property there in Jan 1852. It also appears that John was cared for before he died by the town, that suggests he was living alone before he died.