History:
European Roots, American Homesteaders
Source: Fort Hays State University Leader. Friday, February 2, 2001 Vol. 95, No. 7.

Volga-Germans settled in Ellis County
over 125 years ago (Part 1)
by Bryan Valentine

EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of a two-part series describing Volga-German History Week, which takes place Feb. 14-17 in Hays. The first part focuses on the history of the Volga-Germans.

Over 125 years ago the Volga-Germans settled in the Ellis County area to set up land in various cities of Liebenthal, Victoria, Ellis, Hays and some cities in Rush County.

But where did they come from? Many of the settlers came from the Volga River region of Russia, after emerging from Germany. The journey from Russia to Kansas began around 1763.

Tents Provided Initial Shelter
The covered wagons were the first homes of the Volga-Germans, but as the weather warmed up in Russia, the Volga-Germans moved into tents.

Not only did they have to worry about homes, they also had to worry about how they were going to eat.

Crops and gardens had to be planted in order for the settlers to eat in the wintertime. It has been said that despite the efforts cultivating crops and gardens, many had to go to bed without supper.

Information provided by the Hays Visitor and Conventions Bureau, 1301 Pine, in a copy of an article called "The Russian Experience-A Mirage," describes what the colonists received. Each colonist was granted an allocation of 65 acres of land, but the colonists received little of the promised government assistance to make working the land profitable.

Most of the tools given to the colonists were primitive in nature. For example, the colonists had to make use of a wooden plow, a sickle, a hatchet and a rake. They also used a pole wagon and two horses.

After the rough first year, the second year brought about some changes, but not much; contractors and government homes brought limited relief.

The flood of 1768
In 1768, the Volga River began to overflow and flooded many crops. That flood was only part of the problems facing the colonists. For nearly 10 years, they had to fight floods, heat and dust storms. Some colonists had to resort to applying to the government for food.

The Kirghiz
The first decade in Russia took a toll on the colonists. Over 1200 Volga-Germans were captured and sold into slavery by the Kirghiz. These did not include the many other who were killed or wounded.

The Kirghiz were nomads, superior horsemen and owners of great herds of cattle that were pasteurized throughout the Russian and Asiatic Steppe. They resented the intrusion of the colonists. The many raids by the Kirghiz reduced the number of colonies by 25 percent (which resulted in the deaths of 7,000 persons).

The early 1800s
The 19th century dawned before the first significant indications that the Volga-Germans' gamble would bring about favorable results.

As time went on, the Volga region began seeing results. It turned into a major agricultural empire. It wasn't until about 1850 before any substantial numbers of the Volga-Germans began to enjoy sufficient prosperity and the awareness to send their brightest youth to institutions of higher learning in Saratov and Tiraspol.

Despite fighting many battles for equality and freedom, the Volga-Germans persevered in making their way to the United States.

January 1874
In January of 1874, Balthasar Brungardt, a resident of Herizog, had applied for an emigration permit. His application was denied at first, but he appealed to a higher authority called the Procuror (State's Attorney) and was approved.

He arranged a mass meeting with the delegates of all the colonies. He joined with about 3,000 colonists in attendance and began to talk about two places, Nebraska and Brazil, for their new homeland. He recommended that the new homeland would be Nebraska, after hearing so much about the place from a professor at Saratov College.

At the mass meeting, the colonists elected five people to travel to the United States and check out the land in Nebraska. Those selected included Nicholas Schamne (Graf), Peter Leiker (Obermonjour), Jakon Ritter (Luzeren), Peter Stoeckleoin (Zug) and Anton Wasinger (Schoenchen).

They spent 10 days in the United States. When they traveled, they went through Castel Garden (N.Y.), Buffalo, Chicago, Omaha and Lincoln.

The delegates were impressed with the land and went back to Russia to tell the others.

In late December of 1874, two of the delegates came back to the United States to do more investigating. This time they wound up in Kansas where they spent a week exploring.

They visited Atchison, Topeka and then took a trip on the Santa Fe Railroad to the near-central Kansas town of Larned.

When the two went back to Russia, they had less than favorable things to say about the land. This deterred the colonists from moving to the United States.

Western Kansas roots
Liebenthal was the first village to be settled by the Volga-Germans on Feb. 22, 1876. Other cities in Ellis and Rush counties were later settled by the Volga-Germans, including Herzog (which is know now as Victoria), Ellis, Munjor and Schoenchen

The second part of this series will describe the events that will take place in Hays and the surrounding areas to commemorate the Volga-Germans' immigration to Kansas.

Volga-Germans settled in Ellis County
over 125 years ago (Part 2)
by Bryan Valentine

Denning descendants first emigrated to Herzog, Kansas USA, which is now known as Victoria.

From Saratov in Russia to Kansas
Emigrants from nine villages in Russia left Saratov on October 24, 1875, arrived in Baltimore on November 23 and traveled to Topeka where they wintered though March 1876. They founded Herzog on April 8, 1876. The new town was located one-half mile north of the English colony of Victoria. On August 3, 1876, the largest single group to leave the Volga region arrived in Victoria and settled in Herzog. More groups of emigrants came over the next couple of years to settle in Herzog with the last major group arriving on September 15, 1878. Because of the large numbers of people living there, Herzog became the largest and most important colony in Ellis County. Herzog later absorbed its English predecessor, but kept the English name when it was officially changed in 1913 to Victoria.

The settlers met for religious services at the home of Alois Dreiling, and they soon built a frame church adjoining the house. Walter C. Maxwell, who was a Catholic Englishman living south of Victoria, started plans to build a stone church. That church building was completed in August 1877, but with the town growing, it became too small. A new church building that held up to 600 parishioners was dedicated on October 19, 1884.

As the town grew, the parish outgrew its church building. Plans were made beginning in 1905 to build a new church; those plans were revised in 1908, with the cornerstone being laid on October 4, 1909. Two hundred twenty-five families of the St. Fidelis Parish helped to build this church which was completed in 1911.

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