North Carolina Germans

We have all heard the stories of the Palatines who came to New York in the Eighteenth Century and the  Pennsylvania Dutch (German) who settled in the that state.  But, there are many other stories that have not been as well known.

The most recent chapter of Palatines to America is our North Carolina Chapter.  Some may wonder about why a North Carolina Chapter would make sense.  It is certainly not one of the better known stories of German immigration, except perhaps to those whose ancestors were among the groups that settled in that southern state or to those who live in that southern state.

I was reminded of the history of German settlers in North Carolina by my sister and her husband who made a trip to Winston-Salem, North Carolina and reported with enthusiasm the discoveries they made in Old Salem, the historic site where German Moravians who moved from Bethlehem, PA founded the city of Salem, NC in 1766.  It is now an historic district within Winston-Salem.

The history of Germans in North Carolina is much
richer than the story of those German Moravians,
and I would be happy to add more details if
 someone would like to write a more extensive
history of the Germans of North Carolina and
send it to me. Perhaps someone in the
North Carolina Chapter could submit something
 to be published in this blog.

The stories of our German ancestors are many and
varied, and I don’t pretend to be familiar with all
of them.  If you know some of those stories and
would like to make them known, send them along
 to me at palatinenotes@gmail.com. You can take
credit for the story;  I will make it available for
others to read.