Immigration and Migration Stories

"History of Lykens Township: A Bicentennial History, 1776-1976," W. Stucky, Ed., Sponsored by The Lykens Conservation League Historical Committee, p.17. Contributed by Jeanne Luhr (jlzlluhr@netscape.net).

    "Another group of immigrants to Ohio also came by wagon train from Pennsylvania and many of them settled in the Lykens Township area.
    "In 1849, Phillip Ohl and his sons, Joshua, John, and Abraham, went to Ohio on a scouting trip to locate land to settle on. They found land available in Texas and Lykens Townships and purchased land for a number of families, then returned to Pennsylvania.
    "They spent the next year getting ready for the final trip to Ohio. Other families threw in their lot with the Ohls and included among them were the Bartholomews, the Frankenfields, Zellners, Dewalts and Klaisses. Each family had their name painted on their Conestoga wagon. The wagon with the name Klaiss is reported to be in a museum at Tiffin, Ohio.
    "When everything was in readiness and the goodbyes said, the long caravan carrying about 85 people started on the long journey to Ohio on or close to the first of March, 1851.
    "They went by way of Strasburg and Bedford in Pennsylvania and on through Wheeling, West Virginia, into Ohio.
    "At the end of six weeks they were near their destination. The entire wagon train stopped off at a Myers homestead, located on what is now state Route 100. From there they separated and went to their new homes."

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Michele Mills
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